She was already nodding before he was done speaking. If he’d made some headway, they had to be close. If luck was on their side, they might even be done by nightfall. “That would be wonderful, thank you.”
“Oh, and I texted Mrs. Wagner and Aric with the updates already, so no one should bother us for a while.”
She was already settling into Luca’s chair but paused to look up at him again. He was as relentless as she was when it came to his work—maybe even more so. Yet, the second she’d woken, he’d dropped everything he’d been doing to take care of her. He’d let her sleep when she should have been helping him, and now, he was pouring water into the coffeemaker as though her needs outweighed everything else in the world.
She paused, her hand halfway to his mouse. That’s when it hit her. They were. Even as they worked side by side, Luca took care of her. Not once since she’d arrived at the farm had she had to grab a new water bottle or a can of Coke. Snacks had appeared next to her when she hadn’t even noticed he’d risen from his seat, yet no one else had been in the loft. He’d massaged her shoulders many times, not once having been asked to do so. And the kisses he pressed onto her neck when he was done had melted her heart every damned time.
With the coffee gurgling into the pot and the microwave humming behind him, he turned to her again, and her breath caught in her lungs. “I think I love you,” she said in a soft whisper. The truth of it filled her with warmth.
His smile came slowly, but when it did, it transformed his entire face. Golden flecks filled his eyes as he crossed the room. “You think?” he asked, stopping just shy of reaching her.
Her heart pounded. Licking her lips, she reached for Luca’s hand. “Yeah. Is it too soon for that?” With him announcing her as his mate to everyone already, she didn’t think it was.
Luca brought her closer so she had to crane her neck to maintain eye contact. “Feels like I’ve waited forever to hear those words from you. I love you, too, Kaitlin.” Releasing her, he brought both hands up and palmed her cheeks as he lowered his mouth to hers. He poured his feelings for her into the tender kiss, weakening her knees.
When he pulled back and looked deep into her eyes, the truth was there for her to see. She was his—heart, body, and soul. And he was hers for the taking. The question was, did she dare take him? She finally had a chance to climb out of the data entry role she’d been stuck in at Howlers, Inc.
He sucked in a deep breath, his smile dimming a little. “Whatever has that doubt shining in your eyes, we’ll figure it out.” He lowered his head to hers again for another gentle kiss.
“It’s just so much, so fast. I’ve finally landed an assignment that challenges me at work, you know? And even though it feels like we’ve known each other forever, we’ve only just met. What if you wake up in a week from now, and you find my habits more annoying than cute?”
“That’s not going to happen. I can’t promise that things will always be perfect—we’ll have ups and downs like anyone else—but you’re the only match for my wolf and me. Fate wouldn’t have brought you to me otherwise. As for your work, I can come to Philly, and you can visit me here until we sort through it all.”
“Really?” her heart clipped at a faster pace. Hope blossomed in her chest. Could it be that simple? Could she reach for what she wanted and figure it out from there?
“Definitely. Whatever it takes, we’ll make it happen.”
Nineteen
“This right here is where they banked on us getting turned around again. The slightest distraction, and we would have missed it,” Luca jabbed at the screen hard enough to push it back at an angle.
Jaxon’s confused stare at the monitor wasn’t surprising. Unless you knew what to look for, none of the information made sense.
Luca spun away, striding across the room like he’d done at least ten times, glaring at the darkening sky through the window. With a frustrated groan, he rammed his fingers through his hair.
“What’s on the damned hard drive, Luca?” Jaxon asked, his voice rumbly and rough.
Kaitlin wasn’t a wolf, but she didn’t need to be to feel the rising tension between the two men. It was thick enough to choke her. “Let me show you,” she said, bringing the Alpha’s attention her way. From the way Luca’s chest was heaving and his muscles bunched, she could tell he needed a breather. She could do that for him.
Jaxon leaned over her shoulder as she punched in the password she’d set. Holding her breath, she hit enter. She didn’t yet understand why Luca was so upset, but as tense as he was, it had to be bad.
“What the ever-loving fuck?” Jaxon asked in a soft but deadly tone. “Scroll down.”
She did as he asked, jumping when his growl ripped from his throat.
“More,” he commanded.
With her heart racing and her fingers trembling, she continued.
“Can you search for my name in there?”
A few seconds later, Jaxon’s name appeared along with Maple’s. Personal information on both, including current and previous addresses, phone numbers, and emails appeared on the screen. Families and friends were listed with stats on each. Places of business, pack ranking… It was all there. Each person’s life history laid bare.
“Fuck,” Jaxon shouted as he turned away from the computer as though it would change what he’d seen. In a blur of motion, his fist slammed into the wall with a resounding crack. “Can you bring up Marnie Welsh?” he asked without turning to face her.
She tried, but it came up empty. “Nothing for her.”
“She’s human. How about Vincenzo Mariatti?”
“Nothing.”
“Also human. Search your own name. Your mother’s name.”
What the hell? What she and her mother had to do with anything, she had no idea, but she did the search. “We’re not there, either.”
“Richard Putnam.”
“Richard Putnam, 3342 Wingham Road North, Hollywood, California,” she said softly when the information popped up.
He turned to her and swallowed hard. “How about Marie Bryse?” he spelled the last name for her when she’d typed in I instead of a Y.
The information populated on the screen.
“Fuck!” he screamed again, making her jump once more. “Neither of them are registered.”
A second later, he pulled out his phone and hit a single key. “Try Ariandra Gregoire,” he said, lifting the phone to his ear, oblivious to the blood trickling down to his wrist from his injured knuckle.
“They’ve unlocked it. Get up here,” Jaxon snapped into the phone before disconnecting the call.
Kaitlin swallowed around the cotton in her mouth. “Yes, she’s listed.”
“This is huge, Jaxon. There are thousands of people on that list. Thousands. And we don’t know who put it together or if anyone else has it.” Luca said, his jaw rigid.
Jaxon’s eyes changed into those of what she could only assume belonged to his wolf. “And the fucking vamps are trying to get their hands on it.”
***
Kaitlin hadn’t said a word since the other Alphas had converged on the loft. It was one thing to have to deal with them one at a time, or even as a couple as with Jaxon and Maple, but toss in Aric and Emmet on top and it was a lot of unsettled dominant energy in one small, enclosed space. Emmet may not have been the head of the Wassookeag pack anymore, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have Alpha blood running in his veins.
Throw into the mix the volatile energy coming from their enforcers and the ones that Aric had brought from Blue Creek, and it made his skin burn with the need to go wolf. The screen across from them on the wall winked to life, and Kaitlin’s boss, Mrs. Wagner connected on a secure video conference call.
“Now that we’re all here, I’ll let Luca and Kaitlin tell you what they’ve discovered,” Jaxon said, quieting the hushed conversation around them.
Luca understood why he and Kaitlin needed to be present. Neither Jaxon or Maple would be able to pull up information lik
e he and Kaitlin could, and the Alphas would have plenty of questions. That didn’t mean he had to like it. In fact, he hated every second of it. Put him in front of a rabid wolf that needed to be put down, no problem, but speaking in front of a group? Shit.
He took a deep breath, then another, willing the pounding in his head to subside enough for him to say what needed to be said and make sense. He’d be lucky if he didn’t make a fool of himself in front of the people he respected most, including his own mate.
Kaitlin gave him a sideways glance and a small, nervous smile before standing and clearing her throat. “Since I won’t be able to be of much help once the information is shared, I hope you don’t mind me presenting what we found. Luca will be better able to navigate questions that have to do with the packs and politics if it comes to that.
“It was a lot more difficult than either of us expected to hack into this hard drive. Whoever put it together knew what they were doing. Everything we’re seeing points to someone working from the dark web, but we can’t pinpoint who is responsible,” Kaitlin said, her voice quivering a little. She pushed her glasses higher on her nose, pausing when a murmur rippled around the room.
“Please, hold on until you hear the rest,” Jaxon cut in, silencing them once more.
“When Luca broke through, it didn’t take long to figure out that this information in the wrong hands could be disastrous. We already know that the vampires want to get their hands on it. It’s not a big stretch to imagine that others do as well.”
Pride filled him at his mate’s courage in facing the intimidating group of shifters. “And with good reason. If you all recall, Rylee came to Dexter to retrieve it from the cougars,” Luca added. “Before I say anything more, I’d like to thank you, Mrs. Wagner, for sending Kaitlin our way. It took the expertise that we both brought to the table to get the job done.”
“I was happy to see her spread her wings. It seems her talents are wasted in data entry,” Mrs. Wagner beamed.
“Would you mind pulling it up on the screen, Kaitlin?” he asked when she smiled his way. Kaitlin hurried to her laptop and brought the information up onto the monitor, minimizing Mrs. Wagner to a corner. “What we found was an extensive database with the names and personal information on thousands of shifters, witches, and vampires.”
Icy silence filled the room. A muscle ticked in Aric’s jaw. The enforcers didn’t move an inch, their entire focus on him. Expectant energy slammed into Luca.
“And? I don’t understand,” Aric said, breaking the silence. “Why all that security for a glorified address book?”
Luca shook his head. “If only. It lists where everyone lives. Where they work. Which pack, clan, or coven they belong to. If they’re rogue, that’s in there. They have phone numbers. Photos. Family. Friends. Even down to your favorite bar or restaurant. You name it, it’s all there.”
Aric frowned, and a wicked growl pushed up his throat.
“And it’s not just registered shifters, either. Jaxon had us look up wolves who are off the grid. They’re in the database.”
“Government?” Emmet asked. “Who else would want to know where we all are?”
“No, that doesn’t add up. The government has the registry. Why go into the dark web? This has to be someone else,” Mrs. Wagner said from the video call. “Does it list where the vampires rest during the day?”
“It does, which explains why they’re so desperate to get it,” Jaxon said, pacing from one end of the room to the other. “We need to get it out of Dexter. If I leave now, I can have it in Philly by morning. You have access to the vault at Howlers, Inc.?” he asked, turning to Mrs. Wagner.
“Get it here, and I’ll make sure it’s secured,” the woman said, her lips pursed, and a sour look on her face.
“I’ll do it. All I need is a fast car,” Aric piped up, gracing Luca with a gleeful look that bordered on wicked. “I’ll bring it back in one piece.”
All eyes turned to Luca. He could almost feel the rising tension as everyone waited to hear what he’d say—how he’d react. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. No one drove his cars except him, and sometimes, when he was feeling generous, Niko. Even Jaxon hadn’t had the honor. But what choice did he have?
There were plenty of vehicles on the property, but other than the crotch rockets his brother and his mate preferred to ride, his cars were the fastest things they had. If it weren’t for the fact that it was winter and flying down the highway on a bike would be suicide, he might have suggested using one of those. Regardless of which car he took, Aric would have to be careful if it snowed that he didn’t spin out with the power of the engine behind the sports car. Still, it was safer than a bike.
Heat rose into his cheeks, and silence fell in the room as he crossed over to his desk and disconnected the hard drive, keeping his mouth shut.
“You can take the Mustang.” From the corner of his eye, he could see Niko’s eyebrows almost reaching his hairline. Yeah, it would suck letting someone else take one of his babies out, but the sooner the damned thing was gone, the better. Kaitlin would be safer.
Twenty
Kaitlin held her breath. Anyone with eyeballs could see that lending out his car made Luca uncomfortable. In the space of a second, his face went red, and he clenched his jaw so hard she worried he’d chip a tooth. But then he met her gaze, and with determination in his eyes, he nodded—more to himself than anyone else—and she knew. He wasn’t going to allow it because an Alpha had made the request. He wasn’t doing it for his pack, or even to secure the hard drive. It was all for her.
He disconnected the external drive and placed it in a protective pouch before handing it to Aric and spinning on his heels. “I filled it yesterday and only went to town once, so you’ll be able to get to New York before stopping for gas. I doubt they’d attack in a heavily populated area.”
While the others were gaping at his back, Kaitlin followed him downstairs and into the garage. If she had any other idea that might work, she’d offer a suggestion, but she didn’t. Commercial flights didn’t fly out of Dexter, and it was too risky to keep it at the farm any longer. She reached him just as he plucked a key ring from a little cabinet tucked in the corner.
She opened her mouth to say something—anything—to relieve some of his stress, but he turned and gave her a tired smile. “It’s just a car.”
“I can tell you’re not thrilled with this idea.”
Luca shrugged. “Your safety is more important. Let’s get rid of that thing, then you can talk to Mrs. Wagner. Maybe she’ll let you have a few extra days off to rest before you head back to Philly.”
Had she not been paying attention, she might have missed the tightness in his voice and the little growl at the end of the sentence, but she’d caught it. “I haven’t taken time off since I started at Howlers, Inc. I have some vacation coming to me. Maybe I could stay here for a while longer?” she asked. She might not know where things were heading, but she wasn’t kidding herself into thinking they could go back to life as it was before she came to Dexter. Her heart wouldn’t allow it.
The strain around Luca’s eyes melted away as he grinned at her. “That sounds amazing.”
Behind her, heavy boots came closer. She’d been aware of the others approaching, but she’d ignored them to steal her moment with Luca.
He tossed the keys to Aric, who caught them with one hand. “If you all will excuse us, we haven’t gotten much sleep lately, and we’re going to bed,” Luca said without a hint of shyness as he took her hand and led her back to the stairs.
“I’ll have her back in a few days,” Aric said, as he secured the hard drive and a small duffel bag into the trunk.
As soon as he clicked the lid shut, shattering glass sounded from above, freezing every person in the garage. A shadow flitted in the light at the top of the stairs. Then, before she could make sense of what was happening, Luca shoved her back. “Get in the car and lock the doors. Don’t open it for anyone,” he ordered just as a figure that was too big to
be an ordinary man hurtled toward him from the loft.
Long, pointed teeth poked out of an open mouth. Skin so pale Kaitlin would swear she was looking at a corpse pulled tight around red, glowing eyes. The vampire didn’t turn its attention from Luca, but a deep shudder slithered down her spine.
Luca flew back on impact, and the sounds of bone cracking and unnatural growls rose from the wolves around her, drowning out the scream ripping from the depths of her soul. Unable to force her feet to move, she watched, horrified, as the monster sank its fangs into Luca’s neck.
“Get in the car,” Jaxon demanded as he hauled her off her feet where she stood frozen, carting her toward the Mustang. She couldn’t tear her gaze from the gruesome sight as wolves piled on top of the vampire and Luca. Even when Luca disappeared, and the Alpha shoved her inside, tossed the keys in after her, and pushed the lock button on the door before slamming it shut behind him, she couldn’t look away.
At the end of the barn, the wooden double doors blasted open, rocking the entire structure. The lights flickered, and Kaitlin’s heart pounded against her ribs. Rabid-looking wolves, cougars, and four more vampires filled the barn.
As though drawn to the action—or maybe the blood—from the battle where Luca was fighting for his life, they converged on the mass of wolves.
Fuck. This can’t be happening. Black dots swam in front of her eyes as Kaitlin struggled to get her burning lungs to suck in some air. A wolf landed hard on the hood of the Mustang, its deadly gaze on her, drool dripping from its snarling jaws.
She had to do something. One by one, the wolves were being swatted away with deep gashes and blood streaming from their pelts. A smaller one—one of the females—lay still next to the stairs, breathing, but injured. They were getting decimated.
Blinking back the tears she hadn’t dared allow to fall, Kaitlin steeled herself. They weren’t dead yet. If anything happened to Luca or any of the others and she didn’t try to stop it, she’d never forgive herself.
Hacking That Sass: Sassy Ever After Page 11