She opened and closed her mouth and suspected she resembled a stunned fish.
“You called it, bro,” Kansas said.
Instead of wasting energy arguing with them, she reached for a handful of fries and crunched down on one. Hot and crisp. Delicious.
Calian picked up his drink and took a sip, his gaze thoughtful. “Did your detective check for links between Hunter’s death and the murder you saw? I know Hunter testified. Did you too?”
“Yes, we both did but from Los Angeles. Our names were out there so it would’ve been easy enough for someone to track us down. I don’t think it occurred to anyone we were in danger, especially since the original crime took place in Florida. The detective checked alibis of the guy’s family but they never left the state. No one saw the shooter who killed Hunter. It was a dead end. The cops had rumors and nothing to substantiate them.” Renee reached for more fries, her stomach gurgling. She’d missed lunch again, and they were right, dammit. She had lost weight she couldn’t afford to lose.
Talk drifted away from her problems. A relief. The more she talked about Hunter’s death and her leaving California, the more she worried. Her gaze kept roving to the two men who seemed happily ensconced at the bar.
“Renee, are you ready to leave?” Dakota asked.
“Sure.” Calian’s plan was a good one. At least she’d learn if her fears were groundless. And another concern ate at her. If she left Churchill, where could she go next? She’d hoped leaving the US would be far enough. New Zealand perhaps. She still had family there, but she’d need to travel with her real passport.
Renee forced her mind from what ifs and stood. She followed Dakota from the bar, Kansas’s presence at her rear a comfort.
It was dark outside. Out of habit, Renee did her normal checks for polar bears. Dakota lifted his head and sniffed, which was kind of odd.
“He has an excellent sense of smell,” Kansas said from behind her. “Come on. Let’s move. If those guys are following you, I don’t want them to get too close.”
“No polar bears. Not close, at any rate,” Dakota said. “Let’s go.”
Renee slowed her footsteps. “You can’t smell polar bears.”
Dakota slipped his arm around her waist and propelled her onward along Kelsey Boulevard. “I can. One day I’ll prove it to you.”
“Is he telling the truth?” she demanded of Kansas.
“Yes. Our hearing is exceptional too. Damn it.” He cursed under his breath. “I think they are following. Let’s up the pace.”
“It could be other customers,” she pointed out, moving faster at Kansas’s urging.
“It could, but I don’t think so. Do you want to come back to the hotel with us?”
Renee hated this hunted sensation. “I want to go to my room at the dorm. Once I’m inside, it should be safe enough.”
Dakota hesitated and shared a glance with his brother as they hustled her along the road. “You know what’s best.”
Dakota and Kansas escorted her to the dorm and went inside with her.
“Let us check your room,” Dakota said. “Please, it will set our minds at rest.”
It’d make her less jumpy too. She watched them check the public rooms and find them empty. The faint sound of music came from a room at the far end of the corridor, but other than that the place was silent.
“This is my room.” She plucked her keys from her right pocket and unlocked the door.
Dakota sniffed while Kansas checked the windows and under the bed.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Dakota said.
Bemused, Renee shook her head. “I’ll lock my door once you leave.”
“What about the main door?” Dakota asked.
“It’s always left unlocked. Only the pilots ever come in here. We’ve never had any trouble.”
Kansas scowled. “Anyone could walk inside. All they need is a gun to deal with your door, and they’d be inside.”
“The other pilots will be back soon,” Renee said. “We’re all on early tomorrow, so they won’t stay out late.”
“I don’t think you should stay here alone.” Kansas’s posture signaled his intention to argue the point.
Dakota placed his hand on his twin’s shoulder. “It’s Renee’s right to do as she sees fit. Let’s go so she can get some sleep. Lock the door after us,” he ordered.
She nodded. “Thank you for walking me back.” While she knew nightmares would keep her awake, an instinct bade her to seek the security of her own territory tonight. She thought she’d be safe here, but she’d take extra care each time she walked outdoors. “Goodnight,” she said and shut the door with a firm click before turning the lock.
The handle jiggled, and she rolled her eyes. Honestly, some men.
“Good night, sugar,” a voice rumbled.
She waited a beat longer before hearing the main entrance door close. Only then did she perch on the edge of her bed and let panic roar through her.
What the hell was she going to do now?
7 – An Outing With The Taktuq Brothers
Calian and Matto followed the two men at a distance, hanging back and using their wolf senses to locate their scent trail without difficulty.
“I don’t like this,” Calian murmured.
“How are we going to keep her safe?” Matto asked. “She doesn’t trust us now. Misty must’ve known some of this. Surely?”
“Perhaps Hunter kept quiet because she would’ve been pregnant when it happened. He wouldn’t have wanted to stress Misty,” Calian said.
“True. And after he died, she had enough to worry about.”
“Watch it,” Calian whispered. “They’re heading back this way. We’ll keep walking toward the inn. The meeting with the town officials went well. They’re excited about attracting new business to the town.”
“We should book with a company that takes tourists to see polar bears,” Matto said. “We’d get an idea of the type of person who might stay at our hotel. We should speak with tour management. Learn if they have requests for upmarket accommodation. How many rooms did you tell them we wanted to build?”
“I told them a maximum of twenty-five rooms, but more likely we’d go for twenty. We want to make sure we can fill the rooms for most of the year.”
Matto continued talking as they passed the strangers. “That will be a bit of a stretch when the temperatures drop to minus twenty or worse.”
As the two men walked into a restaurant and disappeared, he and Matto stopped walking and stared after them. Dakota and Kansas turned onto the main street and joined them.
“They were about to enter the dorm when we came out,” Dakota said. “They changed their minds when they saw us. It was obvious.”
“We need to watch over Renee. She is in danger,” Calian said.
“I’m still hungry,” Dakota declared. “Did I see those two guys go into the restaurant?”
Matto winked. “I could eat.”
“We’ll make a plan during dinner,” Calian decided. “All this fresh air has made me hungry too.”
Renee dragged herself out of bed when her phone alarm buzzed. As she’d expected, sleep had been elusive. She grabbed her washbag and towel and left her room. The hot water of the shower prodded her awake, but she had a long day of hard concentration flying her helicopter ahead of her.
As she made her way to the kitchen, a knock on the front door made her jump.
She cautiously opened the door to a smiling Matto and older brother Calian. Calian handed her a coffee.
“Thank you! I was about to make coffee. Do you want to come inside?”
“Come for breakfast with us. Even if you don’t want to eat,” Calian said.
She bristled when it sounded more like an order than a suggestion. “I don’t—”
“Please.” Calian’s brown eyes remained steady on her face. He radiated sincerity and some of her angst faded.
“I can’t stay long. Where are Kansas and Dakota?”
“Are you ready to go?” Matto asked. “We’ll talk on the way.”
“We decided to keep watch on the men.” Calian slipped his arm around her waist. “That’s what the twins are doing now.”
“What if they catch Dakota and Kansas spying on them?” Renee asked, frowning.
“They won’t.” Calian’s absolute confidence in his brothers soothed her fears. He opened the café door for her and ushered her inside and to an empty table.
She scowled. It was a large table, big enough for the five when the twins arrived. Whenever she wanted to dine in the café, she was lucky to find a spot.
“I’ll order at the counter to speed things up,” Calian said.
“You didn’t sleep.” Matto lifted his hand and traced the area beneath one eye. “Will you manage work today?”
“I have to,” Renee said.
“Stay with me tonight,” Matto said. “Or with one of my brothers.”
“I don’t think so.” Renee shook her head for emphasis.
Matto straightened. “Kansas and Dakota are here.”
The two men strolled over to join them, drawing the attention of a part-time waitress and several of the female customers. The waitress who was topping up coffee cups overfilled one because her attention fixed to Dakota’s backside. Renee couldn’t fault the woman for staring, but old Victor Bannerman yelped when the hot coffee flowed from the cup and onto his pants.
She shook her head as Dakota and Kansas took possession of two empty seats. Matto was grinning.
“What?” Kansas asked.
Dakota frowned. “Why are you laughing?”
“The pair of you got the waitress in trouble,” Calian said.
“How? We’ve just arrived,” Dakota said. Kansas appeared equally mystified.
Renee took pity and enlightened them. “The women were busy staring at you when you made your entrance. The waitress poured coffee over Mr. Bannerman.”
“What women?” Kansas glanced over his shoulder. “Oh. We didn’t take any notice of anyone but you, honey. You look tired. Didn’t you sleep?”
Renee stared from Kansas to Dakota and back. They meant every word.
“Sugar.” Dakota leaned closer. “Are you okay to fly today?”
Their concern tightened her chest, made it difficult to draw air. She’d been alone for so long now, and since Hunter’s death, cut off from her other friends. An ache sprang to life at the back of her eyes, and she blinked hard and fast, astonished at her reaction.
She never cried.
When her father had been around, weeping set him off, so she’d learned to remain stoic and to lock down her emotions. Her stepfather had never made her want to cry, and she’d loved the man who’d given her and her mother stability and unstinted love.
“I’ll be fine,” she murmured, puzzled how these four men had dug their claws into her frozen heart. Despite her anger, she liked them. She liked them a lot.
“We have good news,” Dakota whispered.
“Those two men got on a plane this morning,” Kansas stated. “We watched them board. They’ve gone.”
“Renee, who do you think is behind this?” Calian asked.
“The murder we saw—the guy who killed the young woman was a drug boss’s son. One of the other inmates murdered him while he was in jail. I heard his father was off his head with grief. Susan, the detective in charge, reckoned the father was the most likely to order a hit, but they couldn’t rule out Hunter being the victim of a chance killing.”
Calian leaned back in his chair. “They told Misty—or rather, she overheard the cops talking. They thought he’d been plain unlucky getting in the middle of a turf war between two local gangs.”
“The gang members they scooped up denied a war. Every one of them,” Renee said. “Susan didn’t believe that theory.”
Matto glanced at Calian. “What do we do?”
Renee gaped. “What do you mean?”
“We have contacts,” Calian said. “Tonight, at dinner, you tell us everything you know about the drug boss. What is his name?”
“Jason Vega.” Renee checked the clock hanging on the wall behind the counter. “I need to leave or I’ll be late.”
A waitress bustled over with a tray. “Here’s one to go. Who does that belong to?”
Calian jerked his chin in Renee’s direction. “The food to go is hers too.”
“Renee, we’ll walk you to work,” Dakota said.
Before she knew it, she was out the door with Dakota and Kansas escorting her. Kansas carried a bag of food while she cradled the large coffee Calian had ordered for her.
“What time do you finish?” Dakota asked.
“After five. It won’t all be flying. The paperwork takes time.”
“One or more of us will be here to walk you home,” Kansas said.
“They’ve truly gone?” Renee blurted.
“Honestly,” Kansas said.
“Them leaving makes me nervous,” Renee admitted.
“You realize they might be innocent tourists,” Dakota said.
Renee grunted as they approached the heliport. “Acting paranoid has kept me alive. I don’t want to end up like Hunter.”
Kansas handed her the food, and once she accepted the bags with her free hand, he stole a kiss. It wasn’t an innocent one either. He used tongue and nipped her lower lip. His eyes glowed a golden brown when he pulled back.
“My turn,” Dakota whispered in a husky voice. He claimed a kiss that was every bit as suggestive as the one Kansas had given her. “Later.” He pulled away without haste and opened the front door of the offices for her.
Renee stared after them as the twins strode away. A cheerful whistle floated in their wake.
“Who are they?” Janet asked.
“Friends.” Renee knew better than to offer more information. “They’ll be back later for a ride over the tundra.”
Renee kept busy as usual, which was the way she liked it. The Taktuq brothers arrived for their flight at two and conditions were perfect.
“I spoke to Sax Hallsten,” Calian said. “He suggested we land near the lodge they’re building and check it out. He told us you’d know where he meant.”
“It will eat into your tour,” Renee warned.
“No problem. We can book for another one. Let’s do the lodge first and fit in what you can once we’re done,” Calian said. “Have you seen the building? Sax told us the exterior is done, and they had completed most of the interior.”
Interest piqued in Renee. “I’ve seen it from the air and moved in freight and passengers for them. Are you going to walk around?” She seated three of the brothers in the back of her chopper, supervising their seat belts and headphones before guiding Calian to the seat in the front with her.
After making certain they could hear over the headphones, she settled behind the controls and checked in with the office. Given the all-clear, Renee moved the cyclic stick in her right hand while increasing the power with the collective lever in her left. The helicopter climbed for long seconds before she leveled off and used the rotor pedals to turn.
The town of Churchill grew small beneath them as Renee ran through her after-takeoff checklist. Satisfied all was in order, she settled into her flight and the familiar vibration of her chopper.
“You’re good,” Calian said.
“I should be. I’ve had plenty of experience. My stepfather taught me to fly when I was a teenager.”
“Bears at three o’clock,” Calian said.
“Looks like a mother and cubs.” Renee smiled. “I never get tired of seeing the bears. The beluga whales are awesome too. I got to go kayaking, and a beluga pushed my kayak along. It was magical.”
“I guess we’ll get to try that once we sort out our newest hotel,” Matto said from the rear.
They flew for a time, and since they didn’t expect the tourist thing, Renee relaxed and enjoyed the flying and the sights on the tundra below. Myriad lakes covered the landscape, most shallow a
nd a few of them frozen over, judging by the animal prints she spotted on the surface.
Stubby trees, most of them bare on the side of the prevailing wind, grew in patches and she spotted the rough roads the tundra buggies drove along in their search for bears. The massive wheels kept the vehicles off the ground and the tourist passengers safe from the bears.
“That’s the Tundra Hotel,” Renee explained when they passed over the linked train of six tundra buggies. “I’ve heard the hotel is very expensive and guests stay there for three or four nights.”
“Might be worth booking in—if we can at this late stage,” Calian commented. “It never hurts to check out the competition.”
“Did Sax mind you guys visiting their lodge?” she asked, curiosity grabbing her.
“He suggested it. He also proposed we work together with our advertising since we’re going after the same luxury market. I like him,” Calian said.
“Sax and his brothers are great guys,” Renee agreed. “They’re professional and the locals like the fact they’re from around here. I’ve heard some of the older ladies discussing the Hallsten brothers and the Swenson brothers. Evidently, they were all considered losers and no-hopers. They have a high approval rating now, and they’re used as an example for the local teenagers.”
“I heard the brothers found partners from outside the community. The brothers share one woman. Well, one woman for each set of brothers,” Kansas corrected himself.
“Real subtle, bro,” came Dakota’s voice.
Renee laughed. “I’ve met Kendall and Fiona at the café. I’ve had coffee with them a couple of times.” She checked her instruments and scanned the horizon. “That’s the lodge. At nine o’clock.”
“They’ve done an excellent job. Even though it’s a new build, it blends well with the surroundings,” Matto said. “I’ve heard about their designs but haven’t seen one before in person.”
“Sax told us Fiona Swenson does graphic design,” Calian said. “He told me she’s excellent, and that they’ve already started an advertising campaign. He also suggested we make a bid for the big warehouse on the outskirts of town. Most of his team is still here, and he thought the warehouse would convert into a hotel, and if the weather held and we could get building supplies up, they could work on the conversion during the colder months.”
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