Free Excessive Force (Force of Nature Series) by Kathi S. Barton Page B

house as quiet ly as the wind. He had no desire to talk with anyone in the house. And his servants knew better than to disturb him unless it was an emergency. Which was why when someone knocked on his door he’d been so startled that it had taken him several seconds to bid them enter.
    “Master, there is a gentleman here to see you. He says you and he have an arrangement.” Ethan nodded at his man servant. “Very good, sir. I will bring him to you directly.”
    He’d hired an investigator several months ago. And just last night he’d asked the man to come to the house. It was time to tell him that his services were no longer needed. As soon as he walked in the room however, Ethan knew that he’d finally found something.
    “You told me once that there was a family by the name of Turner that had housed the girl’s mother. Well, I think the girl showed up there last week.” The man handed him a blurred picture of a person on a motorcycle. “I know this isn’t the best picture in the world, but—”
    “You are correct. For all I know this could be you on this thing.” Ethan knew that it wasn’t because this person was small while the man sitting across from him was a big as three of the biker. “If this is all that you have, I’m afraid that I have no more use—”
    “She’s a shifter.” Ethan nodded for him to continue. “I’ve seen her shift into a hawk as well as a wolf. A big fucking wolf too. One of the others, a male that lives in the house, is a wolf as well, but nothing much to worry about. But the girl?” He pulled out another picture and handed it to him.
    This one was of a man facing the camera and a woman with her back to it. The long dark hair seemed to be black, but the picture was of a substandard quality so it was difficult to tell. But the man standing next to them had his heart start to beat hard in his chest.
    “Where was this taken?” The man took a step back, and Ethan felt his beasts roar at him. Trying for a calmer tone, he asked him again. He could tell that the man was frightened of him and any other time would have been thrilled by it, but not now.
    “A little town in Ohio. I think….” He looked at his notes with a trembling hand. “Nashport. It’s a deli called Get Fresh With Me. I’ve seen her in there several times, but never with these two men before. Should I find out who they are?”
    “No. I will.” He stood up and smiled when the man flinched. “While I would love to simply play with you, I have more pressing items on my agenda. Perhaps another time.”
    The man nodded , and Ethan had a feeling he’d never hear from him again. Not even to send a bill. Which suited him fine. Ethan would have killed him over it. This way the man got to live a little longer.
    Ethan waited until he had his mind under control before he used some of his considerable magic to will himself to Nashport, Ohio. It wasn’t as difficult as it had been when he’d first tangled with the girl, but he was slightly weak from it. He was standing in front of the smallish deli with the bright windows seconds later, and something occurred to him. He should have asked the man what the girl’s name was.
    Moving slowly so as not to draw attention to himself , he found a hotel not far from where the deli was. There were people going in and out all the time, the doors barely closing before it opened again to bring customers in or to spill them out again. He’d gotten a room that overlooked the street and sat a chair in front of the window to watch. Even if he didn’t know what she looked like or her name, he did know the man. Tristan Elden was going to lead him right to his daughter. Glancing down at the paper that had come with the room, he was startled to see the name he’d heard from the investigator. Turner.
    Curtis Turner was dead. Not that Ethan knew who he was or if he was the one that the investigator had been talking about , but it was something to look into. Seeing that the funeral was