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Especially since he couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt. He’d promised Nantha he’d look after her while she was on land. And somehow, he’d let her down. He had no idea what might have happened to her.
A thousand scenarios, each more horrible than the last, drifted through his head at night when he closed his eyes and attempted to sleep. Truthfully, he watched way too many crime dramas on TV. The story lines filled his head with dark and disastrous possibilities, things that wouldn’t even have occurred to him if he hadn’t seen the programs and realized what awful acts humans were capable of. He hoped nothing like that had happened to his sister.
Instead, he kept busy searching. The Monday after she’d disappeared, he’d called in sick to work. Tuesday, the same thing. Wednesday, he showed up, if only to put in to take the rest of the week off as personal vacation days. At the last moment, he’d changed that to taking a two-week long vacation. No one could argue since Zach hadn’t taken any actual time off in close to three years.
Because sleeping brought nightmares, he fueled himself with caffeine and tried to stay awake as much as possible. He’d even done a quick shape-shift into his Wolf self in order to search the area around his mother’s house by scent. Despite the incredible ability of his Wolf nose, he’d turned up nothing.
Every waking moment since Sunday night, he’d spent searching or thinking about where Nantha could be. He longed for a clue, a hint, anyone catching a glimpse of a tall, willowy blonde with bright blue eyes. He’d done a thorough search of the western area of Galveston Island, close to where she’d disappeared. After that, he’d haunted all the touristy areas, including the beaches, before moving on to other residential neighborhoods.
Despite this, he’d turned up nothing. Absolutely, freaking, nothing. He wished he could have taken the extra step of filing a missing person report with the human police, but Merfolk didn’t have human identity. He’d spoken with the Pack Protectors instead, even though they worked with Shifters rather than Mermaids. They’d treated him kindly, if dismissively, but at least they knew to be looking for her. It hadn’t helped his state of mind when the Protector taking the report had suggested slyly that maybe his sister had run off with her boyfriend, needing to escape her overprotective brother.
Zach had tamped down his rage at the smirking man. The man didn’t know his sister. If he did, he’d never have made such a comment. Nantha might be mischievous, but she adored her family. She’d never do something so irresponsible. If she’d had a boyfriend she’d wanted to run off with, she would have told them all before she waved goodbye. Clearly, her life was in danger, no matter what the Protector believed.
After the sting of that encounter, Zach still didn’t regret reaching out to the Pack Protectors. This wasn’t about him. He couldn’t let injured pride come between him and a chance to rescue Nantha. He’d simply asked to speak to someone else. However, something the second Pack Protector said when taking Zach’s information worried him. “Another one?” he’d asked, before appearing to catch himself. After that, despite Zach’s repeated attempts to get him to elaborate, he’d refused.
Another one. Had other Mermaids recently gone missing? If so, why? These were the kind of questions that kept him up at night. Maybe Shayla would know. He’d ask her later that evening when they signed the contract.
The Shadow Agency. He liked the name. And even though he knew only one of the woman had any experience whatsoever with private investigation, he knew they’d all give the search everything they had. And he couldn’t ask for more than that.
So now he had help, which eased his panic somewhat. He wanted to let his mother know too, hoping it would help her, as well. But it would have seemed odd to tell her that he’d enlisted the assistance of two women he’d met in a bar, so he didn’t. Not yet. His shape-shifting mom, June, had gone out hunting as Wolf every night since Nantha had disappeared, hoping to catch a hint of her scent. That was all she knew to do; that and stay close to home in case Nantha returned of her own volition.
Despite how ridiculous it might sound, Zach allowed himself to feel the first bit of hope he’d had since Sunday night. The knowledge that he’d hired a Mermaid and another Shifter to help him search for Nantha made him feel more proactive. He definitely could use another pair of eyes and ears under the sea, because he had no way to know what was going on there unless Ion told him. And truthfully, Nantha’s father seemed too devastated by his daughter’s disappearance to be of much use. Since Zach loved his stepfather as deeply as if he were biological, the older man’s pain had become Zach’s, as well.
It was a giant cluster of worry and fear. He didn’t see things improving until Nantha was found, which had better be soon.
In the middle of all this, he couldn’t stop thinking about Shayla. Even worried about his stepsister, the image of the gorgeous Mermaid haunted him.
Zach would never forget how Ion had reacted when Nantha had vanished. At first, the older Merman had clearly thought she was playing a joke on him. Nantha had a mischievous streak and frequently liked to tease both her father and Zach. She’d gone for her usual walk, just as she always did before returning to the sea.
But as the search turned into hours and the daylight disappeared, they’d all begun to realize that something was very wrong. They’d driven to Stewart Beach, leaving June at home in case Nantha showed up. Zach and Ion had walked the sand, asking anyone they encountered if they’d seen a woman alone. No one had.
Finally, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Zach quietly had to admit defeat. He’d suggested they return home, just in case Nantha showed up there. Of course, they both knew she hadn’t as June hadn’t called.
Though he’d agreed, Ion had stumbled on the walk back to the car. When he got inside, Zach saw the older man had gone ashen. When they pulled up to the house, Zach had gone around to help Ion out. Again, Ion swayed and nearly fell.
Watching from the front door, June had rushed over to support and reassure her husband. Zach stepped back, glad she at least had a distraction. Soon enough, she’d realize what both he and Ion already had.
Nantha was missing. Something, somewhere, somehow, had gone very wrong. Despite that they’d turned up nothing—no sign of a struggle, no blood, no witnesses—she’d disappeared. Zach’s best guess was that she’d been taken. The one thing that gave him solace was the fact that none of Nantha’s personal belongings had floated up to the surface.
Later, when none of them wanted to make eye contact with the others and silence made the air feel heavy enough to choke on since no one knew what to say, each grappled internally with their own panic. While no one had the slightest idea what might have happened, they all knew their beloved Nantha was in danger. But where? And how? This not knowing, not having a clue, made it all worse somehow.
Finally, Ion had said goodbye. He’d gone home, diving into the ocean, determined to find his daughter if she was there. June had taken to her bed, her earlier hysterics becoming a sort of dry-eyed grief. She could barely function. Despite this Zach had to leave her alone. He couldn’t stay and reassure her while there remained a very real chance he could still find his little sister.
When he’d left them, Ion had promised to report back if he discovered any news. As of today, they still hadn’t heard anything at all from him. June had managed to get herself together, but Zach could tell she was a nervous wreck. She’d already phoned him three times since eight o’clock that morning asking if he’d heard anything, anything at all. Finally, he’d gently told her that she’d be the first to know if he did. He planned to call her later in the day even if he had not.
His small apartment in Texas City felt cramped, so he didn’t stay there long. He drove south to Galveston, figuring he could grab a meal and take yet another walk along the seawall and Stewart Beach. This time of the year, with the exception of spring break, was his favorite next to autumn. The thousands of tourists hadn’t yet descended on the island, and while the Houstonians came down on the weekends, the pleasant weather and lack of crowds made everything nice.
Abruptly he realized nothing would be nice again until Nantha came home. He headed down to the pier and Joe’s Crab Shack, where he could grab a shrimp po’boy and a beer.
Even then, he showed Nantha’s photo to everyone who walked by his table, just in case one of them might have seen her. No one had. He refused to let this dampen his spirits. After all, he still had time until darkness. After his meal, he’d do another circle of the seawall.
He’d simply keep searching until he met Shayla and Maddie at Broken Chains, signed the contract and handed over his retainer fee. Then and only then would he truly feel as if he wasn’t simply spinning his wheels.
While he looked, he’d ask every business to put up a poster. Earlier, he’d had the foresight to print up some missing person posters. He’d left some with his mother, asking her to go around her neighborhood and get them up. For himself, he stuck close to the businesses, restaurants and shops. After traveling all around Broadway, The Strand, the seawall and the pier asking store owners to put them up, he realized he’d need to print more. He stopped back into the same print shop where he’d had the first batch done and ordered again. They ran them off while he waited, declined to charge him anything. He thanked them, the kindness of the small gesture warming his heart. He also noted they already had one posted to their window.
Making a second round to hit all the places he hadn’t the first time, as the sun began to set, he ended up with a few hundred of the posters left. Exhausted, he decided to go home and shower, maybe grab a sandwich before heading to Broken Chains to meet Shayla and Maddie.
As full darkness fell, he drove back toward Harborside Drive. Across from the cruise ship terminals, there were various parking lots as well as commercial businesses and warehouses. Some of the older buildings hadn’t been repaired since Hurricane Ike tore through and were still boarded up. Broken Chains was hidden down an alley between two such buildings. Most humans viewed the area as dangerous and stayed away. The bar’s Vampire and Shifter employees made sure to clear the alley before opening for business each night.
As he made his way toward the alley, he glanced around before making that last right turn. There, the sign with no letters, swinging in the night breeze. If any human chanced upon it, they’d definitely believe it a remnant from the time before the hurricane.
Zach stopped, inhaling deeply, waiting before he actually tapped the code out on the door. He’d always loved the moment before entering. The atmospheric setup—the dead-end alley, towering medieval door. The precise number of knocks in a certain cadence, and the vetting before one was allowed in. He wondered what happened if a human accidentally made it this far and tapped on the door. He wasn’t sure, though he knew for certain they would not be allowed inside. Broken Chains was for paranormal entities only. Among the entire world owned by humans, this place was theirs alone. A safe haven.
Once he’d made it in, he stood still and scanned the premises, a peace settling over his weary body. The muted lighting, the clinking of glasses and dishes, the sound of the band tuning their instruments and the hum of quiet conversation. For whatever reason, the bar was even more crowded on this Wednesday night than it had been the evening before. Mid-week point, perhaps? The pleasant buzz of noise made him feel welcome, at home.
Once again, as Zach made his way through the crowd, he was glad the bar didn’t allow smoking. Shifters had sensitive noses, and a room full of cigarette smoke made most of them feel nauseous. The last time Zach had visited a human bar, the smoke had been so thick he hadn’t even ordered a drink before turning around and walking right back out. These days, the humans had become health conscious, and more and more establishments banned smoking.
Shayla and Maddie had said they’d meet him here at eight. He’d arrived half an hour early, and judging from the lack of places to sit, he hoped they’d gotten here even earlier. If not, they’d all be standing and circling the room like hawks until someone actually got up and vacated their table.
The band continued to warm up. There were five of them. A different group from the night before. Broken Chains constantly rotated their musical act. Zach had heard everyone wanted to play there, and competition was so tight that they were booked months in advance. He liked the fact they changed up the music. Something for everyone that way. From the sound of their warm-up, this band sounded like they played eighties music. He shrugged, continuing to wade through elbow-to-elbow people in search of the two women.
He reached the back edge of the bar and turned to go down the other side. Nothing, though every single table was full. A few other Shifters whom he’d spoken with previously waved. He waved back, though he didn’t stop to talk.
Once he’d made a complete circuit of the packed room, he climbed the narrow staircase to check the second floor.
There weren’t as many people up here. He felt like he could breathe. There they were. They’d taken a table near the back, as far away from the balcony railing to below as possible. He approved of their choice, where it would be quieter.
Shayla and Maddie spotted him. Shayla waved. As he made his way toward them, dodging a waiter with a tray of drinks, he realized a third woman had joined them. A blonde with short, spiky hair and too-perfect alabaster skin. He stopped in his tracks. Something about her... Then he knew. The hair on his arms rose, and he pushed back the urge to growl. Vampire. His entire family had been blessed—or cursed—with the ability to instantly recognize a Vampire, even one who blended well with the human population. Though Shifters and Vamps had long ago forged a truce and these days the two got along, he couldn’t help his initial visceral reaction. Hopefully he’d been far enough away that no one at the table would have noticed.
Resuming his progress, he inclined his head toward the newcomer before pulling out the remaining empty chair. From the cold way the Vampire regarded him, he guessed she felt the same way he did. Inherent enemies couldn’t help their initial reaction. It was in their DNA.
Still standing, he kept one hand on the back of the chair. He really wanted to know what she was doing here. This was to have been a private meeting between him and the Shadow Agency.
“Evening,” he said as a greeting, including all three of them in his glance, though he slid his gaze away from the Vampire as quickly as possible without appearing rude.
“Hey there, Zach.” Shayla’s wide smile made him catch his breath. Tonight she wore her silky black hair pulled back in her trademark complicated braid. The hairstyle showed off her high cheekbones, sensual lips and striking eyes. She was, he thought, absolutely stunning. Even his inner Wolf sat up and took notice.
She gestured gracefully toward the Vampire. “This is Carmen Vargas. I’m sorry you haven’t had a chance to meet her before now. She’s the third partner in the Shadow Agency.”
Third partner? This was new. Privately, he wondered how wise that decision might be, but as an about-to-be client, he figured the Vampire could go places neither he nor the others could. Beggars couldn’t be choosers. Right now, he could use all the help he could get locating his sister. If a Vamp could help find Nantha, he’d let her.
He finally lowered himself into the chair, directly across from the now-glowering Vampire. Shayla glanced from him to Carmen and back again. “What?” she asked, spreading her hands, showing off her bright blue nail polish. “I’m picking up a strange vibe. Do you two know each other?”
“No,” Zach answered. He forced himself to relax, aware the other Shifter, Maddie, had gone into full alert. Seemed his inner Wolf wasn’t the only one paying attention. “We don’t.”
“It’s okay,” Carmen interjected, finally taking her gaze off him. “Sometimes age-old instinct trumps common sense.”
In the interest of getting along, he let that comment go. After a second of startled consideration, Maddie laughed. “Don’t worry, Zach. The same thing happened to me the first time I met her.”
Of course it had. Despite Zach’s dislike, Carmen had a point. Age-old instinct could be difficult to overcome. Still, it would help if he tried to make a start. He forced himself to meet the Vampire’s gaze. “You’re right, I’m wrong. My apologies.” He took a deep breath and continued. “I know lots of Vamps, and this hasn’t happened to me in a long time. I’m not sure why I let myself get caught up in it this time.”
For whatever reason, his remark made Carmen laugh.
Shayla touched his arm. “I think it might be because Carmen is the most emphatic Vampire I know. Though most can’t see past her beauty, once you get to know her, you’ll wonder how you didn’t notice. She’s very, very Vampiric.”
Shaking her head, Carmen only laughed harder. “Thank you,” she finally managed. “I guess.”
“You’re welcome.” Shayla pulled a manila folder from her bag, fixing each of them with a stern look. “Now shall we get down to business?”
Zach nodded, glad to have Shayla to distract him from his lingering animosity. “Definitely.”
“Um, drinks first?” Carmen protested, arching one perfectly shaped brow. “We waited for you,” she told Zach. “And I’m thirsty. I need some refreshment before we discuss business.”
“Sounds good to me,” Maddie agreed, lifting her hand to signal a waitress. Instantly, a short woman with purple-and-pink hair appeared at their table. Shayla ordered white wine, Maddie, a wheat beer, and Carmen asked for a glass of an Argentinian weaver’s blood, straight up. For himself, he went with dark beer, earning an approving look from Maddie.
Shayla slid a manila folder across the table. “Our contract,” she said. “Take your time reading it.”
Tuning out the noise from the bar downstairs, he read over the contract. It seemed straightforward, so he went ahead and signed. Since he’d had no idea what kind of retainer they might ask for, he’d made sure to bring a thousand dollars in cash, ten one-hundred-dollar bills neatly folded inside his wallet. If that wasn’t enough, he’d negotiate, or find an ATM.
Turned out, one thousand dollars was exactly what they asked him to put down. The contract had also spelled out other fees, but to his surprise the document said if they weren’t able to accomplish their goal for whatever reason, they’d refund his money. All of it.
In other words, they guaranteed success or their services were free.
Chapter 4 (#u4031e78b-261f-5601-8639-b2f5118eb58c)
“I like your confidence,” he said, palming the money and handing it over so that no one else could see. Shayla took similar care, closing her hand over it and lowering it into her purse. He was glad she hadn’t decided to make a production out of counting it on top of the table. The bar might be full of other Shifter, Vamps and Merfolk, but that much cash might prove too big a temptation for some.
Underscoring everything, he felt the buzz of his attraction to Shayla, making him hyperaware of her.
Their drinks arrived and Shayla asked them all to do a toast. He felt a little uncomfortable clinking glasses with a female Vampire holding a glass full of blood, but he managed to keep his revulsion hidden, he thought.
Once they’d all taken sips from their assorted drinks, he leaned in. “Now tell me your plan. I want to know what steps you’re going to take to find my stepsister.”
Shayla nodded. She reached into her purse and pulled out several sheets of paper and a pen. “I need you to fill out this questionnaire. Once I know more about Nantha—where she lived, went to school, worked and who her friends are, I can go back under and start asking questions.”
“Why all the focus underwater when Nantha disappeared on land?” Maddie wanted to know.
“Good point,” he agreed. “I’m thinking that’s what her father is doing also.”
“Maybe, but how many young people are going to reveal any secrets Nantha might have had to her father?” Shayla smiled gently. “You know how that is. I feel much more confident they’d be willing to talk to me. And the more we can learn about her life undersea, the more we can look for clues as to who might gave grabbed her and why.”
She had a point. Sort of. “Unless her abductor is human.”
“And that’s where I come in,” Maddie interjected smoothly. “Carmen is assisting me. We’re exploring the human possibilities, among others.”
He nodded and began writing down the answer to the questions. Luckily, Nantha had confided in him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had a clue.
As he wrote, Shayla leaned over, trying to decipher his handwriting upside down. “Good,” she commented. “I’m glad to see she’s from Coral. That’s my hometown, and I know it like the back of my hand.”
Carmen watched silently, continuing to sip on her drink. Maddie checked her phone. “My brother just texted me. He’s a Pack Protector. I filled him in on all this. He says there’s already an investigation open.”
Relieved, he nodded. “I contacted them, and they said they’d look into it. They didn’t seem really concerned.”
“Yeah.” Maddie looked down, clearly not sure if she should finish speaking. When she raised her head and met his gaze, he saw determination in the set of her chin. “He says since you didn’t get a ransom note and there’s no indication whatsoever that Nantha is in danger, we have to consider the possibility that she might simply have run off on her own.”
“No.” Zach focused his attention back on the questions. “The human police said something similar when I reported her missing. But Nantha’s not like that. She’d never do anything to worry her family. If she wanted some time away, she would have at the very least left us a note.”
Maddie nodded. Shayla simply watched him, the compassion in her lovely eyes making his throat close up.
“Are you sure?” Carmen asked. “Because just about everyone has secrets they don’t want their family to know.”
His instinctive response—to snarl at her—he pushed back down. Instead, he mentally counted to five, taking slow and steady breaths before answering. “I’m sure. Nantha is one of my best friends.”
“I’m sorry, I have to ask this.” Color high, Shayla cleared her throat, though she didn’t look away. “Were you and Nantha romantically involved?”
“What?” He couldn’t believe her question. The supposition made him feel nauseous. “Of course not. She’s my sister, for hound’s sake.”
“Stepsister,” Carmen drawled. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but there’s no blood relation there at all. And from what I can tell, this Nantha is one hot babe.”
“She’s pretty.” Brotherly pride mixed with revulsion made him swallow hard. “And, yes, I do have to beat back human suitors when she’s visiting on land. But all Merfolk are blessed with good looks.” He jerked his head toward Shayla. “You all know that.”
“I’m sorry.” Shayla sounded genuinely regretful. And, he thought, a tiny bit relieved. “But it’s something we had to ask.”
Not we. She. Did she really think so low of him to even consider the possibility that he and his baby sister were having an illicit love affair?
“I can see from the look on your face that the idea repulses you.” Carmen again, detached and observant. “So we’ll put that possibility to rest. Please, go ahead and fill out the rest of the questionnaire. We’re especially interested in knowing about any boyfriends Nantha might have or have had. Past ones would be of special interest.”
Boyfriends. Question sixteen. He paused, taking a moment to think. Nantha always had a crush on someone, but it seemed to change every couple of weeks. He knew she dated, but she’d never mentioned anything serious.
All three women nodded when he passed this information on. “I’ll look into it when I go back to Coral,” Shayla said. The low thrum of her voice reached deep inside of him, sparking arousal. To hide this, he swallowed hard and focused on the questionnaire.
Once he’d answered all the questions to the best of his ability, he slid the paper across the table. Shayla took it and began reading. She asked for clarification on one of two things—he’d listed a few odd jobs where Nantha had worked, but only a couple of places where he thought she might hang out. As for hobbies, the only one that came to mind was reading.
“Surely there must be more,” Shayla pressed. “What about exercise, working out? Or fishing? Does she like any sports?”
“No. She’s actually pretty quiet.” He thought for a moment, then sat up straighter. “Music. She loves to sing and dance.”
Nodding, Shayla scribbled that down on the form. “Most Mermaids do,” she commented. Picking up her glass, she drained her wine. He realized both Carmen and Maddie had already finished their drinks, as well.
Eyeing his still mostly full beer, he took a sip. Briefly, he considered slugging it all down, but decided against it, especially since Shayla didn’t seem nearly as affected by him as he was by her.
He slid his own folder across the table. “I had some fliers printed up. I spent the day going around the island having them put up. They’re laminated, so they should do well under water. Feel free to take them with you if you think they might help.”
“Perfect!” Shayla beamed at him, which made his heart skip a beat. “I can definitely use them. I think they’ll really help.”
“I hope someone who knows where she is sees them,” he said, his chest suddenly tight.
Shayla slapped some money on the table. “Drinks are on me,” she said. “I don’t know about ya’ll, but I need to go. It’s been a long day for me.”
