The Mane Squeeze
Page 119

And what did Dee deserve? Doing what she did best: Protecting her own and fixing problems. She was real good at fixing problems.
Names, Dee said again when Jay didnt answer her.
He told her one name. It wasnt easy for him. The doctors had had to wire his jaw shut and his head was covered in bandages from what Lock had done to him Halloween night. His facenot much better. Those were scars that wouldnt fade. But he told her one name because hed only sold one. One that had yet to be picked up.
And that night at the party Ross was about to move from selling names to handling the product himself.
Amazing what desperation would make a man forgetlike how hard it was to capture and keep shifter females.
Thank you kindly, Dee said when he finished. She stood, her mind already turning with what she should do next. Shed have to call in some help because that onethat one whose name he sold would be a problem.
Whataboutme? she heard him ask.
Dee looked at him over her shoulder. For days shed watched the man and Donna McNelly. For days shed watched those two argue, fuckfuck, argue until Dee had seriously considered removing her own eyes.
For that torture alone, he should suffer, but there were bigger issues. Bigger mistakes hed made. You betray your kind? What do you think should happen?
Justnames. Just
I know. Just crossbreeds. Theyre still us. But dont you worry noneyoull be gettin what you deserve.
She walked back to the stairs, but before heading up, she stopped. She listened. The hyenas who ruled these tunnels crept closer. She could hear them, smell them. And they could smell herand Rosss blood. She looked back at him one more time and smiled. It wont last long, she promised.
Then, before she went up those stairs, she yelled out,
Dinner!
She made her way out on to the street, closing the alley door, the screams and hyena howls left long behind. She headed down the street, but stopped at the corner when a limo pulled up in front of her. After a moments hesitation, she got in.
Well?
She stared across the seat at the man whod hired her. Whod offered her a chance to continue doing what she did best. She loved her cousin, but working security? Getting a regular paycheck and clocking in and clocking out every damn day? Not exactly her style. You were right, she said. He did sell her name before he tried to grab the other one.
Im guessing he needed the cash. Besides, after meeting her I can see why he tried to bring in the feline instead. The other would have been much more of a challenge. Niles Van Holtz, Alpha Male of theentire Van Holtz Pack and head of the simply named Group, the protective arm of the Board, took a sip of bottled water.
Want me to bring her in? she asked.
No. Well use her as bait instead.
Shes a wild card. Never know what shes gonna do next.
I could say the same about you.
Dee grinned. Look at you. Tryin to sweet-talk me.
The wolf smirked, glancing out the limo window. Why did you bring Ross here? You could have expired him at the hospital. And she had to fight real hard not to laugh at the fancy way hed put that rather than just saying killing like any self-respecting predator. It would have appeared that he died from his injuries.
And Lock MacRyrie would have spent the rest of his life thinking hed killed that wolf in an ugly fit of grizzly boar-rage. No. Dee-Ann wouldnt do that to the man whod saved her life more than once. She wouldnt let that rest on his giant shoulders. Seeing him happy and in love was a wonderful thing. Dee wouldnt be the one to take that away from him now.
She didnt, however, mention any of that to Van Holtz. Figured it was better he disappeared, since he was healin up and all. Scumbag dealer disappearing, no one will think much about it.
Van Holtz shrugged. As you like. I was just curious.
Reaching into a small fridge, he pulled out another bottled water and handed it to her.
She took it, nodded. Thank ya kindly.
And what about that girl you picked up? Abby something?
Shes safe.
Shes a coyote-wolf and barely sixteen.
And shes safe. And, in a few years, sly little Abby would be the one in the back of this fancy limo, haggling for this job. But until then, she needed to be cared for like any pup, no matter the breedor the mix.
So are you in, Miss Smith? he asked.
Not sure. Dont much like feelin hemmed in.
Were not the military. And, as a boss, Im quite hands off.
Except the Units been keepin an eye on me. Even following my friends around. I dont like it.
You wont have to worry about them once youre with us. They just want to make sure you havent snapped your bolt.
Who would be my contact here? Dee asked, doubting Van Holtz himself, who hailed from the West Coast, would do that job.
Youve already met him.
Dee thought a moment, then couldnt help but give a little sniff. That
kid?