by Vella Day
Let’s do this. With her stomach still upset, she jumped in the car and headed back up the mountain toward the Changeling compound.
This time, when she drove by the site where she’d spotted Shamus, she didn’t look. “We’ll make the men who did this to you pay, Shamus. I promise.”
More determined than ever, she drove to her location. Mr. Ernst’s directions were spot on, and she arrived with a few minutes to spare. A large black SUV sat in the drive in front of a sprawling one-story red brick home that had white shudders and white trim. Mr. Ernst must do quite well for himself if he could afford such a nice home. Because of his father’s failing health, John Ernst had told her he’d moved his dad in with him. He’d never mentioned if there was a Mrs. Ernst, however.
The front door opened, and the large Changeling filled the frame. Her stomach tumbled. When invisible, Ainsley felt invincible. Now that she had to lie to his face, she wasn’t so sure she could pull this off.
Do it for Shamus.
Do it for Jackson.
Ainsley eased out of her front seat. No sooner had she stood than Mr. Ernst was there to give her a helping hand.
“I see you found the house.”
Way to state the obvious. “Your directions were good.”
No surprise, his chest puffed up. “Come on in. Dad’s waiting for you in the den. You can set up in there.”
“Great.” She put Mr. Ernst close to fifty, which meant his dad was probably in his late seventies. At least he wouldn’t be any physical threat.
With her portable table in his hand, he led her into the den. Using a cane, the old man stood and then winced. Changeling or not, she didn’t like to see anyone in pain. She introduced herself then set up the table.
“I’ll leave you with my father. If you need my help moving him, I’ll be around.” John Ernst then rushed off.
She patted the table. “Can you get up here by yourself?” she asked the old man. She should have asked Mr. Ernst to stay. “Or do you need help?”
“I’m good.” He wobbled over to the table. “You’re a Changeling. That’s good.”
Either his son must have told him she was related to Owen or he could tell himself. “I am.”
“Do I detect a slight accent?”
She saw no harm in telling him, though she was surprised his son hadn’t filled him in. “I grew up in Scotland, though I have to admit your Changelings here seem to be more violent than the ones we have across the pond.”
The old man beamed. “That’s good, right?”
Being rotten would be a good trait to a Changeling. “I suppose as long as it doesn’t draw too much attention from the humans. Actually, I was walking through the grocery store last night and heard two ladies talk about a visitor who’d been attacked by several animals the other day and killed.”
He looked off to the side, his brows knitting together. “I hadn’t heard.”
She believed him. “Not that these ladies knew anything about shifters, but I was wondering if this kind of violence is common around these parts.”
The old man looked toward the door. “Not usually, but I did hear some of our own were attacked last night and killed: a real shame. In the old days, it wasn’t so violent in Silver Lake.”
“That is bad.” She actually meant it. This was, most likely, all she was going to get out of this guy. “Now tell me about your bad back.”
By the time he filled her in, and after she’d worked on him, close to an hour had passed. “All right then. You can roll over,” she told him.
The senior gentleman grunted and tried to lift up, but he was too weak. “I can’t. Can you get John?”
“Sure. I’ll be right back.”
Ainsley stepped into the hallway and walked back to the living room but didn’t see Mr. Ernst. Perhaps he was down the hall. She retraced her steps, and when she spotted an open door, she peered in. It was an office—and it was empty. Her pulse soared at the possibilities. The wall behind the desk contained bookshelves that were stacked with not only books, but with what looked like rather expensive souvenirs. He had everything from small sculptures to a box that looked to be made of ivory—illegally obtained no doubt. On the north wall was a louvered closet door and across from that was a large picture window with two dark blue chairs and a small table underneath. A large mahogany desk sat in the middle of the room facing the entrance. On top was a laptop. Bingo!
Because she was here to spy, she glanced back at the door then walked behind the desk.
Holy crap. What looked like a map of the town with red dots scattered at various locations filled the screen. Ainsley had no idea what it represented, but Jackson might have an idea. Whatever it was, it seemed important. Retrieving her phone, she snapped a picture of the screen then tucked her cell back in her pocket.
Heavy footsteps sounded coming down the hallway.
Oh, shit.
Chapter Twelve
‡
Think. Quick. Ainsley couldn’t come up with a reason for being in his office. He’d know something was up if he caught her.
Her only chance was to disappear.
She managed to become invisible just as he walked into the room, but now she needed to see which side of the desk he’d go around. He stepped to the left, so she exited on the right. If she hadn’t been cautious, she’d have run into him, and that would have shocked him if he bumped into what looked like nothing.
Her pulse raced, and she was glad the invisibility shield extended to masking her scent. As quickly as possible, she dashed out of the office, hustled down the hallway then reappeared. Walking with more force than usual, she headed back toward the office. With as much calm as she could muster, Ainsley tapped on the doorjamb. “Mr. Ernst? Could you help me get your dad down from the table? He’s a bit weak.”
John Ernst grunted then nodded. “Of course.”
*
By noon, Jackson felt well enough to go into work. He’d debated calling Ainsley to see how the visit went with the Changeling, but he decided to let her finish out her day before he contacted her. He had the sense there were some things about this particular job she hadn’t confided in him.
When he got to the office, the first thing he wanted to do was fly his drone over the area where they’d been attacked, though he wasn’t sure what he expected to see. He doubted he’d be able to spot the dead men’s bodies through the trees—assuming they hadn’t been found—but he might be able to identify where the fight had occurred.
He was up on the roof maneuvering his drone when Kip came up the steps. “You have a visitor.”
Jackson swiveled around. “Who?”
“Ainsley.”
At the mere mention of her name, his damn heart jumped to warp speed. Why was she at the office? He hoped nothing bad had happened. “Tell her that as soon as I bring back the drone, I’ll be down.”
Kip nodded and headed downstairs. By the time the drone returned and Jackson put their new purchase in the cabinet in his office, Ainsley had been waiting about twenty minutes.
He entered the main room, and instantly, his libido went crazy. This wasn’t good. “Ainsley?”
She twisted around then stood. “How are you feeling?”
She came all the way to the office to ask him that question? Her concern warmed him. A pure Changeling never would have asked. “Good. My bear finished healing me.”
“I’m glad. I hope it was okay to come here. I found something you should see.”
The anguish on her face cut through him. Her white shirt with the wellness center logo on it made her look a lot younger than twenty-seven. If she didn’t have purple streaks in her hair along with the tiny nose ring—two things that made her a bit edgier—he would have guessed she was closer to twenty.
“You want something to drink first? Coffee or tea?” he asked.
She huffed out a breath. “I could use a coffee.”
“Come sit over here.” Jackson hustled over to the machine in the corner and poured
two cups. “Cream or sugar?”
She shook her head. “Black, thank you.”
He carried the drinks over to the seating area, handed her the steaming mug, and then sat across from her. “Does this have something to do with your visit to John Ernst’s dad?”
“Yes.” She told him about the layout of the house and how, after she treated his elderly father, she needed Mr. Ernst to help her move his dad. “I’d wandered down one of the hallways looking for him, when I spotted an office door open. I couldn’t help but look inside.”
His grip tightened on his cup. “What did you do?” Damn. He hadn’t meant to be so accusatory, but he didn’t want the wrath of the entire Changeling organization to come after her.
“I didn’t get caught, if that’s what is worrying you.”
“I’m glad of that.” More than glad; he was relieved.
“So, once I entered the small room, I checked out his laptop.” She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and located the picture. “I snapped this of his screen. I don’t know what it means, but it looks important.”
“Didn’t you worry Ernst might catch you? You were snooping in his office.”
Her face turned a bright shade of red. “Yes, I had some concern, and if you must know, he almost did catch me.”
Anger raced up his spine, but then dissipated as soon as he caught the sly smile on her face. “You did that disappearing trick, didn’t you?”
She held up one hand as if to stop him from chastising her. “I had to. If he’d caught me snooping, I’d lose all chance of learning anything in the future.”
She was brash and rash, but oh so brave. “May I see what was on his screen?”
“Oh, sure. Sorry.” She handed him her phone.
He studied the image. “I’m not sure what the red dots mean, but one of them is where Donaldson’s warehouse used to be.”
She shook her head. “That name sounds familiar. Why is that important?”
Jackson didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, but his gut told him this might have something to do with the location of the hidden treasure, or treasures. What concerned him was the number of other dots besides the one on the Donaldson property. “Hold on. Let me get something out of my office and show you.”
Jackson returned her phone and then trotted to his office where he retrieved the ancient looking map. He returned to Ainsley and placed it on one of the tables that sat against the wall. “Come over here and check this out.”
She stepped next to him. It had been a big mistake asking her to join him. His libido flooded his brain with a need so strong that he had to dig his now sharpened nails into his palms to keep from touching her.
Ainsley studied his map and then opened up her picture. “I can see they’re both of Silver Lake, but it would be easier to compare them if my picture were larger.”
“Email it to me at [email protected].”
“Perfect.” She tapped her phone. “Done.”
“Follow me into my office.” All he could think about was her heavenly scent, and that in a few days, Naliana would cleanse her, finally enabling him to let loose his bear. Right now, however, he had a treasure to find. Damn, but it was hard to keep his animal contained. Jackson pulled up a chair. “Have a seat.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to upload this into Photoshop. That way I can superimpose the two images; I’ll place one on top of each other to see if the location of the treasure on my map aligns with one of the red dots on yours.”
“Sounds good.”
She leaned forward and watched as he opened her email then imported it into his program. He’d already scanned his map. After he resized her picture to match his, and then placed them on top of each other, he had to improve the transparency by decreasing the opacity of his map in order for hers to show through. He tapped the screen. “Yes, we have a match! See here? The well that had been on the Donaldson property overlaps one of the red dots on John Ernst’s picture.”
Ainsley scooted her chair closer, and he had to force his bear to behave. “What does that mean?”
He told her about the history of the treasure.
“Are you saying this new map proves there’s something down there? For all we know, these red dots represent potential properties for sale.”
His excitement dampened at bit. “The Ernst map alone might imply that, but when compared to this ancient map, I tend to think along the line of treasure.” He faced her. “What I do know is that without your help, I might not have searched further.”
He pushed back his chair, stood, and without thinking, drew her to her feet, and then hugged her.
Kiss her, his bear urged. She’s going to be yours soon anyway.
Heat soaked into his body, and every cell exploded with need. What was one kiss? Ainsley leaned her head back, probably to look him in the eye, and Jackson pounced. He drew her close and kissed her.
Bam! Wow! His cock nearly burst through the zipper. She clasped his shoulders, and her sharpened nails dug into him. Her equal need ignited him. He increased the pressure of the kiss, and her eyeteeth slightly protruded. What looked like blue sparks shot off her body. What the hell? Jackson stepped back. “Sorry.”
“Why? I’m not. It was nice. But I agree, we can’t. Not until—”
“I know, but that’s not why I stopped. I saw something. It looked like you were glowing blue.”
She looked off to the side. “My mom briefly mentioned something about my Wendayan father emitting a blue light when he was…um…excited.”
He’d never heard of that. Talk about embarrassing. Just then his cell rang, giving him a much-needed distraction. One look at the screen caused him to let out an audible groan. It was Tawny. Damn. Her call couldn’t have come at a worse time.
“Aren’t you going to answer it?” Ainsley asked with one brow cocked.
He was staring at his phone, trying to figure out his next move. If he didn’t pick up, it would look like he didn’t want to speak with his girlfriend in front of Ainsley. “Sure.” He answered. “Hey, Tawny.”
“Is this a bad time?”
“Yes.” Damn, his lack of enthusiasm must have shone through. That sucked for her. She was a great gal, but he wasn’t interested anymore. Out of instinct, he turned his back, not wanting Ainsley to overhear what Tawny might say.
“I just called to tell you that one of the two bids I told you about on the Donaldson property went through.”
“It sold?”
“Yes.”
His gut soured, and he dropped down onto his chair. “I thought Donaldson wasn’t interested in selling.”
“That’s what he told me. The offer must have been something he couldn’t refuse.
Everyone had a price. “Who did he sell it to?”
“That’s the strange part. It’s a corporation. I didn’t broker the deal, so I can’t find a name.”
It didn’t matter. He’d never be able to dig there now. On a positive note, neither could John Ernst—not unless he was the corporation. The man was an account, with ties to many lawers, so anything was possible. Shit. “Thanks for letting me know.”
“Let me know if you want to grab a drink.”
Jackson refused to string her along anymore. “I’m sorry, but I’m seeing someone else.”
“You are?” The pain in her voice tore at him.
“It’s a friend of the family. I’m sorry.”
“Sure.” She disconnected.
Ainsley slipped a hip on the desk. “A family friend?”
He shrugged. “I had to tell her something. If you must know, I was dating Tawny before I met you.”
Ainsley stepped closer, and his inner bear took notice. When she placed a hand on his chest, heat seared him. His teeth lengthened, and the hair on his face thickened.
“Are you saying you’re attracted to me now?” she asked.
He clasped her hand and lowered it to her side. “We’re mates—or rather w
e might become mates if you behave yourself. And only after the ceremony.”
She laughed. “Well, then, we’re doomed, because I never behave myself.”
Damn. He stepped away from her. “Let’s go back to the war room.”
She chuckled, and the sound resonated deep within him. “Can’t handle being so close to me, can you?”
Why did she have to be so damn perceptive? “Are you saying your inner wolf is totally calm right now?”
Two could play at this game, or so he hoped. Steeling himself against her allure, he stepped closer and lifted her chin with his thumb. As expected, she lowered her gaze. From the way her breaths were coming out faster and faster, she was affected.
“No, I’m not immune to your scent or your bear. Far from it.”
Good, but they had other things to discuss beside their intense need for one another. “Come on then.” He placed a hand on her lower back to prove that he was in control. Hopefully, she didn’t see through his sham.
They returned to the seating area in the back of the large room. Something about her being invited to John Ernst’s house didn’t sit well with him. Was Ernst looking to recruit her? “How did you meet John Ernst?”
She drank her coffee that by now had probably turned warm at best. “He came to the clinic.”
That didn’t sound good. “Why?”
“He was in pain from a birth defect. He limped.”
His senses shot to high alert. “Kalan mentioned that the third man involved in his mate’s parents’ murders had a limp. If that’s true, John Ernst witnessed two people being killed or even participation in their deaths, so I’d be careful around him.”
She set her mug back on the table. “That’s good to know, but just so you know, I never took him for being a good soul.”
“As much as this information was really helpful, I’d prefer if you didn’t go back to his house again.”
She stared at him. “Are you always this bossy?”
“Only when it comes to your safety.”
Ainsley looked off to the side, probably trying to decide if she could handle an over-protective bear. “I appreciate you looking out for me, but I think I’ve proven that I can handle myself. I always have.”