Spotting a photograph frame at his feet, he looked closer. It was the picture of Tara that he’d brought to work to feel close to her. He bent down to pick it up just as a loud crack sounded and a little chunk of plaster rained down from the wall behind him. What the…?
Turning his head, he saw a new small hole in the wall, right where his head had been. A bullet hole? Shit. He stayed low, edging back out of the doorway. He’d just managed to get himself around the corner when a bullet hit the desk across from his office door.
“Sniper!” he called out. “Everyone away from my office and any windows! Now!” There was stunned silence and then a flurry of activity as everyone moved away from the vicinity of his office.
His bear growled inside his mind. It wanted out to hunt the person responsible, to maim and kill, and to put an end to the threat to himself and his mate. He reminded his bear that the hitman had a gun. The bear didn’t care. Alex wrestled himself under control. Now was not the time to go all furry. A grizzly bear was no match for a sniper rifle.
He watched as Ethan barked orders into a phone. Everything had gone quiet now, no more shots rang out. The sniper had probably gone for now, but Alex wasn’t dumb enough to go near his office yet. This was getting serious. It was the second attack on his life today and both had been from a distance. How could he protect himself against that kind of threat? The coward didn’t even come at him face to face.
“They got him,” Ethan announced as he put the phone down. “They’re bringing him in now.”
Alex heaved a sigh of relief. He stood up, brushing himself down. Once they’d dealt with this guy, he was going home to curl up with his mate. Today had been an awful day and he just wanted to see Tara.
Striding out of the door with Ethan, they reached the hallway just as two officers dragged the sniper inside.
“Oh hell,” Ethan murmured.
“Get your hands off me,” the man was saying. He struggled in their grip but both officers were shifters with the strength that implied. “I am not your bloody sniper!”
Alex growled as he strode forwards. The man balked a little but recovered quickly. A subtle sniff of the air confirmed that the man was also a shifter, a wolf. He looked Alex right in the eye, refusing to look away. In spite of himself, Alex was impressed. Not many people could maintain eye contact with him when he was angry and his grizzly bear was glaring through his eyes.
“You can let him go,” Ethan said, wearily.
Stunned, Alex turned his head to stare at him. “What?”
“I’m pretty sure he’s not our sniper,” Ethan said, rubbing at his eyes.
“Oh?” Alex asked. “Why is that?” He was proud of how calm he sounded.
Ethan shrugged. “This is my cousin, Kane. He’s a mechanic.”
Alex looked at the suspect who shrugged and said, “Kinda.”
“Kinda?” Ethan asked. “Did you change jobs again?”
“Eh,” Kane said. “Being a mechanic isn’t for me.”
“If he’s not the sniper then why did we find him with the rifle?” one of the officers interrupted, his hand still locked on the man’s arm.
“I found it,” Kane said with a shrug.
“Found it?” Ethan asked, his voice incredulous. “What do you mean you found it? It’s not something that people tend to leave lying around.”
“I guess the guy left in a hurry,” Kane suggested. “Didn’t have time to take it with him. It’s not like he could just carry it around without packing it away first. Not unless he wanted people to identify him.” He paused and looked at the two officers who still had a grip on his arms. “Can we talk?” he asked, looking at Ethan.
“Let him go,” Alex said with a sigh. The two officers exchanged a glance and then released Kane, who made a show of brushing off his jacket.
“Come on,” Ethan said, taking hold of his cousin and steering him into a nearby room.
“The big guy too,” Kane said, looking back at Alex.
Curious, Alex followed them and closed the door, standing in front of it.
“Okay, Kane” Ethan said, leaning against a wall, arms crossed. “What’s going on?”
Kane grimaced. “Well, you see, I’m not actually a mechanic.”
He paused. Alex and Ethan continued to watch him, waiting.
“I’ve never actually been a mechanic,” Kane continued, his eyes on Ethan. “Or a chef. Or a builder. Or a stripper…”
“Kane,” Ethan growled. “You’ve had all of those jobs, and more. Some of them you’ve done more than once. Each time you say it isn’t really you and then you move on. None of this is news to me.”
“You don’t understand,” Kane insisted. “I have never actually been any of those things.”
“What’s your point?” Ethan sighed, leaning his head back against the wall. “It’s been a long day and I’m not up for weird, complicated conversations. Just spit it out.”
“Fine,” Kane said. “I work for the Shifter Agency.”
There was silence.
“Bullshit.” Ethan narrowed his eyes at his cousin.
The Shifter Agency was an organisation that policed shifters. Towns like Bearbank had a fair number of shifters in places of authority, but they had to work off the radar, and there were also shifters living outwith those areas. The Shifter Agency had authority over all shifters, regardless of where they lived.
Kane spread his hands. “It’s true. I was recruited a couple of years out of high school.”
“Then why is this the first that I’ve heard of it?” Ethan demanded.
“Because I’m not a regular Agent,” Kane said, his eyes never leaving Ethan. “I’ve been in the undercover division. Hence all the different jobs.”
Ethan stared at him, saying nothing.
“So why tell us now?” Alex asked. “Why tell me at all? You don’t even know me.”
Kane shrugged. “This case involves you. I’m here for your sniper. I’m thinking that it’ll be easier if you know why I’m here. It’ll certainly be easier if you don’t arrest me.”
“Who is this guy?” Alex demanded. “He tried to blow me up and then took a shot at me. I’ve never had even a glimpse of him.”
“He’s human,” Kane explained. “He’s been operating for a while and my orders are to either bring him in or terminate him. The man is dangerous. He’s aware of shifters and he knows he’s no match for one face to face. Hence the bombs and sniper rifles. He’s been known to poison a few targets too, so you should watch what you eat and drink.”
“So, he has it in for shifters?” Ethan asked.
“Actually, no,” Kane answered. “He has no particular interest in shifters. It’s strictly business to him. He’s an assassin and he kills anyone he’s hired to kill. It’s that simple.”
“So, how did a human hitman become aware of shifters?” Alex demanded.
“I’m not sure how it started,” Kane said. “He’s been hired by a fair number of shifters. He has quite the reputation now. Being human, most shifters don’t recognize him as a threat until it’s too late.”
“And now he’s been sent after Alex here,” Ethan said. “Fantastic. Does the guy have a name?”
Kane sighed. “All we’ve been able to discover is that his real name is Colin. No idea what his surname is. He tends to go by the name ‘John Smith’. I do know what he looks like though, and I also have his scent.”
He pulled out a phone, scrolled through it, and held it up to be examined. Alex stalked forwards to look at the picture. Their assassin was a fairly nondescript looking man. Not attractive, not ugly, just average in every way. Perfect for a hitman. You could stand next to him and take no notice at all.
He took a step back, just as the door burst open and slammed into the wall.
“Alexander Theodore Russell!”
Turning, he saw his mother stomping towards him, a flustered officer behind her, clearly unsure of how to stop her. The
poor guy didn’t realize that there was no way to stop the woman.
“Someone shoots at you,” she continued, “and you don’t think to call your mother? You don’t think that maybe I’d be worried and want to know that you’d survived?”
“Ma,” Alex protested. “It just happened. I haven’t had time to do anything yet.” He paused. “How do you even know about it?”
“I’m your mother. I know everything.” She huffed at him. “Are you hurt, son?”
“No. He missed,” Alex reassured her. He frowned. “Where’s Tara? I thought you were going to stay with her.”
Her expression clouded. “I went to her house but nobody was there.”
Fear gripped him. “Are you sure?” he asked. “Maybe she was just busy and didn’t hear the door.” It was possible, right?
“Which is why I went inside and checked the house. Nobody was home.”
“How…?”
She shrugged. “I took your keys.” She waved her hand, dismissing it. “I don’t know where your mate is, Alex. I’m sorry.”
He turned and looked at Ethan.
“On it, boss,” the wolf said. “I’ll call Dana and see if she knows anything. She can call their other friends, find out if anyone has seen her.”
Alex just stood there, feeling helpless. He pulled out his new phone and called Tara. It went straight to voicemail. He left a message, asking Tara to call him back as soon as possible. Ending the call, he looked at his mother.
“We’ll find her, baby bear,” she said, patting his arm. “Can’t get those grandcubs without her.”
***
“How hard did you hit her?” Barry demanded. He looked over at his bride-to-be who was still passed out.
“She was fighting me,” Geoff grumbled from the driver’s seat. “I didn’t think she’d be that strong.”
“How long until we get there?” he asked. Hopefully Tara would be awake by the time they got there. It would be a bit hard to marry her if she wasn’t. Once they were married, he’d have his hands on her money, and all their problems would be over.
“Not long,” Geoff answered. “How are you going to get her to agree anyway?”
Barry smirked. “I’ll simply tell her that if she goes along with it, then I’ll call off the hit on the bear. I don’t care if she’s mated to him, as long as she’s legally married to me. At least until I get her money.” He paused. “Unless the hitman has already killed him, of course. Then I’ll have to threaten her family instead.”
“What about the paperwork?” Geoff asked. “Don’t you need to register or something?”
“I did it a month ago,” Barry shrugged. “Once I knew where she was and before I came to collect her.” It always paid to plan ahead.
“Doesn’t she need to sign it?”
“She did. Sort of,” he said, smirking again. He had borrowed money to buy forged documents and had signed the form on Tara’s behalf. Once he had access to Tara’s money, he’d be able to pay off the debt. Of course, Tara would also need to have an unfortunate accident before he could claim her money.
Geoff shrugged and continued driving. Before long, they were pulling up at a park. They had decided that it would be best to hold the wedding somewhere quiet, just in case Tara gave them any trouble. The celebrant should be waiting for them down by the lake.
Tara was starting to stir and Barry let out a sigh of relief. He got out the car, went around to the other side, and opened the door.
“Help me get her out,” he said to Geoff.
Between them, they wrestled Tara out of the car, holding her upright as her eyes opened and began to focus.
“What…?” she asked, her expression confused as she looked at Barry and then Geoff.
“Listen up, Mouse Girl,” Barry warned her. “We are going down to the lake and we’re getting married.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, not even slightly cowed by him. That would change.
“Be sensible, Tara,” he told her. “I hold your mate’s life in my hands. Go along with this, play nice, and I’ll call off the hit on the bear. It’s the only way he survives this.”
By now, her eyes were clear and full of rage. She glared at him in a way that she’d never dared to before. Then she spoke.
“You’re a fucking idiot.”
With that, she began to shift.
Chapter 17
Where the hell was she? Alex felt the worry gnawing at him. He hadn’t had his mate for long but he couldn’t stand to lose her. Not now, not ever. His bear paced inside his mind but there was nothing the grizzly could do right now. Nothing the man could do either.
“Boss?”
Alex looked up to see a worried-looking Ethan.
“What is it?” he demanded.
“I got a call,” Ethan said. “Witnesses claim that they saw Tara being abducted from outside the café where she works. Descriptions of the men match Barry and his brother.”
His heart seemed to stop beating for a moment and then pounded harder than ever, trying to beat its way out of his chest.
“Where?” he choked out. “Where did they take her?”
“Nobody knows,” Ethan said quietly. “We’re headed over there now to see what we can find out. I assumed you’d want to join us.”
Alex nodded numbly.
As he followed Ethan through the station, he spotted his mother talking with Ethan’s cousin, Kane. He should probably worry about that, but it would have to wait until later. One crisis at a time. The world would just have to survive his mother by itself until he found his mate.
He followed in a daze, unable to think of anything except Tara. Before he knew it, they were standing in the street outside of the café. Several officers were already there, interviewing witnesses and taking statements.
“Ethan!” Dana ran over, throwing herself into Ethan’s arms.
“Are you okay?” Ethan asked her, running his hands over her as if to check for injuries.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I didn’t see anything. I’m so sorry. I should have said something.” She was babbling.
“About what?” Ethan asked.
She grimaced.
“Dana,” Ethan said. “Tell me.”
“About Leo’s plan,” she confessed. “I knew that Tara had agreed to be bait to draw out Barry.”
Ethan set her down and stepped back. “What?”
Alex stepped forward, unable to remain quiet. “What plan?” he asked. He was proud of how steady his voice was. It was probably more shock than actual control, but he’d take it for now.
Ethan stepped between him and Dana, protecting his mate. Tears shone in her eyes but Alex found himself unmoved.
“Leo asked Tara to spend the day wandering around,” Dana said, unable to meet Alex’s eyes. “He promised that he and several other officers would be around to make sure she was safe. She wanted to do it for you, Alex. To make sure you caught Barry and got him to call off the hitman.”
Alex’s bear roared inside his head. Something must have shown in his face because Dana turned deathly white and took a step back.
Ethan began to growl, his eyes fixed on Alex’s face.
“Did you know?” Alex demanded.
“No,” Ethan said shortly. “I didn’t. After we spoke about it, I dropped it.”
Alex continued to growl, his fists clenched and unclenched. His bear was furious and he was struggling to hold it back. The last thing this situation needed was a grizzly bear rampaging through the streets. Pesky questions, he reminded himself.
“Quit growling at my mate,” Ethan snarled. “I won’t let you scare her.”
Alex felt his lip curl. It’s not as though he’d actually hurt Dana, but she deserved a good scare for going along with the plan and not telling anyone.
His growl grew in volume. So did Ethan’s. People were starting to stare at them.
“Knock it off,” Dana yelled. “This is not hel
ping. We’re supposed to be looking for Tara. You can growl at each other later.”
Alex pulled himself together. Dana was right. Tara was the most important thing. There’d be plenty of time to deal with everyone else after his mate was safe. He looked around and everyone exploded into movement as they suddenly found things to do.
He looked around, feeling helpless. Where on earth was Tara?
***
What was all the commotion?
Tara heard the growling before she even walked onto the street. When she turned the corner, she saw a group of people standing around. As she approached, she picked out Alex, Ethan, and Dana. What was going on?
Confused, she ventured closer. Everyone seemed on edge and tempers were clearly frayed.
Dana spotted her first, her eyes growing wide and her mouth dropping open. She nudged Ethan, who turned and looked at her, freezing in place.
She approached cautiously. “Alex?”
His reaction was instantaneous. He span around, an expression of shock on his face, swiftly replaced with relief. He closed the distance between them and grabbed her, pulling her in close for a hug. She could barely breathe, he was holding her so tight. His face was buried in her hair and she could hear him breathing in her scent. She allowed it for a moment before trying to pull away.
“Alex,” she gasped. “Too tight. Can’t breathe.”
His hold immediately loosened and she took a deep breath. He pulled back a little to look at her face.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again,” he said, his voice shaking. “I thought I’d lost you.” He froze as he looked over her head at something behind her.
She could hear the growl building in his throat and twisted a little to see Leo arrive on the scene. When Alex began to move, she refused to let go of him, keeping herself between her mate and Leo.
“I agreed to it, Alex,” she told him. “It was a good plan.”
“It was a terrible plan,” he said, still glaring at Leo. His voice was still growly. Her bear was pissed.
“Look, Alex,” Leo began, his hands held out. He never got to finish. Tara was holding onto Alex, but no one was restraining Ethan. Tara watched as Ethan threw a punch at Leo, connecting solidly with his face. Leo staggered back for a moment but kept his feet.
Bearly A Squeak Page 13
