The muted nicker of the horses broke the silence as Aren and I walked the length of the barn. When we got to the other end, I sighed and shook my head, staring out into the darkness. “I’m going to make whoever did this pay.”
“And that’s going to bring Gabe back, how?” Aren asked.
I glanced over at my brother. Aren was always so logical. It was annoying as hell.
“Nothing can bring him back,” I said. “But knowing the cat who did this is no longer breathing might go a long way to relieving some of my anger.”
Aren nodded, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “It might. But the question is, why are you so angry?”
“What?” My blood pressure shot up a couple of notches, but I did my best to hide it. “I’m pissed because one of our best friends is dead. Gone way too soon. A jaguar murdered him, and I intend to even the score. Simple.”
“Is it?” Aren raised a brow.
I shook my head. “They murdered Gabe, Aren. Are you going to stand by and let that happen? Doesn’t this piss you off, even a little?”
My brother nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’m upset. We all are. But we also hunt as a Pack. You’re acting like you’re going to jump in your Jeep like a one-man militia. We’ve lost Pack members before. I want to know why this time has you so riled up.”
I stared at my brother. My twin. My best friend. For the first time in my life, I was hiding something from him. How could I tell him that while I’d been on patrol for jaguars during the new moon, I actually found one? And instead of killing her, the wolf inside of me recognized her as my mate.
I couldn’t. I couldn’t tell any of them. They wouldn’t understand. Hell, I didn’t understand it myself. Until I did, I couldn’t let any of the Pack know about Lana.
I shook my head. “I’m not going to debate this with you. I’ll find the bastard who did this, and then I’ll make him wish he never set foot in Reno.”
“I’ll go with you,” Aren said. “No one should go after this guy alone.”
“New moon is over. He won’t be able to shift. I can take care of it.”
“He may not turn into a jaguar, but he could still fire a gun.”
I yanked my keys out of my pocket as I walked toward my Jeep. “I’ll call you once I track the guy down, okay?”
Aren stepped in front of me, blocking my path, his gaze searching, judging my own.
“I know you’re hiding something, Adam.” Aren kept his voice low. “Whatever it is, you can’t shut us out. Family comes first.”
I clenched my jaw and nodded. “I know.”
“But you’re still not going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Nothing’s going on.” I moved around Aren to the driver’s side.
I jumped into the driver’s seat and Chaney’s engine fired to life. I drove up the road, but my eyes were on my rearview mirror. Aren never moved. I watched my twin get smaller and smaller as the distance between us grew.
Chapter Seven
I stayed inside the Starbucks for at least a half hour, sipping coffee and hoping Gabe’s killer was long gone. Adam still hadn’t called, but I understood. His friend died in his arms today. It didn’t stop me from wishing I knew when he’d be meeting me back at the hotel though.
At this rate, I had to make my own plan. There was no one to rely on but myself, and being on my own was my way of life. I could figure something out.
Creepy cat man’s threat to track me down echoed through my mind, and a chill crept down my back. I’d never been on the run from an actual
Actually he confronted me, but either way, now that I knew he was out there, waiting for me, it made it much tougher to devise a plan and force myself to go outside again. Knowing the Starbucks was about to close was an effective impetus though. I needed to get back to the hotel.
I wasn’t sure if Gabe’s killer knew which hotel I was staying in. He’d caught up with me at the library, but I didn’t have a clue how long he’d been following me. What if he was back at the hotel waiting for me to arrive? Adrenaline lit up my bloodstream.
When my cell phone rang I almost fell off my chair. Yeah, I was the picture of calm and cool.
I flipped open my phone, grateful to hear Adam’s voice. “Lana? Tell me how you found this guy. Are you all right?”
“I’m okay, but don’t go to the hotel. I’m not sure it’s safe.”
I could almost hear him frowning through the phone. “Where are you?”
“I’m at the downtown Starbucks on Virginia Street.”
“Good. Stay there. It’s well-lit and public.”
I rolled my eyes. Why did he think I came in here in the first place?
“They’re about to close, so hurry.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” he said.
I closed my phone and got up to throw away my cup when a thought struck me. If the creepy cat man was the one who attacked Gabe and then dumped him at the lake so we would find him, just how long had he been following me? What did he know of Adam?
A cold chill shot down my spine.
I collapsed back onto my chair, trying to make some sense of the jumbled facts floating around inside of my head. By the time the door opened, I’d lost all track of time. My gaze shot to the entrance, and my heart jumped at the sight of Adam. It was like all the problems plaguing me vanished for a split second when I saw him walking toward me. At that moment, I was incredibly grateful he couldn’t read my mind.
Adam came to the table, walked right past the other chair, took my hand, and tugged me straight up into his arms. Instinctively, my own slid around him and my hands grazed up his back. While my brain was reprimanding me that I was already getting way too attached to this man, I couldn’t stop myself from accepting his comfort. Knowing I had someone in my corner was a new sensation. When he finally drew back, his voice was rough with emotion, and his gaze burned into mine. “I’m glad you’re all right. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”
My hold on him loosened as I took a step back. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I didn’t realize this guy was following me or I wouldn’t have left the hotel.”
“We knew someone dumped Gabe off at the lake so we would find him,” he said. “I should’ve realized he’d still be following.” His hands clenched into fists at his side. “So who is he? Do you know—”
“I’ll tell you everything I know,” I said as I grabbed my cell from the table and slid it into my pocket. I scanned the coffee shop. “But let’s get someplace safe so we can make a plan.”
He nodded. “First we’ll find another hotel where he won’t find you.”
“He claims he can track me anywhere.”
Adam’s brow shot up. “I can track you too, but it’s tougher if we stay in crowded places. Too many scents to isolate a trail.”
“I need to go back for my bag and my laptop.” Adam’s shoulders tensed up. I shook my head. “Don’t start. I need my laptop. All my work is in it. No laptop, no money. I have to go get it, creepy cat man or not.”
“All right.” He held his hands up in mock surrender and nodded. “But I’m going with you.”
“Actually, you’re not.”
His hands dropped and his brow furrowed. “Oh, yes, I am.”
“I don’t think he knows what you look like, Adam. I don’t think he knew what I looked like either. He bumped
