by Dannika Dark
“I’ve got nothing to give them. Not everyone on the Council knows who I am. If it leaks, it’ll destroy my chances of finding the murderer, especially if it’s someone in the tribe. Shikoba will banish me from his land—forbid me to speak with his people.”
“I’m not going home until you find a way to free Tak.”
He glanced at the dark window. “Stay here. I’m going to borrow some clothes. I want to follow them and make sure an ambush isn’t waiting. After that, I’ll see what the word around town is. Make sure no one is planning to come out here and start shit.”
“You’re taking me with you.”
“I don’t have time for this, Mel.”
I gripped his arm and held tight. “I’m one of them,” I said, referring to the outside rogues. “I might be able to find out something. If I hang out in this drama-filled house, I’m going to go crazy. And besides, if you think there’s a chance the killer’s in this tribe, then I don’t feel safe staying here alone. Tak was the only one who stuck up for me. We’ll postpone the ceremony. I’m sure Shikoba’s not in the mood for cake and wine tonight.”
Lakota shook his head. He didn’t like the idea of my coming along, but he wasn’t totally dismissing it either. Leaving me alone could be a mistake. The killer might have seen me with Tak, and if so, that put me in danger since I was Tak’s only alibi.
“You could give my uncle Reno a call. He’s someone you can trust, and he’s got a lot of experience getting out of sticky situations. Just don’t tell him I’m involved in this, or else that’ll start World War III.”
Lakota heaved a sigh. “Come on. We’ll get married later.”
“Is that your stomach making all that noise?” Lakota asked in disbelief.
“Just pay attention to your driving and ignore the fact that my body is ready to cannibalize itself.”
“I think I have some gum in the glove compartment.”
I snickered. “If a hungry grizzly bear is ever chasing you, offer him a stick of wintergreen and see what happens.”
Lakota and I planned to follow Tak to wherever they were taking him and then hit a few spots where Shifters congregated to drink and gossip—ideally somewhere that had good food. The taillights flashed on the Councilman’s car as it slowed down. Luckily, they had no problem with us shadowing them. In fact, they’d suggested it might be a good idea so long as we weren’t planning to break Tak free.
“This is dangerous,” Lakota reminded me.
“Danger I can handle. Remember that wolf I almost took down in the pack war?”
“The one I saved you from?”
I shifted in my seat. “For your information, I was just baiting him.”
He gave me the side-eye. “You sure that’s how you want to tell it?”
“That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it.”
As I stared at the headlight beams, I wondered how my life had gone from a chick-lit book to a murder mystery meets erotica romance in the span of two days.
Lakota propped his elbow on the door and sighed. “Your father would skin me alive if he found out that I let you talk me into bringing you along.”
“This isn’t a man’s world. I would have tailed behind in my Jeep if you’d said no. That’s the only reason why you agreed.”
Lakota rolled up his window, his hair now dry after our recent bath. Mine was disheveled and looked like the end of a mop.
He glanced in the rearview mirror. “Is Kaota still behind us?”
I looked out the rear window. “I can’t tell any more than you can, but I think that’s him. He fell back, so I can’t see what kind of car it is. Do you think he’ll do something stupid?”
Lakota chuckled. “Stupid is his middle name. Kaota has a temper, and right now I don’t know who he’s mad at.”
I faced the front. “What do you mean?”
“Either he’s tagging along to protect his cousin, or he plans to kill him. Think about it, Mel. If even a small part of him believes the Council, then that means Tak killed his half brother. Kaota’s pissed. The Council thought Koi was innocent at first, but now that Tak’s under arrest, they have other theories.”
“Such as?”
“While you were in the kitchen earlier, the Council suggested that Koi was somehow involved. Tak and Koi got along really well, so they think the only reason Tak would have killed his cousin was to shut him up. Everyone knows Koi was smitten with that girl. Maybe Tak warned him to stop seeing her or something bad would happen, and when Koi threatened to tell, Tak panicked.”
“That’s the biggest load of bullshit I’ve ever heard. Who said that?”
“Jack.”
“Did the other Councilman agree?”
Lakota changed his grip on the wheel. “Robert didn’t say much about it, so I don’t know. It looks bad when more than one in a pack is implicated. They see it as a conspiracy. The Council has the power to seize their land and force them off if they feel that the tribe is conspiring against them or thwarting the power of the law from carrying out justice.”
I tugged my seat belt. “This is exactly why I’m going into retail. No dead bodies, no conspiracies, no arrests, no—”
“Arranged marriages?”
“I’m never going to live this down, am I?”
He reached over and squeezed my leg. “Not if I can help it.”
Lakota slowed to a stop. Up ahead, two men holding baseball bats circled the Councilmen’s car. My heart sped up when one of them smashed the side mirror right off the car door.
Brakes screeched behind us. Seconds later, a wolf flew past our truck. One of the men shifted, but the other used his bat to swing in defense. The wolf lunged at his arm and thrashed wildly before turning on another wolf. When the car in front began moving again, Lakota hit the gas.
“That was Kaota.” I swung my gaze away from the carnage as we passed by them.
“He’d better get off the road before a human drives by and sees that mess.”
“Why didn’t the guy he attacked shift?”
“Not everyone around here’s a wolf or a panther. Docile animals rarely shift around a predator, so those baseball bats weren’t scaring anyone. Wolves are another story. Some of the packs around here don’t listen to the Council or follow their rules. That’s why it’s treacherous up in these parts. This is the Shifter version of the Wild West.”
“What drew you to such a dangerous job?”
“Respect,” he answered without hesitation. “Even an alpha has to earn his position in this world. I’m just a beta, so I have to work twice as hard. Respect isn’t handed to you because of who your father is or where you come from. That’s why Tak is sitting in that car right now. Do you think his pack would respect a man who would endanger lives and tear apart families just to save himself? Is that a man you would follow?”
“No, but now they think he’s a murderer.”
“They think he’s a murderer,” he said, pointing at the car in front of us. “The tribal elders will get together and make up their own minds. I don’t know Tak’s history within the tribe, but what I do know is that every decision he makes is meticulously thought out. He’s chosen to be a man of integrity. The fates will decide his true destiny.”
I rolled down my window. If I had to hear about the fates one more time, I was going to scream. All my life I’d seen unfair things happen to good people, and none of it made sense. Why would any higher power have allowed a rogue wolf to bite Hope in the face when she was just a young teen? The day that wolf crept up on us in the field had marred her innocence, and the sound of her screams had haunted me for years afterward. By the time I’d gotten into my own scuffle with a wolf, I was no longer naive to the dangers in the world. My scars were easily hidden, but Hope still carried the marks on her face. It had changed her in ways I would never understand.
I stared at Lakota for a long time before finally speaking. “How much more of this dark world do you need to see to make you a better man?”
Fifteen minutes later, a truck sped up behind us and stayed on our bumper. I didn’t have to look to know it was Kaota. Hopefully he’d cleaned the mess off the road before catching up with the convoy.
The car ahead veered off the two-lane highway and onto a service road.
“We can’t go any farther,” Lakota said. “That turnoff goes right up to the Council’s private property.”
“They have a jail out here?”
“No. But once they get their paperwork together and interview Tak, they’ll call Regulators out to transport him to the nearest Breed jail. They have a holding tank on the property here, from what I’ve heard.”
Lakota slowed the vehicle when they made a right turn down a private road. He waited for a moment before moving on. The light inside our truck diminished as Kaota chose to park at the turnoff.
“He better not do anything stupid,” Lakota murmured.
“So what’s the plan?”
Lakota pointed to a gas station and switched on his blinker. “Fill up my tank before we hit a few bars. Running Horse isn’t exactly a big town, so there aren’t a lot of places to go. Most of the Shifters spend their free time drinking. The women sometimes go to the bingo hall ten miles down the road but not so much lately. I’ll be inside for a few minutes while the tank is filling up. The Vampire who runs this place is pretty friendly—a straight shooter. From what I know, he’s helped the Council a few times because of chatter he’s overheard in the parking lot. One of the perks of being a Vampire.”
“And he’s just going to tell you whatever you want?”
“Not everyone around here’s a prick. He doesn’t seem to have any loyalties that I’m aware of. Just let me worry about all that.” Lakota parked next to the pump on the far right. “Fill her up with the cheapest octane. And wash the windshield while you’re at it, wife.”
When I narrowed my eyes, he gave me a devilish grin.
After Lakota headed inside, I got out and selected the option to pay cash inside. It was a slow-moving pump, probably designed that way so people would get bored and buy an expensive drink inside. The tiny convenience store only had eight pumps. When I noticed the warning sign about cell phones sparking a fire, I flipped the switch on the handle that locked the flow of gas before moving away from the truck so I could make a call.
I wandered to the edge of the parking lot and checked my phone, which I’d charged in the truck during the drive. When I saw it had enough juice, I called Hope.
“Mel, is that you?”
I laughed. “Who else would be calling from this number? How’s everything going?”
“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. I’ve got everything under control.”
She was such a terrible liar. “Are my brothers helping?”
“Too much,” she bit out. “They won’t let me lift a thing. When I stood on a chair to mount one of the racks, Lennon actually carried me outside. Were you able to get Shikoba to strike a deal?”
“Believe it or not, yes.”
She let out a shriek of excitement. “I knew you could do it! That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. This is going to be perfect. I can’t believe you did it!”
Though I was giddy right along with her, I was still uncertain how things would play out, given the recent developments with Tak.
“I have an idea of how we can market Shikoba’s name with the pieces,” she continued. “I think he’ll be pleased, and I hope to meet him soon. Does he know I need an immediate shipment?”
“Yes, I spoke to him about that, and he said he can arrange a delivery next week.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s so perfect. I owe you for this, Mel. I might have underestimated how tough it would be to close a deal with a man like Shikoba, but I also underestimated how good a negotiator you are.”
I chuckled. “That’s for sure. I’ve got a few loose ends to tie up, but I should be home tomorrow,” I said with a heavy heart. Leaving Lakota behind wasn’t something I was looking forward to, but I would only interfere with his investigation. “The next day at the latest. I know that’s cutting it close to our grand opening, but there’s no way I’d miss that. I’m really sorry for dumping all the labor on you, but I’m glad you’ve got some help.”
“Naya’s been an angel,” she confirmed. “I miss you.”
I smiled. “It’s only been a couple of days.”
“Yes, but I had another dream last night.”
I strolled toward the side of the building near the white freezer where they kept bags of ice. “Me in the blizzard again?”
“I had my dreamcatcher over the bed, and I still saw the omen. That means something.”
It probably meant that deceiving my best friend and sleeping with her brother was definitely a storm of epic proportions. She would be so hurt by it.
I kicked a pebble around on the concrete. “Just focus on the store, and I’ll be there in no time. Shikoba’s putting me up for the night, and we’re having a big celebration tomorrow before I leave.” I did a facepalm and turned around.
“Take care of yourself,” she said, barely masking her worry.
“I always do. See you soon.” I hung up the phone and ambled back to the truck. I hated not being there to help set up the store. It felt as though I was missing out, and I wouldn’t have all those memories of arranging the garments and deciding where the paintings went. Instead, my memories would be of a trip filled with sex, murder, and mosquito bites.
Lakota moved away from the counter and headed to the back of the store. After plugging my phone back into the charger, I shut the door and glared at the dirty windshield. “If you want me to wash your windows, husband, you’re going to have to rub my feet.”
As I soaked up a cool breeze, a car pulled up next to me, rap music thumping on the radio. “Girl, what happened to your pants?”
I flashed a smile at Crow, the man from the bar. “They went for a walk without me. If you happen to see them, do let me know.”
He chuckled while flicking ashes from the short cigarette wedged between two fingers. “You find what you needed up at Shikoba’s place? I heard about all that trouble.”
I leaned against the truck and folded my arms. “It sounds like they caught the killer. I guess the women in this town can breathe easier now.”
“Let’s hope so. The real reason I pulled up is I recognized your hair under the light, and I found something that belongs to you.”
“What’s that?”
He blew out a breath of smoke, some of his black hair moving to hang in front of his eyes. “It’s a long story. A couple of guys at the bar were trying to round up a posse or something. They said your friends attacked them where that girl was killed, so they took their complaint to the Council.”
I swallowed hard. “What happened?”
“Hell if I know. But I’m a nosy guy, and it wasn’t too far from my property. So after I left the bar, I went to check it out. That’s where I found a familiar pair of pants lying in the dirt. Well, not just pants but a full ensemble. I figured I would save you the hassle of dealing with the Council. Wasn’t sure if you’d want ’em back, so I was planning to see what I could get for them at the resale shop. Changed my mind when I saw you standing out here practically naked.” Putting the cigarette between his teeth, he switched the radio to another song. “I’m heading to the bar. Want to have a drink with me? Some of the ladies are coming out of hiding to celebrate their freedom. Sounds like it’s gonna be a swinging party.”
“I might stop by a little later. It depends. I’m leaving in the morning, so I don’t know how late we’re going to stay out.”
He shrugged. “If you change your mind, you know where I’ll be.” Crow put the car in drive, and when it moved a few inches, I tapped my hand on the door.
“Do you still have my pants?”
A smile touched his lips. “In the trunk. Do I get a recovery fee?”
I gave him a peevish glance.
“Never mind,” he said
, getting out of the car. “Women don’t seem to come with a funny bone. I doubt the resale shop would have given me much for them, anyhow. Can’t blame a man for trying to make an honest buck.” We circled the car, and he opened the trunk with his key. “Don’t mind the mess. I collect all kinds of junk for resell. You’d be surprised what people throw out.”
I stared into the dark trunk at a pile of clothes and shoes. When I spotted a leg of my patchwork jeans, I eagerly bent down to grab them. What a relief. I knew how silly it was to get attached to a piece of clothing, but when it was something made from the heart, a thread of sentimentality was always woven in.
A burst of pain radiated throughout my skull when something hard struck me in the back of the head. As stars filled my eyes, the last thing I remembered was Crow shoving me into the trunk of his car and closing the lid.
Chapter 19
Lakota raised his chin as he entered the gas station. “Hey, Gus. How’s it going?”
Gus was the guy voted least likely to be selected by a Vampire. He was a lanky young man who barely looked eighteen. His facial hair didn’t grow in very well—just a fuzzy blond mustache and a few sparse whiskers on his chin. Lakota figured it must have been one of those cases in which someone went back and turned their family, even though it was forbidden. His accent was heavier than most of the locals, which made it likely he wasn’t originally from around there. Despite the power a Vampire naturally wielded, Gus had never come across as a confident guy. Easygoing and likeable but not too keen on asserting himself as the powerful creature that a Vampire was.
“Evenin’, Lakota. What can I do you for?”
Lakota smiled when the Vampire pronounced for as fur. “Gas and maybe a little info.” He eased up to the counter. “Have you heard any talk regarding the murders?”
“They’s all blaming the tribe. Some people’s tired of hearing about it, but a few of ’em like to stir things up. You know the ones.”
“They arrested Tak. Do you know who he is?”
