by Vella Day
“Not going to happen,” Sam said. Steel laced his tone.
“Sorry, Lexi,” Connor chimed in. “We don’t put our clients in jeopardy like that.”
Well shit. She’d tried this tact three times, and she’d been shot down each time. With all the glares coming her way, she wasn’t going to win—ever, but she’d figure out something. “Fine. I’ll hole up here, but there has to be something we can do.”
Sam rubbed her hand. “Justin will make a mistake, and when he does, we’ll get him.”
“In the meantime, I’m assigning Devon to this case full time,” Connor said. “He’ll be coordinating things. I don’t think we anticipated your stalker would take your capture to this extreme. We need to up our game.”
That worked for her.
Chapter Fourteen
‡
Vinea’s meeting with Justin and his men had gone better than planned. They decided—or rather she decided—that she would monitor Sam and Lexi’s movements to learn when those two planned to be in the open. Once she had the time and location, Justin and his men would incapacitate Sam for her. The victory would be so sweet—and long overdue—when she could bend the mind of others.
Donning slim jeans, a red body-hugging long sleeve jersey that showed just the right amount of cleavage, and her zippered knee high boots, she swiped a hand across her torso, and suddenly, a down jacket hugged her body. She loved magic.
Next stop? McKinnon and Associates. Given the high level of security in the place, it would take some sweet-talking to get past the front door, but once in, she was confident she could convince Devon to do her bidding. She could always just appear in his office, but then he’d know she was no ordinary woman.
First thing she’d need was a car. Because acquiring the same model of truck that Sam drove had been so easy, she decided to try again, only this time, it would be some older model car. She wasn’t without all of her magic, and what little she did possess, she’d use to her advantage.
Once Vinea arrived at the McKinnon office in a soccer-mom car that she’d changed from white to gray with another swipe of her hand, she fished out the business card Devon had given her and pranced up the front steps. When she pressed the bell, Lexi answered and asked what she was there for.
Vinea used her distressed-female voice. “I need to speak with Devon McKinnon.” She held up the business card he’d given her in front of the overhead camera.
“Just a moment please.”
Vinea inwardly smiled. She could picture Lexi rushing to find him. When he identified her, Vinea would be on her way to getting her life back.
“Vinea?” Devon’s rich voice sounded over the intercom, and something inside her sizzled. She pushed aside that unwanted and unidentifiable feeling. Ever since she’d first met him, her reaction to him had pissed her off. She felt unbalanced and out of control, something that had never happened before. When she’d danced with Justin, nothing like that had occurred. She would have remembered.
“Yes, it’s me. I need your help again. You said to call if I needed you.” Okay, this wasn’t exactly a phone call, but from the way he’d looked at her at both the bar and later the restaurant back in Vermont, he had appeared interested in her.
The door clicked and Devon appeared. “Come in.”
Well, that was easy.
He placed a hand on her back as if they’d already been intimate, and the heat from his palm nearly burned her. She jerked, literally. What was up with that?
“Tell me what you need,” Devon said as he led her past Lexi, through a large oak door, and into a room with a large table at one end.
She had hoped for the confines of his office, but he probably didn’t consider her a client since she wasn’t a paying customer. “I found Justin Kapok.”
His body stiffened, and she could see his teeth elongate. Hell, he seemed ready to go into battle. “Where is he?” Devon asked with gritted teeth.
“Someplace west of here.” Actually, he was holed up in a seedy motel in the next town over.
“Listen, Vinea. This guy is dangerous. He’s made threats against another woman. I don’t want you going anywhere near him.”
She waved a hand. “Justin won’t hurt me.”
“You can’t know that. He’s already proven that he can’t be trusted. I don’t want your death on my conscience.”
For one, she couldn’t die, and secondly, Justin wasn’t capable of harming her, but she’d keep those two facts to herself. Devon’s rather intense reaction wasn’t something she had anticipated, but she could use it to her advantage.
She’d practiced what she had to say, but now that she was in front of him, the words weren’t forming. “You’re right. He is someone to be careful of. That’s why I need to borrow some surveillance equipment from you.”
“May I ask why? And please don’t say you want to plant a listening device on him.”
“Would that be so bad?”
Devon stabbed a hand through his hair. “He’s a criminal and doesn’t seem to have a conscience about who he hurts. How about telling me where he is and I’ll retrieve your luggage.”
She so didn’t need him to be a macho man right now. “I’d rather do this myself.”
Besides, Justin didn’t have anything of hers. Devon’s eyes darkened, and his fingers curled tighter around his cup. The tiniest molecule of guilt at the lie edged into her. Why had that happened? She never felt guilt over anything. Vinea sat up straighter, unhappy with that bit of weakness.
“No.”
This wasn’t going as planned. “Look, Justin trusts me. I can get in and get out before he knows anything. If you can lend me something then show me how to use it, I promise to tell you what he says and where he is.”
“How will this help you get your stuff back?”
She shook her head then tilted it, pretending he was dense. “I’ll know when his room is empty. I’ll sneak in, grab my stuff, and then get the hell out of there. You’ll get your gear back, and all will be good.”
“It’s too dangerous. It’s not like you’re a trained professional.”
She was so much more than that. She had enough powers to stop that merry band of men. “I’ll be careful.”
“My men and I can plant the devices for you without him finding out. When we know they are gone, we’ll search for your lost luggage.”
If Devon was able to keep tabs on Justin, he and his team would learn what they planned to do to Sam, and Vinea couldn’t let that happen. “No. If I get caught, I can just laugh it off.”
“And I’ll lose my equipment.”
There was that. “I’d buy some myself if I knew what to buy and if I had money.”
As Devon studied her, Vinea tried to look as distraught as possible. He pushed back his chair and a rush of satisfaction flowed through her. “Wait here.”
Yes! That was a close call. What was it about this man that bothered her so? It shouldn’t matter, but it had been ages since she’d felt anything other than disgust and hate for people.
While she waited, Vinea glanced around at this large room, impressed with the upscale facilities. Justin, who’d bragged about his material possessions, would never have digs this nice.
Devon returned, carrying a small box that he placed in front of her. “This is all I can spare. It’s outdated, but it will get the job done. However, at the first hint of trouble, I want you to call me. I can have my men there in a heartbeat.”
“I will. I promise.”
She removed the lid. Eight small listening devices were seated in gray foam. “This is perfect.”
“Let me show you how to use them.” He went through a thorough explanation of where and how to place the devices.
“Thank you!” Devon smiled and her heart fluttered. While she’d never been sick in her life, the indoor air quality in the room must be super bad to make her pulse soar.
“You’ll need this.” He placed another box on the table. “Record what they say on this.”
She smiled. “As soon as I get my stuff back, I’ll return everything. I won’t erase anything. You can hear what those motherfuckers say. I want to prove they are thieves.”
The pulse in Devon’s neck beat harder. Clearly, this was what he wanted.
“I’d like nothing more than to nail them. Where are you staying?” he asked.
“At a friend of my sister’s.” She was rather pleased with herself at how the lies kept flowing off her tongue.
She would have said she was sleeping in her car, if she thought he’d offer to let her stay with him, but Vinea had already learned he was at his folks’ place. Apparently, his presence in Silver Lake was only temporary since he ran an office in Pennsylvania.
“Please don’t do anything rash. If you’re caught—”
“I won’t. Don’t worry about me, please.” Sheesh. Overly protective men were so not her thing. Like she couldn’t handle herself? Vinea stood and gathered her goodies. “I’ll bring them back just as soon as I can.”
Devon escorted her to the front. “Good luck.”
She gave him her best smile and left. Today had been a good day.
*
Sam was on his way back from his afternoon meeting with a potential client and was looking forward to seeing Lexi again. As much as he disliked leaving her for so long, she was in good hands. Both Devon and Jackson were in the office.
Just as Sam pulled his truck in front of the building, a tall woman with long dark auburn hair exited out of the front door. While he wasn’t aware of what everyone was working on, he didn’t remember anyone having a female client. Perhaps she was a new account.
Sam slipped from the front seat and headed inside. As he passed her, he nodded, but she didn’t seem to even notice him. Focusing on seeing Lexi again, he pressed his finger against the scan, waited for the door to click, and then pulled it open.
There she was! Her hair was twisted on top of her head, and she seemed to be intent on something on the screen. Lexi must have sensed him however, because she looked up and smiled. Her eyes flashed amber for a moment before returning to a pretty brown, and his insides rumbled with joy. This last week or so had done wonders for her. Once Justin was caught, Sam suspected she’d blossom even more.
“Hi,” he said as he closed the gap between them. Sam leaned over and kissed her briefly, even though he wanted more. Much more.
“How did your meeting go?” she asked.
“Good. I see we had a walk-in.”
Lexi stilled for a moment. “Oh, the tall beautiful woman who just left?”
For a moment he thought she might be jealous, but Lexi didn’t have to worry. “I guess so. I was so focused on seeing you that I barely noticed her.”
Lexi’s eyes lit up as she laughed. “You are so full of shit.”
“Whatever. Who was she?”
Lexi lifted a shoulder. “Someone Devon knew. She stayed maybe fifteen minutes and then left. You’ll have to ask him. I’m just the receptionist.”
Sam planted his hands on the desk and leaned close. “You are so much more than a receptionist.”
One brow rose. “That so?”
“Perhaps I’ll have to convince you tonight just how special you are.”
She grinned. “I can’t wait.”
Sam stood. “We’ll discuss plans later. Right now, I’m going to check with Devon to see if he’s made any progress on your case.”
“Sounds good.”
As Sam stepped into the main room, satisfaction rushed through him. Lexi had been jealous of that woman, implying she cared about him. Soon, he’d have to broach the topic of them being fated mates, though from the way her eyes had just turned amber, the same as when they made love, she might know they were meant to be together.
He knocked on Devon’s door then entered. His friend looked up from his computer. “Hey, you’re back.”
Sam pulled up a chair and sat. “Yes. I got the lowdown on the man’s wife, who he believes is having an affair. Rather standard stuff.”
“Sounds simple.”
“It should be. Say, I heard you had a visitor.” He suspected it might be the same woman he’d befriended in Vermont.
“Lexi tell you?”
“Yes.”
“It was Vinea, the woman I met in Vermont. She’s still trying to get her stuff back from Justin. And she knows where he is.”
Every muscle tensed. “What? You know where he is. Why are you sitting here?”
“It’s not that easy.” Devon pushed back his chair and stood. He strode in front of his desk and sat on the edge. “I don’t know where he is. Vinea wouldn’t tell me. I’m so mad at myself I could spit.”
“You should have followed her. At the very least, you should have asked Jackson to use his drone.”
“Fuck me. My brain stopped working the moment she walked in. I should have tailed her, but she’s long gone now.”
That was bad timing. “Start from the beginning.” Sam clenched his fist. This was the first lead they’d gotten, and Devon let it slip through his fingers.
He told him how he’d let Vinea sweet-talk him into lending her some surveillance equipment.
“Are you kidding me? Did you tell her how dangerous Justin is?”
“I tried to warn her, but she said Justin has never harmed her.”
“Harmed her? Hell, he took off with her luggage and left her stranded in Vermont. Does she think he’s a nice guy?”
Devon huffed out a growl. “I don’t know what she believes.” He slapped the desk. “I’m such an idiot. I didn’t even get her contact information. I just hope she calls so I can try to talk her out of it again. I think I was so excited to learn something about that scum that I let her convince me that she was capable of handling him.”
Sam’s pulse spiked. “Why wouldn’t she tell you where he is?”
“She said that she didn’t want us to muck things up or something like that. If she was caught, she’d laugh it off.”
“Wait a minute. Are you buying her story? If she’s that close to Kapok, why would he leave town without her in the first place?”
“I thought the same thing.” He balled his fists. “She’s in danger, and I let her walk into the lion’s den.”
“Did she say what Kapok was doing in town?”
He shook his head. “No, though to be honest, I’m not sure she knows any more than when she was in Vermont. Besides, Vinea is the queen of evasion. I agree there’s something going on with her, but I can’t put my finger on it—just that it isn’t good.”
Sam crossed his arms over his chest, trying to figure out what to say. Clearly, Devon had been blinded by her good looks if he parted with the listening devices—old or not. However, there was a slim chance everything would work out. “We need to find Justin. Did you forget he’s a threat to Lexi? We need to get to him first.”
“I know. I fucked up.”
“How about I try to find her?”
“That would be great. If she does lead us to Kapok, we can do our own surveillance and learn what he’s up to. Did you see what kind of car she drove?”
“It was a gray station wagon.”
“She said she was staying with a friend of her sister’s. It must be the friend’s car or her sisters since Vinea took a bus down here—or so I think.” Devon dropped his head back and sighed. “I can’t believe I just handed over that equipment. It was like she put a spell on me.”
Sam understood that feeling. From the moment he’d met Lexi, he’d been under her influence too. “Maybe she’s your mate!”
Devon sat up and shot him a lethal glare. “I don’t think so.”
Many shifters seemed to deny their destiny, but he’d know if she were his mate. His body would be going crazy. “If you say so. All I know is that if we find Vinea, we will find Justin.” Sam stood. “Is Jackson still here? I need him to check the camera feed and pull the plates.”
“I think so.”
“This is the first good lead we’v
e had. I’ll find out where her sister lives and take it from there. What’s her last name?”
Devon’s face turned red. “I never asked her.”
“Some detective you are.” Sam chuckled, but it was only to cut through the tension.
“Tell me about it. She’s got to be a witch.”
“Let’s hope that’s all she is.”
Sam left and headed further down the hallway. He knocked on the partially open door, and Jackson motioned him in.
“If you have a sec, I need you to do something for me.” Sam explained about Devon’s guest and how Vinea claimed to know where Justin was staying.
“That’s great. What do you need from me?” Jackson asked.
“Check the outdoor cameras and see if you can get a read on her plates.”
Jackson smiled. “Come with me.”
The two of them entered their monitoring room that looked as upscale as any military compound. Sam should learn how to use this equipment, but he was already so busy. Someday though. Besides Jackson was so damn good at it, he’d never catch up.
“Give me a sec,” Jackson said as he typed something into the computer.
Seconds later, the front entrance camera lit up. Sam’s car was already parked so this must be a live feed. “Can you back it up?”
“On it.”
The image of Vinea driving in appeared on the screen, but she parked facing the front, preventing them from seeing the license plate. “Darn.”
Jackson held up a hand. “Just wait. We have one camera across the way for this purpose.” He typed more keys and sure enough a second image appeared. “Let me zoom in.”
Sam couldn’t see the plate well, but maybe Jackson could. “I can only make out the first three letters. The rest of the plate is caked with mud. I’ll run this by Kalan and see what he comes up with.”
“That’s great. Let me know when you have something.”
“Will do.”
Sam left. While he’d been out and about all day, Lexi had been in the office, and he bet she’d enjoy getting out. Restaurants weren’t an option for obvious reasons, and he didn’t trust taking in a movie. But she might like cooking a meal together at his house. The small kitchen in the safe room wasn’t conducive to a romantic affair. Also it would be nice to discuss with Lexi in private what he had found out about Justin Kapok.