Muttering obscenities, he stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He peeled off a few bills from a thick sheaf, handed them to her, and stomped off, with his thugs following him. Unfortunately, she didn’t know exactly how much he owed the kids, but this was better than nothing.
She walked back to the kids and handed the money to Pern, and settled back down on the cement block. Now she needed to talk business. As much as she hated to do it, there were some things she definitely needed their help with.
Chapter Six
Tyler paced the room, kicking at the remnants of the lamp he’d hurled against the wall. His mood had been foul yesterday, but today it was a dark black cloud. He’d found what he’d been looking for after he’d flown to the mainland. Part of him wished he hadn’t.
Because what he’d found out was that his fated mate was not just a thief – he could have worked with that, somehow. He could have found her a new job, probably invited her to work for Shifters, Inc. They had plenty of former criminals working for them, including his ex-girlfriend. He could have found ways to make restitution to anyone she’d stolen from.
But the one thing he couldn’t do was bring someone back from the dead. And she was a killer.
How did this happen? he wondered as he paced in his hotel room. Was fate playing some kind of terrible, cosmic joke on him? He’d always wondered if he even had a fated mate. His father was human, which meant he was only half shifter. It had been a toss-up whether his mother would have human babies or shifter cubs.
And since he was half human, he’d never known if there was a fated mate for him. It wasn’t as if anyone had done a scientific study on it. Human-shifter hybrids weren’t unheard of, but they were rare. He’d asked his parents when he was younger, and they’d assured him that since he’d been born a wolf shifter, he definitely had a fated mate, but of course they’d say that.
Humans just seemed to stumble along and hope that the person that they married was the right one for them – although a fifty percent divorce rate suggested that this method was far from perfect. Shifters were supposed to know.
When he’d first laid eyes on the leopard shifter – hell, even before he’d laid eyes on her – he’d felt as if he knew. He’d felt a strong attraction. A magnetic pull.
He’d liked her even more after what he’d seen when he’d followed her out of the museum. She was strong. She was feisty. She didn’t take any crap, and she had jumped right in when that A-hole had been bullying the kid.
Still, facts didn’t lie. Facial recognition had revealed her to be Rhonwen Morgan, leopard shifter, a suspect in too many high-end heists for it to be a coincidence and, more recently, a killer.
Not just once – twice recently. She’d broken into a company called Aerodyne and shot two security guards who’d come rushing in when she tripped a security alarm.
A couple of months later, she’d broken into the home of a very wealthy family known for their art collection and murdered them – a mother, a father, a teenager. She’d taken several priceless paintings with her, leaving their bodies sprawled in pools of blood.
She’d been in Interpol’s sights for several years now, but up until recently she’d been a shadow on their radar. They didn’t have definitive proof; they’d just been dealing in rumors, and info from a couple of informants. On two separate jobs recently they’d found physical evidence. They’d found one hair, with a root attached, enough for a DNA sample, draped across one of the dead security guard’s faces at Aerodyne. And several of her hairs had been found clutched in the hand of the father from the murdered family. Although she’d shot the wife and son, she’d slashed the father’s throat, so she’d obviously gotten close enough for him to grab her.
So in the past year she’d grown sloppy. And vicious. Why was that? Boredom? Arrogance? Drug addiction? He hadn’t spotted any signs of drug use at the museum. Hadn’t scented it on her either.
He kicked at another lamp shard, sending it flying. Then, with an angry sigh, he knelt down and began picking up the pieces and dumping them into a trash can. He was compulsively tidy, even when he was pissed off. Whenever he’d had a temper tantrum and thrown his toys around the room as a child, he’d rushed around afterwards, picking them back up and putting them back where they belonged.
His mind was still racing, searching for answers, as he cleaned up. From a strictly practical point of view, her behavior didn’t make sense. Burglary was a business. Murder was bad for business.
He finished cleaning up, set the wastebasket down and contemplated his next move. The parade didn’t start for several hours, but he’d found out where she was staying and was going to head over to her hotel. He hadn’t decided if he’d turn her over to the local police directly, or follow her and see what she was up to.
He’d dismissed Maji for the day; he didn’t want the kid involved in anything dangerous.
He knew he should have alerted the authorities when he’d first found out who she was, instead of heading back to the island. He couldn’t even come up with a good reason why he hadn’t. Something about the idea of strangers swarming over her, grabbing her…would they hurt her?
As if it matters, he scolded himself.
He obviously wasn’t going to let her go, so he’d have to take her into custody himself. He couldn’t let a murderess go unpunished. He couldn’t let her kill again. Who knew what her plans for tonight were, how many innocent guards or bystanders she’d take out?
He exited the ancient, creaking elevator that opened into the lobby. Then he paused, feeling that odd tingling sensation again, and he searched the crowd, looking for her. It had to be his leopard. Only she conjured up that feeling.
After a few minutes, he spotted her. The back half of the lobby featured a bar. She was perched on a bar stool, holding a bottled water, and she was casually looking around the room. Looking for him, he was sure of it.
And she was dressed to kill.
* * *
“Well, well, fancy meeting you here.” Tyler slid up next to her at the bar, and instantly her mouth went dry. She grabbed her water bottle and took a big gulp. Not sexy, she scolded herself.
He didn’t seem to notice or care. His gaze roved appreciatively over her body, and a warm flush spread from her head to her toes. Now she wanted to dump the water on her head to cool herself down. Instead she took another sip and tried to summon up a seductive smile.
Up until now she’d dressed to blend in, but this afternoon she’d dressed to attract attention. She wore a white halter-top dress with cleavage slashed nearly to her bellybutton. She still wore the fake glasses, but she’d slathered on the makeup, giving herself smoky, smoldering eyes and shiny red lips.
“I know, right? What an amazing coincidence.” She set down her bottle of water. “Are you here to buy me a drink?”
“That could happen,” he said, and nodded at the bartender, who hurried over.
“I’ll have a margarita on the rocks,” she said to the bartender.
“The same,” Tyler said, and returned his attention to her. He leaned against the bar and favored her with a slow, lazy grin. She breathed in his scent, a mixture of his own animal musk and a cologne with hints of cedar.
“So, I assume that you came here to find me. I must say I’m flattered.”
She laughed. “And very self-confident.”
“I take it this means you’re rethinking your no-socializing policy?” The light from outdoors glinted off his brown hair, picking up hints of caramel. His lips were soft and sensual; she imagined herself nibbling on them gently. What would he taste like if she kissed him?
She moved restlessly in her seat, leaning back away from him. “Maybe,” she said, avoiding his gaze. She had a terrible feeling that he saw right through her. Was he buying any of this? She couldn’t read him at all.
She cleared her throat and tried again. “I mean, here we are, two single people on vacation, in this beautiful city. It seems a shame to spend all this time alone.�
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He nodded. “My thoughts exactly.”
She stared out across the bar. “I wonder how that taxi driver kid is doing.” Then she could have kicked herself. She was supposed to be seducing this guy, and that was hardly a seductive topic.
He looked surprised by her question. “Maji? I hired him to be my personal driver for the rest of my stay here. Two weeks. How long are you staying?”
“Oh, a while. I didn’t book my return yet.” Was he subtly hinting that he wanted to spend more time with her, more than just today? God, she wished she could. He was so damn sexy. She liked just sitting next to him, staring into his whiskey-colored eyes, admiring the curve of his upper lip. He had a musky smell to him. She breathed it in.
“It’s nice of you to do that for him. I know you’ll treat him well,” she added, and she meant it. And sincerely regretted what she was about to do. For Rhonwen, she reminded herself. The only family she had in the world.
The bartender set the drinks in front of them, and Tyler lifted his margarita and clinked it against hers in a toast. “To making new friends,” he said.
“To making new friends,” she agreed. She didn’t want to have too much to drink; she needed to keep her head clear. And the more time she spent with him, the more distracted she was getting. Best to wrap it up, she thought regretfully. “Should we finish our drinks in your room?”
She saw a flash of surprise in his eyes. Was she moving too fast? Had she already blown it? Damn it, she felt so awkward. She’d never been thrilled with deception – that was one of the reasons she’d got out of the business years ago. She was a thief with a conscience – a major hindrance for that kind of field.
But the flash vanished instantly, replaced by a slow, warm smile.
“Let’s do that,” he said, nodding. He slapped a handful of bills on the bar and slid out of his seat.
She followed him to the elevator and they headed upstairs.
As they went up, she briefly indulged herself in a fantasy. Maybe she could actually let him seduce her. Would she have time? And exactly how trampy was this vacation making her? Two sips of a margarita and she was ready to hump a stranger. Not just a stranger, but a man who could pose considerable danger to her.
Hell, if she believed that fate was kind, she’d think he was her fated mate or something ridiculous like that. But she didn’t believe that such a fairy tale was really true. Her mother had told her and her sister stories like that, and her mother had been the biggest liar she’d ever met. Her mother had also claimed she’d met her fated mate every time she brought a new man home from the bar. Half the time, the guy would try to molest her or her sister, and they’d have to stab him.
Tyler held the door open for her, and she strolled in. The room was decorated in a tropical theme with bamboo furniture, a sisal mat, and palms in huge ceramic pots. There was a wooden statue of GuRa, the fertility goddess, in the corner; she had enormous breasts and a hugely swollen pregnant belly.
Palmed in Gwenneth’s hand was a tiny capsule of a highly powerful knockout drug, designed specifically for shifters. It was her own concoction. She had concealed it in a bottle of Vitamin E capsules, but she’d replaced each capsule with various mixtures – knockout pills, wakeup pills, truth serum. She’d never been able to go to school for chemistry, but she was very good at it nonetheless.
As they entered the room, she transformed ever so slightly, just the claw of her index finger, and pierced the capsule. Then she squeezed it into her margarita.
They set their drinks on the coffee table. “I’ll be right back,” he said. “Just going to freshen up.”
It was like he was begging her to swap their drinks. He really should be more careful, walking away from his drink like that, she thought. He doesn’t even know me. I could be a serial killer for all he knows.
She knew how utterly absurd it was for her to be concerned about him, she just couldn’t help herself.
He went into the bathroom and she heard water running. She quickly switched their drinks, and he strolled out a minute later.
“I’m so glad you changed your mind,” he said, settling down on the couch next to her. His nearness was like some strange energy field, setting her body ablaze with desire.
She found herself wondering what his game was. He knew she was up to something, she was sure of it. So was he planning on seducing the truth out of her? Going through her purse when she was distracted?
Then he leaned forward, cupped her chin in his hand, and kissed her, and for a few brief, glorious moments she was swept away in a dizzying storm of passion. His lips were soft and tender, but his kiss was commanding. His tongue swept through her mouth, tangling with hers, leading it in an intimate duet. He kissed her with a hunger that couldn’t be a lie, with a deep-seated need that perfectly mirrored her own.
Every nerve in her body lit up like a Christmas tree, electricity crackling through her. She wanted to tear at his clothing, to pull him on top of her…
He slowly pulled away and stared into her eyes with infinite tenderness, caressing her jaw with his thumb. Then he turned away and reached for his drink.
“Bottoms up,” he said, toasting her, so she picked up her drink and took a huge swig.
He turned his attention back to her, grinning, and slung his muscular arm around her shoulders.
“So, tell me all about yourself,” he said.
She felt as if the room were spinning. That kiss. Dear God, that kiss.
She settled in against him to give herself a moment to stall. She had her cover story memorized, of course. She always did. Her whole life story. She’d never enjoyed lying to people, and found herself feeling even less inclined to lie to him in particular. Was it because of her strange feelings for him, or because she was just tired of it all? Perhaps a bit of both.
“You first,” she said.
“Oh, not much to tell. I live in Playa Linda, California. I work in the computer field. That’s why I came here, actually. I decided to take a break from technology, try a change of pace.”
“How’s that working out for you?” Keep the conversation directed away from herself. So far, so good.
He shrugged, his eyes boring into hers. “Well, not so well at first, but I have to say it’s getting a lot more interesting.”
She breathed him in again. His mere scent was intoxicating. She felt dizzy, swooning.
No. Wait. She genuinely felt woozy.
The drinks. He’d switched the drinks back. He’d double-double-crossed her.
As she sank into darkness, images of her sister swam through her mind. And, oddly, the kids from the shanty town.
Rhonwen, she thought, as consciousness faded. Rhonwen, Tana, I failed you all.
* * *
She was stirring on the bed. She’d be awake any moment. When she woke up, she’d find that he’d manacled her to the bed frame with copper handcuffs, and put a copper ankle bracelet on her for good measure. That would prevent her from shifting.
He’d gone through her purse with painstaking thoroughness, checking for hidden compartments. He’d found the bottle of capsules, sniffed at them, identified the drugs in them by smell. He’d checked out her ID; it was so well-designed that he couldn’t even spot the flaws in it. If he hadn’t run her fingerprints, he wouldn’t have known that there was no leopard shifter named Katherine Bowman from Los Angeles.
He’d found a few cleverly designed implements that she’d adapted; a comb, earrings, a couple of pens; she’d sharpened the tips on them and coated them with a knockout drug that he was able to scent but that would have escaped the attention of customs agents unless they had a reason to bring a shifter in for a scent-check.
That was it. There was nothing in the purse to give away her real identity.
He’d peeled the fake plastic fingerprints off her fingers but he hadn’t bothered to take any prints. He’d leave that up to the local police, who would turn her over to Interpol. In California, his agency had power of arrest, but th
is was out of his jurisdiction.
After he’d finished searching, he just stood there watching her breathe for a few minutes and imagining what it would be like if things were different. He dared to let himself daydream about waking up next to her like that, leaning in to kiss her again, tasting her…
Then he shook himself. There was no point in putting this off any longer, even though he really, really wanted to.
He shook one of the capsules out of the bottle, dropped it into his hand and squeezed it. It contained a stimulant that would wake her up immediately. He waved it under her nose. There was the briefest of pauses, then she let out a low moan. Her eyes flew open in bewilderment and she gasped, convulsing, yanking against her manacles.
“Hello,” he said, smiling at her, baring white teeth. “I found the antidote that you had hidden in your vitamin bottle. Also your fake ID. Are you ready to share your real name now?”
She glared at him and yanked at her manacles again. Her eyes fluttered shut, as if she were about to shift, then they flew open again.
“That’s right. Copper,” he said coolly. “I’m smarter than I look. Let’s you and me have a little chat.”
“Are you some kind of pervert? You’re going to try to rape me? I’ll scream,” she threatened, eyes sparking with fury.
“Am I a pervert?” He laughed at her. “Jury’s out on that one, but I’m not going to try to rape or molest you. And you’re not going to scream, because we both know you don’t want the police to come.”
She fell silent and just glared at him.
“So, Rhonwen, care to tell me what’s going on with you?”
There was a brief flash of surprise in her eyes; yes, he’d managed to find out her real name.
He leaned against the wall, smiling regretfully. “I mean, I already know that you’re here to steal the Eye. I mean before that. You used to be so good at what you did, then this last year you got sloppy.”
She scowled at him.
He continued relentlessly. “And then there was that whole killing people thing. Bad for business, Rhonwen. Especially that family. An innocent family. What was up with that?”
Spotting His Leopard (Shifters, Inc.) Page 4