How had she allowed Tucker to talk her into waiting here? Okay, he’d had her naked in the shower. And he’d been doing all sorts of delicious things with his tongue, but still…
The sound of approaching footsteps intruded into her frustrated thoughts. Hiking up the folds of Tucker’s robes, she rushed out of the bedroom.
“Tucker?”
The front door was pushed open and her gorgeous bear stepped into the room. Instantly, the air was filled with his warm, spicy scent along with the prickling power of his animal.
A tingle of excitement raced through her. How the hell had she ever missed the fact that he was a shifter? His presence was a tangible force.
“I come with gifts,” he murmured, tossing her a canvas bag.
Instinctively she caught it, opening the zipper to pull out a pair of jeans and a peach turtleneck sweater, along with some silky underwear. Her lips twisted at the sight of the tags that were still attached.
He’d clearly remembered her fierce refusal to wear anything that might have belonged to one of his lovers.
A bear who could be trained, she wryly acknowledged.
Dangerous.
“Thanks,” she muttered, shrugging out of the robe to pull on the clothing. They were loose, but they were better than drowning in Tucker’s clothes. She reached back into the bag to pull out the tennis shoes and slid them onto her feet. Once she had them tied, she straightened to meet Tucker’s watchful gaze. “Did you find the name of the guard?”
He gave a slow nod. “I did. Ian Viker.”
Ian Viker. She committed the name to memory. She wanted to see it etched on a gravestone.
“Did you get an address?”
Another slow nod. “Just a few miles away.”
Disbelief jolted through her. After all these years. After all the dead ends and disappointments.
Could she dare to hope that her prey was within her grasp?
“Then what are we waiting for?” she demanded in thick tones.
His expression was unreadable. “We need to talk.”
“No.” She planted her fists on her hips. She knew what those words meant. She’d endured them a thousand times over the past seven years. “I don’t want to hear any sermons on turning the other cheek or bullshit about the emptiness of revenge.”
He stepped forward, his eyes dark with understanding. “I’m not going to say any of those things.”
“Then what?”
He paused before saying the words he clearly sensed she wasn’t going to like.
“Have you considered the possibility that your greatest revenge might come from leaving the guard alive?”
Nicole flinched. As if she’d been slapped in the face.
Leave the monster who’d shot down her child alive?
“No.”
He stepped forward. “Hear me out. Please.”
She huffed out an impatient sigh. It was the ‘please’ that did it.
“Fine.”
He grimaced, easily hearing the pain in her voice. “The bastard deserves to die. Hell, I want to rip out his heart and stuff it down his throat,” he rasped, his eyes abruptly glowing with the power of his bear. “But he’s just a small part of the evil. We have to cut off the head of the snake if we want it to die.”
Nicole wrapped her arms around her waist. She didn’t want to accept that he might have a point. Who cared if he could help the shifters? She wanted to destroy the man who’d ruined her life.
She’d waited so long.
Too long.
But he continued to stare at her, clearly needing her to hear him out.
“So what are you suggesting?” she grudgingly asked.
“The SAU managed to cover up the crime five years ago, but the political climate isn’t the same,” he said in a gentle voice. “If we could capture the guard and force him to confess to a room full of reporters that he murdered an innocent child, they might start to see just how corrupt the SAU has become.”
She immediately shook his head. “They would never believe him.”
“They would if we had proof.” He lifted his hand, revealing a file folder.
Nicole reached out, only to yank back her hand. She’d had enough nightmares, thank you very much. She didn’t need to add to her sleepless nights.
She grimaced. “The SAU would crush the story before it could ever get out.”
“We have contacts with media outlets that aren’t intimidated by the SAU,” he revealed. “In fact, they relish the opportunity to expose the bastards.”
Nicole shrugged. She found it hard to believe that anyone had the ability to fight against the subversive agency. They’d been the boogiemen who’d intimidated and imprisoned and brutalized her people for so long, they didn’t even remember what it was like to be free.
But even if there were a few brave journalists willing to spread the story, it didn’t mean that it would change anything.
“You don’t know what you’re asking,” she hissed.
“You’re right. I don’t,” he admitted, reaching out to brush the back of his fingers down her cheek. “I can’t even imagine the pain you’ve had to suffer day after day. But I do understand your need for blood. I felt the same way after my father’s death, even though I was just a young child.”
Nicole’s simmering frustration faltered. She knew Tucker’s heart and soul.
He was loyal, kind, fiercely protective, and unexpectedly playful.
But there were large parts of his life that remained a mystery.
“He was killed?” she asked.
“Yes.” A bone-deep pain tightened his beautiful features. “When they started rounding up shifters, my father sent my mother and me into hiding but he stayed behind to try and stand with those who refused to be caged.” His eyes were unfocused as if he were lost in his memories. “He was shot in the back.”
Nicole reached out to lay her fingers on his forearm. Her own parents had died during the roundup of shifters. She’d been raised by an aunt, although it’d been Soren’s mother who’d truly taken on the role of parent.
“I’m sorry,” she husked.
He dipped his head in acknowledgment of her sympathy. “I can barely recall his face, but I have a vivid memory of learning he was dead. I was overwhelmed with the primitive urge to hunt down and destroy those responsible.” He paused before giving a sharp shake of his head. Perhaps dismissing the painful memories. “Instead, I can only use my powers as a healer to try and save as many of my people as possible. I hope in some small way I’m honoring his sacrifice.”
Nicole dropped her hand and took a step back. Logically, she realized he was making sense, but her heart still ached for revenge.
“I need to see him dead,” she said in a harsh voice.
“Then he’s dead,” Tucker announced with a shocking swiftness. Placing the file on a nearby table, he held out his hand. “Let’s go.”
She frowned. Tucker had many fine qualities, but he was stubborn as a mule.
“That’s it?” she asked with blatant suspicion. “You aren’t going to argue?”
He held her gaze as if willing her to accept the sincerity of his words.
“Only you can decide how this is going to play out,” he told her. “I’m just going along to provide the muscle.”
Another layer of the ice that had coated her heart since Bowe’s death melted. This male possessed a unique ability to strip away the defenses that she’d built with such painstaking care.
Still, she ignored the hand he continued to hold out.
She wasn’t losing another person she loved.
“No.”
He blinked in confusion. “No?”
She folded her arms over her chest, preparing for a fight. “You’re not going.”
Tucker moved forward. He didn’t have the smooth prowl of a feline. Or even the grace of a wolf. Instead, he plowed straight toward her, his bear glowing in his eyes.
“I’m fairly certain that I didn’t hear you
right.”
She wasn’t a submissive, but it took every ounce of her willpower not to cringe beneath the force of his overwhelming presence.
“You’re a part of the Unseen,” she managed to mutter between stiff lips.
His nose flared. “That’s not a newsflash.”
“You can’t be caught with a shifter,” she continued. Did she really have to spell it out? It seemed she did, as he simply glared at her with smoldering anger. “You’ll put your entire Pack at risk.”
“It’s my decision.”
She rolled her eyes. She didn’t have much experience with bears, but she didn’t think they were all so aggravating.
Were they?
“You’re not thinking clearly,” she informed him.
A humorless smile stretched his lips. “I’m freshly mated. I’m not supposed to be thinking clearly.”
“Tucker-”
He pressed a finger to her lips, halting her protest. “We both go. Or neither of us.” He leaned down, his expression hard with an unmistakable warning. “Decide.”
Shit. He was serious.
If she didn’t agree to let him go with her, then he wasn’t going to give her the information she so desperately craved. Hell. She didn’t doubt he would lock her in this cabin if she didn’t give in.
She made a sound of annoyance. “Bossy bear.”
****
Tucker pulled the nondescript mid-size car to a halt on the corner of the quiet street. Broomfield was a suburb close to Boulder, with streets that were lined with brick homes, neatly trimmed yards, and family cars parked in the driveways.
Not the sort of place he would expect to find a ruthless killer. But then again, that could be the point. If the SAU wanted to keep the guard from being found, then what better place to hide him?
However, the info that’d been put in the file may have been a deliberate trick for anyone searching for information on the ruthless murderer. He and Nicole could easily be walking into a trap.
Seated beside him, Nicole sent him a frown. “Why are you stopping?”
He nodded to the small house that was nearly hidden behind a wooden fence.
“Viker’s home is at the end of the street,” he murmured, muttering a curse as she shoved her car door open. Reaching out, he grasped her arm. “Nicole.”
She scowled, her teeth gritted. Nothing unusual. She’d been scowling and gritting her teeth since he refused to allow her to run off without him.
“Do you sense something?” she demanded.
“Not yet,” he admitted, his gaze moving over the neighborhood that was drenched in the late morning sunlight. “But I’m not going to charge in until we know exactly what we’re getting into.”
She gave a grudging nod. She might be frustrated with him, but she wasn’t stupid.
“You want me to do a search?” she asked.
“Yes, but first we watch,” he decided.
He could feel her studying his profile. “Watch for what?”
His gaze continued to skim from one house to another. “Security cameras. Local cops. Suspicious traffic. Every neighborhood has its own pulse.”
He settled back in the seat that wasn’t created for a man his size. Of course, he’d spent enough time on stakeouts to know that even the most comfortable seat became cramped and lumpy over time.
The only plus this time was the sweet scent of Nicole that teased at his senses, reminding him of the long hours of pleasure they’d shared in his bed.
They settled in to watch the humans go about their business. Most houses were empty since the occupants had already left for work, but there were a few mothers with younger kids at home. There were also delivery trucks, a postal carrier, and a construction crew that was replacing the roof on a garage.
“What happened after your father died?” Nicole abruptly broke the silence.
“My mother raised me near the North Pole.”
She gave a startled laugh. “Like Santa Claus?”
“Yep.” He turned his head to witness her rare smile, his bear savoring the knowledge that he’d earned such an elusive gift. “It was brutally cold, so I spent most of my time as a bear until Sinclair traveled through the area and recruited me to join his Pack.”
“Why did you join him?”
He considered for a long moment. It was a question he’d asked himself. After all, he’d been perfectly satisfied spending his life roaming the Arctic as a bear. The sheer simplicity of it was addictive, and there were times when he went weeks without recalling that he had a human side. But once Sinclair had intruded into his solitary existence, he’d found the urge to be a part of a Pack stirred to life.
“I believed in his cause,” he said.
“And what’s that?”
He shrugged. “Destroying the SAU from the inside out.”
She nodded, thankfully not demanding a thorough explanation of the Unseen’s plans to topple the SAU. He trusted her with his very life, but Sinclair would skin him if he shared sensitive information before they were formally mated.
Something he intended to complete as soon as she was done with Ian Viker.
Unlike the shifters that were collared and branded, the Unseen didn’t use tattoos to display their commitment to one another. Instead, when they mated, he and Nicole would exchange amulets that they would place around each other’s necks as a symbol of the bonds that had already pulled them together.
“What about your mother?” she asked.
A wave of fond exasperation raced through Tucker. He’d tried a hundred times to get his stubborn mother to join him in his cabin. Or at least move somewhere that he could easily get to her if she needed him.
And every time, she’d gently claim that she loved roaming free too much to every become fully civilized.
Tucker thought it had more to do with her grief at the loss of her mate. When she was in her bear form, she didn’t have to deal with human emotions.
“She still lives in a remote village,” he told Nicole. “I travel to see her several times a year.”
“She must be lonely.”
“No.” He gave a firm shake of his head. “She likes the isolation. We’ll go see her in a few weeks.”
Her eyes widened as if caught off guard by his words, which was ridiculous. She had to know that his mother would be anxious to meet the female who’d stolen the heart of her only cub?
“Tucker,” she breathed.
“Don’t worry.” He flashed a teasing grin. “She’s going to love you.”
Her lips parted as if she intended to remind him of all the obstacles that stood between the two of them mating, only to heave a resigned sigh at the stubborn jut of his jaw.
“We’re going to have to discuss your habit of thinking you can toss out orders and simply have them obeyed,” she muttered.
“No doubt we’re going to have a lot of those discussions,” he assured her.
“No doubt.”
Another silence filled the car as they returned their attention to their surroundings. An hour had passed before Tucker accepted that there was nothing suspicious to be seen from their place on the street.
“Okay,” he murmured. “I’m going to do a sweep of the block.”
Nicole gave a swift nod. “You go around the front, I’ll meet you in the back.”
Tucker stiffened, his primitive male mind instantly rebelling at the thought of allowing his female to be in danger.
“Nicole.”
There was a low growl of warning as Nicole leaned forward, her wolf visible in her eyes.
“Don’t.”
He grimaced. As much as he wanted to forbid her, he couldn’t. This was her fight. She should be the one to hunt her prey.
“Be careful.”
Before she could say anything, he moved forward to capture her lips in a fierce kiss that revealed all the worry and wonderment and love that filled his heart. Then, pulling away, he shoved open his door and climbed out of the car.
He casuall
y strolled down the street, using his heightened sense of smell. His eyesight wasn’t as good as other shifters’, but it was good enough to make sure there were no humans lingering near the house at the end of the road.
Rounding the block, he waited until he was sure no one was watching to vault over the back fence. Nicole was already waiting for him near the French doors.
“Anything?” he demanded, knowing she would have done a thorough search despite her urgency to confront the guard.
“Humans. A few dogs and cats.” She wrinkled her nose, looking more like a teenager than a female intent on bloody vengeance. “And a ferret. What about you?”
“Nothing that stood out as suspicious,” he said, resisting the urge to invent some reason for them to leave.
“Good,” she said on a low growl. “I’m done waiting.”
Reaching out, she grasped the handle of the French door and gave it a yank. The flimsy lock snapped, allowing her to slide it open. Then they moved with shifter-silence through the kitchen that had dishes piled in the sink and a linoleum floor that was sticky with…hell, Tucker didn’t want to know. They paused and silently listened for any sounds that would indicate that their entrance had been noticed. Finally, they stepped through an arched opening into the front living room.
Tucker shuddered. The drapes were closed against the afternoon light, but he could still make out the worn furniture that looked as if it’d been found in the local dump, and the rug that was littered with empty beer cans, pizza boxes, and bags of chips.
And on the sofa was a small, wiry man with thinning brown hair and a narrow face. He was dressed in creased khakis and a white tee that was in dire need of a washing machine.
At first glance, he looked like he was asleep, but as Nicole stepped forward, he abruptly lifted his head to glance at them in astonishment.
“What the hell?” he muttered, his gaze moving to Tucker, who towered in the background before returning to Nicole. “If you’re here to rob me, then you’re fucking idiots. I don’t have jack shit…” His words trailed away as his eyes widened with a sudden recognition. “You,” he breathed.
Chapter 7
Nicole allowed a cold smile to curve her lips. She was pleased that the guard recognized her. She wanted him to know exactly why he was about to die.