“But he is involved?” Jay asked, too astute for his own good.
“There was an incident,” Wyatt admitted. “Another soldier...” He didn’t want to pull that memory up out of the deep abyss he’d buried it in. “It’s taken me all this time to get over it, I don’t want to rake over it again. I don’t think it has bearing on this mission.”
“Are you sure?” Jay asked, placing his hand on Wyatt’s shoulder. “We’re assuming this is all about Amir Tarak. Is there a chance it might be rooted in what happened to you?”
Wyatt shook his head. “No. It can’t be.”
“Okay, we work off the information Monica gave us. But if at any time you think there’s the remotest chance it’s wrong, you have to let us know.” Jay turned around and climbed into his truck.
“I will. And thank you,” Wyatt said. “I know Monica wants to handle it herself. But if anything ever happened to her…”
“I understand. You have to protect the ones you love.” Jay started the engine and pulled the door shut. Resting an arm on the rolled down window, he said, “I enjoy the work. Until Guy and I get Bear Creek Bodyguards up and running, I’m rattling around the house trying to find more jobs to do, when the house is already finished.”
“Soon you’ll have a new baby, too,” Wyatt reminded him.
“More diapers.” Jay rolled his eyes. “Honestly, I’m just happy to be there for Kim.” He lifted his hand and waved goodbye as he steered the truck down the trail leading to the road. Wyatt stood for a few minutes watching him go, then he turned around and walked back to the house.
They needed to figure out where they were going to stay for the next few nights. Walking up and down the mountain with Jack was not ideal, but Wyatt already missed the quiet and solitude of his mountain cabin. Maybe he was wrong to think he was ready to come back down. Or maybe it was because today had focused on dredging up the past, a past he had come here to forget.
“Are you okay?” Monica’s voice came from the front porch where she sat nursing a mug of coffee. “I brought one out for you.”
“Thanks. Where’s Jack?” Wyatt sat down next to her on a porch swing. He’d seen Fiona and Harlan sitting here before, Harlan with his arms wrapped around his mate. Never did Wyatt expect to be seated in the same spot with his woman.
“He is inside playing with his new friend. They are playing cars. It’s good to see him happy. At least for a little while, he can forget all about this.” Monica cast a sidelong glance his way. “So? You didn’t answer the question.”
“I’m okay. Worried about Trent and Yolanda. I can’t imagine what she’s going through.”
“She’s tough,” Monica told him. “She’s had to be. Trent wasn’t exactly the best mate material when he came back.”
“Are you worried people might say the same about me?” Wyatt asked. He’d always been something of an oddity to the people of Bear Creek. Even those like Jacob who came out of their way to visit him and bring him coffee and other luxuries.
“I don’t usually make decisions based on what other people say. I like to make up my own mind.” She gave him a reassuring nudge. “And fate brought us together, so I must be able to handle you.”
He chuckled. “You make me sound like a prize steer.”
“I could rope and tie you if you insist,” she offered, making light of the conversation. Then her expression clouded. “Listen, we have the rest of our lives to figure us out. But we only have forty-eight hours to figure this mission out and help Trent.”
“We set us aside and focus on them.” He nodded toward the door where the sound of Jack laughing reached them.
“I agree. Then we figure out how compatible we are, and where the hell we’re going to live.” She leaned forward and rested her elbow on her knee, rubbing her face. “I’m out of practice at all this. I’ve spent the last four years traveling the world, protecting businesswomen and movie stars. I thought I’d kept myself fit but that hike over the mountains told me otherwise.”
“Come on, let’s go help with lunch, afterward you can take an afternoon nap.” Wyatt stood up and offered her his hand.
“I’m not a child, nor am I too old to lift my ass off this bench.” She stood up, cocking her head to one side
“Pity, my wolf likes nothing better than an afternoon nap in the sun. We have several favorite spots on the mountain.” He headed toward the door.
“Didn’t you miss people? When you took yourself up to that cabin, didn’t you miss the people you served with?” Monica asked the question he was not ready to answer. Not because she might like his answer, but because he wasn’t sure what that answer was. “Yes. And no. I don’t mean to be cryptic, but as much as I missed my fellow soldiers, I also needed to be alone. I didn’t want anyone else relying on me.”
“Anyone else?” Monica pressed for more information than he wanted to give.
“Something happened. You said yourself you thought Trent was affected by something that happened in his past. We each dealt with it in our own way. I removed myself from the world, but Trent, he hid from himself. He went undercover and pretended to be someone else so he didn’t have to look at himself in the mirror.”
“He was good at it,” Monica told him. “Really good. It was as if he morphed into the man he was pretending to be. That made it easier for me. I never felt as if I was dealing with two different people. And I trusted him with my life.”
“I trusted him, too. Which is why I will do what it takes to get his family back together again,” Wyatt promised.
“Maybe that’s the reason I’m here, the reason fate stuck us together at this precise moment.”
“And what is that?” Wyatt asked. “Just for curiosities sake.”
“Because we’re both going to make sure the other doesn’t do something stupid for a man we both love and admire.” They shared a moment of understanding. She was right, having a mate gave him a broader outlook on life. She gave him something to live for.
“Maybe we’re also greater than the sum of our parts. Together we might get ourselves and Trent out of this.” He grinned. “With a little help from our friends.”
“Your friends,” she corrected him.
“Nope, they are your friends too now. Like it or not you are the mate of the odd man who lives on the mountain.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders. “You’ll get used to it.”
“Or you’ll learn to change. I’m good at molding men into shape. For the last year, before I left the Army, I used to train raw recruits.” She flexed her hands. “I have a very firm touch.”
“Damn it, you are a tease.” He stopped and turned her to face him. “Are we good?”
“Too early to tell.” She arched an eyebrow.
“You know what I mean. I have your back, you have mine. We can trust each other no matter what. Because this could get ugly.” He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. “It could get very ugly.”
“We’re professionals, Wyatt. No matter what. No matter our feelings toward each other and toward Trent and his family, we have to do the right thing.” Her words were sobering.
“You mean if we have a choice between ensuring Amir Tarak stays in custody or saving Yolanda, we have to do what we were trained to do?” Wyatt was beginning to remember why he had gone up that mountain. “Life and death is in our hands.” He held his hands up as if they were weighing scales.
“I don’t like it either, and I am open to all suggestions. But if Trent frees Tarak, more people will get hurt and Trent will go to jail.”
“And if we don’t, Yolanda might be murdered.”
“Those are our stakes.” Monica stopped on the threshold of the cabin. “There has to be a way to work it out. But we might not have a choice. We have so little time to locate either Trent or Yolanda.”
She turned at the sound of another vehicle approaching. “It’s Liam,” Wyatt told her.
“This is the worst-kept secret in the world,” Monica said bluntly.
Chapter Nine – Monica
“Hey there, “Liam said as he got out of the car. “I have some equipment that might be of use.” He went around the back of the police truck and opened the trunk.
“What is it?” Wyatt asked as he carried a box across to the house.
“I heard you had a missing person to find.” Liam tapped the box. “This can triangulate the position of your missing person. All you need is to call their cell phone.”
“This is Liam,” Wyatt introduced the man who wore a police uniform. Did they really want the police involved?
“Hi, Liam, I’m Monica.” She was certain Liam had already been informed who she was.
“Hi there. I’m here to help in an off-duty capacity,” he reassured her.
“Are you a mind reader?” she asked, grateful this wasn’t about to become an official police matter.
“Nope, but I’ve worked enough jobs to know when discretion is needed.” He pointed to the house. “Shall we?”
“After you.” Monica stood back and let him enter. “I appreciate your help.”
“You’re welcome.” Liam went inside. He was tall, but not as broad-chested as the bear shifters she’d encountered. Maybe he was a wolf shifter like Wyatt. She leaned forward and sniffed the air. Nope, he didn’t smell the same.
“How are you enjoying your job as a deputy?” Wyatt asked as they filed inside.
“I’m enjoying it. For now. But I’ll be ready to hang up my badge again once Avery goes back to work after her maternity leave,” Liam admitted.
“Liam is covering for Avery,” Wyatt told Monica.
“That’s Jacob’s wife, right? She’s on maternity leave. I remember.” So far Monica had kept track of the ever-growing number of people involved in their secret mission.
“It is.” Liam set the box down on the kitchen table. “Hi, Harlan, we’re going to try tracing Trent’s phone.”
“It sounds as if you are up to speed with everything.” She smiled as she eyed Harlan, who avoided her gaze.
“This looks interesting,” Harlan said evasively, as another car pulled into the driveway. “Fiona’s home. Let’s wait for her to come in and fill her in on everything before we give this a try.”
Great, soon they might as well tell the whole town what was happening. But as Fiona walked into the kitchen, her air of authority told Monica this was one lady they wanted on their side. If she wasn’t mistaken, the dragon queen had arrived. And she looked fierce.
“All the excitement happens when I’m at work,” Fiona said as she set her briefcase down on the counter and cast her steely gaze around the kitchen. Her eyes settled on Monica, who stepped forward, a smile on her face. “You must be Monica.”
“I am, it’s good to meet you.” Monica offered Fiona her hand. “Or we could hug.”
Fiona slipped her hand into Monica’s, giving it a firm grasp and a light shake. “I don’t hug if I can avoid it, and I never do that kiss thing.”
Monica liked Fiona instantly. “I promise, no air kisses.” As a personal bodyguard, Monica was well versed in social etiquette of the rich and famous. Which she preferred to observe, rather than practice.
“Good, then you can stay.” Fiona let go of Monica’s hand and turned her attention back to Liam. “I presume there’s a reason you have a box on my kitchen table?”
“Yes, we’re attempting to trace Trent’s cell phone.” Liam switched his attention to Monica. “I’m assuming you have his number?”
“I do. Although he asked me not to call him.” Monica took her phone from her pocket and unlocked it, scrolling through until she found Trent’s number. “I assume for the exact same reason as you want to call him.”
“You’re worried someone might trace the call to Jack.” Fiona nodded. “That is a good point.”
“Are you sure they are even looking for Jack?” Harlan asked.
“We don’t know.” Monica shrugged. “The handover was very quick, Trent didn’t elaborate. He asked me to keep his son safe and left. He did not say if there was a direct threat to Jack, or not.”
“We have to respect his wishes and keep him safe. For that reason, we don’t use Monica’s cell phone. Instead, we use a throwaway.” Liam pulled one out of his pocket. “It could be traced back here, although not easily.”
“It’s worth the risk,” Monica said. “If that’s okay with you?” She looked at Fiona and Harlan.
“Or we could fly over to the other side of the mountains,” Liam suggested.
“In daylight?” Monica asked.
“I can do it, I’m an eagle.” An eagle shifter, Monica hadn’t met a bird shifter before. Before today, she would have been impressed, but next to dragon shifters… Liam opened the box. “I can take the phone and call him.”
“Do it here.” Fiona’s voice was firm. “There are enough of us here to defend Jack or fly away with him if we need to. And if anyone does come for him, then at least it flushes them out.”
“I agree,” Harlan said. “Do it, Liam.”
“I’ll do it,” Fiona responded. “I can make up a reason for calling. I’m good at thinking on my feet.”
“So, what’s in the box?” Wyatt asked, crowding in around the table. “I’m out of touch with all this technology.”
“You should have come down off that mountain more often,” Fiona told him bluntly.
“I’m here now which is all that matters,” Wyatt replied easily.
Liam opened the box, which held a laptop. He switched it on and logged in his credentials, before opening a program that showed a map of the country. “Okay, let’s get started.” After a few adjustments, he nodded to Fiona, who pressed dial and held the cell phone to her ear.
“It’s ringing,” she said as they all waited for the call to be answered. Her eyes searched the room but became focused as the call was connected. “Hello, is this Mr. Flattery?”
“No,” came the answer. Liam clicked a button and began triangulating the phone’s whereabouts.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m looking for Simon Flattery. He was due to come into my office today.”
“You have the wrong number, lady.” Trent’s unmistakable voice filtered down the phone.
“And you’re sure he’s not there? Let me grab his number and...”
“This is not his phone.”
“Please don’t hang up.” Fiona’s voice changed to that of an emotionally stressed older woman. “If you could just indulge me for a moment. I’m new at this, and if I screw up I’m going to be looking for a new job before I get my first paycheck.”
Trent sounded tired as he answered. “You have twenty seconds.”
“Thank you so much.” Fiona pulled back and looked at the computer screen as the map moved and then homed in on a smaller area. “Here we are.” Liam gave her a thumbs up. “Oh, I see where I went wrong, thank you.” She ended the call.
“Not what I’d have gone with,” Liam told her. “But it worked.”
“Of course, it did. Trent is a soldier, how could he not help an old lady?” She looked pleased with herself. “Now, do you know where he is? I’d like to have lunch.”
“He is here, just outside Reaminster.” Jacob pointed to the map. “I couldn’t narrow it down to more than a quarter-mile radius.”
“So, what now?” Wyatt asked.
“We don’t know if he’s moving. But what we do know is he is close to where Tarak is being held.” Monica pointed to a section of the map. “Here. This is where Tarak is at present, and he’s being transported to Malt Lake Prison, here.”
“We should drive to Reaminster and see if we can locate him. Liam, can you call Trent again later, when we’re there?” Wyatt asked, bristling with nervous energy.
“Slow down, let’s think this through,” Harlan replied.
“Can we talk about it over lunch?” Fiona asked. “I’m due back in the office this afternoon.”
“Sure, I’ve made plenty of pizza and salad. Ruby,” Harlan called. “Can you bring
the boys to the table?”
“Sure.” Ruby left the kitchen and returned shepherding the two boys in front of her. “Here we are. Wow, this is a houseful.”
“That reminds me, we need to figure out where we’re staying.” Monica helped Jack into his chair. “There we go, buddy. Harlan made pizza. You also need to eat some veggies, so there’s salad here, too.”
“You can stay here,” Fiona suggested. “It makes the most sense. For Jack.” She gave Monica a knowing look, meaning Jack was safer here, and she was right.
“I don’t want to impose any more than we have already.” Monica bit into her pizza. It was delicious, the crust was thick and filling, with a tasty topping of tomato sauce and mozzarella. “This is good.”
“You are under our protection,” Harlan said firmly. “Until this is resolved, we will be here for you.”
“Thanks.” Despite her earlier reservations about sharing the information, it was good to be part of a team who were willing to work together to get Trent out of trouble and Yolanda back home with her family.
“You can use Sapphi’s old room. Jack can either sleep in with you, or he can bunk with Harlan Jr.” Fiona waved her knife around as she spoke.
“Bunk with me,” Harlan Jr.’s face lit up.
“Can I?” Jack asked Monica.
“Sure, you can,” Monica answered. “Can I leave Jack here with you while I drive to Reaminster?” She didn’t like to keep asking for favors, but the sooner this was resolved, the sooner they would be out of the dragons’ house.
“While we drive to Reaminster,” Wyatt reminded her.
“Are you sure you are ready for a long road trip?” Monica asked.
Liam laughed as he took another piece of pizza. “Wyatt was involved in a job a few weeks ago. He’s not going to explode if he gets ten miles away from Bear Creek.”
“Thanks for the vote of support,” Wyatt replied drily.
“That’s okay, I thought I would tag along, too. I’m not on duty until tomorrow afternoon, and I’m sure Beverly won’t object to an evening without me. We can take the equipment and call Trent again. Once we triangulate his location, I can fly to him before he has a chance to move.”
Silverback Wolf (Return to Bear Creek Book 17) Page 6
