“Really? Emma, that's wonderful!”
She felt lightheaded and sick. She ran to the bathroom and retched in the toilet.
“I'll get you some water,” he said from the door.
Emma groaned, and sat back against the wall. She was so embarrassed, but the force of her memories washing over her was disorientating. It made her so dizzy she felt drunk.
She flushed the toilet and washed out her mouth with mouthwash before making her way back to her bedroom. She collapsed in the bed and curled up under the covers. Zander arrived a moment later with a glass of ice water and some Tylenol.
“You should sleep,” he said.
“I'm sorry,” she said in a quivering voice.
“Don't be. This is the best thing that could have happened.”
“But I ruined our moment.”
“You didn't ruin anything.”
“I still feel the same,” she said as she began to fall asleep.
“I know. I can feel it here,” he said, touching his heart.
Emma slowly descended into the black depths of sleep. No dreams came and no memories haunted her.
When she woke in the morning, she smelled the scent of coffee and bacon. Her stomach growled. It was raw and empty from being sick and not eating the night before. She made her way downstairs after washing her face and brushing her teeth. She stepped into the kitchen and Zander turned to her with a bright smile.
“You're looking better this morning,” he said offering her a cup of coffee. She sat down at the counter across from him while he finished breakfast.
“If you're up to it,” he started, “we can go to the New Year's Eve celebration tonight.”
“I would love that.”
“I have some more things to take care of at the police station, but I can take you over to a friend’s house while I'm gone.”
“I think I would prefer that,” she said.
“He is a tech whiz. While you’re there, maybe you can look through some criminal databases for the man who came here yesterday.”
“We need to catch that guy,” she agreed.
“Is there anything else about the night of the crash that you remember?”
“I wish that there were,” she said, searching her mind for the day she'd been run off the road.
Almost all of her memories had returned last night. But the day she'd lost her memories still seemed spotty. She knew she recognized the man. She remembered him running her off the road. She knew he had shot someone because of her dream, and from the gut feeling, but she couldn't remember what had happened between the time she had filled out the mate.com profile and when she had been chased on the road. It was all still a confused mess of missing fragments and spotty memories.
Chapter 12
At Emma's doctor's appointment, she was given a clean bill of health. The doctors told her that they were happy and surprised at her quick recovery. Zander then drove her over to his friend Sampson's house.
“Sampson also works with the police sometimes. He's a tech wizard. And he can find out almost anything.”
“Is he the one who hacked into my social media and mate.com?”
“That was him,” Zander said.
“That's a good friend to have.”
“He certainly is. I have a lot of good friends here in Fate Rock. And I hope to introduce them all to you tonight at the New Year's Eve celebration.
Emma was giddy and excited — now that she had her memories back, she knew how much she loved the holidays. She'd been on her way to visit Dahlia and her friends from college in Denver, but now that she was here with Zander, she realized how much finding him had filled a void in her life. She'd been lonely for a long time, working her butt off for a job that didn't respect her. She loved what she did, but her boss was a straight up asshole. Now that she’d found Zander, she had some direction in her life. Whereas before, she hadn't had any.
They pulled up in front of Sampson’s house. It was in the same neighborhood as Zander’s house. When they knocked on the door, a pretty young woman with bright hazel eyes opened the door and invited them inside.
“I'm Megan,” she said. “Sampson's mate.”
“Where is he?” Zander asked.
“He's upstairs in his office.
They followed Megan up the stairs to Sampson's office. He stood from his computer, turning to shake Emma's hand in greeting.
“I'm so pleased to meet you, Emma. It's a shame about the car accident and your memories.”
“They came back this morning.”
“You remember everything?” he asked, indicating she should sit in a chair by the computer.
“Almost everything,” she said, taking a seat. “Except what happened right before I was chased up the road. I know now that I saw a murder but I can't seem to recall exactly what happened.”
“A man was prowling around my house yesterday. I was hoping you could go through the criminal databases to find a match,” Zander said.
“Absolutely.”
“I need to go to the police station for a while. I know Emma will be safe here.”
“We’ll take care of her,” Megan said, crossing her arms and giving Zander a wink.
Zander leaned down and kissed her on the top of the head, squeezing her shoulder affectionately. She gripped his hand lovingly and looked up at him with a smile.
“I'll be back in a couple of hours,” he said.
“Don't worry. No one is going to come prowling around here. I've got security cameras all over the property. I told you, you should install them at your place,” Sampson said to Zander.
“Now I see the wisdom in that,” Zander said with a laugh.
Zander left and Megan excused herself to check on Jimmy Sampson’s toddler nephew. Emma sat down with Sampson at the computer.
“How is it that you can get into social media databases without being detected?”
“I have proprietary information. I'm sure Zander will tell you all about it someday soon.”
“That's awfully cryptic of you,” she said with a laugh.
“Like I said, I'm sure Zander will tell you about it soon. So, tell me about this man that was prowling around the house yesterday.”
“Well, he was tall, about six-four. He was built like a linebacker. He had very short hair and narrow eyes. He had a wide nose and a scar on his lips.”
“Okay. That's a good start.”
Sampson typed the information into his computer, and they waited while the software searched for matches. A bunch of people came up on the screen and Sampson began to scroll through them. Giving her a chance to look at each profile. She sat back in the chair and bit her lip, crossing her arms. They went through over a hundred faces and none of them seemed to match.
“Maybe my memory just hasn't fully come back yet.”
“It is possible that he simply isn't in the database,” Sampson said.
“What does that mean?”
“It means that the man who murdered the mayor is not a known criminal.”
“Is that unexpected?”
“It is and it isn't. Let's just keep looking. We can't rule anything out yet. We don't have enough data points.”
Emma examined at least a thousand faces in Sampson's databases, but not a single one seemed to match. A few were close. But none of them were exact.
Just when she was about to collapse from exhaustion, Megan walked into the room holding an adorable little boy and told them she'd made lunch. Emma had never been so relieved in her life. She stood and followed Megan downstairs. The four of them sat at the dining room table and enjoyed BLT sandwiches and tomato soup.
When she was halfway through the meal, there was a knock at the front door. Sampson rose to answer it and came back with Zander in tow. Sampson set him another place beside Emma at the table and brought him a sandwich and a bowl of soup. He squeezed Emma’s hand, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.
“Did you have any success with the database?”
&n
bsp; “We must've gone through a thousand profiles. None of them seemed to match.”
“I might not be remembering right,” Emma said, feeling vulnerable.
“That's not necessarily true,” Sampson said. “It could just be that the man who came to the house is not in the database.”
“That's what I’ve come to suspect,” Zander said.
“Do you have any leads with the police?” Sampson asked.
“The police are at as big a loss as I am, but I have a hunch. I remember reading a newspaper article about six months ago about how the mayor wanted to protect citizens from predatory bank loans.”
“What do you think that has to do with the murder?” Sampson asked.
“I'm not sure. I was hoping you could do a little bit of your tech magic and see if you can hack into the mayor's emails or private accounts.”
“You know any information that I get that way is not going to be permissible in court.”
“I know.”
“Besides, you should go through the police. I'm sure that they’ve thought of that already.”
“They have. They can't get into his accounts.”
“If you get me permission from the police, that'll do it.”
Emma listened to the conversation between Zander and Sampson. She was beginning to think there was something more to their friendship than just living in the same neighborhood. The way they spoke almost sounded like code; like they were part of something bigger than even the police. It made her curious, and a little bit afraid. Knowing Zander, she knew that, whatever they were a part of, they were the good guys.
After lunch, Zander made a few phone calls and got permission from the police to hack into the mayor's accounts.
Emma helped Megan in the kitchen and played with Jimmy, while Zander and Sampson worked upstairs.
“So, what is up with those two?” Emma asked.
“You don't know?” Megan said.
“I know that Zander is a freelance police investigator. But I don't know how he and Sampson are connected besides living in the same neighborhood.”
“I don't know if I should be the one to tell you,” Megan said, rinsing off a dish and putting it into the dishwasher.
“I'm his mate. You should be able to tell me.”
“It's not my place. You should ask him yourself.”
“Now I'm worried,” Emma said, shaking a rattle for Jimmy.
“There's nothing to be worried about. Not really. All you need to know is that Zander and Sampson and the rest of the crew are all very good men. They are the heroes of the story. And they've done a great deal of good for the country and the world.”
“Okay,” Emma said, her curiosity peaking. “I already knew that Zander was my hero.”
The girls laughed. Zander and Sampson walked into the kitchen. Emma turned and looked at him. They beamed at each other as their eyes met. She crossed the room and took his hands in hers. She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
“So, what is the secret you’re keeping from me?” she said. Samson and Zander looked at each other.
Megan bit her lip and giggled. “Sorry,” she mouthed to Zander.
“I have a right to know.”
“Come here and sit down,” Zander said gently, leading her to the kitchen table.
The four of them sat together. Zander took a deep breath and let it out. He looked Emma straight in the eye and said, “Sampson and I, and our friends, are part of a clandestine military operation called the Justice Squad.”
“They were responsible for taking down the hyena terrorists,” Megan added.
“That was you?” Emma said.
The hyena terrorists had been holding the country’s consciousness hostage for the last twenty-five years. They were the greatest danger to humans and shifters alike. She'd heard horror stories of shifter women who had been kidnapped by them and forced to have their children even though they weren't their fated mate. It was horrific and terrifying. But now their reign of terror was over. She looked up at Zander and her heart burst with pride.
“Well it was the military and police that put the final nail in the coffin,” Zander said. “But we got them all the information they needed to do it.”
“Well,” Emma said, looking from Sampson to Zander and back again. “This is a lot.”
“I hope it doesn't make you think any differently of me,” Zander said, his face revealing vulnerability behind the masculine strength he so naturally portrayed.
“Not at all. It makes me feel ten times prouder of you. If that was even possible.” She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and wrapped her arms around his neck. He held her in an embrace. Emma felt so comfortable and at home, that she nearly forgot about the murderer on the loose.
“Did you find any more information about the mayor?” she asked, sitting back.
“There were some deleted emails in his account that seemed to be from one of the local banks,” Sampson said. “I could see the addresses, but I can't open the text.”
“Your hunch was right,” Emma said, looking up at Zander.
“The question remains, how is the man who came to our house and ran you off the road connected to the bank and the murder?”
“I'm sure you'll figure it out. You’re a hero.”
“Tonight, the only thing I want to be the hero of is taking you out for a good time and kissing you at midnight,” he said, taking her hand.
He stood from the table and they said their goodbyes to Megan and Sampson. Emma felt so happy and safe with Zander and his friends. She had really liked Megan, and she couldn't wait to meet the rest of his friends. But, more than anything, she couldn't wait to kiss him at midnight, knowing where she would be for the rest of the year.
Chapter 13
Zander finished dressing in a casual suit and checked his outfit in the mirror. As he dabbed on a splash of cologne, his eyes twinkled with excitement. This would be the first time he had taken Emma out on a proper date. And now that she had her memories back, he hoped that soon, he could claim her.
He met Emma in the hall. She was wearing a knee length red knit dress and black leggings with a new pair of knee-high boots. She had her hair down in soft waves and pretty makeup that accentuated her beauty.
He reached out and took her hand, and she moved into his arms, wrapping hers around his waist. He inhaled the scent of her hair, his inner grizzly grumbling with contentment. He still yearned to make her his, but they had come so far so fast and he knew that soon they would truly be together forever. There was no rush.
Outside in the car, he said, “There's a big New Year's Eve party in downtown Fate Rock. And a dance at the convention center before the fireworks over the town square.”
“That sounds fantastic.”
She smiled at him in the darkness of the car and he felt her love radiating from across the space between them. He kissed the back of her hand, feeling more complete than he ever had. But there was still a lingering question in the air. The man who had come to their house two days ago was still on the loose. And Emma was still in danger. He didn't want to say anything to frighten her, but he knew that it was going to concern him until the case was closed.
His hunch about the bank had proven to be a good one, but even with Samson's tech wizardry, they couldn't prove anything. Now he had no more leads.
They drove into town and parked in the busy parking lot near the convention center. He and Emma walked inside hand in hand. He couldn't wait to introduce her to the rest of the crew. Inside the convention center, a waiter offered them flutes of champagne, and others offered them masquerade masks. They walked through the crowd with their glasses and put on their masks.
Zander could spot his crew across the room even behind the masks. He and Emma walked over to them, sipping their champagne.
“Hello, gang,” Zander said.
Everyone looked over at them with bright smiles in welcome.
“We are so excited to finally meet you,” sai
d Elena, in a thick Polish accent.
“It's taken a long time for Zander to finally find his mate,” said Stephanie
Zander introduced Emma to everyone. Now all six of the members of the Justice Squad had their mates. It seemed as if something magical had happened to them, and they'd all been blessed with the opportunity to have a happy life and a family.
But all the while, something still hung heavily over Zander’s head. It wasn't because he hadn't yet claimed his mate. The danger that lurked in the shadows gave him pause.
The music started to play, and the couples moved out onto the dance floor. Zander held Emma in his arms, moving slowly to the rhythm. The feeling of her body in his arms was like a treasure, and he never wanted to let her go. If he could stay in that moment, dancing with her in the convention center, surrounded by his friends, that would be exactly how he wanted to live out the rest of his life.
After they had danced fast and slow, laughing and holding each other, the party MC announced that the fireworks would be starting in five minutes. Electric excitement buzzed through the crowd as they made their way outside.
They stood in the town square, the hum of voices and the energy of the coming new year waving through him. Zander stood with his arms around Emma's stomach. He kissed the top of her head as they waited, looking up into the sky. The music for the display began and the first fireworks shot off into the air. It was an exhilarating experience. As a man who'd seen active combat, he knew what the fireworks were meant to mimic, but he thoroughly enjoyed the display and the excitement of the community around him. It got his heart racing, but part of him still couldn't fully enjoy the show. He was worried about Emma and the mayor's killer. As the fireworks were reaching a crescendo, Emma's body clenched up. She turned around to him and hid her face in his chest. He rubbed her back and leaned down, whispering in her ear.
“What's wrong?”
“That's him,” she said, her voice shaking.
“Where? Who?
“I saw him in the crowd.”
“Are you sure?”
Everyone was wearing masks — how could she recognize someone she'd only seen two times behind a masquerade mask?
Sly Bear (Justice Squad Book 7) Page 6
