A Grizzly Kind Of Love (The Mating Game Book 3) (10 page)

Zane and Wynona spent the next several days lying low and helping out around the Wileys’ house. Wynona helped in the garden, and Zane and Dean repaired a fence and the chicken coop. The Wileys owned their property and had an interested buyer, so when they moved onto Zane’s property, they could use the money from the sale of their house to pay off medical bills and send Dean to college.

At the end of the week, they drove to Fox Hollow and parked in front of the tiny convenience store and gas station. Zane called the police, who finally had good news. The police had tracked down the Shark, who was well known to Interpol and who was wanted for several other homicides. To avoid the death penalty, he was cooperating. Sergio Molfetta was hiding out in the woods south of Cedar Park, and there was a full-on man hunt, with tracker wolf shifters leading the charge.

“That’s great news for us,” Zane said to Wynona. “Apparently, Sergio’s been spotted running through the woods, and they know exactly where he is. They should have him captured by the end of the day. We can go back and start planning our wedding.”

“Yes!” Wynona said happily. And then, “Oh.” Because she still couldn’t tell him about the deal with Cecily and Hubert, and now she was screwed. And probably going to jail for several years, unless her lawyer could perform miracles. Would Zane be okay with conjugal visits?

“What?” He looked at her face closely.

“Nothing,” she murmured.

“Liar. Wynona, we’re going to be married. Something’s been bothering you. I’ve shared everything with you now, told you all the secrets of my past. Tell me what’s wrong.”

She swallowed hard and looked away.

“Damn it, Wynona!” Zane was so angry that his face actually went furry, and the bones shifted and rippled under his skin.

“I can’t,” she said, tears burning her eyes. “I mean, I really can’t. Legally. And just by saying that, I’ve probably said too much.”

She turned and stalked into the convenience store, her heart pounding in her chest. She heard a roar of anger behind her; Zane didn’t follow her in.

Breathing hard, she walked through the store and out into the back parking lot.

This was probably it, then.

Of course Zane would want to call things off. How could he be married to a woman who kept secrets from him?

He’d refuse to mate Tiffany, at least – thank God for that. That would have been a disaster.

Cecily and Hubert would press charges against Wynona, and it would be near impossible for her to prove that she hadn’t participated in the scam.

Her phone rang, with Gillian’s ringtone, and she grabbed it and answered it.

“Hello, there!” Gillian’s voice was unusually chipper.

“Hey, you. What’s up? How is business going?”

“Business is excellent. Our clients have been very patient. Do you have any idea when you’re coming home?”

“It might be as soon as tomorrow. By the way, what were you thanking me for?”

“You know,” Gillian said cheerfully. “You really shouldn’t have. Was it an early birthday present?”

“Was what an early birthday present?”

Gillian’s voice took on a tone of hushed reverence. “The first edition
Roget’s Thesaurus
. The flowers were nice as well, but…this was a real first-edition
Roget’s Thesaurus
. From the 1850s. It must have cost a fortune.”

She sounded so touched that Wynona really hated to break it to her. “Gillian, that wasn’t me. There was no card or note with it?”

“No, it was just sitting on my desk when I arrived at work in the morning. That was why I thought you’d had it delivered.”

Wynona felt an odd ripple of unease. “I thought you were going to be working from home.”

“Oh, it’s all right – Rex and Tara and Panhead accompanied me. The alarm was still on when we arrived, and Rex went in while Tara and Panhead guarded me in the hall. I had to fetch some files.”

“I wasn’t the one who sent you the book, Gillian. That’s very odd. That sounds like it would be worth thousands of dollars.”

“I wonder… No, that seems unlikely.”

“What seems unlikely?”

“There is a gentleman who’s been coming to the coffee shop that you and I frequent. He and I had a conversation the other day, after he correctly pointed out the poor grammar in the
New York Times
article I was reading. And…” She paused, then continued in a confiding tone. “I actually had feelings when I spoke to him. I should be more precise. I had a different type of feeling. It was a feeling that I have never experienced before. It’s possible that it was…” she lowered her voice “…physical attraction.”

A grammar freak who could get past the alarm system in her office? “What did he look like?” Wynona asked, her heart sinking.

Gillian described him. Tall, lean, military haircut. Yukon wolf shifter.

Leander.

“Don’t worry, Sprinkles liked him, so he must be of excellent character,” Gillian said confidently.

No, Sprinkles needed his damn like-o-meter checked.

“All right then,” Wynona said with forced cheer. “What time are you going to lunch today?”

“Noon. The same time I always do. Don’t worry – Rex or Panhead will accompany me to the coffee shop.”

“Just make sure they’re with you at all times,” Wynona said, trying not to reveal the worry in her voice. “Okay, talk to you soon!”

Wynona hung up and rushed back into the convenience store – where Zane, shirtless, with his pants shredded, was looking around frantically. He must have partially shifted and ruined his clothes.

“Where did you go?” he demanded. “I couldn’t find you. I thought Sergio got to you!”

“How? He’s in North Carolina. And I was out back for, like, five minutes.”

“I’m sorry I snapped at you. Would you mind just smacking me upside the head or something? It would make me feel better.”

“Maybe later,” Wynona said, heading out the front door. “We need to be back in Cedar Park before noon. I don’t care how we do it.”

As they climbed into Zane’s car, she told him about Gillian’s mystery admirer.

“So you think it’s him?” he said.

“I’m sure it’s him. I want to confront him and ask him what the hell he’s doing.”

“All right.” He nodded. “As long as I’m with you. I don’t think there’s too much danger back in Cedar Park anymore. Sergio’s got so much heat on him right now that he’s not going to be able to hire another hitman; not like he could pay any of them sitting in prison. There’s a private airfield near here. We’ll head there right now, and I’ll call the Wileys and let them know.”

Zane paid for a charter flight, and they flew back to Cedar Park. It took them about an hour and a half. They rented a car at the airport and drove straight to the restaurant.

They headed straight to the café, arriving early. Wynona had a quick word with the waitress, who was a friend of hers. She let them hide in the kitchen and watch the door until Leander walked in.

When he entered, he looked around the whole room and took a seat at the counter facing the door. A few minutes later, Gillian walked in.

Wynona and Zane hurried out of the kitchen and stalked up to him just as he approached Gillian to say hello.

“Leander, what do you think that you’re doing?” Wynona demanded furiously. Zane folded his arms and glowered at Leander.

For the first time, Leander’s confident demeanor wavered.

“I am…drinking coffee?” he suggested.

“I can see that. What an amazing coincidence that it happens to be here. Why are you stalking my office manager?” Wynona pressed.

“I have no bad intentions toward her,” he protested. “In fact, I want to court her.”

Wynona remembered him asking if Gillian’s husband would be nice to Sprinkles. He’d been fishing to find out if Gillian was single.

“You want to court me?” Gillian’s face lit up. Then she looked at Wynona with concern. “Wait. How do you know him and why are you here?”

“He’s the person I told you about – the one I met in the parking lot who was hired to assassinate me.” Leander visibly flinched at that, and glanced nervously at Gillian to see her reaction.

Gillian’s eyes were huge behind the thick lenses of her glasses. “Is this true?” she gasped.

Leander’s face fell. He swallowed hard, then looked her in the eye.

“It is,” he said. “I have retired, and I was very lonely. Wynona described you in such a way that I found you irresistible.”

“Insanely detail oriented, constantly nagging, obsessive-compulsive grammar Nazi?” Wynona stared at him.

“Who rescues animals,” Leander added, nodding approvingly.

“I had no idea you thought so highly of me,” Gillian said to Wynona, without a trace of irony in her voice.

Then she looked at Leander. “As for you,” she said severely, “I was not aware that I even possessed a heart in the romantic sense, and now you have broken it. Not literally, of course, or I would be deceased, but figuratively. You were contemplating the murder of my dearest…well, my only friend. You must leave at once and not return.”

“But I saved her life by warning her that Sergio was after her.”

“Not enough.” She was pale but resolute. Leander went pale, but he nodded.

“I understand,” he said mournfully. “But just so you know my intentions are sincere, my real name is Terrence Marshall, and my address is 3720 Rural Route 20 in Finsterville, New York. I am putting my life and my freedom in your hands. I came here for an assignment, but I would move here if you wanted me to. If you ever wish to see me again—”

“I won’t,” Gillian said, tears brimming in her eyes. “Come along, Sprinkles.” As she walked away, Sprinkles let out a mournful yelp and looked sadly at Leander.

Zane and Wynona spent the night at a hotel under an assumed name, and the next morning, Sergio was captured by game wardens. This time, he’d be standing trial for attempted murder. The nightmare was over. Well, one part of Wynona’s nightmare was over. She still hadn’t dealt with Zane’s clan. Her attorney had run into a dead end trying to track down her ex, and couldn’t dig up any proof that the contract had been forged.

She had a temporary reprieve, because Hubert and Cecily and most of Zane’s clan had decided to take an emergency vacation to Switzerland when they’d first heard that an assassin was gunning for him. They left several threatening messages for Wynona, telling her that if Zane wasn’t ready to marry Tiffany when they got back, they were immediately going to press charges.

Over the next few days, Zane didn’t say another word to Wynona about the secret she was keeping from him. He slept at her house and acted like the perfect bear – sexy, thoughtful, mildly crude, and very attentive. He was still paranoid about her safety; he drove her to work each morning and picked her up when she got off at night.

Rare, first-edition books of love poetry kept showing up at the office addressed to Gillian, who indignantly refused their delivery. Wynona had never seen her so gloomy. That was why she insisted that Gillian come with her, when Zane invited her to lunch mid-week.

Wynona and Gillian walked into the restaurant, where Zane was waiting for them. To her surprise, she saw that Cecily and Hubert had walked in ahead of her. They must have just gotten back from their vacation. They stood in the lobby of Hamilton’s, scowling and looking at Wynona as if they’d just smelled something bad.

“What is the meaning of this?” Hubert demanded of Zane, looking at Wynona with annoyance. “Why is she here? You’re spending far too much time with this woman. Tiffany’s father is starting to complain. You haven’t been in touch with Tiffany in at least a week. You should be courting her, sending her gifts and—”

“While you’ve been away, I’ve been taking a closer look at our family’s business,” Zane interrupted him coolly.

Hubert and Cecily started, and glanced at each other with worried expressions.

“I wasn’t aware of that,” Hubert said uneasily. “You should have come to me first. I am the CEO. Any questions you have to ask, I could have answered. What were you looking for, specifically?”

“Well, it started because it was pretty obvious to me that you were blackmailing Wynona,” Zane said. At Hubert’s furious glare, he added, “Oh, she didn’t tell me about it. She couldn’t. I saw the non-disclosure agreement in the contract you forced her to sign.”

“You went through my file cabinets!” Hubert balled his fists, and Cecily sucked in her breath in outrage. “You went into my office! That’s trespassing. I’ll have you arrested. Too bad they don’t have co-ed jails, or you two could have adjoining cells,” he said with a scornful glance at Wynona.

“She’s not going to jail. So far, I’ve uncovered proof that her husband forged the document she originally signed, and he did it in collusion with an investment company that seems to have ties back to you and your company. You were in on the whole thing from the beginning.”

“No he wasn’t,” Cecily protested. “Why would Hubert embezzle from his own clan?”

“Why would a man who likes to drop thirty grand on a watch and rent private jets to Monte Carlo need more money? You tell me,” Zane said, his lip curling back in a snarl.

“That’s a lie!” Hubert snapped at him. “If you had proof of that, you’d have me arrested.” But his voice wavered and he couldn’t meet Zane’s gaze.

“Yes, that’s true,” Zane said calmly. “I don’t have proof yet, but we are very close. I have reported this to the district attorney’s office, and they’re investigating. I already have proof of the involvement of Wynona’s ex-husband, and we’re closing in on the proof about your involvement. My attorneys have tracked down the last of the shell corporations, and when we uncover your involvement, you’ll be the one in a cell.”

Wynona let out a gasp of relief. She sagged against Zane, and he put his arm protectively around her.

“You ingrate,” Hubert snarled. “All those years that I kept the clan afloat while you gallivanted around in the woods and played with your bikes. And from the day you came back, you haven’t paid the least attention to the clan or our company.”

“I will now,” Zane said. “I am going to be in the office, with my accountants, every single day, going through every single file, until we uncover what we need.”

“I won’t give you access to the company files.”

“You don’t have to. I’ve already hired locksmiths and computer security experts, which will get me all the access I need.”

“You self-centered bastard. You don’t get to just take over ownership of the company on a whim.” Hubert’s face was getting redder and redder. “I will not let you drag the company through the mud and ruin our clan for your amusement. I’m going to go back to the office, I’m going to have my attorneys meet me there, and if you set foot in there, I’ll have you arrested. I play golf with the police chief every Friday, you know.”

“My parents were the ones who built up the business, and they owned most of the land. The will clearly states that if they predeceased me, I would inherit the business when I turned twenty-one. You were merely the executor. I also own the land that the office is located on, and the office building. Nothing the police chief can do about that,” Zane said.

Hubert’s face had turned so red that it was truly alarming.

“Do something!” Cecily wailed at him. “What is he talking about? You didn’t embezzle from our own clan, did you? Hubert, answer me!”

Hubert spluttered, so angry that only growls came out.

“Do you have high blood pressure? You look as if you might be at risk for a stroke,” Gillian said with concern.

Hubert and Cecily turned and stalked out of the restaurant, furious. Cecily was glaring at Hubert, who was muttering furiously to himself.

“Oh my God.” Wynona sank onto a padded bench by the doorway. “Thank you, Zane. That was an absolute nightmare. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you about it earlier.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t rip his head off his body, but there’s some more investigating I need to do first,” Zane said, glaring after Hubert and Cecily’s Hummer as it screeched out of the parking lot. “I don’t think I’ve come close to uncovering everything he’s done. I’m pretty sure he’s brought the clan to near bankruptcy, which is why he was so desperate to get me mated to Tiffany.”

“Do you think Cecily knew?” Wynona asked.

He shook his head. “I think she was genuinely surprised about the embezzlement, but I’m sure that she knew she and Hubert were spending way too much and that they needed a fresh infusion of cash.” He held his hand out to her. “But either way, you’re free and clear now. You sure you want to marry a broke bear?”

“Sweetheart, I’d marry you if we had to live in a log cabin that you built yourself.” She stood up and threw her arms around his neck, and he grinned at her with relief.

When Zane and his accountant and attorney went back to the company headquarters that afternoon, they were greeted with locked doors and a restraining order.