by AE Jones
“Promise me you won’t say anything to Nicholas. The important thing right now is to protect Trina.”
He stood. “Nothing will happen…for now.”
* * *
I got out of the truck carrying Booger. Jason collected the pet bed and cat food and trailed into the shop behind me. When Matthew met us at the office at noon, he had also brought his kitty supplies. He wanted to be comfortable at the shop, and I could hardly blame him. I set him down when we got inside, just as Bruce came ambling up to the front.
“Looks like the cat has suckered you too, huh?” he said, eyes sparkling.
Booger rubbed against my legs, and I rolled my eyes. “He’s a cutie.”
Bruce walked over and took the supplies from Jason. “Good to see you.”
“How’s she working out?” Jason gestured toward me with a wry grin.
“Great. You’ve got a smart lady, there.”
“She picked me, didn’t she?” Jason smirked.
I rolled my eyes again, and Jason laughed. “I better get going before she makes me pay for that.”
He walked over and kissed me hard on the lips. He was going to pay, all right. “I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.” I turned to Bruce while I hung up my coat. “Let me take this back and get the cat settled before I get going on the invoices.”
I walked through the door with Booger prancing along beside me. While I set the bed in the corner and got the small bowls and food out of the bag, C.J. wandered over.
“Hi. How did our little dude do last night?”
“Good. Can you get him some water while I give him food?”
“Sure. I’ll be right back.”
I squatted down and opened a can of Booger’s food and dumped it unceremoniously into his bowl. Leaning closer, I petted him as an excuse to give him some parting advice.
“Don’t fall asleep back here in your comfy bed and miss any important info.”
He rubbed his chin against my hand, and I took it as an affirmative. I passed C.J. as he came back from the kitchenette with the water.
“Thanks for taking care of him last night.”
“No problem. I can take him home tonight too, if you need me to.”
I settled at my desk and started the invoices. After forty-five minutes, Bruce came up front with his jacket.
“I’m going out for a while to run some errands. We have a new client coming in shortly. If I’m not back when they get here, buzz for Jim, and he’ll deal with them.”
“Got it.”
Only a few minutes passed before the front buzzer sounded and a large man lumbered in. He quickly took in the waiting room area, as if casing the place, and then his gaze landed on me. His hard look set off warning bells in my head.
“Can I help you?”
When he spoke, he had a deep, raspy voice, like he hadn’t used it in a while. “I want to speak to the boss.”
“Bruce isn’t here right now, but his brother Jim should be able to help you.”
I clicked on the pager. “Jim, please come to reception.” I gestured in the direction of the waiting area. “You can take a seat if you’d like.”
He simply stood there, staring down over the counter at me. Creepy. I went back to typing, trying to ignore the hairs dancing the conga on the back of my neck. When the door opened and Jim came up front, my unease grew. Jim’s face went through a variety of emotions from shock to fear to anger in about ten seconds.
“What are you doing here?”
“We have some business to discuss. Let’s go to your office.”
Jim jerked his head toward the back, and they walked out. Crap. Where was Booger when I needed him? I had to listen in on their conversation. How to do it without suspicion? Coffee! I would take a cup of coffee with me, and then, if they caught me outside the office, I would just tell them I was bringing it to the client. Wasn’t that what a good receptionist would do?
I picked a random mug and filled it quickly before sneaking back toward the offices. I waited around the corner from Jim’s desk and hoped their voices would carry. I was in luck.
“Why are you here?” Jim hissed.
“I came to see your brother.”
“What the hell for? I told you I’m good for the money.”
“You’ve been saying that for a while now. We don’t believe you anymore.”
“I’ll get you the money. I’m not bringing Bruce into this.”
The man chuckled. “You don’t have a choice in the matter.”
“Damn it! No!” Jim hollered, which was followed by a thud. Misha’s voice thundered in my ear. “Get out of there Kyle, we’re coming for you!”
I peeked around the corner. Jim lay sprawled on the floor with blood running from his nose. The guy reached for him again.
“I’m calling the cops!” I yelled.
The behemoth took a step toward me, and I threw the cup of hot coffee in his face. He howled, and I kneed him in the jewels for good measure. Jim scrambled to his feet about the same time the mechanics came running from the garage and Bruce burst in from the front area.
“What the hell is going on?” Bruce took one look at Jim and the hunched-over man and his face paled. “You guys go back to work. Kate, are you okay?”
I jerked when something brushed my ankles. Booger was circling my legs. “Yeah, do you want me to call the cops?”
“Not right now. Give me a moment to find out what’s going on first.”
I went back to the front reception area and stepped out into the freezing cold to calm my nerves and speak to the team. “I hope you guys picked up what just happened. I’m fine, don’t break my cover.”
“Got it, little one.” Jean Luc and Misha drove slowly by in the van.
I stood outside for a while, watching my breath curl around me in frozen waves. Things were getting interesting, but I wasn’t sure if this particular drama was related to the poachers or not.
When the door opened, I tensed until I saw Bruce walk toward me carrying my coat. “You’re going to freeze out here.” He placed the coat around my shoulders. “Are you okay?”
“Yep. Where is he?”
“I walked him out the back door. He was parked along the side of the building, and he won’t be back again. Jim went to the ER. I’m pretty sure his nose is broken.”
“You should have let me call the cops.”
“It’s complicated.”
I shrugged. “Not really. Jim’s a gambler right?”
He cringed. “Yeah.”
“You’re probably going to say it’s none of my business, but since I got thrown into the middle of it, I’m going to tell you what I think. You can’t bail him out every time, or he’ll keep doing it.”
“I know. But he’s my baby brother.”
“He’s a man and needs to act like one. He could ruin your business.”
Bruce ran his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry about this, Kate. I’d understand if you don’t want to work here anymore.”
“I’ll need to think about it. Jason is going to be beyond pissed when I tell him.”
“I wouldn’t blame him. Although from what Jim said, you held your own in there.”
“I just used the element of surprise. Jason taught me how to protect myself. He was Special Forces like you.”
Bruce frowned. “How did you know I was in the military?”
“Your tattoo. We both saw it that first day. Jason told me it was Special Forces. How long were you in?”
“Ten years.”
“So was Jason.” I took a breath and jumped in with both feet. “Was the guy who attacked Jim part of your unit?”
Bruce’s eyes narrowed on me.
“When he was bent over, I saw the same tattoo on the side of his neck. Why would he be messing with your brother? Isn’t there some type of code you guys live by?”
“Most of us do. Unfortunately, you can’t trust everyone. Now let’s get inside before you get frostbite on top of everything els
e.”
Chapter 19
I made a show of calling Jason and then calming him down once I told him what happened. We “agreed” I would keep working. Around five o’clock, Booger came scurrying into the front area and jumped up on my desk, standing in the middle of my paperwork.
“You ready to get out of here?”
He rubbed his chin against my hand and then glared at me.
“Okay, give me a minute to finish up a few things.”
He shook his head slightly and then put his paw on the power button on my monitor.
“I get the hint. I’m packing up now.”
Bruce came into the front area and smiled. “I wasn’t sure who you were talking to up here. He’s gotten attached to you.”
“I guess so.”
He handed me an envelope. “This is for you. I wanted to make sure I paid you today in case you decide not to come back on Monday. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t.”
“Nah, I should be back. Besides, I have to bring this little guy in or C.J. would hunt me down.”
Jason drove up to the door, and I bundled up in my coat. “I’m going to go out before he decides to come in here and vent.”
“Do you want me to talk to him?”
“It’s not necessary.” I scooped up Booger and opened the door. “See you Monday.”
I jumped into the truck, and before we had a chance to turn out of the parking lot, Booger started howling.
Jason grimaced. “What the hell?”
“I think he needs to tell us something.” The yowling increased.
“Well, why doesn’t he?”
“Hello, do you speak cat? Let’s meet with Jean Luc and Misha so he can change and tell us what’s going on.” Booger stopped meowing.
Ten minutes later, Jason and I sat in the truck while Matthew transformed to human in the back of the van. Luckily, the van did not have back windows. I had never seen an actual change before. When I first met Matthew, he had just transitioned from cat to human and stood there in all his naked glory. Shifters weren’t too hung up on the whole nudity thing.
Misha opened the back door and motioned for us, and we went over and climbed inside the van. Thankfully Matthew was clothed in jeans and a sweatshirt. He was practically twitching with energy.
“What’s the urgency?” I asked.
“I heard Ken on the phone saying something cryptic about ‘continuing with the plan.’ He was planning to meet whoever he was talking to tonight at seven at the Ritz Carlton downtown. Call me crazy, but Ken doesn’t strike me as a guy who would hang out in the bar at the Ritz.”
I took out my cell. “I’m going to call Griffin and see if this has to do with some shifter business.”
I dialed and was surprised when Stephen answered the phone.
“This is Kyle. Is Griffin available?”
“No.”
“Matthew overheard something today at the shop. Does Griffin have shifter business tonight at the Ritz Carlton?”
Stephen hesitated before answering. “We have some meetings there tonight, but Griffin will not be in attendance.”
“You better cancel or move whatever it is. Because I think the poachers are going there tonight to attack someone.”
“I’ll have to call you back.” Stephen hung up.
“What did he say?” Misha asked.
“Not much, other than something was going on at the Ritz tonight. He hung up on me.”
Jason spoke up. “What next?”
I looked at my phone. It was five-thirty. “I think we should go there now, in case we’re needed for damage control.”
We arrived at the hotel twenty-five minutes later, and Misha and Matthew hustled into the hotel lobby. We had decided to send them in first since Jason and I might be recognized by Ken or anyone with him. But if the shit hit, so to speak, we could be in the hotel in a heartbeat.
I sat in the back, bouncing my leg until Jason reached over and placed his hand on my knee. I hated being left out of the action. After another minute, a black SUV drove up and Stephen and two very large shifters got out and went into the hotel as well. Jean Luc called Misha to tell him what was going on, and within two minutes, Misha, Matthew, and the other shifters had surrounded a man and were bringing him out of the hotel.
I craned my neck over the front seats of the van to watch, but it was hard to see who they escorted into the vehicle. Misha climbed into the SUV as well, and it took off. Matthew came jogging back to the van and jumped in, talking before he had a chance to shut the door.
“Follow them. They’re going to Griffin’s. Misha’s riding with them in case someone tries to attack them with the sound gun again.”
“Who were they protecting back there?” I blurted.
“Tim Connor.”
“Why the hell would Tim Connor be at the Ritz?”
Matthew shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Jason broke in. “Did you see Ken at the hotel?”
“No, I think we got here before he did.”
We drove in silence toward Griffin’s estate. Thoughts were bouncing like pinballs in my perplexed brain. How was everything connected? Was it connected? Were these poachers going after Tim since they couldn’t get to Trina? There had to be more to it. Why were the Connors being singled out over all the other shifter families in Cleveland?
By the time we arrived at Griffin’s estate half an hour later, I had come up with a number of questions. If Griffin wasn’t available to answer them, Stephen would have to suffice.
I scrambled out of the van a few seconds after everyone had emerged from the SUV. The two guards escorted Tim into the house, and I made a beeline for Stephen and Misha. Jean Luc, Jason, and Matthew joined us a moment later.
“What’s going on?”
Stephen turned to me and looked like he had been sucking on lemons. “Everything is under control.”
“Thanks to Matthew. Why was Tim at the Ritz tonight?”
“He was meeting some prospective investors.”
“Investors for what?” I persisted.
“Investors for Griffin Enterprises.”
“Could the poachers be after these investors?” Misha asked.
Stephen answered. “No, they’re human.”
“Maybe they’re after Griffin,” Jean Luc suggested. “Did Tim take Griffin’s place tonight?”
“No. It was always supposed to be Tim who chaired this meeting.”
“Why would someone go after Tim Connor?” I asked.
Stephen’s expression turned smug. “You do know Tim is Griffin’s nephew and currently his successor, right?”
I so hated smug. “And how exactly would I know that?”
“I thought you were pretty close to Griffin. I assumed you knew.”
“Don’t ever assume. Didn’t your mother teach you it makes an ass out of you?”
“Isn’t the saying ‘an ass out of you and me’?”
“Not in this case.”
Jason snickered next to me, and Mr. Smug Face looked like he was sucking lemons again.
Jean Luc, ever the voice of reason, said, “Let us go in out of the cold.”
I agreed, although I wasn’t cold. Anger had a tendency to warm me right up. I walked at the front of the group, reaching for the door handle just as it began to swing open. I barely stopped myself from falling into Griffin’s arms.
“I was wondering when you were going to come inside.”
My heartbeat pounded in my ears. Counting to ten—hell counting to a hundred at this point—probably wouldn’t help matters. He had been holding out on the team, and on me.
Griffin’s eyes widened slightly. I’m sure I was throwing off big-time emotions and his shifter senses picked up on it.
“I want to speak to you alone,” I demanded.
Griffin raised his eyebrows. “Of course, if you gentlemen will excuse us.”
I made a beeline toward his office, and he followed me. I wasn’t letting him play gracious host with me. Befor
e he even had a chance to close the door, I was barraging him.
“You’ve haven’t been completely honest with us.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why didn’t you tell us Tim Connor is next in line for succession? Didn’t it enter your mind this situation might be about your leadership?”
“I didn’t tell you because I thought this had to do with the poachers who grabbed Trina last year.”
“It would have been good to know about your relationship with Tim at the beginning of this case. What if they’re trying to get to you through him and Trina?”
He shook his head. “Not everything is about me.”
I scoffed at him. “Wow. I didn’t think those words would ever come out of your privileged lips.”
His eyes flared, and I saw a splash of amber in his pupils before he took a step toward me. “You don’t know me well enough to speak to me in such a manner.”
I didn’t need super-duper shifter senses to know I had pissed him off royally. I needed to dial it down a bit. I held up my hands in front of me. “In order for us to do our jobs effectively, we have to know about all the possible reasons why the Connors have been targeted. I’ve been wondering why they’re in someone’s crosshairs, and at this point I think it’s more complicated than poaching.”
Griffin took a breath. “What do you think we should be doing that we’re not?”
“We should investigate your people. This could be an internal power struggle.”
His jaw muscles rippled. “My people wouldn’t betray me.”
“Well, I think there may be a fox in your hen house. How did those guys know when and where to ambush us the night we brought Trina here? Someone is clueing them in to what’s going on. And tonight, who knew about the investors’ meeting?”
“Fine, I agree we need to investigate this internally.”
“When do you want to start?” I asked.
“Tomorrow night.”
“What’s tomorrow night?”
“We are having a black tie event. A large number of pack members will be there, so it will be a perfect opportunity for you to meet them and observe the pack dynamics for yourself.”
“Okay. What time do you want us to come?”
“I’ll pick you up at seven. The rest of the group can meet us there.”