“Hello.”
Kyra smiled. “How’s the day going?”
“It’s long,” she admitted, putting aside the file. “What about you?”
Kyra shrugged. “Nothing to complain about.”
“The day’s looking up. Buy you lunch?”
“Sure. I’ve already ordered.” Kyra sat back in her chair, and Claudia’s gaze slid over her.
She wore a simple pink blouse with some detailing on the collar and her golden-red hair, now sporting copper highlights, tumbled down around her face. Her pretty whiskey eyes glimmered with a playful light that intrigued her.
“Me, too.” Claudia closed the file. “I didn’t see you when I came in.”
“I wasn’t in your line of sight,” she replied with a shrug. “Winding down for the day or just taking a breather?”
“The second one,” Claudia answered with a sigh. “What about you? Meet up with any interesting men this morning?”
As if on cue the waitress brought their meal delaying Kyra’s response.
“Ladies,” she said. “If you need anything, let me know. Separate tickets?”
“No,” Claudia said with a shake of her head.
The brunette gave them a smile as she wiped her hands on her apron, stained with a curious red spot. “Okay. Enjoy.” Then, she headed back the way she’d come.
“So?” Claudia asked after the waitress departed. She wanted real answers but wasn’t certain she’d get them.
Kyra struck her as secretive, and Claudia didn’t expect anything useful to turn up in a background check. If it had, Sam and Mallory would have said so.
Kyra’s expression remained playful, but her gaze was a little guarded. “Did you have any interesting meetings this morning?”
“What’s an attractive woman like you doing working at Coyote Closet?” She decided to change tactic to see if she could backdoor her way into an answer.
“Working,” Kyra replied as she picked up her fork.
Claudia studied her sensing a double meaning behind the single word and the weight it held. “DEA?”
“I’m not a cop. I have a private client.”
“You’re a private dick?” Claudia asked. That explained the very ordinary background that checked without any red flags. “How interesting.”
Kyra shrugged. “At times.”
“And the person you’re looking for led you to where you are now?”
“What do you mean?”
“The drug tip,” Claudia replied quietly.
“More or less.” Kyra lifted a spear of fish to her mouth as she held Claudia’s gaze.
There was something in her eyes that beckoned to Claudia, made her want to fall into those fathomless whiskey depths swirled with darker flecks of brown.
Claudia leaned forward. “Whatever you know could save lives,” she murmured. “Have you thought about that? And I can keep you safe.”
Kyra’s eyes clouded over briefly, pain flitting across her face. Someone had hurt her, said those words to her before and let her down.
Claudia reached across the table to rest her hand on Kyra’s wrist. “I mean it. I’ll be there for you no matter what.”
Kyra sighed softly and moved her hand back. “I can protect myself, but thanks.” She sampled more food from her plate before taking a sip of lemonade.
“If it’s not fear holding you back, what is it?” Claudia pressed. “Are you part of whatever drug cartel that’s attempting to move in on Sam and Mallory?” She let the anger she felt infuse her words.
“No.”
“Then, trust me,” Claudia implored.
“Why do you think I came over?” Kyra demanded keeping her voice low. “I could be talking to Cordelia right now, but I don’t need the scrutiny that’ll come with talking to Mallory.”
“I’ll let what must be known, be known, but keep everything else to myself,” Claudia said. She would keep the beauty’s secrets, but she didn’t know why.
“Two drug cartels are about to begin a turf war here,” Kyra told her. “Coyote Closet is probably going to be hit while it’s full of patrons just to make a point.”
“Don’t deal in my territory?”
“The cartel that’s going to hit the club wants to send a message to the other. They both want the town because of its proximity to the ocean and ease of transporting from here to the West Coast and probably Florida.”
“I can see how that would make the area a feather in someone’s cap,” Claudia replied. “What’s the name of the cartel?”
“I won’t say here,” she said and cast a casual look around.
Claudia did the same and found a few curious eyes glancing over. She knew any of them could be interested in their conversation, but they were probably more curious about the dancer the mayor was having lunch with.
“What did your client hire you to do exactly?” Claudia quizzed, wondering if the cartel was what had brought her here or something else.
Kyra sighed. “I was sent to find someone and gather information,” Kyra answered.
“What kind? Divorce, and that led you to where you are now? Are you working with the feds?”
“Too many questions and too public a place,” Kyra told her quietly.
“When do you think the club will be attacked?”
“Probably tonight because of the drug movement last night,” Kyra answered. “What are you going to do?”
“Let Mallory and Sam know,” Claudia replied. “I won’t leave them to be sitting ducks.”
Chapter Nine
Claudia removed her phone from her pocket. She sent a message to Sam and then one to Dylan. She wanted to dive right into this and find out as much as she could before the town was plunged deeper into this mess.
Drug use around here was low considering most of the population was shifter. Drugs messed up their systems making shifting hard to impossible while high.
She changed the subject to lighter topics until Kyra announced she was done.
“I’ll pay for this and we can continue our talk outside on the pier,” Claudia suggested.
“Okay,” Kyra agreed.
Claudia was surprised she was being so agreeable and signaled the waitress in hopes of getting Kyra talking again before she changed her mind.
Once the bill was paid, they strolled out into the cold but sunny day heading to the pier. Claudia led her to a deserted section that overlooked the ocean and the old cannery. Below them was a rock outcropping that had no access unless one dropped onto it from the pier.
“This is a beautiful spot,” Kyra commented, glancing around.
“There are a lot of those around here,” Claudia said, barely containing the dismay.
She’d lost her, of that she was certain by the way Kyra closed her eyes and turned her face up to the sun as if this was one of the most sublime moments of her life.
“How long has the cartel been running drugs through Snowbury?” Claudia asked.
Kyra didn’t look at her right away. In fact, she walked a short distance away from her to rest her hand on the railing.
“I’ve only been apprised of the situation for a month, but from the looks of things it’s been more like three.”
Under normal circumstances, she would meet with Jenner and put together a taskforce. Then, she’d alert the Coalition, but Claudia didn’t trust Astor or Jenner to do their jobs any more than she would trust Bradley or Pike’s replacements. So, she’d have to work with Sam and Mallory and see what ideas they had since they were already coming under fire for this.
“What evidence do you have? Who is your client and why isn’t the DEA handling this? Or maybe they are.”
“They were, but the agents on the case ended up dead,” Kyra told her. “And they haven’t been able to get another mole in.” She shook her head. “They don’t even know about the cartels targeting this town or they’d be here fucking shit up.”
Claudia grunted. “So, who hired you?”
“A prosecutor, he wa
s killed recently, and his replacement is prosecuting the case,” Kyra said. “He needed outside help which the agency I work for was willing to provide. Don’t go calling her up to verify my story because she’ll deny it.”
“Why is that?” Claudia demanded tightly, suspicion eating at her.
“Because without hard evidence the cartel will walk, but you can check out a few things that should confirm some of my story.”
“Like what?”
Kyra met her gaze. “Like the A.D.A. Dillinger—he was the senior counsel for the Hartford D.A.’s office. He was killed and his replacement’s name is Ava.” She sighed harshly. “The irony of this is that I came down here to hunt a killer and take him out.”
Claudia blinked. “What? Who?”
“Jericho,” she said grimly. “I was trying to find evidence he’d murdered and raped my client’s wife. I stumbled upon this drug thing. Next thing I know my boss is calling me up and telling me we have another case.”
“You told him about the drugs?”
“No.” She shook her head. “It wasn’t my concern. Jericho killed someone other than my client’s wife about a week before he died. Well, he killed a lot of someones, but this was in relation to the cartel.”
“Jericho, the Snow Dogs alpha, was working for the cartel?” Claudia demanded in disbelief.
“Yes. He killed an FBI agent while on a quick trip to Hartford. His involvement with the Russo—”
“Wait, Russo?” She demanded, shocked.
“Yeah, why? Have you come up against them before?”
“No, not me,” Claudia said. “He bought off the former alpha of my pack. He wanted our territory. I assumed that was all over.”
“That was Salvatore Russo. Everybody called him Sal, but he was killed, and Jeno, his son took over. He’s spent the last several years trying to stabilize things. Now, he’s ready to make his move, I guess.”
“Shit. They’re going to tear us apart if they get any of those opportunistic pigs to help them,” she growled.
“He has contacts around here,” Kyra said. “But he’s not the one after the club. Another cartel called Shadow is. They have three moles in the club and at least two in Mallory’s and Sam’s packs.”
Claudia grimaced, and her phone vibrated in her hand. She forced herself to look away from the bewitching gaze devouring her. Her nipples peaked, and she had trouble focusing at first.
We’d like to meet.
Just secure your club. We’ll talk after the meeting tonight.
Fine.
She tucked the phone into her pocket. “Okay. Let’s say I believe you about this cartel,” Claudia murmured as she leaned toward Kyra. “Why are you telling me instead of Jenner or those FBI agents in town?”
“I told you, the feds can’t get close to this thing, especially with agents in Russo’s pocket. Plus, I thought we might be of benefit to each other, since I’m assuming you don’t want drugs in your town.”
“I don’t. So, how do you propose we go about helping each other?”
“It’s simple.” Kyra shrugged and gazed out over the water. “We pretend to be dating. The fake relationship provides ample opportunities for information exchange without suspicion.”
Claudia lifted her brows. “Is that the best you’ve got?”
“Okay. Fine. Do it your way.”
“Suppose I just go to the feds.”
“I’ll vanish and so will any information I could provide to help you or your buddies.” Kyra met her gaze again, and Claudia’s heartbeat sped up. “I’m the perfect go-between.”
“Sounds like you need something as much as you think we do,” Claudia said. “What is it?”
Kyra gave nothing away. Her pretty eyes remained enigmatic despite the faint hint of a smile that curved her lips. Claudia didn’t know what game the woman was playing, but she could be persuaded to play if only to bring her down when the time came.
“As a single woman I draw some attention,” Kyra told her. “As your lover, I’ll draw less.”
“That could work, but to convince everyone I’m seeing you, you’d have to actually be seen with me.”
“Not a problem.” Kyra shrugged. “You’re okay looking.” Her lips quirked in a smile. “I could even fawn all over you and make out with you, too.”
“How sweet of you to say so,” Claudia drawled, humor lacing her words. “But it’s not going to be that easy. I want you in my bed, and I think that’s a fair exchange for whatever you’re really going to get out of this.”
Kyra laughed softly. “I’m not a prostitute.”
“No. You’re my fake girlfriend with benefits.” She smiled.
“Here’s another good faith tidbit,” Kyra said. “The Shadow cartel bought the land next to Coyote Closet. It’ll make expansion easier once they take over.”
“I’ll pass that along. In the meantime, don’t play me, baby. I’ll kill you without so much as a blink if you’re part of the cartel and think you can use me to further your ambitions.”
“I’m glad you’re not a pussycat,” Kyra replied without blinking. “Because I won’t have a problem killing you either if it comes to that. However, since I’m not planning to betray you, we’ll be fine as long as you don’t cross me.”
****
“I heard you were looking for information,” Lena answered the question Jenner had asked. He was an attractive man, and she knew his grief was going to be his downfall.
“And do you have any?” he asked.
“Yes. I know who hired those coyotes who attacked you and killed members of your family,” she told him and uncrossed her legs only to cross them again as she smoothed the skirt of her dress.
In order not to fail the way Bradley had, she had to make sure she had this silly wolf, hook, line, and sinker.
“How do I know your information isn’t faulty?” he asked, sitting back in his chair to study her with a critical eye.
“You don’t, but you can always check it out,” she drawled. “That’s good police work.”
“Who’s behind it and who supplied them?” Jenner asked.
“They are mercenaries,” she told him, thinking of the man Bradley had worked with. The man was already dead, thanks to Russo, but this would help her kill two birds with one stone as she separated Summerfield and Blacklaw from their club.
Soon to be her club. Then, she’d use him to help her take down Russo.
“His name is Bennet Holcombe, and he furnished the men that attacked you,” Lena told him. “Their employer was Samarra Summerfield and Russo, Carlo Russo.”
He frowned. “What?”
“Russo is running drugs through their club,” she said. “I think if you keep an eye on the club, you’ll catch the next shipment.”
She was going to hate to lose the product, especially after last night, but it would be worth it to get Russo out of town and Summerfield out of the game. They’d just kill Blacklaw after that.
Last night proved the two together were a problem. They also had a mole, and she was willing to bet it was the person who’d clocked her yesterday. The question was, who was it, and what was their stake in this?
“Are you certain? I don’t see those ladies involved with Russo.”
“I’m sure you don’t, but he is a mobster, and they do own a business that can clean his money,” she said. “I heard they were in talks with him about doing more business.”
The look on his face wasn’t quite what she’d hoped for. The question in his eyes meant she’d have to do some hard selling.
“Go by the club,” she said. “Tonight. You’ll see. Drugs are moving through there at least twice a week. If you don’t find them, then you have a leak in your department.”
For the last three months, she’d been moving drugs through the club and out of the state via the ocean. They’d been having some problems moving them out of New York via boat or plane. So, she and her brother had looked for someplace closer with water access and Snowbury was what they’d
found.
She rose. “I felt it was my duty to report what I’d heard, especially after reading about the attack in the paper.” She caught his gaze. “I did my civic duty.” She flashed him a brief smile, turned on her heel, and headed from the office with a little smile playing on her lips.
She’d put the seed of doubt in his mind, now all she had to do was finish the set up.
Chapter Ten
“Nothing about this is going to be simple,” Claudia said to Dylan, Evan, and Delgado who lounged in her office in downtown Snowbury. “The source is a bit questionable at best at the moment, so I’d be a fool to trust without confirmation.”
“You want us to work with the other packs to confirm or deny?” Dylan asked.
“Actually, the only packs you’ll be working with are Snow Fur and Mystic Snow.”
“What about Harding?” Evan asked.
Claudia knew the leader of the small coyote pack in Mystic. He had a rep on the Coalition’s minor panel of information and security who wasn’t in agreement with the majority’s plan to take Mystic Snow from Sam. She trusted Harding because he was a fair man in most matters and a good judge of character.
“For right now, I’m thinking we’ll keep the party small. If you can confirm there is a single cartel operating in town, I’ll alert the panel and see if we can appoint a taskforce to take care of the situation.”
“That will be a double-edge sword,” Dylan said. “I think the main panel will just attempt to put this off on Sam and Mallory and even you. If we knew who your source was, we might be able to save time.”
“Don’t worry about the source, just stick to the plan I just laid out,” Claudia said.
“Who will you be bringing in from the other two packs? Delaney and Mica would be my choices, along with Carter and Ryerson,” Delgado said.
“If Camden and Syd aren’t available, then Carter and Ryerson are fine choices,” Evan agreed. “They all have field experience and Ryerson and Carter used to be cops. I’d suggest Rowel as well as our mole inside the department and or Pear.”
“Dylan?”
“I’ve only ever dealt with Delaney, Syd and Mica,” she confessed. “I’ll defer to the guys.”
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