Chasing Trouble (5 page)

I
showered twice
in the morning, before and then after mopping floors and doing way too much manual labor to cover a lumpy cot with noisy neighbors. But Ruby made me shower with her shampoo and soap, so I would smell like her when I talked to the other alpha. Something about marking me as under her protection. If the hulking bruiser driving me to the meeting didn't mark me as under her protection, I didn't think some shampoo would make much of a difference.

I braided my hair back, hoping it didn't cause any more trouble after my bodyguard, Lewis, sniffed near me and then sneezed. Damn wolves. My heart beat faster as we approached the alpha's compound, a large warehouse in the outskirts of the city. His territory encompassed a great deal of the downtown, but Miles Evershaw liked his space. Or so Ruby claimed, rolling her eyes. And from the tone of her voice, I wondered if there were more to that than she chose to reveal.

But when I started grinning, about to tease, Rafe made a sharp slicing motion across his throat and gave me the big eyes that meant to shut the fuck up. So I only smiled meekly and thanked Ruby for her help. And promptly undid it with a "holy fucking shit, what beanstalk did
you
fall out of?" when she introduced her nephew, Lewis.

He really was a giant, easily six foot five or taller, since I couldn't crane my neck enough to see the top of his head. And broad shouldered and gruff and more like a mountain than a man. Or wolf. The car ride was silent after I made a joke about rolling down the window and sticking my head out, and he gave me a sideways look that almost stopped my heart. I just put on my sunglasses, more to hide my eyes than anything else, since the fall sky was too cloudy for good sun.

I'd woken up a ball of nerves from not sleeping well, though my dreams were more of Benedict than of what awaited me at Val's hands if I failed. The thought of Lacey and Cal only made me more miserable as I tried to choke down breakfast. The memory of Benedict's hushed voice and murmured appreciation from the night before made me brave enough to face the alpha.

Miles Evershaw generally stuck with his own kind. The only reason he agreed to meet me was because Ruby asked, and the alphas of the three wolf packs that split the city generally tried to stay on good terms. They had to, really, to balance the power of the lion pride, the hyenas, the jackals, the handful of bears roaming around, and other big cats. The wolves were more numerous but smaller, and relied on their packs to get shit done. Their organization meant they were more effective than any of the more democratic-minded shifters, and the alphas were all-powerful. Unfortunately, there weren't many female wolves left running around, so the boys were always on edge.

I chewed the inside of my cheek as Lewis slowed the car in the approach to the warehouse loading area, flashing his lights twice before sitting back to wait. I looked at him. "What's the hold up?"

"Security." He kept his hands on the steering wheel. "Don't make any sudden moves."

"Or what?"

"They'll shoot you."

"Oh." When I looked over, the corner of his mouth drew up in a smile and I couldn't tell if he were teasing or not. "It's not nice to make fun of people."

"I'm serious," he said, then used his chin to indicate the far corner of the building. "Don't move but you can see the light reflecting off the sniper up top."

"Fuck." I held my breath, trying to look inconspicuous and nonthreatening. My gorgon mojo might work on most of the pack, but it only took one wolf to rip out your throat.

Lewis received some signal I missed, because the car rolled into the lot and parked next to an enormous metal door. He got out, walked around the car, and opened my door, all the while scanning the surrounding area.

"Expecting an ambush?" I asked, trying to be funny.

"Usually." Lewis's hand landed heavy on the back of my neck, and he dragged me close enough to say under his breath, "Don't speak until spoken to. Be respectful. Don't try to be funny. And remember why you're here, and what you're willing to bargain. Don't make my aunt look stupid, got it?"

I squeaked something that might have been acquiescence, because he nodded and walked toward the massive door. It rolled open and two hard-eyed shifters looked at us from inside. Lewis inclined his head slightly, hand tightening on my neck until I did the same. His voice rumbled out into the mid-day calm. "Lewis O'Shea and Eloise Deacon. Here to see your alpha, with thanks from the O'Shea family for his consideration."

The woman, looking like she was made of the same metal as the damn door, measured him from head to toe, then turned on her heel and strode into the building. "This way."

The male shifter remained where he was, and the door groaned shut behind us. I held my breath.

I didn't exhale until we reached the very interior of the warehouse, which seemed empty for a place of business. I made a mental note to ask Ruby what it was the SilverLine pack did to pay their bills, then thought better of it. I didn't like people prying into my business; based on the security, neither did Miles Evershaw.

The woman led us into a huge office with a massive desk, obsessively neat, as well as a six person conference table and a large sofa and two chairs. Coffee percolated off to the side. I desperately wanted some. The caffeine might not be as good as a shot of liquor to steel my nerves, but it would help. The alpha sat behind his desk, not acknowledging us as the woman disappeared out the door and shut it behind her. And so we waited.

I wanted to fidget. I desperately wanted to sit down, or fiddle with my watch, or check my phone. Lewis stood stone-still beside me, impassive and so damn silent I wondered if he'd actually just fallen asleep on his feet. Miles kept typing at his computer, then said, "My second will be here in a moment," and went back to his work.

Lewis said nothing, still waiting. I studied the SilverLine alpha, not daring take off my sunglasses lest I challenge him without meaning to. He wasn't quite as scary as I thought he'd be; though I'd heard plenty of stories about the bastard Miles Evershaw from the hyenas, I'd never seen the man in person. He was not much older than Benedict, maybe mid-30s, with the unlined skin of un-aging shifters. Broad shoulders, though I couldn't tell how tall he was from where he sat at the desk, but he didn't look bigger than meathead Lewis. Large hands, though, that dwarfed the computer mouse he used, snarling as he tried and failed to click something.

The door blew open behind us and a cheerful guy strode in, clapping Lewis on the back. "Hey mate. Been a while."

"Todd," Lewis said, shaking his hand.

The second-in-command for SilverLine studied me with an amused look on his face. "So you're what all the fuss is about? Little thing like you?"

Irritation rankled under my skin and I wanted to pull off the sunglasses, but as I tensed, Lewis's grip tightened on my neck. He still took a step back, though, as did the second. Miles looked up from his desk, frowning.

I cleared my throat, praying my voice stayed calm. "Thank you for agreeing to help. I appreciate --"

"I didn't agree to help you," the alpha said, power oozing from his voice and posture as he stood. "I agreed to hear you out."

"That is how we understood it, alpha," Lewis said, fingers digging into my neck, and I scowled at him.

Miles moved around to the front of his desk, leaning back against it as he studied me. "What's with the sunglasses?"

"Sensitive to light. Alpha," I said, shrugging a little to try to dislodge Lewis's grip.

"Lose them. I don't do business with someone if I haven't seen their eyes." And he waited, arms folded over his chest.

I chewed my lip but complied, folding the sunglasses and sticking them in my bag. I glanced near his face and then away, fidgeting with a loose string on my jeans. There weren't any windows in the office, and the walls slowly closed in around me.

Miles grunted, something like "Huh," then rubbed his chin. "What are you?"

So many rude men in that damn city. I bristled a little, the scary mojo bucking up more when I felt on edge. The upheaval of the last couple days put me in overdrive. "I'm not like you."

"Clearly." The alpha's eyes narrowed, and his second-in-command leaned on the edge of the desk, peering at me as well.

"I prefer not to say." It sounded ridiculous, small and weak in that testosterone-laden office of posturing and position and hierarchy. My preferences didn't matter a whole lot in that world. "I'm not a shifter of any kind, and I'm not a witch."

The wolves always worried about witches. Witches and hunters -- that was all they cared about. Miles's impassive expression didn't thaw. "What do you want from me, girl?"

The scary mojo simmered and the cold gathered around my eyes. He didn't have to be a jerk about it. He already had all the power. No reason to be rude. Lewis took a step back, muttering something under his breath at me about keeping my shit together. I concentrated on Lacey, and Cal, and not being an indentured servant to Val Szdoka. "Two nights ago, one of the Szdoka girls was kidnapped. Thursday night, Val asked me to drop the ransom money near Aaron's Chili Bowl."

He made an irritated noise in his throat and the second's eyebrows rose. Lewis took another step back. Miles made a sharp gesture for me to continue, and I did, glancing between them for a long moment. "Cops chased me off before I could see who picked it up. When I went back, the money was gone, but the kidnappers didn't give Lacey back."

Todd, the second, tapped his chin. "So why are you here instead of the hyenas?"

I didn't want to admit my precarious position, but they already had all the power. They didn't have to help me at all, so I didn't really have anything to lose. "Val thinks it's some kind of scam I'm running on her. She wants her money or her daughter, or I'm dead."

Miles didn't speak for so long I wanted to break the silence, say or do something to alleviate the rising tension. Pressure built behind my eyes and I stared at his chest, concentrating on not going too far into panic and fear. That brought up the bad mojo just as quickly as being dismissed or called a kid.

The alpha frowned at me. "What do you want, then? Me to challenge the hyenas over them trespassing? Go to war with Szdoka over a botched ransom?"

"Fuck, no." I bit my lip as Todd's lips twitched, and my cheeks started to burn. Great. I cleared my throat and held up my hands. "That is, no, thank you. I just need information on who was on your territory that night so I can find the money. Or Lacey. I'd rather find Lacey. Someone bad has her and I want to get her back."

Miles didn't move, his expression didn't change. He might as well have been a wax statue with a speaker attached. "Thursday night near Aaron's Chili Bowl. You left a bag of money and it disappeared, and now you want to know who took it."

"Yes." The silence stretched, so I added, "Please."

Todd, thin face definitely amused, fiddled with his phone. "Well, since you asked so nicely ..." I held my breath, not daring to hope.

The alpha studied me, head tilted. "Kitsune."

I blinked, startled into looking at him, and was caught. His alpha magic swirled up and his power rolled through the room, suffocating enough it sent Lewis reeling back almost to the door. I stood my ground, hands clenched at my sides, and a blizzard smacked into my eyes. My cheeks burned with cold, not embarrassment, and my hair grew heavier. Unbraided itself in jerky motions. I cursed, trying to break eye contact, but Miles refused to look away or let me go, even as the strain etched deep lines around his eyes. Beautiful gray eyes, he had, with dark lashes. My throat burned with the need to cry out, to scream my fury at the world, for the hate in my blood to escape along with the curses, but I held it in. Gripped the seam of my jeans and bore down, eyes narrowed. I managed to grind out a few words, "Release me. You have to release me."

Something crashed into me and I flew backwards, Todd's momentum taking us over the back of the chairs and onto the coffee table in front of the sofa. The maelstrom of power and challenge ebbed, faded away to nothing, and I groaned, pressed my hands to my eyes and fumbled for my sunglasses. Holy shit.

Todd, half on top of me, pushed himself up enough to look down at me. "What the hell was that?"

"I can't always control it," I said, not daring look near his face. Not wanting to think about how close I came to turning the SilverLine alpha, his second, and Ruby's favorite nephew into stone statues. "Thank you for -- stopping it."

"You're welcome." His head tilted as he looked at me, an odd expression on his face. "You smell good."

"Oh. Um, thanks. That's Ruby's shampoo, so..." My hair lay loose and tangled under my shoulders, made it difficult to lift my head and see what happened to Lewis. Especially since Todd didn't seem inclined to let me up.

"No, it's something else." His head dipped and he pressed his nose against my hairline, near my ear, and inhaled so deeply his chest expanded against mine. "Huh. You smell like cloves, a little. Maybe. No, maybe cardamom." He did it again, and again, huffing and puffing against my hair and naming spices.

I tried to look back at where Lewis might be, bracing my hands on Todd's shoulders. "Could I, um, could I get up? This is a little weird."

"Sure." He didn't even blink, not embarrassed for a second as he jumped up, pulled me to my feet, and kept trying to smell me.

Irritated, I pushed him away. "Cut it out. It's her shampoo, I swear."

And found Miles still watching me, though his hair was a little ruffled. Lewis sat, face bloodless, near the door. Like his life had just flashed in front of his eyes. The SilverLine alpha's voice retained the exact same tone, measured and deliberate. "So not kitsune, I take it?"

"No." I cleared my throat and rubbed my upper arms, just wanting to be out of there. I'd wasted too much time already. "If you know of any other clans or families on your territory Thursday night, I would appreciate if you could let me know."

"Appreciation doesn't help me." Miles straightened and walked around his desk, taking his seat once more. "I might know a few details that will help you, but I require something in return."