Matto frowned. “You’re thinking about those two passengers you took out yesterday.”
“They were odd,” Renee said.
“But you haven’t seen them since?” Calian demanded.
“No.”
“I’ve been watching for anything strange,” Matto said. “I haven’t noticed anyone follow Renee.”
“You believed me?” she asked. “About the men, I mean. I’m telling the truth about Hunter too. We were never more than friends.”
“You didn’t go to his funeral,” Kansas commented.
“The police told me they couldn’t guarantee my safety. I left Los Angeles before Hunter’s funeral.”
“Are you going to run again?” Calian asked.
“It’s difficult to get a flight during polar bear season,” Renee said. “I need to go to work.”
Matto stood. “Come on. I’ll take you now.”
Renee walked out without another word.
“Are you angry at me?” Matto asked.
“Because you slept with me even though you suspected me of coming between a husband and wife? Hell, yeah,” she snapped in a furious undertone. “I told you before I never mix work and pleasure. I meant every word.”
“I liked you from the first moment we met, and that is the reason I asked you out. Look, we were doing Misty a favor. I doubt your friends spoke to anyone else. They only talked to us because of Misty. Even then, none of them gave us details. We still had to check every lead. When we got here, we had the wrong name. It was only the photo that gave you away and the fact you fly helicopters.”
Renee climbed into the passenger seat. “No more talking. Just take me to work.”
“I want to see you again.”
“I’m too angry at the moment,” Renee snapped as Matto pulled up in front of the helicopter office. “What will you do now that you’ve found me? Let your sister loose on me? She has only my word Hunter, and I were never more than friends. I have no proof.” She sucked in a harsh breath and jumped from the SUV. “Just stay the hell away from me. You and your brothers.”
Renee strode away without a backward glance.
Dispirited, Matto drove back to the café to join his brothers. They were drinking a second coffee when he joined them. “That went well.”
Dakota snorted. “What did you expect?”
“Do we believe her?” Matto asked.
“I watched her closely,” Calian said. “I believe she’s telling the truth.”
“Misty will be harder to convince.” Kanas tapped his fingers on the tabletop. “She’s made up her mind already, and you know how stubborn she can be.”
“There is another alternative,” Dakota said. “We could ask Hunter’s army buddies.”
“They won’t speak to us.” Calian sipped his coffee. “Hunter was close to those in his squad. I doubt they’d tell us anything.”
Kanas tap-tap-tapped again before leaning back in his chair. “They might if we give them honesty and show them the photos. Tell them Misty has just given birth. She’s not thinking straight and is making our lives hell with her weird ideas.”
Calian set down his coffee mug with a decisive click. “I’ll text Misty and ask her to email us a list of names and addresses if she has them.”
“Some of them will be out of the country,” Dakota said. “On active service.”
“We can still email them.” Matto’s gut jittered in turmoil because of Renee. The expression on her face before she’d walked away. Damn it.
The weight of a stare snared his wolf, and he glanced up to find Calian’s focus on him. The big-brother glower that used to make him quiver in his boots. Age had rendered the gaze less effective. In the past, he’d prickled like a porcupine. Now, he patiently waited.
“You bit her.” Calian attacked with a clear accusation.
“I did.”
“You knew we were interested too.” Calian picked up his phone and tapped several keystrokes.
“I nipped her, rather than give her the full mating bite. A good thing as it happens since it will ensure she has a slight tie. You didn’t see her. She’s angry. I battered her pride, and she thinks I slept with her to get information. She didn’t understand the nature of the bite. To her, wolves are an animal that roams the forests.” Matto sighed, the enforced break from her presence chafing him. Restless and edgy, it was as if someone stroked his fur the wrong way.
“What about the fact we all want her?” Kansas snapped. “Dakota and I had persuaded her to go out with us for lunch. She won’t want that now.”
“No use fighting amongst ourselves,” Dakota said in a soothing voice, always the peacemaker when they squabbled.
Calian set his phone aside. “I’ve sent Misty a text, asking for the info. Once we hear from her, we’ll email those we can.”
“Is Hunter’s Facebook page still up? That might be a shortcut to his army buddies,” Matto said. “Didn’t a lot of them leave messages?”
“That is brilliant.” Calian’s smile of approval was big and wide.
“What about Renee’s fears for her safety?” Dakota asked. “Is she overreacting?”
Kansas shook his head. “Doesn’t strike me as the type.”
Matto nodded. “I agree. Renee is tough and competent. She’s fought in Afghanistan. She’s not the sort to jump at shadows.”
“We watch her back,” Calian suggested. “In secret. The last thing we want is for her to rabbit.”
“The trouble is there are a lot of tourists arriving and departing,” Kansas said.
“It’s the ones who hang around and stay that we need to watch.” Matto paused. “She had two passengers yesterday who creeped her out. But she made a joke of it and told me some people were plain weird and couldn’t help it.”
“Let’s keep watch today,” Calian said. “Matto, do you want to take care of the Facebook messages? Tell them the truth and lay out why we want the info. Tell them we think Renee is innocent but Misty is a hard sell. I want to approach the town officials to check out the building rules. I’ve searched online and have the info but I need to clarify a few things. The idea of a luxurious hotel seems popular. I know it was our cover story for staying longer than the average tourist, but I’m thinking it’s not a bad idea. Kansas, you and Dakota could book us a helicopter scenic flight. Make sure they put us with Renee. Check out the town facilities. Poke your nose everywhere and see if you can spot anything out of the ordinary. Questions?”
“Aye. Aye, Captain.” Kansas saluted.
Dakota rolled his eyes.
“We’re on the same page.” Matto chuckled. “We try to clear Renee’s name and keep her safe.”
“One more suggestion.” Calian leaned closer and lowered his voice. “We shift again tonight. The stronger our wolves, the better our chances of protecting Renee.”
“Agreed,” Matto said.
“Yes,” Dakota and Kansas spoke at the same time. The twin thing in action.
Calian nodded, and Matto studied his older brother, puzzled by his satisfaction. Something pleased Calian. Something he didn’t wish to discuss. No doubt, he’d tell them in time, but right now he was staying silent.
Their big brother had an agenda.
Interesting.
6 – The Truth Comes Out
Groups of tourists kept Renee busy for most of the day. Her mind and mouth worked on auto-pilot, pointing out the sights and the polar bears congregating for the freeze. On the plus side, the constant flights throughout the day shifted her mind from the Taktuq brothers. She’d liked them a lot, and the sex with Matto… Simply the best.
At least she’d missed lunch with Kansas and Dakota.
A scoffing sound escaped her, drawing Janet’s attention.
“Something wrong?”
Renee forced her lips to curve—a response to head off nosy questions. “Forgot my mother’s birthday.”
“Oh! You’ll be in trouble,” Janet trilled.
“Yeah.” Renee concentrated on
her paperwork, then set down her pen. “I’d better grab my jacket. I left it in the helicopter.”
“Before you go, you have a booking for tomorrow. Two actually. You’re a popular lady. Both groups requested you in person.”
Renee froze. “Oh?” she managed.
“A woman for next week. She wants a longer tour and is happy to pay for the entire helicopter instead of sharing. And tomorrow, there is a group of men. The woman came from a family recommendation. The guys say they know you.”
“The Taktuq brothers?”
“Yes, that’s the name.”
Renee worked to keep her expression neutral since Janet enjoyed a good gossip. Renee didn’t intend to add to the town crier’s arsenal. “Sax Hallsten mentioned they want to go out to the lodge this week. Did they book a time? I saw him at the Lanky Moose.”
“They’ve booked several slots. You will be busy.”
Renee shrugged. “It makes a change from tourists. See you tomorrow.” Once she’d grabbed her jacket, she darted back through the office, lifting a hand in farewell. Janet waved as Renee exited. After her normal pause to check her surroundings, she took two steps before Kansas and Dakota slipped from concealment behind the building.
She ignored them and kept walking.
“Renee, you promised to have lunch with us.” Kansas darted in front of her and stopped her forward progress.
“You bailed, so we’ve come to take you for a drink instead,” Dakota added.
“You think I slept with Hunter.”
“You categorically denied it, and we believe you,” Kansas said.
“Matto slept with me thinking I was a cheat.” Pain sliced through her chest. She’d thought he’d liked her for herself. He’d been different from her previous lovers. Even though she’d accepted the date, thinking he’d be like all the others, her thoughts had shifted right about the time he’d ordered dinner. He’d turned their outing into a real date. He’d treated her like a lady instead of an evening of quick sex. She gave an irritable shrug. None of her thoughts or jumbled mood made sense, considering she preferred casual sex. All she knew was that Matto and his brothers had hurt her.
“No.” Dakota’s expression turned serious. “Matto told us about a conversation you had—one that occurred before your date. He trusted you, respected you. Matto never sleeps with a woman unless he’s interested in her.”
“It’s true,” Kansas confirmed. “And here’s more honesty for you. We all want you. Even Calian, and he doesn’t trust lightly. He had a wife for a while, you know. She cheated, so that was why we couldn’t refuse our sister’s request.”
“I’m not a play toy.” Renee’s hands curled at her sides and the urge to strike Kansas and slap Dakota next was so strong, she trembled with the force of it. She was not like her father. She would control her temper in the way her stepfather had shown her. She breathed in, exhaled and repeated the action twice more.
“Please,” Dakota said. “My brother is an uncouth fool. Come for a drink with us. We’ll tell you about Calian’s and Matto’s bad habits and the stupid things they did while growing up. We can buy food as well. You have to eat and might as well share a meal with us.”
Dakota had a way about him that soothed away the rough edges of her temper. She sucked in another breath and let it ease out, the tension fading from her stiff torso.
“Friends only?” she asked.
“We want more, but we’ll settle for friendship at this stage.” Kansas opened his mouth again as if to say more but shut it with a click when Dakota elbowed him.
“Can we talk about Hunter?” she asked. “He truly was my best friend, and I miss him so much. It’s killing me that I can’t speak about him with anyone.”
Dakota nodded and took her arm. “We can. He has a son now.”
Renee walked with Dakota and Kansas. “Hunter was so excited about having a child. It was all he talked about the last time I saw him. What is his son’s name?”
“Misty called him Rufus Hunter,” Kansas replied. “She and Hunter had agreed on a list of names.”
“Should we go to the local bar?” Dakota asked.
Casual. Yes, that suited her perfectly. “They sell bar snacks. That will be fine for dinner.”
When they walked into the bar, Kansas and Dakota steered her to a quiet corner with a table and chairs instead of to her normal position, sitting at the counter.
“Do you want a beer or something else?” Dakota asked.
“A ginger ale, please.” Renee waved to a couple of her fellow pilots and sat with Kansas while Dakota walked to the bar for the drinks. “I know you and your brothers are in hotels. Are you really going to build one here or was that an excuse while you checked me out?”
“We’ve spent today visiting the facilities in the town and learning what is available. Calian is researching planning consent and the official stuff. We’ve checked out the job situation. We’re serious.”
“I’m glad. I’ve heard quite a bit of chatter from locals. They’re excited. You know food and other supplies can be tricky because the railroad is still not functional?”
“We’ve heard. Calian is taking that into account in the costings. If the budgets work, we’ll go ahead.”
“The Hallsten brothers are based here for part of the year. They’re award-winning builders and designers.”
“We’ve heard that too. I believe Calian has an appointment with Sax Hallsten.”
“I ordered food,” Dakota said as he arrived back with the drinks. “Are we good?”
“Not yet,” Renee said in a tart voice. “I get you want your sister happy, but that doesn’t mean you can accuse me of things or insult my integrity. None of you know me, and you have no right to judge.”
“You’re right,” Dakota soothed. “We only thought of our sister. We didn’t take the time to consider your reaction. We should have, and we’re sorry.”
Renee blinked. A man who wasn’t afraid to admit he was in the wrong. It sort of took the oomph out of a good grump. Her gaze skittered across their faces and away to land on those of two new arrivals. Every muscle in her body tensed. The two visitors from the previous day. They hadn’t even bothered to look in her direction, both ordering beers at the bar.
“What is it?” Dakota demanded.
“What’s wrong?” Kansas asked at almost the same instant.
Luckily, both men kept their voices low.
The door opened again, and Calian and Matto strode inside. Matto continued to the bar while Calian joined them.
“Did you tell your brothers we’d be here?” Renee asked.
“No, they tracked us down. They’re a pain that way,” Kansas said.
Calian smirked while Renee focused on the two strangers at the bar. They had to have seen her, recognized her from the previous day.
“Renee?”
Calian diverted her attention but didn’t halt the burst of trepidation sliding through her chest, the urge to run.
“Those two men—they were passengers in my helicopter yesterday. They didn’t ask the normal questions. They didn’t take photos. All they asked about was my experience with helicopters. When I didn’t answer, they pushed me.”
“You think whoever killed Hunter is after you too?” Calian asked in a low voice.
“No. Yes. I don’t know what to think. The police never found his murderer. Word on the street said it was a paid hit, and when the cops didn’t deny that, I decided to leave. The detective in charge of the case agreed to help me disappear. Someone was stalking me online, threatening me, and I didn’t want to end up dead.”
Matto had arrived while she was speaking. He set down the two beers he carried and squeezed into a spot beside her. He claimed her hand, enfolding it in his bigger one. Her heart—the traitorous organ—began to race.
“And that was when you closed your social media accounts,” Kansas guessed.
“Yes. I don’t have an email account, apart from a secret one I can use to contact the dete
ctive in charge of Hunter’s case.”
“The cops never mentioned a hit to Misty. They told her it was bad luck, with Hunter in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Dakota said. “Misty has been so angry because Hunter got through two stints in the Army. Two tours to Afghanistan and then he gets shot walking down a neighborhood street during an innocent trip to buy a carton of milk and a chocolate bar for her.”
“Do you think these guys are following you?” Matto asked.
The barman shouted out their number, and Kansas collected their snacks.
“I don’t know if I’m being overly suspicious or not,” Renee confessed. “They don’t act like tourists. That was enough to send up warning flags.”
“A plan,” Calian murmured. “When you’re ready to leave, you go with Kansas and Dakota, and Matto and I will stay and see what the men do. If they follow you, we’ll be on their trail.”
“You don’t want to spook them,” Renee protested.
“Don’t worry,” Calian said. “They won’t know Matto and I are following them. I promise.”
“We could bet on it,” Matto teased. “If they don’t notice us, you can spend the night with me again.”
Renee snorted. “I haven’t forgiven you yet. I’m staying at my place tonight.”
“But you’ll have breakfast with us tomorrow at the Lanky Moose,” Calian said.
“I can’t afford to have meals out all the time.”
“Our treat,” Dakota countered.
“I prefer to pay my way,” Renee snapped. “That way I owe no one.”
“All we’re expecting in return is your company.” Calian radiated sincerity.
“You should give in.” Kansas beamed at her, and it made his brown eyes sparkle. “We won’t give up trying to feed you. You’re too skinny.”
Renee puffed up in indignation. “I’m perfectly healthy. There is nothing wrong with my weight.”
“I suspect you work too hard and you’re saving every cent you can in case you have to run again.” Matto cocked his head, his gaze watchful as he waited for her comeback.
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