Not all stake outs revolved around sitting their butt in a car and watching activity go in and out of a store or house for endless hours. They’d be in the trenches tonight. For the last several months, they’d been working the angle of trying to see stuff either be delivered or shipped. It became quite obvious after several nights spent sitting in a room monitoring the deep web, they wouldn’t find their answers. Nor would they find them following a paper trail to fake accounts, both email and financial. This time, they’d watch the comings and goings from a warehouse they’d found out about from a snitch. The place seemed about right for what they needed, but again, they wouldn’t know for sure until they saw it. Fallon’s job would be to infiltrate it. Her attitude and lack of discipline, along with her smug behavior, would be perfect to get an in with whoever owned the market.
“Your aunt,” he turned the key, starting the SUV, “wasn’t offended by us not taking the provisions, was she?”
“Nope.” Fallon pulled down the visor and opened the mirror, allowing the muted light to fill the cabin. “Warren explained it could slow us down. Does the light bother you?”
“No,” he replied, curious as to why she needed it.
“Awesome. I didn’t have time to pull my hair up. Seems like it might be smart to do it now.”
Warren and Abraham watched Fallon like two love sick pups, and she seemed oblivious to it. He suspected, if he wasn’t driving, he’d be in the same boat as his teammates. Instead, he took tiny peeks at her from the corner of his eye while he drove.
“Where are we going? What are we doing? Who are the bad guys?” She paused in her rapid-fire questions. “Or who is the bad girl? I’m an equal opportunist,” she declared.
Grainger caught a glimpse of her twisting the mass of long, shiny black hair into a messy bun before securing it at the base of her head.
“Intel gathering,” he answered, before turning his attention back to the road. Causing an accident because he ogled her wouldn’t be smart. Michaels might not appreciate it and neither would anyone at KISS.
“Ok. On who or what?” Her voice oozed with curiosity.
The inside of the SUV went dark once more. Pity. He enjoyed looking at her in the light, seeing the contrast of her dark black hair against her cream skin and her dark chocolate eyes. The woeful sighs coming from the backseat told him Warren and Abraham felt the same.
“Potential suspects,” he divulged, willing to see how far she’d take this to get the answers she wanted.
She twisted in her seat. “Is he always like this?” She hooked her thumb at him while directing her question to Warren and Abraham.
“Like what?” Abraham spoke up.
“Hard to get information from. It’s like pulling teeth. Last time I looked, I’m no dentist.” Frustration laced her voice.
“He’s more like a read between the lines guy,” Warren answered. The undercurrent of laughter in his tone didn’t surprise Grainger. The ass enjoyed giving him a hard time.
“Perfect,” she muttered under her breath.
“I heard you,” he informed her.
“Your point?” she grumbled.
“Kitty has claws,” Abraham snarked.
“Did you tell your aunt we accepted her invitation to tea?” He hoped changing the subject would calm things.
“Smooth,” she snickered. “Yeah. She said give her some time. She’s having some sort of special tea shipped in from China. Now tell me what we’re doing tonight.”
“It’s nothing spectacular. We’re going to be gathering information and watching who the players could be and how involved this operation is. Simple, quiet, and easy for your first foray out with us,” Grainger stated.
“Foray? Really. Who talks like this?”
“I do,” he announced as he pulled over, parking the SUV on the side of the road. “The place we’re going to is approximately a half mile to the north. Our cover is simple if anyone should stop you. Abraham is your boyfriend, Warren and myself are his best friends, and we’re hanging out.”
“Original,” Fallon mouthed off.
“It’s straightforward, which means anyone who asks will find it realistic. If you can’t handle it, I’ll have Abraham run you home,” he countered.
“Go with the plan,” Warren urged. “You’ve got nothing to lose.”
“Do you know what we’re even looking for?” Fallon huffed.
Removing the keys, he opened the driver’s door and stepped out. Peering into the lit cabin, he smirked. “Illegal activities.”
Warren snorted.
“Well, duh, I figured that out myself,” she snapped, her voice rough, almost growly. “My question is what kind.”
“The kind that involves the slaughtering of shifters,” he said, slamming the driver’s door harder than he wanted. So much for being stealthy.
Once Fallon, Warren, and Abraham got out of the vehicle and shut their doors, he locked it with the fob before slipping the ring into his front jean pocket.
Fallon stood in the grass, arms crossed under her breasts. She radiated pissed off tiger-shifter for sure.
“It’d go a long way if you’d hold Abraham’s hand, and chill the heck out. Anger makes you lose your focus and only gets you in trouble,” he advised.
“I’m tweaking your stupid cover story. I’ll go along with Abraham being my boyfriend. I’ll hold his hand. But you,” she pointed at him. “You are the friend the girlfriend hates. You know, the one who is jealous of his friend’s budding relationship, so he’s an overall jerk to the girl.”
“Whatever,” he replied, unwilling to get into an argument with her about what they were doing or why. She needed to learn to follow directions and orders from him as the leader of the team, starting now. Not whenever the heck she felt like it.
Abraham walked over to Fallon. He took her hand in his and gave a gentle tug, urging her to walk with him through the field of tall grass beside them.
“Is there a reason you won’t tell her the parameters of this mission?” Warren quirked a brow as they followed a few feet away from them.
“According to Abe, Grainger is being contrary,” Fallon said.
“Abe?” Warren chuckled.
“Yeah.” Fallon stopped walking. “He’s Abe, you’re War.” She gestured toward him. “Let’s just say, he’s not a name I can say out loud in public as my forefathers would be shocked by unladylike language. And if Ayí heard me say what I’m thinking, she’d wash my mouth out with soap!”
Abraham snorted.
“Do you always just say whatever comes into your head?” Grainger’s curiosity got the best of him.
“Yes. I have found being straight, truthful, and to the point cause fewer misunderstandings.”
“Good. Then tell us why you chose to break into Sú Chen’s shop and why Calli was with you?” Grainger probed.
Instead of answering him, she snatched Abraham’s hand and continued to walk.
“Got nothing to say now, huh? What I thought,” he said loud enough so she’d hear him, even with the distance she was attempting to place between them. He was a Vamp. He could catch up to them in a blink of an eye, instead he continued. “Honest and forthright, except when you want to. When you have not one, but three guys willing to go to bat for you, help you deal with whatever drives you.”
Warren placed his hand on his shoulder. “I think you’ve made your point. We know it goes deeper than simple acts of vandalism and breaking and entering. Something painful and dark is driving her to act out so carelessly.”
He nodded, while not understanding what drove him to do it in the first place. “Doing so now can be dangerous. For all of us.”
“She needs to trust us. She’s still wary, unsure of herself and those around her. When her parents were killed, her whole way of life, her security disappeared. She needs to figure it out, even relearn who she can place her faith in. Upsetting her isn’t helping.”
“I think the opposite,” Grainger said, keeping his focus on th
e two figures ahead of them. “I’d lay money on it. When her parents were killed, she took the world and all its issues onto her shoulders. I’ll take it a step further. She never grieved their loss. She became the strong one, taking care of everyone and everything but herself. It’s not healthy.”
“You could be correct. Only she can tell us for sure if this is the case,” Warren replied.
“She won’t. The armor she’s built around her is too thick.”
“We need to give her time and help her heal. This should be our focus,” the incubus stated. “Is there a reason why you assigned Abraham as her boyfriend?”
“Yes,” Grainger answered, then explained the conversation he had with Abraham in the car while they waited for him to return with Fallon.
Warren nodded when he finished speaking. “It’s a smart move. She’s unpredictable. I wouldn’t put it past her to jump the gun or do something foolish to blow our cover.”
“I’d hope she’d be able to rein back those impulses and prove we made the correct decision in having her come along with us.”
“There is the chance she will surprise us both,” Warren said, as they picked up their pace.
He hoped so.
6
Fallon glanced at her watch and sighed. Laying in field of tall grass watching the comings and goings of the warehouse out in the middle of nowhere left much to be desired. They’d never get the information they needed unless they entered the building. As it was, the place was falling apart. A strong storm could blow the building over, and she had a feeling it’d been how they — whoever the baddies were — wanted it to appear.
Who’d come to an abandoned mill? Who’d believe there was a black-market business being run out of the dilapidated place? No one. Unless they had a reason.
She glanced over at Grainger. He lay flat on his belly, high-tech binoculars pressed to his eyes. She’d needled him earlier. Pushed him to see how far she could go before he’d bite back. She didn’t understand the reasons for it, or why she did it, but every time he opened his mouth, he drove her insane. Just thinking about his smug grin or the way he seemed so matter of fact, had her claws extending.
He got under her skin, questioned everything about her, then hung her mom and dad over her head like a freaking treat for doing some trick. She wasn’t a circus tiger. She didn’t play for the masses. She had her reasons for not letting anyone in. What if she didn’t get the answers she sought? What if what she remembered from the night her parents died had been the truth? Her father, in a fit of laughter, jerked the wheel into oncoming traffic and—
No, she wouldn’t think that way. Her father didn’t mess around when it came to driving. Ten and two had been his motto.
Mind clear. Eyes sharp. Focus on the goal.
She glanced at her watch again. Four hours? No way. Had to be longer. When she rolled to her side, she groaned. Not only were her clothes damp from the grass, but her muscles were super sore and stiff. Her neck cracked when she twisted it from side to side, and a sigh of relief passed her lips.
Grainger cut his eyes toward her. “What now?”
She curled her lip. “You make it seem like I’ve been talking the whole time. This is the first I’ve made a peep, lord and master.”
“Easy,” Abraham whispered. “If you need a moment, we can bug out, stretch your legs and catch a breather.”
She shook her head. Then pointed toward their target. “More important.” However, she thought it was still stupid they weren’t going in there. She didn’t voice it though. “How long are we supposed to do this for, anyway.”
“We’re here to get a lay of the land. See how many people come and go. License plate numbers…”
She yawned. “Bored.”
“Too bad.” Grainger passed the binoculars to Warren. “Our mission is to watch and report back.”
“And another shifter loses their life. Good plan. I say we break for the night, and come back tomorrow when we can smell the fresh kill.” Her lip curled as she spoke. Staying in one spot could also get them killed. If anyone came by they’d see their imprint in the grass and would be waiting for them to come back.
It’s suicide.
“Oh shit,” Abraham muttered. “Have you ever done any team building skills, Fallon?”
She snapped her head toward the other vampire in their group. “I failed the trust fall.”
“Seriously?” Disdain dripped from Grainger’s voice.
She gave a nonchalant lift of her shoulder. “Can’t help it, people take too long. I’ve got things to do.”
“Cold blooded.” Warren grinned. “I think we underestimated you.”
“I’m small and unassuming. I get it and don’t hold it against you.” She winked.
“This was a horrible idea.”
“Hey,” she whined. “I caught her, like an inch from the ground.” She curled her hand. “Tiger blood.”
Grainger sighed, completely exasperated by her. “I thought you said you failed.”
“I did. She uh, she kind of hit her ankle on a rock and cracked it. Her ankle not the rock.” She wrinkled her nose. “Who does a trust fall by rocks.” She then pointed at him. “Better yet; what’s the point of dropping two-stories to a group of people who are supposed to catch you? Makes no sense.”
“Give me strength.” Grainger rubbed his forehead.
“I’ll take her for a walk,” Abraham stated.
“Now I’m a pet? As if.”
Abraham stood then held out his hand. “Come on, you can tell me what it’s like to be known as the ambiguous trust camper.” The corner of his mouth kicked up.
“It’s pretty sanitary.” She stood, wiping her hands on her jeans. “People give you a wide birth. Like, don’t talk to you.” She mentally winced. Maybe her actions did keep people at bay.
“Well, I trust you,” he stated holding his hand out to her. “Come on, we’ll go for a walk. Learn about each other. We are supposed to be in a relationship after all.”
“Won’t your boyfriend get jealous?” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder at Warren.
“Nope. He’s not the jealous type, and we’re blood partners as well.”
Warren blew a kiss at them. “Take care of the precious, Shnookums.”
“Oh dear,” she whispered. “You’re one of those couples.”
“What do you mean?”
“You actually love each other.” She almost added the ‘ew,’ but held off.
“We do,” Warren replied. “Be careful.”
Interesting.
They traveled back the way they’d come, but didn’t really talk. Abraham had given her things to think about. Somedays, the world continuing to spin even though she’d lost so much, pissed her off. Today, not so much. She couldn’t quite put her finger on one specific thing, but being with all three guys settled some out of control part of her. A piece which hadn’t been calm since the moment her parents were pronounced dead.
“I never really got a chance to say I’m sorry,” Abraham hedged as they got to the fence line.
“For?” His statement caught her off guard. What did he have to be sorry about. Shouldn’t it be her apologizing?
“Your parents. I can’t imagine what you must feel day in and day out. I don’t know what I’d do without mine—as whacky as they are.” He squeezed her hand, then without another word, pulled her into a bear hug. He squished her, yet it couldn’t be tight enough. She was secure in his arms. Safe.
A part of her released, and the constant knots consuming her unfurled. “You did nothing wrong. You don’t have to apologize.”
“You’re right,” he said. “However, it needs to be said to you. You’re hell bent on doing something dangerous, and I realize you won’t tell me or us…yet. But, I want you to understand, we will help you.”
Fallon stared into his light-green eyes. He wore his emotions on his sleeve, allowing her to see him. It surprised her. Shook her. No one had exposed themselves so deeply to her before. He
r parents forbade it, and her friend, Calli, didn’t really show herself as much as the persona she’d built. Her aunt hid as well too. She’d been so busy raising Fallon and Ji, she tamped down everything special about being a tiger.
“You have pretty eyes,” she mumbled, not sure she’d said it aloud.
“So do you,” he stated. “I like the shape of them. They give you a mysterious vibe. Almost like you can hide in plain sight.” He leaned in to her and lowered his voice. “Don’t hide from us. We’ll always catch you when you fall.”
Her breath hitched and her heart pounded as he placed a kiss to her pulse point. “W-why did you…” She touched the area where his lips had been pressed to her skin. Her tiger purred, going belly up as though waiting for him to give her a tummy rub. Ain’t happening, hussy.
“You need a little compassion in your life, Fú.” He held up his hand when she opened her mouth to protest. “Your name is Fú zé, it’s a beautiful name, like it more than Fallon. Fú is someone who, I believe, can take on the world without hiding.”
Heat filled her cheeks. A rumble built in her chest and she coughed to cover it. “Uh, thanks. But, you have a guy.”
“I have a blood partner who I have a bond with and I love, but it doesn’t mean my heart or our lives aren’t big enough to claim you as well.”
“I’m now convinced you’re insane.”
He laughed. “Being a vampire can do that to you.”
“Why don’t you try to compel me?”
“I’m not sure I can. Do you feel anything when I stare at you?”
She did, however more when he wrapped her in an embrace. “Safe. Your hug. I couldn’t get enough of it. You could have held me tighter. Cut off the ability to see around me, and I’d have felt a thousand times better.”
“So, my touch affects you, interesting,” he stated. “Did you know the first threads of trust are formed when a mother clutches her child and whispers their first words of love?”
“Whoa, so what are you? A psychology student too?” She quirked a brow, biting back a smile.
“As a vampire, I’ve learned about many things.” He leaned in once more. “May I?”
Magic and Shadows: A Collection of YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romances Page 65