by Meg Ripley
Hudson threw one hand in the air, fingers spread. “What choice did you leave me? I woke up and you were just gone! I had no idea when you were coming back, or even if you’d left of your own free will! I heard you talking to Kim, and that was the only thing that kept me from calling in the rest of the Force to track you down.”
“Wow.” Leona set her mug on the counter and rubbed her knuckles against her thigh, feeling the itch of her claws threatening to make their appearance. They were desperate to break through and scratch him right across his face for his comments and his arrogance. “You’ve got some nerve. You might be my commanding officer, for all intents and purposes, but you don’t run my life. If I want to go for a jog, then that’s exactly what I’m going to do. And if I want to talk to the neighbor, then I’m going to do that as well. And I’ve also decided that I need to have a job while I’m here.”
“What?” He blinked, thrown off by the last demand.
“You just decided when we planned out this mission that I would be a housewife. That’s not going to work for me. None of these people know who I really am, but that means I can be whomever I want to be. Maybe I’ve got my degree in education and I want to be a teacher. Maybe I’m a really good artist and I sell my paintings online.” The possibilities seemed endless to her now that she was thinking about it, and she liked them more and more as she spoke. There wasn’t anything to stop her.
Except him, apparently. Hudson let out an impatient sigh as he stepped around the breakfast bar toward her. “We didn’t plan for that because it wasn’t important. It’s still not.”
“It is to me.” She narrowed her eyes as she looked up at him, fully aware at just how far she’d thrust her chin forward.
Another step, and she could feel the heat off his body as he loomed over her. “It’s not important to the mission, and it’s not happening. You know as well as I do that we can’t go changing things in the middle of the mission.”
“I’ll do what I want,” she asserted. The tension was building between them, a thick force in the air that was nearly palpable. Leona felt her lioness thrashing and clawing inside her, insisting that she continue this fight against such a stubborn male.
“You won’t,” he snarled. “You’ll do as I tell you. Nothing more and nothing less.”
“Don’t you dare tell me what to do.” They were face to face now, their skin only an inch apart.
“I just did.” Hudson emitted a low growl.
It reverberated through her body. She felt every breath she took, the air being pulled out of her lungs as every cell of her body came to life. Her hands and feet sparked with a pulsing energy that made her body difficult to control. It was too much. Her tongue pressed against her teeth as she tried to decide if she would burst with the overload of being so close to her destiny or if she would lash out against him for making her feel this way.
Deep down, Leona knew the true answer. Her body and the universe were telling her one thing, but her job demanded something different. It didn’t matter how attracted she was to Hudson, or if he was attracted to her. He was difficult and possessive and just plain impossible, but he was very right about one thing. They were on a mission. That came first. She could tamp down everything else and worry about it later.
She sidestepped to the left, snatched the small bag from the corner store and tossed it at him as she walked away. “I bought you some hair gel. I’m taking a shower.” Leona stormed out of the room and down the hall, not knowing how the hell she was going to get through this.
8
Hudson had been buried in the “guest” bedroom for a long time. He couldn’t be sure just how much time had passed, considering how little had been happening. The neighborhood had been eerily quiet, and he didn’t like it. He’d spent all day listening to husbands and wives bidding each other goodbye before they went to work. Some of them were loving and sweet, and some of them fought (with promises to continue the fight that evening). He heard kids talking about their crushes at school. During that time, at least, there had been something to listen to. The middle of the day in the neighborhood had only produced a few daytime soap operas. He monitored internet traffic and cell phone conversations without finding much that was more exciting. As the day moved toward the afternoon, he heard those same children coming home from school and those same husbands and wives reuniting as they returned home from work. Some of them did continue their arguments, and others made up.
It was at that point that Hudson realized he’d spent far too long sitting in one spot. His body ached, and he was irritated.
The lack of intelligence was irritating, but even more than that, he was still pissed at Leona. It’d been a full day since their argument. There was no reason to stay mad about it. It was over. But he couldn’t seem to let it go.
If it was anyone else, he wouldn’t be thinking about it anymore. He wasn’t the kind to hold a grudge. He dealt with his problems and then he moved on. But there was something so completely different between him and Leona. He’d absolutely panicked when he’d gotten up the previous morning and found her missing. He’d gone through the entire house looking for her, sure that she couldn’t have just left. She knew what this mission was all about. She knew how important it was. She knew what was on the line, including her permanent position with the Force. And if she hadn’t just left on her own, that meant something else had happened to her.
That was the worst thought of all. He’d brought her there, knowing there was a possibility of danger, knowing just what they were to each other. She had to know it, too, but that was beside the point. Without discussing it, Hudson knew it was his job to keep her safe. Even if you took the whole fated part out of the equation, he was the one who had experience with the Force.
As he’d checked the basement, the backyard, and the bedrooms, his blood had raced through his body with such force, it made him dizzy. He felt the shiver of fur that burst through his skin on the back of his neck, a sign of his other form as it demanded to come through and take care of this.
Fortunately, he’d finally found reason and logic again when he’d sat down to listen to the neighborhood and located her just down the street. No matter how many times he’d told himself that it was all right, that knowledge hadn’t taken away the anger that had come along with his dismay at finding her gone.
He’d hardly seen her at all after that, even though they were supposed to be working together. He imagined that she was off hiding and pouting instead of just acting like a mature adult, but he knew he was doing the same thing.
As if his thoughts had summoned her, the door to the bedroom opened. Leona leaned against the doorway, her face a mask. “I ordered some pizza. Should be here in about half an hour, and I thought I should give you a heads up.”
He took off one side of his headphones and considered asking her if that was a dig at him, but he let it go. “Sounds good. I’ll be out in a minute. Hold on.” Hudson slapped the headphones back on, listening intently.
“We’re meeting down by the river. He says he’s got a small boat.”
Hudson worked quickly at his monitor, pinpointing the voice as coming from Kevin and Kim’s house. But he’d already known that. He recognized Kevin’s voice right away. It figured that the cleanest, nicest people in the area would be the culprits. He gestured for Leona to pick up the other set of headphones.
“You sure about this?” the other voice asked. It was another man, one Hudson didn’t recognize as readily. “I mean, it’s one thing to just hand over a few guns out of the back of a van, but—”
“Hey, I said I would get all our money back, didn’t I?” Kevin demanded.
Hudson knew from experience that the man probably wasn’t angry as much as anxious. People got themselves into these situations and didn’t know how to get back out, and that was how one small opportunity turned into a lifetime of crime.
“Yeah,” the second voice sighed. “I don’t like it, though. It sounds dangerous.”
“I
t’s no more dangerous than everything else we’ve been doing. Just make sure you keep your fucking mouth shut. We might be making good money for the pride, but I don’t want some loudmouth to expose us. Here’s what we’re going to do…”
Hudson and Leona were perfectly still as they listened. The equipment was automatically recording it all for them, and they could review it as many times as they needed to. When the second man left Kevin’s house and the conversation turned to what Kim was going to fix for dinner and when the boys had their next baseball game, Hudson finally took off his headphones. “I guess we’ve got our first lead.”
Leona smiled, a beautiful look on her that he didn’t see often enough. “I think this is what we needed. And I can’t say I’m surprised. Kevin seems like the type, and so does Sean.”
“Ah, you’ve got a good ear. I knew I’d heard the voice, but I hadn’t recognized it.” He’d met Sean at the block party, a highway engineer who was quiet and reserved. Definitely the nerdy type. These guys were in over their heads.
“He doesn’t talk much, but he has a very distinct accent when he does. Like he’s lived here for a long time, but he’s originally from a different area.” Her eyes shone with intrigue as she spoke, a reflection of how excited she got simply by doing her job.
“Well, you’re definitely right that this is what we needed. It’s difficult sitting behind enemy lines without doing anything. Now, let’s see. They’re meeting up at midnight. That gives me plenty of time to prepare. I’ll take a minimal amount of equipment, basically just enough to record everything that happens. I don’t plan to intercept anything at this time, and—”
“Hold on a second.” The smile had been wiped clean from her face. “I don’t like the way this sounds.”
“What do you mean?” He didn’t want to deal with female drama again. He had important work to do, and he could tell by the look on her face that she was more concerned about arguing with him again.
“You’re talking like you’re going to do this on your own,” she replied, her eyes narrowing.
Damn her, she was sexy even when she was angry with him. He cleared his throat. “Yes. I am. There’s no point in the two of us going when it’s a one-man job.”
“Somehow, I have a feeling that’s not quite the case.” She’d sat down to listen to the conversation, but she stood up again now, folding her arms in front of her chest. “I’m going with you.”
His mind flashed through all the possibilities, fueled by his terror when he’d found her missing the previous day. There were so many things that could happen. What if they were caught? What if they were found out and the enemy captured her? Flint and Garrison were still in D.C., and Drake had probably returned to California by now. It would take far too long to get any backup there, and he couldn’t risk it. “It’s a smarter idea for you to stay here. You’re less experienced, and—”
“Don’t feed me that bullshit,” she snapped. “I’ve got plenty of experience under my belt, or else you and the others never would’ve let me on the Force. You don’t just recruit people off the street, or really even at all. You’ve seen my service record, and it doesn’t even list the details of the work I did.”
Hudson pulled in a deep breath, trying to keep his patience. “That may be true, but you and I both know this is a completely different situation than when you were actively in the service. I shouldn’t have to remind you that you nearly gave yourself away yesterday.”
“I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration. I messed up, but I never said anything about who we really are or what we’re here for. We.” She emphasized the last word just as a spark of anger flashed in her eyes.
He couldn’t really blame her for being angry, but that didn’t make him feel any better about the situation. He wanted to kick himself for thinking she was any less capable of this. It made him look like such a sexist ass, even though her gender had absolutely nothing to do with his decision. Hudson bit the inside of his cheek, fighting the urge to stand up, pin her against the wall, and tell her exactly who was in charge. That wasn’t going to improve their working conditions, though. “Yeah. You’re right.”
She nodded, looking a little surprised at changing his mind so quickly. “Good. Let’s eat some pizza, and then we can come up with a plan.”
Hudson followed her out of the room, having been so engrossed in his thoughts that he’d nearly missed the sound of the delivery car pulling up the driveway.
Hudson crouched on the hill that lead down to the river, where a small boat bobbed in the water at anchor. One light on the bow indicated its presence and that someone occupied it, otherwise it might’ve gone completely unseen in the night.
Kevin and Sean had done their best to go unnoticed as they made their way to the meeting spot. They’d left their homes at different times and had taken different routes down to the waterfront. Anyone else might not have noticed them or thought anything about their little trip, but Hudson and Leona knew exactly what they were up to. They’d ensconced themselves not far from the riverbank just inside the tree line.
“Looks like Sean is backing up his van,” Leona whispered, a pair of binoculars pressed to her face. “They’ve got crates back there. Let’s see if they open them up.” She sounded just as excited to be out in the field for this mission as he was.
Hudson had to admit it was a nice break from being cooped up in the house. Plus, this felt like they were actually making progress. He hadn’t yet had proof that the trafficking was interfering with another pride as had been claimed, but they knew for sure now that their time in Illinois wasn’t being wasted. “I’ve got the mics and cameras ready for recording. With just a little bit of luck, we’re going to have a great lead on this in just a few minutes.”
He felt Leona’s body tense beside him. “You know, there are just the three of them.” She continued to watch through the lenses, her front teeth grabbing her lower lip.
“And?”
“And?” She dropped the binoculars and gave him a mischievous glance. “And it wouldn’t take any effort for us to just take them down.”
“That’s not what we’re here to do, Leona.”
She sighed and shifted slightly in the grass. “C’mon, don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. Let’s say we went down there in human form. You’ve got two soldiers against a couple of suburban dads and whoever their buyer is.”
“That’s just the thing. We haven’t even seen the buyer yet. We don’t even know for sure how many people are on that boat.” Granted, unless they were packed in there like sardines, there couldn’t be very many.
“Fair enough, but what if we went down there in a different guise? There’s no question of just how much damage we could do.” Her voice was deep and sexy as she spoke, and she nudged her body a little closer to Hudson’s. “You must’ve been thinking about it. I know I have.”
There was nothing more he would’ve liked than to shift into his other form, to let his muscles lengthen and strengthen, to feel the wind through his mane. Actually, there was one thing he would like more, and that would be to do that with Leona. Hudson could easily imagine himself barreling down the hill alongside her, their claws digging into the ground for traction as they built up speed, their spines stretching as they made the jump from the small dock to the boat, their teeth sinking into flesh as they tore apart the enemy.
And he would love to see how she looked in that form again. Their entire relationship up until this point had been careful and programmed, the two of them walking in slow circles as they sized each other up. He knew that a glorious lioness was within her—he had seen evidence of it in the flash of her eyes and the flick of animal instinct in her shoulder. He could easily remember what she’d looked like in the firelight on that night they’d accepted her into the Force, but that didn’t mean he’d mind a refresher.
Hudson shook his head, pissed that he’d allowed himself to get distracted. “We can’t do that. We’ve got to gather all the information we can bef
ore we act, and you know that.”
“I do, but I’m bored,” she admitted with a smile.
Okay, good. At least they were back on good terms with each other. That was something. “Listen,” he whispered as someone came out of the boat’s cabin.
He was a heavy man, and a swarthy one, even in the darkness. He spoke with an accent that Hudson recognized. The humid air had created a thin slick of sweat over the surface of his skin, but it felt frozen as soon as he’d heard that voice. Either Leona recognized the accent as well, or she’d just finally decided to take this task seriously, because she was quiet and still as a stone.
“My friends!” the buyer said, spreading his arms wide. “You’re just on time. Let’s see what you’ve brought me.” He stepped off the boat and up to the back of Sean’s van, nodding as the man opened one of the small crates. “Wonderful. Just wonderful.”
“We thought you’d be pleased,” Kevin said with a boyish grin. “Now there’s a matter of the payment.”
“Of course.” The buyer returned to his boat and came back with a small briefcase. “Let’s get these unloaded.”
“Hang on.” Kevin stepped between the man and the goods. “I’d like some time to count this first.”
“You don’t trust me, my friend?” The jovial tone of the buyer’s voice had reduced somewhat.
Hudson swallowed, understanding that this deal was about to go south. “You might get your wish after all. We’ll have to get them out of there if they do something stupid.”
She nodded but didn’t answer, her eyes still glued on the exchange.
“Come on, Husam. We can all be reasonable here.” Kevin opened the briefcase.
Hudson tensed, waiting for things to go haywire. It made sense that Kevin would want to count the money, just as this Husam guy would probably want to check the inventory that was being given to him. But it was clear neither side trusted each other, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if the buyer took that pistol tucked in the back of his pants and blew the suburbanite away.