Chapter Twenty-Seven
Kamari sighed. “Then, you better gain some control over yourself because you can’t control every aspect of my life.”
“I’m not going to try to,” Mica said frigidly.
“The ones that matter.”
“Friends should never be more important to you than your mate,” Mica growled. “Get your priorities straight.”
Kamari lifted her lip in a silent snarl and Mica barked at her.
“Clean up, we need to talk,” Mica snapped.
“D—”
“Not a word,” Mica told her and stalked from the room.
Kamari glared at Mica’s back, but did as she was told only because that’s why she’d come in here anyway.
Kamari went back into the bedroom to find Mica by the window, the line of her body slightly tense. Kamari wanted to go to her, but decided to change her panties instead.
So, she opened her bag and retrieved a fresh pair and put the dirty ones in a plastic bag and shoved it in a pocket of her pack.
“I need a washer.” She picked her items up from the floor expecting to find some missing, but everything was there.
“There’s a stackable set off the kitchen,” Mica said. “You know I could lose control of my animal that’s why controlling as many aspects of my life is important.”
“I’m not an aspect, Mica. I’m a partner.”
“Who follows my lead, not charges off like a lone wolf.” Mica turned, fire in her gaze. “You might have done things that way with your sister, but not now. No more FBI. If you need law enforcement, join the police department.”
Kamari laughed. “You’re so funny, Mica.”
“I mean it.”
“Kiss my ass,” Kamari said shaking her head. “I went to Amy’s after I left you guys at the Wolf Trap. Isa was trying to tell me something about her. I just found out where she lived.”
“And you couldn’t ask me?”
“I distinctly remember you making it clear that you thought you could control where I did and didn’t go, so no.”
“I’m trying to protect you,” Mica snapped.
“You’re trying to protect your sanity and your heart, not me,” Kamari retorted. “I know the feeling. My breed is like the praying mantis, Mica. We kill those who aren’t more dominant than we are, especially if we don’t feel anything for them.”
“I am strong enough to take you,” Mica told her icily. “And I will have you no matter how much you resist.”
“How much of me you get remains to be seen because you can’t force my acceptance,” she said mockingly.
Mica snarled at her as Kamari closed the gap between them, eyes glowing.
“Do you want to sit around antagonizing each other or do you want what I found?”
“Does it matter what I want?” Mica said reaching down, claws out.
Kamari held her breath as Mica touched her gently. “You’re excluding me, too, and yet you think I should accept your claim.”
“What did you find?” Mica demanded softly as she fisted her hand in Kamari’s hair.
“A thumbdrive. Amy’s been tracking Jerry’s movements for thirteen years. She knew how much he had to lose.”
“Go on.”
“The information has Jerry committing murders in four states with two other men. One’s only referred to as Tiffen and the other is Clive.”
“Are you sure? Clive was killed after being caught for murdering an FBI agent’s daughter,” Mica said. “They came here and started asking questions.”
“I think the person behind all this is the wolf alpha, Jericho. Only an alpha could have so much power that a woman wouldn’t want to ruin him.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Mica told her firmly, tightening her grip in her hair only to release it and pace away.
“Oh, I didn’t jump to anything. I merely pieced together the clues and I’m pretty sure he’s the man who killed my sister.”
“I’m sure the FBI isn’t run on guess work,” Mica muttered.
“No, but I have Jerry, and I’m sure of him. He dies whether he admits it or not because he ordered a hit on me.”
Mica pushed out a rough sigh. “Animal justice is brutal.”
“It is, and I intend to have it.”
“Not without confirmation,” Mica told her brusquely.
“Anyway, I did find something else relating to some more current events here,” she said, deciding to move on. She was going to do as she pleased and there was nothing that Mica could say that was going to change that.
“What?”
“Here.” She grabbed a sheaf of pictures. “I researched these at your library. They’re recent kills, but they’re related to something else, not the rapes and murders.”
Mica took the items and began going through them. “Oh, no. Where did you get these?”
“Amy’s. Which one is Jerry? Amy said he was in one of them.”
“I’m not going to tell you,” Mica replied tightly. One of the men in the photos was a Jerry. He was most commonly called JJ. Jerry Junior, but he was dead. He’d been killed when the hyenas attacked Gray Tail.
“Tell me.”
“He’s dead.”
“So, what do those mean to you?” Kamari asked.
“I didn’t know them, but their deaths were linked to some hyena’s attempt to exact revenge and take over a pack’s lands and destroy Snow Fur, Mallory’s pack.”
“Well, what about this?” Kamari picked up her tablet and opened a file. “I found it on the thumbdrive. She was very angry with finding out her alpha had engaged in traitorous actions. She said she didn’t think Jerry could stoop so low for a piece of land.”
Mica stared at her, her heart stopping. Then she was snatching the tablet from Kamari’s hands.
“I’m assuming the wolf alpha is referred to as Jerry by his close pals, but I know what he looks like, Mica. I had just hoped you’d tell me,” Kamari said. “And everything Isa knew and Amy gathered is what got them killed, especially the serial rapes and murders.”
“Kamari—”
“This footage is pretty much the proof you need that he’s a killer and there are other videos. Amy followed him and a couple of his buddies.”
“Maybe, but this only complicates matters considering what’s going on. Taking him down—they’ll think we fabricated this, so we can’t just go waving it about.”
“Watch that, and tell me if this Jericho is the kind of man you think should be walking around.”
“Just wait,” Mica growled at her. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I won’t be doing anything tonight, so you can relax, but I will be going to the FBI if Jenner refuses to do his job. The footage of the rapes is reasonable doubt enough, especially now that I’ve had a chance to see Jericho in full color.”
****
“Shit.” Mica watched the video, but it wasn’t so much shock as it was fury that engulfed her. How could Jericho have done something so stupid and horrendous?
“Well?” Kamari asked when Mica closed the file.
“You’re right. Even if Jericho has this tat, he’s not going to just show it to us.” Mica closed her eyes a cold chill slithering through her.
This could destabilize the shifter population if Jericho was able to sway his people into believing this was all a fabrication. An all-out war could ensue between the wolves and Samarra and Mallory.
Neither woman would allow Jericho to remain in the region. And what about her?
Jericho’s attack on Kamari was the same as an attack on Mica herself. The animal was already chomping at the bit to take him down.
“This does help my pack though.” She had to handle this with care. “Samarra will be grateful and so will Sydney.”
“Grateful enough not to stand in my way?”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Kamari’s gaze was locked on Mica, her face tense as she looked down briefly at the tablet. Mica’s response was crucial to whether sh
e would in the end accept Mica’s claim or walk away from her.
“I don’t know what Samarra and Mallory’s position will be,” Mica told her evenly as she met her gaze. “But I won’t stand in your way.”
“Good. How soon can we bring this to him?” She took her tablet from Mica’s hands.
“He’ll say you stole the information or manufactured it because you’re colluding with us to save our packs.”
“I don’t care what he says,” Kamari murmured. “What kind of danger are your packs in?”
“There’s a Coalition, and they’re conducting an inquest. More than likely Mallory and Samarra will be sanctioned and animal law enacted.”
“They’ll be executed.”
“Yes. Well, Samarra’s already decided to withdraw from the Coalition if necessary.”
“I can’t believe it,” Kamari muttered. “He must have something on the Coalition to make them move against you.”
“This could get him killed by his own pack,” Mica told her. “He won’t allow you or anyone else to take that from him. He’ll come at you with everything he has to shut you up.”
“I imagine he will,” Kamari said quietly. “But he did this to himself, and I’m willing to go to the FBI if his pack or this town can’t handle him.”
Kamari could walk away from the attack on her, but vicious torture and rape of her sister was unforgivable. The footage of her sister’s murder had been graphic, heartbreaking.
Mica sighed. “Let me lead on this, Kamari. I don’t want to ruin the pack over their alpha’s bad decisions. We could possibly handle this quietly.”
“Do what you need to do.”
Mica nodded, reaching out to cup her cheek. “Just trust me.”
“Sure.” Not when it came to vengeance and if she felt betrayed, she wouldn’t trust Mica with her heart either.
****
Jerry threw a glass across the room, but the crash was less than satisfying. Cadillac was dead, and he had no clue what information Isa and Amy had left in that storage locker. There was no way to safely find out now. He had to just take things slow until he could get to the waitress himself.
“What’s the matter, honey?”
The soft female voice was way too inquisitive for him, but he turned to face the woman in her silky gown with her blonde hair flowing around her face.
“Cadillac was killed,” he said. “Tiny didn’t have too many details to give me except to say that the preliminary report was that he was burned.”
“Burned?” Julie asked with a frown. “What did she do, set fire to him?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “So far they haven’t found anything that could have caused the burns.”
“Oh my god,” she exclaimed. “The girl was arrested, wasn’t she? Cadillac’s family will want someone to answer for this. Those coyotes are going to have to pay.”
“Someone will pay,” Jerry told her coldly. He just had to be careful he didn’t end up in the hot seat.
She blew out a breath and shook her head. “Samarra and Mallory are going too far,” she snapped.
“Calm yourself, Julie,” he said as patiently as he could. “I need to go out, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll wait for you.”
“No. I’ll be a while.” Jerry kissed her lightly on the lips and led her from the room. “We’ll have dinner tomorrow if I can.”
“I know,” she said. “You have a lot on your plate right now.”
“I do,” he agreed and gave her a wan smile. “Let’s get dressed.” Once in his bedroom, he dressed quickly, in a hurry to be away from her. She was nothing more than a useful connection to Bradley and a good alibi.
Jerry’s cell rang, and he snagged it from the dresser. Glancing at the display, he immediately connected as he stepped out of the room. He couldn’t risk her overhearing any portion of this call. Killing her wasn’t an option nor would it give him any pleasure.
“What is it?”
“I’ve tracked the electronic trail and found a cloud drive account,” Collier told him, excited. “We’re going to see if we can hack the account and get rid of the information.”
“Let me know what you find first,” he said coldly. He didn’t trust Collier any more than he trusted Bradley these days.
That information could be used against him, so it was best he knew what he had to work with.
****
The next morning, Mica woke early though she felt as if she’d hardly slept. The other side of the bed was still warm with Kamari sleeping in the dark room.
She stared up at the ceiling wondering how she was going to tame the woman who was her mate when trust was at a premium between them.
Kamari was a wolf, but when she was angry, her eyes glinted with silver unlike any wolf’s she’d ever met. But there was something else about her. Last night, she’d given off an interesting amount of heat when she’d been near her after Powell’s death.
Was she a pyrokinetic?
Kamari squirmed and moaned in her sleep. The coyote moved quickly to cuddle against her, nuzzling the back of her neck, eager to comfort her in her apparent distress.
Kamari pressed back into Mica, reaching back to stroke the back of her neck.
“It’s okay,” Mica murmured. “Bad dream?”
“Sometimes.”
“What was it about?” Mica asked lightly stroking her hand over Kamari’s stomach.
“When the hyenas attacked my pack, I had to fight,” she said softly. “I killed two hyenas, but it didn’t make a dent. It got bad.”
“But you were able to get away,” Mica said. “Your power, what is it? Pyrokinesis?”
“What power?” she asked drowsily.
“He had third degree burns over his face and hands, Kamari. How did he get them?”
“I don’t know.”
“Trust me.” Mica kissed her shoulder and glided her hand down Kamari’s arm and Kamari pressed back against Mica. “Your secrets are safe with me.”
Mica kissed the side of her neck as her hand wandered up to cup her breast through the tank top Kamari wore.
“I promise.” She pinched the nipple before running her thumb along the hard peak.
Kamari shuddered and hissed. “Mica.”
“I know it’s hard. But a little trust will go a long way,” she said insistently as she slipped her hand inside the waistband of Kamari’s sleep shorts.
“Your touch sets me on fire,” Kamari murmured.
“The smell of your skin makes me want to bite you,” Mica told her, a growl in her voice, and then she did just that as she stroked her fingers over Kamari’s mound.
“Mmm.” Kamari rubbed against her hand as she reached back to curl a hand around Mica’s neck. “Are you trying to use sex to get answers?”
Mica pushed her hand down the front of her panties and gave her pussy lips a slap before licking the side of her neck.
Kamari creamed her panties and Mica pushed her hand back up beneath the tank to palm Kamari’s breast. She caressed the nipple and then pinched it hard sending pinpricks of pleasure racing through her.
“Mica,” she cried roughly and pushed her hand away. Kamari rolled out of bed, panting. “Trust has to be earned not stolen.”
Mica sighed and rolled out of bed. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“Good. Right now, I need some space so I won’t carve you up for trying to trick me,” Mica.”
Mica gave her a hard look and padded into the bathroom and Kamari pushed out a harsh breath.
“You don’t have what it takes to hurt me, Mari,” Mica told her. “Your wolf won’t let you.”
“Don’t bet your life on it, right now,” Kamari murmured and wrapped her arms around herself.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Mica’s words replayed in her mind, and Kamari knew Mica was only half right.
Upon hearing the shower, Kamari immediately gathered her tablet and slipped it between the mattresses before fishing her bag f
rom the closet.
Kamari had already hidden her lap top beneath the dresser, certain Mica or anyone else wouldn’t look for it there.
She tossed some clothes onto the bed and removed the cell she’d been using and checked her messages. Kamari found a list of names and numbers from a friend in the bureau she’d contacted last night. He owed her a favor, so she’d called it in eager to get some closure and truly move on.
Kamari selected one of the names on the list and sent a message. Seconds later, her phone rang, and she tensed.
“Hello?” Kamari answered coolly.
“I’ve been calling you since last night.” MacAulay McGill’s voice was tight in her ear.
“So?” She moved to the window a hand on her hip. “I’m on my own time, not the bureau’s.”
“We need to talk,” he said. “I know what you’ve been up to.”
“Really? Spying on me?” Kamari demanded. “Or did Randy just think she was helping?”
“She did her job,” he said. “Now, we need to talk.”
“I don’t really have time. I have a life to live and a sister to grieve.” Kamari started to end the call when he called her name.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” McGill said patiently. “Randy didn’t betray you. She helped you.”
“Oh? Did I say I needed help recently, because I don’t recall asking for anything from the Bureau.”
“It’s about the girls,” he told her urgently. “We’ve found over twenty-six girls and that’s just going back over thirteen years.”
“And how is that supposed to be connected to me? I’m grieving my sister, not some dead girls I never even met.”
“I know you found something,” McGill said. “If I’m wrong, I’ll drop it, but we got a call from the police in Stonington yesterday about a girl who was killed three weeks ago. Gold links were found on the site. She’d been missing for a week before she was found.”
“I know.”
“Her cause of death matches your sister’s.”
“I don’t know anything,” Kamari said stoically.
“I’m sure that’s not the truth. I know you,” McGill murmured. “I know you’ve connected the dots or you’re in the process of doing so.”
Getting Nawty With the Coyote Page 15