by J. H. Croix
Roxanne had her back to the counter, busy at the espresso machine. When she turned around and saw him, she smiled widely. “Dane! I haven’t seen you in days. You’re supposed to stop by at least every other day. You know that right?”
Dane grinned in return. “I know. Been so busy, I forgot. I missed your coffee though, so I figured I’d better get myself some before you barred me for lack of attendance.”
Roxanne shook her head and chuckled. “Be right back,” she said, sticking a pen behind her ear and carrying a cup of coffee over to the man Dane had noticed. He watched the interaction out of the corner of his eye. Roxanne appeared guarded though polite. Her usual warmth was missing with the man.
When she returned to the counter, Dane waited quietly while she prepped his coffee—a shot in the dark, his favorite dark roast with a shot of espresso. Once she handed it over, he met her eyes and spoke quietly.
“Who’s the man over there?” he asked.
Roxanne kept her voice low and her expression neutral. “Says his name is Seth. And maybe it is. But I don’t trust him. He’s been around town for a few days now and keeps acting like he knows people with name-dropping. In fact, he mentioned your name a few times. Says he came for Callen’s funeral.”
Dane gut was uneasy. “I’ve never seen him. Chloe mentioned that he approached her here and acted like he knew me. Any word from anyone else about him?”
Roxanne shook her head. “What’s going on Dane? You and Jake are so closed-mouthed, but I know something’s up. Everyone’s on edge after Callen died. If you know something, would you mind filling me in?”
Dane wished like hell he could tell Roxanne what Jake had discovered, but it would blow the emotions on this town through the sky. Callen’s betrayal was so deep, it hurt Dane to think about it. He met Roxanne’s warm blue eyes. “As soon as I can talk, I will. I promise.”
Roxanne nodded. “Okay, could you maybe clue me in if I need to keep my eye out for anything? Being here, I either see or hear about almost everything that goes on in Catamount.”
“I know you do. Do me a favor and keep an eye out if you see Chloe. I asked her to be careful, but I’m worried about Seth and what the hell he wants. Not only did he know my name, but he acted like he knew Chloe and I were together. He shouldn’t know any of that.”
Roxanne eyed him carefully. “Dane, half the town is chattering about you and Chloe. It’s not exactly news.”
“Yeah, but he’s not from around here. Who would be talking to him and why would it matter to him?”
“Okay, now you got me more nervous than I already was. When is Callen’s funeral?”
“Tomorrow.”
Roxanne looked out over the room, bringing her eyes back to Dane. She cleared her throat. “Perhaps a change of subject is in order,” she said, a grin crossing her face. “What is going on with you and Chloe?”
Dane chuckled. He’d wondered how long Roxanne could hold out. He’d known her his entire life and considered her a dear friend. She wasn’t too interfering. Though she could be protective about her friends if she was concerned. He met her eyes and smiled. “Chloe’s staying in Catamount. With me.”
Roxanne’s face bloomed in a huge smile. “Oh, that is the best news I’ve had all day!”
Dane glanced at the clock on the wall behind her. “It’s only seven in the morning.”
She shook her head and clapped a hand over her heart. “As soon as I saw Chloe, I knew she was for you. I’m so glad she figured it out too. I won’t get into it now, but I’m assuming she knows everything she needs to know.”
Dane nodded. “Yup. All’s clear on that front. I think it was, uh, illuminating for her, but she seems okay with it.” He hadn’t quite allowed himself to feel the depth of his fear that she might reject him. Until Chloe, he’d never had to wonder if someone might reject him, or reject who and what he was, because no woman had mattered enough. With Chloe, to even consider that she might have run from him and refused to accept him for what he was—it had terrified him. His relief at her knowing he was a shifter, seeing it with her own eyes, and still turning to him afterwards was immense. Just thinking about it sent a wash of relief through his body.
“Dane?”
He swung his eyes back to Roxanne’s. “Yeah?”
Roxanne chuckled. “You were off in la-la land there for a minute. Chloe’s gotten under your skin, huh?”
Dane grinned sheepishly. “You could say that.”
He glanced around the room, an idea forming. “Roxanne, can you do me a favor and find a way to position yourself near his table, so I can look at you when I hold my phone up?”
Roxanne looked at him sideways, arching a brow. “Sure, but why?”
“I want to get a picture, so I can have Jake run it through his facial recognition program. I’m pretty sure Seth isn’t really named Seth. It’d be easier to prove that if we got a decent picture.”
Roxanne nodded. “Oh, right. On my way.” She grabbed a pot of coffee and began weaving her way through tables with refills.
***
Chloe parked her borrowed car in front of Roxanne’s store. Her heart was brimming. She was so excited to have made the decision to stay in Catamount that she was silly with joy. There was, of course, the thrill in her heart and body whenever she thought of Dane, but it ran deeper than that. When she’d started on her hike so many months ago in late spring in the already sweltering heat of Georgia, it had felt like stepping off a cliff. For her, it was in so many ways. Every decision in her life up to that point hadn’t required much thought. She simply did what she thought she was supposed to do—get good grades, go to a good college, get a business degree, fall in love with a nice young man, get engaged and eventually get married. She’d made it through every phase but the getting married part without ever really thinking about what she genuinely wanted. Perhaps, she wouldn’t have known the answer, but she’d never stopped to question.
By nature, she was an obedient girl. She’d taken a look at her parents and done what she thought they wanted. Since the events unfolded in her life and she’d left Tom, quit her job and made plans to hike the Appalachian Trail, her mother had surprised her with her unwavering support. Oh, she’d been taken aback at points, but she’d handled it all in stride. Chloe had come to realize her mother just wanted her to live a fulfilling life, regardless of the path she took to get there.
Meeting Dane in that shadowed cave, feeling the electricity arc between them, she’d been drawn to look inside herself in a way she hadn’t before. She shook her head as she recalled the night he’d shown her he was a mountain lion shifter. He hadn’t shifted in her presence again, and she wanted to ask him about it. Now that she’d had a few weeks to adjust to the knowledge and understand it, she wanted to see it free from the haze of surprise. For now though, she wanted a cup of coffee from Roxanne’s and perhaps one of her amazing sandwiches. Dane was at work and would be until this evening. Chloe still had to figure out what she would do for work, but for now—coffee.
Shana had loaned her car to Chloe, insisting she could hitch rides from friends when needed. Thinking of Shana made her heart clench. Chloe was just starting to get to know her, but it was clear she was devastated by Callen’s death. Now that Chloe had experienced the depth of feeling she had for Dane, she could imagine the despair she’d feel if something happened to him.
She climbed out of Shana’s car and paused to look around. A brisk fall wind blew through the air. The manicured town green was dusted in the harvest confetti of fall leaves. Dane had told her to expect snow to fly any day now. Thanksgiving was right around the corner. She’d promised her mother a visit for the New Year with plans to bring Dane with her, but she wanted to spend Thanksgiving here. She felt it would anchor her to Catamount, the connection, the celebration of harvest and settling in for winter.
Tugging her jacket around her, she walked up the steps to Roxanne’s grateful for the burst of warmth from the bustling store when she entered. After ge
tting her coffee and enjoying a sandwich, she walked back outside and decided to take a short walk around the green. The homes that lined the green were labeled with tastefully painted signs indicating when the homes were built and the original owners. In the back of her mind, she held Dane’s warning to be alert, but she couldn’t imagine she’d be anything but safe here in the center of town with stores lining the green and people strolling on the sidewalks.
The wind chilled her as she walked, but she enjoyed the fact that she could walk almost without a limp now. Her sprained ankle was close to feeling normal. She thought perhaps she’d ask Dane to join her to finish the tail end of the Appalachian Trail next spring. It wasn’t wise to try now with her ankle so freshly healed and winter nipping at the air. As she walked along the sidewalk, passing a narrow alley between two old buildings, she felt a hand wrap around her arm. Before she could make a sound, another hand clapped over her mouth and she was thrown into the back seat of a vehicle. As soon as the door slammed shut, the vehicle began moving. Chloe looked up to see Seth, the man who’d acted as if he knew Dane, glancing back at her.
***
Dane saw his last patient of the day out the door and locked it. His receptionist had already left for the day. He did a quick walk through of the office, switching off computers and lights as he moved through. He tried calling Chloe once again, puzzled she hadn’t replied to any of his texts or answered his calls. He’d come to learn she wasn’t one to be coy and hold off on answering calls or texts, often replying within minutes. So her silence was unusual and making him uneasy. Seeing that Roxanne had called him, he moved to return the call when another call came in as he walked to his truck.
“Dane here,” he said quickly.
“Get over here as soon as you can,” Jake barked in his ear.
“Just leaving the office, I’ll be right there. What’s up?”
He heard Jake’s deep breath, his gut kicking into gear at the sound.
“Roxanne said that Gail Anderson came running over to tell her she saw Chloe get dragged into some car and driven away.”
Jake’s words hit Dane like a blow. His breath was gone, his heart in his throat. His tires squealed as he raced the two blocks to Jake’s office and came to a screeching stop.
Barreling through the door, he pocketed his phone and stared at Jake. “Why the hell didn’t somebody call me sooner?” he all but shouted. His lion rolled under his skin, clawing to come out and attack whoever had Chloe.
Jake didn’t flinch. “Roxanne said she tried to call you, but you didn’t answer. So she called me. Bless Gail’s heart. Even though she’s pushing eighty, her eyes are sharp. She got the license plate number. Roxanne said Gail didn’t have a clue as to the car make and model, but said it was a black sports vehicle. While I was calling you, I looked it up. I also ran Seth’s photo through the system earlier today and planned to call you about that. He’s not only lying about his name, but he’s got a hell of a background issue. The license plate links to a rental car company, so I’m hacking into their system to see who rented the car. I’m thinking I sit tight for a few and get this sorted out while you head out and look for the vehicle. Roxanne said she’d round up anyone else she can to help look. Don’t worry about stopping to talk with her, she said to tell you she’s got it covered and will send everyone out with all the info I get to her.”
Dane could barely catch his breath. Fear for Chloe raced through him. He closed his eyes and held still, trying to keep his lion in check. He couldn’t drive in lion form, he needed to keep it together. He opened his eyes and met Jake’s concerned and angry gaze.
“Go,” Jake said simply.
“Okay, call me with anything you find.”
He turned and left, tearing out of the parking lot. He made a quick call to Roxanne to ask her to assign people to different sections of town.
Chapter 11
Chloe batted back the fear that raced through her. Seth was in the passenger seat and occasionally glanced her way, but had said little since they began driving. A man she’d seen somewhere around town was driving. She wracked her brain trying to recall where she’d seen him. He was silent as he drove down a dirt road in the forest, coming to a stop in front of a small cabin.
Seth turned to her. “Here’s the deal, we don’t want to hurt you. We have some business with Dane, and unfortunately, we needed some leverage.”
“I’m leverage?” she asked, fury and fear warring inside of her.
Seth shrugged. “Yup. You mean a lot to Dane, so you’re our best option.” He opened the car door, following the driver outside of the car. They conferred briefly by the steps of the cabin. Chloe strained to hear them, but their voices were muffled. Leaves blew in a swirl around the car. The driver walked into the cabin and Seth came to the car, opening the door at her side.
He looked at her carefully, his gray eyes neutral. “Don’t try anything. If you’ve seen Dane shift, you know what we can do.”
Chloe didn’t bother to nod and refused to reply. But she wasn’t stupid either, so she followed him when he escorted her out of the car and into the small cabin. She glanced around when she got inside. It appeared to be a hunting cabin—sparsely furnished, a basic kitchen, one large room with simple furniture and a bathroom and bedroom off to the side.
The driver entered the cabin from a door at the back with an armful of wood. He nodded at Chloe, but was otherwise silent. She suddenly realized where she’s seen him—at Roxanne’s. He’d been pointed out as Callen’s younger brother, but she didn’t actually meet him and didn’t know his name.
“You’re Callen’s brother,” she said.
The man’s head whipped up. He had gray eyes, like many shifters. His hair didn’t have the warm, golden hue of Dane’s, but was a flat, dark blonde. His eyes sharpened on her and then bounced to Seth.
“I thought you said she didn’t know who I was,” the man stated.
Seth glanced between them, his gaze calculating. “I didn’t think she did. She’s pretty new to town, according to you.” Seth’s words held a return accusation.
“What’s your name?” Chloe asked. “I know who you are, so you might as well tell me your name.”
The man shook his head. “Nope. Callen has more than one brother. I’ll let you wonder on that.”
Chloe’s brain whirred, recalling Dane’s concerns about what had happened to Callen. Though she was far from clear on any details, it was obvious that this brother of his may have something to do with whatever Dane was worried about. Interesting that Callen’s brother didn’t want her to know who he was. He obviously had plenty to hide. If only she could piece together what they wanted from Dane.
The man ignored her and went to place the wood in a rack by a small woodstove. He quickly built a fire. Seth gestured for her to sit in a chair in the corner, so she did. The wheels in her mind spun, wondering when Dane would realize she was gone and how she could help if someone found her out here. She surreptitiously studied the room, but it was sparse enough there wasn’t much to help her. She figured she simply needed to be ready if and when Dane, or anyone, came to help. In the meantime, she’d try to stay quiet and see if they let anything slip.
Seth stepped outside a few times to make calls while Callen’s brother remained silent for the most part. He pulled out a laptop. They’d taken her phone once she’d been thrown in the car. But they didn’t know her watch was synced to her phone and had its own GPS. She prayed the GPS locator would work out here.
***
Dane drove wildly along the winding road toward the area where Jake said Chloe’s watch was pinging a signal. “How do you know it’s her watch?” Dane asked.
“Because it’s identifier says so. You must have noticed she had one of those fancy watches that tracks her fitness and what not,” Jake retorted.
“I noticed. Guess I didn’t know it had its own GPS signal.”
Jake shrugged. “Sure does. Lucky she has it. It’s synced
to her phone, so when I tried to look up her phone and got no signal, the information indicated her watch was linked. I’m guessing they had her turn over her phone and didn’t think to check on anything else.”
Jake had assigned his younger sister, Liliana, to stay at his office and monitor the signal. He rode in the passenger seat of Dane’s truck. Cold fury and hot fear warred within Dane. He was beyond angry with Seth and whoever else was behind Chloe’s kidnapping and terrified for her safety. Jake had confirmed what they suspected. Seth’s legal name wasn’t Seth, but Steven Meyer. Jake had chased down his driver’s license to Montana in a small town outside of Bozeman. He had a list of petty crimes tagged to his legal name, but nothing that came close to kidnapping, mostly minor drug offenses. Dane’s mind spun with fears for Chloe’s safety and how to make sure they got her safe.
Jake rode beside him silently, his anger pulsing like a force with Dane’s. Jake feared for Chloe, as Dane did, but he didn’t have the emotion tied to her. He’d stewed over why they’d kidnapped Chloe, circling back again and again to the idea that they needed her for leverage to get to Dane.
“Whatever we do, we try to keep them alive, so we can find out what the hell they want with us,” Jake said flatly.
Though neither Dane, nor Jake, had ever considered the possibility they may kill someone, they both knew there was a high likelihood they would shift into lion form to do whatever was necessary to get Chloe safe. All bets were off if they happened to be facing another shifter or more.
