Veiled Target (A Veilers Novel) (4 page)

And liked it.

But she couldn’t afford to do that. Not now. Not with a new assignment and her ass grass if she failed.

“Because pilots are so good at finding people?” Apparently she didn’t mind if her ass was grass. She couldn’t let it go. Couldn’t let him go. She wasn’t acting reasonable or mature or respectable. And she didn’t give a crap. She wanted to escape. Just for tonight.

Something flashed in his eyes, changing the color from blue to a dark greenish brown, and he snarled. “You don’t like to take no for an answer.”

“No. Not—”

“And for your information, I’m very good at finding people. I do a lot of search and rescue. So I’m perfectly capable of locating my friend on my own.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to imply you weren’t capable. Just that two heads are usually better than one.” Wow. The words coming out of her mouth were completely foreign to her. When the hell had she ever wanted or needed a partner?

“I’ve got that covered. The friend that interrupted us is waiting for me.”

“He seems pretty occupied to me.” She nodded in the direction of the wood-paneled bar. The guy had a pretty redhead practically sitting in his lap and cocktail glasses dangled from their hands. “And not at all inclined to leave anytime soon. I’d make a much better sidekick.”

After he glared at the bar, his disposition softened slightly. His hunched shoulders relaxed, and his eyes darkened. His gaze fell to her lips when he said, “What I’d like you for isn’t the sidekick position.”

Regardless of how hard she tried to remain cool, she was positive her cheeks turned ruby red. The corners of her mouth also betrayed her, pulling up against her will. And did her eyelashes actually flutter without her permission?
Bad eyelashes.

“I’m quite certain you’d benefit from any of my positions. It’s just a matter of how I can best serve you right now.”

He hit her with a smile that made her forget her own name. “I, uh, don’t doubt that. But right now your safety is my main concern.”

“I’m a big girl and can more than take care of myself.” If he only knew.

“I’m sure you can. But I’m not taking you with me.”

The waitress dropped off the check and he pulled out his wallet. Tess glared at him, hoping he’d reconsider. He left more than enough money on the table and slid her bills back to her.

Fine. She put the money in her purse and got up to leave. If he wanted to play it that way, she’d play. She’d walk out of the bar, pretend to leave, and then…follow him. He didn’t know it, but he’d presented a challenge. And she never backed down from those. Add in an element of danger and she was all over it. Her sense of adventure wanted in. Already, her blood was pumping through her veins a little bit faster. Besides, what harm could come from following him?

“Thanks for the drinks,” she said.

He scooted out and stood beside her and his nearness ramped up her pulse faster than if she’d been standing on the edge of a mountain, ready to hang glide. His woodsy yet fresh-as-rain scent drew her like a fish to a wormed hook. She wanted to bury her face in his broad chest and breathe him in.

“You’re welcome. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“Likewise.” She took a step away.

“I’ll walk you to your car.”

“That’s really not necessary.”

His arm came around her back. Tingles shot up her spine. “It is.” He guided her through the crowded bar, pausing for a moment to track down his friend. “Wait just a minute.”

He wove his way to the bar. When he planted a firm pat on his friend’s back, the guy jumped to attention, jostling the woman from his lap without a second thought. Either Trey had caught him by surprise, or more likely, he followed Trey’s lead.

“Hey, babe. Can I buy you a drink?”

Warm, alcoholic breath touched the side of her neck as a shoulder bumped hers.

“No thank you.” Tess turned to find a guy about her age giving her googly eyes.

“Aww come on. I won’t bite.” He licked his lips. “Unless you want me to.”

She took a step back, but it didn’t dissuade the poor jerk. He sidled right on up to her again, this time putting an arm around her waist.

“Listen, moron. I said no. Now move away from me or I’m going to break your arm.”

“Tough chick. I like it. I’m Bo.”

“I’m not going to ask you again.”

“Ask me what, gorgeous?”

“Go away, Bo. Now.” She lifted his arm from her side, but he immediately put it back.

“I don’t want to. I want to buy you a drink. What’s your poison?”

The guy didn’t know boundaries and her personal space wasn’t something she gave up lightly. Two more seconds and she’d slug him. “I said back off.”

“What’s your name?” he asked, seemingly oblivious to her discomfort.

“Taken,” came a deep voice from behind her. Hands roamed up both sides of her arms, sending a shock of sinful tremors to all the important points below her neck.

While she could take of herself, she had to admit it felt good to be rescued. Really good. “Bye, Bo.”

They sidestepped around him, but before they were clear, Bo grabbed her arm. The tug didn’t go unnoticed by Trey and Bo’s jaw met a square punch. Bo stumbled backward, lost his footing and landed on his butt. Someone gasped, but no one moved. Instead, the bar grew silent for a split second before everyone resumed conversing.

As soon as Tess heard the bar door slam and inhaled the cool night air, Trey’s friend circled them like an animal ready to pounce. “What the hell was that?” he asked.

“Tess, this is Dane. Dane, Tess.”

She didn’t extend her hand. His obnoxious behavior confirmed her first impression. The guy was an ass. “Hi.”

“Hey,” Dane answered, still circling. “Now care to explain why you hit that guy?”

Trey ignored the question. “Where’s your car, Tess?”

“It’s just…” Her eyes met his and her stomach got tied up in knots. He was looking at her with more fervor than anyone, even Jason, ever had. “…across the street.”

He glanced at Dane. “Be right back.” Then, turning, he put his arm around her shoulders and veered her toward the street. He tensed as she allowed her body to relax against his.

“I didn’t need rescuing you know.” She never had. Never would.

“I know.”

“Then why’d you—”

“Which. Car.”

“The black one.” She grinned, happy with the popular color choice.

“There’s four black ones,” he said, unamused.

“I figured you could use your investigative skills to pick the right one, being that you’re so good at finding things by yourself.” It was one last-ditch attempt to see if he’d ask her to join him. She didn’t expect him to take the bait, but couldn’t help having a little fun.

He walked by the first car, then the second, without so much as a waver. As they approached the driver’s side door on the third car, he quirked a smile and stopped. “Here we are.”

She’d had her head tilted up, trying to decipher his expression as they walked, but he gave nothing away. “I guess you’re better than I thought.”

His smile grew wider. “You bet I am.”

“You want to make another wager?” He’d stepped right into that one, and an odd mixture of longing and apprehension swirled inside her. Is that what it would take to see him again?

“I think with you it’s best to quit while I’m ahead.”

“Time’s ticking!” Dane yelled from across the street, his voice carrying over a car cruising by.

“You’re not—” she started to say, but Trey had turned and was waving over his shoulder.

“Night, Tess,” he called, halfway to Dane before she blinked. After a second blink, the two were on their way without another glance back.

“You’re not ahead,” she whispered, fighting off the disappointment that had no business tightening her chest.

She opened the car door quickly, ready to take off in pursuit and forget about second-guessing herself. But before her butt hit the seat, she jumped back out. Trey and Dane weren’t driving anywhere. They were headed somewhere on foot. She stashed her purse underneath the seat and shut the door.

The muscles in her legs flexed as she fell back against the car and waited for a bit more distance between them. If she thought about this crazy idea, she’d remember her impulsive behavior often landed her in trouble. And the guy whose backside she couldn’t tear her eyes away from was definitely trouble. Because hasty decision or not, she wasn’t thinking with only her head. Her stupid heart hadn’t beat this intensely in years and if she didn’t seize the moment, she feared it might never again.

The men turned the corner and she shot across the street. Butterflies filled her stomach—an unfamiliar sensation that wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

Tonight was about adventure. An adventure with a sexy leather-jacketed male that wreaked havoc with her emotions and didn’t want her help.

She’d be sure not to offer it.

Chapter Four

Stupid, stupid heels.
They slowed her down.

Stupid, stupid dress.
It shifted in a most uncomfortable manner, causing all sorts of body contortions Tess wasn’t used to performing when in hot pursuit of someone.

She was stuck with the dress, but the shoes…she whipped them off, broke both heels and tossed them over her shoulder, then stuffed her feet back inside. Her new footwear wouldn’t make walking smoother, but it would keep her ankles from buckling and slowing her down. Kensie would kill her when she returned the borrowed pumps, but what was one more death threat?

“Better,” she murmured, looking up to find Trey farther ahead than she liked. If not for the light shining down from the full moon, she might have completely lost sight of him.

As she hurried to close the distance between them, a howl sounded from somewhere behind her. Goosebumps popped up on her arms, from the cool air—not the noise, she rationalized. Maybe leaving her purse in the car hadn’t been such a good idea. She had nothing on her. No koa blades. No mercury-tipped darts. No gun. She’d been caught unprepared before and survived, but with her recent bungles, she’d started to doubt her abilities.

Don’t think about that tonight
, she told herself.

Because right now she couldn’t think of anywhere else she’d rather be. Her body thrummed with anticipation. This game of hide-and-seek, catch-me-if-you-can ranked better than any amusement park ride, better than navigating a winding one-way dirt road in the mountains. And she liked very much that her blind date seemed to enjoy prowling the streets, that he showed no hesitation in going after his friend.

Two blocks away from the bar now, the street stood deserted, the buildings drab. A turn of a corner changed the scenery from trendy to risky. Tess took a deep breath. A breeze carried the scent of metal and rotting fruit, almost making her gag. If she were an ordinary woman, she’d hightail it out of there. Fast.

Since discovery was the last thing she wanted—wasn’t it?—she stuck close to the sides of the graffiti-littered buildings. She moved at a brisk pace, the men advancing quickly and quietly, almost gliding over the cracked sidewalk.

She’d easily followed a hundred marks over the years, but these two guys put her to task. Tonight she didn’t mind, though, because tonight she wanted to give chase. The wild beating of her heart told her she’d regret it if she didn’t follow Trey and get close enough to talk to him again. For some annoying reason, he’d gotten under her skin and she wanted to get under his. Popping up when he least expected it should do the trick.

That was, if she hadn’t lost him. She’d taken her eyes off them for one second. One tiny second. There’d been a rough-edged pebble in her shoe.

“Why are you following us?” growled a voice from behind her.

She froze and let out a sigh, disgusted with herself. “Umm, Dane?”

Hot breath touched the back of her neck as he asked again, “Why are you following us?”

“I wasn’t—”

“You were,” he snarled, forcibly turning her to face him. “Tell me why. Tell me now.” He loomed over her, larger than she remembered. His eyes narrowed to slits and his nose flared.

“Can you ease up on the grip please?” She was sure there would be handprints on her arms where he squeezed.

“Answer the question and I’ll consider it.”

“See, there’s where I’ve got a problem. If you’re going to consider anything, it should be if you don’t let go of me immediately, I’m going to do something you won’t like. And really, I hate getting relationships off on the wrong foot.”

He squeezed harder. “Listen, woman—”

“The name’s Tess, remember?”

“Answer the question.” His gruff tone did little to persuade her. Scratch that. It persuaded her plenty. She’d been up against marks much tougher than this man and she slipped easily into the role of eliminator.

“I’d be happy to. Once you let go of me. Wasn’t I clear on that?” One swift knee to the groin and he’d be holding tight to something else.

“You really think you’re in a position to dictate this conversation?”

She batted her eyelashes. “Why yes, I do. And I believe my terms were immediately.”

“Give it your best shot,” he challenged.

With pleasure. But before she even got her foot fully off the ground, something happened. The air around her thickened, her vision blurred. Sharp, uneven concrete pressed into her back and she realized she was pushed up against a building. Dane’s hands were still on her arms, but the feel was rougher, stronger, fiercer. Had he grown sharp nails?

Her nose tickled, the back of her knees itched. She blinked several times, trying to focus and rid the haze in her mind that had sprung from the sudden movement.

When things cleared up seconds later, shock swept over her.

Dane had shifted.

Holy crap. He was a Veiler. A…wolfen. She studied his wolf-man features, discovering interest, not hate, bristled under her surprise. She’d never been this close to one before. His hands, neck and face were thick with hair. His eyes glowed a brownish-orange. She sensed more than noticed greater muscle and superhuman strength. They were the only race of wolf shifters that remained on two legs, and standing toe-to-toe with one made her want to know more about the elusive group.

She gulped. “You’re a wolfen?”

He didn’t looked surprised by her question, which meant he knew more about her than she knew about him. Her stomach clenched.

A regular person would freak out, but her calm response must have alerted him to her knowledge. Worse, though, than giving herself away, was that she hadn’t realized what he was. She hadn’t picked up on anything to indicate his true colors.

“From the pack Night Runner, and you’re mixed up in something you shouldn’t be, so get the hell out of here.”

“A Night Runner?” She hadn’t known there were different packs.

His deep grumble told her his patience wore thin. “Run, don’t walk back to your car.”

She didn’t give a shit what he wanted. “I’m not going anywhere until—”

Distress slammed into her. The picture of a gorgeous, strong, able-bodied man flitted through her mind. “Where’s Trey?” She swallowed hard as her heart took on a crazy uneven beat. If Dane was a Night Runner, was Trey one too?
No. No. No.
He couldn’t be. The first man to make her think of something besides work, to send a rush of adrenaline through her, to cause her to forget her better judgment, could not be some sort of shifter. The one form of Veiler she loathed more than any other. The kind of Veiler who’d taken the love of her life away from her.

Dane stared at her, as if deciding how to answer. “Trey’s not here.”

She turned her head in the direction she’d last seen him, searching for his leather jacket. When had her middle name changed to Idiot? The last thing she needed was a complication when her boss’s threat hung over her if she failed her next assignment. Rather than gallivant around deserted city streets to help a guy she barely knew, she should be home, researching. Figuring out a strategy to nail this Hugh Langston and save her own ass. Unless…

Unless she considered this research. Maybe Dane or Trey knew Hugh Langston? Maybe she could walk away from this a little wiser than she’d started. And besides, she was lying to herself if she thought she’d leave without making sure Trey was okay.

“No shit,” she said, staring right back. “I want to know what you’ve done with him.”

She refused to believe Trey anything but a man. His friendship with Dane had to be easily explained. Had to be, she realized, because he’d made her
feel
. The thought petrified her. Or was the realization that she might have liked a wolfen what scared the crap out of her?

“I haven’t done anything.” His growl bounced off the wall and echoed. “Now get the hell out of here.” He released his hold and backed away.

Her feet stayed glued to the spot. She hated being pushed around. And she hated not knowing the truth about Trey. If he was human, she’d help him. If he was wolfen, well, then, maybe they could help each other.

“Go!” he demanded.

“Dane, I can tell you aren’t going to hurt me,” she started, sweetness in her tone. “And I’ve got a feeling you haven’t hurt Trey either. I just need to know what’s going on. That he’s okay. Spell it out for me and I’ll be on my way.”

He sighed, as if he finally understood she had no intention of leaving until she got what she wanted. Took him long enough. She looked into his fiery eyes and tried to decipher just how big a threat he was. His demeanor confirmed her long-standing belief that shifters were bad news. Yet if he really was bad news, wouldn’t he have killed her by now? She was unarmed, pinned against a wall. He could easily end her life if he wanted to. But something held him back. Was it Trey?

Usually her instincts and intuition left her in no doubt of a Veiler’s proximity. Tonight she’d been clueless. She prayed her bad judgment wasn’t permanent.

“Hey,” she said, filling the silence. “You can trust me. As I think you’ve figured out, I’m not oblivious.”

“Trust doesn’t get anyone anywhere.”

“You can try lying then, but I’ll know. And then I’ll just be here longer.” She smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. Her feet were starting to hurt and she desperately wanted to get out of the damn dress, but she was battle ready. And by the look on his furry face, Dane knew it too.

Before he spoke another word, he jerked his head to the left. A second later, she heard a noise. Something resembling a trash can toppling over. A scuffle maybe? It was difficult to determine the distance, yet she was certain Dane knew. The hair on his arms stood up.

“No time,” he said.

“The hell there isn’t. Talk!”

“Listen, Blondie—”

“Tess.”

“Listen, Tess. Go back to your car and go home.”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “Where’s Trey?”

Another sound came from afar. This time subtler, more ambiguous. With his eyes carefully trained on hers, Dane took a few more steps away. “He went back to the bar. If you hurry, you might catch him.” And then he bolted.

With the speed and agility of a four-legged creature,
he sprinted away and vanished around a corner.

There was a good chance he’d lied about Trey going back to the bar. After all, she’d given plenty of people the slip the same way.

But she took off in the direction of the restaurant anyway. If Dane were lurking, it might convince him she believed what he’d said. He didn’t have to know she’d be keeping an eye out for Trey along the way.

She ran her hands up and down her bare arms. With each step, nothing looked familiar, and she realized that she hadn’t paid close attention to the direction she’d gone.
Good onya, Tess.
One wrong turn and she’d be foolishly navigating alleys she had no business being in. Not without her purse.

One wrong move and she might never see Trey again. She stopped and let that thought sink in. The longer she stood there thinking, the more Trey’s charm wrapped around her like a warm blanket. Which really sucked. It made her head hurt, her mind cloudy. She’d risked enough in her professional life and had vowed never to risk again in her personal life. Yet here she was, torn by a brief encounter. There had to be something wrong with her.

Somehow, her feet started moving again. She muttered a few foul words she hoped might set her straight. To her dismay, she liked—really liked—a guy who may or may not be a shape shifter.
Criminy.
She’d also been spotted, then cornered by Dane, meaning her tailing skills had flown out the window. And she’d broken the heels off one of her best friend’s shoes, a friend who could be sweet as cherry pie one minute and far less amiable the next.
Double criminy.

She may as well surrender to the insane reality she’d plunged herself into. Really, there was no sense in thinking about what lay ahead or what she could have done differently. She needed to care about right now. Because, par for the course this evening, she found herself not anywhere near the bar. Crossing a narrow street, she looked down the alleyway to her right and swore she saw movement. Curiosity being another of her endearing qualities, she decided to go in for a closer look. Maybe it was Trey. And not a rat or mouse or other icky rodent.

She tiptoed down the darkened alley. Without a cross breeze, the stagnant air stank of sewer stench. This was definitely stupid. But stupid was a lot more fun than being sensible. When she let her guard down, her mind buzzed with anticipation, her body perked up.

As she drew closer to the big black dumpster in front of her, she noticed the alley extended much farther than she’d thought. Shit. She glanced behind her, then paused to let her eyes focus on the depth of the alley and listen for signs of life. If she needed to get out of there fast, she’d sprint back the way she came. But when she got to the dumpster, she found nothing. The flash of something that had caught her eye must have been in her imagination.

Her shoulders fell. She turned around and bumped smack dab into another body. A hoarse yelp came from the back of her throat. From surprise, not fear. Never, never fear. When she looked up from the broad chest that smashed her nose, she nonetheless gave a sigh of relief.

Trey stood before her, his mouth a tight line, his eyebrows raised.

“Trey! Are you okay?” She almost reached out to touch him, but clenched her fists at her sides instead. She also decided she sounded way too concerned, given his stern expression, so she added, “I mean, what the hell is going on?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing.”

She took a step back because his close proximity made her knees weak. He looked just as good as he had in the bar. There wasn’t a hair out of place to indicate he’d done anything but go for a walk. Thankfully, his eyes shined bright blue, not brownish-orange.

But he’d snuck up on her without making a sound.

“Me? I’m just out for a little exercise is all.” She rolled her shoulders back and tilted her head from side to side.

“Cut the crap, Tess. Why were you following me?”