by Lauren Dane
“We can’t just keep being mad at each other, Nina. You’re my sister-in-law and I’m your anchor bond as well as your Alpha.”
She turned on the gas below the skillet and put a pat of butter in to melt. “Hmm. Is that an official pronouncement?”
She tipped the bowl, pouring the mixture into the skillet, and put it in the sink before moving back to the stove where she stirred the eggs.
He fumed as the food cooked. Finally she pulled out two plates and halved the eggs and put one plate in front of Cade and sat down with hers.
“Oh. Thanks.”
Nina hid a smirk at his confusion. Cade Warden might be her Alpha and the big cheese, but he and his tool of a brother had to be properly trained as to how to treat a woman. This He-Man routine of theirs had to stop. If she was going to live there, it would be on her terms, too, or not at all.
They ate in silence until she stood up and put her plate in the sink.
“So are we okay or what?” Cade asked.
She turned to him. “Eventually I think we will be. On one level, I trust you. As a member of your Pack, I trust you’ll enforce the rules that keep werewolves safe. But that doesn’t mean I trust you, Cade, to protect me, Nina. I would have given my life for you or Lex. But you don’t feel the same and that’s taking some getting used to.”
He stood and went to her. Taking her hands in his, he searched her face as he tried to think of the words to say. “Nina, you can trust me. There is no one more important to me in the world than you and Lex. I love my family but you two are my tri-bond. In many ways, you’re my mate too. It nearly killed me to watch you being attacked. I tried to find you a way out. And no, I don’t think it was your fault. But I also knew that a werewolf could easily kill a human. I had to make the choice that was best for the Pack. But that doesn’t mean you can’t trust me.”
“You can’t have it both ways, Cade.” She gently took her hands back and kissed his cheek. “I’ll get over it in time. But I don’t think things between us will ever be the same and maybe that’s a good thing anyway.”
“What are you doing up so early?” Lex asked as he came into the kitchen.
Nina stepped away from Cade and went to Lex. She kissed his chin. “I have to get to my shop today. It’s been a week. I’ll need a car. Oh, and I suppose a bodyguard, too.” She sighed.
“You what? Jesus, Nina! You. Almost. Died! People are trying to kill you. They burned down your house. What does it take to make you stay home and be safe?” Lex yelled this so loud that the bass of it vibrated her spine.
She idly waved a hand in his direction. “Indoor voice! Knock it off tantrum-boy.”
“Tantrum-boy? Nina, Lex is right. You need to stay here where we can protect you.”
She narrowed her eyes at Cade. “Oh yeah, well, let me see…nope, you’re not the boss of me. And I’d like to point out a very important point—this entire ball of shit originated with werewolves. The murder attempts? You people. Hell, right in front of you in one situation. So, fuck off, won’t you? Because I’ve got a business to run and we still need to find my brother’s killer.”
She moved to walk out of the room and Lex’s arm shot out to stop her. Only she turned and growled at him and everyone got very quiet for a moment.
“Nina, your wolf is surfacing.” Cade’s voice was calm and low.
“Don’t poke at it with a stick, then.” She turned back to Lex. “I’m going to work. Period. End of discussion. I’m going to wait downstairs for five minutes and then I’m taking one of the Mercs and leaving. You can roll with that and give me a bodyguard. Or sit here and wring your hands all day. It’s all the same to me.”
With that pronouncement, she breezed out of the room.
Lex slammed a fist into the wall and let out a frustrated groan. “Are you in the field today or here?”
“Here. Go with her, Lex and take Megan with you. It’s time you let Dave take over being my chief bodyguard and you do Enforcement full time. Right now, she’s our biggest priority. She’s under threat and she’s right, we do need to find that murderer.”
“Carter is a part of it. I can taste it.”
“I think so, too. I’ve never doubted your senses about stuff like this anyway.”
Lex sighed and turned to his brother. “I’m going to bring two more men onto your personal detail.”
“Do it. Now get down there before she takes off without you.”
Lex grinned and held up a small black cube. “Not without the electronic key she doesn’t. The engine won’t turn over without it.”
Cade laughed. “Living with the two of you is going to be really interesting.”
“Something like that,” Lex called out as he left the room. He motioned for Megan to follow him and they headed downstairs to the garage.
* * * * *
Nina was sitting in the car, talking on her cell phone when they got inside with her. She shot him an annoyed look when he touched the cube to a spot on the dash near the ignition and started the car. He made sure she saw him pocket the cube where he could keep custody of it, too.
“Who were you talking to?”
“My assistant manager. He’s going to Pike Place Market this morning to pick up some supplies and…oh, not like you need to know the details.”
“Yeah. Well, here’s how it’s going to go.” Lex kept his eyes on the road as he drove. “One of us, more probably, two of us, will be with you at all times while you are at the shop. I will drive you daily. This is not negotiable. You will not leave the shop without one of us accompanying you. You will not enter the shop until we have done a sweep and ensured everything is clear.”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay, Principal McGruff.”
Megan snorted laughter in the backseat and Lex cut his eyes to her in the rearview mirror but she studiously avoided looking up.
“I mean it, Nina. Now that we’re mated it’s going to be even more difficult for me to let go of you. I’ll be more protective. It’s biology. If we work together, we can make it easier. Come on, you seriously can’t…oh shit!”
Nina’s head came up and she saw the smoking ruin of her shop. Automatically her hand went for the door but Lex was quicker, hitting the automatic locks.
“No! Nina, I know you’re upset but you can’t charge out there.” Megan leaned forward and rubbed Nina’s shoulders, murmuring softly to her.
“I have to talk to the police.” Nina’s voice was flat. “Pull over here, there are plenty here now.”
Lex started to argue but met his sister’s eyes. Megan shook her head once, staying his actions. With a sigh, he pulled over in the parking lot of the bookstore next to the shop.
“Stay here until I get your door.” Lex slid out and surveyed the area as he walked around to let her out of the car.
He led her to the firefighters on scene, trying to stifle his alarm at how limp and lifeless she felt as she let him lead her around.
“Officers, my fiancée, Nina Reyes is the owner of this shop. What’s happened?” Lex asked as they got to the police line.
“Ma’am,” one of the firefighters said as he pulled off some of his smoke-stained gear, “it doesn’t look accidental.”
“Arson? Oh, of course! Because it wasn’t enough to burn down my house. Oh! Everyone is okay? Oh god! There was no one here yet? You see, for early deliveries on Thursdays, we’re often here at five. None of my employees was ins…” her voice broke and Lex pulled her to his side.
Megan stood discreet but alert at their back.
“No ma’am, the place was empty. Can you wait over there please?” The firefighter pointed at the corner. “I’m sure the police and the investigators will want to talk to you.”
Numb, Nina let Lex guide her to the corner to wait. She had to let the grief wash over her so she could get to the mad. Instinctively, she knew the mad would save her, help her get through.
Lex stood next to her, rubbing small circles over her back. She’d noticed that the wolves liked to touch at
times of stress. She also realized that she’d have to stop thinking of it as things that happened to them because she was one of them too.
“When this is all over, I’m going to check myself into a hospital and have a heart attack,” she said tiredly.
“I’m so sorry, beautiful. We’re going to find who did this, I promise you.”
“Carter did this, Lex. Come on! You know it and I know it,” she hissed as she saw someone come over from the scene. It was the man who was investigating the fire at her house.
“Ms. Reyes. I wish I could say I was happy to see you. Do you happen to know anything about this?” Detective Stoner came to a stop in front of them.
“I wish I did. I was coming to my shop for the first time in a week.” Nina felt the anger and the frustration at not being able to tell this man the whole story. Lex had asked her to leave the details to the Pack and she’d agreed. She had serious misgivings at that point in letting the Pack handle it all, but she’d given her word so she kept the details to a minimum.
“No? No enemies? Someone you may have offended back in Ohio?” The detective asked the question with forced casualness but Nina had dealt with enough social workers and cops to know fishing when she saw it. She could also smell something acrid about him.
While Nina felt Lex’s arm tense slightly, she knew he’d not appear any different to the man questioning her.
“My crimes were stupid and petty and are over a decade old. I’m sure you also saw that other than juvenile records, I’ve been clean. Someone I cheated in some street dice game back when I was seventeen is not going to burn down my house and shop.
“Pardon me for doing your job and all,” because you’re not was the unspoken part, “but this is something a hell of a lot bigger than some crap I did a stint in juvie for a decade ago.”
“Hey, no need to get defensive. I was just trying to figure out who did this and why. Obviously whoever did this knows you or has some personal issue with you. It’s only logical to ask you if you had any information.”
“Do you think I would hide information for fun? That it’s so enjoyable having my entire life burn down around my ears, threatening my employees? You’ve done your homework so you know I came from nothing. I worked hard to build my business up, I want to catch who did this more than you do—I promise you that.”
Stoner held his hands up in surrender in the face of her anger. “I’ll be in touch. I take it you’re still staying with Mr. Warden here?” He nodded his chin toward Lex.
“Yes. Ms. Reyes and I are engaged to be married. Our home is her permanent address. You can reach us there day or night. You also have my cell phone number. As you can see, Nina is stressed out and upset. May I take her home or is there anything else you need?”
“Nothing further for now. I’ll be in touch.” The way he said it made it sound like a threat and Nina sighed.
“Thank you.” Nina tiredly leaned into Lex as he led her back to the car. She let him help her inside and put her head back and closed her eyes.
“Beautiful…”
“Don’t. Just don’t, Lex, because you and I both know this is Carter and if I think about it any more right this moment I’m going to hunt him down and kill him.” She said this with her eyes still closed.
“Okay, I know why I think it’s Carter. Tell me why you do.”
“I don’t think Melissa is the shooter. She seemed quite genuine with me and while she showed interest in the laptop, her interest didn’t seem out of bounds for the situation. She seems happy with being ranked where she is, ambitious but not ruthless.”
“Okay.” Lex’s voice was noncommittal.
“Eric is a tricky one. He pretends to be the man about town with the ladies and yes, he’s a bit smarmy. But, he listened to every word that was said, even as he checked out my tits.”
Lex growled. “Don’t think I didn’t notice that. Pup. He’ll keep away from you in the future if he likes breathing.”
Nina opened her eyes and looked at him. “Uh, yeah, whatever. I’d rather have wolves checking my boobs than trying to kill me. Call me shallow that way.”
Lex gave a weary sigh and waved her on.
“But Carter, he’s a vicious bastard. You can smell the ruthless ambition dripping off him.”
“You don’t think Melissa is ruthless?” Lex asked, curious.
“Not in the same way that Eric and Carter are. That challenge? Come on! Yes, he was knocked over by a human but so what? He could have turned it around and made himself look benevolent for helping Lex’s crazy human mate. But instead he challenges me to the death for it? Overreact much? He wanted to kill me and be done with it. The way he did it was desperate and that’s what worries me the most. Because he’s at the bottom of the Pack now and he doesn’t have the access to the Pack that he used to. Whatever his game is, the people he’s working with are so not going to be down with that.”
Lex looked in the rearview at his sister. “Meg, what do you think?”
“I think she’s right. Carter is hiding something and he’s desperate. You can smell it on him. Melissa is comfortable as Fourth now, she isn’t hiding anything that is bad enough to stink of it. Eric? He’s smart and strong, but too lazy to be behind this.
“The question is—what do we do now as our next step? He’s busted down to the lowest echelon of the Pack. He has no ranking at all. We can’t watch to see what he’s doing with the accounts if he doesn’t have the access.”
“Desperate people make mistakes. I think it’ll be easier to figure him out now that he’s going to be taking more risks than before. These Rogues aren’t going to just take no for an answer.” Lex tapped his finger on the steering wheel as he processed the information.
“Yes. All we have to do is stand back and watch. He’ll fuck up and sooner rather than later, I think. The way the money was going in and then out? That’s the sign of someone who is living on the margins. That’s a dangerous existence. He’s bound to get himself out on a limb soon and he’ll do something stupid.”
Lex glanced at her with a smile. “I love it when you’re devious, beautiful.”
Nina laughed. “Well, then you’re clearly with the right woman.”
Instead of continuing east, Lex got off the freeway a few miles early. “Where are we going?”
“I know you’re upset and you’re tired but I’d like to take you to the range for a bit of practice. Do you know how to use a gun? I mean,” he gave her that raised brow before turning back to the road, “I know you can use a shotgun. But do you know how to use a handgun?”
“Uh, well. You do remember me shooting Carter? I believe you were there at the time?” Her voice was sarcastic and he raised a brow. “Yeah. I carried a really old Smith & Wesson back when I was on the streets. It probably wouldn’t have shot but it made me feel better. I go to the firing range from time to time but it’s not like I’m a big pro or anything.”
Lex pulled the car down a long drive. “This is a private range for wolves. We used to use the public one but humans tend to get really nervous when they see us shooting. As a member of the Pack you have access to it and any weapons and ammo you need. The wolf who runs it was one of my mentors when I was growing up.”
They parked and Megan got out first. She scanned the area then Lex got out. Nina, growing used to the whole process, waited for Lex to come around to her side.
At the doors to what appeared to be a very nice rambler they stopped and Lex keyed in a series of numbers that Nina surreptitiously watched and noted. Just because she could and it was a hard habit to break.
The door swung open and another, very large man, er, wolf was there, armed to the teeth, er, fangs. He inclined his head. “Enforcer, it’s good to have you here.”
Lex reached out and touched the man’s shoulder. “Grey, it’s nice to be here. This is my mate, Nina. She’s Rey’s sister. She’ll be coming in a few times a week to build up her skill level.”
The other wolf looked up briefly at Nina
. “Welcome to Cascadia. My sincere condolences for your loss. Rey was always fun to play cards with. He watched my youngest last year for a few months on Thursday afternoons when the wife had to work swing shift and I couldn’t change my schedule. Taught her how to play backgammon.”
A sweet memory rushed through Nina then. Gabriel had loved backgammon. It was one of the games their father had played with them both and it had been a way for Nina and Gabriel to reconnect with him.
She put a hand up to her chest, pressing over her heart. Tears welled up. “Thank you. You don’t know what it means to me to hear you say that.”
“Ms. Reyes, your brother was a good person. Anyone who said differently didn’t know him very well. When I needed him, he always helped out. He may have made a big deal about it or talked a good game, but he refused to take money to watch Bea. Said she kept him young. He would always bring her stuff that he won at the fair or picked up here and there. He told me once that she reminded him of you. Looking at you now, I can see why.”
He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and showed a picture of a smiling little girl with deep brown eyes, wide and filled with a kind of openness that Nina simply couldn’t recall ever feeling until that moment. She did have that face for part of her life. For so long it had been too painful to remember and so she just pushed it so far back that she nearly forgot.
“Nina,” she whispered and cleared her throat. “Please, call me Nina.” She leaned over and hugged the man quickly. “Thank you.”
Blushing furiously, he inclined his head again, grinning. Lex rolled his eyes, but seeing Nina’s face was worth seeing her hug another man. Pausing mentally, Lex realized that he was one of those people who hadn’t known Rey very well. Gabriel Reyes had been a dipshit, but after hearing Nina talk about their past Lex understood Rey a lot better and was sorry he’d never really tried to get to know him.
“Dorian is out back. I’ll let him know you’re here.”
Lex nodded at Grey. “Thanks.”
Lex guided Nina through several long hallways until they ended up at a set of large double doors. There was a large locker area to one side and a counter across from that with shelves and shelves of what appeared to be ammunition and firearms. Body armor hung on racks.
