by Ann Gimpel
Succulent smells intensified as Max worked his way down two flights of stairs to the main floor where the kitchen and dining room were. He pushed the swinging door into the kitchen aside and saw Johannes, back to him, working at the stove. “There’s fruit and French toast on the table,” he said. “Omelet coming right up.”
“You’re chipper this morning.” Max laid his briefcase on a chair, shrugged out of his suit jacket, and sat at his usual place in the kitchen eating nook. In the grand tradition of country kitchens, this one could have housed a small family. Glass fronted walnut cabinets lined three walls. Stainless steel appliances gleamed in the incandescent light from a Swiss chandelier. Max poured orange juice and dished up fruit, French toast, whipped butter, and raw sugar.
“Not exactly.” Johannes set two plates on the table and sat down. “Ryan called me about an hour ago.”
Max sucked in a breath, batting back annoyance. “Why didn’t you get me?”
Johannes shrugged. “You were still asleep. I thought that was more important. Let me fill you in, and then we can call Ryan. He’ll be expecting us.”
“Well?” Max set down his fork. Suddenly he wasn’t particularly hungry.
“The short version is the State Attorney General’s office is interested in you. They’ve been tracking you for quite some time now.”
Max’s brows drew together. “I wonder why.”
“Maybe because the AG is as conservative as they come, and you’re the most liberal governor California’s ever had. Anyway, that’s not relevant. Ryan thinks they’re looking for criminal activity, or anything they can dig up to discredit you.”
“And they found something better than their wildest expectations.” Max’s jaw tightened.
“Not exactly. Ryan doesn’t think—”
“Get him on the vid feed,” Max barked. “I need to hear this from him.”
The screen mounted between two banks of cabinets flared to life. A grim-faced Ryan appeared moments later. “Morning, boss.”
“Spill it.”
“What did Johannes—?”
“Never mind. Start at the beginning.”
Ryan nodded. “The AG’s office has been watching you since before you took office. This last little go-round in Berkeley where the entire tracker task force for the city police department quit en masse piqued their suspicions, more specifically the suspicions of the investigator assigned to you—”
“Holy, fucking shit. You mean to say that I’ve had my own personal asshole tracking me the whole time I’ve been governor?” Max slammed a fist on the table. “He must be damned good. I never knew.”
Max turned an ear inward, but his wolf was silent. Maybe he was ashamed someone had gotten that close to them without him realizing it. “I’ll just bet the Berkeley mess got their attention,” Max went on. “The city hired those guys to track down shifters and kill them. To have most of the task force turn into shifters because of a serum the brass forced on them, and then to have them defect right along with the human members of the force, must have come as quite a shock.”
“It was long overdue,” Johannes muttered. “We’ve needed a break ever since they amped up their efforts to wipe us off the face of the earth.”
“Anyway,” Ryan went on, “we took care of your own personal asshole. He had shifter blood, so we shanghaied him and gave him a whopping dose of the serum, enough to force him into a shift. You can bet he’ll lay low from here on in.” Ryan made a sound between a snort and a grunt. “In case you’re interested, he’s a bear. I really like his bond animal. Hopefully, the investigator will grow enough to be worthy of the partnership.”
“Brilliant.” Johannes clapped his hands together. “A trained spook. Have we offered him work?”
“Not yet. He needs to stop cursing me first. We’ve got him locked up. We won’t let him out until we’re certain he won’t betray us.”
“When will that be?” Johannes asked.
“It shouldn’t take long. He understands he has to learn to control his newfound abilities. Once he does, he’ll come to appreciate them. There are advantages to being a shifter—lots of them. He’s a smart man; he’ll come around.”
Max drained his juice. “What’s our next move?”
“We’re in the process of infiltrating the investigator’s records and destroying them. By the time another person gets around to recreating them—if that even happens—your term should be close to up.”
“I love it.” Max stuffed a bite of omelet into his mouth. “Sow confusion. Make them afraid. The next fellow might not be so quick to raise his hand and volunteer if he thinks he might end up either dead or compromised.”
“I’m not sure about dead or compromised.” Ryan pursed his lips. “The best case scenario would be if we can send the investigator—Connor Bastion—back to his desk. He’d be a real asset in an undercover capacity.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Max nodded approvingly and continued working on his breakfast.
“There’s more,” Ryan said. “The phony security guard who tried to kill you was a friend of Bastion’s. O’Hare was in the military, but they discharged him for mental instability. We’re not totally positive, but we think the assassination attempt was him acting on his own. Connor seemed as shocked and upset about it as we were.”
Max started to breathe a bit easier. Maybe this wasn’t as bad as he’d feared. “Hook him up to the full body lie detector.”
“Devon’s already on it. In the meantime,” Ryan’s sharp gaze skewered both of them, “be damned careful. Max, watch your back. And, Johannes—”
“Yeah?”
“Do not leave Max to even go to the john.”
“Fine. I’ll piss in the wastebasket.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Max stifled an eye roll. “My office suite includes a bathroom.”
“If there’s nothing else,” Ryan nodded curtly, “I want to sit in on Devon’s session with Connor. Sometimes those electronic readouts are a bitch to interpret.”
“Go ahead. We’ll be in touch.”
Max watched the screen gray out and then glanced at the time. “We need to leave.”
“Car’s out front. I alerted the security men they’d be shadowing two of us to your office.”
Chapter 5
Max scrolled through documents that needed his e-signature. He’d been working for the better part of three hours, ever since eight, when his early meeting about the pathetic condition of California’s highways had ended. Scarcely a day went by when they weren’t sued by a citizen who’d been injured because of gaping potholes or missing road signs.
Most meetings were empty rhetoric. Frequently, the only thing accomplished was determining a date for the next get-together. This morning’s conference hadn’t been any different. Several legislators had issued press releases regarding their intent to fix the problem, by God. They’d taken up most of the hour reading them to the group. Max’s ears still rang from a boatload of sincere-sounding drivel, with fists pounding the polished oak table for emphasis.
Johannes stifled a yawn from where he sat sprawled in a corner. “How do you stand this? It’s incredibly boring.”
“You’re supposed to be alert. Vigilant. Maybe you should stand near the door like a real guard.” Max lowered his voice to a whisper; Johannes’ feline hearing would pick it up. “You know why I took this job. I never meant for it to be permanent. Politics disgust me. It’s basically one side cutting deals with the other in a back room. No one cares about the electorate. Politicians want to keep those special interest donations rolling in. They have a pretty sweet life, and they’ll do damn near anything to hang onto it.”
Johannes stood and wandered to the door. “I can hear everything on the other side without standing right next to it,” he grumbled.
Max frowned and shook his head, shooting a meaningful glance at his friend. “You only think you can.”
Johannes winced, obviously realizing his error in case anyone had been l
istening. “Of course. You’ve got me dead to rights, sir.”
Max turned his attention back to the vid feed screen. Johannes didn’t spend much time in public. He needed to take care not to reveal he could hear and see things beyond the ken of human senses. Max’s wrist computer vibrated. He glanced at it. Joy whooshed through him; his cock leaped to attention. Audrey was ready to come to work. He texted that he’d send a car immediately.
Stop it! He told himself. When she gets here, I need to look like her boss, not a besotted adolescent. His fingers hovered over the computer to call the Capitol security team and ask them to get Audrey, but then he had a better idea. “We’ve been at this for a few hours.” He grinned at Johannes. “Let’s take a break. We can swing by, pick up my secretary, and get something for an early lunch while we’re out.”
Johannes cocked his head to one side. His eyes narrowed. “You sound awfully excited about something you could send one of your many underlings to do.”
“Do I?” Max aimed for neutrality.
“You forget. I’ve known you for a very long time. Sure. Let’s go. I’m looking forward to meeting whoever’s got you all hot and bothered.”
Max stood and moved to the coatrack to get his jacket. “I am not—”
Johannes hissed in a stage whisper, “You can’t fool me. Remember, I can smell…things.”
Max shrugged into his suit coat. He did not want the conversation to go any further where someone might hear. He dragged his jacket over his erection and buttoned it. Of course Johannes would be able to smell arousal.
“After you, sir.” Like a proper manservant come bodyguard, Johannes held the office door open.
“Thank you.” Max inclined his head.
Loren and another guard Max didn’t recognize snapped to attention. “Where are you going, boss?” Loren asked. Max peered at him; the man looked exhausted. Riding on intuition, he glanced at Johannes. “Get the car from the garage. I’ll meet you out front.”
“Where are you going?” Loren asked again. “We should go with—”
Max crooked a finger and stepped back into his office. Loren followed him and closed the door, understanding Max wanted privacy. “Did you find your men?” Max asked without preamble.
Loren’s eyes turned to ice chips. “Yes. Dead.”
Max laid a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry.”
“Thank you, sir. One of them was my son-in-law. Daughter’s pretty busted up.”
Max exhaled slowly. “If there’s anything I can do—”
“Appreciate the thought. Brady knew what he was getting into when he went to the police academy. So did Hennet. Way things seem to be heading, it will be a miracle if any of us survive. When that governmental directive about shifters was codified, I was grateful I was less than 50 percent.”
Max tried to keep quiet, but the words slipped out. “Why did you tell me that?”
“Because now I wish I had access to shifter magic. Hell, I’d take any edge I could lay my hands on. Murdering human scum have the run of the streets.” His blue eyes held a haunted edge. “Sorry, boss. No reason to lay my worries on your doorstep. Hell, they tried to kill you yesterday.”
“Tried is the operative term. I’m still here.”
Loren stood ramrod straight. “Now, about your destination with your bodyguard—”
“If it makes you feel better, you can trail us with a car. We’re just going to pick up Audrey and get something to eat. She was pretty shaken up by what happened yesterday. I told her to take as much of today off as she needed and to call me when she was ready to come to work.”
Loren’s eyes softened. “She’s a good woman. Almost like a daughter to me. I worked with both her father and her brother at the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Her brother and I are still friends.” Loren leaned closer and spoke low. “Father disappeared right after the shifter edict came down. I figure he went into hiding. Damned shame. He was a fine officer.”
“Do you know where he is?” Max pitched his voice equally low.
“Why?” Loren’s voice vibrated with suspicion. He moved back a few steps as if worried he’d said too much.
“Not the reason you’re thinking.” Max’s forehead creased. “If you’re right about the streets being overrun with criminals, it simply struck me that if Audrey’s father, uh, disappeared, others like him did also. We could use every trained man, that’s all. We can’t afford to have them moldering away in bunkers or wherever they’ve gone to ground.”
“I couldn’t agree more, boss, but if they come out of hiding—”
“I know. It’s a big, fat, fucking problem. Let me give it some thought. The other states are in the same boat we are…” Max let his voice trail off before he revealed more than was prudent. “I need to run. I don’t want Audrey standing out in front of her house for any longer than she has to.”
“Why the hell didn’t you tell her to wait inside?”
“I did. She said her place is in the back, and she can’t see the street. She doesn’t know I’ll be getting her. She probably thinks I sent you or one of your boys. Anyway, we’ll talk more later.” Max tugged the door open and trotted through it, intent on riding the elevator to ground level. By the time he got there, Johannes stood next to the open passenger door, waiting.
“The security guy told me they’re tailing us.” Johannes jerked his chin toward a car sitting right behind them in the Load and Unload Only zone.
“They are.” Max slid into the car. “Come on. Get in. That way, we’ll be ready to roll as soon as Loren, or whoever he sends, shows up. I’ll sit in the front seat. It will be easier to talk that way.”
Johannes got behind the wheel and shut the door. “Do they do everything in pairs?”
“Mostly. Why?”
“When I started in this business, we preferred to work alone. Less chance of being compromised.”
“That was three hundred years ago.”
Johannes gave a Gaelic shrug. “Things haven’t changed that much. Too many people knowing something always spells trouble.”
“We’re picking up a woman and lunch. It doesn’t matter who knows.”
“It always matters, my friend.” Johannes glanced in the rearview mirror. “Looks like we’re good to go here. Do you have an address?” Max rattled it off and then entered it into the onboard nav system. The fully electronic car would find the house without any assistance from Johannes.
Max swallowed a grimace. He knew Audrey’s address because he’d looked up her personnel records the previous evening and then felt like he was trespassing. By the time he’d pried his eyes from the screen, there wasn’t much he didn’t know about Audrey Westen. Born and raised in Bend, Oregon, she was the second of four children born to a 75 percent shifter father and a human mother. The family had relocated to the Sacramento area when she was ten. She’d finished high school with honors and gotten a degree in business from UCSF. After that, she’d gone to work for the California State Legislature and moved from there to the Governor’s office. She was twenty-nine years old and had been married once for five years. The final divorce papers were issued eight months ago. She had no children.
“Are you going to tell me about her?” Johannes asked, his voice so soft Max wasn’t certain he’d even heard the question except subliminally.
“She’s—uh, no. No, I’m not.”
“Why?” Johannes glanced sidelong at him and grinned. “You never know, I might like her, too. It’s been a while since we shared a woman.”
Max’s wolf reared up, close to the surface. Savage possessiveness knifed through him. “This one isn’t for sharing,” he gritted through clenched teeth.
“Maybe not. She works for you, so doesn’t that mean you can’t fuck her at all?” Another Gaelic hand gesture. “These modern rules. There are so many of them, I can’t keep track.”
Thanks for the reminder. “You’re absolutely correct. Staff is off limits.”
“Who made that rule?”
&nb
sp; “Funny,” the wolf sniped. “If I recall, I asked the same question.”
Frustration soured Max’s stomach. He balled his hands into fists. “Leave me alone. Both of you.”
“Who’s the other—? Never mind; must be your wolf.”
Max snarled, realized they were slowing, and knew they had to be close to her house. “I’ll join her in the back seat once we pick her up.”
Johannes laughed. “I’ll try my damnedest to behave.”
“That would be a first. On a different topic, Loren, head of Capitol security, just told me he’s sorry he’s not a shifter.”
Johannes quirked a brow. “Interesting. Does he have shifter blood?” Max nodded. “I’ll have Ryan run a background on him. Are you thinking we could make him an offer?”
“Exactly. Depending on what you find out. It would be handy to have inside help as I infiltrate the government’s structure.”
“You’re playing a dangerous game.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Someday shifters will put your face on coins.”
Max snickered at Johannes’ attempt at dry humor. “Let’s hope I live that long.”
*
Audrey paced from one side of her living room to the other. She glanced at her wrist computer again. Another couple of minutes and she’d move to the curb in front of her multiplex. She smoothed nervous hands down the front of her black skirt and checked her jacket one more time in the mirror. A teal silk blouse was tucked into the skirt. Its fabric felt delightful next to her skin. Silk garments weren’t available anymore, either, but no one controlled what she bought at the black market.
She bit her lower lip, feeling conflicted. After getting a few hours’ sleep, she’d gone on the vid feed and made discreet inquiries based on the intel she’d studied the day before. She was nearly certain she could find the shifter underground enclave in Berkeley—or get damned close. She’d hatched a plan over coffee as the sun came up and done a few things to set it in motion. Like withdrawing credits and trading them for black market cash at a twenty-four hour pawn shop three blocks away. She had a little time; if she built her cash slowly over a couple of weeks, it was unlikely anyone would notice.