Date Monsters Shifter Agency Paranormal Boxset, page 22
“You know, if you don't talk to me, I can't help you,” Oswin said, letting out an exhale of exasperation. “And if I’m going to play your date in public, there could be a little less distance in the emotions.” He indicated how stiffly she sat, how closed off her body language was.
“You're hanging out with Regina Arnetto,” she replied magnanimously, staring directly into his chocolate brown eyes. “Don't expect an explanation for everything I do.”
“Well, I'm getting a serious case of daddy issues from you,” he replied calmly, and a small stab of pain entered her heart, before she reined in control of her emotions.
“Don't we all?”
“Not like you,” he said. “There's three of you in the same household, but you're the most uptight of them all. Alice seems like she's just bull-headed, all about that good karma. Jasmin is in it for convenience. You, though... you don't want to be here at all. So why?”
She took a moment to gather herself together to answer. “I don't like the ranch, but I do like my sisters.”
“You have a funny way of showing it.”
“Hm.” She accepted the drink from the waitress, a chilled glass of red wine. “Whatever happened to me is irrelevant to what's happening now. We still don't have a culprit. And it seems two ranches are losing their livestock. So I'm sitting here, because this is one of the most popular places in town. If we want some clues, we come here. Better in the evening, sure, when it's all drinks, no food, but there's a lot of gossip from the churchgoers.” She indicated a gaggle of older men and women, dotted over the tables. “They love to talk. And you've got super hearing, right?”
“I do,” he replied in a grudging tone. “So this is all part of your master plan, is it?”
“Sure is. And we get a nice meal on top. You'll love the pie. Popular dish for the miners.”
He chuckled before leaning on his hand, a rather rakish smile gracing his lips. The smile suited him. She wondered what was going through his mind, if he felt disgust that he had to pretend to want to date her, and defend her on the side. If he thought the fantasy ridiculous, if he believed what the others said about her. “You're an interesting one.”
“Glad you picked me, huh?” She sipped at her wine, perhaps making a little too much of a show of it, tilting her head back, exposing her throat. His eyes shifted to the tender skin there, before flicking respectfully back up.
“Remains to be seen. You're likely the most difficult one to work with.”
“What's life without a little excitement?” She glanced around to see some of the older women were looking at her, before hastily turning their eyes away. “Anyone saying anything interesting?”
“Erm...” Oswin scratched the back of his head. “They're more or less... talking about you.” He hesitated. “And me.”
“Which is it? Am I a slut, or are you the schmuck I'm leading on?”
He laughed rather nervously. “You're seen with a lot of men, I take it?”
“My former work colleagues, sure,” she said, shrugging off the comment. She’d heard it all before. “Who are all men. So I suppose that's an easy rumor to spread around.”
“Yeah, well. They... one of them is saying something about you leading her grandson astray?”
Ah. The joys of small-town gossip. “I've rejected a few people. Not all of them take it well. Is it the almost bald, dumpy lady over there?” She locked gazes with said woman, who appeared... annoyed.
“Yep.”
Of course. “Her grandson called me a whore and said I should have been grateful that someone was willing to sleep with an Arnetto when I rejected him,” Regina said, again taking a leisurely swill of her drink. She felt an odd mix of annoyance, anger, boldness, and mischievousness. “I always thought it was him who started the slut rumors... cross-eyed little shit.”
“Uh,” Oswin said, clearly unsure how to proceed. He seemed relieved when their food arrived, and it gave them something else to do. Perhaps, Regina thought, she was being a little too hard on her bodyguard. She knew she made people uncomfortable, and couldn't really help herself at times. Sometimes it felt like her mouth had a will of its own.
“You're not popular, are you?” he finally said through a big mouthful of mashed potato and meat. “And neither was your... father.” He gave an apologetic shrug. “From what I'm hearing, anyway.”
“He wasn't,” Regina agreed. “Some people felt sorry for us, growing up in that kind of place. Others figured we'd be carbon copy fuck-ups like him. It's a big deal when you don't attend church here.” She absently forked up some mash, letting it rest on the metal for a moment. “Or go to the local school. People are already strange enough about outsiders. Then you got the mean old drunk who may or may not have killed his wife, with three little girls he must be doing some awful shit to.”
She said it all with straightforward bravado, a part of her mind wishing she could take back every word, because she hadn't planned to overshare this much when she came in here... and yet here she was. She acted like it didn't bother her, when the truth was, it always did.
Oswin stared at his food, as if he'd lost all appetite. Then he aggressively tucked into it again. “Your father sounds like a bastard. And the people here are idiots.”
Both her eyebrows lifted up this time, and her lips parted slightly. That was... not the answer she expected. “Wait 'til you hear what he did with his cigarettes.”
“I don't think I want to.” Oswin hesitated, examining her expression before smiling at her, and oddly enough, she felt herself mirroring it back. “But I think I understand you a little better.” He nodded to himself. “I come from a big, insular family. Bear thing. We're always sticking up for each other. Doesn't mean we don't get some rotting apples on our trees, though. Just means we have to fight harder to make sure the rotten one doesn't infect the others.”
“You got it,” she said. In that moment, she felt completely understood, and didn't mind. The memory of her father continued to creep in the background. His poison, threatening to infect everyone, swarming around Regina. Coating her in his sickness, shaping her to whatever twisted belief system he held.
But never her sisters.
He'd never touch them.
Chapter Four – Oswin
Aubrette lounged on his bed, arms folded behind her head. “You like her,” she said. Her tone was full of bite, of scorn. Oswin knew she'd end up kicking up some sort of trouble when it came to his personal relationships.
“What's not to like?” he countered, peering out at the grounds. Rain drizzled down the window, leaving little snail-like trails across the glass. Most of the animals were sheltering, and some just lay in the fields under trees, content to endure the elements. “You hang around with anyone long enough, you'll get to like them. Besides, that is part of the job I’ve taken. Easier to do it if there’s something there.”
“She's the worst of them. You've heard all the shit they say about her?”
“That's it, though. It's all shit. Just idiots spreading lies about things they don't understand.” Not that he understood Regina as well as he was claiming with Aubrette, but he knew, deep down in his bones, that Regina wasn't the bad guy others painted her to be. For a start, it was clear Jasmin and Alice loved her. It was clear, whatever happened in their household, Regina had borne the brunt of it. He'd seen the way she exclusively avoided the basement of the homestead as if demons lurked within it, and how her face tautened when they went on a little too long about her father, regardless of her nonchalant attitude.
In all honesty, she fascinated him, but new people with jagged pasts usually did. It helped as well that she had that kind of appearance that made his knees weak at the most inconvenient of times. Efficient, severe, wearing office suits, probably not the kind who appreciated dresses so much, always immaculate in her appearance, with a penchant for blood-red lipstick giving her an even more attractive smile than she already had.
So why not be a little bit attracted to his boss? It made everything easier. And if the fantasy of bodyguard and boss ever went further than their casual contact, possible dates, and providing good security… he certainly wouldn’t be opposed to it.
But it had to be her decision.
Aubrette stared at the ceiling of the lower bunk, her brown eyes narrowed. “I'm starting to think that maybe you never intended to be in a relationship with me.” She sneered. “I was just back-up in case it didn't work out with anyone else.”
“Like I wasn't the same to you?” he retorted, stung by this accusation. “How many other people did you attempt relationships with and never even consider me for something else?”
“That was just the agreement we had. We were gonna explore, live the best lives we could, then settle down together.”
“Then you've been deluding yourself all these years!” he spat, and they both froze, staring at one another, the words hanging in mid-air, never possible to take back.
Her eyes glimmered with tears, and she scrubbed furiously at her face before vaulting out of the bed. “Fuck you,” she hissed, making a beeline for the exit. “Just fuck you.”
The door slammed, leaving Oswin engulfed in icy silence. He wanted to run after her, to tell her that he didn’t mean it, he was just confused.
But he wasn’t. He had made that promise, but he never truly believed he’d have to fulfil it. She wasn’t really his type. A nice enough person, a person worthy of love, of course… but not his person. Something about them never worked out from the start, hence his deal.
A way to soften the blow on her feelings. Still talking to her, still being friendly to her, when perhaps it might have been better to sever all ties. Because clearly, instead of letting her down nicely, he kept that fire burning instead.
He had a very strong suspicion he was going to pay for his behavior. But he couldn’t just kick Aubrette to the curb. He wasn’t that cruel. And she didn’t deserve it. This was his mess to sort out, and he’d need to have words with her.
He explained things to Darren later when his cousin returned from duties, and when Regina wasn’t running around doing whatever it was she did. After their… invigorating talks the other day, he found himself on slightly better terms with her, but still felt a little of that natural frostiness within her demeanor. Which was annoying. He didn’t want to make a wrong move and breach the contract. His imagination went wild, trying to envision what kind of family upbringing would generate a person like her, because although she ticked some of the boxes he expected, she also ticked others that he never anticipated.
In short, she fascinated him, and he had a hard time hiding that fact. It caused Aubrette to give him death glares, and Rosewyn and Darren to question whether he intended to keep things professional and flirty, or if he planned to go much, much further with her.
No, he didn’t plan.
He hoped.
Meanwhile, he had to keep close tabs on Regina, and sometimes patrol the premises, daytime or night, if she was stationary or asleep. He didn’t need as much sleep as she did, and the residual urges to hibernate were no longer needed with plentiful access to food—though sometimes he needed extra stimulants to kick his body into gear during the winter months.
He hoped that they didn’t have to drag out the protection for too much longer. Tensions between him and Aubrette could only get worse, and if he spent too much time around Regina, he’d feed the family rumor mill, and put himself more in temptation’s way.
And see just how far she intended to go with him to indulge her fantasy.
“Have you done many other jobs before this one?” Regina asked, walking around the ranch with him in tow, taking in the sights and the workers. One of the hires seemed to be new, because he was being shown around the premises, with the history of the place explained by a droll, perhaps middle-aged man. Boyd. The uncle.
“A few. Mostly we’ve been personal protection for people in fear of their lives for whatever reason. We even guarded a minor celebrity at some opening gala once, so that was nice. Lots of food to sate the boredom.”
“Okay, but have you actually ever defended any of your clients from attack? Or is it all deterrence with your presence?”
“Don’t underestimate a good deterrence,” Oswin said, smiling at her, though she didn’t share the sentiment. “But yes. We have… actively intervened.” He patted his chest. “I took a bullet meant for my client’s heart. Lucky my heart’s made of sturdier stuff.”
“You took a bullet…?” Regina’s eyes traced over his hand, which hovered above the point where the bullet had landed. A strange, intoxicating heat rose in him, stirred by her gaze. “Do you have a scar from that incident…?”
“I don’t. The skin healed nicely. It takes a lot to bring us down,” he said rather proudly, striking a power pose, legs spread apart, thumbs hooked in the belt of his jeans. “Why we’re such popular hires, of course.”
“Are you saying that if I whipped out a gun right now and shot you in the heart, you’d come out of it alive?”
“You could even shoot me in the head,” Oswin said. “Though I recommend you not to try that. Still hurts like hell and puts us out of action for a time.” He decided not to mention that you could bring down a shifter with normal bullets. You just needed more injuries on the target than their preternatural self-healing could overcome. One bullet in the head or heart wouldn’t kill him. But several devastating injuries over his body… and the healing had too much to heal all at once.
The simplest way to kill a shifter was decapitation. No amount of self-healing compensated for the complete removal of the brain and brain stem.
“I’ll try my best not to,” Regina said, lightly patting her side, where Oswin highly suspected a pistol lay. Good. She’s taking her safety seriously. “Wonder if you’ll end up throwing yourself in front of a bullet for me.”
“I’d throw myself in front of a lot of bullets for you,” Oswin purred, before realizing he’d gone slightly too… sexual. “Though that’s my duty as a bodyguard.”
Thankfully, Regina took it in stride, now giving him one of her rare smiles. “That’s good to know. Hopefully I won’t have too many people taking pot shots at me.”
“I hope so as well. I much prefer my clients alive,” Oswin replied, mirroring the smile. The smile didn’t really suit her face, though it looked attractive all the same. She clearly hadn’t smiled much in her life, and that seemed a shame to him. Childhood was meant to be the best part of a person’s life, when no responsibilities lay upon them, and everyone saw a child as young, innocent, untainted by views and politics and religion.
“It’s almost a shame you’re a bodyguard, really,” Regina said, leaning back against one of the wooden fences, the wind rippling her dark, shorter hair. She tucked a persistently annoying strand behind her ear, and her eyes went to the stables, where a variety of horses stood outside, clad in saddles and loose reins, the kind that didn’t need a bit to steer the horse. “I could see myself wanting to get to know you better.”
“Who says you can’t do that right now?”
“I can. But I don’t think that was what I paid for. I wanted the build-up… to be protected, to flirt. Not…” She gestured vaguely around her heart. “Not to risk feeling… involved.”
“I might be here for months yet,” Oswin said, not deterred. Regina seemed receptive, somehow, admitting she might just be interested in something beyond fantasy, and he felt the need to push, to test. “It’s inevitable you’ll learn something about me, though I wonder how much will be to your liking, and how much will have you decide I’m not worth the effort.”
Something in her expression changed, and Oswin suddenly became alert. He didn’t recognize the look yet, and didn’t understand the quick shift in atmosphere and mood. “That’s not the problem here.”
She didn’t elaborate any further on that, though he’d tried probing her with questions. Eventually, she left him wondering just what exactly she meant by that cryptic statement. Did she see herself as a problem? Something else? Was this about the services she’d bought… or was this implying something different?
Regina pushed herself away from the fence and prowled to the play area where already a few mothers and fathers were watching over chubby little children, bumbling their way through the driftwood ships, tire swings, rope climbs, and gangways. There was even a tire zipwire from the highest part of the park, with the main launching zone resembling the stern of a sinking ship, buried in sand.
“Whose idea was this?” he asked, trying to strike up conversation again from their frosty silence.
“Mine,” Regina said, and it surprised the hell out of him.
“Wait, you designed a play area?”
“Had a hand in it,” she said with a shrug. “I based it on a play area I saw from a coastal town. I wished I had something like that to play in when I was little, so figured we could try making it here. Though I’m not small enough to play in it anymore.” She scowled. “Almost seems a shame, doesn’t it? You reach an age, and you can’t do the things you enjoyed as a child anymore. You can’t wear the things you loved, because everyone’s got an image of you. A specific image that you have to adhere to, or maybe an image they give you, whether you adhere to it or not.”
It didn’t sound like she was talking about the play area anymore. “I get that,” he said. “Sometimes I feel there are times to be an adult, and times to let out your inner child. Also, I suspect not everyone got to enjoy their childhoods the way they should have. Through no fault of their own.”
“Very true,” Regina said, her dark eyes distant, perhaps lost in a memory. His heart ached at the thought of a young girl not enjoying anything like this. His childhood in comparison was beautiful, idyllic. Surrounded by a strong, dedicated bear family who wanted nothing but the best for him. Who had found ways to utilize their great strength for the betterment of others.
“Well, I heard they have adult jungle gyms out there,” he said. “Which let people go wild. Maybe I’ll take you to one sometime, if you’re interested.”
