He smiled at the compliment and it nearly took her breath away. All she could do was nod when he asked, “Shall we go?”
Mrs. Potter’s smile was quite pleased as she bid them good evening.
Tarvahl Pierce was behind closed doors when Lily arrived at the town offices with the sketchbook tucked under her arm. Directed to wait on one of the benches, she sat on the hard surface for close to an hour. She was thinking about coming back the next day when his door finally opened. One of the older townspeople looked annoyed as he stomped out and she hoped whatever had transpired hadn’t put the usually good natured council member in a bad mood. After all, asking him to identify a person from a drawing wasn’t exactly important town business. In fact, the more she thought about it, the sillier it seemed. Tarvahl was a busy man. Too busy to be bothered with such nonsense. If she was still in her pride, she never would have even considered approaching Kramer with something like this and, regardless of the fact that Malsum Pass was ruled by a council rather than an individual, Tarvahl Pierce’s rank within the town was about the same.
Lily looked at the exit and contemplated escape when Tarvahl came out and smiled at her in greeting. “Lily, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
Standing, she wiped her damp palms on her jeans before she offered one to the man in greeting. “If you’re busy, I can come back another time.” She licked her suddenly dry lips. “Or we could talk about it at the diner. It’s really not important.”
Tarvahl waved away her concern. “Nonsense. Come on in and have a seat. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
Lily did as he suggested though she sat on the very edge of the chair in case she needed to make a quick getaway. She cleared her throat nervously and set the sketchpad on the desk; opening it to the page where Daisy had first drawn the mystery man assuming Tarvahl Pierce wouldn’t care to look at a shirtless male.
Wordlessly he pulled the sketchpad closer and then raised an eyebrow. “Did you draw this?”
“Daisy drew it. I was wondering if you recognize the male in the picture. Is he someone in the pack that I haven’t met yet?”
“He’s not pack.” Tarvahl said, shaking his head. “But Mrs. Potter lives just outside the territory and she has a boarder staying with her that I haven’t yet met. It’s entirely possible this could be him.”
Lily nodded. “That makes sense. Daisy spends a lot of time with Mrs. Potter.”
Tarvahl chuckled. “Eloise is quite the firecracker. May I?” he asked pointing at the sketchpad. Lily nodded and hoped Daisy wouldn’t mind.
“Your sister is exceptionally gifted.” He said as he admired the drawings, several making him smile. When he got to one that depicted Conner in both human and wolf form he tapped it with a fingertip. “Tell Daisy I would be interested in buying this one from her, maybe having her do one of each of my children, if she’s interested.”
Lily nodded though the man didn’t see it, still admiring the sketches before him and smiling. That was until he got to the picture that Lily considered doodles. Tarvahl Pierce stood up so fast that his chair banged back against the wall violently.
“Where did she see this mark?” He demanded, pointing to the odd, backward Q symbol. His voice was a deep animalistic growl and his eyes and teeth had shifted.
Lily had to swallow down the impulse to hiss at such an aggressive display. Her inner cat went immediately into fight or flight mode and her claws pricked at her skin. Leaning forward, she carefully turned the page on the sketchbook to the one of the shirtless male bearing the mark on his chest.
Tarvahl growled loudly and snatched up his phone. “Tim, get on the horn. I need the town locked down now and everyone accounted for, especially the children.”
Lily was standing before Tarvahl disconnected the call; fear for Daisy nearly choking her. “What’s going on? Who is he?”
Another snarl, the words barely human, “Fur trader.”
Chapter Fifteen
While the food at the restaurant was excellent, Alek knew Daisy was disappointed with the conversation. She tried her hardest to get him to open up about his past without being overly pushy and he continued to turn the conversation back to her. Her frustration was keenly felt though she did her best to hide it.
He liked Daisy – a lot. Definitely more than he should. And he hated lying to her. Every time she smiled at him, her face lacking in artifice, her eyes so trusting, it was like a knife through the heart. He wanted to tell her everything but he was so afraid he would scare her away. Her absence the last several days had been felt. He’d missed her. At some point Daisy Munroe had become important to him. She had become more than a job, more than a means to an end.
There was a theater across the street that only played classic movies and tonight they were showing Carey Grant and Tony Curtis in Operation Petticoat. “Do you want to go?” He asked, pointing toward the marquee.
She smiled at him and he felt another knife thrust. She deserves the truth, he thought as he led her toward the theater with his hand on her lower back. He would tell her tonight, before they went home and assure her he would do all in his power to keep her and her sister safe before he left. The air in his lungs seemed to lock at the thought of leaving Daisy behind and he grit his teeth. He needed to focus. His mission – his chosen path – was important, and he would leave when the time came. No matter how much it might hurt.
Two and a half hours later they were leaving the theater. Daisy was smiling and discussing the movie animatedly but he was too worried about what he was going to tell her to participate in the conversation. Daisy noticed and she fell silent, her smile disappearing, and his gut tightened painfully. He’d done that. He’d taken her smile away. He’d leeched the joy from her face and replaced it with uncomfortable silence.
Unlocking his SUV he helped Daisy into the passenger seat before coming around to get behind the wheel. He started it and let it warm up as it idled but he didn’t drive. He turned to Daisy and had just opened his mouth to start his explanation when she said, “I’m sorry you didn’t have a good time. I’ve never been on a date before so I wasn’t really sure what to do.” She finished with a grimace.
Alek didn’t realize until that moment that he could feel even shittier than he had just moments before. Unlatching her seatbelt, he reached over and pulled her in for a hug. She didn’t resist, but she didn’t return the hug either. He slid his hand over her hair and said, “That was all on me, Daisy, not you. I’m sorry. You know I would never hurt you right?”
He felt her nod against his shoulder and he blew out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “If you don’t believe anything else I tell you, please believe that.”
She pulled back slightly and looked at him, her eyes showing confusion as they looked between his. His voice was intense as he said, “I would never hurt you.”
“I believe you.” She whispered before she closed the gap and pressed her lips to his.
Alek’s whole body sighed in relief as Daisy’s hands raised to clasp his shoulders. He returned the kiss and then deepened it. He knew he was being selfish. He understood that once Daisy knew the truth she may never again honor him with her sweet mouth. He would probably never again feel the press of her body against his. He shuddered with longing. Just a few more moments to indulge in Daisy’s sweetness; a few moments to bathe in her purity. If she left him with nothing but memories, it would have to be enough.
He stroked his hands over her back and felt her purr. She probably hadn’t realized she had done it, but his inner cat reveled in the sound, wanted to respond the same. Her breathing was becoming too rough and the tightness in his jeans was bordering on painful. He needed to stop, no matter how badly he wanted to continue. No matter how much he wanted to strip her out of her clothes and love her properly, he needed to tell her the truth. She deserved that. And she deserved so much better than him.
Ending the kiss, Alek nuzzled his face into Daisy’s neck and breathed in her scent. His hands continued to st
roke her back but in a soothing motion now; petting her to calmness while he was soothed by the glide of her hands over his hair and shoulders. “I need to tell you something, Daisy,” he whispered, “and you’re not going to like it I’m afraid. But, please remember that I won’t ever hurt you. I’d rather die than hurt you.”
Daisy looked at him, frowning, but she didn’t pull away. “Tell me.”
“My real name is Aleksandr Stepanov, though I do go by Alek. I was born in Russia. While I have spent a great deal of time in Canada, I’ve never actually lived there. When I was nine years old, my parents were killed by a group who abducts children to raise them as assassins for hire.”
Daisy gasped, and he stroked her back before he continued. “Once I was free of them, a group of us began following their movements; hunting them. We take jobs looking for missing persons like you and Lily hoping it might lead us to them so that we might finally destroy them.” His muscles tightened in anticipation of her reaction as he delivered the blow that would probably send her running. “I was hired by Kramer to locate you and your sister and bring you back.”
Daisy felt all of the blood drain from her face. She wasn’t sure what to say. She pulled back from Alek but he tightened his hold. Her eyes skittered from his to the quiet street they were parked on, thinking only of escape. She needed to warn Lily. Her heartbeat was pounding so loudly she was sure he could hear. Daisy felt the tears gathering behind her eyes and a thickness in her throat. She’d even kept Alek a secret from Lily, playing right into his hands. She was so naïve. Silly Daisy, look what you’ve gone and done now.
“I won’t hurt you, Daisy. I swear it. In fact I’ve put Kramer off by telling him I’ve tracked you into Canada. Please, Daisy, please don’t look like that.” He tried to pull her in closer, perhaps to hug her, but she needed to get away. With a hiss she wrenched herself away from him and lunged for the door. She was so close to shifting, her claws had made an appearance and right then she couldn’t care less who knew.
“We won’t go back.” She snarled, fumbling to get the door open. When it finally released she tumbled from the vehicle. Before she could even pull herself up, Alek was out of the SUV and pulling her up into his arms; holding her and petting her while she struggled to get free. When she sunk her claws into his arms he finally snapped. “Enough, Daisy. I am not going to hurt you. I am not going to take you back to Kramer, and I am not going to release you right now so that you can run off and get yourself lost. Please, Daisy. I want to help you and Lily both if you’ll just let me explain.”
Daisy ceased struggling and retracted her claws. The realization that he hadn’t said anything about them or her earlier hiss finally dawning. She pulled back and he let her go though she wasn’t foolish enough to believe he wouldn’t give chase should she bolt. “You know what I am.”
He nodded. “I was given a dossier on both you and Lily before I took the job. Plus, I had been watching you for quite a while before I met you.”
Daisy gave a self-deprecating laugh. She had had the feeling someone had been watching her but she had disregarded it. Right now she wasn’t all that pleased to be proven right. “How fortunate for you that I came right to you. Must have made your job a hell of a lot easier.”
Alek shook his head and then frowned as she wrapped her arms around her middle. “Let’s get in the car where it’s warm, Daisy. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
She was shivering, but she figured it had less to do with temperature and more to do with his revelation. “Not yet.” The last thing she wanted was to be trapped inside a vehicle with a man who may well be the enemy.
Alek blew out a breath of frustration but didn’t force the issue. “I can’t stand Kramer and I have no intention of making him happy by returning you to Florida. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Then why did you take the case?” Daisy asked through chattering teeth. Alek approached with his arms held out like he wanted to hold her but she jerked sideways in refusal.
Alek raked his hands through his hair in frustration before he shoved them in his pockets. “I work with two other guys, Devon and Samuel. For years the three of us have been hunting the organization that took us as children. They make men like Kramer look like nothing more than playground bullies. They are evil, Daisy; true monsters. We follow up on any lead that looks like they may have had a hand in. Your and your sister’s disappearance fit the bill. That’s the only reason I took the job. I needed to check it out.”
Daisy stared at him in indecision. He looked like he was being completely honest, but then, would she even know the difference? Narrowing her eyes she asked, “You say you want to help us. How?”
“These last several years we’ve made a lot of contacts. People who can give you and your sister new identities. Just think of it, Daisy. You and Lily would be free to travel, live your lives without looking over your shoulders, and do whatever you want without fear.”
Daisy closed her eyes and, for a moment, imagined the possibility. The thought was so appealing. She would no longer be trapped. Freedom. Inhaling deeply through her nose she felt her muscles relax. I would never hurt you. I would rather die than hurt you. She wanted to believe that. She wanted to put her trust in him and, and have him be right: that in trusting him she would come away with her freedom. Maybe she was crazy… Maybe she was desperate… but right at that moment she made a decision that could change her life forever. She walked to the car and opened the door, turning to look over her shoulder, she said, “I trust you.”
Chapter Sixteen
Alek settled into the driver’s seat but still didn’t attempt to drive. “I need you to tell me what happened that night you left your pride, Daisy.”
She grimaced but nodded. Leaning her head back against the headrest she looked up at the ceiling of the vehicle. “After what happened with Bryan I went to stay with Lily and her husband Hank. I told you that, right?” When he nodded she continued. “So, I was there that night when he came home drunk. The announcement had been made that I was being given to Garrett Foley and the males had been celebrating.” Daisy shook her head and swallowed the tears the memory evoked. “Hank came in stumbling drunk and announced it like it was something I should be happy about. I needed to be alone so I went to my room.”
“Kramer didn’t tell you directly?” Alek asked with a frown.
She shook her head. “Women aren’t considered important and their opinion isn’t needed or wanted. Announcements like that were made to the males. It was their job to let the females know.” She grimaced, “Or not. Females are expected to do as they’re told.”
Daisy glanced over at Alek. He looked angry, but not at her. The realization dawned that he was angry for her and the thought sent a spreading warmth through her cold limbs. She wanted to smile, but that would have been inappropriate considering what they were discussing. Clearing her throat, she continued. “The walls were pretty thin in the house and it wasn’t unusual for Lily and Hank to fight. He was such an asshole,” she growled, “always belittling her and blaming her for every little thing.” Realizing she was getting distracted, she brought the story back around to that night. “I could hear him yelling at her that the males at the bar had been taunting him that he hadn’t gotten Lily pregnant yet. He started accusing her of saying things behind his back.” Daisy looked at Alek. “She would never do that but he always made everything her fault.” Alek grimaced but nodded and she turned her head back to lean against the headrest. “The next thing I knew he was bursting into my room yelling that he would prove it was Lily’s fault when he was able to get me pregnant.”
She glanced again at Alek and saw his hands had tightened around the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. “Go on,” he growled through gritted teeth. She wasn’t sure what emotion he had seen on her face, but his jaw softened and he released his grip on the wheel to take her hand. “It’s all right, Daisy. I won’t ever let anything hurt you.”
His eyes
shown with such sincerity she couldn’t help but believe him. Giving his hand a squeeze of thanks she continued. “What happened next was kind of a blur. Lily jumped on Hank’s back and bit him pretty hard. He was bleeding badly when he threw her off. Then he was pulling her up off the floor by her hair and dragging her into the kitchen. When I got in there he was choking her.” She looked over at Alek, knowing the horror of what she’d seen was reflected in her eyes. “You could see it in his face. He was going to kill her. So I picked up the cast iron frying pan that was on the stove and started hitting him over the head.”
Daisy took a shuddering breath wishing she had something to drink to moisten her dry throat. She swallowed hard. “Lily finally took the pan from me, wiped the handle down and then made sure her own fingerprints were on it before she grabbed me and hauled me out of the house. We knew we would be facing a death sentence if we stayed, so we decided to head north, the least likely choice for one of our kind, so that they would have less chance of finding us.” She glanced again at Alek to see his reaction to her killing a man. “Lily set herself up to take the blame, but I killed him.”
“You were protecting your sister. Never feel shame for that, Daisy. I have no doubt that he would have killed her if you hadn’t stopped him, and being Kramer’s son, he wouldn’t have been punished for the crime. They probably would have just handed him another female to abuse. Possibly even you.”
The thought sent a shiver down Daisy’s spine but she knew Alek was right. She needed to change the subject. “Lily has been very happy in Malsum Pass. The town has been good to us.”
“Who was the male you left with that night?”
Daisy frowned. “We didn’t leave with a male. It was just Lily and I.”
It was Alek’s turn to frown. “I was told that a male and two females disappeared that night. It was the reason I took the case. The group I’m tracking frequently use money as an incentive to get a pack, or in this case pride member to lure females away. Once the females are delivered, the traitor is typically killed to avoid paying out any money and the women taken.” He shook his head. “Kramer told me that he suspected the three of you had left together and that the male’s body was later returned.”
For Her: A Malsum Pass Novel Page 8
