friends.”
“That’s simply not true.”
“Oh yeah, I went for a coffee run with the new rookie, Johnny
Dominguez and in five minutes he was all over me.”
“What do you mean? What did he do?,” Tate narrowed his eyes,
but Cat was already in front of him and didn’t catch the sudden shift in his
posture.
“I mean what a creep! He’s good looking and all, that wasn’t
the problem. Tall, built, wavy brown hair, tan skin, dark eyes, but he’s a
cocky jerk. Two seconds we’re waiting for coffee and he’s like grabbing my ass
and trying to stick his tongue down my throat and I’m like oh heck no! I don’t
even know you.”
“What!,” Tate growled low and menacingly. Cat was so
surprised she stopped short and turned around. He almost walked right into her
amped up as he was.
“What’s eating you? Like I can’t take are of myself? Please !
Look, I had his arm behind his back and his face down on the counter in less
than five seconds” Still, she thought. What was that guy’s problem? No was no.
Tate shook his head. He needed to keep his attention on what
was around them, not in Cat’s office romances. He placed a hand on the small of
Cat’s back just as she swiped her card and punched in the four-digit security
code.
“They should rename this the $100 store, no matter what I
come in here for, it costs me a $100.”
“Let’s go.”
Uh oh, play time’s over , she thought to
herself. She hurried put the door with her bags in one hand. She was already
reaching for the gun she kept in the small of her back when Tate pulled out his
own nine millimeter.
“I smell it too,” Cat threw her bags in the back and jumped
into the passenger seat when the first shot rang out.
Tate was fast. Unlike anything she had ever seen. He
returned fire within a second of the first bullet and took down one of the perps.
He fired up the engine and they peeled out of the parking
lot. Another few seconds and they were gone.
“Are you okay? You hit?”
“No, no I’m fine. But what the hell was that?”
“I’m not sure, but we better call Rafe,” Tate pushed the
button for the sat phone and within seconds they were connected.
“Wassup?,” Liam was always clowning around.
“This is Tate. An attempt was made. I got one of them.”
“For real? Damn! Alright, you know what to do! I’ll alert
the others.”
“Copy that.”
“What was that? Tate?”
“Listen, you know how Rafe operates. He’s had his ear to the
ground ever since that business Christmas Eve with Skoll. From what we’ve
uncovered you are central to a plot to force Rafe’s hand.”
“What the heck? Why didn’t you guys tell me this?”
“It doesn’t matter now does it? We have to go somewhere safe
for a few days.”
“Why not back to the Manor? The place is a fortress.”
“No, the place is a fortress and as of two minutes
ago it has been completely locked down. No one in or out, including us.”
Cat paused for a moment and let that sink in. Her home was
off limits and she was being hunted. Her Wolf snarled in her mind’s eye, unused
to being prey. Cat refocused.
“Where will we go?,” she had no doubt that if anyone could
help her get though this it was Tate. Personal issues aside, he was a steady
and capable Wolf. Rafe trusted him. If she was being honest she’d admit that
she trusted him too. His deep voice broke through her reverie and she turned
ice blue eyes to meet his.
“Some place safe.”
CHAPTER 6
They drove for what seemed like hours. Across back roads and
little used truck routes. In reality they had travelled for a little bit more
than an hour when Tate parked the SUV in what looked like a stand of trees.
It was actually a covered garage hidden in the woods off one
of the many forgotten roads that cut across that part of the state. Tall Trees
and a clever paint job hid the building from view. Cat was glad that they had
stopped.
A knot was forming in her stomach and she was getting antsy.
Werewolves