Skin Deep (13 page)

Kailin's head shot up and her shoulders went stiff. Her eyes narrowed, tension fairly radiated off her. "What do you mean? I told you everything I knew."

"I just want to be sure. New evidence has come to light that makes me consider you a possible target. You may be in danger."

"What do you mean 'new evidence'?"

"We've had the bullet test results back. We also compared the bullets from the garden to the ones from the day you were shot at." Logan swallowed, keeping his eyes on Kailin’s face as the blood drained from it. He'd give anything to know what she was thinking. "The bullets match. We can confirm that at least one of the shooters from both nights is the same person. Is there anything you need to tell me?"

She hesitated, fear tightening her features. "No. No, I told you everything I know."

"Kailin, we have proof that the people who tried to kill you are the same as from the night of the body dump." Logan leaned forward and asked softly, "Were they shooting at you?"

"No, of course not." She threw her shoulders back, an air of confidence slipped over her face, controlled and calm. She looked down at the statement and scribbled her signature without the slightest hesitation. Logan had to give her credit for getting herself back under control.

"Well if you do want to make any changes to the statement you can always call me." He laid a card on the table. He'd given her one already but he knew people rarely hung on to them unless they were already of the mind to contact him.

She picked it up and frowned. "So what exactly is this 'Omega'? Sounds a bit ominous, like FBI or CIA but stranger."

Logan wanted to smile. She was pretty astute. Although the card didn't use the word 'paranormal' the very name lent itself to the unusual. "You’re close. You could say we’re like the FBI for the strange."

"For strange what?" She scowled as she asked the question.

"Strange, unusual happenings. Weird things that go bump in the night."

Kailin laughed but she couldn’t hide the strident pitch of the sound that said he'd touched a nerve. She knew more than she was telling and her reaction made him fairly certain she wasn't one of the totally blind humans who had no idea Paranormals even existed.

"Strange, unusual and weird. Doesn't seem like that's much of a job," she said, looking down at the card again. Then she placed it beside the telephone on the counter.

"You'd be surprised. Just today we received confirmation of a strange drug that’s infiltrating the Chicago streets."

"Aren't there always drugs on the street?"

"Yeah, but remember I deal with the strange and unusual and this drug affects a group of people who throughout history have been known to be unaffected by either drugs or alcohol."

Kailin's eyes widened. He'd hit a nerve. "I guess you're right then. Those would be pretty strange people. Isn't everyone affected by drugs and alcohol? And even caffeine?" She lifted her mug and took a sip.

Logan figured he wasn't going to get anything further from her. "In any case, I will make sure you are safe. Call me if you need to go out and I'll send an officer with you."

She shook her head and came around the counter to stand beside him. She looked about ready to throw him out the door. "That's very generous of you, but I can take care of myself."

Logan rose to his feet, and was suddenly nearer to her than he'd expected. He hadn't realized she stood so close, but he certainly wasn't complaining.

***

His proximity charged the air between us; my body tensed in response. Energy simmered in the slim space between our bodies. Heat and electricity swirled. Time turned on itself or stood still. I wasn't sure.

He didn't back away. Why wasn't he backing away? And for that matter, why wasn't I backing away? I hadn't realized how close I'd stood to him. At the time I'd just wanted to get him out of my apartment, my head spinning with matching bullets and strange drugs and my name on someone’s hit list.

I swallowed hard and would’ve taken a step back, but he curled his hand around my neck. Any resistance I had crumbled into nothing. He lowered his head, incapable as I was of resisting the pull.

Our lips touched, a brief meeting of the softest flesh and the most heated of breaths. I melted against him. Fire raced through my veins when he deepened the kiss. Our bodies drew closer, fitting so well nothing could get between us. My heart pounded in my chest and I ignored my Panther as it clawed for release.

Both wanting more, we drew closer. Too close to the edge not to jump. Hot breath mingled and heartbeats thundered between us. And, just as suddenly, white-hot energy surged from his mouth, through my veins, searing me alive. It filled my body, a delicate burn, strong, powerful but gentle as it surged through my veins.

Then I was pushed back, away from him, repelled by some invisible energy rush. I frowned. What a strange thing. Like an electric shock but duller and more powerful.

I should’ve welcomed the abrupt end to our interlude. I didn't need this complication in my life. But what was with the weird heat? My nerves still tingled with the remnants of it.

He stared at me, his face filled with remorse and regret.

And fear.

Great, all I had to do was kiss a guy and he ran for the hills. Nice going, Odel.

I backed against the wall, hoping I'd reached the door and be able to retain some composure.

"I'm sorry. That shouldn't have happened." Logan reached for my arm.

I jerked his hand off me, shaking my head. "No need to be sorry. I'm pretty exhausted after all this excitement. Think I'll get some z's." I injected a little bit of light-and-breezy into my voice hoping he'd assume this incident was nothing I'd get all upset about.

"I'm not sure what just happened. Did I hurt you?" His face twisted with concern. But I didn't care. It wasn't often I got close to someone, especially in an intimate way. And I'd just been rebuffed. Wonderful. I wanted to crawl into a dark place and lick my wounds. All my wounds. Including the newest one traced across my heart courtesy of Agent Westin.

Suck it up. It was a mistake. Move on.

"I'm fine, Logan. And thank you. You saved my life, I won't forget." Chin up, voice clear. I sounded pretty convincing.

Logan scowled; maybe he still worried about the flare of energy blasting both our bodies' seconds before. I'd rather forget the incident. There wouldn't be a repeat of said activity. Lesson learned.

My searching fingers found the doorknob and I almost flung it open. "Thank you for coming." He was still standing beside the counter. "Oh, and don't forget your statement."

He grabbed the paper and shoved it into the file. Then he walked toward me, rolling it up and stuffing it back into his pocket, all the while looking a little uncomfortable, a little lost, and a little afraid. What did he need to be afraid for?

He paused at the doorway. "Lock up tight. Be careful and don't go anywhere alone." Back to being the professional.

With that he turned and walked out of the apartment.

Yeah, I'd learned my lesson all right.

***

I answered Storm's summons, eager to have a possible face and name for the unknown, nameless skinless Walker.

I headed off to Giorgio's, everyone's favorite Italian restaurant, entering the softly lit eatery and walking into a tangible blanket of smells that made my mouth water.

Smiling at the dutiful maître-d, I thanked him and held onto my jacket and bag when he tried to take them away. I slid into the empty chair in front of Anjelo and Storm, stashing my backpack, still loaded with drug-filled vials and steel bow, at my feet. I was much more comfortable knowing it sat a toenail away.

"Right, what gives?" I raised an eyebrow at Storm, hoping he had some solid information for me.

"All the Chapters have called in their counts. Anjelo did some legwork for me. We have a couple of names, and only one possible." The table remained silent as a waiter appeared at my elbow and filled a glass with iced water. I waited for him to leave then sipped the cool liquid, wishing Storm would hurry up and spill. Better drinking than biting my nails.

Storm nodded at Anjelo to continue. My young friend was turning into Storm's little protégé and I had to admit I liked it. With Anjelo in his last year at school I needed to know he was going to move on to a good career. Storm had helped me get into university and I knew he meant to look after Anjelo's studies too. "We have four missing persons in total, over the whole Chicago basin." Given the incredibly high rates of crime within the downtown Chicago area alone, that number was pretty tiny. City Deep must be doing something right to keep its members safe. "Two Humans. A drifter, Frank somebody. Been AWOL a whole week. The second Human is female, a drug patient, may even be one of yours."

He slipped a photograph, crumpled and greasy, across the table. "No, not one of my clients."

"That leaves only two Walkers, Jeremy Ryan and Sal Odenzi. Ryan's a Cougar. Odenzi’s a Wolf."

"Right, that leaves us with Ryan then," I replied, looking at Storm. "Forgive me for stating the obvious, but this seems far too easy." How well organized was Storm’s clan, that he could obtain this kind of information within one night?

"Why would you want such a thing to be difficult? I have been overseeing City Deep for a long, long time. Anjelo and his team were efficient to say the least. And with such a danger looming we met with little resistance to our census
," said Storm, his voice its usual musical baritone, managing to be both sexy and annoying at the same time.

"Sorry, I guess I expected it to be a little more difficult to identify him."

Storm watched me with enigmatic eyes. I wriggled in my seat and I wished he would direct those gorgeous baby-blues elsewhere. Thankfully, Anjelo cut through my discomfort.

"He was last seen by his friends going to a popular club. Well, maybe 'friends' is too strong a word. He's only been around a couple of months."

So the dead Walker was a newcomer to town. Did he step on the wrong toes? Or just in the wrong place at the right time?

"Well, any ideas on where he came from?" Both Anjelo and Storm shook their heads in unison. Guess that's the part Storm's clan census had missed.

"The nearest Cougar Clan is not far. I believe they are up near Geneva Lake?" If Storm thought he was being helpful, he certainly didn't know Justin, Alpha of said clan, very well.

"No. No bloody way." I held my hands up, ready to rise and wash them of everything.

"You’re the only one who would be able to get a quick audience." Anjelo's voice rumbled low, while he watched me for a reaction. He looked about ready to run from the table if I so much as coughed in his direction.

"Oh? And why's that?" Let him spell it out for me, the cheeky sod.

"You're an Alpha, Kailin. You want to be difficult, don't you? He'll allow you an immediate audience. He has to afford you the respect."

I sat back and chewed my lip. Anjelo was right. Alphas traded a certain level of respect amongst each other. For once, my status would make things easier for me to speak to Justin about the murdered Walker. But I was not about to go there alone. "Well, if I have to go, then so do you, my friend."

"Kailin, I'll be eaten alive." Anjelo paled. I'd probably cause him more trouble with Lily. Likely cause myself an equal amount of hassle with her as well.

"Oh. Stop being such a drama queen. I'll protect you, as long as you behave."

I caught what looked suspiciously like a smile curving Storm's mouth.
Well. What do you know. The guy has a sense of humor
. Even though he'd helped me over the years and knew my Gram's, I didn't get too many opportunities to come face to face with Storm. Thrown into proximity with him recently, I seemed to be learning something new about him every day.

For one moment I considered telling them what Logan had revealed—that I was a target. Then I stopped. We had enough going on right now, didn’t need to start breaking out Operation Protect Kailin. Besides, I could take care of myself.

I glanced at Anjelo. "Come on then."

"Can't I at least finish my spaghetti?" He cast a forlorn eye over his plate.

"Fine, eat your din-dins and let's get out of here fast. I have things to do."

***

Justin Lake had a reputation for being tough—a real guy's guy. Iain had other more eloquent and less ladylike words for him. Alphas weren't easy to deal with; this I knew from a lifetime of experience with my father and brother.

And Alphas, in turn, afforded each other a special respect. I was in no position to go in with guns blazing.

I stopped and looked around. This was Cougar territory and here we were, the trespassers, a pair of Black Panthers blatantly trespassing. Most of the feline packs considered us freaks. Not surprising considering we were the most powerful feline clan around.

The gene anomaly that gave our pelts their blackened hue resembled the abnormality in the albino cats. They too were considered outcasts, but more readily accepted due to their mostly non-violent natures.