by Vella Day
Mac blew out a breath. “All I did was visit Roger Medlock’s neighborhood.”
“You what?” Sam slapped his hand on the table, attracting way too much attention.
Mac crossed her arms over her chest. “I won’t tell you if you don’t simmer down.”
Brandon shot Sam a lethal glare. From the way their faces were contorting, they were communicating, and it didn’t look good for her. She’d had enough. “Will you just talk? Out loud, please?”
Brandon leaned close. “Tell us everything. And we mean everything. If you leave anything out, we’ll know.”
No, they wouldn’t, but she went ahead and told them everything anyway, including her coffee time with Marina Lavelle. “So you see? I was very careful.”
“You gave your real name to the lawyer? What if she goes to Medlock? We’ll lose any chance of finding Cheryl, or whichever woman he has.”
She inhaled. “Marina is a halfling. I trust her.”
Sam shook his head. “You trust everyone.”
“I trusted you two and that turned out okay.” She’d left out one piece of information that she hoped the men would be excited about. Slipping the envelope from her purse, she placed it between her and Sam. “This is an invitation to a party at Roger Medlock’s house this Saturday evening.”
Sam picked it up and read it. The slow smile that spread across his face assured her that tonight would be another wonderful evening.
* * *
Mac twisted around and faced the men. As much as she’d looked forward to going to this fancy party at Roger Medlock’s house so she could search for Cheryl, she was so out of her element. She wasn’t the fancy dressing, schmoozing type of girl. She could only hope no one would notice her discomfort. The party was for potential donors and all she could talk about was computer hacking and lock picking.
“Does this look okay?” She’d never worn an evening gown before, and definitely not one this low cut. It wasn’t her thing. Yesterday, the men had taken her to a boutique to find a dress. They’d told her she looked amazing, and she prayed they were right.
“You look fantastic,” Brandon said. He looked over at Sam. “Why don’t you get it?”
Sam disappeared into his room and returned with a long case. He handed it to Brandon who flipped open the case. “This is my mom necklace. She wants you to wear it tonight,” Brandon said.
Mac was stunned. “You spoke with your mom?”
“Yes. I told you she only lives about forty-five minutes from here. Is that okay with you?”
He was being silly. “Of course.” Mac felt bad that she hadn’t taken the time to get to know who they really were. She wheeled around to face Sam. “What about your family? Do they live here, too?”
“No.” A dark shadow crossed his face.
She’d hoped for more but apparently Sam wasn’t in a sharing mood. She didn’t blame him. He was probably thinking about having to spend an evening in the home of a known Colter. “After tonight, I want the lowdown from both of you. This stuff is important, and I need to know. Will I ever get to meet your family, Brandon?” She hated that her words came out rather shrill. “Never mind. If they meet me, they may not like me.”
“Oh, darlin’. They’ll love you.”
He was just saying that to calm her nerves. “I hope so.”
Brandon wrapped her in his arms and kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry about our folks. I’m saving you from mine. They’ll ask too many questions. I thought we’d find Cheryl and then unleash them on you.”
Relief washed through her. “Thank you.” As much as she wanted to question Sam, this didn’t seem to be a good time. She nodded to the case in his hand. “Can I see what’s inside?”
Light returned to his face. It was as if the bad memory disappeared. “Sorry, baby. Here.”
She opened it up and was stunned by the ruby necklace. “It’s gorgeous.”
Brandon slipped it from the case and clasped it around her neck. “It was my grandmothers, and she gave it to my mom.”
Mac faced the mirror and fingered the intricate metal design. “Wow. The detail is fantastic.”
“So are you. Ready to face Roger Medlock?”
“Yes.” Mac shouldn’t be nervous. Medlock was a man who wanted others to think he was good. “Do you think he’ll freak when two and half werewolves walk in his door?”
“It’s not like we’re going to shift at his party or anything,” Brandon said as he fixed her hair so it fell straight in back.
“I know, but when you meet another werewolf, do you immediately wonder if they might be a Colter?”
Brandon hesitated. “I don’t, but Sam does.”
She turned to him. “Why’s that?”
Brandon and Sam led her to the truck out back, but he didn’t answer. Brandon opened the truck door and helped her get seated before slipping in next to her.
Sam started the engine and backed out of the drive.
“Sam?” Brandon said. “She is our mate. You need to tell her. It’s for her own safety.”
Mac twisted toward him, the pressure in her chest increasing. “Please, Sam.”
He slapped a hand on the wheel. “It happened a long time ago, and I don’t want to talk about it.” That partially explained the dark look when she’d asked about his family.
She looked over at Brandon who shrugged. All three were sitting in the front seat of Sam’s truck. Brandon’s lips pressed against her ear. “Give him time.”
For now, she’d agree. As they turned down the road to where Medlock lived, cars lined the street. “There must be hundreds of people here,” she said.
That was a good thing. With so many attending, it would be easy to sneak off and check out the rooms. If anyone asked what she was doing, she’d say she’d never been in such a magnificent house before and wanted to see what it was like. That would only be a partial lie.
“Looks like valet parking,” Sam said as a young man in black pants and black shirt jogged toward them.
“Ready?” Brandon asked.
She inhaled. “Yes.” God help them.
Two men at the door checked their invitation. Since there wasn’t a name on the envelope, the men nodded and let them in. Music blared, and the sweet scent of flowers permeated the room. They’d come an hour after the start time, and yet the place was already jammed.
Their host spent no time working his way toward them. She figured it was the men’s werewolf status that had drawn Medlock to them.
He smiled broadly and held out his hand. “I’m Roger Medlock, welcome to my party.” It sounded practiced like he was already on the ballot.
“Sam Keller and my cousin Brandon.” They shook hands.
That answered her question about whether they’d planned to use their real names. Wanting to be able to remember her pseudonym, she held out her hand, and used the same one as before. “Hannah Atkins.” It was possible that Darla or Marina had spoken of her, though Mac had only used her fake name with Darla. When no recognition showed on his face, Mac relaxed.
“Get something to eat and drink and enjoy!” Medlock waved at someone behind them and excused himself.
She leaned close to Sam. From his harsh expression, being near the Colter had him angry. “So?”
Sam looked down at her. “So? I’m working hard not to shift and rip out his throat.”
“Easy, big boy. We’re here to observe. Isn’t that what you told me?”
His jaw tightened. “Yes.”
While they’d already eaten dinner, Mac wanted to check out the food. “I’m going to walk around. This place is beautiful in a medieval sort of way.” The swords, maces, and spears as wall art wasn’t her style, but the man was good with sticking to a theme.
As she neared the tables laden with food, the hairs on her neck quivered. A werewolf was near. She shouldn’t have been surprised. Colters stuck together, and Medlock was one.
Not wanting to look obvious, she glanced around as she sampled some of the delic
ious smelling food. No one was making a beeline toward her, so perhaps it was a false alarm.
With her plate in hand, filled with fruit, roast beef, a roll, and two grape leaves, someone tapped her shoulder. “Hello, Kenzie.”
Oh, crap.
Mac spun around, her heart spiking. “Jay, what are you doing here?” She didn’t wait for him to answer. “And don’t say my name. I’m using an alias,” she whispered.
He cocked a brow. “Really? Why’s that?”
“It’s none of your business.”
He shook his head. “Why are you here?” His voice sounded strained.
“I was invited.” She lifted her chin. She wasn’t going to let him intimidate her.
“You mean your alias was invited. I’m surprised you’ve met enough people to get an invite. This is for potential donors.”
She shrugged. “Since when did you get rich?”
“I work on Medlock’s automobiles. He invited me.”
Okay, this wasn’t getting them anywhere. She leaned close. “Listen, I’m thinking Medlock might have bought Cheryl.” She held her breath, praying Jay wasn’t really a Colter.
He leaned back and laughed. “Are you crazy?”
“Shh.” Why did men always have to shout?
He grabbed her arm and moved her out of the way of some people trying to reach the food table. “Roger Medlock is running for the Senate. And, if you can’t tell, there are women hanging all over him. He doesn’t need to buy anyone.”
Jay had been the one to suggest Cheryl had been bought in the first place. True, he had no clue who had purchased her, but Medlock was as good a choice as any. “Are you one of his bodyguards or something? Is that why you’re really here?”
“No. I fix his cars. That’s why he invited me.” Jay looked around. “I’m sure you’re aware that Medlock has a lot of sentries around the perimeter, so don’t go snooping. Cheryl’s not here.”
“How do you know?”
“I know the man. Besides, I’ve been here before, and I’ve never seen her.”
She wasn’t certain he’d recognize Cheryl if he saw her since Jay hadn’t been in a good frame of mind at Mac’s dad’s funeral. “She could be in the basement.”
Jay glanced at the ceiling. “Florida homes don’t have basements; at least the ones by the Gulf don’t have them. The water table is too high.”
“Doesn’t mean that Medlock didn’t buy her, but thanks for the update. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want to mingle.”
“Be careful, Kenzie.”
Jeez. The man didn’t listen. “Always am.”
As she headed outside, she wondered if Sam or Brandon had seen the exchange. If they had, she’d have to tell them that man was her cousin.
Mac studied everyone. Given the attire of both the men and women, there appeared to be a lot of potential donors at the party. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her men. They seemed to be in deep conversation with someone, though she had no doubt they knew where she was.
Once she finished her incredible plate of food, she set the dish on a tray and wandered back inside. Wanting to check out the rest of the house, she moved away from the crowd, and headed down a corridor. From the size of the home on the outside, she expected more rooms. She peeked her head in one of them. It was a den of sorts, long and quite narrow. Interesting. When she finished examining that half of the one-story mansion, she crossed the main living room to the other side.
Many of the doors were ajar, as if Medlock had nothing to hide. She looked in each one. Two were empty guest rooms, one was some kind of sitting room, and another was a bathroom. The ornate furniture and gold leaf mirrors were a bit too much for her, but the man certainly had expensive taste. She came to a closed door and tested the handle. It was locked.
“Damn.”
She placed her ear to the door and lightly knocked on the off chance Cheryl was inside. No response. She had her lock picks with her, but she wasn’t going to do anything as stupid as try to break in. This was probably his office—his sanctuary.
Determined to find something, she continued down the hallway. At the end was a large master bedroom. She was uneasy just being in Medlock’s room.
If he had Cheryl, maybe her cousin’s clothes would be in the closet. Mac opened the door and peered around the vast space. Oh, my. It was bigger than her bedroom at home. The only problem was that all the clothes belonged to a man.
“What are you doing here?”
It was Medlock. Mac froze.
Chapter Twenty
This was Mac’s worst nightmare. She spun around. “Oh, hi. Your place is amazing. I was just checking it out.” Mac plastered on her best smile, her palms way too damp, but she didn’t dare run her hands down her gown. That would look a bit obvious that she was lying.
Medlock moved closer, his gaze lasered on her face. “Why are you back here?”
Think. “I was looking for a bathroom.”
“You passed one on your way here.” His voice remained even, but there was an underlying command that had her heart hammering.
“Sorry. I’m directionally challenged, I guess.” She shrugged, inhaled, and tossed back her hair as casually as she could. “That’s a lie. I was really curious about you.” With as much subtlety as possible, she tugged on her dress to let show what cleavage she had.
“Is that so?” She swore a blast of interest crossed his face. The man must be desperate if he believed her.
“It’s not every day I run into a fellow werewolf who is handsome and exciting. I don’t know much about computers, but anyone who can program one has my admiration.” She prayed she was doing the right thing. She wanted him to believe she was another gold digger.
“What about those two men you came with? Sam and Brandon was it? They fit the bill.”
She waved a hand. “Of being werewolves, yes, but they’re dull. Besides, they’re just friends.”
“That right?” As if she’d said the magic word, Medlock pulled her close and kissed her hard, his hands landing in a place that made her skin crawl.
* * *
“Where’s Mackenzie?” Sam said looking around.
“She was over by the lounge chairs a moment ago.” Brandon did a slow scan of the occupants. “The house isn’t more than ten or twenty-thousand square feet. How far can she go?”
He didn’t like it. “Don’t be flip. She should know better than to wander off.”
Brandon shook his head. “You don’t get it, do you? You can’t contain someone like Mackenzie. She’s here to get information on Cheryl. If she’s in trouble, we’ll find out soon enough.”
“She better be in the bathroom, or I’m going to tan that girl’s hide, and this time I won’t be gentle.”
Brandon grabbed his arm. “Don’t make a scene. I’ll check the front room as well as the rooms on the west side. You take the east corridor. Let me know when you find her.”
Sam was furious. He’d lost one brother. He wouldn’t lose someone else he cared for. Trying not to attract attention, he surveyed the area once more, checking to make sure Medlock was in sight. Fuck. He wasn’t. Sam’s stomach twisted and his sixth sense shot to high alert.
As he strode through the living room, he spotted Jay Wagner. Shit. Sam debated asking Mackenzie’s cousin if he’d seen her, but since the two of them hadn’t been formally introduced, it would raise too many questions—questions he wasn’t ready to answer.
Seeing Jay reminded him that he needed to find a better way to protect her. If Jay did something to his cousin, the Wagner family would have one more death on their hands.
Sam headed down the hallway and smelled his mate before he saw her. Steeling his nerves to keep from shifting, he strode toward the last room. When he saw Mackenzie in Medlock’s arm—kissing—hair grew on his arms and legs, and his fangs protruded.
Don’t shift.
As much as he wanted to attack the scum, the Pack didn’t need the exposure. “Mackenzie! What are you doing?” His v
oice came out too sharp; too threatening. The only good thing was that the harshness seemed to startle Medlock enough to break the kiss.
Mackenzie turned around and rushed toward him, her palms up in surrender. “It’s not what you think.”
“What do I think?” He shifted his gaze to Medlock who appeared cool and calm. The son of a bitch would pay for this.
Mackenzie was his. If she hadn’t shown Sam all of the prescription drugs Medlock was taking for his impotency, he might have killed the man on the spot. Consequences be damned.
“I was looking for the bathroom and Medlock kissed me.”
Sam looked down at her, disgusted at the blatant lie. “You can do better than that, baby. Come on. We’re leaving.” He grabbed her arm and half dragged her out of the room, not stopping when Medlock called after them.
Medlock was lucky he didn’t try to interfere. The man would have died. Sam felt horrible hustling Mackenzie outside as if she were a common criminal, but he had the feeling she was inches from being a captive herself. He telepathed to Brandon that he’d found Mackenzie and to meet them outside.
She struggled against his grasp, but he wouldn’t let go. Didn’t dare. Not until they were safe. As soon as they were outside, he released her. “Tell me the truth. What the fuck were you doing in there?”
“I was looking for some evidence of Cheryl, and Medlock found me. I had to pretend that I was there to get a feel for the all-powerful man.”
Made sense. Sam stroked his chin, noting his body hair had receded. “He seemed to have bought your story.”
“Hopefully. When he asked about you and Brandon, and why I wasn’t with you, I told him we were just friends. Sorry.”
He wanted to be mad, but she had been quick on her feet. Medlock didn’t appear suspicious. “Don’t do anything like that again, you hear?” He automatically wagged a finger in her face.
She straightened. “I came to find Cheryl.”
He cocked a brow. “And did you find her or find evidence of her?”
“No, but that doesn’t clear Medlock. He owns a yacht, remember? He could have stored her there.
