by Dannika Dark
“What do you mean?”
“Certain animals are valued higher. Panthers aren’t easy to come by, so they’re the crème de la crème. Sometimes they’ll pluck a rogue alpha off the streets, but not many investors will buy a stripper just because she’s a grizzly or a tough predator. You know the old saying about how it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the fight in the dog? They have to be selective with who they buy off the black market because of the money they’re paying, so maybe the strippers are just part of the warm-up fight before the big show. Something to titillate the big bettors—show off the skills of the middle-grade fighters they’re trying to sell off. I’ve worked for some shady men in my past, but none of them dabbled in anything like this—at least not that I knew about.”
Reno narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, but somehow you seem to have more information than the rest of us when it comes to this area of expertise.”
Wheeler didn’t like the insinuation. His brothers assumed the men he’d worked for were involved in this kind of shit. Maybe they thought him no better than a criminal.
“Austin!” Lexi screamed from downstairs.
Lexi shouted for Austin all the time because she hated going up and down the stairs, but the urgency in her voice had both men running out the door.
Maizy walked toward the stairs in her pajamas. “What’s going on?”
“Go back in your room,” Denver snapped.
She warily returned to her room and closed the door. Denver and Reno ran ahead of Wheeler, Denver wearing only a pair of sweatpants and still half-asleep.
“Austin, get in here!” Lexi shouted again.
“What’s wrong?” Reno said, stomping his boots on the wood steps until he reached the bottom.
Lexi stood by a bright window with her arms folded. “Naya’s here. She needs to talk to Austin, and I don’t know where he is.”
“And this is a crisis?” Denver tipped his neck and made it crack.
Wheeler glanced at the empty foyer.
“Is she outside?” Reno pulled the sheer curtain away and peered at the front porch.
“She’s in the bathroom. What’s going on around here?” Lexi narrowed her eyes at Reno. “You’ve been acting weird, and she’s not telling me what’s wrong. Something’s going on, because Naya doesn’t just show up unexpectedly with dirty feet and grass on her clothes.”
Wheeler advanced toward the half bathroom beneath the stairs—his heart pounding against his chest. Before he made it, Lexi knocked him aside and pressed her body against the door.
“Naya, open the door and let me in. It’s Lexi.”
Austin appeared in the hallway and approached Lexi, wiping his sweaty forehead with a rag. “I was out back digging up the tree stump. What’s going on?”
Lexi whispered in his ear and Austin flicked his eyes around the room.
“I need everyone out,” Austin commanded.
“I’m staying,” Reno insisted, widening his stance.
Austin stepped forward with a loaded glance. “As your Packmaster, I’m respectfully ordering you to wait outside. This is private business.”
“Go on,” Lexi parroted. “Everyone out.”
His eyes slid to hers and danced with amusement. “That means you too, Ladybug.”
She planted her feet in place. “Naya is my friend, Austin.”
“Who came here asking to speak to the Packmaster. Rank trumps friendship.”
“I’m the alpha female.”
He lightly gripped her arm. “Let’s go, smartass,” he said, walking them all outside. “When someone wants to meet in confidence with the Packmaster, they’re going to get privacy. If it’s something you need to be involved in, I’ll call you in. Promise.”
He kissed her cheek to make it right and she wriggled away. Austin popped her butt playfully. “We’ll kiss and make up later,” he growled.
Regardless of love or brotherhood, they all had to respect rank in order to keep the pack united.
Austin swept back his damp hair. “Denver, run upstairs and clear everyone out. Or at the very least, just keep them upstairs. I want privacy on the first floor. We’ll be in my office.”
Austin headed to the back of the house where William slept and hammered his fist against the door. Moments later, William emerged from the hall with heavy-lidded eyes, wearing only a pair of white boxer briefs.
As a good pack did, they obediently stepped outside and gave the Packmaster his due respect.
Chapter 5
Austin set a glass of lemonade on a wooden coaster in front of me. I took a long sip, still thinking about the night before. Most Shifters could only remember a minute or two after their shift, and some remembered nothing at all. Sometimes it simply depended on how in control our animal wanted to be. I had a vague recollection of seeing two men when my panther turned around to attack, and then something electrical had frightened my animal and caused her to run. When I’d come to, I was lying outside my front door. Worried the men might return, I’d run across the lawn to retrieve my keys and clothes.
I hadn’t even gone inside to feed Misha. I’d slipped on my dress and driven straight to Lexi’s house. Someone had forced me to shift, and waking up without any memory of it had left me in a frazzled state.
Austin moved behind his desk and took a seat. A tiny sparrow hopped on the windowsill to my right and excitedly flapped away when he caught sight of me. On the left wall, I recognized a painting from Lexi’s old apartment of a boat in the dock. Austin had a cozy little setup with an L-shaped desk and a laptop to his left.
“You asked to speak to me privately,” he began, his forehead still red from the manual labor I’d pulled him away from. He switched on a small fan and aimed it at his face. I could smell his musky scent and understood Lexi’s attraction. He was a beast of a man—muscles in all the right places and a serious way of settling his eyes on a person. “Anything you disclose will remain between us unless you want to bring in a third party. I’m guessing you realize a private meeting with a Packmaster is not given freely. But you’re a close friend of Lexi’s, so on those grounds, I’m offering you my time.”
That was a big deal. Packmasters didn’t get involved in other Shifter’s affairs, and they didn’t take kindly to frivolous requests.
“Austin, I need a bodyguard.”
His jaw slid to the side. “For what reason? No offense, Naya, but can’t your animal take care of herself?”
I averted my eyes, uncertain of how much information to disclose. “Please keep this between us,” I said. “I don’t want anyone else in my business. I’m a single woman, and it’s not in my best interest to have my personal affairs become gossip.”
He nodded slowly. “I understand where you’re coming from. What’s this about?”
I took another sip of lemonade and the ice clinked against the glass. After setting it down, I used the condensation on my fingertips to wipe a smudge of dirt off my arm. “Last night, a man knocked me down and pinned me on my stomach. I didn’t see him because he had a tight grip on my hair and it was dark. He used a device,” I said, holding my finger up to my eye. “A quick strobe light—I’ve never seen anything like it before. Not that small. Precise enough in rhythm to force my animal out.”
Concern blanketed his expression. His frosty blue eyes seemed lighter against his dark hair and pensive eyebrows. “Why would someone force you to shift? Did they know what your animal is?”
I smoothed out the rough edges in my voice. “No, but they do now. They couldn’t have been Shifters or else the flickering would have made them shift too. That’s all I can tell you, and I’m asking you to respect my privacy. I’m coming to you because you have connections, and I don’t trust anyone else—not with this. I think you love Lexi enough that you wouldn’t do anything to hurt a friend. We’ve had a couple of girls go missing and…”
I couldn’t mention Reno helping or it could land him in a world of trouble. While he was a PI and selected his own cases, th
e Packmaster might consider it a conflict of interest to help a friend of the family, not to mention here I was, asking for another favor from the Weston pack and depleting his resources.
“What makes you think they’ll come back for you?” he asked in a raspy voice.
When a muffled sound came from outside the door, I paused and waited for silence. “They weren’t trying to rob me. I woke up and all my money was still on the lawn—a lot of money. I’m a last-resort kind of girl, Austin, and you’re my last resort. Money is no object. Just for a few days; I wouldn’t ask any more of your time.”
He sighed through his nose and leaned back. “I’ll have Reno—”
“Not him,” I quickly said, then masked it with a smile. “Nothing personal, but he’s… with April.” I gracefully waved my hand. “I… I would feel terrible if something happened to someone in your pack who was mated. April’s a sweet girl, and I wouldn’t dream of putting her mate in danger. You don’t have to tell me his name or what pack he’s from. All I need is a man to watch over me while I look into a few things.”
Austin brushed back his messy hair and stood up. “How much can you afford?”
“Two hundred a night is the most I can pay. What’s the going rate? Is that too little?”
He walked around the desk to my left, a few pieces of dirt crumbling off his shoes. “Two hundred is fine. I’ll keep this between us, and I won’t assign anyone who’s mated. Now that you mention it, I’d prefer it that way.”
I would have felt terrible if anyone in Lexi’s pack got hurt. Aside from that, Reno couldn’t watch me. I’d already asked him to investigate the kidnapping.
“Let’s keep this between us. If you have to tell Lexi anything in the throes of passion, just say I’m having issues with my manager and I asked for your advice. She already knows there’s some drama going on at work. And I don’t care who you hire or where he comes from; just make sure it’s someone you trust. I’ll pay extra.”
“Are you working tonight?”
“No, it’s my night off.” I cupped my elbows and stood up, sitting on the edge of his desk as he lingered by the door. A silly part of me didn’t want to leave. I felt protected in this house and understood the power of a pack, something my kind didn’t have. I thought about asking to stay over, but aside from imposing on his kindness, I’d never bring my Misha into a house full of wolves. Just the idea of them chasing her around made my panther want to scratch someone on the ass.
“Will you be home?” he asked. “I’ll put someone on you today, but I need to know where you’ll be.”
“I have to go back to my apartment and take a shower. I feel like a walking hairball, and I shudder to think about the pedicure I’m going to need after running around without shoes like a hillbilly.” I pursed my lips while staring at my feet. “It shouldn’t take long. After that, I’m heading back to Club Sin to speak with some of the girls. It’s a slow period at the club, so I’ll hang around until your man shows up.”
Austin raked his fingers through his sweaty hair a few times. “He’ll be there no later than noon, and you won’t even know he’s watching. After twelve, you can go wherever you need to. Maybe you should pack up a few things and stay at a hotel.”
“Waste of money, not to mention false security,” I said, tugging a leaf stem from my hair. “I’m already paying you, and no one drives me out of my home like a rodent. Hopefully those men were nothing but a bunch of pranksters in the middle of a juvenile initiation or dare.” I reached out and clasped Austin’s wrist. “I know we’re not the same, but thank you for not turning me away.”
His eyebrow arched with a curious expression, but I knew nothing about his history with panthers. Prejudices existed among the Breeds and weren’t easy to eliminate. It’s why I enjoyed working in the club; everyone who entered put those divisions aside.
“I don’t turn anyone away based on their animal, even if it’s a deer.”
I winked playfully and opened the door. “Maybe I’m a chimpanzee.”
Austin’s boisterous laugh filled the open hall and I matched his slow gait. “I’ll see if I can find you a banana on your way out.”
“On a side note, I know you and Lexi met with the Packmasters and filled out the paperwork to be official mates, but maybe you should consider having a ceremony. It’s not the Shifter way, but Lexi grew up thinking she was going to be wearing a wedding dress with flower girls throwing pink petals at her feet.” I clutched his arm. “Plus, it would give me an excuse to dress up in a gown as a bridesmaid. It looks like so much fun from the movies I’ve seen!”
He chuckled warmly and shook his head. “Unless Lexi tells me that’s what she wants, I’m not doing it.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes dramatically. “Of course she’s not going to tell you she wants it. It wouldn’t be as special if it was her idea.”
Austin fished in his pockets and jingled a few coins. “Everyone knows she’s my mate and that’s all that matters.”
I skipped a step ahead of him, talking over my shoulder. “Maybe so, Austin Cole, but every woman wants a party in her honor.”
“I suppose that would mean I’d have to buy a ring like Jericho did for Izzy. Then where does it end? Next thing you know, she’ll expect me to give her anniversary gifts, and then I’ll get in trouble for not remembering—”
“Aha!” I spun on my heel. “So that’s what this is about. You’re afraid of forgetting a special day for the next five hundred years.”
He shrugged indifferently. “It’s not the Shifter way.”
“Maybe a compromise needs to be made. Lexi grew up human, and no matter how much you instill your Shifter ways in her, part of her will always cling to their customs. What do you think her brother, Wes, would have wanted? Maybe having a declaration among the local Packmasters and a signed document isn’t enough. Maybe Lexi wants to feel pretty for a day.”
He moved forward toward the front door. “Now that’s where you’re wrong.” Austin peered at Lexi through the glass. She was leaning over the railing with her feet in the air, the wind blowing her long hair to one side. “My woman is pretty every damn day, and I make sure she knows it.”
***
After heading home and taking a deliciously hot shower, I put on a lovely beige dress with a sexy V-neck and paired it with my favorite black ankle boots. Maybe the shoes were out of season, but I loved high heels and studded cuffs. Before leaving the apartment, I made sure Misha got extra food and kisses.
When I reached Club Sin, Reno had sent a text message asking for my location so he could give me the scoop on what he’d found out so far. I ordered the breakfast plate of hash browns, sausage links, and two pieces of buttered Texas toast, then chose a wooden table in the back—far from the customers.
A pair of aviators landed on the table, and Reno grabbed the small chair next to me and spun it around. He sat down with his thick arms folded over the curved back. I giggled when he glanced at my plate and his stomach growled like an angry bear.
“Have a sausage,” I said politely.
“That’s like offering an alligator a chicken nugget. So here’s the deal. I can’t track down your friend based on what I’ve got. No surveillance cameras mean no record of the kidnapping, no license plate, no indication of what direction they headed. The girl who witnessed it go down couldn’t describe the men because it was dark and she only caught a glimpse before they sped off, but she thinks there were two—one driving and the other in the back.”
Chills swept over my arms when I thought of the two men from last night. I set my fork down and reached in my lap. “This is for your trouble.” I handed him the small envelope of cash.
He swung his eyes briefly toward the stage before looking back at my plate. “I found Skye’s address, but no one else lives there.”
“What about her daughter? She mentioned that her cousin watches her while she’s at work.”
His brow sloped down and he touched the small scar on his bottom lip. “A
mother wouldn’t leave her kid at home alone, so the cousin’s probably still watching her. I’ll check it out and see if they know anything about Skye. You mind telling me why you showed up at the house this morning like someone who woke up in the woods without a clue of what the hell just happened? Trust me, I know that look.”
I decided if Reno was already on the case, he needed to know everything. I gulped down the rest of my milk and pushed the glass aside. “Two men tackled me outside my apartment. They didn’t assault me or take the pile of cash I was carrying.”
His knuckles turned white when he made tight fists with his hands. “What the fuck did they want?”
I shook my head, a wavy swath of hair falling in front of my face. “They forced me to shift. They used a device to lure my animal out. When I woke up, hours had passed and there was no sign of them. Look, I’m not going to beat around the bush. Something’s going on in this club and none of us are safe. I’m not going to sit around putting on mascara while someone is kidnapping these women. The local Packmasters don’t want to be involved because, let’s face it, they think we’re nothing but trash. Maybe all you see on that stage is a pretty girl and a nice pair of tits, but these girls have big dreams, and that’s why they work their asses off so they can take care of themselves.”
“I’m not here to judge,” he said, holding up his hands.
“Neither am I. But you and I need to have an understanding that this is personal. Skye has a baby out there somewhere who’s wondering when her mommy is coming home.”
Reno scratched his bristly jaw. “Damn,” he murmured. “Look, I can’t promise anything. I don’t have enough to go on that’ll tell me where they are, or if they’re still alive. Humans could have taken them for all I know. I see that shit on the news all the time.” He reached out and neatly lined up the salt and pepper shakers, wiping a few granules off the table.