by Meg Ripley
Instead, he shrugged impatiently as Kevin counted the money and began pulling the small crates from the back of the van. “I don’t have time to wait for you to count your pennies.”
It wasn’t as though Hudson hadn’t seen plenty of people killing each other, but he was still relieved to know this was just the typical tension involved with an illegal exchange. As far as Hudson knew, the transaction had nothing to do with other clans in the area, but he could run all the information through the computer once they got back home and go from there. He had pictures, video, and audio recordings of all parties involved. That was what he needed.
Leona’s hand clamped down on his wrist. He looked up to see that she’d put the binoculars down, her eyes glistening in the starlight as she looked over Hudson’s shoulder, further down the bank.
He dared to swing his head, and he now saw what she saw. The buyer was the only one on the boat. They’d been right about that guess. But he wasn’t the only one in the area. Other men had moved in, creeping stealthily through the woods along the river to watch the interchange just as he and Leona had. They’d come armed to the teeth, their automatic rifles held at the ready, and there were plenty of them.
Fuck! Hudson glanced back down at the river, where Kevin had finished fiddling with the cash and was now helping Sean load all the boxes on the boat’s deck. Things were going smoothly down there, for now. What did the buyer have planned? Were these forces simply an extra precaution against a seller they were unused to dealing with? Or were they there to recover the money once the weapons were safely loaded, ensuring they and their boss didn’t lose out on this deal?
He signaled to Leona, and the two of them began working quickly to put their equipment away. They had what they needed, and so far, they hadn’t been seen. Hudson had counted at least a dozen of them, far more than the two of them could take on alone. He had little confidence that Kevin and Sean could or would help them. They’d have to get out of there.
The dark figures were gliding their way. There was no telling yet if this was simply their plan or if they’d spotted the infiltrators, but either way, it wasn’t good.
Leona cinched her bag shut and touched his arm once again. She leaned back into the shadows, her form changing from a compact human one to a sleek feline one. Her black clothing melted away into that pale golden fur, which took on the bluish hue of the starlight. Her eyes had changed to those of her lioness, but they kept their gaze on him as she grabbed her bag in her teeth.
They didn’t need to speak to understand each other, and she was right. They stood no chance against these men. He didn’t like to leave anyone to their own devices if he could help it, but their job right now was to make sure the intelligence they’d gathered made it back to the Force for processing. They had a much greater chance of doing so if they left on four feet instead of two.
Hudson did the same. It was easy to shift even with so many enemies surrounding them, because he’d always felt more comfortable and powerful when he knew he could rely on his own natural weapons. He followed Leona back through the trees.
Think we should drop off the equipment and get back there? she asked.
It was the first time they’d communicated that way since the ceremony, and it startled Hudson to hear her voice in his head like that. He wasn’t used to it. He hesitated for a moment before answering. If he’d been out here with his men, he wouldn’t have hesitated. They were used to fighting side by side. They knew the risks and they were willing to accept them. Technically, that was true for Leona as well, but once again, everything was different with her. He’d come to realize just how much he needed her and worried for her. He wanted to protect her with everything he had, to literally put his body in the way of anything that might harm her.
No. I don’t think they’re in any more danger than they would’ve been if we hadn’t shown up. Those guys are just backup in case things go badly. Let’s get out of here and go home.
9
“I don’t like this. It’s not a good idea.”
Leona tipped her chin up to look at Hudson. He was supposed to be her partner out there on this mission, but he was proving to be more of a hindrance than anything. It’d been less than a day since they’d returned from their spy mission down by the river, a task which she’d thought had gone fairly well, and yet he was back to being stubborn and overly cautious. “I do think it’s a good idea. I know how you feel, Hudson, but we can’t let feelings get in the way of what we’re trying to do.”
His eyes grazed over her hair, which she’d pulled back in a similar style to what she’d done for the block party. She’d told herself as she’d looked in the mirror that she’d only done it because it would help her blend in, and not because he’d liked it.
“But we’ve got proof that these people are involved in trafficking. What we saw at the river is probably just a small sample of what they’ve been doing. We can’t just waltz into their house like it’s not a big deal, like we didn’t see what we saw last night.”
“It’s exactly because of what we saw last night that I’m taking Kim up on her invitation.” Her neighbor had called up that morning after breakfast, inviting Leona over for lunch.
“You have to admit that the timing is a little strange.” Hudson crossed his arms in front of his chest, making himself look even bigger and more intimidating than he did anyway.
“Maybe.” Leona had thought of that. It did seem odd that she should get invited over right after she and Hudson had been spying on her husband, but there was no evidence that anyone had seen them. And Kevin’s sedan had gone gliding down the street at precisely o-seven-hundred hours that morning. “If it is, then I’ll only make us look more suspicious by refusing to go. And it’s just lunch.”
“I guess that’s true. And I’ll be listening from this end.”
She looked up at him. Hudson was a brawny man, and when he was living his normal life, he was in charge of a massive company. She’d understood he had a reputation as a man who possessed a lot of drive but executed it calmly. The side of him Leona was seeing seemed a bit different. It was nice of him to worry over her, if she could get past those old-fashioned gender rules, but she didn’t need it. “I wish you wouldn’t.”
“Leona…”
“Fine, fine!” She threw her hands in the air, giving up. He was right, even if she didn’t like it. “I guess that’s better than wearing a wire.”
Hudson tipped his head to one side as his eyes traced down her body. “That would be more accurate, though, and it would fit nicely under that blouse…”
“Stop it!” She turned away from him, ostensibly to pick up her purse. “It’ll be fine. But keep in mind that if you listen in on our lunch, then we’re wasting our manpower. I’ll already be there, so I’ll know what’s happening. You could be listening to other households.”
His lips tightened into a hard line, and Leona could tell she had him there. He didn’t want to admit she was right, but that was fine. She knew it.
“I’ll be back in an hour or so, and I promise I’ll give you the full report of all the super weird and damning things she does while I’m there.” Leona left in a huff, wondering if she would ever get used to working with the man.
And about half an hour later, Leona had nearly forgotten that he was waiting for her just down the street, listening to every word she said. She’d thought it would be awkward for a soldier to have a good conversation with a wife and mother who’d never seen anything more dangerous than the evening news. But over Kim’s homemade martinis, the two were enjoying finger sandwiches and conversation that touched on a little bit of everything.
“She’s an absolute doll,” Leona commented of Kim’s little girl as her neighbor returned from down the hall, where she’d laid her youngest down for a nap. “Did she really just go to sleep that easily for you?” The child had rubbed her eyes after she’d finished her bologna sandwich.
Kim gave her a look that was a mixture of pride and exhaustion. �
�Pretty much. Sophie is easy, but I think I deserve an easy one after the boys. I love them, and I don’t know what I’d do without them, but they’ve certainly worn me out.” She sipped her drink as she sat back down at the kitchen table. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot since you and I talked the other day, and I wonder what my life would’ve been like if I’d put my career ahead of my children.”
Leona wasn’t sure she cared for the phrasing, but she understood what her neighbor was trying to say. “And I’ve been thinking a lot, too. I wonder what I might be missing out on.”
“I can fill you in on that. Late nights, long days, empty pockets. And a full heart.” Kim smiled, although a bit sadly. “Plenty of arguments with the husband as to how to raise them, especially the boys. I don’t think you’d have that problem with Hank, though.”
Leona blinked, forgetting for a second that Hudson was Hank in the eyes of these people. Her face reddened as she remembered that he was also probably listening to every word they said. “No?”
“Oh, no. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.” Kim smiled, shaking her finger teasingly at Leona. “He’s not a man of many words, and I imagine he’s not the sort to get mushy in front of strangers, but there’s a certain look about him when he sees you from across the room.”
The heat refused to leave her face as Leona swirled the olive in her glass. “I didn’t realize.”
“I noticed it a lot at the block party. He was finding chances to walk through the room to check on you, watching you from a distance just to make sure you were all right. It was adorable. You two act like you’re still on your honeymoon.”
Leona swallowed. Damn Hudson for insisting he listen to everything! But she had a role to play, and no one could blame her for doing that. “It often feels that way.”
“Yes. It’s like the two of you were destined to be together.”
Kim’s words made Leona’s ears ring. Did she know? But how could she? And how was Hudson interpreting all this back at their makeshift headquarters if he had heard all this?
“Kevin and I felt the same, way back when.” She glanced at the window, waxing reminiscent. “I wanted to be a doctor, though. Oh, I know. I don’t seem like the type. But way back then, before I ever had any little ones, I still had plenty of brain cells. I wasn’t too tired to think straight, and I loved the idea of studying the body. I thought it was so fascinating that we have these rules about how the body works, but in reality, we’re all a little different, you know?” She turned her piercing green eyes to Leona.
“Sure, of course.” Leona’s phone had beeped, and she excused herself for a second while she took it out to read the text message.
You’ve got to get home. Right now. It was from Hudson, of course.
She put the phone away. “Sorry about that. What were you saying?”
“Just that everyone is a little different. People like you and I are different, I think. And Hank.” Kim’s fingers fiddled nervously with the stem of her martini glass.
Leona carefully controlled her facial features, not wanting to give anything away, but it was clear that Kim knew something. “What do you mean?”
Her hostess let out a light, nervous laugh. “I shouldn’t beat around the bush so much. I’m sorry. What I’m really trying to say is that I know what the two of you are.”
If that was true, then it was damn strange for her to be so calm about it. Leona knew something was off here. “And what’s that?”
“Lion shifters, of course!” Kim burst out laughing, fanning her face as she blinked back tears. “Oh, I’m so glad to finally get that out. I could tell right away. Takes one to know one, right? And I understand why you wouldn’t want to talk about it. It’s the sort of thing that not everyone accepts, and who could blame them?”
Leona let out a laugh herself, mostly just because she didn’t know what else to do. No one at the block party had mentioned anything about the local pride or the fact that anyone was a shifter, and it was starting to make her wonder if they were watching the right group of people at all. “Right. Of course.”
“I wanted to talk to you about joining our pride, dear. You can never surround yourself with too many good people, and I think the two of you are just about the cream of the crop.” Kim beamed as she poured them each another drink.
Leona knew she was treading on dangerous territory. Kim could be genuine, but she could also be setting her up. It didn’t help that her phone continued going off.
Seriously. I need to talk to you.
Leona.
Hudson would just have to wait. There were bigger things happening here. She turned back to Kim. “Have you talked to anyone else in your pride about this? What does your husband think?”
Kim waved away those worries as she sat back down. “They’re all for it! I mean, I haven’t talked to everyone as an entire group. We haven’t had a meeting in a while. Everyone’s been so busy. But that’s life for you! And I have no doubt the two of you would be voted in. I mean, you’re part of the neighborhood!” She leaned back in her chair and sipped her martini happily, looking quite proud of herself for inviting new members to join them. “It’s as simple as getting everyone together, which I’ve been planning to do anyway.”
Before Leona could respond, a small face with wide eyes peeked out from the hallway. Sophie’s hair, almost as bright red as her mother’s, was rumpled and she knuckled the corner of her eye. “I don’t want to go to sleep anymore.”
Kim’s shoulders sagged in defeat, but she winked at Leona. “I guess I spoke too soon about that one, didn’t I?”
But Sophie looked up at Leona and grinned. “You’re still here?” She raced across the kitchen and launched herself into Leona’s lap. “I thought you’d be gone.”
Leona pulled her up, enjoying the warm softness of the little body against her. Sophie had to be about three or four, old enough to talk and interact, but still young enough to be completely endearing. “No, I haven’t left yet. I’ll have to soon, though.”
“But I want you to play with me! Do you like Barbies?”
Leona laughed despite herself. It was just too damn cute. There was so much going on in the room, and this innocent child had no idea. Leona had never been much of one to play with Barbies, but she wasn’t about to hurt the kid’s feelings. “Barbies are fun. And so are trucks.”
“You play with trucks?” Sophie’s brows burrowed down over her eyes as she pulled back to look Leona in the face. “Those are boy toys!”
“That’s not necessarily true. My brother always had trucks, soldiers, and dinosaurs, and I played with all of them.” She remembered those days with Steve, when the two of them would be crouched on the living room carpet pretending to blow each other up while Tracy looked on in disgust. It was the best.
“Girls are supposed to play with Barbies and babies and play house,” Sophie insisted.
Leona knew it wasn’t her job to teach someone else’s child what they should and shouldn’t play with and how gender roles played a part in life, but she desperately wished she could tell this little girl about everything she’d done as a soldier. She could just imagine what Sophie would do when she found out Leona had jumped out of helicopters and used explosives. That would have to wait; more likely, it would probably never happen. If she gave away her past now, Kim might change her mind entirely. Leona and Hudson had a good opportunity to officially join the local pride that Kim and Kevin belonged to, and they knew that was the one that was causing trouble.
“Sophie, dear, don’t bother our guest,” Kim admonished gently.
“She’s not bothering me,” Leona insisted, giving the girl a hug before setting her down on the floor. “I do have to get going, though. I’ve got some things I need to do this afternoon.” She headed toward the door, and Sophie insisted on holding her hand.
Kim cleared her throat. “I do hope you’ll think about what I said. I know we kind of got interrupted, and I apologize for that, but I think it would be good for you. You k
now, definitely knowing you belong here.”
Leona nodded, trying to read Kim’s face. She looked so genuine. If the pride was involved in trafficking illegal weapons, then why would they want any new members? It would be a risk, since they wouldn’t know if those new neighbors could be trusted to keep a secret. The only thing that truly made sense was that they’d somehow discovered Leona and Hudson were there to take down their operations, and this was their way of luring the outsiders into a trap. But it was hard to imagine Kim as capable of such a thing. There was only one way to find out.
“I’ll definitely think about it. And of course, I’ll have to talk to Hank about it.” He’d be interested to hear this new turn of events, even if he was pissed at her for not responding to his texts.
“Will you come back soon?” Sophie asked pitifully, rubbing her eye once again. The poor thing really was tired, she just didn’t want to miss out on any of the excitement. She clutched a little harder at Leona’s hand.
Leona crouched down next to her. For the most part, her hope of gathering intelligence during this outing hadn’t gone as she’d planned at all. She’d been thrust into a woman’s world, where conversation could only be about raising children and reminiscing over the past, with a few recipes sprinkled in. It was frustrating to know that she couldn’t infiltrate suburban America the same way she could third-world countries.
But now that Kim had invited them into the fold, she had every reason to come back. Plus, she was starting to like her neighbors. “I’ll have to see what I can do about that. I had a nice time hanging out with you, though.”
Sophie threw her arms around Leona’s neck. “I like you, and I don’t want you to go!”