by Cara Adams
“Yes, but how?”
“With something Lutterworth would like to steal. One of his ‘collectibles’,” said Naftali triumphantly.
Nelson sat and thought for a while. “Actually, that might even work.”
* * * *
As the oldest brother and head of the family, Naftali Meyer knew it was up to him to find a collectible item that Amory could appear to have come into possession of, and which Lutterworth was certain to want. Next, he needed to find a way to ensure Amory was safe. All the panthers would be more than happy to protect their Alpha. The hard part would be preventing Amory from sticking his neck into the noose all by himself.
Naftali’s first thought was a chess set, but Amory had already returned one of those. One of their own men had found it when searching a gang member’s home for a stolen government contractor’s cell phone. So that idea was out.
But no matter how many hours Naftali put into trying to think of exactly the right item, nothing fit. The problem was The Fixer usually ordered his gangs to steal items to a buyer’s request. And there was no buyer right now. Naftali needed a buyer who wanted something that Amory already had, which was hopeless. Amory didn’t collect anything.
“I need another, better idea.”
Naftali and his brothers were slumped in front of the TV, which was pretty much what they did every night Nelson and Nahum weren’t on guard duty, and he wasn’t sitting at the table trying to sort out some scheduling problem on his laptop. His brothers endlessly teased him that everyone else used an iPad or tablet these days, but he liked his laptop. Although, when it died, he’d be forced to upgrade.
He rubbed his hands though his hair, reached for the remote, and turned the TV off.
“Hey, I was watching that.”
“Me, too.”
“What show were you watching?” he quizzed the twins.
There was deathly silence.
“Exactly. Your bodies are on the sofa, but your minds could be anywhere. We need to think of something Amory has or could get that Lutterworth would have a client for.”
“You mean like those half-finished Cezanne paintings someone found in their attic? Get real,” said Nelson.
“I have been thinking. I’ve been thinking so much my brain hurts. But there’s nothing that would work,” said Nahum.
Naftali nodded and rubbed his head again then realized what he was doing and put his hands in his pockets. “Okay, so maybe we need to think of something different. How else—or what else—would make Lutterworth think it was worthwhile trying to capture and ransom the Alpha? And, remember, it has to be at a place and in a way he can seem to be in danger, when really we’re there to protect him.”
“You don’t want much, do you?” grumbled Nahum.
Naftali ignored him. Time was passing, and they really needed to get a move on. In the back of his mind was the danger to Judith and Cherise Lutterworth. Judith had made it perfectly plain she didn’t want to stay up on the pack lands all winter. Fall was here already, and time was running out for them to ensure the women and their Alpha were safe. And they’d never be safe until The Fixer had been removed from the picture for good. But legally. Killing him and ending up in jail themselves wasn’t a viable solution.
It especially wasn’t the outcome he wanted. The little he’d seen of Judith Lutterworth he’d found very interesting indeed. Apparently she’d been quite fearful when the Alpha and his brothers had rescued her from the men who had kidnapped her, but in Naftali’s mind, that just proved she was a sensible person. She’d quite quickly adjusted to the situation and made friends with the half-sister she’d never known about before.
Neither of them had been told about the other, and Cherise, Judith’s mother, didn’t even know her husband had two other children, including a son he’d fathered when he was supposed to be reconciling with her.
It all just proved Lutterworth was scum. Naftali needed to get rid of him. To make him fall for one of his own illegal games and get himself caught and caught properly. Without Naftali ending up in jail. Because only when Lutterworth was dealt with could Naftali suggest they get to know Judith better.
“When we went running the other week, I remembered the Alpha saying he was planning a run for the whole pack. I was pleased because we haven’t run as a pack for ages,” said Nelson.
Naftali nodded. He was about to ask what the fuck Nelson was getting at but decided it’d be better to let his brother get to the point in his own time. Maybe he was thinking as he spoke. Naftali did that sometimes.
“We really need to run as a pack, but to do that, we have to get a long way out of town. It’s hard to find somewhere to go here. It was easy on the pack lands. All the land there was ours.”
Once again Naftali held on to his patience and let Nelson take his time.
“We could find a place to go, like in the national park somewhere, have a cookout, run and so on. Then everyone goes home except the Alpha and maybe one or two others. He wants to be alone, but Lutterworth’s not stupid. He knows we’d never leave him completely alone. So maybe two other people, Nahum and me. But there are others of us hidden nearby, and when Lutterworth and his men attack, we catch them.”
“That’s all very nice, but how is Lutterworth supposed to find out we’re going to do this? We aren’t going to announce we’re panthers to the whole wide world,” said Nahum.
He was right. Over the centuries, shape-shifters had often been persecuted. Only people they absolutely trusted knew their nickname, “The Cat Burglars,” was a double joke. Once because of their work in reclaiming stolen possessions, but also because they were panthers.
“I’ve gotten that bit figured. Lots of companies have an annual cookout or something like that. I realize it’s usually in summer, but too bad. We announce our annual picnic is going to be on whatever date and the business will close that day. Then when people comment, we let it be known Amory will be off work for a couple days after that in a personal planning session for the next year or whatever we care to call it.”
Naftali thumped Nelson on the back. “Hey, that idea sounds good. Likely it’ll need a little tweaking, but as a plan, it maybe could work.”
Nahum swiveled sideways on the sofa. “All right. Let’s work through the scenario in more detail so tomorrow we can put it before Amory in a clear way.”
Naftali smiled. Hell, yes. He loved his brothers. As a team, they were unbeatable. And they’d be the ones to look after their Alpha as the plan came to fruition. After all, Nahum and Nelson were the security guards here. And then they could think about getting to know Judith better.
* * * *
Nahum knew why he’d been the brother nominated to do the talking. Everyone considered him the more logical and persuasive one in the family. But it was a hell of a responsibility when it was Nelson who’d thought of the basic idea and Naftali who’d made them sit down and get to work on a plan.
Still, now was not the time to wimp out. He smiled politely and said, “Sir, we’re all aware of the need to solve the problem of The Fixer once and for all. My brothers and I have come up with a plan we believe could work.”
“Excellent. Tell me,” said Amory, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his office desk.
Nahum laid out the details about the cookout, the crowd, and then him pretending to stay on with just a few men while really more would be hidden around.
“How will that work? If people really are watching us, they’ll know all the cars don’t leave, or that they only go a little way and the men walk back.”
“I thought of that. We’ll hire a bus. One of those passenger coaches. Going up, it’ll be filled, and people will be obvious through the windows and so on. So they can count heads. Since those coaches always have lights on inside even at night, we’ll need to have some fake people made. Not cardboard cutouts, that wouldn’t work, but maybe some blow-up dummies, dressed in people’s spare coats and hats. As long as there’s lots of milling around and talking and no
ise as we load the bus, it should be impossible for anyone watching to count how many people actually get on. We won’t be leaving a huge number behind. Just enough to be sure we can defeat Lutterworth’s people.”
“Besides, if they’re as useless as the last two criminals, likely you could have taken them out all by yourself,” added Naftali.
“I do like the idea of a cookout and running as a pack. We’ve been meaning to do that for a long time. We won’t all be able to run though. Someone will have to stay behind to guard the human women who don’t run and any of the pack who don’t want to run.”
“We thought of that. Probably some of the people with children won’t run. We weren’t sure if they’d remain at home in the warehouse or want to join us for the cookout, but several men could stay and watch. We need to run in good daylight though, so it’ll be easy enough to protect the human women then.”
Nahum knew the Alpha would be thinking about Elsie, his own human mate, and Lutterworth’s older daughter. Likely one of his brothers would want to stay back at the campsite to protect her.
“Since Maia is pregnant, likely one of her mates will volunteer to remain behind to help guard the women, and I’m happy to be on duty as well,” he said.
The Alpha nodded, apparently satisfied with the plan so far.
“Thank you for devising the program. I’ll get Brayden and Favian to drive out into the forest and find a good place for us to run while I organize a date. I’ll need to give our suppliers a couple of weeks’ notice, but the managers can do that as soon as I settle on a date. A Friday would be appropriate, then me staying back over the weekend shouldn’t disrupt too many of anyone’s plans.”
Nahum sighed with relief. He hadn’t expected the Alpha to agree so easily.
“I’ll order six or seven blow-up dolls. Loading them into the coach won’t be a problem, as we can do that hidden among the food and things for the cookout, and people carrying an extra coat or two won’t be noticeable either,” he said.
The Alpha stood up. The meeting was at an end. “Thank you. I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.”
Nahum hurried to his feet as well, and he and his brothers left the Alpha’s office. Instead of going to work, they all headed up to their apartment. None of them had suggested doing it, but somehow they all knew they needed to debrief each other before starting their working day. Fortunately, he and Nelson weren’t on the early shift today, or the meeting wouldn’t have been able to happen until after lunch. Instead, it was barely eight in the morning, and another half-hour before Naftali started work wouldn’t really cause any problems. His staff all knew their jobs perfectly well.
“I didn’t expect him to agree so easily,” said Nahum as soon as the door was shut behind them.
“Me either. But it proves he was thinking about the whole issue. It must be worrying him to know Lutterworth is not just after Judith and her mom but him as well,” said Naftali.
“That man is completely evil. He’s gradually getting deeper and deeper into crime. First, he just tried to fool people into believing their possessions weren’t worth nearly as much as he could sell them for. He was scarcely more than a petty thief. Then he enrolled kids to steal items to order for his clients. But the step into murder was a big change,” added Nelson.
“I’d really like to know what set him off. He’s basically ignored Judith her entire life. Why suddenly decide to have her killed? It doesn’t make sense,” said Nelson.
“Yes. Why suddenly decide to kill a woman of twenty-four?”
“And his wife as well. Something must have set him off. Something that caused him to need their money or to decide to take their place. There has to be a reason behind his actions,” said Naftali.
“Maybe we should try to find it. If we knew what was inspiring him to act this way, it could be a lever to deflecting his aims,” said Nahum.
Nelson smiled at him. “That’s a damn good idea. Let’s do it.”
There was one more thing Nahum needed to say. “I like Judith, and I know both of you don’t dislike her. She was only here briefly, but it was enough for me to be very much attracted to her. When Lutterworth is out of the picture, I want to get to know her better. I understand that might be a long time yet, but I’m just putting that out there so you know.”
Naftali punched him on the shoulder. “I’m glad you do. I’m interested in getting to know her better as well.”
“Me, too. That makes it unanimous,” said Nelson.
Nahum heaved a sigh of relief. He’d felt sure in his own mind that they wouldn’t disagree with his plan, but knowing they thought positively about Judith was even better. They hardly knew her, and Lutterworth had to be removed from the picture first. Nahum would never do anything to endanger her life or that of her mother. But hell. It was a lot easier to wait patiently knowing his brothers agreed with his plans.
“Right. Let’s do some research on Lutterworth’s situation and motives.”
Chapter Two
Judith had always lived with her mom. Even when she went to college, it was to one where she didn’t live in a dorm but could attend classes while commuting from home each day. She’d enjoyed the hour or so in her car, driving back and forth. Of course there’d been times when she’d stayed overnight with a friend, especially after a party, but she’d always being content to live at home.
Even when her father had lived with her mother, that hadn’t changed. The house was plenty big enough for three people, and she’d taken over the attic as her domain when she’d been twelve, so remaining out of his way when he was working was no problem. Besides, she and her mom had spent a lot of time out on her grandfather’s farm, especially this past year. Her father seldom came out there, preferring to remain in the brownstone house in town.
After a few years, she’d turned the attic at the farm into her own private zone as well.
She and her mother were, and always had been, a team. They thought alike, agreed on almost everything important, and got along together well.
Which was why she was so frustrated right now. Judi wanted to be back in town before the weather turned wintry. She wanted to be out of Michigan before winter even looked like hitting them. Everyone who lived in Ohio had heard about winter on the UP, and it wasn’t what Judi wanted to experience. Snowstorms often lasted for days, and the locals scarcely even noticed a few feet of the white stuff coating everything.
When in town, a few feet of snow didn’t bother Judith either. But that was because other people plowed the streets and cleared snow off the sidewalk for her. When she wanted to leave the house, nine times out of ten, she could do so.
She supposed if she asked their hosts to clear a pathway for her they’d do it, but only because they were being polite to a guest. Everyone here had snowshoes and skis and considered snow just part of life.
“Mom, they often get twenty inches of snow in November. It could start snowing any day now. October’s almost over. You need to plan to leave here in the next day or two at the latest. Once it starts snowing, we could be stuck here until April.”
“Aw, honey, there’s no need to rush. We’re so safe here. I wouldn’t mind staying here for Thanksgiving, or even for Christmas.”
Judi managed not to grind her teeth, but only just. “Mom, which part of twenty inches of snow in November aren’t you listening to? Another forty to fifty inches will fall in December. If you stay here for Thanksgiving, we’ll be here until April. That’s a serious fact. I don’t want to spend another six months here, even though everyone is so nice to us. I have a life down south, and I want to get back to it.”
“Honey, that’s the whole point. We both have a life. At home, your father… Seriously, honey, it’s hard for me to believe he’d harm you, but he did try. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Cherise hurried across the room and hugged Judi. They were almost exactly the same height and weight, but where Judith was blonde and blue eyed, her mother had light brown hair and brow
n eyes.
Judith pulled her mother down onto the couch beside her. “There’s something you aren’t telling me, isn’t there?”
Judith stared into her mom’s face, suddenly worried that maybe her mom had some health problem she wasn’t talking about. “Are you well? You haven’t got a lump in your breast or anything, have you?”
Cherise laughed. “Aw, honey, it’s nothing like that at all.”
Judi waited while Cherise seemed to be working out how to tell her the news. But what news? What was her mom hiding from her? They’d always been together and talked about everything. Judith would have been ready to swear she knew everything about her mom, including why she’d fallen in love with her father twice. When Lewis was being charming, he was a wonderful person. Judi could understand how her mom, and Elsie’s mom as well, had both fallen in love with the endearing conman.
Cherise sighed and said, “About three months ago, I got a call from your grandfather’s attorney wanting to know why I was talking about selling your grandfather’s farm without consulting him first. He was clearly hurt, rather than angry. He said he thought we’d had a good working relationship and that he was willing to follow my instructions, although he would always advise me as to what was best for me first.”
“You didn’t tell me you were selling the farm either,” said Judith. She was surprised, too, although she supposed her mom was getting tired of doing all the extra management work to maintain it. Judi had studied business management at college. She had a nice shiny degree in it, although so far, the only business she’d managed was her own finances with some very occasional help to her mom’s management of the estate.
“I can help you deal with the work full time now, you know. I’ve graduated, and I’d always follow your advice and instructions.”
“That’s the whole point. I wasn’t selling the farm. I’m still not selling it. I intend to sign it over to you on your birthday next month. It’s time you had your own home and your own job, and you’ve done just fine managing your own money since you turned twenty-one.”
