by Zoe Chant
“Did they get any bites? I’m guessing not.”
Meaghan shot him a strange look. “No, they didn’t. How did you know?”
Because I’ve seen how this sort of shit goes down. Caine rubbed his head.
“Like I said. I’ve read a lot of very boring property archives. Small towns tend to circle the wagons when people come in flashing their cash around, wanting to buy up land.”
Especially if your town’s home to a family of dragons.
He crooked an eyebrow at Meaghan as a thought struck him. “You didn’t have any problems like that?”
“No, I was saved by the fact I don’t have any wads of cash to throw around. Lucky me. And poor Olly, getting paid sofa-rent in my cooking.” She sighed. “I’m in the running for coal in my stocking this year, with what a bad friend I’ve been. I’m glad Jackson’s with her tonight at least. I feel like such a jerk for leaving her this morning.”
“What happened this morning, anyway? You never said.” Caine leaned forward. “It might help us piece together what’s going on.”
Meaghan pinched her lips thin. “I got to work late. Truck threw a hissy fit—literally. I was already in a bad mood by the time I got in but then I saw Olly and…” She grimaced. “She’s always so in control. A bit weird—she has this thing about seeing people first before they see her, I swear, one time we went for drinks in town and she scoped out the bar through literally every window before she would go in…” Meaghan sighed and shook her head. “Sorry, I’m getting off-topic.”
“Don’t mind—log!—it’s a long drive.” Caine braced himself as Meaghan swerved to avoid the log.
“And you need something to keep your mind off your cramped knees? All right.” Meaghan hunched into her shoulders as she encouraged the truck up the slope. “Come on, come on… mmf! Yes!”
Caine closed his eyes briefly. That noise technically was helping keep his mind off his knees, but in other very real ways it was not helping at all.
“She was shaking like a leaf. Said she caught some guys creeping around. They hadn’t touched her, but she said there was something about the way they looked that just… freaked her out. I don’t know if they were in masks, or…”
“Wait. The way they looked, or the way they looked at her?”
Caine’s blood ran cold. Maybe he’d been too hasty to assume that the criminals weren’t supernatural.
Because if there was one thing that cemented his hellhound’s evil in his mind beyond all doubt, it was the fact that it terrified people. The rest of him could be human-shaped, but if his hellhound looked out through his eyes, it was like it bored through their minds straight to the things that scared them the most.
“She said she felt like her skull had been scraped out with a rusty knife covered in acid. But—but she also said she was fine, and I shouldn’t worry about it, and Bob was due back from checking the routes in a few minutes, so…”
“You ran straight after them.” The men who’d scared your friend and stolen your dogs. And who might not be men at all.
Caine didn’t know if he was more impressed, or terrified. If his suspicions were correct, and the thieves were anything like what he suspected…
It’s a damned good thing she found me first.
He shook his head. Meaghan was hellhound Kryptonite, he’d proved that.
“I should have been at work earlier. I should—I’ll call her tomorrow. Make sure she’s okay, then take her out for drinks and force her to tell me everything about tonight.” She wrinkled her nose happily. “At least that’s one good thing to come out of all of this.”
“Not the only good thing.” Caine gazed at her until she glanced at him. She looked away quickly, her eyebrows drawing together… and a smile curving her lips.
Yes! Caine thought silently. Not so rusty after all.
“Oh? You can think of some other things, huh?” Meaghan didn’t even look at him, but from the way she put her chin up, it was a very deliberate not-looking.
“One or two. Such as that dinner… oh God.” He sat bolt upright. “Wait a minute. Did you pay for dinner?”
Meaghan snickered. “I didn’t see you pulling your wallet out. And I’m not sure where you would have pulled it out from, either, with what you were wearing earlier.” She bit her tongue before another chuckle escaped. “Don’t worry, Hannah let me put it on my tab. And she didn’t charge me for that bottle of wine, either.”
“Thank you. I’ll go into town tomorrow and sort it out.”
“You’ll what?”
“I’ll pay off—”
“No. Oh, no, Mr. Private Investigator. You listening to me rave on about invisible thieves trying to ruin Christmas is worth more than one dinner.”
Her lips pinched together just for a second, and Caine wondered with a lurch just how much of a dent his “ordering everything” had made in her wallet.
“Does that mean you’ll take me out again tomorrow?” he teased. And I’ll sort out that tab with Mrs. Holborn.
Meaghan narrowed her eyes and sucked in her lips, but nothing could disguise the delighted grin sneaking across her face.
“You know, I’m driving here.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Concentrating on the road.”
“I see.”
“It’s important that you don’t distract me.”
“Of course.”
He waited another minute as the truck bumped up the road.
“So that’s a yes?”
Meaghan clicked her tongue and nodded out the window. “Maybe. Let’s see if I still have a job tomorrow, first. By the way, you recognize anything out there yet?”
Caine looked around. “Er… we’re on a road?” They’d been at the restaurant for hours; night had well and truly fallen and the moon was barely breaking through the trees. “A road with trees.”
Then the trees thinned. The moon poured its light over the snowy ground, turning it silver. A small building sat in the middle of the clearing. It wasn’t as quaintly old-fashioned as most of the other buildings around Pine Valley; it was wooden, but the design was modern, with sharp angles and lots of triple-glazed glass.
Home, Caine’s heart whispered. He frowned. He’d barely spent an hour at the ski cottage awake; he didn’t know where the light switches were, or the cutlery, or how the washer worked. It wasn’t home. Home was…
A bare apartment in a big, faceless city, a year ago. He’d been too busy with work to furnish it and make it feel lived in. Or even to live in it much. He’d spent so many late evenings at the office, too many of which had turned into nights spent curled up under his desk.
This rented cottage was the first place he’d heard Meaghan’s voice. The place he’d been living when he was finally freed from his demon.
Caine breathed deep. Maybe this was home. Or the closest thing he had to it. For now.
Maybe now that he was a normal guy again, he could be one of those assholes who flashed wads of cash around and try to buy the cottage. Make it his real home.
“I don’t think my truck’s going to take that driveway. Do you want a hand bringing in the leftovers?”
Caine opened his mouth to say he could manage… then thought better. “Thanks,” he said instead. A few more minutes with Meaghan… he’d be an idiot to turn down that opportunity.
The truck’s engine croaked as Meaghan turned it off. Caine darted out to open the driver’s side door for her, and made sure she only had one bag to carry up to the cottage.
Her eyebrows shot up. “I can handle carrying more than a single loaf of bread, Caine. Come on.”
Hannah had been more than generous with the leftovers. The “everything” Caine had ordered had been more than too much for them both to get through on its own, but he suspected that the bags and bags of meat, vegetables, bread, eggs, coffee and milk—not to mention the remaining half-bottle of champagne—was more than had been on the table at the restaurant.
“I need you to have a hand free,” he e
xplained, and reached into his pocket. He frowned. “Hang on.”
Meaghan watched him with an amused expression on her face. “Missing something?”
“My keys.” Caine swore. “I should have seen this coming. No wallet. No key. No phone, to call the rental agency…” He stared up at the cottage.
“Doesn’t look like you left the door open,” Meaghan said. She grabbed another bag out of his arms and walked up the drive. “But it might not be locked, still.”
Caine trailed behind her. “I, uh, didn’t take the door.”
“What?”
A few minutes later, Caine was grappling with the balcony railing. Meaghan’s laughter drifted up from below him.
“I can’t believe you jumped off the balcony,” Meaghan called out between laughs. “How did you not break both your legs?”
“Can we save the questions for when I’m not dangling for my life?” Caine jack-knifed one leg over the railing and pulled himself over. He landed on the balcony with a huff. “Down in a minute!”
His heart was pounding, and not just from his climb up the side of the cottage. The balcony door was wide open. He pulled it shut, and then watched with a muttered curse as it popped itself open again. He tried again, turning the lock this time, and again, it gently clicked open.
Caine half-laughed, half-groaned. So that’s what started all of this. A broken door.
He wedged it shut and headed for the stairs. Halfway across the room, his eyes caught on the bed. The blankets were still tangled, and he couldn’t help thinking about how Meaghan would look tangled up in them.
Meaghan. God, Meaghan. Everything about her made him want to know more about her.
Outside, she was still wearing her bulky winter coat—fully buttoned, unlike his, which he’d again forgotten to do up—and the hat that hid all but one stray curl of her hair. She’d taken her gloves off to drive, but they were back on now. She was completely covered up and she was still the sexiest woman he’d ever seen.
But Meaghan was more than that. She was a raging inferno of energy, of incredible passion. It roared up in her eyes whenever she talked about the dog-thieves and the havoc they’d caused in Pine Valley.
I guess I like a woman who takes charge. He chuckled to himself. And isn’t afraid to shove a man into the trunk of her car to get things done.
Meaghan was fiery, and obstinate, and left people stunned in her wake. Caine included. But he didn’t want to be left in her wake. He wanted to be beside her, hunting out the wrongdoers who had harmed her people.
Caine paused before he unlocked the front door. There was another reason he wanted to spend more time with Meaghan. He almost hated himself for admitting it.
The demon hound inside him had only fled at Meaghan’s touch. What if it came back when she left?
His hand clenched on the door handle. That’s not going to happen. It didn’t come back when I climbed up onto the balcony, did it? And it’s not like we’ve been joined at the hip since she grabbed me the first time. Whatever this town did, or she did… it’s done.
I’m free.
He opened the door.
8
Meaghan
Oh, God, he’s so hot.
Meaghan squeezed her eyes shut. What’s wrong with you? He’s been out of your sight for, what, five minutes?
You have it bad, girl.
“Everything all right?”
Meaghan’s eyes snapped open. “Fine! Fine. Why would there be a problem?”
Apart from the fact that you’re the most gorgeous guy I ever met and… and we still haven’t talked about that whole “jealous” thing. Her heart thudded. And he asked me to dinner. Again. He knows what a crazy weirdo I am, and he wants to see more of me.
Okay. Yep. Running safely away from that one, not straight into it like your usual bull-headed self.
“With your eyes all screwed up I thought you might have a headache. Here, I’ll take the bags.”
Meaghan handed them to him. The only headache here is me.
Caine looked back over his shoulder. “Do you want to come in?”
“I…”
Yes! Meaghan’s body and a great deal of her mind was screaming. Yes! Go in!
If this was any other situation, any other night and any other person, she would have done it without thinking. But Caine…
“I should go,” she finished, staring at her toes. “I—it’s late, and I, um… have work… you know, unless Bob decides to fire me for today.”
“I doubt he’ll do that.”
Caine’s eyes were sincere. But that only meant he thought he was telling the truth. Meaghan knew better: sooner or later she pushed too hard, and people got sick of her and then it was off to the next home for her. She’d been nearing that with Pine Valley for weeks now, and this afternoon would surely have pushed things over the edge.
“Well. If I don’t turn up early tomorrow then he definitely will,” she said, forcing a smile. Caine grimaced in agreement. “Don’t get me wrong. Tonight was…”
The expression in Caine’s eyes sent warmth flooding through her veins. She looked away, biting her lip.
“It’s nice not being the only crazy person in Pine Valley who believes in the ghost gang. Though I do still think that you acting like me kidnapping you was a good thing is going to do terrible things to my personality. Like I told you, I’m bad enough without that sort of encouragement.” Meaghan took a deep breath and firmed up her shoulders. “So… sleep well. I promise not to wake you up by yelling outside of your window this time.”
“Shame.” Caine grinned. Meaghan glared at him, and he only grinned wider. “You never gave me a straight answer outside. When will I see you again?”
Meaghan’s glare froze.
“If I can’t rely on you kidnapping me, I feel like we need to make a plan. Or I need to get your phone number at least.”
“I…” she began, and froze.
Say no. Say no and keep this one perfect night intact. If you keep going, then when everything goes wrong, you won’t be able to look back on tonight without remembering how you ruined it after.
Except… he’s asking for business reasons, right? That must be it. He’s helping me investigate the ghost gang. That’s all. So really, you refusing to get his number would be the weird thing to do.
Meaghan’s head was spinning. She wanted so much for Caine’s interest in her to be more than just her connection to Pine Valley’s freaky ghost mystery.
She pulled out her phone.
“Here you go,” she said in what she hoped was a casual manner, handing him her phone. Just for business. Nothing more. And if I do call him, and he doesn’t pick up, I can always go hide in a cave somewhere until he leaves Pine Valley.
“Message me in the morning?” Caine’s eyes sparkled.
“Sure,” Meaghan squeaked. “If you want to meet Olly properly and talk to her about what she saw, I can organize…”
“I was thinking more for breakfast. The two of us.”
That doesn’t sound like just business.
Meaghan licked her lips. She felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff. If she blurted out something stupid now, sure, she’d know either way whether Caine was meaning a business breakfast or something… more. Except after her blurting, he probably wouldn’t want either.
Or…
Maybe she didn’t have to ruin this. Maybe, for once in her life, she could control her hell-sent tendencies to rush at life like a bull in a china shop. She could come up with a plan, couldn’t she? Some strategies for acting like a normal person? The sort of person Caine might want to spend more time with? For business, or… other reasons?
“Okay,” she said, and this was already a bad idea because forget controlling her bullheadedness, she couldn’t even control her face enough to keep a stupid smile from spreading across it. “Tomorrow.”
“Great.” Caine’s smile was addictive. She felt a giggle bubbling up her throat.
It was definitely
time to leave.
“Okay. I’ll just… bye.” Meaghan pushed her hands deep into her pockets and spun around. She trudged down the end of the drive to her truck, ears straining.
She didn’t hear the cottage door shut until she was at her truck.
“Argh,” she moaned once she was sure Caine wasn’t watching her anymore. “A-a-a-argh.”
She jabbed the key at the ignition, managing to get it in on the third try. “Argh!”
The truck groaned as she turned the key. The engine whined—and whined—and fell silent.
This seriously can’t be happening.
Meaghan threw her head back. So much for going home and strategizing.
“Shit.”
9
Caine
Caine closed the door and leaned against it, eyes closed. He couldn’t get Meaghan’s face out of his head: the way she’d ducked her head, the smile she hadn’t been able to hide. The sheer, surprised delight shining out of her eyes.
Tomorrow.
For the first time in a year, he was looking to the future with excitement, not fear.
I’ll see her tomorrow. And the next day and, please God, the day after that.
He let his head rest back against the door, running over the evening’s conversation in his head. Remembering every expression that had flitted across Meaghan’s face. Every spark of passion and determination behind her eyes.
And, of course, what they’d been talking about. One name stood out in particular. Heartwell. If his demon was going to raise its head at anything, it would have been Meaghan mentioning that name. It hadn’t even pricked an ear. It was gone.
Jasper Heartwell was the man he’d come here to see. The shifter, he should say. The dragon shifter who’d almost lost his dragon.
Caine sketched out a plan in his head as he put the bags of food in the kitchen. He’d call Heartwell tomorrow. Tell him to put a rain check on their meeting. When he first contacted Jasper Heartwell, Caine had been wary to reveal too much of exactly what he needed help with, in case his hellhound was listening—now he was glad he’d obscured the truth. His nightmare was over and the fewer people who knew about it the better.