Bearly A Squeak (14 page)

“Sorry, boss,” Ethan said. “I wasn’t thinking. Obviously.” With that, he slipped out the door. Idiot.

***

Tara picked up her slice of cheesecake and her coffee and carried them to an empty table in the café. Finally she had a chance to take a break. Dana nodded at her as she served Drew, one of their regulars. She’d always found Drew to be attractive, but since meeting Alex? Meh. He really had ruined her for all other men, but since they were mates, it didn’t really matter.

Slicing her fork into her cheesecake, she smiled to herself. She’d been waiting for this all day. It was the only thing that had got her through her shift. She savoured the moment, the anticipation of that first taste. She lifted the fork up to her lips, just as a shadow loomed over her.

“Dammit,” she said, looking up. Leo stood at her table.

“Tara,” he said, his eyes glanced around the room. Then he pulled out a chair and sat opposite her. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to you.”

Tara placed her fork back on her plate with a sigh. “What’s up?” She paused, dread creeping over her. “It is Alex? Is he okay?” What else would Leo want to talk to her about? She knew him, sure, but they weren’t exactly friends. It’s not as though he would seek her out just to say hello.

“He’s fine,” Leo assured her. “Shit. I didn’t mean to freak you out.”

She drew in a breath. “So what is it?”

He looked uncomfortable. His eyes wouldn’t quite meet hers and he shifted restlessly in his chair.

“We haven’t been able to track down your ex,” he told her. “I thought that maybe we might be able to draw him out with your help.”

“My help?” What did they want her to do that they couldn’t?

Leo sighed. “We thought if we could make Barry believe that you were alone somewhere, that maybe he’d…” He trailed off, embarrassed.

“Try to abduct me?” she asked, her voice rising.

“Shhh,” he said, glancing around. Dana was giving him a strange look.

“Does Dana know about this plan?” Tara asked. She doubted it. If Dana had known, she would have said something.

“Of course not,” Leo said. “Ethan didn’t tell her.”

“So, Ethan knows,” Tara said. “And Alex? Is he on board with this plan?” It seemed highly unlikely.

Leo winced. “Not exactly.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, waiting.

“He practically went bear when Ethan suggested it,” Leo admitted. “There was a lot of growling and threats of physical harm. The upshot is that Alex said no. Ethan agreed to drop it.”

“I see,” she said, taking a sip of her coffee. “Yet, you’re still here, trying to talk me into doing it anyway.”

Leo looked at her pointedly. “You’re not my mate. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you…”

“Well, that’s comforting,” she said wryly.

“I’m just not as emotionally invested as Alex. I can see things more clearly,” Leo explained. “Do you want to spend the rest of your life just waiting for the next attack on you? Or maybe the next attack on Alex? There’s still a hitman out there.”

She hadn’t forgotten. If she hadn’t managed to find Alex when she did, then the hitman would have already killed him. The thought of anyone taking Alex from her made her feel physically sick. She pushed away her plate of cheesecake, no longer hungry.

“Tara?” Dana’s voice drew her attention. Her friend was standing next to the table, looking suspiciously at Leo. “What’s going on?”

She sighed. “Leo was just explaining that the only way to keep my mate safe is if I risk my own life to help them catch Barry.”

“Leo!” Dana smacked his arm. The cop at least had the grace to look ashamed. “That’s not an option.”

“It is though,” Tara said quietly. She could understand Leo’s point, even if she didn’t like it.

“Tara…” Dana started, her expression troubled.

“Don’t,” Tara told her. “I know it’s a risk. I know Alex will be furious. It’s still a good plan.” She sighed, looking at Leo. “I don’t like it, but I understand why I have to do it. Alex will never agree though, you know that. So, I assume you want to keep it from him.”

“There’s no other way.” Leo looked at her intently. “So, you’re agreeing to this?”

“I have to,” Tara said. “It’s the only way to end this.”

Leo nodded. “I’ll be nearby at all times.”

“Just you?” Dana asked, frowning. “What about Ethan?”

Leo shook his head. “Ethan agreed to forget it. I think it’s best to leave him out of it. I don’t want to stir up more trouble between him and Alex. Ethan sees things a bit differently these days.” He looked at Dana.

“Great,” Dana muttered. “Now you want me to keep things from my mate.”

“Not for long,” Leo said. “I’ll have another couple of men with me, Tara. I promise we’ll keep you safe.”

She nodded. “Okay. When do you want to do this?”

“Tomorrow.”

She nodded. “Tomorrow it is.” As long as a certain bear didn’t find out.

Alex slammed the door to the interrogation room. His bear was grumbling at him, so he took a moment to breathe deeply. Seriously, if he spent much more time breathing deeply, he was going to pass out from excess oxygen.

“Boss?” Ethan asked.

“Completely useless,” he said in disgust. “Neither Dave nor Lenny seem to know anything at all about what Barry was up to.”

Ethan shrugged. “We always suspected that they were just along for the ride. They don’t seem overly bright.”

Alex growled. “We need to get our hands on Barry or his brother.”

“No sign of them yet,” Ethan said. “They seem smart enough to stay out of sight.” He paused. “Look, boss…”

Alex glared at him. He hadn’t forgotten their last conversation.

Ethan held his hands up. “I swear this is not about Tara. Actually it’s about you.”

Alex leaned against the wall, arms folded. “Me? So now you want me to be bait to lure someone out?”

Ethan winced. “I said I was sorry about that.”

Alex grunted. Sorry wasn’t good enough. His bear still wanted to chase the man up a tree.

“Look, the hitman is still out there,” Ethan said. “As far as we know, he’s still looking for you. Since we don’t know who he is, I thought that we should probably arrange…”

“No,” Alex interrupted him.

“You didn’t let me finish,” Ethan protested.

“I know where it was going.” Alex scowled. “You want to have officers assigned to protect me.”

“It’s a good idea,” Ethan pointed out.

Alex glared at him. If it had been anyone else, he’d already have appointed the security to defend them. The thought of hiding behind other officers, unable to see the threat coming? That just didn’t sit well with Alex.

“What about Tara?” Ethan asked. “Who will protect her while you’re working?”

Alex snorted. “Have you met my mother?”

“You’re expecting your mother to defend someone against a hitman?” Ethan asked incredulously.

“I guess you really haven’t met my mother,” Alex said wryly. “Besides, the hitman isn’t after Tara. They want her alive.”

“But…”

“Leave it, Ethan,” Alex said tiredly. “Tara is safe. I’m being extra vigilant. The best thing I can do is concentrate on finding Barry and get him to tell us about the hitman.”

Ethan looked unhappy, but he stopped arguing. Smart wolf.

“Go home,” he told Ethan. “See your mate. I’m off to rescue mine from my mother. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

***

Tara snuggled closer to her mate, burrowing into his warmth. She felt secure in his arms, safe from the big bad world. Yet sleep eluded her. Alex’s mother had gone out for the evening, after dropping a few heavy hints about grandcubs while engaging in an excessive amount of winking. They’d made the most of their time alone, making love and talking about their future.

Guilt shot through her. She hated keeping things from Alex. She was sure that he knew something was up, that she was hiding something. Leo was right, she knew he was. She had to make a stand and end this once and for all. Alex would never allow her to put herself in danger, which is why she had to keep it from him. Still, she wished she could talk it over with him to relieve her anxiety. Besides, she was all too aware that things could go wrong and she might not have the future they’d been discussing.

She had arranged with Leo to put their plan into action tomorrow. The idea was that she would spend the day by herself, wandering around in public, letting herself stray into quieter places where she would be more vulnerable. Hopefully it wouldn’t take long for Barry to find her. She shuddered and pressed closer to Alex. Even in his sleep, he responded to her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into him.

The thought of Barry getting anywhere near her made her want to vomit. Could she even do this? She didn’t consider herself particularly brave, and Barry had always intimidated her. What if something went wrong? What if he managed to snatch her and Leo couldn’t stop it? She had no intention of marrying Barry, no matter what happened. Still, she knew what Barry was like. He could make her life a living hell while trying to change her mind. What if he threatened Alex? There was very little that she wouldn’t do for her mate.

She glanced at the clock. It was still early. She sighed. The night was passing so slowly and she just wanted to get it over with. Her nerves couldn’t stand all the waiting.

“What’s up?”

She startled at the sound of Alex’s voice. Looking up, she saw his eyes open and watching her.

“You’re so restless,” he continued, his hand stroking down her arm. “What’s worrying you?”

“Nothing,” she lied. “I just can’t sleep.”

“Tara…” He sighed. “I can tell you’re worried. Now, spill.”

She gave a little shrug. “You have a hitman after you. Isn’t that reason enough to worry?” It was her main reason for going along with Leo’s plan. Her mate was more than a match for Barry. A hitman? That was a different story. They had no idea who they were looking for and their only hope was to capture Barry and make him talk.

“He’s not going to get me,” Alex assured her, holding her a little tighter. “I’m tough, sweetheart, and I’m being careful. We’ll find the guy.”

“Promise?” she asked, tilting her head to look up at him.

He smiled at her. “Yeah, I promise.” He grinned suddenly. “If I got myself killed, my mother would resurrect me just so that she could yell at me.”

She slapped at his arm. “Not funny.”

He sobered. “Sorry. We’ll sort this out, baby. I promise.”

She snuggled back into him. “Besides,” she murmured, “I would totally help your mother bring you back so that I could kill you myself.”

“You’re so cute when you’re homicidal.”

“Shut up.”

With that, she closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing, willing herself to sleep. Still, she lay awake for some time, listening to the steady beat of Alex’s heart.

***

“Report!” Alex barked as soon he set foot in the office.

His bear was grumbling at him once again, upset at the sight of Tara that morning. She hadn’t slept well and she was getting dark circles under her eyes. Again. Her skin had been pale and she was showing signs of anxiety. She was worried by everything that was happening, concerned for his safety as well as her own, and it was starting to take its toll on her. He hated seeing her so unhappy, and his bear was demanding that they remove the threat to her happiness. Permanently. Alex was totally on board with that.

Ethan sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. “Nothing yet.”

“Nothing?” he growled. “There has to be something.”

“Boss,” Ethan said. “I’ve been here all night.” He shot Alex a look. “Which did not go down well with Dana. I’ve been looking everywhere and I’m not getting any results. We’re still no closer to finding Barry or identifying the hitman he hired.”

Frustration rose and he fought to remain in control. He nodded shortly at Ethan and then his gaze strayed to the desk across from him. The desk with its empty chair.

“Where’s Leo?” he demanded.

“He left last night,” Ethan said. “He said he wasn’t feeling well. Then he called in sick this morning.”

Alex sighed. Although shifters were generally robust and healthy, it was still possible for them to get ill. Thankfully recovery times were generally fast. It was bad timing, but he couldn’t exactly order someone to not be sick. Pity.

He stomped to his office, sparing a glance at the admin assistant who was hugging a wall in an attempt to stay out of his way. He really was getting a reputation around here.

Slamming the door to his office, he stalked over to his desk. A parcel sat there on top of a stack of mail. A huge pile of paperwork sat next to it. Alex scowled at it. No way was he dealing with the mountain of paper until he’d had his caffeine fix. He’d been so worried about Tara this morning that he’d forgotten to go and get his usual coffee. He’d have to settle for the vileness that passed as coffee in the station. It was wet and contained caffeine. That would have to do for now.

Turning around, he headed back out of his office. He had just cleared the room, swinging the door closed behind him, when there was a flash of light, quickly followed by a loud bang. Something threw him to the ground, knocking the air from his lungs. He lay there for a moment, dazed, confused, his ears ringing, every part of him hurting. Everything was still and quiet. Nothing made sense.

Then there was a suddenly flurry of activity. Someone was crouching down next to him. He blinked up at them, something wet and sticky around his right eye. The figure turned out to be Ethan, his face shocked and concerned. His mouth was moving but no sound emerged. Actually, Alex couldn’t hear anything except that damned ringing. He stared at Ethan, unable to understand what was happening, his brain too sluggish to make sense of it. His bear seemed to be out for the count, passed out in a corner of his mind. What a fabulous idea.

Darkness spread through his vision and he felt himself blinking really slowly, unable to keep his eyes open. Whatever was happening, it would have to happen without him for a while. His eyes finally closing, he let himself go.