The Ultimate Romantic Suspense Set (8 romantic suspense novels from 8 bestselling authors for 99c)

by Lee Taylor

  “You’re kidding! I’m not going anywhere,” she answered, her outrage palpable.

  Cole gave her the cold stare that Ben knew could freeze the blood in an enemy’s veins. After several heartbeats, Sage looked away.

  oOo

  The man glanced at the black hood lying on the car seat. What was it doing in the car? He never wore the thing out in public. Only in the house where Wendy lived.

  But he was out in public now. In his car, clutching the steering wheel, his grip so tight that his knuckles were white.

  He’d been so sure this time. He was always sure in the beginning.

  Always?

  That stopped him. What did he mean by always? The question ran through his mind like a line of a song, until he pushed it away.

  What mattered was that he had a girl who could stand in for Wendy. No, a girl who would be his Wendy. If she would only do things right.

  He gritted his teeth. She was trying. It wasn’t her fault that things weren’t working out.

  It was the fault of that couple—Sage Arnold and the detective she’d hired, Ben Walker. Damn them. He knew the guy was a detective because he’d done some checking around. Sage Arnold had dragged him down to Doncaster to look for her sister, Laurel.

  The man in the car had felt sorry for Laurel. Her mother didn’t appreciate her. Didn’t love her. But he did. All he had to do was change her into Wendy, and he could give her everything she’d always wanted.

  And then that nosy bitch, Sage, had shown up, asking questions, stirring up trouble when everything had been fine. He hadn’t known Laurel had a sister. She must have moved away a long time ago.

  Now she was back, and so different from the mother. She cared about her sister, and she wasn’t going to give up until she found out what had happened to her.

  What if he killed her and the detective? That would stop their investigation. But would Police Chief Judd try to solve the crime? Or would he just go on the way he had—letting the swamp cover up the evidence.

  He gripped the wheel more tightly. Why in the hell had he used that damn warehouse? It had seemed like a good idea at the time. A nice dry place where Wendy could rest in peace. Now he realized it had been a terrible mistake.

  Because of Sage Arnold.

  He shook his head, trying to put Sage out of his mind for the time being. He had to go back to the house where he was keeping Wendy. She was probably hungry.

  He stopped suddenly, almost causing the car in back to slam into him. The driver honked, and he gave the guy the finger. At the next cross street, he pulled into a driveway and turned around, heading for the motel where he knew Walker and Arnold were staying.

  But he couldn’t just walk in there. They’d see him as a threat. He’d have to get someone to help him. Someone he trusted with all his secrets, and he knew just who it would be.

  oOo

  “We’ll be back as soon as we can. With a full report,” Ben added. “Stay in here and lock the door.” He gestured toward the gun on the bedside table. “I’m leaving the weapon with you. If anything happens, don’t hesitate to defend yourself.”

  She shuddered. “And don’t bother to call 911.”

  “Yeah. Sorry.” What he really wanted to say was that he was sorry about leaving her at the Beach Breeze. Hell, he wanted to stay here instead of going with Cole. Failing that, he wanted to reach for Sage and pull her into his arms and tell her everything was going to work out the way she hoped. He knew that would be a lie because he understood she wanted more from him than finding her sister. She wasn’t the kind of woman who made love to a man and walked away. She was picturing a future with him—which was something he couldn’t give her.

  Unable to deal with his feelings or with hers, for that matter, he turned and followed Cole outside.

  Behind them, Sage slammed the door.

  “You okay?” Cole asked.

  “I don’t like leaving her.”

  “I noticed. You want me to go alone?”

  “And then what? I’ve got to see if I can get something from the body.”

  “True.”

  They stood for a moment in the parking lot before Cole continued. “I know she was upset, but I can’t have too many people knowing about . . . my special abilities.”

  “Understood,” Ben answered. He’d seen Cole change from man to wolf once. When Cole and Emma Richards were working undercover on the Windward. Back then he’d been undercover himself as the ship’s head of security. And when Cole and Emma had been in the brig waiting to be tortured, he’d been watching on the video feed when the other man had morphed into an animal and taken down two shocked guards.

  Cole and Emma were married now, and both of them were still working for Decorah.

  Ben looked toward the vehicles. “We were out at the golf course a few hours ago, and one of their security guards was interested in us. Maybe we should take your car.”

  “Okay.”

  “Mind if I drive?” Ben asked. “That way I don’t have to give you directions.”

  Cole handed his keys to Ben. As they got into the car, he said, “Sometimes the way I work is inconvenient.”

  “Yeah, but I’m not going to find that body without your nose.”

  On the way over to Pine Fairways, Ben filled Cole in on what had been happening over the past few days.

  “Dirty cops. Dirty town administration,” Cole said.

  “Unfortunately.”

  Ben drove past the entrance and several hundred yards farther on before turning around and finding an old gravel road that led off into the woods.

  “If I find a body, I’ll come back and lead you to it,” Cole said. “But it might be too much territory to cover in one night.”

  “Do your best.”

  “You might as well wait in the car,” Cole said as he took his wallet out of his pocket and put it in the glove compartment, then retrieved the knapsack from the floor by his feet. He took off his shoes and socks and stuffed them into the bag, then lengthened the shoulder straps. “I may end up leaving my clothes out in the woods, depending on how much trouble it will be to retrieve them. But I’ve got more in here.”

  Ben nodded as Cole climbed out of the car and headed off into the trees, disappearing into a stand of trees.

  A few minutes later, a handsome gray wolf with a knapsack on its back stepped from the shadows and stood looking at him.

  Ben waved his hand, and the wolf faded back into the shadows. After that there was nothing for Ben to do but sit tensely in the car, waiting and thinking.

  He considered calling Sage to make sure she was all right, then canceled the idea. She was angry with him, and calling her wasn’t going to do him any good right now. What would he say anyway? That he was sitting in the car while a werewolf sniffed around looking for the body?

  He grimaced. He couldn’t reveal Cole’s secret. Well, not unless he and Sage were married or something. Then he’d be able to share it with her.

  That thought shocked him. Married? Where had that idea come from? He had no plans to marry anyone. Least of all Sage Arnold.

  Again, he pulled himself up short. What did he mean by least of all Sage Arnold?

  He clenched his teeth. He’d been sure he wasn’t a fit partner for any woman. Now he knew that the few days he’d spent with Sage had made a difference in his life. He wanted to be with her, but he was pretty sure that wasn’t fair to her. He was still recovering from his stint on the Windward, and living with him wouldn’t be easy. Besides, right now she was probably too angry at being left behind to entertain the idea of staying with him anyway.

  From the start, he’d planned to investigate on his own. She’d made it clear that wasn’t an option. She’d come down to Doncaster determined to be a full participant in finding her sister. But tonight the two Decorah agents had cut her out of this mission.

  He switched his thoughts away from Sage to the night’s activity. Cole had gone off into the woods alone. If he found the body of another vic
tim and led Ben to her, then Cole would be around when Ben did his thing.

  He could order Cole to leave, of course. But then he’d have the problem of what happened when he connected with the woman’s memories. Last time he’d been nearly unconscious. Which wasn’t exactly a great state to be in the middle of the woods at night with security guards prowling around.

  oOo

  Sage made an effort to bring her blood pressure back to normal as she paced back and forth across the motel room carpet.

  She’d looked out the window. They’d taken Cole Marshall’s car, and when they’d left, she’d had half a mind to follow them. But there had been something in the other Decorah agent’s eyes. Something dark and dangerous that had prevented her from leaving the room.

  Still, she kept up her pacing. What if she lay down and tried to do some relaxation exercises? Would that calm her?

  She knew it wouldn’t. She was too angry with Ben. He’d tried to get her to react negatively when he’d told her about his dream. She hadn’t taken the bait then. Tonight was another matter. He’d done an end run around her and left her out of the search tonight. To keep her out of danger? Or for some other reason?

  She hated second guessing him. And second guessing herself. That was a habit she needed to break. But right now she was too angry to stop herself from wondering if she’d made a terrible mistake by getting intimate with him so quickly.

  She’d thought they cared about each other—even though neither one of them had actually declared their feelings. And then he’d left her here to stew.

  She was making another trip across the carpet when a knock on the door stopped her in her tracks.

  She glanced at the clock on the bedside stand. It was two in the morning. Who would be coming here at this hour? One of the people from the meeting this evening? And if so, was she in trouble? Or did someone have information about Laurel that they didn’t want to give her in public? Another possibility leaped into her mind. Suppose the older couple from the Crab Shack had found out where they were staying and wanted to talk in private? Something like that might make sense.

  But she wasn’t going to take any chances.

  Ben had left his gun on the nightstand. And she did know how to use it because she’d taken shooting lessons in a self-defense class some years ago. Picking up the weapon, she clicked off the safety and walked to the door.

  “Who is it?” she called out.

  “Bettie Henderson. From the Crab Shack.”

  She hadn’t been at the meeting of the town’s business leaders. Had she been talking to someone who’d attended?

  Remembering Ben’s warning, she said, “I can’t let you in.”

  “I can’t talk to you through the door.”

  “What do you want to talk about?”

  “Please, open the door. I don’t feel safe out here.”

  Sage wavered. It wasn’t like Chief Judd or one of his men had come to the Beach Breeze.

  “Okay,” she called out. Crossing to the door, she unhooked the safety chain and turned the knob.

  Bettie Henderson walked into the room. At the restaurant she’d been smartly dressed. Now she wore black slacks, a long-sleeved black shirt, and a nervous expression.

  She looked around. “Mr. Walker isn’t here?”

  “He’s gone out.”

  “That’s too bad. But thank you for seeing me.” She closed the door, then turned to Sage. “You remember me?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Bettie’s expression was guarded. “I know you’re worried about your sister. I think I might know where to find her.”

  Hope leaped inside of Sage’s breast. “Where? How do you know?”

  “I heard someone talking. And I found something you’ll want to see. Come on over to the bed, and let me show you.”

  Eagerly, Sage turned around and started across the room. She got halfway to the bed when a hand slapped itself over her face. A hand holding something cold and wet.

  Sage tried to back away, but it was already too late. She slipped to the floor, her vision blurring and a scream locked in her throat.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ben was sitting in the car when he heard a gunshot. Then another.

  He was out of the vehicle in an instant, listening intently. What was going on? Had they shot at Cole or someone else?

  He made a low sound. Someone? He had to assume that Cole was still in wolf form.

  His gun was back at the motel, with Sage. Muttering a curse, he started through the woods, slipping cautiously from tree to tree, moving as fast as he could while trying not to stumble in the darkness. He was half expecting a bullet to slam into him at any moment as he headed in the direction where Cole had disappeared. He couldn’t leave his friend out there alone.

  He could hear men talking excitedly, as though something had happened. Like they had seen a wolf in the underbrush?

  He stopped behind a pine, trying to figure out what was going on. The voices seemed to be coming from along the river.

  As quietly as possible, he slipped closer, until he could see guys moving around. Some were dressed like the security guard who had stopped him and Sage on the road. They were watching the area while men in work clothes unloaded cargo from a large cabin cruiser drawn up along the riverbank.

  Cargo being taken off a boat in the middle of the night. It had to be something illegal. He wondered if Cole had stumbled onto the scene. Had one of the guards shot at him? And what did they think was going on—that a stray dog or a wolf had interrupted their work? Or that someone had sent the animal sniffing around?

  He cursed their bad luck. He’d thought there might be regular patrols in the area but not that he and Cole would get here while something else was going down.

  He stood very still, listening as the boat’s engine cranked up and the craft pulled away from the bank. Then he heard another engine. This time a car or truck. Moments later it came toward him through the woods, and he hid behind a tree trunk, praying that the headlights didn’t hit him.

  He thought he was in the clear when the truck passed, but then he saw movement in the woods. He held his breath as four security guards came through the trees on foot, heading for the road. One of them passed within a few feet of him.

  Hoping they wouldn’t spot Cole’s car, he waited in the darkness again, his frustration growing. When the area was finally clear, he headed cautiously toward the river, where he found a small dock but no sign of further activity.

  Under ordinary circumstances, he’d report this nighttime activity to the local cops, but he had the feeling that Chief Judd already knew about it. Maybe this operation was how he’d paid for the fancy truck he was driving.

  Unsure of what to do now, he started along the riverbank, wanting to call Cole’s name but afraid to attract attention in case anyone was lingering in the area.

  A whining sound made him stop in his tracks.

  “Cole?”

  A wolf eased out of the underbrush, limping slightly. His pack was still on his back.

  Ben squatted down, seeing that the animal’s left front leg was oozing blood.

  “Shit.”

  The wolf answered with a low growl.

  “Can you walk?”

  The wolf nodded and took a few steps. Together they made their slow way back toward the car. At the edge of the woods, they stopped abruptly when a patrol car came gliding up the road. As soon as it was out of sight, Ben quickly crossed, with the wolf following. At the car, he squatted down again and eased the pack off the wolf’s back, trying to avoid the injured leg. Cole grabbed the knapsack in his mouth and headed into the underbrush. A few minutes later he came back, wearing trousers but no shirt. Blood crusted the skin of his upper left arm.

  “Christ. Sorry,” Ben said.

  “My fault. I saw the activity down by the river and got too close.”

  “I assume they’re smuggling something in.”

  “My guess is drugs. Somebody spotted me and started sh
ooting.”

  “How bad?”

  “Luckily, just a flesh wound. We can take care of it when we get back to the Beach Breeze.”

  He got into the passenger seat, and Ben drove off.

  “Wish I’d known about the smuggling,” Cole muttered.

  “If they wanted anyone to know, they’d be doing it in broad daylight.” Ben kept alert for any car following them. “Did you find a body?”

  “Yeah. About a quarter mile from that boat dock.”

  “And you can show me where?”

  “If we can get back in there without being seen. I put them on alert.”

  When they got back to the motel, they exited the car, still surveying their surroundings. Sure they hadn’t been followed, Ben knocked on the door.

  Nobody answered.

  “I guess she’s still mad,” he said as he inserted the key in the lock.

  When he saw the room was empty, his chest constricted.

  “Sage?” Ben crossed rapidly to the bathroom and threw the door open. Empty. “She’s not here.”

  “She could have gone back to Baltimore,” Cole said.

  “I don’t think so.” He charged across the room again and checked the parking lot. “Not in my car. It’s still here.”

  “And you don’t think she would have just gone out?”

  “She was mad—but not reckless.”

  “Is anything missing?” Cole asked.

  “As a matter of fact, the gun I left with her.”

  Cole hurried to her suitcase and pulled out one of the shirts Sage had brought and pressed it to his nose. Then he walked outside and along the parking lot to a spot a couple of doors from the room. “She came along here. To a vehicle. .”

  “I can’t believe she’d just go off with someone and not leave me a note.”

  “Unless the cops arrested her again.”

  “For what?”

  “For bursting into that meeting.”

  “Where you probably saved some lives.”

  “Who the hell knows what Judd would do?”

  They both stepped inside again, and Cole walked around the room, taking deep breaths. He stopped short near the bed. “Wait a minute. I smell something I didn’t pick up before.”