by Jeni Burns
"Whatever." Familiar darkness crept into her words. "I'm calling because I need to know where you're at on finding the arm band. Mitchell called and said you needed a favor today. Imagine my surprise when it was an order of furniture pieces of a certain nature and not aid in retrieving what you're there to find. What are you up to, Ronin?"
"Look. You wanted me to get in good with the Sheels and I'm doing that. I'm sure you've heard that Francine passed, and the girls are struggling to keep the business afloat. Without that, there isn't much to keep them together. And since Kara has already run off, if I don't help Julia and Lindsay keep the business running, I doubt they'll be able to continue with their other 'family business' if you know what I mean. So, are you going to let Mitchell deliver the goods or not? This event Sin-Sation is hosting will get them in good with the Fae."
"What does that had to do with the arm band?"
"If Kara doesn't come back, the girls might need a Fae alliance to help them find it. Besides, we discussed the timing for this. You were the one who said I couldn't waltz into their shop and demand them find the cuff for us. I'm doing exactly what you asked. You were the one who said I had to pretend I didn't know about their gifts."
"I don't remember asking you to sleep with one of the women."
The line fell silent. His brain churned. How did she know? He'd done everything to keep it a secret. He'd lied and told the pack Lindsay suspected him of thievery to explain her following him months ago. He'd tirelessly promised to find his mate as soon as this mission was over. And yet, somehow, Maddie knew.
"Your silence says it all. Stop fucking the Sheel girl. I don't care which one it is, but it stops. Now. Got it?"
His heart pounded in his chest. The thought of leaving Lindsay tied him in knots. Sure, it had started out as a mission from his Alpha but meeting her had changed him. Possibly forever. A soft thud echoed down the hall before the creak of old wood floors followed.
"What's done is done. If I walk away now, our chances of finding the cuff walk too. I've got to go."
"This isn't over, Ronin. Get the cuff. Get out. Understood?"
He swallowed back the lump forming in his throat as Lindsay's footsteps drew nearer. "Yeah. I understand."
"Behave lover," Maddie warned. "I don't like the idea of sloppy seconds."
A chill washed down his spine as the touch of soft skin landed on his shoulder.
"Ronin? Is everything okay?"
Lindsay's whispered words washed away the unrest settling in his gut. He took the phone from his ear, stabbed the disconnect button, and turned to face her. "Yeah, Linds. Everything is fine." He shrugged as if to add to his point. "Just heard back from my friend. Looks like we'll have all the pieces you need by late tomorrow."
In the darkness, her aquamarine eyes flashed bright with joy. She threw her arms around his neck and cooed.
"You really are the best thing that's ever happened to me!" She placed a kiss on his cheek. "First you help me with Nana's arrangements, then the store, and now you step in to save this party... I'm so lucky to have you!"
Guilt landed deep in his gut. If his life was different, he'd claim her as his mate and spend the rest of his life protecting her from the evil looking to get something from her and her cousins. But how could he? He was the evil. He was what she needed to be protect from.
Her lips landed on his and he drank all the sweetness he could from them. This woman brought out everything in him that could be good and whole.
She deserved better.
With that thought, he broke the kiss. Lindsay took his hand in hers and led him back to the bedroom, the promise of tiring him out on her lips.
Yeah. She definitely deserved better than the likes of him.
3
Closing the deal
THERE WAS NOTHING Lindsay hated more than waking up to an empty room. Most of her life, she'd shared with both Julia and Kara, but a year ago, she'd asked Nana for her own space. The first night had been horrible. Somehow it always seemed too quiet.
Once Ronin came along, her room improved. Full of life and energy, it took on the essence of how she felt. She credited her werewolf boyfriend's regular sleep-overs for the energy shift. But this morning he wasn't in her bed like usual. After his late-night phone call, she wondered if this would be the case. Ronin kept most of his life in a tightly locked drawer it seemed. He didn't talk much about his past or his family. She really didn't question it. From the moment they'd met, she'd been drawn to him unlike anyone she'd ever met. Maybe she was foolish to blindly trust him and let herself fall so hard, but she did it anyway without regret-mostly.
A note on her nightstand promised he'd see her at the shop later. Before she could overthink it, a light knock on her door drew her back to the day at hand. She crossed the room, opened the door, and smiled.
"Hey, Linds. I thought I heard Ronin leave a while ago and I really needed to talk." Her cousin's gaze held the look of grief and matched her sober tone.
"Sure Jules. What's up?" She opened the door, ushered her in, and climbed onto the bed.
Julia stretched out beside her and stared at the ceiling. "I've been trying to figure out a way to keep both businesses running, but honestly, I don't know if we can. I've had three calls yesterday for lost objects and I don't want to turn away the business, but without Kara, do we even have a chance of finding these things? Oh, and let's not forget the call from Dean and Jake."
Her ears perked at the names. "What did Dean and Jake want?"
"To make sure we were all set for the party." Jules paused and turned a piercing chocolate-colored gaze her way. "Are we ready for the party? I know Nana was worried about it being too much of an undertaking. Is it?"
"Possibly. But Ronin has some contacts that were able to come through with the last of what we still needed."
"Oh? Isn't that a bit odd? Isn't he in sales or something."
"He is... I think. But he has a wide network of friends through his family." She shrugged and felt a tug of guilt using 'family' instead of 'pack' when explaining his community ties to Jules, but she wasn't sure how he'd feel if others knew his secret.
"Isn't it weird that you still don't know where he works? Haven't met his family?" Jules trailed off before adding a quiet, "What's he hiding?"
"He isn't hiding anything. He's just private." The lie slipped off her tongue quicker than she liked.
"Maybe it's you he's hiding from everything else."
"What?" Her breath froze in her lungs and her mind raced through the months of knowing Ronin. Could it really be that simple? Could he be keeping her out of his life not for her safety as he claimed, but because he believed she wasn't worthy of him and the pack? Tears welled in her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks.
"Oh, Linds, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." Julia slid closer and hugged her close. "It's just..."
The lingering pause drove her nerves past the point of no return. "What?"
"I heard him talking on the phone late last night. You know, thin walls. And I heard him talking to someone."
"Oh," relief washed her insecurities back a bit. "That was his supplier. He told me he got a phone call confirming availability. That's all."
"Well, then I think he might have a past with his supplier. I heard him apologize and say he didn't mean to hurt whomever he was speaking with. It definitely didn't sound like a business call at midnight."
"I'm sure you misunderstood." Even to her own ears her voice sounded uncertain and insecure.
"You're probably right. I'll drop it." Jules squeezed her hand and smiled. "The other thing I needed to run by you is this... I received a call from a woman looking for an arm band."
"Without Kara I don't know how much help we could be in retrieving it though."
"Hear me out on this. We've seen the pattern before and therefore might have a lead on it."
"What?"
"The arm band she described is the same pattern that was requested for the coming of
age ceremony. Which means, Dean and Jake might've seen it."
"Yeah, but didn't they say that pattern was an old family crest sort of thing? If so, why would someone outside of the family be looking for a piece of jewelry like that?"
"Who says the woman wasn't family? Maybe she was looking for it to be a gift for Summer."
Her cousin had a point. After all her time spent in shoddy locales making drops, she'd lost faith in people. So many of the items they'd procured over the years had taken on the stench of debauchery laced within their fibers. She shuddered.
"How do you expect us to get this armband? Do you really think it's as simple as calling up Dean and Jake? Asking them if they have some artifact that someone wants to buy? I mean, I know I wasn't the one out there procuring the items over the last decade, but I never saw Kara make a phone call to inquire about an item before fetching it." Her pulse pounded in her temples and her hands shook.
"No. It wouldn't be like that. More like a 'hey can we come look over the site again' kinda call and while you are occupying them with logistic things, I can snoop around a little. See what I can find." Her blonde curls made a halo around her face, adding to the innocence she painted in her gaze. "Come on, Linds, how hard can it be?"
Lindsay shook her head and sighed. "I'll make the call. But, don't do anything stupid. If we ruin our chances at this event, we might as well close the store too."
"I promise." An eager glint flashed across Julia's face. "When will you call them?"
"Good gravy girl." Lindsay laughed aloud. "I'll get down to the store and get it opened for the day and then given them a call. Okay?"
"Sounds great!" Julia launched herself into Lindsay's arms and squeezed her tight. "And about Ronin... You can do better. You deserve a man who will share his life with you rather than hide it from you. Maybe you'll meet someone great at the party. You are taking them up on their invitation, right?"
"I actually asked Ronin to come as my plus one already," she admitted.
"No worries. Take back the invite. Tell him something changed."
"It's because of him and his contacts we're even going to be able to pull this party off. I can't go uninviting him."
Julia loosened her embrace. "Trust me, he's hiding something. And whatever it is, it'll only bring you heartbreak. Cut your losses now."
Her heart banged against her ribcage. Maybe Julia was right. Maybe she'd been so desperate for someone to love her that she'd overlooked all the warning signs. Maybe Ronin wasn't all he seemed. "I love you, Jules. Thanks for always looking out for me. I'll think about what you said. Okay?"
By lunchtime Lindsay had no appetite. Ronin hadn't showed at the store yet, nor had he called. Her cousin's words replayed on a vicious cycle in her head.
"Penny for your thoughts," a male voice intoned, breaking her concentration.
She looked up and found the bluest eyes staring back at her. "Jake. I didn't expect to see you here." She hated the way her voice shook with uncertainty.
"Ah. I received a call from your cousin and she said you wanted to meet again. I thought it best to come speak in person."
The formality in his tone contradicted the man before her. He was average in height with a muscular build covered in tattoos that reminded her of ancient scrollwork. His smile was always a tad bit crooked and the glint in his sky-blue eyes always alluded to mischief. And yet, he sounded like an old soul. A man who had lived and loved and experienced all life had to offer.
"Jules and I were hoping to come by the site and do one last walk-though to ensure the placement of everything." She offered a small smile in return for his widening grin.
"The Sheels always outdo themselves when it comes to customer service. Our families have been intertwined for so very long, it baffles my mind as to why we aren't closer." He cocked his head and heat rushed to her face as the weight of his stare reached beyond her skin. "Such a pity there aren't more of you. My family has need of a horde of good women like yourselves."
Her blood neared boiling as he reached across the counter separating them and laid a hand on hers.
"Perhaps we can get better acquainted at the party?"
Words froze on her tongue and her breath stilled in her chest. The tinkling of the dainty bells hanging from the entry door cut the tension. She glanced toward the door and yanked her hand away from the Fae's.
"Ronin." His name died on her lips as his gaze darkened.
Jake turned and stepped in her line of sight, giving her a brief reprise from the werewolf's haunted stare.
"Ah, you must be the muscle. I was told we'd have some muscle to keep the riffraff out of the party. I'm sure Summer will approve of this one." He turned back to Lindsay and winked. "You, my darling, are outdoing yourself for this." With a raise of an eyebrow, he smiled. "About that walk-through, let's do it this evening. Say around seven? I'll have Dean whip up something fantastic to eat and we'll go through all the details. Feel free to bring the muscle," he added and jacked a thumb over his shoulder in Ronin's direction. "It'd be a pleasant surprise for all."
With a flourish, he turned and left.
"What was that all about?" Ronin stalked to the counter. "First, he has a hand on you and then he sizes me up like a steak? What's his deal?"
A simple shrug didn't seem to suffice, so she added, "You know how the Fae can be."
"Actually, I don't. I've never really dealt with them before."
"Well, come with us tonight. You'll see for yourself." When his eyes darted to the door as if looking for an escape, her heart sank. "Unless you have other plans." Her pulse kicked up a notch and her hands tumbled. Julia's voice started its tiring refrain in her head once more.
"I don't know. I might have to work." His gaze avoided hers.
"Okay." She hung her head and tried to think of something more to say as the silence between them hung thick.
Ronin cleared his throat. "I wanted to stop by to let you know my guys will be bringing the pieces you ordered by this afternoon. They were able to pull it all together quicker than planned and I figured you'd be pleased."
She forced a smile to her lips. "Thank you. It'll be perfect since tonight Jules and I will be touring the grounds again. Seeing the pieces in person ahead of time will really help." The ring of the antique phone in the back office echoed in the empty store. "I should get that."
"Yeah. I'll talk to you later." He leaned over the counter and placed a chaste hiss on her lips. "You okay?"
She nodded and hoped the smile on her face convinced him. "Gotta grab that," she uttered in attempt to end the awkwardness. Quick steps had her in the confines of the office before she could hear the front door of the shop open and close again.
"Hello?" Unlike the main number for the shop, this phone was devoted to the part of the business they didn't advertise. Reportedly, this line had been in their family as long as communication by phone had existed.
"Who is this?"
The sharp-tongued question shook her resolve.
"This is Lindsay. How may I help you?"
"Lindsay? Which one are you? I need to talk to the auctioneer. I've requested an item and haven't heard back."
"I'm sorry. She isn't available right now, but I can take a message and have her return your call." She scoured the desk for paper and a pen. "Who's calling?"
"My name is Madeline. I'm calling on behalf of Trevan. He's looking for a very specific cuff for his mate, Aria. I was told if anyone could find it, it would be the Sheel women." A scoff sounded on the line. "But no one calls me back. No updates on the location of the item. Nothing. I'm beginning to think the reputation linked to your family is as fake as your ability to find precious items."
"I'm sorry. We've had some recent tragedy within the family and haven't fully recovered. I'll pass along your information and see to it the auctioneer returns your call." Her hand landed on a pen. "What number can she reach you back at?"
Lindsay took down the phone number and assured the caller her call woul
d be returned.
"Just make sure she calls me back about this item before she offers it to someone else. I've heard rumblings that others seek it as well." And with that, the woman hung up.
She jotted a note to go with the name and number, but before she left the office, the phone rang again. By the second ring, she'd convinced herself to answer it despite the nagging feeling she should leave this all to Jules.
"Hello?"
"Linds?"
The familiar voice crackled with static on the line.
"Kara? Is that you?" For the first time in weeks, hope sprang to life in the pit of her stomach. "Where are you? Are you okay?"
"Linds? Can you hear me? It's Kara."
"I can hear you." Her voice rose and broke as the static grew louder.
"Linds? I need your help. Please. Something's wrong and I need your help." Her cousin's voice grew faint.
"Where are you? I'll come for you." Only silence answered. "Kara? Kara? Kara!" The line went dead leaving only a dial tone echoing in the handset.
She dropped the receiver back into place and raced to the front for her cell. Her hands shook as she pulled up her contacts and clicked the speed dial for Julia. It rang three times before she answered.
"Hey Linds, what's up? I'm still waiting to hear back from Dean and Jake."
"Jake stopped by. He wants us there at seven, but I'm not calling about that. Kara called."
"What?" The line got quiet. "Is she okay?"
"I don't know. She said she needed help, but I couldn't really hear her."
"Where is she?"
In the background Lindsay could hear the chiming of the grandfather clock in their living room. "I don't know. She didn't say. She called on line in Nana's office though. Why would she call there and not on one of our cell phones?"
"Wait. She called on the office line?"
"Yeah." She paused as that sank in. "Why would she call on the office line?"
