by CatNip (lit)
The call he’d made to Daniel had not been an easy one. Daniel was on his way back to the base after completing his rendezvous with one of his connections in their outfit. Daniel would be returning to McDill within the hour, and that made Craig feel slightly better.
Daniel had never sounded so tense, which he could understand. Daniel’s only family, his sister, was missing. Seven years earlier, Daniel and Lynx had lost both their loving, adoptive parents in a freak, tragic accident, and now Lynx was missing. Craig knew that if anything happened to her, Daniel would never forgive himself. Hell, how would he ever forgive himself?
His throat tightened at the thought of losing Lynx and what that would do to his buddy, her brother. It would devastate them both, if truth were told. There could be no mistakes on this mission. They would find and rescue her, and Goddess help anyone who tried to stand in their way.
~ Catch Up ~
Daniel pulled up in the parking lot at the base compound and parked. Craig waved and strode out to meet him. Craig wasted no time filling him in on what the team had gleaned from the scant forensic evidence taken from Lynx’s apartment.
“They haven’t identified any ‘suspect’ fingerprints, Daniel. But, the lab is still sorting through the other prints that we lifted. So far, every print has belonged to someone known to have been in Lynx’s apartment.”
Craig paused. “There was evidence of a small amount of blood in the kitchen. It was determined to be Lynx’s blood, but,” Craig added hastily, “it was an insignificant amount, Daniel. It could’ve easily been from just a scratch.”
This was not the kind of news Daniel had hoped to hear. Relaying it was just as difficult for Craig, judging by his face.
It didn’t help much. Daniel’s emotions see-sawed, and fear for Lynx’s safety vied with absolute rage at thought of anyone hurting her. He clenched his fists.
“We will find the bastard who did this,” Craig said reassuringly. Daniel could see the same determined look in Craig’s eyes. He knew he wasn’t alone. Craig would do whatever it took to see Lynx was found.
Daniel agreed. “Let’s get to it, then. Let’s head to Sarasota and that packing company listed on Crawley’s business card. So, who’s driving? Me or you, pal?”
Craig laughed at him, outright. “Daniel, I recall a certain unforgettable car chase over a certain bridge. Sure, it was an exhilarating ride, buddy. But things could’ve turned out much differently. For instance, it wouldn’t have been so funny if I had to wind up detailing my ‘Stang just to have the fish removed.”
Daniel remembered vividly and fondly. The memory still made him smile. “Hey, bro, watch it. You’re starting to sound like my sister when she’s pissed off.”
Craig chuckled. “You’re probably right. Let’s drive your Camaro this time, okay? On second thought, let me drive it. You nearly had me choking on saltwater and gagging on sardines last time around.”
“All right, just this once,” Daniel said, laughing again. He quickly turned serious. “Hop in.” Daniel tossed the keys to Craig then he settled his long, lanky form in the passenger seat. “We got some serious miles to eat, and the sooner we get going, the sooner we can find Lynx.”
The Camaro’s ignition roared back to life, and a familiar country tune poured from the radio. As Joe Nichols crooned “The Impossible,” Craig made for the highway. Daniel hoped, for his sake and Craig’s, finding Lynx wouldn’t turn out to be impossible. If anything happened to his baby sister, Daniel wasn’t so sure he’d survive it.
Chapter 5
Lynx stirred. She felt really groggy. How long had she slept? She did remember drifting in and out of some disturbingly erotic dreams. Yet, her head felt as if it weighed a ton. Her eyelids even felt heavy. She moved her tongue. It felt thick, as if it were full of glue. Lynx slowly forced her eyes open and tried to focus.
A large, very muscular man sat by her bed, watching her. “Water, could I have some water, please?” she croaked out.
He rose up, muscles rippling in one long smooth and limber stretch. He moved so gracefully, so fluidly. He looked exotic for a man, sun-burnished and golden. She could have ripped him straight out of Greek myth. Yes, this man was definitely dangerous-one way or another.
Lynx eyed the man speculatively as he went to retrieve the bedside carafe. He silently poured her a tall glass of refreshing water. He returned to her side at the bed, sat down again, and carefully lifted her head with one hand, easing her lips to the glass.
Lynx drank it in gulps until she finally drained the glass’s contents.
“Where am I?” she asked, looking about questioningly. “Who are you?” she asked more pointedly.
He slowly set the empty glass on the side table again and peered at her thoughtfully, as if to unsure what to tell her. “You’re at my ranch, the Lascaux Ranch,” he finally said softly. “My name is Leo Lascaux. We’ve been looking for you for a very long time, Lynx. Recently, we discovered your whereabouts. But it coincided with a most unhappy accident.”
“What incident was that?”
Leo seemed to think for a moment before he answered her question. “Well, it was the night a man named Raymond Crawley was killed that we found you. It was lucky for you that we did.”
Puzzled, Lynx looked at Leo. She faintly remembered Leo now. The attackers she’d struggled with, they had run out the back way when Leo and another man had come in. But why had Leo been there to begin with? The question formed in her head before her mouth could utter it.
“Who am I to you, then?”
Her question was answered before the words left her lips. Leo’s telepathic transmission sounded clear as a bell-in her head. Shocked, Lynx listened, struggling to understand the implications.
“You are of an ancient bloodline, Lynx. You are descended from the Imatu, the cat people of Indian lore and legend. We, as well as others of your kind, had little hope of finding you. We were not even sure if you’d survived your first year. We didn’t know where your adoptive parents had taken you after we found out you’d been orphaned.”
“Telepathy is a natural talent for the Imatu, Lynx,” Leo explained, out loud this time.
“But not everyone transmits as capably as you just did. Many shifters learn how to control their telepathic gifts over time. Some experience it soon after their first shift. Others, like you, just do it naturally when the situation is right. I am pleased that your gift is so strong,” Leo added.
The compliment strangely warmed her.
She stared back at Leo and took careful note of his features. He had amber-colored eyes with long, sooty eyelashes. His thick golden mane of hair hung loosely down his back.
He made her mouth water. Lynx licked her lips. Leo’s shoulders were broad, but they seemed to fit perfectly atop his narrow, but rock-solid torso. His legs were long and lean, and yet, muscular. From his golden hair down to his perfect ass, this man was gorgeous. He could also read her thoughts. Slightly intimidated, she swallowed the knot that rose in her throat.
He observed her as well. The look in his eyes was both knowing and provocative.
Leo moved, looking suddenly uncomfortable. From her vantage point, Lynx didn’t need to read Leo’s mind to intuit the reason for his change of position. The surge of hardening flesh between his thighs was a clue, a really big one.
Embarrassed, her eyes flew to his. She was probably crimson right now. Still, there was no censure in Leo’s gaze, only raw hunger.
The need flashed in his look and was gone.
Leo didn’t give her time to ponder it. “Lynx, I know you have more questions. I’ll answer them soon. Right now, I do need to go take care of some ranch business. Just know this. You are safe here, Lynx. You will not be harmed here or under my care.”
He went on. “Still, if I were you, I wouldn’t try to leave just yet. It just isn’t safe yet for you to do so.”
Leo drew in a breath, and then explained, “First, my ranch is well guarded, but the men who tried to abduct you could try
again. You’re not back to full strength yet, Lynx. You have been targeted by dangerous people, the kind of people who only wish to destroy you. You would not be safe were these men to succeed in abducting you. The consequences-if they find you again-could be dire. Just rest now. You’re safe,” Leo finished.
Oddly enough, she believed him. Feeling slightly woozy and definitely sleepy again, Lynx chose to accept Leo’s explanation, for the time being. She acquiesced as he urged her to lie back down. She sank back onto the pillows with a sigh.
Leo arranged the silken covers around her shoulders. He smoothed her hair out of her face and bent over her. Slowly, he brushed her forehead with a feather-light kiss. The tender touch seared her like a brand. He tucked the edge of the coverlet around her more firmly and padded out of the room.
Lynx curled up and drifted back to sleep.
~ CatTests ~
It was time to find out the rest of the test results. Leo headed for the lab, where he knew he’d likely find Roberto and Felice.
As he walked, he wondered. Would the results verify Lynx was the mate for him? Was Lynx a descendent of the prominent Imatu shifters Sing Young and Enid Persia?
Until Roberto and Felice had found him, Leo hadn’t known any other Imatus, at least to his knowledge. Roberto and Felice had introduced him to Demar and the twins, Colby and Drake.
Their ongoing search for other Imatu was often hampered by many things. The intense desire of most shifters to maintain their secrecy was a big reason. There was also the unknown element of the scattered feline shifters. Shifters who had not yet discovered their own lineage or abilities were difficult to locate, too.
Other factors impeded the hunt for those of their kind. Unless a shifter had parents who were both of the ancient bloodline, their true nature was somewhat diluted genetically. This could make identification a challenge.
There were stories of shifters that discovered their hidden animal nature with erratic results. Suicide or madness could result. Control was imperative for the Imatu. Shifters with extraordinary capabilities on the loose and out of control were a tremendous risk for their kind. The Imatu could not afford that kind of exposure. Humans were already capable of extreme prejudices. The Imatu were vulnerable enough without stories leaking of rogue shape-shifters on the loose.
Roberto looked up as he entered the lab. Roberto’s face was impassive, set with the concentrated stamp of a man who perpetually sorted and tested confusing data. Leo was unperturbed by Roberto’s habitually serious demeanor. He understood it. “So, Roberto, what have we got so far with her blood work? Anything new?”
Roberto shot Leo a sidewise look as he carefully placed the small vial he’d been holding back into the circular slot of the carrier. Then he moved over by the refrigerated unit and placed the contents safely inside. Only then did Roberto clear his throat softly.
“The battery of tests confirms her physiology is completely compatible to yours, Leo. We do know that she’s healthy so far and should be able to bear children. Felice has been doing more research into Lynx’s background, too.
“As you know, Leo, it wasn’t an easy search. She was adopted so early in life. Finding out that her real parents were both of the ancient bloodline took some complicated research. Still, the answers have confirmed what we originally expected. Lynx is the biological daughter of Enid Persia and Sing Young. As you know, their unique genetic footprints are unmistakable.”
“Well, I was certainly expecting as much,” Leo said. “I feel powerfully drawn to Lynx. I’ve never experienced this kind of need before,” Leo admitted ruefully, “and my protective instincts are going into overdrive. What if I had lost her, Roberto?”
Roberto brow furrowed, but his next revelation intrigued Leo. “The research we did on Lynx, well, that’s not all, Leo. Lynx has a brother from what our research garnered. Enid and Sing, her natural parents, had a boy and a girl only a few years apart. But here’s where it gets interesting.”
Leo’s ears pricked.
“Lynx and her brother work with the DEA. It’s a little group you might recall.” Roberto waited.
Enlightenment began to slowly dawn for Leo. Roberto quietly confirmed his suspicions. “As per your stories, Leo, I’m quite familiar with the extremes of this team’s loyalty. No agent of theirs could go missing for long without a heavy search, as you know.”
Roberto paused, and took a sip from his water bottle. “Obviously, someone else, aside from us, was looking for Lynx. They almost got lucky despite Lynx being a COBRA operative.”
Leo listened in disbelief. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Does the name Shaunessy ring a bell? Daniel Shaunessy is Lynx’s brother, Leo. Sound familiar yet? How about ironic? Some of her closest childhood friends come with some pretty interesting and impressive family histories, as well. Some friends you might consider mutual, mutual as in COBRA. They come from your old team, Leo.”
Leo was still trying to digest the news. He had never, ever expected his new life to converge with his past one.
Before they could finish the conversation, the timer on one of Roberto’s many projects began to beep. The rest of their discussion could wait.
Roberto’s news had stunned him. Leo paced back and forth. He felt like a lion needing to prowl. But overriding that need was his need to get back to Lynx, and now.
After hearing that piece of news, Leo knew that he needed to make some calls very soon. He wasn’t sure he liked the implications of this new information, but what choice did he really have? If he were Daniel, her brother, he’d be looking for Lynx.
Daniel, as he recalled, had a big soft spot for family. But his soft spot extended to loyal friends and co-workers alike. Daniel must be devastated over his sister’s disappearance.
Daniel would be pulling out every stop to find Lynx. With COBRA’s backing, the search probably wouldn’t take long, either.
Leo had planned on notifying any of Lynx’s family or contacts once he had time to help Lynx process the information of her Imatu heritage. Once Lynx was convinced that her heritage was important, surely he could convince Lynx of his importance to her.
The fear that Lynx might leave clawed at him.
Resigned to getting the call to Daniel out of the way first, Leo headed for the porch before returning to Lynx. Sliding into a chair, Leo pulled out his phone.
It was time to reconnect. Daniel answered on the second ring. At the sound of Daniel’s voice, old memories rekindled and history stirred to life.
Leo hesitated, but quickly recovered. “Hey, Daniel, it’s been a long time.”
The silence on the phone was deafening for a moment, but then Daniel blurted out, “Leo, is that really you? How long has it been now, two, three years?”
“Too long, believe me, I know, buddy.” Leo stood up and started to pace. He thought better on his feet.
“Well, what’s up with you these days, and can we expect or hope to see your return to COBRA anytime soon?” Leo had been expecting the question, but hearing Daniel express it left Leo’s throat tight. How could he answer that? Remembering the importance of what he was calling for, he got right to the point instead.
“Uh, Daniel, I have some more important news I need to break to you right now.” Leo’s tone went serious.
“I’m all ears, Leo,” Daniel said. “Do elaborate.”
“Learning new words, I hear,” Leo quipped, before getting serious again. “Daniel, I know about what happened to Lynx, your sister. I just wanted to let you know that she is safe and recovering here at my ranch. She was almost abducted. I brought her here to protect her. She’s resting and safe. She was sporting quite a bump on the head, but she’s doing much better now.” Leo heard Daniel’s swift intake of breath and knew Daniel had a lot to process. He waited.
Finally, Daniel spoke. His voice sounded broken, but relieved. “Leo, you can’t possibly know how relieved I am to hear Lynx is okay and with you. I’m going to want the full story later, you unders
tand. Unfortunately, I have somewhere I have to be within an impossibly short amount of time. Hold on a sec” Daniel said.
The sound of Daniel, a bad-ass COBRA agent, blowing his nose in the background made Leo smile. So, the news had made the big man cry. But Daniel’s next remarks got Leo’s full attention.
“Leo, Craig is the closest agent to you. In fact, we parted ways just a short while ago. He was as upset as I was that our last lead didn’t pan out. I’m sure Craig will be more than happy to pick up Lynx and see you, as well. To be honest, it would relieve my mind. I can’t wait to see her and bring her home. So, what’s your address, Leo?”
Leo had expected that. He rattled off the address to the ranch for Daniel. Damn, he’d have to work fast if he wanted to convince Lynx to stay or her brother to let her.
“Daniel, Lynx probably should rest for a few days. She did come damn close to sustaining a concussion,” Leo hedged.
Daniel agreed. “That’s fine, she can rest for as long as she needs, but I know Craig’s going to want to check on her, and hey, I’d love to come out and see your place, Leo. Hey, Leo, you do remember Marozi, don’t you?” Daniel joked.
Leo and Craig had been partners, good ones. There wasn’t much chance of that.
Leo laughed. “How could I forget Marozi, man? I haven’t aged that much. How is he doing these days, Daniel? I feel bad about not staying in better touch with him, or you.”
“He’s doing pretty well, Leo. I think he’ll be doing much better, though, when he hears the news that Lynx is okay. Marozi’s been going a little bit nuts ever since Lynx disappeared. He’ll be as happy and relieved as I am that Lynx is okay and safe with you. I’ll inform him of your and Lynx’s whereabouts. I’m sure you’ll be getting a visit from Craig as soon as he can get there. Well, I need to run, Leo, but I’ll be talking to you very soon.”
“All right, Daniel, good talking to you, too. Bye, then.” Leo flipped his phone shut. He knew better than to argue with Daniel when he went into commando mode. Daniel was used to snapping out orders. He was nearly always team leader out in the field. Leo didn’t need to set off on a bad foot with him now, either. Hell, Commando Bitch was his mate’s brother. Leo chuckled, remembering the nickname his teammates and him had occasionally teased Daniel with.