In Deeper (22 page)

“Lance saw nothing either?” Drake barked into his Bluetooth.

Micah’s hearing was sharp, but he didn’t hear the response over the pounding of his feet on the pavement. He sprinted up the hill, keeping to the side of the busy street. With Labor Day coming up the next week, tourists already filled the island, and their cars made the roads much more crowded than usual. Micah didn’t stop to consider what he would do to the shooter when he found him. The scene was too public, and he doubted a lid would remain over his control. Drake kept pace beside him while continuing to interrogate Reed over the phone. His breathing sounded evenly spaced, while Micah couldn’t draw enough oxygen into his lungs. Fear for Celeste, and thoughts of what may have been, sent a chill over his body and tightened his vocal cords. The bastard had almost killed her a second time. Micah wouldn’t rest until he found the man and dealt with him.

At another intersection, Micah paused and sniffed. “This way,” he directed Drake, and he didn’t wait to see if the alpha followed before he set off to the right. The road led down to the yacht club, a place where Emma had been taken a couple of months ago and nearly drowned to escape her abductors.

“There!” Micah caught sight of a man dressed in head-to-toe black but with the distinctive ginger hair of Celeste’s assistant.

Micah skidded down the short embankment and darted down the wooden pier. The man was trapped. He would have nowhere to go unless he dove into the ocean. Micah had no doubts he’d be the stronger swimmer. Not only had he medaled in his high school swim team, but he also had the strength of his wolf to carry him.

The man reached the end of the dock and windmilled his arms to keep from tumbling over. Micah slowed his pace and approached with more caution. Now that the man had nowhere to run, Micah took his time.

“Drop your gun,” Drake ordered.

Micah barely flickered an eyelash. He hadn’t forgotten the gun, but he’d recognized the sound of the shot. It had been a single-shot rifle. Unless the man was an expert at reloading, he hadn’t time to put another bullet into the chamber.

“I don’t have a gun,” the man called back. “I left it.”

“Amateur,” Drake muttered beneath his breath.

And thank God for it, Micah thought. Had the man not been, Celeste would be dead. The thought sent another chill down his spine, this one even colder. He couldn’t lose her. Not when he’d finally realized he loved her.

Micah took a step forward. He was less than ten feet away from Karl, and the scent of fear was overpowering. Tremors shook his prey from head to toe. “Why did you do it?”

Karl glanced at the water beneath his feet and then back at them. “I had to.”

“Why?” Micah demanded. “She never did anything to you.”

Karl shoved a hand through his buzzed hair, but his fingers shook so badly he didn’t complete the motion. “I didn’t want to, but they made me.”

“They?” Drake jumped into the conversation. “Who are they?”

Karl shrugged. “The Underground League. They’re from Atlanta, a mob that formed over the past couple of decades. They threatened to kill my family if I didn’t do what they said.”

The Underground League. Micah filed the information away and continued to question Karl. “How did you get involved with them?”

Karl took an audible ragged breath. “I couldn’t pay my student loans. I was desperate. Interning for Proctor Publications was my dream gig, but it didn’t pay enough. So I received money from The Underground League in exchange for infiltrating Celeste’s personal files.”

Drake’s expression remained hard, yet pity reflected in the depths when he cast his gaze toward Micah. “What do we do with him?”

Micah had wanted to rip him to pieces, but hearing the sincerity in Karl’s voice and recognizing the desperation forced his desire for revenge away. “Call the police. Let them deal with him.”

“Are you sure?” Drake arched an eyebrow.

“Never mind.” Micah made a split-second decision. “Have Leo come get him. We’ll need him for interrogation.”

Drake nodded and punched numbers into his cell phone. “Exactly. This League must be stopped.”

Tension slipped from Micah’s shoulders. No longer racked by the need for revenge, he forced his mind to focus. Karl watched them timidly from the end of the dock, but he didn’t attempt to move.

Micah gave him a hard look. “Where is the League now?”

Karl shook his head. “I don’t know. They left. Said something about a lion and packed their things last night after giving me last-minute orders to kill Celeste.”

Micah growled. “Why? Why were they after her?”

“To make a statement,” Karl answered. “They won’t blame me for failing, will they?”

Micah clenched his fist and took a step forward. How dare the dickhead worry about his own safety when he’d set out to murder the woman Micah loved!

Drake touched Micah’s arm and stepped between them. “Listen, Karl. Tell us everything you know about the League. We’re not prepared to kill you, but I’ll tell you this once. You’re lucky my brother hasn’t ripped you to shreds. The only reason you’re still breathing is because you displayed an ounce of humanity. But say stupid shit like that again, and I won’t hesitate to kill you myself. Celeste is my friend, and I don’t take kindly to someone poisoning and shooting her. So you’d better hold your tongue, or I’ll saw it off myself.”

Karl gulped and his eyes just about popped out of his head. “Yes…yes, sir.”

Micah bit his lip to keep from grinning. When Drake was in alpha mode, he was a genius at intimidation. “Thanks.”

Drake flashed him an amused look. “No problem.”

By the time Leo arrived, they’d gotten as much information as they could from Karl. He wasn’t aware of the inner workings of the League, but he did confirm the address they’d lived at in Savannah and suspected they’d moved toward Alabama, possibly targeting a group of bear shifters near the Florida state line next.

“What do they have against shifters?” Drake asked.

Leo placed a pair of handcuffs on Karl and shoved him into the back of his unmarked car. The sunlight gleamed on his blond hair as he shut the door and turned to face them. “The League is suspected to be a mixture of different breeds, perhaps outcasts from several groups around the country. Atlanta has a large population of alpha-less shifters, and GBOPA believes they came together for revenge, pure and simple. But with so many shifters working together, it’s almost impossible to catch up to them. They have the senses of the wolves, the speed of the lions, and the power of the bears. No one knows what their plan is, but we have to be prepared. What you did today, capturing Karl, may be the best lead we have so far.”

Leo stuck out his hand to Drake and continued, “On behalf of GBOPA, we thank you. I’ll contact you as soon as I speak to my superiors and confirm that the League has moved on.”

Micah shook his hand next, the lion’s hand warm and firm in his grasp. A twinkle appeared in Leo’s eyes. “Take good care of her. Celeste is quite a woman.”

Micah chuckled. “That she is. Thanks for your help.”

Leo nodded and slipped into the driver’s seat of the dark SUV. “Do you need a lift?”

“We’ll walk back. It’s not far,” Drake answered.

After the GBOPA agent had gone, Micah and Drake headed back to the beach house. “I’ll call Emma and tell her we’re on the way.”

Micah nodded at his brother. “Ask how Celeste is.”

The discussion with Drake’s wife was short. After disconnecting the call, Drake smiled at him. “Celeste is fine. Cursing up a storm because of the stitches, but it won’t cause any long-lasting damage.”

“Good.” Micah couldn’t wait to get to her. Despite the information, he had to see her for himself, observe that she was OK.

“I’m proud of you, you know,” Drake said and kicked at a loose pebble on the street.

Micah jerked his head to the side. “For what?”

“For stepping up and becoming a beta. I’ve always wanted you to.”

“I know.” Micah lowered his gaze to the road, focusing on the gravel beneath his feet, instead of the surge of emotion his brother’s words invoked. “I wasn’t ready until now.”

“Celeste is a lucky girl.”

Micah would always remember that Drake had her initially, but for the first time, he was secure in the fact that Celeste had chosen him. He wasn’t second best or a consolation prize. She’d always wanted him. Micah. Not the alpha. The knowledge went a long way toward healing his past hurts. “Thanks, bro.”

* * *

The doctor snipped a final thread and set aside his scissors. “There. All done. I must say, Ms. Proctor, you’re a lucky gal. A couple inches to the left and it could’ve hit an artery. Saving you might’ve been impossible if it had.”

Celeste was used to brushes with mortality, but she was shaken to the core. She wanted a life, one unconsumed by work and instead filled with Micah and the family they would hopefully have one day soon.

She tilted her arm to gaze at the tidy row of stitches lining her bicep. “Wasn’t my time, I guess.”

The doctor gathered his tools and popped them into a utilitarian black bag, one Celeste imagined Old West surgeons carrying around with them. “Here’s a prescription for pain medication, if you need it.”

She took the slip of paper and tucked it into her pocket. “Thank you, Doctor.”

He nodded and exited the room. No sooner had he left than Emma and Alyssa piled through the door. “Did it hurt?” Alyssa asked with a shudder. “I can’t stand stitches.”

Celeste shrugged. “He numbed it first. Felt like more of a pinch than anything.”

Emma ventured closer and perched on the edge of the mattress. “Drake called. He and Micah are on their way back.”

“Did they catch him?” Celeste hated the thought of Karl being out there somewhere, watching and waiting to make another attempt on her life.

“Yes.” Emma’s one-word response lightened Celeste’s mood. “Leo came and picked up the shooter. He’s taking him to GBOPA headquarters for interrogation.”

“Good. That’s a relief.” Celeste wasn’t sure how much the other ladies suspected about her assistant’s involvement, so she let the subject drop.

Alyssa bounced onto the other side of the bed. “Does this mean you can have the gala tomorrow?”

Celeste shook her head. “It’s too late. I’ve already canceled the catering and informed everyone I invited. Or at least, I hope I did.” She wasn’t sure if Karl had followed up on the task, but since she’d received texts from several of her editors over the past few hours, she would assume the word had gotten out.

Emma’s lips twisted into a small moue. “I’m sorry. I know how much you looked forward to it.”

“It doesn’t matter.” And it didn’t. After everything that had happened, Celeste realized there was more to life than living and breathing Proctor Publications. “We’ll reschedule.”

The girls seemed content to sit and talk with her. Celeste had a hunch they were scared she’d run off now that the immediate danger had passed. Leaving was the last thing on her mind. She wanted to see Micah. Wanted to know that the threat was behind her. Not for her own safety, but for her peace of mind. She wanted nothing to mar her time with him.

Not to mention, she wanted that date he’d promised her.

A soft knock on the door brought her head up. “Come in.”

Drake entered first, followed by Micah. The alpha lingered by the door, but Micah came straight to her side. Emma moved aside for him to sit beside her. “Are you OK?”

The concern in his eyes moved her. “I’m fine. I heard you caught him.”

“We did.” Micah glanced back at Drake. “From what Leo told us, you’re safe now.”

Drake smiled at her. “We have some loose ends to tie up on our end, but the threat to you is clear.” He motioned to the others. “Come on, everyone. Let’s give Celeste a chance to rest.”

Celeste barely paid attention as the others filed out of the room. She only had eyes for Micah. She reached for his hand and pressed his warm palm to her cheek. “It’s over?”

“It’s over.” He caressed her temple with the tips of his fingers. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” The response was automatic. She didn’t have to stop and think about it. She loved him. Simple as that.

He scooted closer and leaned over to kiss her. She returned the kiss with fervor, grateful that nothing had happened to him or her. When he pulled away, she licked her bottom lip, tasting the spicy essence of him. “Thank you for finding him.”

His expression remained at ease, but determination darkened his irises. “We’ll follow up with GBOPA, find out what is happening with the League. We’re not the only shifters at risk. But for now, the Society is safe. Most importantly, you’re
safe. When I heard the gunshot…”

She shushed him and cupped his face between her hands. “It was only a flesh wound.”

He rolled his eyes. “Only you would get shot and take it so calmly.”

She bit her lip to keep from smiling. “I won’t lie. It scared the heck out of me. But I survived. I’m still here. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

“You’re not going anywhere. Not if I can help it.” He covered her hands with his and pressed them together. “Stay with me.”

She twitched her fingers loose. “I can’t stay here forever.”

“Not here. Stay with me, wherever we decide home is. Share it with me.”

She hadn’t thought of the future. He made his home in Nashville for most of the year. Hers was in Savannah. “I can’t move.”

“I’m not asking you to.” He dipped his head low and touched his forehead to hers. “We’ll make our home here. I can record music anywhere. There’ll be times I have to leave, but I promise I’ll always come back to you.”

Giddy relief flooded her system. “Our home? You want to live with me?”

“The way I see it, you have two options. We live together in your house. Or we buy one together. I can’t keep sneaking into your bedroom at my brother’s.”

“This is your home,” she pointed out.

He shrugged. “I want to make a new one with you. Plus Drake will need the room when his little one comes. I’m not getting tricked into diaper duty. Not yet anyway. I prefer to wait until my own kids come along.”