by Vella Day
Sam telepathed to Brandon, not wanting to take the chance one of the men could hear them. You okay? Looks all clear.
As Sam unraveled his body out of the cabinet, Brandon stepped out of his hiding place. Without a word, he glanced down the hallway, and then motioned they get the hell out of there. Sam was all too happy to oblige.
In a flash, they were out the back door. Since they remained in human form, they unlocked the rear gate and scooted out. Once they retrieved their weapons, they edged their way toward the front of the house. A black limousine was still parked in the drive. From all the surveillance they’d done since Cheryl’s disappearance, he knew it belonged to Paul Statler.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Brandon said.
Without incident, they reached their truck. Sam jumped in, keeping the precious laptop on his lap. Brandon did a U-turn and drove away from Hood’s house.
Sam tapped the case. “Let’s hope Hood’s little secrets are on this thing.”
“If not, we’re screwed.”
* * *
“What did you find out about Cheryl?” Jay asked as he tossed his car keys in the tray by the front door next to where she’d put the spare key he’d given her.
“Not much.” Mac told him about the conversation with the cabbie, and then about her phone call to her aunt. “When I visited the law offices where Cheryl had her interview, the secretary was so concerned that she had me speak with Mr. Statler himself.”
His spine straightened. “Oh, yeah? What did he say?” He slipped off his jacket and headed into the kitchen. The refrigerator door banged open, and he returned with a beer to his lips.
“Not much. Just that they had asked Cheryl to come for an interview, but that she never showed.”
“Did they comment about the mix up with the address?”
“Mr. Statler said that his regular secretary had been out sick a few weeks back, and the temp must have made a clerical error.”
“Bummer.”
While Statler’s explanation made sense, something didn’t seem right. “I’m wondering if he told me the whole truth. I found no incoming calls to Cheryl’s cell other than from me and her mom.”
“You hacked into her cell records?” She swore his voice nearly cracked.
“Only a little.”
“That’s illegal, Kenzie.”
She chuckled. “Since when did you turn into a Boy Scout?”
He shrugged, but she swore his eye twitched. “Never, so now what?”
“Tell me this. If you’d asked someone to come for an interview, wouldn’t you have made a follow up call if she didn’t show?”
He shrugged. “I would have, but I can’t vouch for a busy law firm. Maybe Statler decided Cheryl had changed her mind. He might have asked ten people to come in for the interview and assumed that when Cheryl didn’t show, that she’d found another job.”
“I suppose.”
He dropped onto the chair opposite her. “What’s your next step?”
“I don’t have one.” That was what concerned her. She normally could trace a person’s movements and get a clue from that, but Cheryl either hadn’t tried to call someone or her battery died. “She hasn’t made any credit card charges either. She has to eat, right?”
“You said she doesn’t like debt. She could have taken cash out of her bank account. When she ran out, she’d return home.”
“I hope so.” Did Jay fear that she’d stay too long? “I’m not ready to give up, but don’t worry, I’ll find someplace else to crash when Riley returns.”
“Nonsense. You can sleep in my room, and I can crash out here. I often fall asleep watching TV.”
Jay was sweet. “I’ll figure something out when the time comes.” She opened the laptop cover. “I spent some time looking into the newspaper archives to see if Gulfside had any other cases of missing women.”
“Okay. Let’s say there are. Then what? As much as I hate to admit it, missing girls are commonplace down here.”
Jay was too logical. Damn. “When I compile a list, I’ll speak with each of the families to see if I can find a connection between the cases.”
He waved his bottle. “That could take months.”
“I know, but this is Cheryl we’re talking about. If I were ever kidnapped, or God forbid killed, I’d want someone to find out what happened to me.” She leaned back against the sofa. “To speed up the process, I plan to head to Wheels, one of the local bars near the warehouse district, to see if I can learn something.” It was close to where Barbie Lassiter’s body had been found.
“I’ll come with you. It’s not safe.”
“I appreciate that you don’t want anything bad to happen to me, but having a man by my side won’t help me get information. Besides, the sooner I find out something, the sooner I’ll be out of your hair.”
She told him about the one article she’d found. Mac wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but the body of a twenty-eight year old woman had been found floating in the bay a little over two weeks ago. Reports stated that a Barbie Lassiter was last seen stepping out the back of a strip club where she worked and had never been heard from again. The report further stated the police had no clues as to the identity of the killer. Had Barbie not washed up near Seaside Drive, Mac would have discounted it as a random murder.
Unfortunately, the article didn’t state the name of the strip club or where Barbie lived.
“You think Barbie Lassiter’s death is related to Cheryl’s disappearance somehow?”
“I don’t know. I’m hoping someone at the bar might be able to shed some light on it. In Muncie, if something bad happened near where I hung out, it would be the talk of the bar for months.”
“Fine. Promise me that if you find one bit of evidence that connects Cheryl to any of this that you’ll come to me for help.”
“Sure.”
Jay was such a nice man. If his dad gave a rat’s ass about his son, he’d be proud.
“I’m ordering pizza. You want some?”
“Yes, but I’m paying.”
Jay grinned. While he ordered, Mac set about locating more families who’d had missing daughters. She’d had to search hard for any mention of a kidnapping or a cold case involving a dead woman, but she did come up with a few clues. It would be enough to go on.
Forty-five minutes later, the doorbell rang and Mac jumped up. Time to eat, and then back to more investigating.
Chapter Six
“You ready for this?” Brandon slid out of the truck and waited for Sam.
The smartest thing they’d done was put that tracking device on Mackenzie’s car. If they hadn’t, they never would have found her at Wheels.
His cousin slammed the car door and stalked toward him. Ever since Sam had learned the Colters had set their sights on taking out Mackenzie, he’d been in a foul mood. Never even said a word about how yesterday he was condemning Mackenzie for being a Colter. To him, she’d been guilty by association. To say Sam had a blind spot when it came to them was an understatement. Though if Brandon’s brother had been killed by those fucking wolves, he might have become a hothead, too.
“Let’s do this,” Sam said.
Brandon recognized the look in his cousin’s eyes. Sam’s protective streak was at its peak. When that happened, his decisions often lacked forethought. That wasn’t to say Brandon was immune to her plight. Hell, his body boiled knowing that Mackenzie’s cousin had betrayed her, but Brandon was the more levelheaded of the two. They both agreed on one thing. Jay was the lowest form of scum.
Maneuvering around the poorly parked motorcycles and big trucks, Sam and he worked their way towards Wheels. The wooden-slatted exterior had been worn by the salt air to the point where several siding boards hung loose. Even one of the light fixtures dangled from a wire.
Brandon grabbed Sam’s arm. “Remember, we’re here to gain her trust, not scare her to death. How about you watch our backs, and I cozy up to her?”
“Fuck that. Why ca
n’t we both get to know her?”
Brandon shook his head. “With your lack of insight, I wonder how you’ve ever succeeded in picking up a woman. A threesome might be commonplace in Gulfside, but we’ll overwhelm her if we both try to get her attention. She’s from Indiana, for God’s sake.”
Sam chewed his lip. “Fine, but if you strike out, I’m stepping in.”
“Like that would ever happen? Don’t worry, I’ll have her eating out of the palm of my hand within half an hour.”
Sam laughed. “Right.”
“Did you forget our ace in the hole?”
Sam puffed out his chest. “What’s that?”
“She’s our mate. If we feel this strong of an urge when we’re around her, I’m betting she’ll be equally attracted to us. I’m thinking she won’t be able to keep her hands off me.”
Sam cocked a brow, looking hopeful. “You know this, or are you guessing?”
Brandon lifted a shoulder. “It just makes sense, doesn’t it?” Two burly men piled out of the front door, forcing Brandon’s attention to them. Neither one was a shifter, so he turned back to Sam. “We’re good?”
When the door had opened, not only did loud music pour out, Brandon got a glimpse of the crowd inside. Damn. Mackenzie could have ten men surrounding her. That would make having a private conversation with her quite difficult.
Sam yanked open the door. “What happens if our bodies go crazy again? We’ll start a revolution in town if we shift.” His cousin had to speak louder than was wise.
“It’s the risk we have to take.”
As soon as Brandon entered the dark and smelly bar, his body started to change. Fuck. He halted, clenched his fists, and thought of John Hood, the man who’d arranged to have Cheryl stolen. Brandon’s body stopped shifting at the man’s image, but he knew the hiatus wouldn’t last long, even though the vision of Elena and Cheryl being held capture had his gut twisting. He actually felt slightly nauseated thinking about the man.
I hope you rot in jail for the rest of your life, John Hood.
After half a minute, other than the slight sheen on his skin, his body had returned to normal. But as he stepped closer to the middle of the room, he reacted again to her presence. Crap.
I don’t like being in here—too many men and not enough women to rein them in, Brandon telepathed to Sam.
I got your six.
Of the males who were here, only a few were shifters, but given Wheels was in the warehouse district area near the docks, Brandon bet they were Colters.
We should drag Mackenzie outside right now and make her fly back home. Brandon could almost hear Sam’s growl in those words.
Somehow I doubt she’d agree, Brandon answered.
You’re probably right. She’s sitting at the bar. Third seat from the right.”
I see her. Given she’s the only woman there, she’s hard to miss.
To his delight, Mackenzie was by herself. As he approached from the side, he could see that she was more beautiful than he’d remembered. He could only see her profile, but her straight nose and high cheekbones spoke of good genes. His heart turned heavy just thinking about the news he’d have to break to her. If he didn’t succeed in convincing her to stay clear of Jay, Brandon and Sam might never have a mate.
A purse sat on the stool next to her as if she were saving the spot just for him. A guy could dream, right? She sat up straighter. Aha! She must have felt his presence, or else she caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye. She reached for her purse, as if she wasn’t sure if what she felt was one of danger or desire.
Before he could say anything to assure her he wasn’t a threat, Mackenzie swiveled in her seat and gave him the once over. Was she trying to see if he was evil? Or was she letting him know she recognized him as her mate? From the gleam in her eye, it was closer to the latter. Relief poured through him.
The last few steps were the hardest. He was truly struggling to keep control. Brandon didn’t mind if she spotted the hair on the back of his hands, but if anyone else noticed it, there’d be trouble.
“This seat taken?” he asked using his most approachable tone.
She smiled. “It’s all yours. I was keeping it warm for some tall, dark, and handsome stranger.”
Yes! Mackenzie was making it easy for him. He wasn’t sure what he would have done had she said she was saving the seat for someone else. He held out his hand. “Name’s Brandon.”
The moment their palms touched, it was like an electric spark shot straight to his heart, his soul, and his cock—a cock that had yet to settle. If the size of her eyes were any indication, as well as the way she was shifting on her seat, Mackenzie wasn’t immune to the connection between them either.
As if burned, she quickly withdrew her palm. The light in the bar might be dim, but a hint of confusion, or possibly fear, crossed her face.
He suspected that she might be baffled about why she was having this type of reaction. Brandon wanted to put her at ease. “Does the beautiful lady have a name?”
“Oh, Sorry. I’m Mackenzie, but I go by Mac.”
“Mac. I like it.” Brandon noticed the long delay before she’d answered, as well as the omission of her last name. It was as if she wasn’t sure how much she should share. Then again, he hadn’t told her his last name either. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t mentioned it. She couldn’t know he was aware of who she was, nor would she have any reason to suspect he knew something about her cousin.
He slid onto the seat next to her. “You from around here?” God, his pick up line sounded like an inexperienced fifteen-year old.
“Indiana. You?”
Not much of a cover. That concerned him. She shouldn’t be so forthcoming with the facts. Then again, if she wanted to learn about Cheryl, she’d have to be truthful. “Born and bred here. You come down to escape the cold weather?”
Her features hardened, but she recovered quickly. “I have a cousin who lives down here. We hadn’t seen each other in a while, so I wanted to catch up with him.”
Brandon looked around, pretending he didn’t know who Jay was. “Is he here now?”
She glanced down at the glass. “No.”
“Didn’t he warn you about coming to a place like this? You never know what kind of person you’ll run into.” Shut up, Brandon. He sounded like a dad warning his teenage daughter about the big, bad world.
She smiled, causing his body to light up. His reaction to her was too intense, too unpredictable. He inhaled and looked away, hoping for some calm.
“He did, but I told him I could take care of myself.”
Brandon needed to tone down his big brother attitude. “Well, thank him for me. If you’d like, I’ll be happy to be your bodyguard for the night.” Did I just say that?
Thankfully, the bartender came up, preventing Brandon from hearing her possible groan from his second bad pick-up line. “What’ll you have?”
“Whatever you have on draft.”
The bartender poured the drink and plunked it on the counter. “You want to run a tab?”
Brandon had no intention of staying longer than was necessary. If he did, he might embarrass himself. “Nope.” He pulled out a five and tossed it on the counter. He held up his glass to toast, and she did the same. “To a fun vacation.”
“To a fun vacation.” They tapped their glasses and drank. “Do you come here often?” she asked.
She sounded overly curious. “Not if I can help it, but I was thirsty and decided to stop on in.” He certainly couldn’t have blurted out the truth. She’d have run for sure.
She nodded, seeming to think about his comment. “So, Brandon, what do you do for a living?” From the way she was running her finger up and down the glass, she was a little uncomfortable with the small talk. It was if she wasn’t all that experienced in the dating scene.
He wanted to give her a hug and tell her everything would be okay, but he suspected any overtures on his part wouldn’t be welcome. Mackenzie was his mate, w
hich meant lies would only make things worse. “I work for the phone company installing lines, checking to make sure the service is working.” If he expected her to open up to him, he needed to tell her more. “But I also work in law enforcement when needed.”
“Really?” Mackenzie twisted toward him, delight in her voice. When their knees bumped, adrenaline soared through him. “Then I guess you heard about the Barbie Lassiter murder a few weeks back. From the reports, her body was spotted right behind this bar.”
So that was why she’d come here. “I did, but I wasn’t involved in that case. By the time I heard about it, she’d been found.” That was the truth. The General, in one of their weekly meetings, had appraised everyone of the situation. It was a sad day indeed.
“Do the police have any suspects?”
“I don’t know.” The Pack sure had a few—namely John Hood.
Mackenzie’s shoulders slumped. Tell her.
I can’t. His sixth sense was telling him to wait a little longer. If this had been some random stranger asking about the sensational case, he wouldn’t have mentioned The Pack, so why should he now? Mackenzie might be a halfling and could be trusted with knowing The Pack existed, but he feared she’d tell Jay that she’d met a few members. That might make it worse for her.
Her bringing up Barbie Lassiter’s name intrigued him. Had Mackenzie figured out that Barbie had been with Elena and Cheryl in the warehouse? If he asked and she said, no, he’d have a lot of explaining to do. Jay could have mentioned something to her, but it didn’t seem likely. There’d be no reason to give Mackenzie any information that would lead her to her cousin.
“What about you? What do you do?”
“I work for a private investigation firm.”
He was surprised Chris Williams hadn’t come up with that information. “Really? So you’re a PI. That’s cool.”
She glanced away. “Actually, I work mostly in the office doing computer stuff, but I have skills.”
He bet she did. “What’s your forte?”
She glanced to the ceiling. “Hmm. That would be tough. I’d have to say finding information on people.”