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“Maybe not,” he agreed, glancing at her sideways. “What’s yours?”
His question appeared to puzzle her. “Mine?”
“Your little character flaw. I’ll tell you mine if you’ll tell me yours.” He couldn’t believe he was flirting with her, but then again, how could he not. They needed to get past this awkwardness with each other for the undercover roles they were going to play.
“I don’t have any flaws,” she snapped. A second later, she appeared to realize what she’d said. “I’m pretty damn near perfect,” she elaborated, laughing. “As I’m sure you are, too.”
As he gazed down into her smiling face, something shifted inside him. Damned if she wasn’t alluring. He hadn’t expected this sudden craving to hit him so strongly.
Outside in the alley, he led the way across the street to where he’d parked. “Do we need to move your car somewhere?”
This made her chuckle again. “No. I walked here.”
Her statement almost gave him pause, considering that some of the neighborhoods nearby could be dangerous late at night. But then he remembered she was a Vampire. Anyone messing with her would get the shock of their life.
She settled into the passenger seat of his black Tahoe, even using the seat belt. He couldn’t help but notice how her every movement contained a sensual sort of grace. “What now?” she asked. “Where do we go from here and what’s the plan?”
Now was as good a time as any to tell her. At least they weren’t inside the crowded bar. “We’re posing as a married couple,” he said, starting the engine at the same time.
“Married?” One elegantly arched brow rose. “That’s the one thing I have absolutely no experience with. I’m not sure I can be convincing.”
He glanced at her and grinned. “Just follow my lead, darlin’. That’s all you have to do.”
From the momentary look of confusion on her face, he guessed she wasn’t sure how to react to the endearment. He hadn’t called anyone darlin’ in years, not since his fiancée had died. But since he and Carmen were going to pretend to be spouses, he figured using it would be particularly apropos.
“Sounds good, sugar plum,” she drawled, dead-faced.
He laughed—he couldn’t help it. It had been a long time since he’d been around a woman who could make him laugh. Pity she was a Vampire. But then again, he wasn’t looking for a mate. “I think we’ll work fine together,” he finally said.
When he glanced at her again, her beautiful face wore a ghost of a smile.
“Here’s how we’re playing this,” he said, all serious again. “Word has gone out in a certain group of people that the Sons of Darkness are looking to hire someone with a biology background. They’re willing to pay big bucks. You happen to perfectly fit the bill.”
“A biology background?” she snorted. “That’s putting it mildly.”
He continued on as if she hadn’t spoken. “Your credentials and employment are right there for them to look up. You’ve never done any work with law enforcement, so there’s no reason they’d suspect you.”
“Maybe not, but what’s my motivation? I’m well paid. I like my job. Why would I want to join their organization?”
Bracing himself, he gave her a sideways look. “You’ve just lost your job. That’s your motivation. Plus, we’ve set it up so that anyone looking will believe you’re massively in debt. You need to find work and find it fast.”
“Lost my job?” She might have become a statue, she went so still. “Are you serious?”
“It’s only temporary. We’ve got someone who pulled a few strings to make this happen. I’m sure you’ll be fully reinstated once this is over.”
Glowering at him, she sighed. “I’d better be. I love my job and I’m damn good at it.”
“I’m sure you are. But look at it this way,” he said. “You’ve got a chance to save the world. How many can say that?”
Chapter 3 (#uf121e7d8-ee7e-560d-86bd-eedd862cbe31)
Maddie could only stare. This guy, this journalist, had no idea what he’d just asked her to do. She couldn’t, she wouldn’t, and she needed to figure out a way to tell him that wouldn’t arouse suspicion. Betraying her own kind, not to mention the other paranormal beings who frequented Broken Chains, was an act punishable by death.
“Jake,” she said, swiveling in her seat to face him. “I can’t. The private investigative agency I work for specializes. Your particular request doesn’t qualify.”
His jaw clenched. Slowly, he shook his head. “First off, I don’t believe you. Second, I’m well aware you know what’s behind that door. I’ve seen you go through it. With or without your help, I will find out what’s going on.”
Though she knew he had no idea of the magnitude of the danger he’d be placing himself in, she couldn’t help but admire—just the teeniest bit—his dogged determination. Even though it completely mystified her.
“What is it with you and that door?” she finally asked. “Do you honestly think whatever is behind it is worth you being beaten within an inch of your life? Because I can promise you, if you keep pursuing this, that’s what will happen again. Or worse.”
“Wow.” He stared at her. “Whatever the secret is that you’re hiding, it must be something big. I can’t believe you’re threatening me.”
“Not threatening. Warning.” She let her gaze roam over him. Even with his battered and bruised face, he was still handsome. His angular features and the light brown tint to his skin made his brown eyes stand out. She liked his lean muscular build and narrow waist. In fact, if she’d met Jake Cassel under different circumstances, she’d have dated him.
Even now, despite him ditching her earlier and then stating he planned to continue on his dangerous and foolhardy course of action, she felt a twinge of attraction.
A jolt of awareness struck her. She realized she had to do whatever it took to keep the truth hidden from him—and by doing so, keep him safe.
“Jake, look.” She swallowed. “I’ll do it. I’ll take the job.”
Instead of making him happy, he narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
That made her laugh. “What do you mean, why? I thought you wanted my help.”
“I do.”
“Yet you’re still frowning.”
“Because I can’t shake the thought that you’re somehow playing me.”
Good instincts, though of course she couldn’t say that out loud. Instead, she shrugged. “Up to you. We don’t come cheap. I completely understand if you’ve changed your mind.”
He tilted his head, eyeing her as if honestly trying to read her mind. “Do you have a card?” he asked.
“Of course.” Luckily, she’d just printed up a batch. She kept several in the console, so she pulled one out and handed it to him. “You can call me if you change your mind.”
He accepted it, put it in his pocket and stared straight ahead.
“Where to?” she asked. He gave her an address in a neighborhood near hers, but a few streets away. She drove silently, efficiently, keeping her concentration on the road. When they finally pulled up in front of a small yellow frame house, she parked. “I hope you get to feeling better soon,” she said.
“Thanks.” Still avoiding her gaze, he slowly and painfully climbed from the car. “I’ll be in touch.”
She watched him walk up his driveway, waiting to pull away until he’d disappeared into the house. Then, because it was her habit, she made a note of the address on a small pad she kept in her console.
As soon as she got home, she called Carmen. Her friend didn’t answer, which made Maddie suspect the Vamp harbored some resentment over being stood up. Maddie apologized over voice mail, said she needed to talk to her about a potential new case and hung up. No doubt Carmen would disappear for a day or two, as was her wont. When Maddie and their other partner, Shayla, called her on it, Carmen always simply shrugged and told them to get used to it, because that’s what Vampires did.
Simple chores, like pouring herself a glass of wine and reheating a leftover bowl of pho she’d picked up for lunch yesterday, brought Maddie a measure of calm. A creature of habit, she liked things to happen as planned and in a particular order. This made her feel secure.
Tonight she’d agreed to meet Carmen for an early drink at Broken Chains. Everything had spiraled out of control before she’d even reached the iconic door. And while she hadn’t intended to spend so much time tracking down Jake Cassel, she knew in her core that she’d done the right thing. There were procedures put in place—some of them primitive and violent—by those who protected their kind from discovery. Jake was lucky he’d only been beaten.
In fact, Maddie knew she actually had an obligation to uphold. Sipping her soup, she deliberated. If she made the call to the Pack Protectors—or, most likely, her brother, since he worked as one—they’d send people to round up the reporter. It wouldn’t be pretty, it wouldn’t be kind, and she wasn’t a hundred percent sure Jake would survive.
Though calling her brother might be the right thing to do, she couldn’t. Not yet. Instead, she’d keep an eye on Jake and try her best to protect him from harm. And from getting too close to the truth. If he’d actually hire her, that would make her task a lot easier.
She poured herself a second glass of wine and rinsed her bowl before putting it in the dishwasher. Carrying her wine to the living room, she clicked on the TV just in time to catch the evening news.
An ominous red banner was displayed across the scene. Breaking News. Apparently, there had been an explosion in one of the warehouses down near the pier. No one had been killed, there were three people injured and the police were looking for the suspects. It had not yet been called a terrorist attack and motive had not yet been determined. The warehouse had been believed to be empty, but firefighters said it was not.
When the camera panned the crowd, Maddie let out a little yelp of surprise. That woman in the group over to one side—tall, blonde and elegant—looked like Carmen.
Maddie hit the pause button on her remote and went back. Yep. She paused again. For whatever reason, Carmen was down near the pier. And from the looks of things, she wasn’t alone. She stood arm-in-arm with a ruggedly handsome military-type man. He gave off a dangerous yet sexy vibe. He’d have to, she thought, to keep up with Carmen.
No wonder her friend hadn’t answered her phone. Maddie couldn’t say she blamed her. Jake made Maddie feel the same way—like going off the grid and getting to know him.
She found herself grinning when she thought of Jake. He didn’t realize it, but she’d only told him the truth. While she knew what she was planning on doing walked a fine line as far as Pack law, she’d be careful. If, at any moment, Jake got too close to the truth, she’d talk to her brother, but right now she thought she could redirect Jake to some other story. The only problem was that she’d need to find one first.
In the years since moving to Galveston, Maddie had been on a lot of dates, especially when she’d worked as a police dispatcher. Human men, Shifter men, and even a Merman or two. Not a single one of them affected her the way Jake did.
Because she had an analytical mind, she sat down and tried to figure out what specifically attracted her to him.
It could be his dark good looks, but she’d dated many handsome men. She didn’t know him well enough for it to be his personality or sense of humor, which brought her an odd sort of relief. Physical attraction was easily dealt with. She certainly wasn’t ready for anything stronger.
The next morning, Maddie set to work. Taking her time, she snapped a camera phone pic of the sheet she’d printed out with The Shadow Agency’s rates. She’d actually had to print out an amended list, as she couldn’t send Jake the one that listed items like “Undersea Investigation,” which was Shayla’s area, since she happened to be a Mermaid.
After she’d sent the text to Jake, she tried again to call Carmen. She went straight to voice mail, which meant her Vampire friend had disappeared. With a sigh, Maddie left another message, knowing Carmen wouldn’t call until she’d finished with whatever it was that she did when she disappeared.
Next, she phoned Shayla. Though her Mermaid friend had just returned from her honeymoon, Maddie really needed someone to talk to about this entire Jake situation.
Shayla answered and sounded delighted. “I was just thinking about you,” she exclaimed. “I told Zach I needed some girl time with you and Carmen.”
“Carmen’s gone on one of her disappearances,” Maddie said, relieved. “But I’d love to meet up with you for a drink at Broken Chains when you have time. I need to talk to you about something.”
“I hope that’s not as serious as it sounds,” Shayla teased. “Either way, you know I’m full of advice, whether needed or not. Can you make it tonight around eight?”
“Perfect. I’ll get there early to snag our usual table.”
After ending the call, Maddie felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from her chest. Even though her friend wasn’t Pack, Shayla understood all too well the intricate nature of keeping their truths hidden from humans. Heck, Maddie wouldn’t have minded if Shayla brought Zach, her husband. Since Zach was also Pack, Maddie would definitely welcome his input, though she wouldn’t have been able to speak as freely if it were just her and Shayla.
Trying not to look at the clock too often, Maddie caught up on housework, went grocery shopping and checked her email. She heated up leftover pizza for her dinner, reapplied her makeup and tried to decide what outfit to wear. In the end, she went with a simple black skirt and light green sheer top over a black camisole. Though she usually wore ballet slipper–type flats, she tried on a pair of heels. In the end, she discarded them and slipped on her usual comfy shoes.
Dangly silver earrings and several cute bracelets and she was out the door an hour early. As was her habit, she parked near Pier 21 and walked back in the direction of the bar. The salt-scented sea breeze felt warm and familiar, reminding her how long it had been since she’d visited the beach. Now that tourist season was over, she needed to go. Fall was always a good time, even though her favorite time to meander down the sand was winter, when the colder water kept even most locals away.
As she strolled toward the bar, she found herself wondering where Jake hid when he did his surveillance. He’d claimed to have spent weeks watching the dead-end alley, but for the life of her she couldn’t see where. This time, she’d pay special attention to her surroundings and see if she could spot him.
When she reached the alley, she slowly pirouetted. Regular protocol demanded those entering the alley check left and right, making sure no humans were in the vicinity before proceeding to the door. Now, in addition to that, she realized the abandoned warehouse across the street still had numerous windows that had not been boarded up, some with shattered glass. It would be a simple thing for someone like Jake to gain entrance and set up a camera in one of those windows. In fact, for all she knew he might be there right now.
Refusing to wave, she finally made her way down the alley, knocked on the weathered door and waited. After a moment, it swung open and she stepped inside, then waited until it closed automatically behind her.
Because she was Shifter, the smells hit her first. Smoke and beer and whiskey, along with the various scents of other bodies. Next came the noise. Even though the band had not yet started playing, there was the low hum of voices, the clinking of glass and silverware, the scraping of chairs on the old wooden floor.
She sighed with pleasure. Of all the places she frequented on the island, this bar felt the most like home.
Wending her way through the crowd, she smiled when she saw Jason, her favorite bartender, had placed a small Reserved sign on her favorite table.
Waving at him, she took a seat. Immediately, he brought her a tall glass of wheat beer, her usual. She told him Shayla would be joining her, but not Carmen, and he nodded, whistling cheerfully as he walked off.
A shadow fell and she looked up, smiling. Her smile faded as she realized it wasn’t her friend. Instead, a tall, muscular male Shifter stood glowering down at her.
“I’m not interested,” she started to say, then gasped when he grabbed her arm in a painful grip.
“We need to talk,” he said. “You’ve been seen with that human reporter. I’m a Pack Protector. I don’t think I need to warn you of the severity of your crime against the Pack if you’ve revealed anything to him.”
* * *
Nothing could have prepared him for the way Maddie affected him. After all, Jake considered himself like a bulldog. Once he fixated on a story, nothing got in his way. Nothing.
Not even a sexy redhead with a smattering of freckles across her nose. Then why couldn’t he stop thinking about her?
When he’d asked to hire her, he hadn’t expected her to eventually agree. After all, he knew she had secrets and they were tied in with whatever was behind that damn door. If his investigative reporting uncovered something illegal, something dangerous, he had to be prepared to take her down, too. This knowledge made his stomach churn.
Especially since he knew it could be worse than he’d originally suspected. When he’d seen the news of the explosion in a warehouse near Pier 21, he’d immediately thought of them, the mysterious group of individuals who met behind that strange old door.
Especially when, without any proof, the anchorman speculated that this might have been a terrorist attack. He’d said this as casually as if speaking about the weather. Sloppy reporting, Jake knew. Yet of course, this possibility made him wonder. Terrorists. What if a local cell of them met in that place along that dead-end alleyway? That would explain the reason for refusing to open the door and for the two men to jump him there.
No. He refused to play a guessing game. His journalistic integrity demanded facts. Without them, he had nothing.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized Maddie Kinslow might be his best chance at getting an actual lead.
He pulled out the business card she’d given him. The Shadow Agency was emblazoned across the top. Underneath that, A specialized private investigation firm. And then simply her name and phone number.
Specialized. In what? He turned the card over in his hand. To be fair, she’d tried to tell him her company handled only a certain type of clientele, though she hadn’t been specific.
Deciding, he pulled out his phone and dialed her number. His call went straight to voice mail. He left his name and number, nothing else. Now to see if she’d actually return the call.
When his phone rang five minutes later, his heart leaped in his chest. “That was quick,” he said after answering.
“Yeah, well...I’ve been worried about you.” She made the confession in a husky voice that had his body stirring.
Ruthlessly, he tamped down the desire. “Don’t,” he snapped. “I’m fine. I just need a little time to heal and I’ll be back to normal.”
To his surprise, this statement made her chuckle. “I’ll never figure out what it is about men that they think they have to be so tough. You forget, Jake. I was there. I saw you.”
Instead of replying, he let his silence speak for itself.
“Okay,” she said when he didn’t respond. “What did you need? Why did you call me?”
Though he’d already begun to doubt the wisdom of his decision, he decided to go through with it. “I want to hire you.”
