by Vella Day
He laughed, but it didn’t hold a lot of cheer. “Tell me this. Outside the bar, if you were convinced I was a Colter, could you really have shot me?” He stroked her cheek. When she didn’t answer, he shook his head. “You haven’t killed anyone before, have you?”
Damn. She wasn’t the best of actors. “No, but I knew right off the bat that you were good, so there was no need to shoot you.”
“You’re too trusting, hacker girl, and that worries me.”
Mac rolled her eyes. “How can you say that? You don’t really know me, yet. I’m only trusting because we’re mates.” Oh, shit. Did she really let that slip?
Sam grabbed her shoulders, excitement skating across his face. “You felt it. Didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Fuck.”
“Now what’s wrong?” The man was a study in contrasts.
“Nothing.” The front door opened and Brandon called out Sam’s name.
Because her car was in the drive, he’d know she was there. He was probably just warning them in case they were naked.
“We need to tell Brandon about the names you uncovered, and I fear what he might do.”
Chapter Twelve
When Mackenzie and Sam strolled out of the back room, Brandon immediately knew what they’d been doing, and he couldn’t be happier. Nor was he surprised they’d ended up in bed. The need to be with one’s mate was too strong to deny.
Brandon mentally patted himself on the back. When Chris hadn’t been able to find any encrypted files on Hood’s computer, Sam had taken the news hard. That was when Brandon suggested he ask Mackenzie for help. Sam had been hesitant at first because he feared that if she found the sought-after information, she might go off half-cocked in search of the men. Brandon was able to convince him that the alternative was worse. They’d have no chance of ever learning the names without her hacking into the computer.
“Did our little mate uncover any gems?” Brandon couldn’t keep the smugness from his tone. From what she’d described she’d done in the past, her skills were extensive.
Mackenzie’s lips pressed together. “I’m not little. I’m five foot six, which, for a woman, is above average.”
He liked the way she stood up to him. “Just a figure of speech, darlin’. You should be used to such crudities if you spent the afternoon with Goliath here.”
Sam took a large step toward him. “Watch it, pipsqueak. Maybe we won’t show you the list of names.” Because his cousin had two inches on him and at least forty pounds, it probably hadn’t been smart to stab the beast in the eye.
Brandon’s pulse jacked. “You found something?”
“Mackenzie actually found it.” All three went over to the computer where Sam tapped the screen to bring it to life. “There are ten names here. We believe the numbers represent the amount paid for the women. Unfortunately, we don’t know who bought which woman.”
Mackenzie scooted closer. “Sam here accessed the missing persons’ list both for Gulfside—of which there are two names—and for the rest of Florida. Ten women were reported missing this past year alone. That should help.”
Brandon nodded. “That’s fantastic, but remember, these women could be from anywhere. Take Cheryl, for example.”
“You’re right.” Her shoulders sagged.
Sam spoke up. “I say we check out each man, canvasing the neighborhood to see if any of the gentlemen has a new maid, a new nanny, or some long lost sister who just appeared. If we can get a photo of the women in the house, I’ll have the department do a national search for missing persons.”
She smiled. “That would be awesome.”
Brandon’s logical mind tried to process all of this new information. “We’ll need help from Trax, Dante, Drake, Kurt, Clay, and Dirk to help with the search. It’ll go faster.”
Sam nodded. “I’m sure the General will give us whoever we need.”
Mackenzie picked up a half-full glass of tea and sipped it. “Who’s this General? I recognize some of the other names after speaking with Elena. I also remember her mate commenting that the General had called him. At the time, I thought Dirk was part of the military.”
It was time to tell her the rest of their secret. “You know the Colters are mean motherfuckers, right?”
She glanced to the ceiling. “Of course.”
“Sam and I, along with many other shifters, belong to a group called The Pack. Our sole purpose is to take down the Colter organization.”
“Seriously?” The smile that followed lit up her eyes. God, she was so beautiful—and all theirs; assuming they didn’t mess it up and drive her away.
So far, their fellow Pack members had found mates who seemed okay being with their men living a dangerous life.
Brandon picked up her hand because he needed to touch her. “Yes. Seriously.”
“Do you know if the men who bought the women are all Colters?” She glanced between them.
He liked how Mackenzie could focus on the important issues and let go of her hand.
“We don’t know, and it doesn’t matter to us whether they are or aren’t,” Sam said. “What we do know is that the men who orchestrated the human trafficking scheme are Colters.” He turned the laptop to give Brandon a better viewing angle. “How about you and I take the first two, Trax and Dante can check out number three and four, and so forth?”
The idea had a few holes. “Some of the men might know these scum, especially if they’d had any run-ins with them. We should let everyone have a hand in deciding who goes after which man. Which means we need to get this list to the General ASAP.”
Sam stabbed a hand through his hair. “I wasn’t thinking. You’re right. Regardless, we’ll need Trax and Dante to set us up with better monitoring equipment.” He turned to Mackenzie. “Each of our members brings some expertise to the table. Trax and Dante Field are our security systems experts. Clay and Dirk can pull off a sting operation better than anyone.”
She glanced between them. “My private investigation company was set up the same way. I was great with hacking into computers and picking locks, whether they belonged to doors or safes. What are your specialties?”
“Sam here is one of our best fighters. He’s a brilliant strategist, especially in Colter capture. Since I work for the telephone company, it’s easy for me to get close to the subject.”
Sam winked. “In English that means he’s been known to tap a phone or two.”
“And the General?”
“He’s our leader. He was in the military, but now he organizes and directs what we do.”
“Is he good?”
“Very.” Brandon glanced to the computer. “I was aware of your computer skills, but you held out on your other talents, darlin’. Lock picking? Safe cracking?”
She grinned. “A woman has to have some secrets.” Now, it was her turn to glance at the computer. “So which man do I get to investigate?”
Brandon’s stomach nearly emptied. “No one.”
She shoved back her chair as if she were ready to do battle. “Why not? One of the bastards has Cheryl.”
Sam pressed a hand on her thigh. “That might be true, but let us worry about the men. If you get in the mix, my mind won’t be on the Colters. It’ll be on you, fearful one of those asses will try to capture you.”
“I’ll be careful.”
Sam stood. “No. And that’s final.”
She leaned back in her chair with a smug look that had Brandon’s heart pounding. “I’ve already memorized most of the names. If you won’t let me help, I’ll ask Jay.”
Sticky dread filled his veins once more. “About your cousin, darlin’.” Brandon glanced at Sam to make sure he thought it wise to tell her about her not so wonderful relative.
“Yes?” Her jaw clamped shut so tight he was surprised she was able to say that word.
Sam saved him the trouble. “Jay Wagner is a known Colter.”
Instead of getting angry, Mackenzie laughed. “No way. You guys n
eed to retool your database. Jay is a good guy—like you two.”
Despite her cheerful response, from the way she was holding her shoulders tight, she had doubts. “When was the last time you saw Jay? You said it had been a while, right?” Brandon wished he didn’t have to have this conversation, but for her safety it was necessary.
She drew in her bottom lip. “He came back to Muncie when my dad died. That was almost three years ago. Would a Colter do that? To me, he’s a man who cares about his family. We talk often, and I’d know if he were a Colter.”
“I understand why you’re defending him.” Brandon steepled his fingers. “Tell me this. When you were at Wheels, did you realize the two men in the corner were Colters?” He only had to wait a second before continuing. The quick shot of fear in her eyes tore him up. “You can’t tell the good ones from the bad, you know. No one can. Not even us.”
She scrunched up her nose. “Jay is a good man. The only time he was grumpy or a bit mean was when I set off his house alarm after I got home late from being with you guys.”
Sam glanced over at him. “Your cousin has a house alarm? Don’t you find it odd that a garage mechanic would need one?”
“Jay explained that. He said his home wasn’t in the best part of town, and that he was a heavy sleeper. He put security cameras around his house to see who was trying to break in.”
Brandon’s heart broke. She only had her mom, her aunt, and her two cousins to call family. Finding out Jay was bad would kill her, but she needed to be leery.
Sam placed a hand on her shoulder. “We’re just trying to warn you.”
“Because a man tries to protect himself, you think he’s a Colter? I bet you have security here.”
“It’s our job to deal with bad people. We’re fully protected. No one can get in.”
Sam sat back down. “I know this is hard, but it would be best if you don’t stay with Jay anymore.”
She rolled her eyes again. “I’m not staying at a hotel. Not only is it expensive, Jay would want to know why I was leaving. I’m not about to say the two men who picked me up at the bar think he’s a Colter.”
Her description of them hurt. “We’re just two men to you?”
“You know what I mean. I don’t see the need to say you’re my mates or that I’ve slept with you. Jay would have a fit and insist my mom fly down and take me back to Indiana.”
Other than the fact Brandon would miss her, having Mackenzie miles away might not be a bad thing. At least she’d be safe. But Mackenzie wouldn’t go quietly; it wasn’t who she was. “All right then, you can help.”
Her eyes sparkled. “How? I’ll do whatever you need. I can break into anything.”
Brandon chuckled. “And set off alarms? No. That’s not what I meant. Besides, most shifters have dogs as pets. They’d tear you to pieces before you could reach into your purse for your gun.”
“Then what can I do?”
He hoped he was doing the right thing. “Keep an eye on Jay for us.”
She held up her palms. “Now you’re talking crazy. Wouldn’t he think it odd if I followed him to work? You think I’ll learn much watching him put oil in engines and change tires all day?”
“I wasn’t talking about following him.” He looked over at Sam. Should we have her mention to Jay that we have Hood’s computer and found the list of men? We could put a trace on him and see what he does.
Let’s discuss it later. When she’s not here. Sam cupped her chin. “We care deeply about you. We want you to be safe. Just be careful around Jay.”
“I will.” She twisted her face out of Sam’s grasp, and Brandon caught the disappointment in his cousin’s eye.
What if she reveals the names, and Jay tells his boss? Brandon asked. We could be screwed. It could also get Cheryl killed.
If we tell her not to tell him, she’ll tell him for sure. We have to trust her.
There were times when his cousin was more rational—but only at times.
She pushed back her chair. “I guess I should be going since I can’t be of any help to you anymore.” She lifted her chin. That meant trouble.
Damn. Now they’d gone and pissed her off. Brandon stood and gathered her in his arms, but she wiggled out of his hold. “Don’t be mad, darlin’. We’re trying to do what’s best for you.”
“You’d do better trying to find who took Cheryl and stay out of my business.”
Fuck. “When will we see you again?”
“When you have news of Cheryl.” With that, she picked up her purse and stalked out.
As soon as the door closed, Sam whirled on him. “Way to go.”
That was unjust. “Me? You’re the one who warned her about Jay.”
“Fuck me.”
“Now what?”
Sam closed the laptop. “We take this to General Armand. This is too big to do alone. We need help, and we can’t wait any longer.”
Chapter Thirteen
Mac’s head was spinning. Jay was a good man. Sam and Brandon must have had a good reason for trying to poison her mind against him, but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what it was. They couldn’t be jealous. Jay was a relative. Their job was to seek out Colters and destroy them. If this was how they did their research, God help any innocent person they took down by mistake.
Normally, she was good at judging character, but hey, people did make mistakes. In this case, she wasn’t wrong. Her body told her that Brandon and Sam were meant for her. They were honorable men—lawmen even. The hormonal surges, the yearning, or whatever it was called, convinced her she belonged with them. She’d been right about Sam and Brandon, and she was right about Jay. She just needed to prove it to them.
Mac wanted to talk things over with her cousin, but what if she were wrong? She couldn’t be, but what if she were? As much as she wanted to share the list of men who’d most likely purchased women, she wasn’t sure telling him was smart. If he was a Colter, giving him the list of names could get Cheryl killed. If he was only a garage mechanic who happened to live in a bad neighborhood, he probably couldn’t help her anyway.
He acted as if he had connections, but most likely it was because a few rich men needed their cars fixed. Perhaps she should tell him one name—to test his honor. Or would that be stupid?
Damn, she should have asked the men to tap his phone. They’d be able to tell her if after she gave him Carl Hampton’s name—the first name on the list—if Jay called to warn him.
By the time she pulled into her cousin’s drive, her stomach was churning and she was more confused than ever. Doubt was like a cancer. It had a way of worming into every cell of her body.
He wasn’t home yet. Good. Perhaps by the time he arrived, she’d have figured out her next move.
* * *
“What do we know about Carl Hampton?” Now that the list of possible men who’d purchased the women was known, the General convened a special session to plan the Pack’s next move. He’d said the information was too good not to jump on right away.
Chris Williams stepped to the front of the room where his computer screen was displayed. “The first man, Carl Hampton, is a shifter, but he’s not been linked to any crime that I can tell.”
“You know the worst ones always appear to be the cleanest,” Sam chimed in. He was chomping at the bit to get out there and start researching someone.
Chris nodded. “Hampton is a big day trader and works mostly from home. I checked his account. It appears that he comes by his money honestly. His family owned and operated a successful real estate company in town. When the dad passed away four years ago, Carl and his brother were the sole heirs. They sold the business and Carl went into trading.”
“He have a family?” Trax asked.
“A wife and three kids, which was why I dug deeper. I couldn’t understand why a man with a wife would want to buy a woman.”
Sam could think of a few reasons. “You find anything?”
“Yes. After a car wreck paralyzed his
brother two years ago, he now needs full-time care. It’s possible, Daniels purchased this woman so she could tend to this brother.”
Sam looked over at Brandon. “We’ll check it out.” It would be simple to find the name of the agency who provided the health care workers. A quick check would reveal if any of their nurses had been reported missing.
“Excellent. Who’s next?” the General asked Chris.
“Roger Medlock. He’s single and quite the party animal.” Chris flashed a picture of the man up on the screen.
Sam supposed that to the female population he was good looking. Fortyish and well-groomed, he had an aristocratic air about him. His trimmed hair and good teeth implied wealth.
“Why would someone like that need to buy a woman?” Clay Demmers asked.
“I only delve into their backgrounds,” Chris said.
The man looked familiar. “I think I’ve seen him featured in a magazine,” Sam said.
Chris smiled. “Perhaps you saw him in Gamer’s Magazine. He developed an online game involving knights and fighting. Made millions.”
Dante Field pointed to the screen. “What’s his address? Is it on Highlanders Way?”
Chris tapped the screen and brought up the man’s personal information. “Yes.”
“I thought I recognized the name. Trax and I installed the security system at his home a few years back.”
The General actually smiled, which was a rarity. “Excellent. Do you feel comfortable tailing him?”
Dante shook his head. “I’ll pass. He knows Trax by sight, and he might recognize me. We’ve both had contact with him. If anyone needs help, though, we can probably get into his place saying his system is due for a checkup. At the very least, we can provide a detailed schematic of the system.”
“Any takers?” The General looked around.
Sam loved video games. He wouldn’t mind becoming an expert on Medlock’s creation in case he conveniently ran into him. “I’ll take him, sir.”
“Very good, Sam.” He turned to Chris. “Next?”
“William Daniels. He’s in his fifties and his wife, who is ten years older, is very ill. She’s in hospice care, in fact. We believe Daniels worked with Harvey Couch smuggling drugs in from Mexico. Kurt, I believe your brother might have known him.”