by Vella Day
“Amen.”
“I’ll call you when I return,” Connor said.
“I have your back, little brother.”
*
Connor was with Ronan, across the street from the hotel where Timothy Delahart was staying. Both of them were more than ready to nab the son of a bitch. Ever since Connor had heard what a scumbag he was, he wanted the satisfaction of taking him down. It didn’t matter to him that Ronan would get all of the bounty money, Connor wanted to make sure the man never saw the light of day again.
“There he is,” Ronan whispered.
Delahart had just walked out of his hotel onto the busy street and looked around, as if he were looking for someone. Tourists were crowding around a coffee shop next door to the hotel, making an arrest more difficult. Because Delahart might try to use someone as a hostage, they sat tight.
“What is he waiting for?” Ronan asked with impatience.
“A ride maybe?”
“Wait!” Ronan pointed to a black SUV that slowed and pulled to the curb.
“He’s getting in,” Connor said. “Let’s go.”
Faces averted, they sauntered to Connor’s car and then waited for the SUV to get ahead by a block before taking off. As soon as Connor pulled into traffic, Ronan turned on the GPS and then planted a flag in their current location.
“Could you tell how many were in the car?” Ronan asked.
“Given that Delahart slipped into the backseat, I’d say at least two other men.” If Ronan’s Wendayan powers were to be believed, the two of them should be able to take down three shifters no problem.
“Agreed. Let’s follow them.”
Connor kept as far back as he could so as not to attract attention, but close enough not to lose them. When they left the main part of town, the traffic thinned, making it more difficult to keep out of sight.
“I wonder where they’re going.” Strain laced Ronan’s voice.
“Beats me, but if he’s as bad as you say, he could be doing a deal. Why else come halfway down the country unless it’s for something big?”
“True.”
Would it be drugs, gun running, or human trafficking? If he’d been sure something illegal was about to go down, Connor would have alerted the Chattanooga police.
“He’s turning into that lot,” Ronan announced.
When the black SUV stopped in front of a warehouse, Connor kept on driving. With one eye on the rearview mirror, he continued until it was safe to turn around. He didn’t dare get too close to the warehouse for fear of being spotted.
“I’ll park on this side street next to this store where we’ll be out of sight.”
“I wish I could walk up to his whole gang and say I was there to take him in, but that would cause quite a stir.”
Now Connor wished he had asked Jackson to come with them and have Rye watch EmmaLee. Having a bear would have helped even the odds. More than ever, he wished Dalton Garner had decided to become an investigator instead of a sheriff’s detective. A white tiger on their side would have assured them a win, assuming all of those inside were wolf shifters.
Keeping out of sight, he and Ronan made their way to the south side of the warehouse. The problem was that the building only had high windows, so there was no way to see in.
“We could shift and lie in wait until Delahart comes out, but if he exits with too many men, things could get deadly.”
Connor didn’t like the odds. “We could follow them back to the hotel and you could nab him there.”
Before they could decide, the side door to the warehouse opened, and Delahart came out with two other men. He was carrying a briefcase—contents unknown. Most likely, it contained money—or drugs.
“They’re all shifters,” Ronan said. “I can smell their scent. What I’d really like to know is what kind of shifters and how many more are inside.”
Before they could figure out the best plan to take them down, Ronan stepped from the parked car they were hiding behind. “Hey, fellows.”
Well shit, Ronan.
Three sets of guns instantly appeared out of their holsters, but Ronan remained cool. He held up his hands. “Just want to talk.”
“Drop your weapon.” This came from the taller of the other two goons.
Crap. Even from where Connor was hiding, he could see their eyes change and their hair sprouting. Be careful, Ronan.
Ronan removed his sport jacket. Next he slid off his holster containing his weapon and placed it on the ground. Before any of them had a chance to react, Ronan shifted and charged.
Connor hadn’t expected that move. Only someone as big as a tiger could handle three wolves at once. It didn’t matter that Ronan had some special Wendayan talents.
As fast as he could, Connor shifted too.
Claws scratching the cement, Connor charged. He leaped into the air and tore at the belly of the man closest to him. Ronan, in the meantime, was busy alternating attacks between Delahart and his goon—and winning. The stench of blood, along with a few blood-curdling screams, filled the air.
Even though Connor wanted a piece of Delahart, Ronan had tracked him this far and deserved to take him down. Connor should have asked if there was a dead or alive bounty on the man’s head, but at the moment, Ronan probably didn’t care.
The man Connor had attacked shifted and came at him. The first swipe slashed Connor’s side, but the cut was superficial. He growled, and the smaller tan wolf backed up, long enough to crouch down and spring forward again, but Connor was ready for him. Mouth open, Connor clamped down on the wolf’s neck. He would have torn out his throat had the animal not grabbed a hold of Connor’s under belly with his sharp claws and tugged hard. The sudden blast of pain caused him to gasp for air. Those few seconds gave his prey a chance to escape. The tan wolf stumbled backward and wheezed. He was down but not out.
Blood poured from his opponent’s throat, giving Connor a minute to regroup. He turned his attention to Ronan to see if he needed help. The first man Ronan had attacked was bloodied but still managing to fight. Somehow, Timothy Delahart was nowhere to be seen. What the hell?
A car engine revved up, and the same black SUV that had driven the men there shot to life. Delahart! Connor debated shifting and taking off after him when the door to the warehouse opened and two more men exited.
Ronan quickly finished off his shifter just as the wolf Connor had been battling regained some of his strength. It took a moment for Connor to sense these two men with the duffle bag in tow were not shifters. Finally, they had a break.
Their eyes widened, and Connor bared his teeth.
“Nice wolf,” the beefier of the two said.
The tan wolf scrambled across the pavement toward Connor making enough noise to alert him. Nose down, Connor opened his mouth and lifted a paw.
Sorry fellow. It’s not your day.
Ronan was chasing off the two humans while Connor delivered the final and fatal blow to his wolf.
In less than a minute, both foes had died and had returned to their human form. Connor sat on the ground for a minute to heal while Ronan trotted back. Before Connor had fully recovered, Ronan had shifted. “I’ll meet you at the car. We need to go after Delahart.”
Naked, Ronan grabbed his holster and took off for the side street.
If he could speak, Connor would have mentioned the man was long gone. Hopefully, Ronan had injured him enough to cause some problems. Because Ronan was chomping at the bit to go after Delahart, Connor shifted then followed.
Once they both reached the SUV, they grabbed their spare set of clothes from the back and donned them. Ronan’s arm was sliced open, as was his hip, but he didn’t wince when he pulled on his spare jeans.
Ronan slammed the back closed. “I can’t believe that fucker got away.”
“What happened?” Connor slid into the front seat and fired up the engine.
Ronan climbed in. “I wish I knew. I only had to battle two of them. I thought I’d landed quite a blow to Delahart
when I gouged out his cheek and part of his eye. His wolf had even dropped to the ground. Just as I was about to finish him off the other guy came at me. He was good too. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? It wasn’t your fault. You did great.”
“Delahart escaped.”
Connor understood. He often beat himself up, but that kind of attitude never helped. “I say we return to Silver Lake. If Jackson found your man once, he can find him again.”
“How about we swing by the hotel to see if that black SUV is there?”
Even if the man was stupid enough to return, neither of them was in any shape to tackle Delahart. However, Ronan wouldn’t be able to keep his mind on the game until he knew. “Sure.”
When they arrived, the SUV wasn’t there.
“Well damn,” Ronan said. “It’s an hour’s drive back to Silver Lake, right?” Connor nodded. “Do you mind if we find a drive-thru here?” He was leaning slightly forward in the seat, as if he was trying to hide how much he was really hurting.
“No problem.”
After they chowed down a quick meal, Connor suggested that Ronan should shift and rest in the back. Then when he regained his strength, Ronan could switch places with Connor. If EmmaLee saw him in this state, she’d freak out.
*
When Jackson’s cell rang, he pulled it from his shirt pocket and smiled at EmmaLee. “Your man is calling.”
She let out a long breath. Connor had told her that he and Ronan needed to drive to Chattanooga and arrest some man, promising it would be easy. If that were true, why had he been gone for four hours already?
“Where are you?” Jackson asked. He listened for a bit and then nodded. “Okay. No problem. I’ve enjoyed hanging out with EmmaLee. She is amazingly knowledgeable about all sorts of things. Sure.” He disconnected. Standing, he pocketed his cell. “Connor’s next door at his dad’s house. He’ll be right over.” Jackson stood and gathered his computer. “I appreciate you putting up with my crazy theories.”
She smiled. “They weren’t crazy.” At least most of them weren’t. “It was my pleasure.”
As soon as Jackson left, EmmaLee dashed to the bathroom to comb her hair. Before she’d taken one stroke, someone knocked. She smiled. Connor must have forgotten his key. She rushed down the hallway and then pulled open the door.
Her heart stopped. “Slater?”
Chapter Twenty-One
‡
“Anything you can find out about this guy or what Timothy Delahart was doing in the warehouse would be greatly appreciated,” Connor said to his dad.
“I’ll ask around.” His father nodded to the dried bloodstains on his shirt and pants. “Shouldn’t you change before you see EmmaLee? She seems like the type to fuss.”
Connor smiled. “Yes, it would be better. I’ll dash home before I see her. Speaking of leaving, I need to go.”
“All right, son.”
Connor jumped in his car and was home in a minute. His body had mostly healed on the drive home since he was able to shift when Ronan took the wheel. After a quick swipe of a wet cloth and a change of clothes, he looked presentable.
A minute later, he pulled in front of the guesthouse. The front room light was on, making it look cozy, and Connor’s wolf growled.
Hurry, his wolf said with an urgency he hadn’t heard before.
I know. I want her tonight too.
As Connor neared the front door, he vaguely sensed a shifter presence, and it didn’t belong to Jackson even though he’d just driven away.
Adrenaline pumping through his system, Connor charged toward the door, and when he twisted the knob, it was locked. Connor pounded. “EmmaLee open up.”
He fumbled in his pocket for the door key, but by the time he found the it and jammed it into the lock, EmmaLee opened up, seemingly unhurt.
“Connor!” She flew into his arms.
Fear sliced through him. “What happened?”
“Slater was here.”
His mind couldn’t comprehend the words. “What do you mean he was here?” He half walked, half carried her back into the house, searching for any evidence of him.
“Once he heard your SUV coming, he ran away.”
She wasn’t making any sense. “Ran? Ran where?”
EmmaLee was shaking so hard, he wasn’t sure she could answer. She lifted an arm and pointed toward the bedroom. “He took off running in there.”
“Stay here.”
He dashed down the hallway, but when he burst through the bedroom door, Coghill had gone. The only evidence he had been there was the open window. Connor shut it and locked it. “Motherfucker.”
As much as he wanted to go after him, he didn’t trust Coghill not to have come with others. If he left to find him, Slater and his men could take EmmaLee and Connor couldn’t chance that. He returned to the living room where he found his very pale mate leaning against the kitchen counter.
He gently clasped her shoulders and walked her over to the sofa. “Sit here while I get something to calm you.” And me.
After making sure the front door was locked and the rest of the windows were secured, Connor poured them two glasses of wine and carried them over to the living room. If there’d been a bottle of Jack, he would have downed that. He handed her a glass and sat next to her. “Tell me what happened,” he said.
“I forgot to look through the peephole because I thought it was you. Jackson had just spoken with you. He said you were at your dad’s house and were on your way here, so he left.”
“If I thought Coghill was coming after you, I never would have gone with Ronan in the first place. What happened after Jackson left?”
Her hands were still shaking, so Connor slipped the glass from her fingers.
“Jackson was gone no more than a minute when I heard a knock. I ran to open the door, and there was Slater.”
“Did you try to slam the door in his face?” Acid burned in his gut.
“I tried, but he stuck his foot between the door and the frame. He is a lot stronger than me and just pushed his way through. I am so sorry, but I really did try to get it shut so I could lock him out.”
He rubbed her arms. “It’s okay, babe; I’m just glad you weren’t hurt. Did he say what he wanted?” Connor had to work hard not to grind his teeth.
“The talon. When I said I didn’t have it, he ordered me outside. Before I could tell him I wouldn’t go with him, your car engine grumbled down the drive. That’s when he ran to the bedroom.”
“Damn, I was so careful driving back. I never saw a tail. The man is either the best at keeping a low profile or else he’s a witch who can make himself invisible!”
“What do we do now?” she asked, her voice trembling.
He clasped her to his chest and held on tight. “I think it’s time you switched places with Ronan.”
She leaned her head back. “I don’t understand.”
“I want you to stay in the safe house and have Ronan come here.”
She nodded and then sniffled. “I’d like that.”
He kissed her forehead. “I know it’s late, but I’d feel better if you pack up now.”
“You really think he’ll come back?” she asked. Poor EmmaLee. Her voice was strained, and her color had yet to improve.
“He wants the talon. Hell, he probably wants the boxes too.”
“He won’t get the talon. As for the boxes, there’s nothing of value in them,” she said.
“Coghill doesn’t know that. And who’s to say we didn’t miss something?”
Her respiration increased. “You’re right.”
Her dejected tone caused more acid to fester in his gut. “How about you pack, and I’ll ask Ronan to do the same.”
He stood, and when he helped her up, Connor drew her close and held her, never wanting to let her go. He kissed her forehead. “This will be over soon. I promise.”
She looked up at him. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because Coghill is up to something, and h
e seems to be escalating. I promise I won’t leave your side again.”
She wrapped her arms around him again and inhaled deeply. “Thank you.”
“Do you need me to help with the packing?” he asked.
She looked up, and a bit of the old EmmaLee emerged. “No, I’m good. Really.”
She stepped back and headed to the bedroom. While he waited, he called Ronan and explained the situation.
“Sure, I have no problem staying at the guesthouse. In fact, I’d welcome the asshole coming back. I lost him the first time, and I won’t make that mistake again.”
“Thanks. See you soon.”
*
EmmaLee planted her elbows on the front of Connor’s desk and balanced her chin on her palms. She’d moved into the office safe room a week ago and had barely left the premises. It was getting old.
He looked up from his computer and smiled. “Now what?”
Connor was being very patient with her. “I’m bored and a little tired.”
He leaned back in his chair. “We just came back from lunch. Do you want to take a nap?”
“If you’ll join me!”
Connor chuckled. “We have work to do, or rather I have work to do. I’m determined to find Slater.”
“Fine, so why don’t we set a trap for him?”
“You sound like Lexi when she had a stalker after her. You know I won’t use you as bait.”
“I figured as much, but I had to ask.”
Connor picked up his pencil and tapped it on the table, his tell for when he was thinking hard. “I have to admit I thought that after a week, he’d have made his move already.”
“What is he waiting for?” Of course, he didn’t know the answer any more than she did, but EmmaLee was tired and frustrated. She wanted him caught.
“I wish I knew.”
Voices sounded outside Connor’s door and then it burst open. A younger version of Connor filled the frame. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his mouth was pinched tight.
Connor jumped up from his seat. “Finn? What’s wrong?”
“I need your help.”
EmmaLee stood. “I can leave.”