Misguided: Shotgun Falls Shifters, #2

By Ava Benton and Libby Bernard

One of Charlotte Perkins' besties has told Charlotte not to include her in the dating app that Logan Fourier created. The same app that more or less gave Charlotte and Logan their HEA.

 

Why not? Why wouldn't Charlotte want her own happily ever after with a hunky shifter? Well, for starters, Charlotte hasn't told any of her besties that the guys on the dating app, the guys from Shotgun Falls aren't regular guys. How's Charlotte supposed to even bring that up?

 

Of course that's not what concerns Hope Lawrence. She has no online presence. She can't afford to. She's a girl on the run from her mafia father's cronies.

 

Once, long ago, Hope Delmonico—not Lawrence—was the apple of her daddy's eye. She found a secret place to hide in his study. He never knew that Hope was busy pretending to be a spy. No one did. The men who snuck in and killed her father's right hand man certainly had no idea. Her father standing aside and watching Uncle Vito bleeding out on his floor certainly didn't know.

Hope's belief in goodness was shattered that day. She never told anyone. Until she did. And that was the wrong man. Her former boyfriend—former because he betrayed her and told his father—more or less set the mafia after her. And her own father, well, she doesn't know if she can trust him or not, so Hope did what any mafia princess would do. She took the money and ran. And hid.

Until now.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ABP
• Release date: Jul 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201941055

Book preview

1

Girls Night Out used to be something Hope Lawrence looked forward to. It had been too long since the last time she and her friends had gotten together for drinks and sushi in Denver. And with Charlotte deeply involved with Logan, her new-ish boyfriend, it made getting everybody together that much more challenging.

Tonight, the girls would all be together. Audra, Olivia, Megan, and Charlotte had blown up the group text, gushing over how excited they were to see each other.

And Hope was fully prepared to tear them all a new one.

They better know how lucky they are that we’re meeting in public. The thought brought a grim smile to her lips as she stepped out of the Uber, unfolding her long legs after being crammed into the backseat. One of the perils of being tall. She caught sight of herself in the window of the sushi restaurant before stepping inside. Her long, brown waves were swept over one shoulder, and her sparkly top screamed fun.

Her dark eyes were a different story. They were stormy, practically narrowed into slits as she marched inside. There was a typical Friday night crowd in there, laughing and sharing plates of shumai and spring rolls, sashimi, and crispy tempura-battered veggies. The smell was mouthwatering, though Hope was too busy trying to spot her so-called friends to care much about her tastebuds.

Finally, she caught sight of Audra’s zebra-striped faux fur jacket from across the room. Leave it to her to wear something flashy and instantly noticeable. Everybody else was already there, sitting around a table near the sushi bar. Charlotte’s golden curls were like a beacon, and they shook when she laughed over something Olivia had just finished muttering. Probably something snarky. Megan had recently dyed her hair a shocking shade of red that had mellowed out after a few washings and looked less like she’d dipped her head in Kool-Aid.

And all of them turned with wide, brilliant smiles when Hope reached the table.

Charlotte jumped out of her chair and threw her arms around Hope, almost knocking her off her feet. I’ve missed you!

Hope returned the hug, more than a little bit grudgingly. Yeah, me too. She couldn’t quite make her voice sounded convincing.

And Charlotte picked up on it right away. What’s wrong? Her blue eyes narrowed in concern.

All Hope could do was stare at her friend in surprise. You’re kidding, right? She then looked around the table. Seriously?

At least Olivia had the decency to look shamefaced. I told you she’d be mad.

Mad? Oh, honey. I was mad when I first got the text from this random guy who got my number off that dating site. Why had she ever thought it was a good idea for Charlotte to get them roped into such a stupid project? That was yesterday. I’ve had plenty of time since then to go from mad to furious.

Now everyone at the table looked embarrassed.

Hope glared at them one at a time. Who did it? Who created the profile?

What is this? Some kind of interrogation? Now Olivia was scowling. I didn’t come here to get interrogated, Hope. I came to be overcharged for liquor and sushi.

And to catch up with friends. Audra shot Olivia a look.

Sure. That too. Olivia popped edamame into her mouth.

Charlotte patted Hope’s arm. We all agreed to be part of this, right? And we’re all going to get super-rich when it takes off. Remember?

It was all a scheme cooked up by Sylvia Redferne, owner of a bookstore in Shotgun Falls. The girls had made a tradition of getting together in Shotgun Falls once a month, trips that had inevitably included a visit to Sylvia’s store for coffee and book talk. Sylvia had come up with the idea of a new sort of dating site for down-to-earth alpha males to match up with women who were sick and tired of the dating scene—namely, Hope and her friends.

It had just so happened that Logan was the site’s developer and that he and Charlotte had gotten together. Hope always had the feeling Sylvia expected things to go that way, though she didn’t know why the kind-but-eccentric old woman would get such an idea in her head.

The site was live and even had a mobile app now, but that didn’t mean membership fees and ad revenue were going to start rolling in.

Hope rolled her eyes. Right. And Santa Claus is going to slide down my chimney.

You don’t have a chimney. Megan smacked Olivia’s shoulder, but Olivia only shrugged. Well, it’s true.

Hope took a deep breath, counted to five in her head, then exhaled. I told you I didn’t want a profile made up for me. I was glad to help out with brainstorming how the app should look and work and whatnot, but I’m not interested in having a profile of my own.

Audra lifted an eyebrow. Since when is your dating life so great that you don’t need a little help?

I told you I was seeing somebody. Remember? She pulled up a photo on her phone and held it up for everyone to see. That’s why I don’t want to do this. Why isn’t that good enough?

Megan cleared her throat. What’s his name again? Your guy?

Chris. Same as it was when I first told you about him.

Once again, the girls exchanged embarrassed little looks. It was Charlotte who spoke up first. Honey, remember last week when I dropped off that dress you loaned me?

Yeah. So?

She winced. So I stopped off for an iced tea at the coffee shop on the corner.

Hope’s heart sank. So that was how they’d found out. She tried her best to hide her disappointment. Yeah? What about it?

You can drop the act, babe. At least Olivia sounded sympathetic. We know you paid Chris to take that selfie with you.

I recognized him from the picture, and I introduced myself. Charlotte cringed. I’m sorry. I mean, I didn’t know I’d see him at the shop. He was pouring my drink, and there I was, gushing about how great it was to meet him and about how much I love you, and the whole time he had no idea what I was talking about. When I showed him your picture, he confessed it was just a favor he did for you.

Audra snorted. Favors don’t usually cost twenty bucks.

I didn’t think he’d do it for free. Hope sank into the only empty chair with a sigh, her indignation melting away in the face of humiliation. I wanted to get you guys off my back, so I made up a boyfriend.

But why?

That wasn’t so easy to explain. Not unless she wanted to unload a lot more than the girls would be able to handle all at once. The sort of information that would make their jaws drop, especially after knowing each other for years.

She settled for a shrug. I’m not into the idea of meeting these friends of Sylvia’s, whoever they are. Sylvia’s a nice person, and I’m sure everything’s going great with Logan. She slid a look Charlotte’s way. That doesn’t mean I’m looking to hook up with one of his buddies or with anybody else. I’m sorry, but that’s how I feel. As my friends, I would hope you’d understand that. Or at least respect it.

Megan held up her hands, looking around. Okay. That’s completely reasonable, right? Ever the peacemaker.

Hope shot her a look of gratitude.

Olivia wasn’t so easily placated. Why did you lie to us? We’re your best friends.

You’re right. You’re my best friends. Hope looked around the table. Which is how I knew for sure none of you would take no for an answer because I know you too well for that. And here we are. You found out I bribed a barista to take a picture with me so I could pretend we were seeing each other, and what did you do? Instead of at least going along with it for my sake, you created a profile with my phone number in it so anybody on the app could reach out to me.

Logan has already vouched for all the guys who’ve created profiles for themselves. We figured it was harmless. Charlotte bit her lip, eyes wide. Seriously, if I thought you’d be this upset…

Me, too. Olivia wasn’t joking around anymore. For real. I’m sorry. We only wanted to help you meet somebody.

I don’t want to meet anybody. Not like this. Not without my input.

Is he cute, at least? When everybody turned to Megan, she shrugged. What? It’s an innocent question.

I don’t know. I didn’t check out his profile. His name is Ezra something. Hope picked up what was left of Olivia’s martini and downed it. You owe me this much, at least.

Olivia simply waved a hand without arguing.

Ezra? It was clear Charlotte was fighting back a grin. Unsuccessfully. He’s really nice. I’ve hung out with him before. A special guy.

That’s what you say about all of Logan’s friends.

What was it that washed over Charlotte’s face? A hint of something that shouldn’t be there. They’re all special. What can I say? She averted her eyes then, looking down at the menu. I’d kill for some salmon nigiri. An entire plate of it, all for me.

No, that sudden change of topic wasn’t sketchy at all. Hope kept her thoughts to herself, turning to Megan and Audra. Both of them were looking at something on Megan’s phone. Audra whistled and fanned herself. Dang, girl. He’s hot. She handed the phone to Olivia, whose eyes bulged.

It doesn’t matter. Hope might as well have been speaking another language for all the good it did. The girls were too busy fawning over Ezra’s profile to notice. Hope glanced over once and only once and didn’t find herself impressed with him. Cute? Sure. Hot? Maybe.

She was a little too busy being angry over a complete stranger reaching out to her. It didn’t matter much what he looked like, even if he did have a face that looked like somebody had chiseled it into shape.

Audra had no such qualms. Those eyes! What color would you call them?

Jade? Megan shrugged at her suggestion. Whatever you wanna call it, they’re gorgeous. And I could get a papercut on that jaw of his. Holy crap.

You’re not listening to me. None of you are listening. Hope stood, glaring down at them. It’s an invasion of privacy, okay? And I’m furious with you for doing it. I don’t care if he’s hot or how nice he is. I didn’t want this. I still don’t want this. Got it?

Before any of them had the chance to answer, she picked up her purse and turned toward the door. The girls fussed at her, asking her to stay, but she ignored them in favor of storming out of the restaurant without another word.

They don’t understand. Hope reminded herself of this as she walked away from the restaurant with her head down. She’d need to get another Uber home, but she didn’t want to wait where the girls would be able to see her. They would only try to convince her to come back.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go back. She always looked forward to hanging out with the friends who had become more like sisters to her. The only family she’d had in years.

But the longer she spent with them, the more questions they’d ask. And the harder it would be to keep her story straight. Especially around Olivia, who somehow only got sharper with every martini. Just like her. Always contrary.

Hope wasn’t especially in the mood to play word games. Especially not about this, not about her personal life and why it had to stay personal. She’d been so careful for so many years. She couldn’t afford to slip up now, especially not over something this stupid.

She stopped at a convenience store around the corner from the restaurant, figuring she was far enough away from her friends that none of them would catch up to her. From there, she requested a car before her rumbling stomach reminded her she hadn’t eaten anything yet.

And she certainly was feeling susceptible to the call of the junk food surrounding her. Before she knew it, she’d grabbed a basket and was already filling it with what could only be described as stress food—chips, ranch dip, cookies, ice cream. By the time she finished paying, her car was waiting. At least something was going right.

She stepped out into the cool night air with the food she planned on eating alone, in her pajamas, preferably along with the bottle of wine waiting in her fridge. She’d reach out to the girls in the morning and tell them she was sorry for leaving, and that was all. She wouldn’t give them any more information than necessary.

And if any of them asked uncomfortable questions, she’d do what she’d had a lifetime of doing. She’d dodge, duck, and otherwise avoid answering. It was second nature. A means of survival.

She was about to get in the car after checking the plates against what had been provided via the app when something stopped her. Something out of place. A sound, maybe, though the street was plenty busy on a Friday night. There was noise coming from just about every building, every passing car, every couple, or laughing group on the sidewalk.

Still, something caught her attention and made her look around while the hair on the back of her neck stood straight up. She’d learned never to ignore her instincts, never to brush off random moments like this as nothing more than being jumpy or on-edge.

Nothing looked strange, though. There was nobody watching from further down the street, no car slowing down as it approached hers. Nobody hanging around in a dark doorway or walking her way with their head down and their hands hidden.

She was fine, the way she’d been for a long time.

Even if she couldn’t shake the sense of being watched as she slid into the car and let the driver take her home, which she was starting to wish she’d never left in the first place.

2

Whoever the girl was, she liked her junk food.

Ezra hung back at a distance, waiting for her to get into the car. Once it pulled away from the curb, he followed, too intrigued and—if he were being honest with himself—irritated by her lack of response to let her go.

Did this make him a stalker? Probably. It wasn’t like he held any ill intent toward the girl, though. He had no plans to break into her apartment and force himself on her. He wouldn’t go through her garbage in some sick attempt at getting to know her better. Inserting himself into her life.

He only