In no time at all he would forget all about her and move on. She didn’t need his help or protection. She would show him. She’d get the information on the shifters that he’d failed to get last night.
He’d said she’d been lucky when she brought down the shifter at Trudy’s business. No, it had been calculating smarts. She used it then and she could use it again. It wasn’t like these guys were the smartest kids on the block. Hell, neither was Lajos as far as she was concerned. It had taken a few quick movements to lose his tail on Ocean Drive.
After their big blow-up, she’d gone and done the second thing she’d wanted to do since coming to Miami. She hit Collins Avenue. Of course he’d followed her, staying a safe distance away. She ignored him while she perused some of the local boutiques. She hadn’t intended to buy anything, but that hadn’t stopped her from going from store to store, wearing Lajos down enough for him to drop his guard and, when he did, she got rid of him.
She got on her bike and then she was on her way. Lajos would spend some time looking for her at the shops. Then he might even go back to the room hoping to find her there. When he finally realized that she’d left, he would try to follow her, only to find that his bike wouldn’t budge. She’d pulled enough wiring out of his console and threw them away to assure that. Now he would be the one waiting for her to come back with information.
She smirked at that. She’d heard him on the phone explaining to his brother that he was afraid to get any closer to the shifter house for fear of being found out. That’s one thing she wasn’t—afraid. She could go to their house, get inside and find out the information she needed. Either they were working with the Yaruzi or they weren’t. After she had her answer she could go her separate way, leave Lajos to finish his investigation on his own.
A stab seemed to piece her heart.
I don’t want to leave Lajos.
I have to. It’s for mine and his own good.
She made a left at the light and took the long road through the affluent neighborhood. If this were a leisurely trip she would’ve decreased her speed and taken the time to appreciate the tropical-looking houses that were painted in an array of bright colors. They didn’t have houses like these in Japan. These were peach, pink and green houses that were beautifully decorated with stonework. When she’d first moved to the States she knew she wanted a home of her own, but that dream was long gone. She had to work two online teaching jobs to make ends meet and to stash a nice sum away for her “getaway” fund.
She’d been a child then, thinking she could have what normal people had. Getting a house meant putting down roots, and that was one thing her dad had warned her against. She could never get complacent about staying in Jacksonville.
It was sad when she really thought about it. She’d have to leave her best friend in the world and the kids at the Boys and Girls Club, but, in reality, if she were dead she would be lost to them anyway. And a boyfriend, even marriage and kids was out of the question. Now that would be putting down some serious roots. What man in his right mind would want to marry a woman with that kind of baggage on her head?
Maybe one that could protect me.
She snorted at the intrusive thought and made a right at the next street.
Lajos might think he can protect me, but he can’t. Not against the Yaruzi.
It didn’t matter what he was on the inside. The Yaruzi were evil inside and out and there were more of them than there were of Lajos.
She drove down the street, noticing the houses on this one were far less nice than the houses she’d been ogling just moments before. She spotted the house where her and Lajos had stopped two nights before and kept going. She crossed over to the next block, noting every house she passed.
There it is.
Just as Lajos had described it, a blue two-story house. A light shone through the bottom floor windows, while the top floor windows were dark. She also noted two cars in the driveway and a truck parked on the street. She kept driving past and onto the next block. When she got there she looked for somewhere to hide her bike. She spotted a restaurant and turned into the parking lot and parked in an empty space between two cars. She wanted her bike to blend in with the patrons’ vehicles and not stand out in any way.
She took her helmet and stored it, but kept on her gloves. She didn’t want to leave any fingerprints behind in the house. Just her luck they were doing all types of illegal shit, and when the feds came to bust them and dusted the place for prints, hers would be all over. No thank you. Part of being in the witness protection plan meant she had to stay out of trouble and keep her nose clean, which wasn’t the easiest thing to do.
She jogged up the block toward the house, making sure to keep to the shadows and close to the houses. When she reached the house that was next to her target house, she went around to the backyard. It was dark, no light shone and, most of all, no dogs to bark and alert the entire neighborhood of her presence. She crept along the back of the house, not wanting to activate any motion sensor lights if there were any. When she reached the six-foot wooden privacy fence, she put her ear to it, listening for any sounds coming from the yard next to the one she was in. Hearing none she jumped and grabbed the top of the fence. She slowly hauled herself up to peer into the back yard.
Empty.
From her position she could see light peeking through dark curtains on the inside of the double glass doors. The second floor windows in the back of the house were just as dark as the front windows. A curtain in one of the windows blew in the light breeze. No screen.
If she played this right, she could get upstairs and look for any information that would lead to whoever was behind the hit out on Trudy, and also any information that Lajos and his security team could use to bring these shifters down.
She hauled the rest of her body over the fence and dropped down on the other side, landing as softly as possible. She could clearly hear the ruckus going on in the living room, boisterous talking and laughing, a television blared and music played the background. She held still and waited for any sign that they’d heard her, the music to stop or the voices to hush.
When the party raged on she let out her breath. They didn’t know she was here. She scanned the back of the house for motion sensor lights. There were two but the sockets were empty. She guessed that if any of the shifters came back here to change they didn’t want the neighbors to see wolves lurking in a residential backyard.
She crossed the yard quickly and reached the house. She tried her grip on the stone surface. She could do this. There were plenty of grooves, nooks and crannies to grab hold on. Without wasting any more time, she scaled the wall and made it to the second story window. She paused there, listening again. The sound from the living room was right below her but silence reigned on the second floor. She poked her head through and scanned the room. No one was there.
She pulled herself over the threshold and crawled slowly through. She had her hands on the floor and dragged the rest of her body fully inside.
Her heart slammed in her chest. She’d made it. Now the real work was about to begin.
Chapter Eighteen
The room had a full size bed and dresser. It wasn’t clean, shoes and clothes littered every available space on the floor. This was definitely a man’s room. It reeked of maleness, dirt and heavy cologne.
When she spotted a desk positioned next to the door with paper strewn across it, excitement built within. She crept across the floor to the desk, picking up and inspecting each paper. What she needed was a light, but she wasn’t so sure of herself to turn on the lamp sitting on the desk. She squinted at each piece of paper. There was a folder with receipts and bills. If this was a professional job she was sure they were getting reimbursed for their expenses. She opened another folder and inhaled a sharp breath. Pictures of Trudy, each consisting of her doing normal everyday things, walking Piper, getting out of her car at work, washing dishes, and at her desk at work. Bile rose up in the back of Meisha’s throat. They’d stalked Trudy and, by
what she could tell, Trudy hadn’t known anything about it.
She put the folder down when what she really wanted to do was stuff it in her jacket so these fools wouldn’t have the pictures anymore. But if they were missing, the shifters were bound to guess someone had been in their house and what good would taking the folder do anyway? They already knew what Trudy looked like. Taking the pictures wouldn’t do a lick of good. But still…
Creak.
She stilled at the noise and held her breath.
A loud heavy metal song still blared from the radio.
She kept her eyes on the open bedroom door, looking for a shadow indicating someone was coming down the hall.
Nothing.
A round of laughter sounded from downstairs.
Her heart beat wildly. The moment she spotted any kind of movement in the hall she’d have no choice but to get to the window and outside as soon as possible. She stayed in place, listening and watching, time slowly ticking by. When another song came on and an argument broke out between the shifters she let herself relax a little. They weren’t coming after her.
With shaking hands she continued to pick up the other papers and folders, making sure to put them back just as she found them. To her disappointment she didn’t find any clues about who the shifters were and who’d hired them. She turned from the desk and scanned the room. There had to be something in here.
Her eyes landed on a cell phone on the nightstand.
Bingo.
Now that she could take. Cell phones were easily lost. Plus it would be no biggie for the owner to shut it off and get another one. That would be after she got all of the phone numbers out of it. She tiptoed to the phone and stuffed it in her bra. She looked around again, nothing else in the room.
About how many bedroom rooms did this house hold? She’d seen two windows in the front and two in the back.
Four, she guessed.
She crept silently to the door.
One down, three more to go.
A hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck, squeezing it tight. As if she weighed nothing she was snatched from the doorway and picked up from the floor. Her back slammed against the wall. Pain erupted in the back of her skull.
She struggled and kicked against her unknown assailant, but nothing she did made him release his hold on her.
A flick of a switch and light filled the hallway.
Her eyes landed on someone she’d hoped to never to see again. Her eyes opened in panicked shock.
No. Not him.
“I’ve been waiting to get my hands on you,” Alexei growled, his lips set in an evil grin.
* * * * *
Lajos let out a blood-curdling yell and slammed his fist through the drywall of his hotel room.
“Calm yourself,” Andras said on the other line.
Lajos dropped the cell phone that he’d held at his ear. He didn’t want to hear anything else that Andras had to say. Meisha was in trouble—he could feel it. His wolf pushed forward, trying to force his way to out.
Not here, Lajos coaxed.
He would let his wolf out when they reached the Russian shifter pack. He knew they were the ones harming Meisha. His wolf would show them no mercy. With deadly brute strength, his wolf would seek justice against anyone who dared harm her.
Lajos grabbed a chunk of the drywall from the hole he’d punched. He closed his fist around it, feeling the pieces crumble in his hand, and imagined his hand around the neck of whoever had Meisha. It did nothing to satisfy his anger. He snatched his hand from the wall and opened his fist, letting the material fall to the floor. He took hard steps across the room to grab his wallet. He’d take a cab to get her if he had to.
Fuck what Andras says. I’m not waiting for back-up.
The ringing of the hotel phone made him pause.
Andras.
The moment of clarity that pierced through his anger and pain was enough to open his mind to Andras’ commands.
Don’t walk out that door. Andras’ Alpha command rocked his brain.
If Lajos tried to disobey he’d have to fight against his mind and body’s natural instinct to obey his Alpha.
Answer the fucking phone.
I don’t want to talk anymore. Lajos responded to Andras with just as much agitation as Andras projected at him. Every nerve in his body willed him to go to the ringing phone and pick it up. Prickly heat erupted around his head and sweat trickled down his face and body.
Lajos, I don’t want to hurt you, but if I have to incapacitate you, I will.
The shaking began in his hands first then travelled up his arms to his chest and reached down to his legs. Lajos felt his knees begin to waver. Before long he would hit the floor.
I have to get to her, he pleaded with Andras.
If you can’t listen to reason I’ll leave you in the hotel while security rescues her.
No! I should be the one to get Meisha.
Then answer the phone.
Lajos flicked his gaze to the phone that sat on the hotel desk. He wanted to run out the door, find Meisha and kill anyone in his way. He had no time to listen to plans or wait any longer for back-up.
Without him willing it to, his leg lifted and took a step toward the desk. The other lifted and took another step. Lajos bit down on his tongue.
No, wrong direction.
Answer the phone. Andras voice filled his head, clouding all other thoughts.
Before long, Lajos found himself in front of the phone with his hand gripped around the receiver. He’d no choice but to give in to the force of his Alpha. He picked up the phone and brought it to his ear.
“What?” he growled out.
Almost immediately the physical effects of the Alpha control began to dissipate. He no longer felt as though he’d fall or convulse. The shaking that wracked his body stopped.
“Control your tone, pup, or I will control it for you,” Andras said coldly.
“You don’t understand what I’m going through. You haven’t found your mate yet.”
“And if finding a mate makes me go stupid like its making you and Kristof, then I hope to all things holy that it never happens to me.”
Lajos dropped to the desk chair, feeling defeated. Andras wouldn’t let him out the door, no matter how hard he fought. Lajos was stuck in the room. “I need to get to her.” He raked an unsteady hand through his hair.
“And you will. Your security team is landing now. They’ll be joining you shortly.”
“Have them meet me on Briel St.,” Lajos said, naming the street where the shifters had their house.
“No, I’m not letting you get anywhere near that place until after you calm down.”
“How do you expect me to calm down when they have her? Do you know what it’s like for me? I can feel her pain. She’s scared and she’s calling out to me. She needs me.” Lajos held his head at his last words. She needed him and he couldn’t get to her. His wolf whined.
“I know. I feel her pain as well.” Andras took a long breath. “Lajos, if you rush in, which is what they’re hoping for, you’ll end up getting yourself and Meisha killed. Is that what you want?”
“Of course not,” he bit out. “But I have to get to her.”
“Have you heard of the term, ‘fools rush in’?”
Lajos growled low. “I’m no fool.”
“Then stop acting like one. There are eight shifters with her. From what I gathered from Meisha’s thoughts, they’ve roughed her up a bit, but mainly they’re trying to draw you out.”
“Then I’ll give them what they want,” he growled.
“Really? You’ll give them your head on a platter?”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t. Trying to read your mind is like trying to read a foreign language. You aren’t thinking rationally. Listen to me. Is she hurt? Yes. Is it grave? No. She’s scared, but I’ve been pushing thoughts into her mind, calming her. Your woman is smart. She’s already devising plans to get away. When t
he security team arrives, you’ll brief them and if, and I do mean if you’re more controlled, you can go with them.”
Lajos tightened his grip on the phone. “I will go with them,” he promised.
“Only if I can be assured that you won’t get yourself or anyone from your team killed. I need you on point for this, Lajos. I have to be assured you can handle it.”
“I can handle it.”
“Then prove it by stop trying to fight my commands and wait for the team.”
Lajos closed his eyes. His wolf projected pictures of Meisha and him together. Of them holding hands and growing old together. Of them making love.
Andras was right. He had to pull it together. He wouldn’t stand a chance alone. The shifters would rip him to shreds, but his team would be able to get to her. They were trained for fighting and extraction.
“Alright.”
Chapter Nineteen
“Just relax. They aren’t going to kill you yet.”
“I really don’t like the ‘yet’ part,” Meisha replied to the voice in her head.
She’d been talking to the voice for a good hour. What was the saying? You aren’t crazy for talking to yourself, you’re crazy if you answer, or something like that.
She couldn’t really think straight and it was partly because Alexei had knocked a couple of screws loose. Since her knock-around she’d been feeling all types of crazy shit about Lajos and, to top it off, there was a voice in her head. The voice said he was Andras, Lajos’ oldest brother and her pack leader. She had snorted at that. Yeah, she was going crazy and now imagining herself a part of Lajos’ shifter pack.
“What did I tell you,” the voice of Andras said. “You aren’t crazy. So focus on something else. Lajos is on his way.”
“No. He can’t come here. They’re waiting for him.”
“He knows and he also knows they aren’t going to kill you until he gets there.”
“They said they wanted to kill me in front of him—to watch him die inside. I can’t let that happen. What do you think I should do?”
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