Lana turned her head in surprise. She wouldn’t have expected humor from him.
He gave her a brief, lopsided grin that sent a happy tingle down her spine. She spun back around to get out of targeting range, but it did little good. She could feel his presence keenly behind her, as urgent and alarming as a stalking predator. Which he was, of course. No one in their right mind would dare turn their back on that.
“Speak for yourself, Zany Boy,” Jayson said. “Or should I tell our lady friend here how you’re just a big old sheep in wolf’s clothin’?”
“Here, Jayson,” Zane said. Jayson turned just in time for her luggage to come hurtling into his midsection. “Why don’t you carry that for a while and stop hoggin’ our company to yourself?”
Jayson caught it with a small grunt. “Fair enough. No reason you should be the only one showin’ off your manly muscles.” Jayson heaved the bag onto his shoulder and gave Lana a wink.
“Don’t mind him,” Zane said as he came up on her other side, forcing Jayson to move back to avoid ploughing into a tree. “No one does. He’s always been too sure of himself for his own good.”
“Not always,” Jayson said from closer behind them than Zane had been. “Only when I’m fated for a sure thing. As you well know.”
The suggestive smolder in those words almost turned her head around on her shoulders. She flicked Zane a sidelong look and saw a simmer that warmed her cheeks. Another spot on her felt warm too, one that rarely registered. She thought of the way Zane had stroked Jayson’s hair and wondered whether she was mistaken about them. Maybe they didn’t think of her as an easy male opportunity. Maybe their hats stood up for a different team entirely. Or partly, at least. Jayson’s had certainly saluted her.
“So, how long you had the hots for wolves?” Jayson asked.
Lana turned and made a face. “I don’t have ‘the hots’ for them,” she said.
“Really.” His eyes were literally glittering with challenge.
A new prickle of sweat broke out on her brow. Hot for wolves, no. Cowboys and Indians were another matter entirely.
“I just like wolves a lot. I don’t know why.”
“Bet a nickel I do,” he said.
Zane cleared his throat loudly. “Are we headed for the rental cabins?”
“That’s right,” she said. “If you’ll just get me within visual range, I can take it from there.”
That would be best. She was tired of trying to figure out these two, including how much male interest was pointed at her from beneath their brass belt buckles.
“Don’t want us knowin’ where you live, eh?” Jayson asked.
She hadn’t had a chance to counter when he stopped abruptly. Zane seemed to notice the change in his partner’s mood a split second before it happened, and he turned to him.
“What is it?” Zane asked.
Jayson was frozen in place, his head tilted upward while he sniffed the air. “Shh,” he said. Then he sniffed again and set Lana’s bag slowly on the ground.
Lana tried inhaling as well, but she only smelled the same rich, earthy scent that had filled her nostrils since getting out of her car. “What’s wrong?” she asked in a whisper.
Now Jayson was acting truly weird, his piercing eyes scanning the area as he headed for the nearest tree and smelled it. Then he backtracked to the tree opposite and did the same.
“Jayson,” Zane said pointedly.
“It was here, right here,” he said, wandering around the other two in circles. “I caught the scent, but now it’s gone.” He bent to examine something on the ground and then stood up. “Help me, Zane.”
If she hadn’t already known their secret, this bizarre scene would raise all sorts of questions about their animal behavior. She caught a glimpse of something promising through the trees and decided the time had come to part ways.
“I’ll just go on ahead,” she said. “You guys finish sniffing around.”
Zane’s eyes flicked between her and Jayson, his face taut and clearly conflicted. Jayson, who moments before seemed determined to never leave Lana alone, no longer seemed to care she existed. She wasn’t sure whether to feel rebuffed or relieved.
“I ain’t gettin’ anythin’,” Zane said, but he set Sage’s carrier down.
“Trust me, I know that scent better than anyone,” Jayson said. Now he was turning circles in one spot. “Zane, come on. We have to pick it up again and track it. Now.”
With a heaving sigh, Zane began searching—and sniffing—in a different area. “It’ll be easier if we shift.”
The men shrank away before her eyes, and the black and gray wolves were busy sniffing the forest floor. All but forgotten, Lana just stood there a moment, staring with raised brows, while Sage loudly protested the reappearance of fangs and fur. Then she shook herself free and lunged for her bags, pulling up the telescoping handle and grabbing the carrier.
“Okay, then,” she muttered as she headed away. “Thanks for everything.”
Lana yanked the suitcase after her as fast as she could and half ran away, praying they wouldn’t suddenly change their minds and chase her down on all fours.
Her eyes lifted high along the tree line and found the roof she’d spotted. As she headed for it, the gradual slope they’d been descending leveled and began rising. When she came out of the thick press of trees, she saw a cabin off to her left, along with something she hadn’t planned for.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” she said.
The cabin rested atop a steep incline. A clump of trees stood on either side, and to the left of that she caught sight of another cabin. The closest had a tall, asymmetrical roof and was far grander than the one she’d rented. Hers was hopefully close by, but she’d have to climb the slope in order to find out.
Eyeing her route more closely, she saw boulders and a line of young trees on the way up that she could use to help pull herself along. That was something, anyway. The suitcase and Sage, however, would be major ass pains.
“Oh, well,” she said. “Guess we just have to get this done.”
She began to climb, immediately regretting her “fancy” pumps. What she wouldn’t have given for a pair of hiking boots. Or maybe a helicopter. Her calves felt the strain as she leaned forward to get uphill, shoving the bag and carrier through dirt and leaves ahead of her. She pushed them in front of the various trees and rocks along the way, freeing her hands for the climb. Pine needles, sap, and dirt stuck to her palms and shoes, her back ached in protest, and she slipped backward twice. Finally, she managed to get topside.
“Gods, I hope this is Pine Grove Lane,” she said, rubbing her hands together in a futile effort to clean and warm them. “I’ve had about as much fun as I can stand.”
Sage’s whiskers poked out of the bars as she mewed an unhappy reply.
They were on an old asphalt road full of cracks and potholes. Lana rolled her ruined suitcase along until she could make out the nearest cabin’s address. “202,” she said, glancing up and down the road. “Question is, what street?”
There were other cabins, each a fair distance apart and surrounded by trees. She was wondering whether to head up the slanted street or down when a muffled voice came from her pocket.
“What was that?” she asked, fumbling for the phone she’d stuffed away. Her GPS was back on and announcing her cabin was a thousand feet away.
“Yes! Thank God.” She had been promised cellular service at the cabin, and apparently it hadn’t been a lie. It was one thing to go somewhat off the grid, but not having a working phone with her was out of the question.
She headed up the street, out of breath from the altitude. Her arms and legs burned with fatigue, and the sharp tang of chilled air stung her face while she passed two other cabins. At last, she stopped in front of 214 and dug out the keys.
The cabin was bigger than it appeared in photos. It was sided with large logs painted green and, as she had wanted, windows that were small and scarce. There was a quaint wraparound
porch with an inviting swing out front, and inside would be two bedrooms, one bath, a den, living room, and kitchen—all furnished. There was even a small laundry. It was more than she needed, but the cheapest available on short notice.
“Here we are,” she said, half out of breath. “Home sweet rental.”
She headed up a short driveway, which was nice. Assuming she ever got the car running again, she wouldn’t have to park on the street.
Two wooden steps brought her onto the porch, where a cord of firewood was piled beside the door. She scrubbed her feet on a thick, bristly mat before tugging open the screen. Once inside, she flipped a switch and found herself in a small front entryway.
“This is cute,” she said, setting the carrier and suitcase beside a wooden hall tree with a built-in seat and coat hooks. She’d have a look around and wash the sticky sap off her hands before letting the cat out.
The floor was nicely stained hardwood, and she felt a stab of regret at the thought of her now-dirty luggage mucking up the shiny boards. Straight ahead was the living room, and she wandered through it to a charming brick fireplace. That would definitely see some use, although not right then. She was too exhausted for anything other than a bath and a cup of the herbal tea she’d stashed in her suitcase.
A large mirror was centered over the fireplace, and she glanced at it warily, not eager to seeing her bedraggled reflection. Instead, she spotted something far more frightening.
Someone was pointing a gun at her back.
Chapter Two
Lana froze for a split second, wondering whether her imagination was playing tricks on her the way it had done out in the woods. But the stranger failed to vanish.
She whirled around with a gasp. Goddess, help me, she thought. She hadn’t even had time to set up her protective wards.
“Please, don’t shoot,” she said.
“Shut up.”
The gunslinger was a woman, not the man Lana was running from. That fact offered little comfort, however, as her heart crashed desperately against her sternum. The room swam around her as she stared at that gun. Why was fate determined to keep her in danger?
“What the hell are you doing in here?” the woman asked.
Lana tried to answer, but her mouth dried to desert cotton.
“I asked you a question,” she repeated, louder and angrier this time. “Why are you here?”
Lana’s voice shook as she forced a reply. “I, uh, I just rented this place.” She swallowed thickly and tried not to focus on the gun.
“Got proof of that?”
“I have the keys and a copy of the signed agreement.” Lana paused with a groan. “Wait. I left the contract in my car.”
“I didn’t hear a car.” The woman took a step closer. “Let me see your eyes.”
“What?”
A blinding light flashed in Lana’s face. She blinked wildly, both to block the glare and clear the tears fogging her vision.
“Hold still.”
Lana complied, and after a moment, the woman lowered a flashlight and more importantly, the gun.
Lana had no idea how her eye color factored into the equation, but with the gun trained at the floor, she found herself babbling for the second time that day. “You didn’t hear a car because it broke down out on the highway. I had to walk the rest of the way. That’s why I’m such a mess.”
The woman bent over to snap on a table lamp. With the room better lit, Lana could see her new cabin and would-be assailant much clearer. The décor was deceptively warm and friendly, but Lana could have cared less. The woman was slim in form-fitting black stretch pants and hiking boots. Flaming red hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders. Overall, her soft, delicate features were mismatched to the occasion, except for her eyes. Their charcoal depths held a cold regard that seemed perfect for someone who went around pointing a gun at people.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” she said, tucking away both the flashlight and the gun in the pockets of a green hunting jacket. “I wasn’t expecting company.”
“Are you the owner or the caretaker?” Lana asked.
“Neither.”
“I’m Lana,” she said, stepping forward. She stuck her hand out, wondering why when the woman was clearly not in a good place.
The redhead glanced at the outstretched hand. “And I’m leaving.” She turned toward the entryway.
“Wait. Don’t go yet.”
The woman spun again and raised a brow. “I’m getting the hell out before you call the cops.”
“I’m not calling the cops.”
“Why not?”
Good question. Lana thought for a moment. “I guess I can’t fault you for not wanting unexpected company.”
“Okay,” she replied in a wary tone. “I wasn’t robbing the place, just so you know.”
“I believe you.”
That earned her a sharp look. “Whatever. The place was vacant, and I needed somewhere safe to think.”
Lana nodded. “That’s exactly why I came to Shay Falls. To be somewhere safe.”
That prompted a laugh. “You came to Shay Falls to be safe? This is probably one of the worst places you could have picked.”
Lana pursed her lips. “Why, because of the woods? It is a little creepy out there, I’ll admit.”
“You came through the woods? Lucky for you it’s still light out.” She crossed the room and pulled the curtains aside on the single window. “Not for much longer, though.”
“You should stay, then. I’m guessing you don’t have a car here, either, since I didn’t see one outside.”
“I have a truck, but it’s not here. Long story.”
“So tell it to me over a cup of tea. What did you say your name was?”
“I didn’t. And I need something stronger than tea.” The woman crossed over to one of the end tables flanking the couch. She plucked up a beer bottle and raised it in silent toast before downing the remainder in a single gulp.
“I could use some company for a few minutes, to be honest,” Lana said, silently berating herself for the inane chatter. “After my fun trek through the woods, your whole welcome-to-the-cabin bit shook me up.” She held up her hands to show the obvious quiver. “Literally, whoever you are.”
The woman sighed. “My name’s Jayel. And it’s getting late.”
“It’s not just you and the gun. When I was walking here, I thought I was being chased, and then there were these two guys.”
That seemed to get Jayel’s attention. “Guys? What guys?”
“Just some guys who tried following me. But they left.” Or rather, they’d lost all interest.
“What did they look like? Were they weird?”
Lana snorted. “Depends on your definition. They were good-looking, I suppose. And they had cowboy accents.” And they grew fur, something she wasn’t about to mention. The woman might rethink shooting her if she thought Lana was a nutcase.
Jayel’s eyes rolled. “You’re in ranch territory. Most guys sound like that up here.”
“Except one of them sounded like a cowboy but looked like an Indian. You know, Native American.”
That prompted a frown. “They don’t sound familiar.” Jayel sighed. “I can stay for a few minutes. Then I have to go find a place before dark.”
“There’s a spare bedroom here.” Lana blinked as the insane words tumbled out. She should be shooing the woman off, not putting mints on her pillow.
“I don’t want to impose.”
“I’m not using it for anything.”
“I said no.” The word came out sharply enough for Lana to flinch, and Jayel sighed. “Sorry. I’m a little on edge these days.”
“Then we have that in common too.” Her eyes shifted to an oversized recliner in the corner. “Look, is it okay if I sit down? My feet are ready to fall off.”
Jayel gestured to the chair. “Knock yourself out. It’s your place.”
Lana all but collapsed into the chair with a groan of relief. She was probably
getting the fabric dirty, but she didn’t care. Under less alarming circumstances, the living room really would be cozy. Everything was done in shades of brown and green. The plants in the corner were silk, but decent. Artwork on the walls were mostly landscapes. To her pleasant surprise, a large oil painting above the couch featured a wolf pack standing on a ridge overlooking a waterfall. Shay Falls, perhaps.
Jayel looked decidedly uncomfortable standing there, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “You want a beer or something?”
“No, thanks.” She leaned her throbbing head back. “Can I ask why you needed to see my eyes? Did you think I was someone else?”
“Something like that.”
“How come you were hiding in here?”
Jayel dropped onto the couch across from her and set the empty beer bottle back on the end table. “That’s a long, unpleasantly complicated story I don’t generally like to talk about.”
Lana gave a tiny laugh. “Sounds like my story.”
“I seriously doubt it.”
“Don’t you have a home around here?”
There was a pause. “Not really. Not anymore.”
Lana’s stomach thudded sympathetically. “That pretty much sums up the last six months of my life. What I wouldn’t give to stop having to move around. But now you’re telling me Shay Falls won’t likely be my last stop either.”
“I just thought you should know.”
Lana kicked off her ruined shoes and leaned forward to rub her aching feet. “What’s wrong with Shay Falls? I checked it out before I came. Small town charm, off the beaten path but with high speed Internet and decent cell service, when you’re not in the woods, anyway. Crime rate isn’t anything to speak of. Sounded idyllic.”
“Then you didn’t check cattle disappearances and the occasional missing person.”
Lana poked at a blister forming on the ball of her foot. “Cattle wasn’t among my criteria. And I didn’t see much on missing people.”
“No. I suppose you wouldn’t.” Jayel stood up. “Just do yourself a favor and don’t go roaming around the woods at night.”
She thought of Zane’s glowing eyes and sharp fangs. “It’s not on my itinerary. So you really won’t stay despite the alleged dangers and your lack of car?”
Disorderly Cowboys [Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 3
