| |
NICK
I leaned on the edge of the lateral cabinet pressed against the far wall in Reese’s office and crossed my longs legs at the ankles. It was midmorning by the time I was able to get Berkley to drag her ass out of bed and join Reese and me for our meeting to discuss additional security for the resort.
While we waited for Berkley to get her much-needed coffee, I replayed the previous night over in my head, at least the parts that involved Mandy. I’d almost said “mate,” almost divulged to her and the males working for Bishop about her connection to me. My protective instincts were shouting loudly that her safety could be at risk if they knew what she meant to me. As for Mandy, the fear of rejection was strong. It was part of the reason I was hiding behind denial and the reason I wasn’t willing to tell her.
She knew about shifters and seemed comfortable with me being one, more than comfortable if I took the time to analyze the situation. It was unclear whether she was aware of the wild wolf side of my nature. Would she accept that part of me as well, or would she avoid me like so many others had once they found out?
Any further contemplation was interrupted by Berkley treading barefoot across the hardwood floor. She still wore her oversized purple night shirt with paw prints all over it and had thrown on a pair of wrinkled sweats underneath. Even the state of her hair was haphazard, having been fastened behind her head in a ponytail.
Noting the darkened skin beneath her eyes and the way she protectively clutched her mug, it wasn’t hard to assume she hadn’t gotten much sleep. She ignored Reese’s questioning look, pushed aside a stack of papers, then hopped on top of his desk. After crossing her legs in front of her, she shifted so she was facing both of us.
“Rough night, sis?” Reese frowned at the mess she’d made of his organized files.
“Back off.” She snarled and flicked her hand, extending her claws at him threateningly.
Reese snorted, ignored her warning, and leaned back in his chair. I watched their interaction, secretly amused. I’d have thought with all his military training Reese would know better than to antagonize our sister before she’d had her fill of caffeine. Or maybe irritating her was his way of showing affection.
After taking a long sip, she glanced between Reese and me, then asked, “What was so important that you couldn’t let me sleep a little longer?”
Reese tapped his fingertips together. “Someone broke into one of the cabins along the eastern perimeter last night.”
“How bad?” Berkley pursed her lips, her grip on the cup tightening.
“Some minor plumbing. Bryson chased them off before they could do any major damage,” Reese said.
“We should hire more security,” she said.
“That’s what we thought as well. I know someone from my old unit who does contract work and might be willing to help.”
“Any clues yet as to who’s behind it?” Berkley took a sip from her cup, then released a low moan of appreciation. “Do you think it was some of the local teens?”
“No. We’re sure it was planned. We found a wrench they’d left behind.”
“Any likely suspects?” Berkley was well aware of my superior tracking abilities and glanced in my direction expecting an answer.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I ran into the guys...” A rap on the door stopped me from telling my siblings about the run-in I’d had with Dale and his buddy the night before.
“Come in.” Reese leaned forward in his chair, the old leather squeaking under his weight.
Nina, the young woman Reese had hired to answer phones and perform administrative duties, stood in the doorway, nervously wringing her hands. She was a sweet kid, barely older than twenty. “I’m sorry to interrupt.” Her gaze went straight to Reese. “There is a Mr. Bishop here to see you. He doesn’t have an appointment but refuses to leave until he speaks to you.”
Reese glanced at Berkley and me, silently asking our permission. After we both nodded, he spoke to Nina. “It’s fine. Show him in.”
“Okay.” The tension in Nina’s shoulders disappeared with a sag. She nodded, then retreated from the room.
“This ought to be interesting,” Reese said once Nina was out of sight.
A couple of minutes later, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the hall, and Nina appeared in the doorway again. “In here.” She stepped aside, her shorter, more slender frame dwarfed by Desmond’s presence. The man was all business as he strolled into the office wearing a gray pin-striped suit complete with a burgundy silk tie.
I knew that Reese and Berkley had dealt with Desmond on several occasions and seemed surprised to see the two men accompanying him. I, on the other hand, was ready to shed blood. I’d recognized their scents the night before when they’d stopped to hassle Mandy and me at the ice cream shop.
They were the two wolves who’d damaged the cabin. If I’d been alone at the time, my wolf and I would have handled things a lot differently. My need to keep Mandy safe and off their radar was the only reason they were still walking. Though I still held out hope that I’d get my hands on Dale, the scumbag on the left, so I could hurt him slowly and painfully for ogling and threatening Mandy.
Dale and his buddy froze a few feet into the room, shooting angry glares in my direction and letting me know they weren’t happy to see me either. Reese focused his piercing gaze on the two men before returning his attention to Desmond. No doubt he’d recognized their scents as well and was doing a good job concealing the fact.
“I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me.” Desmond continued into the office and held out his hand.
Their uninvited visitors were the enemy, and Reese didn’t bother to stand or return the gesture of greeting. It was a clear sign of disrespect, one that didn’t go unnoticed by Desmond. He lowered his hand to his side, his fake smile losing some of its luster.
“Who are the goons?” Berkley directed the question at Desmond.
“These are my associates. This is Dale.” He pointed to the male on the left, then to the other on the right. “And Carl.”
“Whatever,” Berkley muttered, then snubbed them by rolling her eyes and continuing to sip her coffee.
“What do you want, Bishop?” Reese got straight to the point.
“The same thing I’ve always wanted: to make you a generous offer on the resort.” Desmond made himself comfortable in the chair opposite Reese’s desk. Carl and Dale positioned themselves behind him, their rigid stances meant as a show of force.
“You could have called and saved yourself the trip.” Reese crossed his arms. “We’re still not interested.”
“How do you know if you haven’t even heard what I’m willing to pay?”
“The resort is not for sale for any amount of money,” Reese countered.
“You’re even more stubborn than your grandfather, and look what that got him.” His face was masked in calm, but there was a hint of frustration in his voice. “The place is falling apart. Wouldn’t you rather spend your money on something more profitable?”
“What we do with our money is none of your concern.” Reese tapped the edge of his desk. “And in case I didn’t make myself clear the first time, we’re not interested in selling.”
“But since you’re here...” I braced my hands on the cabinet. “Mind telling us what your guys were doing breaking into one of our cabins last night?”
Desmond slowly curled one side of his lips into a sneer. “Surely you aren’t insinuating that I would do anything unlawful to gain ownership of the resort?”
“I don’t need to insinuate. You might want to hire better help the next time you send your boys to damage our property. They’re sloppy and left their scent all over the place.” As I’d hoped, my comment hit a nerve. Desmond’s flinch, along with the tic in the muscle of his jaw, was more noticeable.
“Your brother’s got you back on your leash again, I see,” Dale smarted off, too stupid to realize this was the wrong place to provoke me. “Where’s that pretty little girlfriend of yours?”
Yep, too stupid. I released a low, feral growl and cracked my knuckles. The hurting was going to start sooner rather than later.
Dale and Carl lacked their boss’s self-control. They snarled, baring fangs and extending their claws.
Desmond kept his attention focused on me and held up his hand, a warning to his underlings. “Rein it in. This is a friendly meeting. We didn’t come here looking for trouble.” He waited for the men to calm down and take a step back. “I’m sure you’re mistaken. If they were involved in your mishap, and I’m not saying they were...good luck proving it.”
The man was all kinds of smarmy and gave shifters a bad name. My wolf was in total agreement with gutting the bastard before he had a chance to leave the room. Mental images of the best places my animal considered hiding a corpse flipped through my mind. Of course, I’d never take a life without provocation, but I couldn’t help appreciating my wolf’s simplistic way of wanting to deal with things.
Desmond pushed out of his chair, casting one last glance at the three of us. “You really should consider taking my offer. This place is old, and there’s no telling what kind of accidents might happen.”
The man had a pair of brass ones to toss that kind of threat at us in our own home. Before I could voice my opinion, Reese got to his feet and pointed toward the door. “I’m sure you can find your way out.”
Desmond reached inside his jacket and retrieved a business card. He placed it on the desk, tapping it with his finger. “We’ll be talking again soon.” He inclined his head toward Carl and Dale, then left the room with them trailing behind him.
I pushed away from the cabinet, intent on following them.
“Nick, where are you going?” Reese stepped in front of me and blocked my path to the doorway.
I didn’t miss the concern lining my brother’s face and knew he was wondering if I was going to lose it. “Stop worrying. My wolf’s under control. I just want to make sure our unwanted guests don’t have any problem leaving the property.”
