by Linda Palmer
Did they need me for leverage, as in a way to control Cade? Nah. Too farfetched. Cade didn't love me. How could he so soon? And I didn't love him, either. We'd simply connected on a physical level—our personal big bang—and because of it, agreed on a trial run. Unless…
The mating-for-life thing worried me a little in spite of my cool logic. Cade had instigated everything that happened after our original meeting. Although certain he wasn't ready to buy me a diamond, I had to admit he'd done the pursuing, risky behavior in light of his undercover mission.
And that, as much as anything, made me scared for him and for myself.
*****
Monday was December twenty-ninth, which put us on the brink of a new year. I woke to sunshine, a welcome surprise even for rainy-day me. For a split second I felt deliciously refreshed, but worry slammed me a nanosecond later. I immediately checked for texts or even a call. I had neither.
At work, I offered free massages to the others that worked for Neecy. I didn't have a booking; I needed to stay busy. What better way to spread the word than through them? Angie was my first customer by design. I had questions I hoped she would answer.
After waiting for her to undress to her bikinis and get comfortable under the sheet I'd left on the table, I applied some scented oil to her back and began to knead her muscles.
"Oh my gosh. You're incredible."
"You thought I wouldn't be?"
She laughed softly at my reply and relaxed a little more.
I made use of it. "Mind if I ask you something, and don't answer if you're not comfortable doing it."
"Okay."
"Who's Rocky?"
"How do you…? Oh yeah. Tooly's."
"Is he an ex?"
"Absolutely not. He hangs with a guy I dated. When Hunter and I didn't work out, he stepped up, certain he'd be next."
Hunter, huh? As in the wolf who'd attacked me when I poked him with my umbrella? "How long did you and him date?"
"Four months."
"So you know him pretty well."
"As well as possible considering he's the most mysterious boy I've ever met."
"Mysterious how?"
"We never went to his apartment. I never met his family. He worked, but never told me where. It was weird. Very weird. But he was such a sweet guy that I overlooked all that. Who doesn't have secrets? I think his were probably bigger than mine, but I didn't care. I fell hard and fast. Really loved him. Still do. He broke my heart."
"I'm so sorry. What happened?"
"He stepped back. Said there was some stuff going down, and he didn't want me to get caught up in it."
"'Going down'?"
"His exact words." Angie swiped at a tear, not the mood I was going for.
Although I'd heard those exact words recently, myself, I immediately veered sharply to happy times. "Did you have a fun Christmas?"
"It was awesome. My twin sister was at my parents'—she's in the Peace Corps—and it was so good to see her. The last year has been so hard for me. It's the first time we've ever been apart for that long."
"Wow. You two had a lot of catching up to do."
"I know, right?"
I let her tell me about her holiday, only half of my concentration on her. Luckily, my hands knew what to do without my brain fully engaged.
Oddly enough, I wasn't as tired as I expected when I took my lunch break later. The massages I'd worked in with Angie and Jan had given me the opportunity to be one-on-one with each of them. I liked knowing more about their lives and loves.
I'll admit I half expected Cade to show up at my work door sometime that day. He didn't, so I focused on working in massages for Courtney and Mandy. Not that my schedule was that challenging, but they stayed booked up. Courtney was a little quirky—piercings, tats, purple hair—and her outlook on everything kept me laughing and lifted my spirits a little.
As for Mandy, she was married with a husband who worked at a sporting goods store. They had twin boys. Listening to her share their fun times lifted my spirits even more.
But still not enough to make me stop worrying about Cade.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Cade
When my phone signaled yet another text message Monday night, I didn't bother to check who'd sent it. I knew—Lily. She was worse than my mom had ever been about keeping up with me. I knew it stemmed from worry. Wasn't sure how I felt about that. Relationships were tricky. On one hand, I liked that she cared. On the other, I had a job to do, one I didn't want her involved in. That's the reason I'd been ignoring her attempts to reach me. Not knowing where I was would keep her out of my business.
And tonight that business meant working on Mike.
That's why I currently sat on a couch at his place. His kids were playing on the floor in front of me. Two boys with Matchbox cars. I remembered my own Matchbox days with amusement. There was nothing like the feeling of buying a new car, even if it was only a couple of inches long.
"What can I do for you, Cowboy?" Mike asked from his recliner. The TV was tuned to one of the early bowl games, but he was watching me instead of it.
I could tell his curiosity bordered on suspicion. I didn't blame him. I'd never shown any interest in him or his family on a personal level before tonight.
I kept my voice low. "I've been thinking about the pack and your situation."
His eyebrows shot up. "My 'situation'?"
"As pack leader. You don't have a second." I referred to a position of authority to serve as back up if something happened to him. "Why is that?"
"You've hung with us for a while. Why do you think?"
"None of them could do the job."
"Right in one." His gaze flicked to his sons, then came back to me. "You wanting to be my second?" He kept his voice low, too.
"Yeah." I shrugged to keep my request casual.
"I'd have to talk to the region Master."
"Where's he located?"
"South Carolina, but he'll actually be in town this week for that summit I told you about. I could speak to him then, I guess."
"Maybe I should go with you. Meet everyone before you spring it on him."
"These types of huddles, well, they're private."
"Then get permission before I go."
"I'm not sure how that would work. I need to think."
Noting his unease, I nodded. "I don't want you to get in trouble."
Mike snorted as if he'd regained some of his usual bluster. "Relax. It's pretty damn hard for a man in my position to get in trouble, as you put it. I'm a valuable member of leadership. They listen when I talk."
Exactly what I was counting on.
"But the big boss is unpredictable."
"You mean the region Master?"
"Not him. Hold on..." He glared at his kids. "Hey guys, you've got to share."
That's when I realized they were fighting over a truck. Intent on my purpose for being there, I hadn't even noticed.
Was Mike's 'not him' the answer I was hoping for?
Was the 'big boss' my very own dad, JT Paxton?
His association with wolves was a huge coincidence if he wasn't.
When Mike finally told me he'd see what he could do, a whole new set of worries popped up, most of them centered on Lily. The pack knew I was into her, which meant Mike probably did, too. Unsure of how he related to the regional Master and the unnamed 'big boss' he'd accidentally mentioned—the one I was damn sure I knew—I had to assume the worst, which was him routinely reporting everything, even my minutiae.
So they knew there was a loved one within reach, a girl who'd be no match for them. Leverage with a capital L. While I could normally handle whatever the top wolves dished out, Lily's existence complicated everything. I sure didn't want her or her family hurt in any way.
My quest for revenge was strictly personal. I had to be sure I was the only one at risk.
Chapter Thirty
Lily
On Tuesday, I was able to give Neecy her massag
e. I made it nice and long. As her muscles relaxed, I could picture the stress draining from her body. Were worries about Theo the problem? Was the spa too much? I felt a little out of touch with her, a new experience for me.
"Are you okay?" I asked, jumping right out of my thoughts and into her space.
"Me? Sure. I'm low on vitamin D and iron, which is why my butt is dragging. But I'm taking supplements now and should be better soon."
"When did you have time to go to the doctor?"
"Before we left here at Christmas. The walk-in clinic was still open, thank goodness." She yawned really big.
Of course I felt guilty. Was I pulling my weight at the house? Could I be doing more at the spa? "If I can help, just say so. I'll do anything." With my thoughts occupied by that, I didn't speak for several minutes. That's when I realized Neecy had fallen asleep. Well, a power nap could only help her, and I knew she had a free hour. So I continued the massage gently and in silence, with the gurgle of the table fountain the only noise in the room.
She didn't sleep long. Maybe eight minutes. I could tell the moment she woke by the sudden tension in her body and a look at her watch.
"Yikes! Is it that late?" She grabbed the edges of the sheet and wrapped them around her as she rolled off the table. "That was da bomb. I feel like a new woman." She gave me a hug and gathered up her clothes. I scooped up my cell and left her alone to dress.
*****
After dinner with Neecy and Theo that night, I left them to the TV and worked alone in the kitchen. It wasn't until Neecy brought my cell phone to me that I realized it was ringing. Desperate for it to be Cade calling, I answered without checking. "Where have you been?"
"Lily Vincent?" Definitely not Cade.
"Yes?"
"This is Ben DeLuca. We've never met, but—"
"I know who you are, Mr. DeLuca." Suddenly jelly-legged, I sat at the bar in the kitchen. There could only be one reason this man was calling me. Something bad had happened.
"Where is Cade, Miss Vincent?"
I could barely breathe, much less speak. "You don't know, either?"
"No. When did you last see him?" DeLuca sounded more like a drill sergeant, than a concerned father figure.
Of course that put me on the defensive. "Sunday." I didn't elaborate.
"Where?"
"At a friend's. Then he went his way, and I went mine."
"And after that?"
"Nothing."
"Don't lie to me!"
I felt my face flush. So far, I didn't care much for Ben DeLuca, and if I weren't biting my tongue, he'd know it.
"Are you still there?" he asked.
"Why are you calling?"
"I'm trying to locate Cade. I think you know where he is."
"But I don't."
"Hmph. What's the last thing he said to you?"
"Um…'See you later,' I think."
He wasn't amused. "Are you two dating?"
"No." At least not yet, though I definitely had plans.
"Then what is going on?"
"We're friends. Just friends."
"And he hasn't fallen for you? No making out? No sleepovers?"
My jaw dropped. "Nosy much?"
"Don't get on my wrong side, young lady. I'm trying to locate a valued member of my team, and you're my only clue. Now where is he?"
"I. Don't. Know. Maybe he's tired of undercover work and wants to live his own life."
"He told you?" DeLuca practically growled at me. "What'd he say?"
I quickly backpedaled. "Just that."
"I don't know how much Cade has said, but his life was his own right up to the moment he volunteered to help me out."
"Was that before or after you asked for his help?"
DeLuca ignored me. "Just like any other agent, he had to swear allegiance to our mission, code of behavior, and rules. But time and again, he's bucked our safety protocols as if they don't apply to him."
"Maybe he's a man on a mission."
"His work there is done."
"Or not." My thoughtless blurt made me wince. But Ben DeLuca infuriated me.
"What do you mean?"
I hedged. "There's a lot on his mind."
"Is this about his dad?"
"What about his dad?"
Ben ignored that. "Cade's been evasive for months. Are you the reason why?"
"We just met."
"So you say, but I'm thinking that's a lie. I should warn you that disloyalty will not be tolerated. If he does anything to compromise our goals, he'll be held accountable. So you'd better tell me everything now."
"You know what I know." I killed the conversation.
DeLuca rang right back.
I declined the call and told Neecy I was going for a drive. Moonrise Ridge on a Tuesday night wasn't much, not counting the festive glow of the Christmas lights that were still up. At nine-thirty, downtown already looked pretty dead except for Tooly's, a drugstore, and a couple of fast food franchises. I stepped into the pub long enough to order a Coke and look around. There were no Weres there.
With the help of the bouncer, a local guy, I got directions to Pine Street and drove the length of it. Only one house filled the bill—a sturdy two-story with a yard full of cars, none of them Cade's. The dash clock told me it was almost eight. Every window I could see was illuminated, as was the front porch. I parked in the drive and walked to the door. There I realized that ringing the bell or knocking weren't commitments I was ready to make. Losing my nerve, I turned to leave. Before I got to my car, a truck wheeled into the drive and blocked it.
"What are you up to?" the driver asked the moment he sprang out of it.
I tried to picture the table at Tooly's that first night I went by there. Had this guy been seated at it? He was definitely acting as if he knew me. "Who's asking?"
"Never mind that."
"You're Hunter, aren't you?" A wild guess based on some facial scratches.
He tensed, a dead giveaway. "You can't be here."
"Why? Where's Ca-ooh-Cowboy?"
His gaze narrowed. "He give you this address?"
"Just the street name."
"Shit." He now stood right in front of me and several inches taller. The set of his jaw told me he wasn't happy I'd shown up. "Forget him, okay? He's probably hanging out with some of the college girls. He's a big hit with them."
"Excuse me?"
"Dude's a player. Go home before you get hurt."
I tried to swallow, but my heart had lodged in my throat and tears now stung my eyes. I quickly blinked them away. "You're an awful liar. The campus is probably empty since the semester ended last week. Now where is he really?"
"I don't know."
A traitorous tear splashed onto my face.
"Really. I don't." He didn't sound quite as cocky.
I swiped my cheek. He would not see me cry another drop. "You're trying to scare me off, but I won't fall for it the way Angie did."
That got him. "How do you know her?"
"We work together."
"And she talked about me?"
"I'll tell if you will." I knew he'd know what I meant, and he clearly did.
But he simply clamped his mouth shut and gave me nothing. Furious, I turned and stalked to the car, never once looking back until I got there. "Rocky's made a move on your woman, you know. Saw it, myself."
"Bullshit."
"Oh yeah? Ask her. Or if you're too chicken for that, ask him." I coolly got into my car and slammed the door.
I hadn't finished buckling up before he stood at my window. He motioned for me to lower it. I sighed and did. "What do you want?"
"I need to know how much you know before I say anything else."
I howled like a wolf.
"He told you?"
"Well, after you tucked tail and ran Saturday night, I helped him."
His eyes narrowed. "So who else knows?"
I wasn't about to mention Elise. "Where is he, Hunter? Tell me."
"No idea
. None. He disappears a lot."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. So when you see him again, maybe you should tell him we've noticed how often he's MIA, and we're sure something's up with him. The guys we work for? They don't like snitches."
Could this get any worse? I abruptly twisted the car key to start the SUV.
"Where are you going?" Hunter now clutched the window frame like he could stop me from leaving.
"To look for him, of course. Move your truck." I shifted into reverse, but kept my foot on the brake. "You broke Angie's heart, by the way, but she loves you anyway."
He blinked. "I don't want to talk about that."
"Because it's so painful? I mean, with the whole mating-for-life thing."
"Have you told Angie what I am?"
"Of course not."
"Good, because she doesn't need to know. As for her being my life mate…ain't happening."
"That's too bad, because I think you might be hers."
He sort of wilted right before my eyes. "No shit?"
"No shit." I crossed my arms over my chest.
"She said that?"
"As good as."
He swallowed hard. "Can you give her a message?"
I nodded.
"Tell her I love her, too, and as soon as it's safe, I'll come get her. Ask her to wait, would you?"
"How long are we talking here? Just in case she asks."
"A month. Tell her a month."
"And what'll be different then?"
But Hunter just shook his head and stepped back. In seconds, his truck was out of my way. I maneuvered my car onto the street and left.
Chapter Thirty-One
Cade
I'd followed my usual routine on Tuesday, a good thing since most of my brain was consumed with my mission.
Revenge was tricky. While I wanted to make JT pay for Mom's suffering, I didn't want to do it in a way that would cause her even more. So assassination, an excellent Plan A, was out…unless I could make it look like an accident. I doubted I could, which meant I had to make him suffer in other ways. Beating him to a pulp seemed like a good Plan B. So did destroying him financially. I had hacker skills, but that kind of payback took patience and time, plus I'd have to be on the inside, something that might not happen if Mike didn't come through for me. So far I hadn't heard a word from the guy.
