Breaking Out (24 page)

“Good question.” I took a few minutes to
organize my thoughts, the other two talking quietly behind me.

“I’ll call around. Find out if any wolves are
missing from other packs in the area. Jay, you go online. See if
you can dig anything up that way. Also, check out Tellek’s
finances. Maybe he owes someone some money and got paid off by the
wolves or some other supernatural group to cause trouble for the
kelpies.” I turned to Rylen. “Do you have first names?”

“I am Rylen Marea. Lord Tellek is Tellek
Marea. He is also a cousin of my father.”

I frowned. “Is he in line for the
throne?”

“Third. After me is my sister, Tania. She is
mated to a lord.”

“Call your dad. Have him place a guard on
her. Just in case.”

“Yes lord.” He bowed. This was getting old.
“Rylen. Please don’t bow to me. I’m an informal kind of guy. I
understand the need for it at court, but out here in the real
world, it just makes me stand out. I don’t want that.”

“Yes, lord.”

“Say this: okay Charlie.”

“Okay, Charlie.” He was frowning in
concentration.

“Perfect.”

Samson came bounding up the sidewalk, Ivy
running after him, giggling. The expression on Jay’s face was like
nothing I’d ever seen him wear—a mixture of pride, possession and
even affection. I laughed quietly to myself. Whether he admitted to
it or not, this boy was toast.

IVY

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Jay was
online and Charlie and Rylen were on the phone calling around to
find out if any wolves were missing. I was sitting around twiddling
my thumbs. This was not acceptable. Wasn’t I part of this team?

I snuck out the back door, leaving a note on
my bed for the boys. They’d find it eventually and I wouldn’t be
gone for long. There were other places to get info besides using
the internet and the phone. I could usually tell when someone was
lying, although the subtle kind was harder for me, but it was worth
a try. Plus I knew right away what kind of supe someone was, as
long as they were full blood.

Charlie and Jay weren’t utilizing my
skills.

Where to start? Maybe the local coffee shop?
Weres drank coffee, right? I headed for the nearest shop and
ordered myself a small latte. This could be a long afternoon and I
didn’t want to get jittery.

There was a wolf sitting at table in the
back. I sat at the table next to his, making a show of putting on
lip gloss and adjusting the tee shirt so it showed more
cleavage.

“You’re a very pretty little thing, aren’t
you?”

I smiled in a flirty way. “Thanks.”

“You want to share my table?”

“I don’t know, are you dangerous?’

“Only if you want me to be, baby.”

It was so hard not to roll my eyes, but hey,
this was what I was here for. “Okay, then.” I got up and moved to
his table. His eyes roamed my body and he seemed to like what he
saw.

“You want a refill?” He pointed to my cup.
Wow big spender.

“No thanks. This is already my second.” He
nodded and smiled. He was missing two front teeth. They’d grow back
eventually ‘cause he was a wolf, but it wasn’t a good sign of him
having a peaceful nature. “Are you one of those wolves from
Catalina?” I asked, widening my eyes for effect.

This told him I was a human in the know,
probably one of those sluts who liked to live dangerously. Some of
them became werewolf groupies. “Why do you want to know?”

“I heard two of your pack were killed.
Chopped to pieces. I used to love going to the island, but I’m
gonna avoid it from now on. There’s some crazy person out there
murdering people.”

“Where did you hear about it?” He asked,
smiling pleasantly.

“On the docks. A fisherman was talking to his
friend.”

“The island’s safe. If you come out, I can
show you around.”

Yeah, right to his bedroom, unless he was
planning on pushing me against the brick wall in the alley. “Oh,
that would be cool. Can you take me to the pack lands?”

“Maybe.” A total lie.

“Do you know how they died?” I asked,
crossing my legs. His gaze headed to my thighs really fast.

“Like you said, they were chopped up.”

“Are you sure it was a human? Maybe it was a
vampire who did it. Those creeps freak me out.” Vampires and wolves
were usually enemies.

“No vampires on the island.”

“Or maybe a wolf from a rival pack. I mean
the two who died were from your pack, right?”

He leaned back in his chair. “What’s your
name, sweet thing?”

Definitely not Sweet Thing. “Daisy.”

“Daisy? Really?”

“What’s your name?”

“Joe.”

“Joe? Really?” I giggled.

He laughed. “Daisy it is.” He looked me over
in a whole new way, trying to make his mind up. “I’m heading back
to the island now. You want to come?”

“How am I getting home?

“I’ll bring you back.”

“And you’re gonna just show me around, right?
I’m no whore. I don’t go for guys who don’t treat a female the
right way.”

“I’ll be real polite.”

I shrugged. “Okay. Let’s go.”

“I just have to pick something up at the
building next door, then we can take off.”

“I’ll wait here.”

“See you in a few.”

“Cool.”

He left. The next thing I knew, two other
wolves had sat down across from me. “Who’re you working with,
Daisy?”

I sat up straighter and smoothed down my
hair. “I’m having coffee. Who are you?”

“Why’re you asking questions about what
happened on the island?”

“Cause I like to go there sometimes and now
it’s becoming a dangerous place.”

“You’re lying.”

“You can think whatever you want. Doesn’t
matter to me.”

“It’s going to matter a lot.” The dark haired
one gestured to the bald guy who took hold of my arm, squeezing it,
bruising it. I started to cry out for help but the one in charge
moved closer. “Scream or make a fuss and you die right here. You
understand?”

I whispered, so baldy wouldn’t tear off my
arm. “Is it better to let you assholes take me into the woods and
kill me there? “Cause I don’t think so.” And I let out the loudest
scream I could manage. I mean, shit, they didn’t have a gun to my
head or a knife to my gut.

“Fuck.” They both jumped up and ran out the
door, everyone in the shop was staring at me like I was nuts.

“They were gonna take me into the woods and
rape me.” I explained, fuming. That dope who was hitting on me must
have run to get his friends. What a wuss.

“Maybe you should leave, miss.” The guy in
front of me had a tag that said Rich Sokol, Manager.

“What?”

“We know those two. We don’t want any
trouble.”

“How about I call the cops?”

“Do what you want. Just call them from
outside.”

“You can’t kick me out. I haven’t done
anything wrong.”

“You’re disturbing the peace.”

“Like hell I am!” I shouted. The other
customers turned away. Through the large window I could see the
second two lurking across the street.
Great. Just great.
“
They’re still out there waiting for me.”

“There’s nothing I can do. The Catalina Pack
owns this neighborhood.”

“You should call the WPC.”

“I do that and my store’s burned to ash or
worse, they hurt my family.”

“Do you know of any wolves who’ve gone
missing? Wolves not from Catalina?”

“Yeah. The San Gabriel Mountain Pack has been
around asking about two of their members.”

“Do you remember their names?”

“I have it written down. I’ll get it.” He
disappeared behind a door in the back.

I pulled out my cell and called Jay.

“Where are you?”

“In the coffee shop half a block up the
street. Don’t come here. If they see you you’ll be in danger.”

“If who sees me?”

“Catalina wolves. They were pretty pissed off
that I was asking questions.”

“You were freakin’ asking Catalina Pack
wolves questions about the murder? Are you nuts?”

“I was being proactive.”

“You were being psychopathic.”

“You’re an idiot.” I heard mumbling in the
background. “Never mind. Charlie’s coming. You better wait right
there and not go out. You won’t recognize him, but he’ll be there
in a minute. He’s got red hair.”

“What are you talking about?”

A medium sized red headed guy came strolling
into the shop. As soon as he saw me, he waved, weaving through
tables to sit across from me, lookin’ all cheerful. No one in the
shop would’ve known he was pissed off—except me. He whispered,
“What were you thinking?”

“How did you do that?”

“Demon magic.”

“The fae can’t do it?”

“It’s rare for both species.”

“You won the magical lottery, huh?”

“Stop changing the subject and answer my
question.”

“You guys keep investigating while I’m sent
off to walk Samson. You told the chieftain that you wanted me to
help you with your P.I. business. So why are you ignoring what I
can do to help?”

“Like get yourself killed?” He looked at the
frightened faces of the other customers. “This is very
helpful.”

“I thought you were different. You talk the
big talk and then you’re like everyone else.”

“Ivy, I don’t want you to get hurt. You’re my
responsibility.”

“Why am I your responsibility but not Jay or
Rylen?”

“I’m responsible for their safety, too.”

“But you treat them like equals.”

He ran his hand through his curly hair,
looking a little shocked when it felt so different than the wavy
longer hair he’d been used to. “You’re…”

“A female, right?

“Yeah, obviously.”

“Jay told me your mom kicks butt.”

Charlie grinned, his freckled face giving him
a farm boy look. “She sure does. But she’s been training for
eighteen years.”

“I haven’t seen you and Jay training since
we’ve been together.”

“That’s changing today.”

“I can kick butt too.” I glanced out the
window again. Those guys were still out there. One of them was on
his cell phone pointing at the coffee shop.

“It’s not that you’re female, it’s that
you’re not trained to protect yourself.”

“Jay signed me up at the gym.”

“Yeah? That’s great.”

“He said he’s going to train me to
fight.”

“He’s a great martial artist. A gym is a
perfect place to start.” He looked me over, sizing me up. “Can we
reach a compromise?”

“Talk.”

“While you’re in training, you’ll work in the
office, help me handle customers, do paperwork and research.
Agree?”

I frowned, but I really had no choice.
“Agree.”

“When you show me that you can handle
yourself, then depending on the case, I’ll send you out with a
partner whose orders you will follow. But it’s my decision. And if
you sneak out solo and put yourself in danger again, that’s it.
You’re out.

I thought about what waited for me back at
court. I nodded.

“Say the words.”

“I agree, but I don’t like waiting.“ I picked
up my spoon. “Want me to slice open my palm? Maybe there’s a bread
knife around.”

“Don’t tempt me. You’re important to me and I
won’t take chances.”

“Why do you give a shit?”

“I do. That’s all. Jay does too.”

The manager came back with a scrap of paper.
“It took me a while to find it.”

“What’s this?” Charlie asked.

“The San Gabriel Mountain Pack is missing two
pack members.”

“There’s hope for you yet.” He was smiling
now. It made me feel good.

“Okay, Archie, how’re you gonna get us past
the wolves?”

“One of them is in the alley behind the
store.” Rich the manager piped in. ”Please Miss, I’d appreciate it
very much if you’d leave. I can’t afford having my business torn up
in a wolf fight.”

“We’re off.” Charlie stood. “Can we leave
through the back?”

“Of course.”

“Forget you ever saw us, okay?” Rich nodded,
his eyes glazing for a second. Charlie took my hand pulling me
through the kitchen and out the back door.

“Did you just…?”

“Can’t risk him blabbing about the
information he gave you.” His expression was grim, like he didn’t
like using his magic to change someone’s memories, but whoa, I was
sure glad I was on his side.

Like Rich said, Joe was waiting for me in the
back alley behind the building.

“Hello, sweet thing. Got yourself a new
friend?” He looked Charlie over. “Not much to look at, is he?”

“He’s a lot hotter than you, dumbass.”

“He is, brother.” The other two wolves had
overheard, moving down the alley at a leisurely pace. The only exit
was past them. They were laughing, thinking they had everything
under control. Man, were they wrong.

CHARLIE

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

This was not
how I expected to spend the afternoon. Leave it to Ivy to attract
the attention of three large pack wolves, all giving off waves of
can’t-wait-to-kick-butt energy. Their auras were crimson, a sure
sign of trouble.

“Wait in the doorway, Ivy, out of the way and
quiet. That’s an order.” She nodded frantically, picking up a
broken bottle and stepping into the shade of the doorway. She
calmed herself with a deep breath and focused her gaze on the
closest wolf.

I stepped forward, putting myself between Ivy
and the wolf who’d spoken. “Leave the female alone. She’s with
me.”

“She’s gonna be with us in about ten seconds,
unless you have a machine gun hidden inside that jacket.”

“I don’t want any innocents to get hurt.”

The wolf took a loud sniff. “What are you
anyway? You’re no human.”

“Definitely right about that.”

“She’s one of those sea freaks. I pinned out
her scent the minute she sat down.”

I shook my head in disgust. “They’re
kelpies.”