Rowena Flores has problems...and we're not just talking about her anger management issues. After cursing her cheating ex-boyfriend, this home goods cashier's life is turned upside down when a pack of werewolf shifters accuse her of being a murdering...
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The nurses were giving her dirty looks. Rowena couldn't figure out if it was because she was the sole focus of the handsome Cross Howler or if it was because Little Mikey and Gina had shown up at the hospital five minutes after her cousin Lorena and her ex-husband Donnie.
Add in Abby, Liam, Matt, and two of Little Mikey's men and the room was cramped enough to be a fire hazard. Plus, someone had forgotten to put on deodorant. Rowena discreetly rubbed her nose to her shoulder, hoping it wasn't her. Everyone was too distracted in conversation to notice her.
"It's not you," Cross whispered. He was holding her hand in his, palm up, next to his other palm. He was studying them as if they were one of those Eye-Spy puzzles from decades ago.
"Are you sure?" Rowena asked. "It's pretty potent. I feel like I'm choking on freshly cut onions over here."
"I'm positive. You smell lovely as always. It's one of Little Mikey's henchmen. The one he calls Sal."
Rowena's eyes widened. "Did you just use the word henchmen?"
He gave her a small grin. "It seemed appropriate. They're dressed like old-time gangsters from the twenties." He wasn't wrong. It was too hot to be in striped suits complete with vests and fedora hats. No wonder one of them smelled like a teenage locker room.
"Are you done with that?" Cross pointed to a handheld mirror that her cousin Lorena had pulled out of the large velvet tote bag she was carrying. Rowena swore her cousin's bag could rival that of Mary Poppins. She once saw her pull out a humidifier from that tote bag.
"I can't believe my face looks normal. No black eyes or swollen nose," Rowena whispered. "Your saliva is like magic sauce. I wonder what else I can do with it. Wait--that was kind of gross. Pretend I didn't say that."
Cross chuckled. "I can fix your shoulder if you let me but you know what you have to do first."
Her eyes narrowed. "One, I'm not getting naked for you. And two, it would be too obvious if my gunshot wound suddenly disappeared."
He huffed out a breath before glancing down at her palm again. "I hate to see you in pain."
"It's not too bad with all the pain pills I'm taking. Also, they make me see things. I swore I saw Elvis Presley walking down the hallway a minute ago."
"I think that was an impersonator here to visit the elderly," Gina said, clearly eavesdropping. She was wearing a red mini-dress with sequins. Little Mikey stood next to her wearing a matching red suit minus the sequins. He was holding a wilted bouquet of daisies.
"We brought you some flowers," Little Mikey said. "Gina said you were shot at a family barbecue. Been there, done that. Twice."
Sal and the man next to him nodded as if being shot was a normal occurrence for them.
Gina stepped closer and handed her three books. "I also got you more paranormal shifter romance books. Maybe we can pick one for book club?"
"I strongly recommend The Alpha and the Ballerina. It was poignant and really went into depth about becoming a prima ballerina," Little Mikey shared.
