by Lisa Kessler
If he did pull his gun on me, though, at least I still had mine in the holster. I was confident I could take out whoever this was, but I needed to be able to see him first.
“Keep your hands where I can see them,” he ordered.
Another officer walked through the floodlights toward me with her Taser raised in my direction. “Don’t move.”
Dammit. If she patted me down and found the gun, they might shoot first and ask questions later. “Can you tell me what’s wrong? Do I have a taillight out?”
The officer ignored my question. “I need you to put your hands on the police cruiser.”
I took two steps toward the car, allowing her to follow me. As I started to bend forward, I spun around catching the hand with the Taser. I pinned her arm to her chest so the Taser pressed into the bottom of her chin as I dragged her backward like a human shield.
“Let her go,” her partner shouted. He came through the lights. “I’m not going to tell you again.”
When we were at the edge of the light, I helped her pulled the trigger, sending the jolts of electricity through her body. I dropped her and ran into the darkness. The other officer fired three shots, but none of them hit me.
Once I was hidden in the woods, I took cover and waited, listening. With my enhanced hearing I had no trouble understanding what the officer was saying into his com.
“Officer down. I need paramedics. Suspect on the run.”
But why was I a suspect? I wasn’t driving a stolen car. My tags weren’t expired. But this police car had followed me into the parking lot anyway, and they had come after me as if I was a wanted fugitive.
The female officer groaned.
“Relax, Jenson. Ambulance is on the way.”
“I’m fine,” she huffed. “Sore as fuck, but I’m okay. Did we lose her?”
“Yeah. But she won’t get far. The whole department is looking for her now.”
For what? I wanted to scream.
The breeze wafted past me, and my heart sank. More humans. Several of them. And they were close.
Shit.
I took out my phone, my mind racing through potential extraction plans. Since Duane had been killed, Gil and Ray had taken jobs with Judge Jones as his personal security. A few others had left town to try to start over in the human world. I was left with three other ex-Nero assassins in the satellite facility, but we’d never bothered with nominating another leader. We had all spent our lives working alone anyway. There was no real loyalty, no reason for any of them to put their neck out to help me.
I caught myself envying the wolf pack. Sure, we’d been conditioned to see them as the weaker species, but I had no doubt that if one of their pack members was surrounded by police, the entire pack would be there to bail them out.
Bail. My pulse kicked up a notch. Tomorrow night was the new moon. If I got arrested, would there be enough time to make bail before I shifted into a jaguar in a cell? A chill ran through me. I couldn’t let them catch me, but I had no way to escape, either.
My eyes moved from my phone to the black tattoo on the inside of my wrist. The lion head with the letter N emblazoned on its forehead used to mean something to me. All Nero assassins had one. I’d believed it had meant I’d been chosen to be part of an elite group, but as the years passed, I’d realized I was just another commodity to Antonio Severino.
I had Sebastian Severino’s number. He was Antonio’s eldest son and the heir to the Nero legacy, but he had destroyed it rather than taking the reins. He was also part of the wolf pack in Reno now. He was too far away to help me right now even if he was willing.
My finger hovered over Vance’s name. Would he help me? I wasn’t sure he would. Not only was he part of the Sedona Pack now but I’d heard he was the Alpha’s enforcer. He’d never help the woman who had held Asher’s wife hostage. Then there was Dex. He had been willing to help me take care of the judge, not to evade the police, but he was in town and might be willing to lend a hand. Besides, I didn’t have anyone else to call.
I fired off a text, tucked my phone back in my pocket, and scanned the area. With my heightened night vision, I didn’t need a flashlight to see the cops. The jungle cat inside me tensed, ready to hunt. The animal didn’t understand we were the prey this time, and this wasn’t a game.
Two officers shone flashlights in my direction. I dropped to the ground and crept south. The human scents were weaker the farther away I got, but they were still present. Adrenaline laced my bloodstream, but my years of training overruled any instinct to run. I was calm and silent, resisting the urge to draw my gun. If I shot an officer, I’d never be able to stop looking over my shoulder.
I kept moving. I knew plenty of ways to make a kill look like a tragic accident if it came to that. With any luck, Dex would show up. If he could distract them long enough, I could slip away.
But that was a big if.
CHAPTER 4
Dex
I got home and opened my fridge. I wasn’t starving—I’d already had dinner at the bar with Deacon—but our werewolf metabolism meant we could eat all day and not gain a pound. Right now, I just wanted a distraction, and food fit the bill. I took out some roast beef and cheddar when my phone buzzed with a text from a number I didn’t recognize.
The police have me penned in near the Oak Creek Canyon viewpoint. I’m a suspect for something but don’t know what. Could use some help. –N
What the hell? Then I remembered I had given my cell number to Natasha earlier today. She was supposed to be sending me a rendezvous point for tomorrow night. Or at least that’s what we had discussed. Was it all a trick? Maybe she was setting a trap.
But for what? I didn’t have any children for them to kidnap, and I didn’t come from a wealthy family to ransom. My folks were gone now anyway.
I stuffed the food back into the fridge and stared at my phone. It seemed like I had two choices. I could go try to help her, or I could ignore it and go to bed. I didn’t owe her anything. Until today, Natasha was squarely in the enemy of the pack column.
One more text came through.
Tomorrow is the new moon. I can’t be in a jail cell when that happens. –N
Fuck. My choice was made. I grabbed my coat and went out to my truck.
I took the turns on the two-lane highway fast, my tires screeching around the curves. As I left Sedona, climbing into the higher elevations on the way to Flagstaff, red and blue lights danced off the massive pine trees in the distance.
Maybe I could distract them. It might buy her some time to get the hell out of dodge. When I turned into the parking lot for the viewpoint, there were cops everywhere. I parked and got out, sucking in a deep breath.
Natasha was close. I scanned the sea of colored lights as I tracked her scent. From the back seat of one of the cruisers, Natasha looked up at me with defiance in her eyes. Dammit. I was too late.
An officer approached me. “I’m going to have to ask you to move along.”
I looked at Natasha and back to the guy with the badge. “What happened?”
“This is an active crime scene.” He cleared his throat. “You need to clear the area.”
A crime scene? What had she done?
“I’m her boyfriend,” I lied. “Can I bail her out or something?”
He raised a brow. “Did you know she was stalking a Supreme Court judge?”
“No way.” I crossed my arms, hoping I looked like there was no way in fucking hell my girlfriend would hurt anyone. “Not possible.”
Except she wasn’t my girlfriend and these cops were probably lucky she hadn’t shot her way out of this mess.
He crossed his arms over his bulletproof vest. It might’ve looked intimidating if I weren’t a werewolf. “We have threatening e-mails and texts, and she was on the security cameras at the courthouse today. I have a warrant for her arrest.”
“It has to be a mistake.” I shook my head. “I’ll bail her out.”
“You’ll have to take that up with the court on Monday.”
>
Monday would be too fucking late.
I dropped my hands to my sides. “There must be something I can do.”
The officer looked over his shoulder to the ambulance. A female officer was sitting on the bumper with an ice pack under her chin. He met my eyes again. “Your girlfriend also Tased my partner and ran. That adds resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer on top of the stalking charge. Not sure you’re going to be able to afford her bail.”
I reached up, grasping the back of my neck as my thoughts raced. “Can I talk to her? Just for a second?”
He pressed his lips together, but he finally gave me a single nod. “Window’s cracked. She stays in the car.”
“Thanks.” I walked past him to the car. He stayed close as I knelt beside the door. “You heard everything?”
She nodded. The cop wouldn’t hear her whispers, but I didn’t have any trouble. “I need a cyanide pill.”
“Excuse me?” I glanced over at the officer and back to the beautiful woman in cuffs. “You have a death wish?”
“No.” She shook her head, her gaze stayed locked on mine as she whispered, “I don’t want to die, but you heard him. No bail until court opens Monday. Tomorrow night I’ll shift into a jaguar whether I want to or not. I can’t fight the shift all night. If you plan on keeping shifters safe from humanity, the only solution is for me to take my life before sundown tomorrow.”
Fuck. Determination flashed in her eyes. No fear. I ran a hand down my face. “There has to be another way.”
The officer’s footsteps crunched as he approached. “Time’s up. She’ll get one call when we get to the station.”
Her eyes pleaded with me. I barely knew her, and I shouldn’t give a shit since she had helped abduct Naomi. But Natasha hadn’t hurt her, and she had warned us about the judge.
Judge Jones must’ve pulled some strings to get her picked up the night before new moon. This was his play. Tomorrow night the world would find out there was another species living among them. A race of humans who shared a connection to an animal that gave them heightened senses and strength that no human could match. Humans would see us as a threat. It wouldn’t take long until we were hunted.
I stared into her eyes. “I’ll get you out.” I looked at the officer. “This is all a mistake.”
He went to the driver’s side of the car, grumbling, “Tell it to the judge.”
Oh, I planned to.
In the back seat, Natasha craned her neck to meet my eyes. I followed the car for a couple of steps before I stopped myself.
The other cars and the paramedics filed out of the lot until I was alone. I walked to her car. The tow truck would probably be here any minute now so I didn’t have long to check for anything that might be suspicious.
I tried the handle. It was still unlocked. I opened the door, and her scent assaulted me. It was a spicy musk with an undercurrent of jasmine. I sucked in another deep breath before I could stop myself. Her face filled my head as I leaned over and opened the glove box.
What the hell was wrong with me? Maybe I was lonelier than I realized.
The car was registered to Natasha Sokolov with a PO box for the mailing address. I took out a couple of books. They were the typical owner’s manual and maintenance receipts.
When I fanned the pages, a tiny, safe-deposit box key fell out. There was no way to know what bank it was for, but regardless, I didn’t want the police to take it. Who knew what kind of records she might be hiding there? I picked it up and slid it into my pocket before popping the trunk. Inside, there were a couple boxes of bullets, a pair of running shoes, and a worn paperback copy of Pride and Prejudice. I raised a brow. Although I didn’t know her, I never would have taken Natasha for a Jane Austen fan. I guess I pictured assassins reading mysteries and thrillers. Love stories seemed…
I shook my head. It didn’t matter.
I left the book and grabbed the ammo. With my free hand, I felt around for any hidden weapons. The last thing she needed was an arms charge of some kind on top of everything else the judge had dropped on her.
A diesel engine rumbled in the distance. Time to hit the road.
I closed the trunk and jogged back to my truck as headlights swept through the lot. The tow truck swung wide and backed up, the loud beep echoing off the canyon. I drove away, pressing Asher’s name on my cell.
“Dex?” His voice sounded sleepy.
I checked the time and cursed under my breath. “Sorry. I didn’t realize it was so late.”
“What’s going on?”
How could I tell him without admitting I’d been planning to work with Natasha behind his back? “Natasha just got arrested.”
“Shit. Did she go after the judge?” He sounded wide-awake now.
“No. It was a setup probably arranged by the judge.” I paused, waiting to see if he was going to ask me how I knew all this. When he didn’t say anything, I went on. “The officer said they wouldn’t have a bail hearing until Monday.”
The bed squeaked in the background, followed by Asher’s footsteps on the bare tile. “New moon is tomorrow night.”
“I know. She mentioned a cyanide pill.” The thought of her killing herself in order to keep everyone safe gnawed at me. It was noble, and that didn’t sit right with the impression I’d built of her as a cold-blooded heartless killer for hire. “There has to be something we can do.”
“Short of breaking her out of jail, I don’t know what we can do. We don’t have any contacts in the police department.”
Breaking her out… Could we do that?
I frowned as I drove. “I have some explosives left over from a demolition job we did for a bank expansion.”
“Whoa.” Asher paused. “That’s too dangerous. We’re not going to put ourselves in that kind of jeopardy for an enemy of the pack.”
“It’ll be even more dangerous if we leave her there to shift in a jail cell.” I made the final turn into my driveway and turned off the ignition. “We can’t look the other way. We’re all going to be front-page news if we don’t get her out of there.”
“Can you come by the ranch? I’ll call Vance.”
“Will do.” I hung up and called Deacon next.
He answered on the second ring. Unlike Asher, my brother was still awake. “Hey, bro. What’s up?”
“I’m on my way to the ranch. They arrested Natasha tonight.”
“Tomorrow night’s the new moon.” He let out a whistle. “We’re all fucked.”
“Unless we can get her out.”
“What?” He laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Got a better idea? We still have explosive charges from the Desert Savings job.”
“Holy shit, you’re fucking serious.” He blew out a breath. “Asher’s not going to like this plan.”
“That’s why I need you to meet me at the ranch and back me up. We can do this, Deacon. We just need the pack to cover us.”
“I’ll meet you at Asher’s but…we’ll be wanted criminals.”
“Only if we get caught. Just meet me there.” I ended the call, my mind turning over all the pieces as a plan vaguely took shape. It would be risky, but the way I saw it, we didn’t really have another choice.
Vance paced the length of Asher’s living room while Kaya, his mate, sat on the couch watching him. She was a skin walker, able to shift into a lynx at will before she was bitten, and now she was a rare hybrid shifter, werewolf and mountain lion.
She looked over at me. “Even if we busted Natasha out of jail, they’d just find her and arrest her again. Maybe not during the new moon, but we’d only be delaying the inevitable.”
I shrugged. “If we can get her out, she can leave town. I’m sure she’s got connections with someone who can get her a new identity. She’ll disappear.”
Vance stopped, facing me. His Aussie accent was thick as the tension in the room rose. “We can’t move the entire pack. If any of us get caught on the security cameras, we’re fucked.” He turn
ed to Asher. “It’s your call, mate, but I think this is too risky, even for me.”
“If she shifts in that cell tomorrow night, we’ll all be in jeopardy.” I gestured to my brother. “We can do this. We don’t need the whole pack involved, and if we wait until sunset, she won’t have shifted yet but it’ll be dark.” I focused on Vance again. “I’ll go visit her in the morning and find out where they’re keeping her. Once it gets dark, you can scramble the security camera feeds, and we’ll blow the concrete block wall and hustle her out of there. It’ll take a few minutes, tops.”
Vance eyed Asher before answering. “I can jam the feed on the security cameras, but the second they hear the explosion, officers will be swarming in. Plus, I’m a jaguar shifter like Natasha so I can’t be covering your asses all night. I’ll hold off the shift as long as I can, but eventually I’ll be a jungle cat, too.”
Asher stared at Naomi, and then his gaze wandered over the rest of us, stopping on my brother. “Deacon, what do you think?”
My brother shrugged. “It’s dangerous, but it might be the only way to keep our existence a secret.” He met my eyes. “I think we can do it.”
I gave him a nod and looked at Asher. “We won’t get caught.”
Asher sighed and came into the center of the room. “All right. Vance can take out the cameras, you two blow the wall, and I’ll be close by with Jett in case you need backup. I’ll ask Serenity to keep watch inside the jail psychically and alert you when the guards are on their way.”
Serenity had incredible psychic abilities. She could astral-project her spirit miles from her body and then use telepathy. She’d be a huge advantage in this mission.
And I’d been so hyper-focused on breaking Natasha out that I hadn’t even thought about it. Asher might not have been born a werewolf like me and my brother were, but he was a damned strong Alpha.
I nodded. “I’ll call you in the morning after I find out where they’re keeping Natasha.”
Asher came over to me and clasped my forearm in the traditional pack greeting, his gaze pinning me in place. “Be careful.”
I squeezed his arm before I released him. “I will.”