by Bryce Evans
“I’m not, but we all can see it. Look, I like Caz. He’s a good hunter and he knows about this case. I’ve filled him in about Archie and the others. He has already worked on this case, Raven. You know that. They kidnapped his sister and if it wasn’t for him and Calum, she would be gone, possibly dead. God only knows what they are doing with the shifters. They are taking kids too. You have to stop it.
“Caz is good at what he does. He knows the computer stuff. I don’t, plus, he’s a tiger and a tracker as well. He will watch your back and I assured him that you will watch his. Forget about what I said about liking you. He’s a Death Hunter, Raven. Lennox wouldn’t have put him with you if he wasn’t confident he could handle this. You can handle this.”
“Don’t you want to help me in this case?” Raven asked, returning to sit beside her brother. It felt like he was leaving her too.
“Look, sis, I always want to be there with you, but right now, I’ve had the most missions of all the hunters and I’m tired. I want to rest and then I will be right as rain. But I wouldn’t have suggested Caz if I didn’t have confidence in his ability. He’s a tiger and I never heard him coming when we tested him. He’s that good, Raven. Trust him.”
Raven stared at her brother in the mirror. She never noticed before, but Leo had dark shadows under his eyes. She could see how tired he was. Seeing the tension in his shoulders broke her heart. He was waiting for her to explode and Leo didn’t deserve that.
She smiled. “Okay. You rest and we will handle this.”
“Thanks, sis. Tomorrow you need to sit with Caz and the both of you share what you know and come up with a plan of action. I think Archie has had plenty of time to hear from the vampire. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to Calum. He’s been gathering information too. Now that we know another vampire is involved, he will want to know.”
When she didn’t say anything, he leaned in and bumped her. “Let’s go run. I need to let him out. It’s been a while.”
“Sounds good.” She watched as her brother got up to leave. His shoulders were tense, but at least this would help him. He had been on a lot of missions. He helped Reed out so he could honeymoon with Greer and he knew the alpha and Cosmo were spending as much time with their mates as they could, so he continued to volunteer.
Caz watched as Raven and Leo shifted behind his truck and sprinted into the woods. He was up in a tree, just thinking about Raven. She was one tough cookie. She definitely couldn’t take a joke. He would need to remember that. She was so easy to tease. So serious. Definitely the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
He closed his eyes and shook his head. Ours!
His tiger wanted her and already made up his mind, but he wasn’t sure. He hadn’t had any girlfriends in a long time. Maybe he was just fascinated by her. You don’t mean that. She’s not ours either.
Ours!
This was going to be a problem. A big one.
Chapter Six
Caz decided to talk to Calum. The vamp was at his house waiting for him. He would get the information and then tell Raven what he said. This way, he would have information that she didn’t and maybe, just maybe, she would lighten up. Fat chance, but this was the only idea he had to get back in her good graces. Who was he kidding? He was never in her good anything.
He snarled as he pulled up at his sister and Calum’s home. Raven’s truck was sitting in the driveway. How the hell did she know to talk to Calum? Now he was pissed. She came without him.
Getting out, he walked up to the entrance and before he could knock, his sister opened the door. “What took you so long? Raven has been here over thirty minutes,” Riley whispered.
“What? And nobody thought it would be a good idea to call me?”
“Well, no. Why would we? It’s not unusual for hunters to come by the house to gather information from Calum, but once I heard what she wanted to know. I was about to pick up my phone, but heard you pull up. Come on.” Riley Milton O’Keefe motioned for him to enter.
His sister was now mated and married to the local vampire, Calum O’Keefe. Not just any vampire but probably one of the most powerful ever. The man fell head over heels in love with his sister. Most thought it was unusual for a vampire and a tiger shifter to mate, but they got along so well. He never doubted that Calum wouldn’t risk his own life for his sister. He saw that firsthand.
Calum smiled when he walked into the kitchen. Raven was eating and never looked up as he sat beside her. “You’re late, brother. We started eating without you. I’m confused, you are working together on this case, correct?”
“We are, but it looks like my partner decided to go off without me,” Caz spit out.
Caz knew he had hit a nerve when Raven’s fork fell clanking against the dish. “We are not par--”
“Here is a plate for you.” Riley set a dish full of food in front of him, stopping Raven from finishing her sentence.
“Thank you.” Caz picked up his fork and started shoveling food into his mouth before he said something he couldn’t take back. Why this woman made him crazy, he didn’t know.
Calum glanced around the table. “Now that we are all together, let’s get your questions out of the way. Raven, you wanted to ask me about someone.”
“What do you know about Boris Connor?”
Calum didn’t speak for a few seconds but stared at her. “A lot. He’s on the vampire council. A dear friend of mine. Is he in trouble for something? Boris is such a good man. He’s helped me and my family on numerous occasions.”
Caz put down his fork when Raven didn’t answer Calum. “We have reason to believe that he is involved in the shifter trafficking.”
If a vampire could turn red, then Calum O’Keefe was erupting like a volcano. “Why do you say that, simply because he is a vampire? I thought we were beyond that, Caz.”
“It was just a question, Calum. Calm down,” Riley suggested.
He watched as Calum slammed his napkin to his plate and scooted his chair back. “I’ve lost my appetite.” Then walked out of the room.
“Never saw that coming,” Raven said.
Caz turned to his sister. “I’ve never seen him act like this. Even when I didn’t like him, but this has nothing to do with Boris being a vampire.”
“Boris is a good friend to Calum. I hope you’re wrong about this, Caz. I think it would break my mate’s heart. If you will excuse me for a few minutes.” Riley tried to smile as she got up and went in search of her mate.
“Are you sure about Boris being involved?” Caz asked Raven.
She turned and glared at him. “I don’t know. This is why we are investigating. It’s not always black and white, Caz. Sometimes we have to dig more into the tips we receive.”
“Hey, you can stop with the wise cracks. I know how to investigate a case. Ease up, Raven. I’m not your enemy here. I’m a Death Hunter just like you. Just give me a chance. We should be working together. Not against each other.”
He could tell Raven wanted to disagree with him, but she was a Death Hunter and knew they needed to work together. Or at least, he hoped.
Raven blew out a deep breath. “Okay, but I’m used to working with people I’ve worked with a long time. People I trust with my life.”
Caz put his hand on her shoulder. “You can trust me. I swear to that. I will protect you with everything I have.”
Raven glanced at his hand on her shoulder and he removed it quickly. Baby steps, he said to himself. Baby steps.
“What next then? I was sure Calum would give us some information on which way to go on Boris, but now. Do you think he will say something to him and let him know we are looking at him?” Raven asked.
Caz shook his head. “No. He may be Calum’s friend, but he wouldn’t put us in harm's way.”
“Thank you for believing in me, brother.” Calum stood at the kitchen door. “Raven, I know you don’t trust me yet, but believe this, I would never do anything to get you hurt. Sometimes we think we know people, but really, we don’t
know them at all. I’m still holding out my judgement against my old friend until you tell me otherwise.
“But be careful. Boris Connor is a very wise and strong vampire. He would not have stayed alive this long if he wasn’t. Forgive me, but I’m having such a hard time believing he is involved in something this horrible. To do this to shifters isn’t like him, but to do this to his own people...it’s, it’s almost inconceivable to believe. I pray you are wrong. But what can I help you with?”
“We need to know who we’re dealing with. His background, his family, why he would be in business with billionaire Wyatt Benjamin and why that human has purchased land here in New Hope,” Caz answered.
Calum’s head twisted to the side. “Now that is unusual. What would he want here in New Hope? I know Wyatt, even had some business dealings with him, but he is more of a city man. That is very unusual. But Boris would love it here. He hates the city. Boris has been on this earth for a very long time. His mate was killed two years ago. Nobody knows exactly what happened and Boris will not talk about it.”
“Do you think that could have something to do with this?” Raven asked.
“Not sure. Boris said she was killed in a car crash, but never gave any details. He said the car caught on fire. He was out of town on business.” Calum sat at the table and stared out the window. “Boris loves shifters and his people. He is always on the side of caution when disciplining his own kind. Even shifters. None of this makes any sense.”
Raven leaned forward and put her hand on Calum’s shoulder. “Maybe he’s not. Maybe Archie is wrong or trying to set him up. I don’t know, but, Calum, I will do my job no matter who he is.”
“That’s what I like about you, Raven. Straight to the point. You always tell it like it is. I respect that about you.”
“Where would you start, Calum? If you were us and you needed to see if Boris is involved. Finding out information without setting up red flags?” Caz asked.
Calum smiled. “Using someone who is close to Boris. Someone who wouldn’t set any flags up by asking questions.”
Caz and Raven both smiled. “Thank you, Calum.”
“Family, my dear. There is nothing more important than family.”
Raven parked in front of the pack house. Before she could pull the door handle, Caz was opening her door. “I know how to get out of my truck.”
“Just being nice, Raven. Look, let's talk. I’ve been thinking about something.”
Didn’t he know how hard it was for her to be around him? It was getting harder by the minute. Why? This shifter got on her every nerve. She couldn’t stop being such a bitch around him. But he smelled so good. Peaches, why did he have to smell like peaches?
She followed him into the woods. “Where are we going?”
“To the pond. I don’t want everyone hearing this.”
As they made it to the water, he sat on the rocks. “I need to know before we go any further if you can learn to trust me, Raven. Trust is important to my animal and to the human side. Without it…well, we might as well talk to the alpha. Every hunter I’ve spoken with has told me the same thing--”
“What?”
“That you would protect me with your life. They were all shocked at how you are treating me.”
Raven’s eyes widened. “How am I treating you? How about how you treat me?”
“The moment we met, you became defensive toward me.” Caz held up his finger. “Let me finish. I tried to joke with you, but again you became defensive, a total bitch.”
It was as if the breath was knocked out of her. Her eyes even started watering. She turned and took in a deep breath. Lord, why was she acting like this?
“Hey, are you okay.” The small touch to her shoulder almost brought the sob she was feeling up her throat, but she held it in. The kindness he was showing her was like all the hunters. They all cared for each other, and yes, she would protect him with her life. He was a hunter after all.
“Sure. I’m fine. I’m not a bitch either. I didn’t know you and you were walking freely on our land. Nobody felt the need to tell me about you, and to be honest, it pissed me off. Even Leo knew and he neglected to say anything to me.”
Moving back to the rock, Caz moved his hand through the water. “It’s so beautiful here. This is what sold me to come live here and not stay with my sister. This feels like home to me. For the first time in such a long time, this place, even these people, made me feel like I mattered. I have certain skills that would be useless out there, but in here, I feel alive.”
Caz glanced up at her. “I’m sorry nobody told you. I guess it was a shock to see an unknown shifter walk up to you. I would like to start over if you are willing. A fresh start because to solve this case we need to work together and share all information we get together or separate. What do you say?”
What could she say? He was right. “Okay. But right now, you know everything I know,” Raven said. Her lips turned up slightly.
Smiling back at her, Caz got up and pushed his hand out to her. “I’m Caz Milton, tiger shifter, and a new member to the Death Hunters.”
Raven bit her bottom lip and knew this would probably be the worst mistake of her life, but she couldn’t help it. Taking his hand, a soft current moved up her arm, making her heart beat faster. “Hey, I’m Raven Verdes, bear shifter, an old member of the Death Hunter.”
“Now, let’s go find out about this Wyatt Benjamin.”
Chapter Seven
Raven pushed her laptop so Caz could read the information she had found on the billionaire. “Does he have a family?”
“No, not that it says. Wait...It says that his wife and child were killed in a car accident two years ago.” Caz jerked his gaze up. “Same as Boris. That can’t be a coincidence.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so either. Does it say where it happened?” Raven asked.
Caz read farther then shook his head, “No, but I find it hard to believe that both of these men had a family killed two years ago and there is nothing in here to show where it happened. With the media the way it is, somebody had to find out where it happened. I’ll send Calum a text and let him know. Keep searching. There has to be something we’re missing.”
He moved toward the back door and sent a text to Calum. The man had a way of finding out anything. This should be a piece of cake. Closing his phone, he watched as Raven typed on the laptop. Did she know how beautiful she was? How could she not. Her black hair fell across her face. It looked like silk glittering in the light. Didn’t she see her beauty? But the more he watched her, he didn’t think she did. She had tons of self-confidence in being a hunter but just like Riley, she had none in her beauty.
Caz walked back into the kitchen. “I’m starving. Let’s go to town. Maybe talk to the real estate lady who sold Benjamin the property. Maybe she found out something or he told her why he was moving here.”
“Okay. Let me get my bag.” Raven walked out of the room and he couldn’t help but watch her as she left. Get a grip, man. She’s your partner, a Death Hunter, and she could rip your face off.
Pretty!
Shaking his head, he ran his fingers through his hair. Just don’t get attached, big guy. She’s our partner. Nothing else.
Ours!
Blowing out a deep breath, he wanted to yell no, but too many people were in the house.
He needed to shift soon, but right now, he needed to keep it together. Just stop.
“Are you talking to yourself now?” Leo asked, leaning against the kitchen door watching.
He never even heard him.
“No, just talking over something we just learned about the case. It helps when I do that sometimes.”
Leo just stared at him. “My sister is going to be safe with you, right?”
“Of course, she is.”
“Ready?” Raven asked walking back into the kitchen. “Hey, you want to go eat with us?”
Shaking his head, he smiled back at his sister. “No, you two go ahead. I’m going to
run. Maybe even fish.”
Kissing her brother on the cheek, she walked out the back door. Caz glanced at Leo before he closed the door. He wasn’t smiling and the man was freaking huge. He had always been so nice to him, but right now, he looked different. Like his bear and human form were close and ready to brawl.
They drove in silence in Caz’s truck until Raven asked, “Did my brother say something to you?”
Glancing quickly at her, he shook his head. “No, why?”
“I don’t know. Just the way he was acting. Leo is always the calm one. The one who sees reasoning in anything. Always smiling. But…”
“What?”
Shrugging, Raven whispered, “I don’t know. He’s different. He tries to hide it from me, but something is going on and he won’t tell me what it is.” Raven stared out the window. “We tell each other everything.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing. He’s tired and ready for time alone in the woods. I’m sure he’s fine,” Caz suggested.
Raven smiled. “Yeah, I’m sure you’re right.”
They drove, lost in their own thoughts until the restaurant came into view. “Get Your Grub. The name cracks me up, but the food is wonderful,” Caz said, parking his truck up front.
Raven leaned forward looking at the crowd inside the restaurant. “Tonight, it’s packed. It's the spaghetti night special. You mind if we sit in the back. I would rather not have to answer tons of questions about us being here together,” Raven asked.
“Ashamed of me already?” Caz said, but he smiled at her before he got out of the truck.
She stared at the shifters realizing it was too late to leave when he opened the door for her. Of course, the place was filled with Dixon Pack members and the Crenshaw Clan members. And like Raven said, everyone turned to see who was walking in. Some waved, some nodded, as they walked toward the back room. Most were still leery of the hunters. They were like gods to some of the shifters.
He could see Raven’s shoulders tense as they entered the back room and saw their alpha, and his mate Jade, and the alpha of the Dixon Pack, Arden Dixon, and his mate Quinn.