She also came from a line of cat shifters. They called themselves Atrox or Clan. While the cave lions had died out, her people hadn’t, not entirely. There were stories told among the older people, once there were many different shifters, but nature had culled the race. As far as she knew, Atrox were the only shifters left.
Oh, there were fewer of them who could fully shift today, like her father, a Leo Atrox, but neither she nor her brother were shifters like her father. Although, her brother was more human and a little stronger than most. However, she carried more of the Atrox traits. Stronger, faster, more heightened senses and she healed almost overnight from most injuries. Which came in very handy in her line of work. But she could also partially shift to the she cat she was. Her hands could become lethal claws and her facial structure could become more cat like, right down to pointed ears and elongated razor sharp fangs.
Edge suspected Cole had the same secret, he might even be a Leo…a full shifter, and she knew he must be aware of her heritage. He’d seen her do questionable things for a woman or a man, like take a knife right through the thigh and be able to walk around the next day. Not to mention the fact that during a fight, sometimes she snarled. No human woman would make such a sound.
There had been more than one fugitive who peed his pants when she’d gone feline, but she’d seen Cole do some of the same incredible things. But since he was not of her Clan and she was forbidden to raise the subject, the same for him, so they didn’t discuss it. Until and unless something happened, allowing them to talk about it, which she knew they would not, they respected each other’s privacy about family legacy and heritage.
However, she’d bet her next payday, he and her father discussed it. Her father was the Alpha on the Council of Elders who ruled their Clan. Her father would have never allowed her to work or get this close to another Atrox without his approval, no matter how independent she thought she was. Papa would have killed him, if he thought for one moment, Cole was a threat to his cub. And if he didn’t—her mother would have. Instead, they both treated Cole like family.
Still, she couldn’t help but be cautious. Her father took her to the San Diego zoo once and showed her the big cats in cages. What would happen to them if others ever learned their secrets? The brief visit served as the first and last time, she’d ever been to a zoo.
Instead, she focused all her efforts into being like her father, a bounty hunter. They were hunters by nature and at rare times, they were forced to hunt their own kind. Those were the fugitives they never returned with alive. Like her father before her, she was also the Clan executioner. A job she didn’t have to perform very often, but for their survival, a necessary one. The one rule among their kind; they could not be imprisoned, not even the killers among them. Especially those. A predator shifter, full or partial, would go crazy incarcerated and once the killing started—and there would be killing—it would be too late.
Her father took her and her older brother out on cases since she was five and him seven, teaching them everything he knew. Though her brother JR, decided to go into the military, she didn’t turn away from tradition. Even as a child, she knew what she wanted to do.
“Well, if you put it that way,” she told Cole, turning her attention back to him. Knowing he only showed up bringing her food when they had an interesting case. Although, usually not so early in the morning, but this was the life she’d always wanted. Free to come and go as she pleased, within reason. Sitting in an office behind a desk would have killed her.
While her father understood her need not to be caged in any way, her mother posed another matter. All her mother ever wanted to do with her was buy her dolls and put her in pretty pink and yellow frilly dresses. All she wanted to do was wrestle with her brother and play with his toy guns. Right up until her father gifted her with her own, the real thing. Then he enrolled her and her brother in mixed martial arts classes. She could outshoot her brother, her father and his friends by the time she turned ten, as well as pin her brother and his friends to the mat or ground every time.
In her early teens, her father’s partner begun calling her Edge, a play on her last name Edgewater…and the name stuck. Only her mother ever called her Alice anymore, remaining as the only one who could get away with it.
Edge was a master in more than one martial arts discipline and could back up her ire. Her mother had long given up hope of her acting like a girlie girl and now at thirty, she’d all but given up hope her daughter would one day settle down and get married. So not happening.
“What is so important that it couldn’t wait until after my time off?” she demanded.
“The name Ethan Graves mean anything to you?”
He knew it did, she combed social media and the news for the latest. This guy was like uber wealthy and his name had been plastered all over the news in the last couple of months. “Yeah, so?”
“So, the dude jumped on a five million dollar bond.”
“Holy shit!”
Cole grinned.
Without another word, she turned and headed to her bedroom for a quick shower and to get dressed.
The Graves case had been all over the news for the last couple of months. Ethan Graves was the prime suspect in his wife’s murder investigation and after months of speculation, he’d finally been charged. Someone leaked to the newspapers the wife had been having an affair and was pregnant with another man’s kid, then when Graves found out, he killed her in a fit of anger. Which was the simplest explanation and also, the most likely.
Funny thing about the case, they never found the murder weapon. The papers claimed her throat had been slashed several times. Of course, Graves had vehemently protested his innocence and even hired a team of investigators to find the killer and prove his innocence. Guess it didn’t work out so good for him. But man, a five million dollar bond, some kind of payday. Then again, five mil for a guy like Graves probably equaled twenty bucks for everyone else.
By the time she changed and got back to the kitchen, Cole had the bagels out on plates and a cup of coffee on the small table serving as both kitchen and dining room table. He sat in the only other chair, glancing at his smart phone.
She sat across from him and took a bite of the bagel and a good long sip of the dark coffee he’d made.
“Feeling more civilized now?” he asked without lifting his head.
“Yep.” It was also a good thing he made damn good coffee. “Okay, so hit me.”
He put his phone down and rested his arms on the table. “I’m forwarding the info to you as we speak.”
“Great. When do we leave?”
“Not we, just you. I have something else I have to take care of.”
This wasn’t like him to sit out on such a big job. “Oh, like what?” She watched Cole’s arms flex as he turned away. Although, he didn’t hide it fast enough, as she spotted the troubled expression on his face.
“Something personal,” he said glancing up at her again. “I’ll tell you about it maybe, but not right now.”
“Okay.” His attitude gave her pause. To see Cole look so uncertain and troubled, not the man who literally could stare down the barrel of a gun and walk away. Nothing fazed Cole, nothing. But something was up with her friend and if he could confide in her he would. Since she kept her own secrets, she wasn’t going to push him about his. So, if she had to go this one alone, it wouldn’t be the first time. Besides, how much trouble could some fat ass rich guy be? “Fine. Then, let’s go over details.”
“How much have you heard about this case?”
She shrugged. “Only that the husband was the only person the cops were interested in. The evidence touted in the news seemed circumstantial but was obviously enough for the prosecutor to bring charges. Although, lots of speculation about the prosecutor only wanting to hook a big fish because this case has a lot of holes in it. Like no murder weapon when they found him.” Edge paused as she went over the detail in her mind.
Cole kept sipping his coffee as she
spoke.
“Wouldn’t be the first time, somebody got convicted on less though. Other than that, Graves is accused of killing his wife at their home in Great Falls. His stepbrother and housekeeper showed up and found him with the dead wife. The guy had money before he married and his wife added to those coffers a lot more. Then, since she might have been pregnant with another man’s kid, if she walked, he would lose her share, plus half of his own.”
Cole nodded. “That’s it. Seems like Mrs. Graves was going to walk and he wasn’t about to let her. DA’s office charged him with second-degree murder, his team of lawyers managed to get him released on bail but he was also required to wear a tracking bracelet. He left the court house yesterday morning and hasn’t been seen since.”
She paused and then took another bite. “Didn’t know about the tracking bracelet. So, what happened?” she spoke as she chewed, “Obviously, the bracelet didn’t work.” Those devices were almost impossible to get off without doing serious damage to whatever they were attached to, unless you knew what you were doing.
“No. His stepbrother showed up at the house last night and found him gone and the bracelet attached to one of his dead wife’s dogs. She had two of them.”
Edge laughed. “Cute.”
Cole smiled. “Yeah, but not so much to the cops. Apparently, someone forgot to tell the judge that one of the companies Mr. Graves owns makes those things.”
“Idiots.” She shook her head.
“Yeah, so it probably didn’t take him long to get it off and with his kind of money, bolt out of the country.”
“I just knew this was going to be another air trip.” She just returned from a weeklong chase through most of Canada and the week before that it was Mexico and before that, the Rockies. “Whatever happened to running away to New York?”
“Don’t know, but with the resources this guy has, he could be anywhere in the world.”
“Any clue which country I should start in?”
Cole shook his head. “Nope. But I’ve sent you his addresses, his home, business headquarters in Tyson’s and the one in DC, along with his stepbrother’s information. He might be able to give you some insight. He seems to have been very helpful to the authorities. And our contact at the police station will let you take a look at the files.”
She drained the last of her coffee. “Great.” She stood up. “I’ll grab my stuff and get moving. Do you want updates?” Usually he did, but given his weirdness about what he would be doing, she wasn’t sure.
“Just check in with me in a day or two, so I know everything’s okay and where you are.”
“Will do.”
Cole stood too and headed over to the door. He opened it but turned to look back at her. “Be careful. There’s something not quite right about this case.”
“Do you know something I should?”
“No. Just instinct.” He closed the door behind him.
Edge trusted his instincts.
Chapter Three
Edge had been searching for two days and came up empty. This Graves guy hadn’t left the country or even the area, she felt convinced of it. Most folks didn’t run far, usually because they couldn’t afford it and stuck to what they knew. Unlike a man with the recourses of Ethan Graves, frozen assets or no, she’d bet her year’s worth of bounties he had hidden resources. If he wanted to leave the area or the country, he would be able to. He didn’t. Her gut told her he stayed in town, it explained why she could find no evidence he’d left the country. But why stay? He didn’t strike her as a fool and had to know he would be hunted.
She turned on her bluetooth receiver and called the number she had for his stepbrother.
“Richard Ingle.”
“Hello, Mr. Ingle, this is Ms. Edgewater from the Bounty Hunters RWE Retrieval Agency. We’ve been hired to find and apprehend Ethan Graves. I wonder if you’d mind answering a few questions.”
“Hired? I don’t understand?”
“As you’re aware, he has disappeared on a five million dollar bond. I’ve been hired by the bondsman to bring him back.”
“Ah, I see. Of course, anything I can do to help. But my stepbrother is innocent.”
Mmm, why would he feel the need to comment about his step’s innocence? From everything she could find, he seemed to be the one who made sure the finger was always pointed in Graves’ direction. “Doesn’t matter to me. All that matters is there’s a bounty on his head. Do you mind if I come by your office in say a half hour?”
He hesitated. “Is it necessary?”
“It won’t take long. I just have a few questions?” She could ask them over the phone but she liked to speak to people face to face to better read them. She could smell a lie a mile off, and her instincts were flashing warnings just talking to this guy on the phone.
“Of course. I assume you know the address, so I’ll be here. I’ll tell my secretary to expect you.”
It didn’t take her long to get over to the Tyson’s Corner area. She felt surprised when she was shown into a corner office with Ethan Graves’ name still on the door, only to find his stepbrother seated behind the desk and looking quite comfortable in the high backed supple leather chair.
The man gave off every indication he wasn’t leaving anytime soon. Richard Ingle rose from behind the large solid desk. The quintessential bottle blond and electric tan, he needed a touch up on both the hair and the tan. He barely cleared six feet, thick boned with a slight thickening around the middle. He needed to spend some time in the gym. Still, he was an attractive man, yet for all his good looks, that blue-eyed gaze gave her the creeps and an instant hostility toward him. If she had fur, it would be standing straight up, bad enough the fine hairs at the base of her neck were doing just that.
Her instincts never failed her and right now—they silently growled, this guy was bad news. She almost moved her hand to the base of her spine to make sure the Pocket Glock she carried still lay strapped there.
Ingle came around the desk and met her halfway in a room large enough to take up the first floor of her condo. He stepped forward and shook her hand.
It was all she could do not to cringe or immediately recoil from his brief touch. Like touching something slimy, every cell in her body recoiled. When he released her hand and gestured for her to sit on the leather sofa on the far side of the room, she hid her relief.
Taking the offered seat, she sat down an arm’s length away from him. She would have preferred he sat across the room. Better yet, in the office across the hall. She needed to work at it to keep her breathing even and not let her aversion to him show.
He raised his well manicured hand to smooth his green tie. “Now, Ms. Edgewater. How may I be of help to you?” Even his voice sounded as slick as the tie looked.
“As I told you, I’m searching for your stepbrother, Mr. Ingle and so far, have not been able to get any leads on his whereabouts since he left his home three days ago.”
“I’m not sure how I can help you. Ethan is long gone, Ms. Edgewater.” He shook his head as though he were frustrated. “He could be anywhere in the world by now.”
“See…That’s the thing, usually if someone leaves the country, I can pinpoint the place they left from. Even if he’s using a false passport, there’s a way to cross reference data.” More importantly and what she didn’t bother to mention, her hunting instincts enabled her to see patterns. “But once a person makes it out of the US, they’re harder to track, especially if they hop from country to country. However, the US keeps excellent records.” Plus, she possessed a knack for it, her grandmother used to say that was because she was Atrox, as the females were the master trackers and hunters of her Clan. Even though in modern times, it was the men who’d become bounty hunters. “I’ve been unable to find exit evidence. Which leads me to believe, he’s still in the country. Frankly…still in the area.”
Ingle shrugged. “He could have just driven across country to the Mexican border and walked across the gate, right into Mexico.”
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“Maybe, but I’m going on the hunch, he never left the country.”
His entire body seemed to freeze. Something didn’t seem right in his response to the thought Graves might still be around, but nothing about this man felt right. He learned forward, his eyes narrowed and his jugular vein throbbed with tension. The first really genuine reaction from him, he seemed anxious or worried by this bit of news. “Impossible,” he stated.
She could also scent a whiff of fear, seeping from his pores. “I assure you, it’s quite possible. Most people who jump bail, usually don’t travel far from home.” She took out her small pad and pen from her purse. She didn’t tell him she also thought since Graves claimed his innocence, he might be trying to find another suspect for the police. “Now, can you tell me about any of his close friends and other than his house, any other property he owns around here, or liked to visit? Places he liked to hang out.”
Ingle rattled off a few names and places and she wrote them down. “Can you email me the phone numbers and addresses of these people as well as the properties?”
“Of course. I’ll get the information to you by the end of the day. Though, I’m not sure if I know about all the properties Ethan owns under his own name or the corporation.” He tilted his head and gestured toward the desk covered with folders. “I’m still trying to figure things out, so that might take a little more time.”
Edge pulled out a business card and gave it to him. “Fine, just send me whatever you have.”
He glanced at the card and placed it in his pocket. “And Ms. Edgewater, please keep me abreast of your progress. I’d appreciate it. As you can imagine, I’m concerned about Ethan. I really don’t want to see my stepbrother hurt. I think he needs help, professional help and after you bring him in, I intend to see that he gets it. The very best.”
Lies and damn lies. Her feline senses found the strong odor of deceit offensive. Yeah, this man had no trouble spending someone else’s money, and she’d bet while Graves was locked up, he’d been more than helping himself. She said none of those things. “Hmm, I’ll keep that in mind.”
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