by Lauren Dawes
“I need to get out soon, too. Please tell me there’s something at your paper.”
“Well, you are in luck. A copyediting position has just opened up.”
Copyediting. It was a little above her experience level, but she’d always believed in the sink-or-swim method when it came to her career.
“Is your boss interviewing for it already?”
“She starts on Wednesday.”
She scanned her house. It was a big risk, and if she got the position, it would mean leaving Portland. Then again, what was there to stay for? She hated her job. Her love life was in the toilet, and she suspected that if she stayed here because she was ‘comfortable,’ then she’d end up being buried here, too.
“If you can get me an interview, I’ll be there.”
16
Neve rolled her head to the side, her unfocused eyes not tracking anything at all. Katie was still missing, and her cousin had lied to her about her relationship with Charles.
He doesn’t know we’re having a relationship.
As she lay sprawled on her bed, those words ran on repeat in her head, and all she could see was Charles’s stupidly arrogant face as he denied, denied, denied. Katie was his dirty little secret, one he was hiding from dear old dad.
As Drake had put her in the passenger seat of her own goddamn truck, she wanted to disappear, to just get sucked up by the shadows and spat out somewhere where she could think and digest the revelation. Betrayal, because that’s exactly what it was, wasn’t something she’d ever expect from Katie. The thing was, she’d seen Charles with her own eyes, had seen the anguish in his face as he learned the news of Katie’s disappearance, and she believed it was all true.
Downstairs, she could hear her mom fire up the Dyson and start her twelfth pass of the house. Dust didn’t have a chance in this house when there was a crisis. She’d started the first round this morning, right after her dad had left the house to attend a meeting with the Shadows—all the Shadows and the other Leos. It was the first time he’d ever had a meeting with all of them in the whole fifty-seven years he’d been Leo, but she knew the exact reason they were meeting—Katie wasn’t an isolated incident.
Why would they call a meeting for one missing female cat? Short answer? They wouldn’t. There had to be something huge going on.
Christ, she felt like she was going insane. Stuck in her skin. Stuck in her head, her mind taking her to places where Katie had been beaten, raped, or worse…
Killed.
Neve jumped off her bed and yanked open the door, rushing down the stairs to her father’s office. He was sitting behind that solid oak desk she associated with power and love and protection. His cologne complimented his natural scent, both fragrances covering every square inch of the wood-paneled room she’d found a haven in since she was young enough to want to go to her daddy.
Her father still looked the same as he always did. Short brown hair. Pale gray eyes that almost looked silver in the moonlight. There was something she hadn’t noticed before, though—small lines of stress branching out from the corner of his eyes. She paused at the door, suddenly unsure whether she should go in or stay out. He just seemed to have a lot on his mind, and she didn’t want to add to that unnecessarily. Turning, she considered going to speak to her mother instead, but she and that female didn’t often see eye to eye on stuff. She couldn’t imagine them having a heart to heart now.
“Come in, kitten, and close the door behind you,” he said, and she jerked back to look at him. “Come on,” he added warily.
She padded in, shutting out the noise of the vacuum cleaner.
“Your mother,” he started with a heavy sigh.
She bobbed her head. “She’s been at it since you left this morning.”
He grunted, and the usual secret smile they shared when discussing her mother’s cleaning habit was achingly absent. She folded herself onto the sofa, turning her body so her back was against the arm, her legs close to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She wanted to know what happened at the meeting, but she knew her dad well enough not to push. He’d tell her when he was good and ready.
She wasn’t sure how long they sat there for. Him, looking down at the blotter, staring at nothing. Her, staring at him and biting her tongue. It was worse down here than locked in her room with all that silence.
Her dad heaved a sigh. “I suppose you want to know what happened this morning.”
She shrugged. “If you want to tell me.”
A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips, disappearing just as quickly. “Knowing you, you won’t leave until I tell you.”
Another shrug. Even though she was burning to know, she said, “You don’t have to, Dad.” But I wish you would.
His elbows hit the blotter, his hands linking as he leaned his chin against them. “I think I do. This concerns you too.”
Oh, God. “What happened at the meeting?”
“Katie isn’t the first female to go missing.”
Her pulse roared suddenly in her ears, her heart hammering against her ribs. Her suspicions had been confirmed, but from the look on his face, there was more. Sucking in a steadying breath, she asked slowly, “And she probably won’t be the last either, right?”
“That’s my girl,” he said softly. “Thinking like a Leo.” He picked up his letter opener, a jaguar stretched out along the handle, poised to pounce. Pressing the point to his index finger, he rotated the blade slowly. “There was another girl, Elsie, from California. And a female named Chastity too.”
“Jesus.” She looked into his dull eyes. “How many more?” she croaked.
He shook his head. “We don’t know. There could be dozens for all we know.”
“Surely someone’s going to report them missing soon.”
He dipped his chin to show he was listening, encouraging her to talk like he’d been doing since she’d first shown interest in leadership.
“Holy shit.”
He frowned a little, but said nothing about her language, which told her a hell of a lot about his state of mind. Very carefully, he placed the letter opener down onto the blotter and clasped his hands. “Listen, I want you to do something for me.”
“Anything, Dad.”
His expression smoothed, became remote. “I can tell you right now, you’re not going to like what I have to say.” He paused, no doubt letting her have a moment to digest his words. “I know you’re an independent female, and I hate to do this to you, but I don’t want you going anywhere unaccompanied.”
She sat forward, bringing her feet to the floor. Wait, that sounded a lot like she was going into lockdown.
“I’ve asked someone to stop by here tonight, to meet you.”
“For what purpose?” Her palms were suddenly sweaty. She rubbed the excess moisture off on the top of her thighs.
He blew out a breath. “He’s going to be your bodyguard until all this blows over.”
She swallowed, her chest suddenly feeling a little tight. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m very serious, Neve. You’re not just my only daughter, you’re also my only child. I can’t leave you unprotected.”
“But this is…this is crazy!”
He conceded her statement with a nod. “Maybe so, but I’m not willing to risk it.”
“I’ll be careful,” she countered. “I’ll stay home. I’ll stay in my room if that’s what you want me to do, but please don’t let me be babysat like a little girl.”
“I’m sorry, Neve, but the answer is no. Look how easily Katie was taken. She was driving from our place to hers. That’s only about three miles, and somehow, she got abducted in that time.”
She looked around the office, grasping at counterarguments and searching for loopholes. The thing was, there were none. Her father was thinking like a levelheaded Leo should, protecting his most precious commodity—her. There would be no swaying him from this.
“Please,” she said—begged. “There has to be another way. Ther
e has to be…”
“My decision is final, Neve,” he said, his voice taking on that quality all Leos possessed.
She rubbed her brow. “Who? Who’s coming to babysit me? Please don’t tell me it’s that asshat Randall.”
“What’s wrong with Randall?” he asked.
“What’s right with Randall is a better question,” she grumbled. “He’s barely competent at the best of times.”
“That’s not true, Neve. I wouldn’t keep incompetent cats around me.”
Well, he had her there. She just hadn’t liked the guy since he tormented her when they were in elementary school together. “Who is it then? Roman? Taylor?”
If it were one of her two regular sparring partners, it would make the task more bearable.
Just then, there was a knock on the office door. Neve turned her head toward the sound, noting the absence of the Dyson’s motor filling the hall. The leather chair creaked as her father stood up and came around the desk to let in his guest. Neve’s muscles suddenly felt like they were stretched too tightly on her bones, the tension jacking up her senses.
As the door swung open, the first thing she noticed was the scent of the male on the other side. The next thing was the huge shadow that was cast on the floorboards.
“Sonofabitch,” she whispered under her breath.
17
Drake froze in the doorway of the Leo’s office, his nostrils flaring as he took in the scent of the female sitting on the couch.
What the fuck is she doing here?
“Drake, thank you for coming,” Greg said, stepping aside and inviting him in.
“Yeah, no problem,” he replied, unable to take his eyes off Neve.
Clearly following his gaze, Greg said, “And this is my daughter, Neve. Neve, this is Drake. He’s the captain of the Revenant.”
His daughter? On instinct, he thrust his hand out. She looked at it for a long minute before sliding her much smaller hand into his. That same frisson of awareness sparked along his nerve endings as skin met skin.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” she replied, pulling her hand free and folding her arms tightly.
“Please, take a seat,” Greg said, directing him to a chair stationed opposite a huge oak desk. He sat, turning it so he could see where Neve was parking it.
Sofa.
Got it.
“I suppose you’re wondering why I asked you here tonight,” the Leo said.
Wondering, yes, but he had a pretty good idea of the why. After the meeting that morning, Greg had lingered long after everyone had left, even his own Shadow. When they were alone, Greg had asked him to swing by the pride house. He said he didn’t trust that the Trinity were doing all they could do, and honestly, Drake couldn’t have agreed more.
“You want me to watch your daughter,” he surmised, shocking the shit out of Greg. “Even if this goes directly against the Trinity’s wishes.”
Yes, sir.
Sorry, sir.
You were that transparent.
His expression of shock only lasted a moment before it was smoothed away into a
business-like calm. “I know this is highly unorthodox, but you have to understand that Neve is everything to me and my mate.”
He glanced over at her, trying to gauge how she was feeling about it all. If the way she was glaring at the hardwood like it had just insulted her mother was anything to go by, she wasn’t down with the situation any more than he was…
Which was, of course, a lie. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the female. Her spirit incited him, the spark of her soul inflamed him, and if he wasn’t careful, she would brand herself on his soul.
“How do you feel about it?” he asked. Her head jerked up like she hadn’t been aware that he’d directed his question at her. She glanced at her dad briefly before settling her green-eyed gaze back onto his face.
“I think it’s a terrible waste of your time.”
He crossed his leg at the ankle, leaning back in his chair. “It may be, but if it keeps you safe, isn’t that a good thing?”
Once more, her eyes made a trip to her dad then back to him. This time, her gaze skimmed down his body, like she was wondering where he kept all the weapons.
Twin SIG Sauers under his arms.
Switchblade on his ankle.
Fucking pissed off black jaguar on the inside.
Check. Check. And check.
“This is ridiculous.” To her dad, she said, “Please. There has to be another way.”
“I wish there was, Neve, but you are my number one priority. Getting Katie back is of course going to be my main concern right now, but you will always be my number one.”
A look of disgust made its way onto her face, her eyes narrowing. She’d been painted into a corner, and he recognized her hate because it was something he fucking despised, too.
“What if Drake doesn’t even want to do this?” she asked, standing up from the couch smoothly and beginning to pace. “Isn’t he too busy? He’s the captain of the Revenant, for Christ’s sake.”
Everything she said was true. He was too busy. He was so fucking busy trying to get a grip on what was happening to these females that he sometimes couldn’t see much else. But the thought of one of his brothers looking out for her instead, spending time with her? That was a huge fuck no. He could’ve asked Sasha to watch her, but she was better at brooding in a darkened room than looking after a female like Neve.
“It would be my honor to do this for you,” he said before he could stop the words. “For your father and for the pride,” he tacked on.
“There,” Greg said. “He’s fine with it. You’re the only one who’s rocking the boat here, Neve.”
She stared at him intensely, those green eyes of her piercing through his usually impenetrable armor. The truth he couldn’t reveal was that he considered Neve to be his.
He frowned. Where the fuck did that thought come from?
“There was one other thing I wanted to discuss with you, Drake.” Greg’s statement brought his head around.
“Of course.”
Greg studied him for a moment, scrutinized him. “Not the Trinity?”
Drake kept his expression neutral. “I don’t protect them—that’s not my job. You are my duty, you and the prides. Always. That’s why the Revenant exist.”
The Leo nodded, clearly satisfied with his answer. “I attempted to bring this up at the meeting, but the idea of individual prides proactively protecting their females didn’t seem to be up for discussion.”
“Everyone else is too fucking frightened to challenge the Trinity,” Drake replied in a low drawl.
“Yes. Well, I’m not going to leave the Black Claws unprotected. I want to have some sort of security plan implemented, effective immediately.” Greg spoke in a strong, steady voice. “We need something like an information pack to send out to the entire pride, advising them on how to best protect our females.”
“I think that’s definitely something we should look into,” he replied, sitting forward in his seat. “Firstly, I’d like—” He paused when he heard the office door shut behind him. Neve had stepped out, clearly pissed off that she was essentially under house arrest now.
Turning back to Greg, he continued, “As I was saying, I’d like a curfew to be put in place. All the girls who have gone missing have ghosted under the cover of darkness. Clearly, that’s what the kidnappers want. If none of your females are out at night, that should reduce the risk exponentially.”
“Agreed,” the Leo replied, leaning back in his leather chair and crossing his legs—his ankle on his knee. He scooped up a letter opener that was shaped like a pouncing jaguar and toyed with the pointed end. “I’d also like to have regular check-ins, a number the girls can text to let the Shadows know they’re okay.”
Drake dipped his chin, surprised by the Leo’s accurate evaluation of the situation.
“I can do one better,” he heard himself say. “I’ll hav
e the Revenant take care of this personally. I’ll have one of my team set up a dummy number. Members of the Black Claw pride can text it, knowing they’re speaking directly to the Revenant.” He paused, unsure how much more to tell the Leo. Finally, he decided on, “As far as I’m concerned, the Trinity have created the environment for these abductions.”
“How so?” The Leo’s eyes were shrewd, catching every single detail and cataloguing it.
“The distance between the prides and their Shadows is too great. Having that distance is an open invitation to any shifter or human to just waltz on in and take what they want.”
“Well, at least we agree on this.”
The conversation went on for another hour, until Greg had drawn up a missive that outlined everything they’d discussed. Things were about to get shaken up, but Drake was prepared for the blowback from the Trinity. Greg placed down his Mont Blanc pen and flipped back through the hand-written notes he’d taken.
“Thank you, Drake.”
“You’re welcome, sir.” He stood up and offered the Leo his hand. “I’ll swing by tomorrow morning to figure out a schedule with Neve, unless you need me to begin immediately?”
“No, tomorrow will be fine. It’s late. She’s not going anywhere tonight.”
“I’ll be around after breakfast then.”
“There’s no one else I’d trust to watch her,” he told him solemnly. “And I know she can be spirited, but she’s got a good head on her shoulders. She just lets her heart take over sometimes.”
“I’ll look after her like she’s my own. No, don’t get up, sir. I can see myself out.”
Drake opened up the office door, expecting to see Neve ready to go for round two, wanting her to be there to go for round two, but she was curiously absent. Turning toward the entry foyer, his nostrils flared at the smell of roast lamb lingering in the air. He reached for the front door, but paused when another scent hit his senses, making his blood singe with lust.
Night-blooming jasmine.
