She sighed. “Nothing you know about. This level of encryption doesn’t protect coffee-buying records of your Pack, Lex. Whatever is on this hard drive is hot. Two people have been killed to protect it.”
“As far as I can tell, you’re the only one here who is a criminal,” Lex said and immediately regretted it when he saw her wince.
“Yeah? Huh, cause no one’s been murdered over me. I’m not carrying a big gun. My house—the house I had before your people torched it—wasn’t protected by a sophisticated security system.” Her voice was tight.
“In any case, if I recall correctly, we aren’t talking about my past. This isn’t about me. I’ve changed. Everything I did, I did to eat and to feed and house a teenaged brother. I don’t have to defend myself to you,” she bit off and he watched her close up. She moved her body away from his and it brought a frisson of panic from his wolf.
Lex winced, horrified that he’d hurt her. “You’re right. I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. Some money has disappeared. Cade noticed it about six months ago. We also noticed that some non-Pack-affiliated wolves had been coming to our Howls. A few of the Pack hierarchy came to me, concerned that one of our own might be up to no good. We took a few names, discreetly, off the financial stuff, to try and protect the Pack. We didn’t want to arouse suspicions or make false accusations but it wasn’t something we could ignore. Tommie was watching three people for us.”
“And they are?”
Lex looked to Cade, trying to decide how much to tell her.
“Hey look,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “My brother died for this crap. I’m either in or I’m out, there is no in between. You tell me everything or I’m out of here. You can crack your own computer—which you won’t be able to.”
“You aren’t Pack, we don’t share this kind of thing with outsiders,” Cade tried to explain.
She widened her eyes at them incredulously. “Look at me, Cade Warden. Look at my face. Is this the face of a woman who cares? No! Listen, in fact, I could not possibly care less about not having the secret wolf handshake. I’m telling you how it’s going to be. Take it or leave it.”
Lex sighed, looking to Cade, who nodded his permission to tell her. “Sit down and finish your breakfast. Tommie was watching Carter, Melissa and Eric. They’re all in the top Pack hierarchy, right below Cade and me.”
“Obviously you don’t know who Tommie was meeting that night.”
He shook his head. “No, we do, but that’s the problem. He met with all three of them that night. They all admit to having seen him but they all said that he left without a problem. According to their stories, Melissa was the last to see him, but obviously the killer is lying and so we don’t know what the heck is up.”
She nodded. “Okay, well, let me get back to work and see if I can’t find some answers for you. I’ve got to go to the police station in an hour so let me get this program started so that it can work while I’m gone.” She shoved her plate away, pulling the laptop back in front of her.
“While we’re gone,” Lex said.
“Do you always do that growl thing?” she asked, annoyed that it turned her on as much as it did.
“Are you always this difficult?” he countered, leaning in closer to her.
Before she could retort, Cade threw his head back and laughed so hard that he cried. Lex snorted, tossed the dishtowel at his brother’s head and turned to gather up the dishes.
* * * * *
She tried not to cry when she saw the ruin of her house. Lex wanted her to see it before they went to the police. He hated hurting her but he wanted that emotion to help her because the last thing he needed was to bring more problems into her life than they already had. The cops and the arson investigators from the fire department needed to see how upset she was, needed to know that she didn’t do this herself.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly as she looked at the ruin that had once been her home.
She shrugged. “There’s nothing you can do. It is what it is.” Her voice was flat but he could feel her sorrow. He wondered, not for the first time, just what it was that made her so distrustful. He also winced as he remembered his comment about her criminal past back at the house. He doubted she’d be opening up to him about that any time soon.
He touched the back of her hand briefly and drove her to the police station.
They were both relieved that their story about spending the night together was accepted without incident. They didn’t have a lot to go on but the chemicals used as an accelerant were unusual enough that the attentions of the investigators had been raised.
“I know who you are, Mr. Warden. Do you think this might have something to do with your, uh, species affiliation? After all, Ms. Reyes is a florist, why would anyone torch her house?” The lead police detective on the case asked.
“I certainly hope not, Detective Stoner,” Lex said calmly. Humans knew about werewolves, but there was an uneasy truce at best. “But you may be right. In any case, Nina is staying with me at my home, where I can be assured of her safety.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” Stoner watched them both with the eyes of a very sharp cop.
Lex breathed an inward sigh of relief when the rest of the investigative team from the fire department came into the room and one of the men was clearly Pack. A look passed between the two and the subtle lowering of the man’s eyes let Lex know that he accepted Lex’s position.
“As far as I can tell, you’re the only one here who is a criminal,” Lex said and immediately regretted it when he saw her wince.
“Yeah? Huh, cause no one’s been murdered over me. I’m not carrying a big gun. My house—the house I had before your people torched it—wasn’t protected by a sophisticated security system.” Her voice was tight.
“In any case, if I recall correctly, we aren’t talking about my past. This isn’t about me. I’ve changed. Everything I did, I did to eat and to feed and house a teenaged brother. I don’t have to defend myself to you,” she bit off and he watched her close up. She moved her body away from his and it brought a frisson of panic from his wolf.
Lex winced, horrified that he’d hurt her. “You’re right. I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. Some money has disappeared. Cade noticed it about six months ago. We also noticed that some non-Pack-affiliated wolves had been coming to our Howls. A few of the Pack hierarchy came to me, concerned that one of our own might be up to no good. We took a few names, discreetly, off the financial stuff, to try and protect the Pack. We didn’t want to arouse suspicions or make false accusations but it wasn’t something we could ignore. Tommie was watching three people for us.”
“And they are?”
Lex looked to Cade, trying to decide how much to tell her.
“Hey look,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “My brother died for this crap. I’m either in or I’m out, there is no in between. You tell me everything or I’m out of here. You can crack your own computer—which you won’t be able to.”
“You aren’t Pack, we don’t share this kind of thing with outsiders,” Cade tried to explain.
She widened her eyes at them incredulously. “Look at me, Cade Warden. Look at my face. Is this the face of a woman who cares? No! Listen, in fact, I could not possibly care less about not having the secret wolf handshake. I’m telling you how it’s going to be. Take it or leave it.”
Lex sighed, looking to Cade, who nodded his permission to tell her. “Sit down and finish your breakfast. Tommie was watching Carter, Melissa and Eric. They’re all in the top Pack hierarchy, right below Cade and me.”
“Obviously you don’t know who Tommie was meeting that night.”
He shook his head. “No, we do, but that’s the problem. He met with all three of them that night. They all admit to having seen him but they all said that he left without a problem. According to their stories, Melissa was the last to see him, but obviously the killer is lying and so we don’t know what the heck is up.”
She nodded. “Okay, well, let me get back to work and see if I can’t find some answers for you. I’ve got to go to the police station in an hour so let me get this program started so that it can work while I’m gone.” She shoved her plate away, pulling the laptop back in front of her.
“While we’re gone,” Lex said.
“Do you always do that growl thing?” she asked, annoyed that it turned her on as much as it did.
“Are you always this difficult?” he countered, leaning in closer to her.
Before she could retort, Cade threw his head back and laughed so hard that he cried. Lex snorted, tossed the dishtowel at his brother’s head and turned to gather up the dishes.
* * * * *
She tried not to cry when she saw the ruin of her house. Lex wanted her to see it before they went to the police. He hated hurting her but he wanted that emotion to help her because the last thing he needed was to bring more problems into her life than they already had. The cops and the arson investigators from the fire department needed to see how upset she was, needed to know that she didn’t do this herself.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly as she looked at the ruin that had once been her home.
She shrugged. “There’s nothing you can do. It is what it is.” Her voice was flat but he could feel her sorrow. He wondered, not for the first time, just what it was that made her so distrustful. He also winced as he remembered his comment about her criminal past back at the house. He doubted she’d be opening up to him about that any time soon.
He touched the back of her hand briefly and drove her to the police station.
They were both relieved that their story about spending the night together was accepted without incident. They didn’t have a lot to go on but the chemicals used as an accelerant were unusual enough that the attentions of the investigators had been raised.
“I know who you are, Mr. Warden. Do you think this might have something to do with your, uh, species affiliation? After all, Ms. Reyes is a florist, why would anyone torch her house?” The lead police detective on the case asked.
“I certainly hope not, Detective Stoner,” Lex said calmly. Humans knew about werewolves, but there was an uneasy truce at best. “But you may be right. In any case, Nina is staying with me at my home, where I can be assured of her safety.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” Stoner watched them both with the eyes of a very sharp cop.
Lex breathed an inward sigh of relief when the rest of the investigative team from the fire department came into the room and one of the men was clearly Pack. A look passed between the two and the subtle lowering of the man’s eyes let Lex know that he accepted Lex’s position.
