“You look a hell of a lot better than you did the last time you were here,” Brad said. “Looks like hanging out on a boat with your bodyguard agrees with you.”
Heidi felt her face heat. “Yeah, I guess it does.”
“And I’m guessing it’s more the guy than the boat,” Brad added. “You look happier than I’ve seen you in years. I’m glad, Heidi. Just be careful, okay? If this guy is just a boat bum, he may not be sticking around for the long haul.”
Long haul? If Brad only knew how long Jake had been bumming around, as he put it. Heidi repressed a bubble of hysterical laughter. “I’m not jumping into anything without looking,” she promised her friend. “As for right now—yeah, it’s pretty serious. But I’m not sure at all where it’s going yet.” It killed her not to be able to tell Brad the whole truth.
“Could you close the door for a minute?” Brad said a few minutes later, his voice soft and tentative. “There’s something I want to ask you about.”
Heidi closed the door, then pulled her chair up closer to the bed before sitting down. “Go ahead.”
“I know when you found me, they had me pretty doped up,” he began. He scrubbed one hand across his pale, freckled face, then looked straight into Heidi’s eyes. “So anything I saw had to be just a really weird trip, right?”
A knot of panic tightened in Heidi’s gut. What had he seen? What could she say? She just shrugged. “I’d guess that depends on what you thought you saw.”
Brad slowly shook his head. “Some pretty unbelievable stuff. But the guys who were guarding me? There were four of them. And I swear to God, H, I don’t think they were human.”
Heidi froze. The coyotes! She swallowed hard and tried to sound skeptical. “What makes you say that?”
Brad took a deep breath. “I think I saw two of them change into wolves.”
“Coyotes.” The word was out of Heidi’s mouth before she could stop it. In his drug-filled haze, Brad must have seen a couple of the coyote shifters shift and he’d mistaken them for wolves. Of course he had. Legends and pop culture were full of werewolves, but who’d ever heard of a were-coyote?
“Fuck.” Brad regarded Heidi intently. “How do you know that?”
Heidi’s hand had flown up to cover her mouth. “I—umm—just thought they—umm…” What the hell was she supposed to say?
“No. Don’t even try to deny what you just said. You knew about this, didn’t you? Did you see them change, too?”
She shook her head. There was no way she could look her best friend in the eyes and lie to him about this. She just couldn’t do it. “No. But one of the men I was with told me that’s what they were. Wolves are a lot less skanky, I think.”
“And you believed him.” Brad’s intent gaze didn’t waver.
Heidi nodded. “There was a wizard in the house too.”
“And you know this because…”
Her shoulders slumped. “Because one of the good guys is a wizard too, and he told me so.”
“Oookay.” Brad nodded and leaned back against his elevated mattress. “How much of this story has to do with the hottie who rescued you?”
She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip. “All of it.”
“Can you tell me?” His voice was soft and gentle—full of understanding not judgmental at all, though she could see his need to know more about what he’d seen in that compound.
This was Brad. Her best friend. The only family she had left. She wanted so badly to share this with him. He was the most closed-mouthed person she knew. He’d never reveal any of this, never take the risk of compromising Jake or his family and friends. “It isn’t my story to tell,” she whispered finally, her heart breaking.
Go ahead, came a soft voice somewhere inside her mind. It’s all right, Freya. I trust your judgment.
“Holy crap!” Her eyes flew open and she stared at Brad.
“What?” Brad eyed her quizzically.
“Just a second.” She closed her eyes and focused inward. Jake?
I’m here. Your distress was powerful enough to reach out through our link. I guess in the last few days it’s grown, from empathic to telepathic.
Where are you? She wondered if he had to be nearby for it to work. This was incredibly cool—and incredibly unsettling. Would it always be like this? Even if they…broke up some day?
It probably will, goddess. Though like I told you before, I don’t know any couples who have broken up after the bond was formed.
And where are you? she repeated. Are you in the hospital?
No. I’m in the rental car on my way to the bank. Damn near ran a stoplight when I first felt your pain.
Sorry. She swallowed a moment of panic that she didn’t want to pass along to him. Brad saw the coyotes shift.
I heard. Go ahead, sweetheart. If you think he will believe, and understand, then tell him. He’s your family. He would have to know eventually, anyway. Just be careful that no one can overhear.
She knew he felt her rush of gratitude and love over the link. I’ll be careful. Thank you, Jake. I love you.
Love you too, Heidi. Then he slipped silently out of her mind, though she could still feel him there as an emotional presence, his love and strength supporting her.
She turned back to Brad and gave him a shaky smile. “Jake says I can tell you everything. You ready to be wowed?”
“He just told you that?” Brad tipped his head and settled back into his pillows with a wide grin. “Yeah, I think I’m ready for the whole shebang. Dish me, girlfriend. This is gonna be good!”
* * * * *
“I feel like such a peasant,” Heidi whispered to Jake a few hours later as they followed the boat salesman onto yet another yacht in the very upscale marina they’d driven to in La Jolla. “I keep expecting to get thrown out, or told to use the servants’ entrance.”
Jake chuckled. Her insecurity when it came to money was kind of cute, given that she’d taken on coyote shifters single-handedly. “There’s no servants’ entrance on a boat, my dear. Everyone uses the same gangplank.
She punched him lightly on the arm. “You know what I mean.”
“Relax. It’s only money.” If she was going to stay with him—and he sure as hell hoped she was—she’d have to get used to having the stuff anyway.
“This one has six luxury staterooms, and room for a crew of eight,” the broker was saying. “Also a fully equipped gym and the on-deck hot tub.”
The last one had had eight staterooms, a video screening room and a salon the size of Texas. This one was actually a little smaller. Still, Jake shook his head. This was exactly the kind of boat the pirates would target. He wanted to take them on at the island, not set themselves up as bait.
“I think we’re looking for something just a little smaller,” Jake noted. “Not quite so well equipped.” All they really needed was a bunch of bunks and a decent engine.
The salesman wrinkled his nose, but nodded. “There are a couple of lower-priced vessels available at the other end of the marina. If you insist.”
Finally, three boats later, Jake found what he was looking for. It wasn’t huge, wasn’t ostentatious, but it had beds for twelve, eight guests and four crew, and had smooth running engines and big fuel tanks. The slightly older boat had been the toy of a dedicated fisherman rather than a dilettante’s party cruiser, so there were no ballrooms or gyms, just good, functional space.
He dickered with the broker more for form than anything else, but was unsurprised when Heidi entered into the negotiations. When he walked away with the ownership papers in his hands, Heidi was grinning like a shark and the broker slunk off to his Porsche, looking like he’d been hit by a truck.
“Remind me to stay on your good side,” Jake said as they strolled back to their rental car. “You drive a mean bargain.”
“Hey, just because you have money doesn’t mean you have to throw it away,” she said, then laughed. “God, I’m channeling my grandmother. Next thing you know, I’ll be fussing a
bout taking a hot dish to the neighbors. What’s our next stop, boss?”
“Steve and Wen are handling the hardware,” Jake said. “Wen’s also got someone arranging passports for my mother and her crew. The only thing left on our agenda is getting what we need in the way of diving equipment.” Jake wasn’t going to be able to shift, so he’d need equipment, as would Heidi. Steve could just teleport and Wen, well, he could do whatever it was that Wen did.
Finding gear was handled easily enough. Dive shops dotted the landscape along the coastal streets as they made their way back toward their marina. They both picked up some new high-speed flippers, black full wetsuits, and oxygen rebreathers, which would allow them to dive for long periods of time without producing telltale streams of bubbles. The backpack-style rigs were light enough for easy movement, and Jake made sure to purchase everything they’d need for maintenance as well.
“Brad wants to come too, you know,” Heidi said as they left the store and climbed back in the car. “Once I mentioned that your mother’s friend can do magical healing, I could see the wheels starting to turn in his brain.”
“But Aella isn’t here in San Diego,” Jake pointed out. “And how would you explain his sudden recovery to the hospital staff?”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Heidi said. “Couldn’t Steve arrange for him to be transferred somewhere? For home care or something? Then once he was there, no one would know the difference.”
“That would probably work,” Jake agreed. “Now that his infections have been dealt with and it is just a matter of knitting bones and mending injuries, it would be easy enough for a healer to deal with. If there is one in the Catalina settlement, that is. We can ask Leta.”
“And you don’t mind him coming with us?”
“He can drive a boat, yes?”
Heidi nodded. “And he’s as good a diver as I am, maybe better. And a good shot too.”
Jake shook his head. “I don’t know Heidi. The longer I think about it, the more I’d like you to stay behind on the boat when it comes to the actual mission. I’ve been trained for this, along with Steve and Wen. With luck, we’ll have Miguel and some of his men with us. My mother’s guards are trained warriors. You are not. You’re brilliant and strong and courageous, and you can handle a gun, but you’re not a trained commando.”
Heidi bit her lip, but he could see she was actually considering his arguments. “So why’d you buy the second set of equipment?”
Jake shrugged. “Just in case, I suppose. Or for recreational use at a later date. Anyway, better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”
“If we’re taking the new boat out to Catalina tomorrow, this might be our last chance for an evening alone,” Jake said as they drove back toward the hotel. “I thought we could do something weird like get dressed up and go out somewhere nice—just the two of us.”
“That sounds like fun,” she said, leaning her head back against the sedan’s leather seat. “Leta and Niko will be okay on their own?”
“Steve’s taking them to a movie,” Jake replied. “And to one of those Mongolian restaurants where they cook the food on those big, open grills. That should keep Leta entertained for hours.”
“I don’t really have any dress clothes,” Heidi mentioned a few minutes later. “The few I did have were in the closet in my apartment.”
Which meant they’d been destroyed. Jake reached out and squeezed her hand. “Will you let me buy you a dress?”
Heidi shook her head. “No. I’m not broke, you know. But if you’re nice, you can help me pick something out.”
“I can be nice. Do I get to pick out what goes underneath it too?”
Her laugh filled the car, and his heart. “Only if you’re really, really good.”
* * * * *
Jake’s idea of really good and Heidi’s weren’t exactly the same. Her insurance company had assured her early in the day that the check for replacing her damaged belongings was in progress, so she decided to treat herself and went to a store that was a little more upscale than where she normally shopped. Jake didn’t just sit in a little chair and give his opinions, like most men would have. No, he picked through the racks, holding up garments and critiquing them with a determination that made Heidi laugh and confused the saleswoman.
“This one,” he finally said. It was a simple black sheath with a low back and a diagonal hemline.
Heidi wasn’t sure it was big enough, but she tried it on. When she emerged from the fitting room, the look in Jake’s eyes told her all she needed to know.
“I’ll take it,” she told the clerk.
“I don’t believe it,” the other woman said as she rang up the purchase and swiped Heidi’s credit card. Heidi was sure she was smiling at the hefty commission she’d earn—the dress wasn’t cheap. “When he picked that one up, I thought he was crazy. I’d imagined it on someone petite—kind of Audrey Hepburn-ish. But it’s perfect on you. If he ever needs a job—”
Heidi laughed. “I’ll let him know. Now which shoe store in the mall has the most wickedly sinful black heels for under a hundred dollars?”
A few stores and a little too much money later, Heidi was ready to go. She had a dress, shoes, purse, underwear, and even a new silver clasp to hold her hair off to the side in an asymmetrical ponytail. Since the coolest feature of the dress was the low back, she didn’t want to hide it with her hair. Back in the hotel room, she showered, shaved her legs and dressed, then added a big pair of silver hoops earrings and a chunky bracelet, along with the black and silver high-heeled sandals she’d bought. Mascara and a sparkly pink lipstick were the finishing touches, and then she left the bathroom to spin in front of Jake where he lounged in front of the TV.
“Well?”
“Wow.” His dark gaze traveled from her head to her toes. “I mean—you’re always beautiful, in shorts, in a swimsuit, in nothing at all. But tonight…wow.”
“Thank you.” She took in his perfectly fitting black suit, blue shirt and striped tie. His hair was clubbed back with a leather thong. He’d used Niko’s room next door to get ready, so she hadn’t seen him until just now. “You look pretty incredible yourself. Is that new, or did you keep it on the boat?”
He laughed. “Yes. I own one suit, two dress shirts, and four ties, which I keep in a garment bag in the closet in the forward cabin. I’ve occasionally had business meetings in the course of my ‘finding things’ career. I’ve also gone to a handful of weddings and funerals in the last decade.”
“In that, you really look like a prince,” she teased.
“And you look every inch a goddess.” Jake stood and took her hands in his. Even with four-inch heels, Heidi had to look up at him, just a little, and that made her smile.
He picked up a small florist’s box from the table beside the couch. “I picked this up in the lobby. I thought maybe you could wear it in your hair.”
Eagerly, she opened the box and found a single pink and white stargazer lily, with a stem about three inches long. She dashed into the bathroom and tucked it into her ponytail clasp, which nestled the flower between her ear and throat.
Coming up behind her, Jake laid his hands on her shoulders. “Perfect,” he said, kissing the bare right side of her neck. “And it’s even on the correct side.”
“Oh?” She thought she remembered a Hawaiian classmate mentioning something about that once, but she didn’t know what it meant.
“Flowers go on the right if you’re single,” Jake said. He traced her left ear with his finger, just above the flower petal. “Left side means you’re taken.”
Heidi caught her breath. “So I’m taken, am I?”
His smile was slow and sensual. “You are if I have anything to say about it.”
It would be really juvenile to pull out her hairclip and rearrange everything just to prove a point. Besides, she wasn’t sure she wanted to. For tonight, for now, at least, she was taken, and happy to be so. “Thank you,” she said breathlessly
. “It’s gorgeous.”
Jake chuckled. “Not as gorgeous as you, but it will do. Now let’s get out of here while I still have the willpower to leave your clothes on.”
“Good—good idea,” she agreed. Taking his arm, she let him lead her out of the room and down the hall.
* * * * *
The restaurant Jake had chosen was just in the next hotel down the street, so they walked, arm in arm, enjoying the evening breeze. They were seated at a quiet corner table, with real linen and soft candlelight. Soft strains of classical piano drifted in from discreetly placed speakers.
Heidi was entranced by the setting, by the careful attention Jake had paid to every detail. She even did something she’d never done—she sat back and let him order for them both, which he did in fluent French. The crisp white wine he’d chosen was perfect, and she sipped slowly while the lobster bisque was being served. Then there was a red with the steaks and baby red potatoes, followed by chilled champagne with the strawberry cheesecake. She’d only allowed herself one glass of each. By the end of the meal, Heidi was stuffed but she’d been careful not to be tipsy.
“You’re spoiling me for my tacos and burgers lifestyle,” she teased. “Though given your weakness for Oreos and Pop-Tarts, I guess you can’t be called a food snob.”
“I don’t do this often,” he admitted. “I like fresh seafood, fresh produce and good wine, but what you’ve seen so far on the boat is pretty much how I live.”
“So tonight is just a special occasion, is it?” She rubbed the toe of her sandal along his calf under the table.
“More than you know,” he murmured. He moved aside their dessert plates and took her hands in one of his on the tabletop. “I’ve never told another woman I love her, Heidi. Well—except for my mother and Leta. But what I feel for you—this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. I want you to know that.”
His sincerity and the depth of his emotion pulsed along the bond between them, and all Heidi could do was nod. She couldn’t speak around the lump in her throat.
“I know you don’t feel ready for a commitment, but I also know that in the next few days, we could be going into something dangerous—something not all of us will necessarily survive. So I wanted to speak now, on this last night of privacy we have, and let you know how strongly I’ve come to feel about you.”
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