After the call, Cassie's thoughts trailed back to the moment when she lifted and read the note from the rock.
-Your article about how these animals pretending to be humans shouldn't be treated "inhumanely" was rather interesting. But really? THEY'RE ANIMALS! If you don't like how we protest, GET OUT OF OUR TOWN! Or I have an even better idea. Meet me at the county zoo where I can gut you and then throw you in a cage of lions. I hope you've got life insurance-.
It took her almost no time to come to the conclusion that her stalker was mad that she was connecting telling clues on a case involving the shifter murders. Someone didn't want to be ousted or caught. The note had been very telling. Her stalker was the real animal here and he deserved to be locked up in prison.
Cassie was committed to this case. One threat wasn't going to stop her from finding the real truth. But now she had another goal: staying alive.
Chapter 2
Three Days Later
Luke Lombardi dropped a bundle of mail on the counter in his kitchen, grabbed a glass, and filled it with tap water from the sink. As he guzzled down the beverage, he noticed the green light blinking on his answering machine. He had just cleared the messages this morning before his run, yet the screen indicated that he'd gotten five new messages since then.
When the warmer months started rolling in, business for his mountain lodging company came pouring in too. He wasn't complaining since there was once a time when campers and vacationers stayed clear of the area. But with his niece and nephew now away at college, he was having a heck of a time keeping up with the day to day operations. He'd held off for the longest on hiring full-time employees. Other than himself, only a few contractors came through every once in a while to make sure the lodging cabins were safe for guests and passed the state standards.
Luke pushed a button on the machine, hoping that someone suitable had answered his help wanted ad for office help. He toggled through the recordings. A couple messages were from other businesses trying to sell their services and a few more inquiries came from campers looking for group rates and such. The last message was from Neil Grey, his old roommate from college. Actually, he considered Neil a very good friend.
"Hey Luke. It's Neil. I've been trying to reach you. I know you're busy up there with the seasons changing, but I really need a favor. Please call me ASAP."
Speaking of being busy, Luke was a little disappointed that no other job seekers had replied to the ad. The last three candidates he'd interviewed didn't quite make the cut. Then again, he had to admit that he was being a little picky. His niece had left detailed instructions on what she did on a daily basis, but he knew no one could replace her. Sending those twins off to school in another state had been difficult for Luke, but he knew in his heart that this was best for both of them. At least they had each other.
He picked up the handset and dialed Neil Grey's phone number. Neil picked up right after the first ring.
"Hey Luke. Thanks for calling back."
"You seem worried. What's up?"
"I need a huge favor," he said.
Who didn't need a huge favor these days?
"Why do I get the feeling that you're in trouble?" Luke asked.
Neil laughed nervously. "It's not me this time. It's Cassie. She ran into some issues at work and she needs to lay low for a while. You remember my sister, right?"
He'd never officially met Cassie, but he'd seen her for a brief moment eight years ago right after the college graduation ceremony. At the time, her most striking features were her thick mane of curly mahogany hair, a cute button nose, and an innocent, but devilish smile.
"Yes, I remember Cassie. What's going on?"
"She's a journalist for the Aspen Valley Times. She was working on a story with a work colleague and she caught a lot of heat behind it. We agreed that she needs to get out of town for a few days, maybe even a few weeks until things settle down and the cops can catch these guys. I have to travel on business and I can't reschedule this. I'd be devastated if anything happened to Cassie while I was gone. We don't have anybody else, you know?"
Neil and his sister Cassie had lived together without their parents for five years now. They'd died in a plane crash that had taken the lives of several other Aspen Valley residents too. Neil had become his sister's guardian, but if Luke's estimates were correct Cassie was no longer a child. But as a man who had adopted his niece and nephew, Luke understand the necessity to keep them safe would never leave—no matter how independent they had become.
"It's that bad, huh?" Luke pulled out a chair from under the kitchen table and sat down. He began sorting through the stack of mail. "You know, I've got family out in Aspen Valley. What kind of story was she working on?"
"It's the case involving the shifter murders. About how they're being led astray and then gunned down."
Luke's back stiffened. He swallowed down his rising suspicions, but no amount of force would chase down the lump in his throat. He knew about the murders. In fact, every wolf in the valley was trying to find the creep—or creeps—responsible for the murders. The murders had slowed down following the Pack being proactive in looking out for their fellow neighbors, but the sporadic killings had gone on so long that Dane Magnus, Alpha of the Pack, had set up his own protection crew within the Pack to keep the members safe.
"She says she actually requested the assignment," Neil continued. "Would you believe it? She just got the job and has barely finished training and they're already giving her these high-profile dangerous cases. She's been acting out lately like she doesn't give a shit about her safety or anything. I don't get it."
"Sounds like someone else I know. Someone like the highly-successful detective that solved every crime he was assigned to in Aspen Valley," Luke commented.
Neil snorted. "Yeah, I think she got the brunt of my dad's drive to succeed at nearly everything." Neil's dad had been a police detective in Aspen Valley before his death, pursuing most of the area's dangerous cases.
"What do you need? You know I've got your back."
"Her home address has already been compromised so she's going to be staying at that log cabin I bought three years ago. With me still living in a one bedroom apartment the mountain cabin was our only decent and quick option. It's close enough to you that I thought you'd be able to look out for her while she's there. It doesn't have to be every day, but if you could just check in on her while I'm up in Maine."
"Sure."
"I really appreciate it, man," Neil said. "And we've gotta get together again, just like old times. Maybe when I'm done with this trip and if you have time, we can catch up. Last time we ran into each other, you were grocery shopping with your niece and nephew."
"Yeah, they kept me pretty busy."
"Cassie's packing right now, so we'll be driving up there either tomorrow morning or the following day."
"I'll see both of you when you get here," Luke said.
"Thanks man, I'll owe you big time for this one."
"Don't even mention it."
Chapter 3
"Unbelievable!”
Neil pulled the cabin door close, turned around on the porch, and blew outward in frustration.
Cassie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. Her nerves had been shot since the moment she and her brother left his apartment this morning. Not only was she homeless, she was also at the mercy of her spur-of-the-moment decision-making brother. For his sanity, she had tried doing things his way. But his plans weren't panning out the way they'd discussed.
"I can't believe you didn't check this place out before you insisted on me staying here," Cassie exclaimed. "I like my alone time just as much as the next girl, but this is out in the middle of nowhere."
"It's not out in the middle of nowhere. It only looks that way. This area is safer than the city anyway."
"So what's up with the leak in the ceiling?" She gestured toward the small cabin that her brother claimed he had bought some time ago.
"The maint
enance guy was out here two months ago. He didn't say anything about there being a leak," Neil said.
"Just in case you don't remember, most of the area had been in a drought for over three weeks up until four days ago when that storm tore through the Valleys and the Mountains. Maybe it wasn't visible when he came by." Cassie sighed. "I should have stayed with Clara like I planned."
"Clara doesn't exactly have her shit together either. Do you know how many times I've seen that chick drunk out of her mind at parties?"
"What does it matter? She was offering me a place to stay until this all died down. Just because she goes out partying doesn't mean I will too."
"You don't know what I know."
"Oh? Let me guess…you've slept with her."
Neil said nothing. He just slipped past her.
"Oh my God," Cassie exclaimed in disbelief. "That's why you don't want me talking to her. You've had sex with her."
Cassie followed her brother down the steps and through the thick shrubbery leading to his truck.
"Now's not the time to discuss my sex life. That's my business. You're in a whole heap of trouble and I'm trying to find someplace safe for you to stay. You're not exactly in a position to have your location compromised. I don't trust Clara and her mouth runs like a water faucet."
"Well you trusted her enough to fuck her," Cassie noted. "Now what? I might as well just go back to Aspen Valley and wait it out. Do you honestly think someone's going to try to kill me? It was a threat, that's all. I'm off the case now."
"You know nothing about what those men are capable of. Get in the truck. Be quiet and just let me think."
Reluctantly, Cassie slipped into the passenger side seat. "When will you learn that I can take care of myself? But if you insist…fine. Just know that after this I plan to move very far away from Aspen Valley."
"Hold your horses, sister," Neil mumbled nervously.
Even as Cassie made that declaration, she knew the only thing holding her in Aspen Valley was her older brother. Sometimes she felt that she was the one that kept him sane. And all they had was each other at the moment. It would've been so much better for her to hightail it out of the state if she knew he had someone stable in his life. But Neil never settled. Often times, Cassie thought he was afraid of commitment.
As Neil thumbed through his cell phone, she continued talking, "You know…about your sex life. You really need to settle down. If Aspen Valley is going to be your permanent residence, don't you think you need to be making some permanent bonds instead of having sex with every willing woman at every major company in the city? Last month, it was my friend Clara at Reverie Technologies. And now this month, a woman named Jacki from Pack and Ship kept calling your apartment phone for you. She sounded sprung. What did you do to her exactly? Ugh…never mind. I don't even want to know."
"Jacki was calling about a shipment. Look, I'm not going to talk about my relationships with you," he grumbled and then started the truck. "Not now…not ever."
He maneuvered the truck through the thick brush and then turned off down the road.
"Where are you going now?" she asked, peering out through the windshield at the top of the mountains miles ahead of them.
"There's a lodging business less than a mile from here. A good friend of mine owns it. He should have a unit that he can rent us for the time being."
"Which good friend?" she asked.
"Luke."
"Luke…you mean the hot hunk that you roomed with in college?"
Neil gave her a sideways glance. "I'm not sure about the hot hunk part, but yeah…we shared an apartment for a little bit. That was a long time ago. And you still remember him?"
Cassie bit her bottom lip as her memory ran across what she remembered about Luke the most. His eyes. She would never forget his deep-set gaze peppered with specs of gold when he had assessed her that first time after a graduation ceremony. She would always remember how at ease his penetrating stare made her feel when she was just a self-conscious teen. That had been eight years ago, but she had never forgotten him. Sometimes she even dreamed of him.
"I do remember him. Did you say he owns a lodging business? Like a hotel?"
"No, not like a hotel," Neil replied. "Lodging…like for the occasional vacationers, campers, mountain climbers…sight seers. We're not talking five-star resort here."
"Hmmm…just as long as I don't have to stay in a tent," she countered. "And in that case, you'll turn this truck around and head right back into town."
"Whatever, Cassie," Neil said. "If you think for one minute, I'm letting you stay in Aspen Valley on your own, you're dead wrong. You're just like Dad—stubborn and nosy. And I know for a fact that you haven't stopped working on the story that got you in this trouble in the first place."
Cassie neither denied nor confirmed his suspicions. In fact, she just kept her mouth closed for the duration of the short drive along the rocky dirt road. She didn't want to be the one to break it to him. He was right—on both counts. She needed to drop the case for her sanity and her safety, but she just couldn't. She'd been so close to learning the true identity of the person behind the shifter killings. Sure she could stop now while innocent people were being murdered for no reason. But the fact was…she didn't want to stop because she did care. Through her findings and research about the shifters living in this region, she came to the conclusion that they were entitled to remain here just like any other human being.
Chapter 4
Luke abandoned his coffee and breakfast sandwich the moment he heard an engine rumbling toward his log cabin. The familiar sound of tires trudging across loose rock and gravel followed soon after. He had company.
His guests left him alone for the most part. The only reason anybody would be coming to call this early in the morning was if something had gone wrong on the property. He always made it a point to make sure all guests—both long and short term—had everything they needed up front in each cabin. And if any issues came up, there was a list of numbers hanging on the fridge in each log cabin. No one had called his cell or the main line about any unresolved matters, so he wondered what was wrong and why someone would be driving up to his private cabin, which was barely visible to the casual passerby.
Luke shoved on his work boots and pulled on a large flannel shirt before rushing out onto the porch to greet the guests. The male driver in the unfamiliar Dodge Ram pulled up close to his house like Luke was expecting him. It wasn't until the driver cut the engine and stepped out of the truck that he realized who the guy was.
Neil Grey.
"Neil." Luke grinned. "You're early."
"Yeah. Here I am."
They greeted each other with a handshake and a manly hug.
"My sis didn't take as long to pack as I thought. First time that's happened. You know how women are. How's it going?" Neil asked.
"I was just eating breakfast," Luke replied. "Well…second breakfast actually."
Neil laughed. "Of course. You're still an early bird, right?"
"Damn right I am," Luke confirmed. "I'm glad you came out before I made my rounds on the property. You know your way around here though, right? Or have you forgotten?"
"Well, I remembered where you live, so that's something."
Luke shrugged. "Hardly anything's changed really."
"Where are Henry and Nessa?"
"I didn't tell you?" Luke asked.
"Nah…what'd I miss?"
"They started college last fall."
Neil smiled. "Good for you, man. And congratulations." He clapped Luke on the back. "That means you're an empty nester."
"Yeah, finally. But it's not the same without them around here."
"I hear ya." Neil scratched his head and stole a glance behind him at the woman who was still seated in his truck.
"Is everything okay with you?" Luke asked. "I know you couldn't talk that long on the phone the other day."
"That's the thing…something else came up. The cell phone reception sucks ass a
round here," Neil exclaimed. "I couldn't get through. I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."
"No, not at all. You said you were coming out, so I was expecting you. Did you get your sister settled in the cabin?"
"Ugh…about that…" Neil bit at his bottom lip.
"Is that your girl in the truck? Why don't you both come inside? There's no need to stand out here."
Neil chuckled. "That's Cassie in the truck. You don't remember her?"
Luke's gaze traveled to the truck again, but this time he didn't have to adjust his vision to I.D. the woman peering out through the windshield at him. As soon as Cassie Grey—all beautiful and all grown up—stepped out of the truck, Luke literally stumbled back a foot or two.
He could barely breathe as the sight of her instantly took his breath away. Her hair color was now a mix of dark mahogany with cinnamon and blonde highlights scattered throughout. Instead of the lush curls from her youth, her strands were practically bone straight. She wasn't a teen anymore; she was a woman.
He hadn't remembered her like this—fuck no. The last time he saw Cassie, she wasn't wearing a red form-fitting top with her plump tits virtually pouring out of the top. Her jeans shorts were so short that they barely covered more than three inches of her long creamy legs. She must have left her shoes in the truck because her feet were bare, showing off her red-painted toenails. She didn't seem to mind the dirt on her soles. When Luke trailed his gaze back up her flawless toffee-colored legs, too-short shorts, and her belly button peeking out from her barely there top, he felt his cock twitching behind his fly. He knew he was done for.
"Oh, hell," he mumbled under his breath.
"Excuse me?" Neil asked.
Had he said that aloud? Oh, fuck.
Cassie moved closer, narrowing the distance between them.
"Hi Luke." She waved.
Her mascara coated eyelashes swept the top of her cheeks as she looked him up and down. "Remember me?"
Aspen Valley Wolf Pack (The Complete Series) Page 45
