“Really?” He quirked an eyebrow, then glanced at the computer screen and clicked a few buttons before directing his attention back to her. “What about?”
“You lived with Ryne and his old pack in Oregon, right?”
“Uh-huh. I was raised there, but after that whole incident with Marla and Rose, I felt I needed to make a new start.”
“Rose, she was your girlfriend, right?”
He shrugged. “I guess. We were both kind of quiet and into computers so naturally drifted together, but then Marla started in on her, filling her head with nonsense and...” A flash of regret passed over his face before he shrugged again. “It’s all old history.”
“Old history. Yeah.” Mel exhaled slowly and stared down at her hands. “That’s sort of what I’m interested in actually. You know, Ryne never talks much about his family or growing up. I really don’t know that much about him.” She hazarded a peek up at Daniel.
He frowned. “His childhood was...rough.”
Mel leaned forward, eager to learn whatever she could. “Can you tell me about it?”
“Why don’t you just ask Ryne?” Daniel leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head.
She shifted uncomfortably. Darn. He was just as tight-lipped as the rest of them. Why couldn’t he just start spouting off what he knew rather than making her beg? “Well, he’s not much into reminiscing and with the baby coming, I guess I’m just curious...” Mel let her voice drift off, not willing to give Daniel the real reason until she had her facts straight.
Daniel cocked his head and studied her, possibly sensing her reticence. After a moment he seemed to come to some decision and gave her a half smile. “Why not? You have your reasons I’m sure. And Bryan did send you to me, so it must be okay.” Reaching to the side, he rifled through a pile of papers and bags to pull out a box of granola bars. He offered her one, but she shook head; her stomach was too tied up in knots to be interested in food.
Shrugging in a ‘more for me’ manner, Daniel selected one for himself. After unwrapping it, he took a bite and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling while chewing. “Well, I’m a few years younger than Ryne you know, but I do recall looking up to him and his brother, Kane. They used to come and go from the pack a lot back then. His father was always on the move...”
Mel dug her hands into her palm and prepared herself to listen. There were specific questions she needed the answers to, but didn’t dare voice them for fear of raising suspicion. Hopefully, she’d be able to slip a few into the conversation...
*****
Bryan stood in the dingy hallway outside the door to Dollar Niche and listened carefully. The sounds of traffic drifted up from the street below, but from the office there was total silence. All the other doors that led from the hallway were locked and equally quiet; he’d checked them as they’d made their way down the corridor, walking as silently as possible. The old floors had creaked under the weight of each step, the faint noise sounding loud to his sensitive ears. Luckily, any humans that might be about probably wouldn’t notice.
He inhaled slowly, filtering through the array of scents and wrinkling his nose at the staleness of the air. Smoke, sweat, fried food, perfume... The smells of humanity wafted around him, the only pleasing scent was that of Cassandra; alluring and spicy, it brought a faint smile to his lips.
She stood behind him, pressing close, waiting for him to announce their next move. The warmth of her body felt good against his and he longed to lean back, bringing them into closer contact, stretching out the moment as long as possible. But unfortunately, they had a job to do and with a sigh, he resisted his body’s urging. Besides, it wasn’t appropriate for him to view the girl as anything other than a pack mate at the moment. If his wolf insisted on being attracted to her, well...it would just have to wait until the situation was more settled.
The animal wasn’t pleased, but knew better than to kick up a fuss during the hunt for Kellen. Stalking required concentration. Having one’s senses addled by outside concerns could be dangerous. A split second break in focus could lead to deadly results. Bryan repeated these well known facts to himself, as he tried to ignore the woman behind him. He shook his head. What had he been thinking when he’d allowed Cassandra to come with him?
True, she wasn’t supposed to be here. As a matter of fact, he’d left her with strict orders to wait in the rental car since he wasn’t sure what he’d be walking into. However, he’d gone no more than half a block from where he’d parked when he’d heard her tiptoeing along behind him, trying her best to hide in doorways and behind lamp posts. When he suddenly turned around, she’d been scrambling to conceal herself behind a garbage bin.
Shaking his head, he’d stalked back to confront her, rolling his eyes when she’d innocently claim she was just stretching her legs.
“I specifically said to wait in the car.” He’d glowered at her, but there was only the slightest flicker of acquiescence in her eyes before she’d lifted her chin and glared back at him.
“Kellen’s my friend. It’s only right that I help rescue him.”
“Or get yourself killed by being in a situation you can’t handle.”
“I can handle myself. I nearly took you in your motel room this morning.”
For a moment he considered telling her that this morning he’d been trying to be gentle, not wanting to hurt her. If he’d really tried, he could have killed her with very little effort. However, the information would likely scare her and he was trying to build up a degree of trust between them, not push her further away. He sighed heavily and stared at her, trying to decide what to do.
Part of him wanted to show her what happened to disobedient wolves, but he reined in his temper. As appealing as it might seem to leash her with his belt again and lock her in the car, he knew he really couldn’t go around treating her like a common pet; besides someone might see him forcing her transformation. There were lots of windows in the buildings on either side of them.
Knowing he really had very little choice, he gave a quick nod. “All right. I’ll let you come along, but you have to follow my orders. If the thug who took your friend is inside, stay back and let me handle him.”
Cassandra had nodded solemnly, though he’d been sure he saw a hint of a smile playing over her lips.
They’d made their way into the building without incident, Dollar Niche being located in a less than prestigious building, which didn’t appear to have any form of security. After making their way up the stairs, they’d cautiously approached the door at the end of the hallway. Faded wording on the door proclaimed this to be Dollar Niche’s ‘head office’ while a cardboard sign thumb-tacked to the wall said the two chairs placed by the wall constituted the ‘waiting area’.
Bryan had noticed Cassandra eyeing the nearby bulletin board covered in flyers and advertisements. Was she wondering if that was where her friend had found her picture? It seemed a likely theory since Aldrich owned Dollar Niche.
“Do you hear anything?” Cassandra brushed his shoulder lightly with her fingers.
The soft touch sent tingles of awareness through him and he closed his eyes enjoying the sensation before answering her question.
“No. What about you?” He looked over his shoulder at her.
“Me? You’re the one with the wolf ears.”
“Not only me. You’re a purebred werewolf, too. You can hear and smell just as well as I can, the only difference is that you haven’t been trained how to use your senses.” Her face clouded as if she wasn’t pleased with his pronouncement, but he ignored the fact. This was a good opportunity to slip in a little bit a werewolf training without her being aware of it. “You know Kellen’s scent better than I do. I want you to inhale deeply and tell me if you think he’s inside.”
Cassandra seemed about to protest, but after a brief hesitation closed her eyes and did as she was told. Obviously, her concern for her friend was sufficient to make her override her aversion to using her natural talents.
Bryan’s dislike of Kellen was growing by leaps and bounds. He bit back a nasty comment about the man not deserving her and focussed instead on the rise and fall of her chest as she checked the scents drifting on the air. The sight of the curving flesh had his fingers twitching and he wondered what it would feel like to cup the soft weight.
He gave his head a little shake when he realized the direction his thoughts were taking and forced his gaze up to Cassandra’s face. Her brow was furrowed in concentration.
Unaware that he’d been ogling her, she opened her eyes and shook her head. “He’s not there now. I can...smell him, but it’s not strong. Not like when he’s in the room with me.” The reluctance with which she delivered the information was evident.
“See? You use your abilities every day; you just don’t realize it.” Bryan pointed the fact out quietly and then straightened, ignoring the slight pout that had appeared on her face. She didn’t like being proven wrong, he decided with an inward chuckle, tucking the little fact away for future reference. “It would seem that no one is home, so we might as well go inside and do some snooping.”
He tested the handle and found it locked. After double checking that no one was about, he hit the wooden panel with his shoulder and it popped open. Cheap construction he thought to himself, recalling all the renovations he’d completed on the pack house over the past three years. None of the doors he’d installed would have given in this easily.
Easing the door open a crack, he did a visual check for any sign of alarms or sensors. Finding none, he rolled his eyes; Dollar Niche was definitely a two-bit operation. Now why would a man of Leon Aldrich’s purported power, keep his fingers in this particular pie? Shrugging, he stepped inside.
Cassandra followed, quietly closing the door behind her. “Should I turn on the lights?”
“Better not. Someone might come by and realize that the office should be empty.” He answered distractedly as he looked around the room. It was rather shabby, and furnished with mismatched chairs and old filing cabinets. Definitely not what he’d expect Aldrich to be associated with.
There was a wooden chair in front of the desk, a single drop of blood on the floor beside it. Bryan bent and touched it with his finger. It was still wet so who ever it had spilled from had been here recently. A quick sniff revealed it had come from Kellen. Tightening his jaw, he glanced up at Cassandra knowing the news would upset her. Opening his mouth to tell her, she spoke first from her position near the desk.
“Here’s the flyer Kellen had.” She held up a piece of creased paper. “And there’s a number on the bottom that you’re supposed to call if you find me.”
“Really?” Bryan rose to his feet, deciding to put off informing her about her friend for a moment. He took the paper and studied it. “Hmm... Maybe we should call the number and see who answers.” Taking out his cell phone, he ensured his number was blocked from display and then dialled. After a few rings, a woman answered.
“Hello. You’ve reached the office of Leon Aldrich. How may I help you?”
Bryan froze, shock washing over him. He knew that voice even though he’d only heard it once or twice before.
“Hello? Hello?” The woman’s voice sounded irritated as it echoed from the receiver.
He ended the call and flipped the phone shut, his mind swirling with memories, past betrayals...
“Bryan? What’s wrong? Who did you end up calling?” Cassandra looked at him, no doubt puzzled by his stillness.
“Um... It was Aldrich’s office.”
“My uncle’s lawyer?” Cassandra raised her brows in surprise. “I suppose it makes sense that he’d be looking for me. My uncle relied on him heavily so he’s probably in charge of the estate.” She frowned and shook her head. “I still can’t believe he’s alive.”
“He is. We—the werewolf community—keep close tabs on all his activities, though this particular one, Dollar Niche, somehow escaped our notice.”
Cassandra swallowed hard and pushed her hands in her back pockets. Bryan could tell she was uncomfortable thinking about why they kept tabs on the man. She exhaled slowly, then continued. “Do you think Mr. Aldrich knows that Eddie and Hugh have Kellen?”
Bryan shrugged. “Perhaps. Or maybe they intend to collect the reward money anonymously.”
She nodded and looked around. “I guess there’s nothing else to be gained by staying here. Kellen’s obviously not here. I wonder where they might have taken him.”
“We haven’t checked the phone yet.” Bryan picked up the handset off the desk and had it redial the last number called. He listened intently, then hung up.
“Well?”
“It was the airport.”
“Airport? But why?”
“My guess is that they’re anticipating capturing you and booked a flight back to Chicago. A bit premature on their part though, seeing as they don’t have you yet.”
Cassandra scuffed the floor with her toe. “I guess they know I won’t abandon Kellen. And they’re right. I might be angry with him over the stunt he tried to pull, but he’s still my friend and he did a lot for me over the years. I don’t want to go back to Chicago, but I will if it’s the only way he’ll be safe.” She shrugged one shoulder and gave a wobbly laugh. “Besides, there are probably a lot worse fates than being an heiress.” Her voice belied her mocking words and Bryan cautiously put an arm around her shoulder. When she didn’t pull back, he drew her closer to him until she rested her head on his shoulder.
He hugged her lightly. “Hey, it will be okay. I’ll get Daniel on their trail. He’ll be able to check the airport records and find out what the plan is on that front. I’m sure he can also find out where Eddie and Hugh live as well as any other buildings they might rent. Then we can go searching for Kellen.” He pulled her away a little and lifted her chin with a finger, ducking his head a bit so he could make eye contact as he teased her gently. “We’re not giving up and send you off to a life of luxury without a fight.”
She laughed softly just as he’d hoped and pulled away. “Thanks. Being rich would be too hard for me after three years of living on minimum wages. I don’t know if I could fall back into my old ways or not.”
Bryan dropped his arm to his side, returning her laugh. “Yeah. Being rich must be tough. It’s a fate I’ve often had nightmares about.”
She sighed and then shoved her hands in her back pocket looking around the room. “So what do we do know?”
He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, thinking of a call he had to make; one he didn’t want her to overhear. “Listen, I’m going to call Daniel and get him working on the airport records. That way he might have some news for us by the time we’re back to your house. Why don’t you head down to the car and get it started. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Sure.” She nodded and left the office.
Once Bryan was sure she was out of hearing range, he called home. “Daniel? I’ve got another job for you. Check all the flights out of Vegas, even the private planes. Look for the names Eddie Perini or Kellen Anderson. There’s also a bozo named Hugh, but I don’t have a last name for him. Oh, and Leon Aldrich’s name, too ... Yeah, it’s the same guy. Thanks, let me know as soon as you have anything.”
He ended the call and then dialled Ryne’s cell phone.
“Ryne? Bryan here ... What’s that? ... Yeah, I’ve found Cassandra, but there’s a bit of a complication ... The problem is her...er...boyfriend’s been snatched by some loan sharks and we need to rescue him before she’ll even consider moving to Canada ... Yeah, it should be simple, but there’s a bit of a twist I think you’ll find interesting.” He paused and chose his words carefully. “Apparently Leon Aldrich is involved ... Yeah, I know it’s not surprising given that he’s the executor of the Greyson estate, but the real surprise is what I heard when I called Aldrich’s office. Brace yourself ... Marla answered the phone.”
Bryan held the phone away as a string of loud curses reverberated across the airwaves. Gingerl
y, he brought the cell back to his ear. “I know it’s crazy, but I swear it was her voice. I’ve only heard it a couple of times, but I’m sure I’m not mistaken ... Okay, I’ll give you the number. You call and judge for yourself, then let me know your plans ... Right. I’ll talk to you later.”
Slipping the phone back into his pocket, Bryan exited Dollar Niche, pondering what steps Ryne might take if it was indeed Marla.
*****
“It’s her.” Ryne barked the words down the phone line.
“You’re sure?” Kane glared out the window, not really seeing his mate and children as they walked across the yard, examining the spring bulbs that were poking their heads up.
“Yeah. I called the number twice, just to be sure. Marla is definitely working in Aldrich’s offices.”
“Shit.” Kane gripped the phone tighter as he considered the havoc those two could create together. Their two worst enemies had apparently joined forces. Go figure the odds on that happening. “I wonder how they ended up together.”
“I’ve no idea. I’m just wondering if they’re working together or not.”
“They must be. How could they not be aware of each other?” Kane pinched the bridge of his nose. “It makes no sense though. Aldrich was intent on exposing werewolves and here he has one working with him. Why hasn’t he said anything?”
“Maybe they struck a deal? Marla would do anything for money. Or maybe she never told him. There’d be no way for him to find out what she really is.”
“True. But why didn’t the Chicago pack notice her? They claim to have had him under constant surveillance.”
“Probably the same trick she used on us in Smythston; that scent masking perfume.”
Kane grunted in acknowledgement. “Well, now that we know, we need to do something.”
“Inform Chicago?”
“Hell, no. They’ve messed this whole thing up from the very beginning, starting with not knowing Cassandra Greyson was a werewolf living in their midst, all the way to being unable to eliminate Aldrich after three years of trying. I say we go in ourselves and take care of it.”
The Finding Page 24