“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do mind. I don’t want to talk about them.”
“I’m sorry that we didn’t cross paths sooner,” he said and then turned his attention back to the road.
Feeling claustrophobic, she pushed a button and let down the window. The damp, cool breeze flowed over her face, and she took a deep breath and settled back into the seat.
She’d have to come up with a plan fast to get herself and Andrew out of this mess, but while she was biding time, she’d allow the stranger—the man that had taken out a handful of men and could become a wolf in the blink of an eye—help her maintain her cover.
CHAPTER NINE
As soon as Connor stepped out of the truck onto the gravel, the fresh lake breeze fanned his face. The scent of the lake water surged as his senses heightened and his wolf stirred just beneath the surface of his skin when it recognized how near they were to the wilderness, an environment in which Connor’s other half thrived.
Connor’s home was in the city due to the nature of his work. He needed to have a residence someplace where there was instant access to clients. His firm was well-known for the type of services they provided and came highly recommended, but there were times when he got calls at a moment’s notice, and being just five minutes into the city versus one hour north of it made a big difference when it came to securing the client.
That didn’t keep him from visiting the lake a few times a month, whether it was to go boating or just perch on the shore with a six-pack of beer and his sketchpad. Even now, just standing near it calmed him in the height of this storm.
He sensed another presence beside him, and Antonia, who was still fast asleep in the truck. Even when he’d closed the door, she hadn’t woken up. He figured that she must be pretty tired. He needed to find out more about her, but her safety came first and foremost. It bothered him that she was somehow involved in criminal activities, but his animal didn’t care. Confirmation had come twice already of the strong possibility that Antonia was his mate. Once at the bar, when he’d scented her out before he’d seen her and then followed her head-on into danger, risking his life and his cover to save her. Then again, when she’d laid one hand on him and started the healing process for the wound on his arm.
The third presence, the one he’d sensed behind him, came into view. The brown Caedmon wolf shook its body as if drying its coat of fur, and in less than five seconds, Rodney Hall, Connor’s best friend and one of the most experienced bodyguards at Maxim Securities stood in its place.
“Max,” Rodney rushed over. "You look like you've been fighting."
“Yeah." Connor had since torn off shirt, but his jeans were still badly ripped. "That crime ring sent a fucking attack dog at me. What the hell happened back there at Dockhouse?” There was just as much concern in Connor’s voice as there was in Rodney’s body language.
“Dude, I have no idea. I led a group of men behind the back of the bar to report back on who was coming and going. When I came back around, I saw three squad cars pull up in front. When I saw the guns, I knew there was trouble.”
“The raid was the work of the local cops. Unless I missed something, nothing linked any of the shooters to the Feds. These weren’t undercover agents, they were uniformed police officers. Local cops.”
“So the Feds gave the Packs three days to find out who was behind the murders and settle this shit and the local cops decided to override the agreement? Is that it?”
“I wouldn’t put it past them, but I'm going to find out who ordered the raid. The execution was rather sloppy, so it had to have been someone who didn't know what they doing. I’m willing to bet most, if not all, of the suspects got away,” Connor said. “In either case, I’ll know soon if the Feds have extended the deadline. As soon as I can get access to a phone line that I know isn’t tapped, I’ll reached out to my dad. He’s probably already caught wind of it anyway.”
“I thought you said Ray down at the station was loyal to us, to our firm. Who else would have known enough about the tip to intervene?”
“Maybe they wanted us to believe they wouldn't intervene,” Connor said. “By the way, how did you think to find me here?”
Rodney grinned. “I know you almost too well, Connor.”
“Yeah, well, remind me never to get on your bad side. You might use your knowledge of my secret hideouts against me.”
“I came because I wanted to make sure you were all right. The driver had no choice but to leave us behind or get picked up. Only a few of us actually got away in the van. I’ve confirmed that the rest disbanded on foot. They’re safe. Since we’re doing this undercover, I figured we’d want the locals out of our business just as much as we want the Feds to stay clear.”
“Good call. I tried reporting in but I got static on the line.”
“Everyone was getting only static. I’m willing to bet the police were trying to hack into whatever channel they could. Either that, or they were using jammers.”
“I bet they were.” Connor frowned and gnawed at his bottom lip.
Rodney nodded toward the truck. “Who is the woman sleeping in the car?”
“Her name’s Antonia. She and her brother have been working as couriers for Cobra. She was making a drop for them when the police raided the place.”
“Cobra?” The bridge of Rodney’s nose wrinkled and he frowned. “Never heard of it.”
“Me either. Must be some code name for whoever she’s working for.”
“Let me guess? You saved her ass so you could question her?”
“Kinda.”
“Kinda? Man, are you getting soft now?” The joking tone to Rodney’s voice faded and then changed into a more serious timbre.
“I think she knows more than I do. Heck, she probably knows more than any of us at this point.”
“Well, what does she know?” Rodney looked skeptical.
“That’s the thing…she claims she doesn’t know much.”
Rodney snorted. “Women lie. You said she had a brother?”
“He got caught up in the raid. Apparently, he made the first drop and she was to follow, but that’s when the cops started shooting up the place. Name’s Andrew. She’s been referring to him and worried about him all night long.”
“Something smells fishy about all this,” Rodney said slowly.
“You think?” Connor asked sarcastically. “The fucking bag she was carrying had a tracker embedded in it. If you haven’t heard already, the news stations will soon be airing a story about two dead men and a dead dog outside a service station. I’m pretty sure those that I killed came for that package she had.”
“Damn,” Rodney exclaimed. “Well, I already agreed to help with this mess, so I’m here to receive your next assignment, boss.”
“Research what you can about Cobra.” Connor handed over a gun. “This Luger belongs to Antonia. She said it was a gift from her brother, Andrew. See if you can trace it anywhere. Find out what you can about the brother, too. I’ll send along any clues as I receive them from her in case that triggers anything in the search.”
“Got it.”
“I’m going to put the woman on a boat with me and we’re heading into Caedmon territory. I need you to take the truck and dump it. We can’t leave it here by the lake. Too obvious. Get some of the guys to help you. You know where to find me when all of this has been done. Everything else is out of my hands. I’ll send word to both Alphas. These are Pack affairs now. More than likely, they will give the orders from here on out.”
CHAPTER TEN
“Antonia, did you hear me?”
Eleven year old Antonia looked at her center counselor, Ms. Sharon, and wrung her hands in her lap. “What does it mean?”
“We have a married couple with one little girl, age nine. They’re willing to adopt you, and if everything works out, they intend to make it official.”
Antonia turned her gaze away and looked out the window, which had a perfect view of the courtyard at the orphanage where some
students were playing flag football. She was pulled out of the P.E. class by Ms. Sharon, and, of course, she was missing out on the fun.
“Aren’t you happy?” Ms. Sharon asked.
“I am, but…”
Ms. Sharon grabbed her hand. “But what, Antonia?”
“Will Andrew be able to come with me?”
“Antonia, the family is only interested in a pre-teen girl not much older than their daughter who is nine. Andrew still has a chance, too. Lot’s of families come in every day to adopt. Who knows…your brother may be next.”
Antonia frowned. “We don’t want to be separated.”
Ms. Sharon frowned. “Listen, this may be your only chance. In a couple years, you will age out of the system. This is your chance to have a home. The streets are no place for a young girl. Do you understand that?”
Antonia nodded.
“This is a very wealthy family. For the rest of your life, you could have everything you need. Do you want to meet them, at least?”
“Only if they agree to take Andrew, too.”
“It’s already been decided, sweetheart. They’re not going to adopt a boy. I’m sorry.”
“Then I don’t want to go. I don’t care how rich they are.” She pulled her hands out of Ms. Sharon’s grasp. “Andrew and I want to stay together.”
“This is against protocol, sweetheart, but…”
“Please, Ms. Sharon…I want to stay with my brother,” she begged.
“You have to be sure, Antonia. I don’t know if I’ll be able to find anyone else to take you in at this age. You’re almost old enough to work now with a permit.”
“I know. I’m very sure.” Antonia shifted her gaze back to the courtyard where her brother and her other friends of the orphanage were playing.
Ms. Sharon rose from the chair and patted Antonia on the shoulder before walking away.
On Antonia’s way out, she happened to pass the office where the alleged couple that wanted to adopt her were seated. Ms. Sharon must have been in there delivering Antonia’s decision.
“What an ungrateful child,” the woman exclaimed.
Ungrateful child. Ungrateful…
* * *
“Antonia?” The voice of a man called from above her. “Antonia?”
She shot upright and her eyes flew open only to realize she was surrounded by darkness and open space. It took her only a moment to realize that she wasn’t in the truck anymore with the windows down and the air beating across her face.
“Andrew?” she gasped.
“You’re okay. It’s Connor.” He rubbed her gently on the shoulder. “We’re on the open water, so be careful.” He helped her get up.
“The open water?” She looked around and yelped when she realized they were on a boat jetting across the surface of a lake. “How did I get here?”
“You were sleeping, and I didn’t want to wake you. You actually look pretty peaceful sleeping with the boat rocking and all.”
Antonia grabbed hold of Connor. “But I can’t swim.”
She was always a heavy sleeper, but how had she napped through being hauled off on a boat?
“Nothing’s going to happen to you,” he reassured her.
“You said we were going someplace safe, but I had no idea you meant traveling by boat.”
“There’s only a few ways to get to where we’re going. On foot, which would have taken more than a few hours, by boat like we’re doing now, or driving another thirty miles to the next city to reach the bridge. This is the fastest way. And plus, we needed to get rid of the truck. We’ve been seen leaving in it at least twice already.”
He reached into a duffle bag, pulled out a couple bottles of water and handed one to her. She took a moment to relieve her thirst.
“Will you at least tell me who you are? I know your name, and I know what kind of animal you are, but that doesn’t say much. And it doesn’t explain how you think you can help me or what you expect to get out of me.”
“I already told you my name. Connor Maxim. I own a security firm. We’re contracted year round to work mostly for humans, but our company was set up to carry out Pack business as it relates to liaisons with the humans. My team was on a mission to investigate some murders happening in the area. We got a tip that led us to the Dockhouse bar. It seems we weren’t the only ones who received this tip.”
She shivered, mostly from the chill in the air, but also because she was now in a heap of trouble with the law. The cops were now looking for her for questioning. Her brother was missing. Their names were now probably connected to some crime ring. There was no doubt that if she turned herself over or was caught she’d go to jail. The Cobra organization was, by no means, set up to perform legal activities.
She should have never listened to Andrew.
Never again.
Connor slipped out of his coat, leaned in, and draped it over her shoulders.
“Thank you.” She breathed in his scent, sandalwood mixed with a sweet underlying aroma. “What was the tip you got from the local cops?”
“Of that I’m not positively clear, but there was something linking one of the connected murders to a conversation heard over a tapped phone line. When we got the call from our connection at the police station, we had to act quickly. Why was the drop arranged at Dockhouse?”
“I don’t know. It was where we were sent to deliver the package. I’ve heard of couriers getting caught by the cops in the past, and we’re given very little information for that reason. And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand when the cops can’t link the organizer to the crime, prosecution becomes difficult. And the way I understand it, no one is ever sent to the same place when working for Cobra. This would be the third time I’ve gone out with my brother, but I’m sure and really afraid that he’s done a lot more of these drops.”
“How many would you say he’s done?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know exactly.”
“Would you say that he’s connected on a deeper level than you think?”
“You think he’s one of them?”
“Either way, we’ll get to the bottom of it. I made a call before boarding the boat. I have a few of my men actively searching to see what they can find on Cobra.”
“I need to check on Andrew. I have to find out if he’s okay.”
“They’re looking into that, too. Don’t worry about anything. I’m here to help you now.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Antonia followed Connor as he led her inside the small ranch-style home. It was nearing two A.M., and her eyes were still heavy with fatigue despite the short nap she’d taken during the drive to the lake. Her body may have been tired, but she still sought many answers, both about what had happened back at the bar, and about the man who’d saved her. Or the wolf he changed into.
“How long have you been living out here?”
“I don’t. This isn’t my permanent address.” He flipped on a few light switches in the home. “I have an apartment in the city. I normally only come out here when I need a vacation away from work.”
“It’s small and cozy.” She followed him from room to room, observing as he checked out each one.
There were four small separate rooms. The main living area, some sort of closet or office, the kitchen, and a master suite.
“Cozy? I guess you could call it that? But is that good or bad?”
“Good for me. I’m used to it. I share a two-bedroom, one-bath apartment with my brother…”
She pressed her lips together to stop herself from letting any more incriminating words leave her mouth. For some odd reason, it was easy to talk to Connor as her mind raced with things she wanted to tell him. Yet, she didn’t know where to start.
Why though? Why did she feel like it was okay to let this stranger know so much?
Was it because he’d possibly saved her life and was now promising to help clear her name and get her brother back?
Even so, there was still some informati
on that he didn’t need to know. Knowledge of whom she lived with would not necessarily help him or help her get her brother back.
“Do you live in the city?”
“We live—” She swallowed. “Almost.”
He turned his full attention on her, throwing her an inquisitive look. “Well, this isn’t the city. We’re very far from it, actually. Make yourself comfortable. We’re going to work through this together, but we can’t fix everything overnight.”
Antonia paused in the main living area as he moved about in the little compact kitchen. “How long do you think it will take to find him?”
“That depends on if he escaped.”
“I can call him to check, if you’ve got a phone,” she offered.
He came back over to meet her near the foyer, closing the distance between them. Only about an inch separated them as he slid his hands up the outside of her arms. “Not now. Come morning, I’ll have more details on the situation. If the local cops haven’t already, it’ll only be a matter of time before they gain a positive ID on both you and me. Truth be told, I would like to clear both of our names before that happens.”
“But the reports said we were just wanted for questioning.”
“That’s what they told the public. Besides, do you want to turn yourself in? People do hard time in prison for aiding organized crime rings.”
She swallowed. “Maybe that’s what I deserve.”
“No…” His opposition was spoken so quietly, she’d barely heard it.
“You barely know me, Connor Maxim. If you did, I’m willing to bet anything that you’d never even want to be standing in the same room with me.”
“What are you willing to bet?” He leaned in closer, his warm breath fanning her neck.
“Maybe…” Her back stiffened as heat and attraction flowed through her veins. “I don’t have anything you want.”
Wolf’s Honor: Caedmon Wolves Book Six Page 6