Rescued (3 page)

Chapter 3

“I’ll get that clerk in here to get a good look at Vinny and tell us where he shipped that kid off to.” Marty marched out the office door to retrieve the clerk.

Rose hit the rewind button on the remote and studied the scene again. She hit pause and shook her finger at the screen. “Right there. Those two hanging around the entrance were in the bar with Vinny last night.”

“I’ll get someone started on tracing their identities as soon as I get back to the station.” Kelli was making notes for later.

The door opened. Marty stepped aside and allowed a middle-aged woman to enter ahead of him. “This is Mrs. Fisher, she’s going to try and help us with some identifications,” Marty said.

“Oh please, call me Margaret.” She reminded Rose of a normal, grandma-type lady who remembered Vinny the moment she spotted him on the screen. A warm, adoring expression eased across her face. “Oh, that’s the nice young man who helps so many people. He’s an absolute angel. He had a mechanic fix the starter on the maintenance man’s car so he could get to work every day and wouldn’t hear a word about Carl paying him back.” She clicked her tongue, sighed, and smiled at the man in the video. “He helps young people find their way when they come in and seem lost. Buys them tickets to get back home to their families. No questions asked. He is a true blessing to everyone he meets.” She stared as they watched Vinny purchase a ticket and give it to the girl with a sweet as you please attitude.

“Ma’am, do you know his name or where he lives? We need to speak with him.” Marty placed his hand on her shoulder and drew her attention from the television.

“Oh yes, his name is Vincent but I’m afraid I don’t know where he lives. Is he in some kind of trouble? I’d like to help him if he is. It’s the right thing to do.” She directed the question to Kelli and her uniform. “He has helped so many in need.”

“We just need to ask him some questions, ma’am.” Kelli answered.

“I’ll tell him to call you the next time he comes in if you like,” she said in a pleasant manner.

Bless her heart
.
She doesn’t have a clue the kind of monster she’s put on a pedestal.
Rose would never frighten this sweet lady with the truth about where these kids might really end up or the horrors they might face. In a way, poor Mrs. Fisher was just another of Vinny’s victims.

“That won’t be necessary, ma’am.” Kelli assured the woman it was only a few simple questions. It wouldn’t help the investigation if Vinny found out the police were here and interested in him.

“One more thing, ma’am. Could you tell us where the girl on the video went? We need to find
her
most of all. She’s my baby sister and she’s run away.” Rose worked up a little mist in her eyes and added a chin quiver to accentuate her cover story of the concerned big sister.

“Oh, don’t you worry, honey. I’ll go find out for you.” The woman slipped out the door toward the front desk.

Marty waited a couple of seconds after the door closed. “This could be our big break. If we can find out where the girl went, it might tell us where
all
these kids are.”

“I wish, but my gut tells me it’s not going to be that simple.” Rose had a good track record with her gut feelings so it was hard to ignore this nagging inkling something was not quite right here.

The doorknob turned and signaled the return of the clerk. Marty quickly slid his arm around Rose’s shoulder and pulled her face first into his chest. “Hush, sweetheart. Don’t you cry now, honey. We’re going to find little Suzie. I promise.” He held her tight with one hand and rubbed her back with the other as she struggled to breathe, her nose buried in the front of his shirt.

“He’s right, sweetie. Don’t cry. I have her destination right here but the information says her name is Wendy.” She held up a copy of yesterday afternoon’s departure schedule. “She arrived in Memphis last night.”

Rose was at last able to wrench herself away from her comforter. She glared at his innocent, concerned face with her best
payback is a bitch
glare. Marty smoothed her hair back into place and kissed the air in her direction. She replaced the furious expression aimed at him with a sad face accompanied by a few sniffles to keep the story believable as she took the paper and thanked the clerk for the information. “Yes, Wendy Sue and I are close. I just don’t know why she didn’t come to me. Thank you for all your help.”

They left the office with the new information and headed for the exit. Marty stopped short.

“What’s wrong?” Rose asked.

“He’s here,” Marty whispered through a put on smile. “Or at least he
was
here a short time ago.” They continued with pleasant, casual conversation and allowed their noses to do the work.

Kelli said her goodbyes and headed back to her patrol car.

Marty stepped in front of Rose. He rested his forearms on her shoulders and clasped his hands behind her head, bringing their foreheads to rest together.

She didn’t protest the sudden closeness this time. First, because making a scene now would draw unwanted attention to them and second, it felt good to be close to him. Really good. She gazed into his eyes, blue as topaz, and framed with thick, long lashes.

“You can’t go storming off after him, it’s too obvious. He’ll just disappear and we’ll be right back at square one. Play along and let me scan the area to see if he’s still here and which direction we should go.”

He brushed the tips of their noses together as he spoke. The warmth of his breath enveloped her like a cocoon and stirred sensations in her body she had denied for far too long. But she had to focus on the job at hand.

“It seems to me, Mr. Brown, you are taking advantage of this whole situation. What was the big idea with that move back in the office?” She pressed closer to his body and slid her hands around his waist. Two could play this game. She’d never admit how she responded to his touch but she could damn well enjoy it while it lasted.

“We never identified ourselves as PI’s, so I figured it best for that detail to stay confidential. We may not seem as threatening if we’re just concerned family in search of our poor, lost, little lamb.”

His lips brushed hers as he continued and Rose almost lost her last ounce of control. The muscles low in her stomach clinched. A vision of a deepened kiss, less clothing, and her legs locked around his waist skated through her mind.

Wait. She blinked several times to bring herself back to reality. She couldn’t give in to the urges pulsing through her body. She had to focus on the job. She drew in a calming breath. “Um, have you found out where he is?”

He kept his attention on her and with a sly smile creeping across his face, nodded slowly. “He’s gone.”

“How long have you known this?” She inhaled again and filled her lungs. His scent was light spice, one now, forever embedded in her memory.

“About . . . ten minutes,” he confessed.

“And we’re still standing here like this because . . .?” Deep down she was frustrated they were wasting time but she admitted to herself, she enjoyed the warmth radiating between their bodies.

“Do I really have to answer that?” He closed his eyes and drew in a slow breath, his nostrils flared slightly. Their scent told the story. Desire hung heavy around them. There was no mistaking it. Neither could deny their craving.

“We
need
to go.” She attempted a determined declaration but found it difficult to get her own feet in gear.

“Back to my place?”

She detected more than a hint of anticipation in his voice. The word
yes
hung on the tip of her tongue but Wendy’s face flashed in her head and she bit back the answer she
so
wanted to give him. Instead, she replied, “Memphis. We have a name and a location now. We should go, unless you’d rather part ways and resume individual investigations.” She closed her eyes to commit this moment, these sensations to memory. Many she would surely like to revisit.

“No way. We’ve got the makings of a good team here. Besides, you still don’t have Vinny’s scent.” He stepped closer, making it hard for her to be rational but he was right. The only way she could identify Vinny was by sight. Having his scent memorized would increase the chances of finding him in a crowd. The decision was made. They would go on to Memphis together.

The heat sizzling between them increased several degrees. She would need major willpower to resist this urge.
How am I going to face the seven-hour drive in a tight space with this man? This trip is sure to be a test of my will.

Chapter 4

They arrived at the office of Connelly Investigations in the late afternoon. Logan briefed Rose and Marty on local developments while they had been en route to the city. “Why don’t we get some supper and discuss what we know. Marty and I drove straight through lunch and I don’t think I want to look at another piece of jerky for a while,” Rose said.

Rose’s friend Kelli arranged for the werecougars to meet with Logan and his group of private investigators in Memphis to continue their search for Wendy.

He was a retired marine turned private investigator and like the cougars, assisted the local police with some of their cases. A secret from most, he and his wife June were also two-natured. Werejaguars—another fact that would make their brief partnership work out better.

Being animalistic by nature, they all had the same basic dietary needs—meat, the rarer the better. Logan and June knew a little place that catered to their needs. Thick, juicy, extra rare steaks served with or without side dishes.

Conversation took a temporary back seat to food until all the plates were nearly empty. As the waitress cleared the dishes away and brought coffee and dessert, Marty and Rose answered Logan’s questions and heard his update.

“We got the schedule and passenger list from the bus station after Kelli called this morning. I was able to pull some strings and get us in to view the security video here. Our girl left with a friendly couple. It was obvious they were expecting her.” Logan paused to sip his coffee and take another bite of banana pudding. “We got a tag number and located the house. It’s in an upper middle-class neighborhood, quiet. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary when we checked it out. We have an associate sitting on the house now, and he’ll call if anything develops.”

“I’d like to go by the house and sniff around for myself, if you don’t mind. How well lit is the neighborhood?” Rose had some undercover investigations of her own in mind and the others picked up on her idea right away. In animal form, they were even more sensitive to scents, old and new, and if a neighbor spotted any movement, they would think a dog was prowling the area for scraps of food.

“Sure thing. They’re located just outside the city near an extensive wooded area and I, for one, could use a good, long run tonight. How about you June bug?” Logan eased his hand over his wife’s and winked.

Weres needed to let their inner animals out on occasion and tonight seemed like the perfect opportunity. A much-needed run coupled with a preliminary investigation would accomplish two items on their to-do list.

“We need to get checked into the motel first, then we can get started,” Rose said, as she finished her coffee and stood.

“Oh, please stay in our guest room. We’d love to have you.” June said, easing from her chair and gathering her bag.

Rose searched for the appropriate response. “Room? Uh, one room?”

“You are mates. Right?” June glanced back and forth at the pair standing opposite her.

“Mates? Whoa there, June. What? Marty and me? No, no. We only work together. Just met last night. We don’t even know each other. Mates? Oh, no. No, no, no.” Rose rattled on.
Mates? Where did this werejaguar get such an outlandish
idea?

Mates were instantly, uncontrollably attracted to each other. And Rose was certainly in control. Why, she hadn’t even thought about . . . okay, maybe once or twice but still she was in control, damn it.

She turned her attention to Marty, who seemed almost as confused as she and planted her hands on her hips. “Did you tell them we were mates?”

He instantly withdrew the smirk on his face and held up both hands. “Not me, little lady.”

“Then . . .” She turned back to the jag couple now sporting knowing grins.

“My wife tends to get a bit ahead of herself. It’s a gift I’ve only seen in a handful of our kind. I’m not sure if it’s an expanded olfactory sense or if she’s psychic, but I can tell you one thing, I sure watch my step around her.” He slid his arm around her and pulled her close as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Well, you’re mistaken in this case. I’m here to do a job. That’s it.” Rose’s cheeks grew warm as she remembered the sensation of Marty’s touch, how his breath sent sizzles through every nerve ending she possessed. She had credited that to the fact she hadn’t
dated
for a long while, not that she had met her mate, the one she was fated to be with the rest of her life.

“It’s almost dark. Why don’t we go run off this meal and slip back to the house later to poke around? We can check into the motel later.”

Rose wasn’t sure if Marty changed the subject to make her more comfortable or not but she was grateful.

The two pickup trucks rolled to a stop in the parking lot of a local strip mall. The park, just north of Memphis, closed at dark and vehicles spotted in the lot at the entrance would arouse suspicion. Parked at the mall, they wouldn’t expose themselves to any questions. They would be patrons doing what patrons do . . . shopping, going to the movies, or enjoying dinner out. The edge of Meeman Shelby Forest State Park was easily accessible from behind the mall. The two couples wandered behind the anchor store and eased unseen into the edge of the woods.

“Don’t be afraid to make some noise. Cats have made the riverbanks their home for years. No one will be suspicious. We’ll meet back here in a couple of hours.” Logan and June waved as they slipped behind a tree to make their changes.

Rose and Marty watched as two large jaguars slinked from behind the trees and glanced in their direction. The larger cat growled low in his throat as if speaking to them. The sleeker female nipped at his neck, tugging him toward the woods. The jags padded away and disappeared into the night.

“Rose, I want you to know I had nothing to do with what June said back there in the café.” He had been on the receiving end of the silent treatment for over a half hour and he didn’t want anything to ruin his chances to get to know Rose better. He was enormously attracted to her but being mates never entered his mind. Sure, the desire was stronger than he had ever experienced in his life, and his gut said he’d risk it all to protect this woman, but he’d never put two and two together.

Mates. That had to be the answer. He worried how Rose would take to the news.

“I need to be alone. I need to think.” She stared at the ground and worried a rock with the toe of her sneaker as she spoke.

“A good run will clear your head and help you sort things out. Come on, I’ll race you. I’ll even hold back.” He reached out to touch her elbow hoping she would accept his offer.

Her head snapped to attention. She glared in his direction. “Hold back? Because I’m little and weak? I don’t need you to hold back for me, Mr. Brown, I need you to back the hell off.” With her fists clenched into tight balls, she whirled on her heels, and stomped off in the opposite direction.

Marty wasn’t sure how to shift into his animal form with his foot in his mouth but he had to try. Somehow, he had to release some of his frustration at not being able to come up with the right words to say to Rose. He eased around a large pine tree, removed and folded his clothes, and placed them with his boots in a neat pile. He covered them with several fallen twigs to camouflage the stack. It would prove quite an embarrassment if for some reason they were gone when he returned from his run.

He dropped to all fours and concentrated to bring his inner animal out. With his transformation into a muscular, caramel colored cougar complete, he stretched out his muscles before breaking into a full run. The wind breezed past him. His muscles relaxed. He drew in cleansing breaths as he picked up speed and ran deeper into the forest.

No matter how fast he ran he couldn’t escape her image in his head. She was heavy on his mind. He had to have her. Had to make her understand what was in his heart.

He stopped short on top of a rock that formed a cliff overlooking the valley below and inhaled, filling his lungs. Rose. Her scent enveloped him even from this distance. He closed his eyes and remembered her, last night, in his bed.

The image replayed in his mind at least a thousand times today. She looked so peaceful as she slept beside him. Her chestnut hair feathered on his pillow, a slim hand curled under her chin. She reminded him of an angel. And those were the parts not covered; from what he saw when he tucked her in, the rest of her was just as heavenly.

He’d longed to touch her. Wrap her in his arms and taste her kiss but the timing wasn’t right. Better to make the necessary introductions first.

Being mates explained the fierce attraction and strong need to protect her. All his life he heard of the one event a male cougar waited for. A mate. Someone to share his life with. Children to carry his family name into eternity. A family of his own. And now, here was Rose.

He needed to think this through. A gentle night breeze wafted through the trees as he settled down on the cool rock.

Rose was furious . . . with herself.
A mate? How did this
happen?
Okay, she knew
how
it happened. Fate, at some point in life, paired two people together. Humans called it falling in love; they were sometimes grossly mistaken, ending the union in a painful breakup or divorce.

For her kind, it was different. Fate was definite. It was the kind of union distance could never break. A forever love. A second nature. No fears. No doubts. Each created to complete the other. Of course, one could deny it. Run from the inevitable. Hide. But the desire to be near your mate tugged at your heart and soul stronger than a train engine hauling a ninety-car load up a steep incline. Even after the death of a mate, the living partner mated again only in extremely rare cases.

Now, out of the blue, fate announced her time had come, but she hadn’t made plans to share her life anytime in the near future. Her work was her life. Was she being selfish?

She cherished her memories of her mother and father. The two were happiest when they were together. Their entire world revolved around their little family.

Happy scenes danced through her head. The adoration glowing in her father’s eyes as he watched her mother preparing supper. Like a king gazing upon all his gold and riches. The smile on her mother’s face and the sparkle in her eyes when he took her hand in his, gently spun her from the kitchen sink, and two-stepped her around the kitchen to their own music.

The sparks of electricity still shot through her from Marty’s touch at the bus station this morning. She wanted to kiss him . . . the right way . . . with all she had. Why hadn’t she? What would have been wrong with one little kiss? Given all she had learned in the past few hours and the desire gripping her insides at this moment, her willpower threatened to disappear. One kiss and she might have lost all control.

Almost an hour later, Rose still walked in circles, asking herself the same questions, and kicking the ground as if it had done her an injustice. No closer to deciding how to deal with this idea of a mate, she weighed the pros and cons of each lifestyle, single and mated, but reached no acceptable conclusion. Her life would never be the same even if she never saw Marty again. He’d be forever on her mind.

She needed to clear her head. If she was going to get a run in tonight, she had to get moving.

Run. Run fast. Run hard.

She stowed her clothes underneath a rock formation nearby and stretched down for the change into her inner animal. Marty’s scent hung heavy in the air but his location was several miles down toward the river. Her first inclination was to run in the opposite direction and put this mate idea out of her head. Fat chance.

She turned toward the river and sprinted away.