A Matter of Pride (3 page)

Her fear blossomed and tasted ripe on the air. Finally.

“But I’m not here to hurt you,” he said quietly.

She blinked, and those bright blue eyes sparked with curiosity. Okay, yeah, she was hot. But still, not the right cat. Not for him.

“Lex wants you, and only you. He’ll do whatever he has to to get you back, and that includes killing your sisters. Oh, and Miles. He wants to skin Miles publicly, as a warning to everyone at home to obey.” Quince snorted. “Over-the-top and dramatic as all get-out if you asked me, but that’s Lex.”

“So I’ll leave.”

“And that’s exactly what he wants, for you to separate yourself from the safety here and be all by yourself, ripe for the plucking.”

“But you just said he wants me. If I’m gone, he’ll leave them alone.”

“I thought you were smarter than that.” He shook his head. “He sees them as leverage. You might tell him to kiss your ass, but if he has his hands on your sisters or brother, you’ll do whatever he wants to keep them safe. Won’t you?”

She didn’t respond, but the pinch to her lips answered for her. She might be spoiled, but she was loyal. And God knew he could use some loyalty right about now. Unfortunately, fidelity to the pride had been pretty rare of late.

“Here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to work with me on this.”

“You? But—”

“Me.” He stood straight and glared at her, pleased when she didn’t argue. “There are some things set in motion that need to play out. You’re going to take that pretty little ass out of town for a few days—under my watchful eye—and distract Lex. While he’s focused on you, I’m going to cut his legs out from under him.”

“My brother can—”

“You’re not going to tell anyone about this.”

“That’s stupid. The pride can help.”

The Chastells didn’t buckle under pressure or threats…and were unconventional enough to give him pause. They could definitely muck up the works. Quince didn’t even want to think about Miles Bermin added to the equation. The cat had a huge bug up his ass about Quince in particular. “We think Lex might be using a few Ac-taw in town to keep tabs on you.”

“Not from the pride,” she said quickly.

“We don’t think so. But word has come back about you all, and it’s detailed enough that we’re being ultra careful.”

“We who?”

“I ask the questions and I give the orders. Do as you’re told and this will go down without a hitch. No more Lex, no more problems.”

She bristled.

“Look, Stacey, I know it’s tough keeping that mouth shut and doing what you’re told, but you didn’t seem to have a problem with Chastell a few minutes ago. Just pretend I’m him.”

Clearly the wrong thing to say, but he’d been dying to one-up the haughty female for months.

“You son of a bitch!” She poked him in the chest with a long, sharp, manicured nail. “Look, Quince, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I won’t let you—”

He gripped her hand in his and she froze mid-sentence. “Okay, that was out of line. But you two did look kind of chummy.” Which relieved him. Dean Chastell couldn’t have designs on Joy, not if he kissed her sister like that.

Then again, if he was stupid enough to tangle with the Bermin sisters, once they finished tearing him a new one, Quince would gut the fucker. He’d waited long enough to take what was his. He frowned down at Stacey. “You want to protect your family, you get away for the weekend. You’re bait, plain and simple.”

“Bait?” She worried her lower lip while glaring daggers at him. “Let me get this straight. You want me to set myself up for Lex, your
best friend and pride leader
, and trust that you’ll protect my brother and sisters while I’m gone? Are you insane?”

“You’ll do it.”

“I should just tell Miles you’re here. He can handle this.”

“If you do, I’m going to hurt him, and it’ll be your fault.” She paled, and he continued. “I don’t give a rat’s ass about you Bermins. Far as I’m concerned, you can stay out here forever. I want Lex, and he wants you. You’re the only chink in his armor, and I’m going to exploit it. Whether you’re willing or not.” He growled low.

She growled back. “You touch one hair on my brother’s head, I’ll kill you myself.” The scent of anger and fear grew thick.

“Dream on, princess.” Female cats were lethal, and Quince had learned early on never to underestimate the prettier sex. But nothing stepped in his way unless he allowed it. He’d be damned if he’d let even Joy’s sister stop him from making things right. “You refuse to play along and I’ll have no choice but to deal with Miles. If he knows I’m involved, he won’t stop until we tangle. He’s a hothead, and I don’t have time to play with him. I’ll put him out of commission, step over his broken body and finish with Lex. Now wouldn’t it be easier to keep Miles out of this until I’m done and gone?”

She fumed but had to know he was right. “Oh, fine. Miles can’t know. But the pride can—”

“Fuck up everything. Burke Chastell has a hard-on for injustice.”

“Somebody should.”

He wanted to smile at her refusal to back down but kept his face expressionless. “No way he’ll let me hang around your little town while I deal with Lex.”

“So Lex really is here?” She sounded uneasy, as well she should. “Why the hell should I believe any of this? Why would you go against Lex anyway? You and he are thick as thieves.”

The very image he’d striven so hard to project. “You want the truth?”

“Yes, damn it.” She curled her fists, and he knew he’d started to win her over.

“Lex has involved Hunters in the takeover of the pride. Now I might like being in charge, sure.” Actually, he hated it. He wanted everything to go back to the way it had been when Michael had been in charge. “But I don’t tolerate Hunters. You can believe that.”

Hunters—the Capitol H kind—killed Ac-taw. They were humans who knew shapeshifters existed and lived only to hunt and murder what they couldn’t understand.

Stacey backed away and hit the sink. “I have to tell the others.”

“You can’t. If word gets out to the wrong people, I’m fucked. And without me, you and your family don’t have a prayer of staying out of Lex’s hands. Think about it. There’s more than just danger to you and yours. There are pregnant females in the Cougar Falls Pride. Wouldn’t Lex just love to send a message using one of them?”

“Jesus, Quince. You wouldn’t hurt a breeding female.”

“I wouldn’t, no. But I think we both know Lex will do whatever he feels like. He couldn’t give a shit about the pride here. He wants you, and he wants Miles to suffer. So he’ll use Hunters, rogue Ac-taw, the idiot cats from our pride, whatever he needs to win in the end.” He gauged her silence and let out a deep breath. Finally, she’d come to her senses. “You go ahead and tell the pride I’m here. Before you know it, Lex will know he’s got a problem. He’ll probably find me and beat me down before I can shore up my reserves. And then you’ll be right back in a shit sandwich, never knowing when Lex will attack. And he will.”

She folded her arms around her middle and hugged herself, yet she never looked away from him. She was as strong and domineering as her stubborn brother.

He pressed his case. “If I don’t stop Lex now, you’ll always be in danger, never knowing when he’ll attack or who might get hurt. So which way do we do this, Stacey? Alert your brother and lose him? Give Lex the advantage? Or do what I tell you and let me handle it? Your call.”

She could be a handful, but Stacey Bermin had a brain. He watched her consider her options and wasn’t surprised when she snarled at him.

“
Fuck.
Fine.”

He blinked, not having heard her swear before.

“But let me tell you something, cat. You hurt my family or the pride here at all, just one little bit, and I’ll make you pay. One way or the other. I can promise you that.” The feline slit of her pupil warned of her cat’s need to protect.

And that fury reminded him so much of Joy that he softened without meaning to.

“So we good?” he asked gruffly.

“As if.” She blew out a loud breath and blinked quickly, but she couldn’t quite hide the sheen of tears there. “So I just need to prance around by myself and wait, is that it?”

Without a word, he dug into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief that he handed to her.

She took it, used it and tossed it back at him. Then she patted her hair and gave him a false smile. “Well, Quince?” She opened her mouth to say something else, but an odd expression crossed her face.

“What?”

She surprised him by taking a step closer. The scent of her fear had completely faded. If he wasn’t mistaken, he sensed amusement. “I’m still waiting for my instructions, oh great leader.”

He didn’t trust her complacence but didn’t want to question his good luck. After giving her instructions, he ended with another warning to keep her mouth shut.

“Sure thing, boss. I wouldn’t want to make you mad. You might kill my whole family while we sleep.” She took a slow step back, keeping her left foot poised before lowering it again.

He looked down and swore. He picked up the bracelet that must have fallen out of his pocket when he’d handed her the handkerchief. With a jerky motion, he shoved it back in.

The sly grin on her face made it worse. Hell, he could feel his cheeks heat. Quince cleared his throat, wishing she didn’t know what that bracelet meant, but by the look of evil delight on her face, he had a bad feeling she knew. “Remember, don’t tell anyone I was here.”

“Not even Joy?” she asked with wide-eyed innocence.

He ignored her. Hopefully, she’d forget all about the ugly little bead bracelet Joy had given him years ago, a treasure he’d never been able to let go. Just his luck her sister would recognize it and understand its significance—a mating gift he fully intended to give back, just as soon as he claimed the stubborn cat.

“Not a word, Stacey. I’m not kidding. If Lex knows about me, you and your family are as good as dead.”

Her smiled disappeared. “I know.”

He nodded and moved swiftly to the back of the store. After a moment, he let himself out, careful to keep to the back alleys. The Hunter’s mist masking his scent would last a few more hours. So long as he could avoid any of the townsfolk, he’d be golden.

Now to set his trap.

Dean made it to Whitefish hours later, after ensuring that Monty would watch over Stacey. As much as he wanted to trust the hellion to take care of herself, he feared that in her current frame of mind, she’d disregard her safety just to spite him.

As he drove around town, he wondered what the hell he’d been thinking. Touching Stacey had never been in the cards. Sure he could fantasize and dream about her. But actually kissing her and holding her had been worse than stupid. For the past three hours he’d done nothing but relive that kiss. Harboring a crush on a conceited cat who wanted nothing more than to leave Cougar Falls in her rearview was asking for heartache.
Trouble
, asking for
trouble
. No hearts involved.

Dean scowled and pulled into the lot of Chastell Tours. He didn’t feel anything more for Stacey Bermin than a bad case of lust. And who wouldn’t? Anything with a Y chromosome responded to her. Even little kids walked right up to her for a good glimpse of that smile in full wattage.

He parked and slammed out of his truck, more than annoyed he couldn’t stop thinking of her. Despite their many run-ins—where she insulted him and he snapped back at her—those slight instances of sadness or vulnerability she’d shown had grabbed him and refused to let go. He continued to think there might be something deeper to the shallow cat who cared only about fashion and her own neck. He wanted to believe she loved her family, not because they were an extension of Stacey, but because she truly cared about them. And after kissing her, he needed to know he lusted after a woman with real feelings, not a superficial looker with nothing more than survival on her mind.

He sighed and walked into the office that should have been empty.

Grady had the Chapel group out today and the Benjamins weren’t due until eight Monday morning, giving him plenty of time to ready the cabins, go over the trail once more and get his shit together before the trip next week. There should have been nothing and no one to interfere with his downtime.

Yet Stacey sat next to Rachel, Burke’s mate, while Burke chatted with Monty. A huge lunch spread covered the table on which their brochures and pamphlets normally lay.

Monty noticed him first and greeted him with a wide, toothy grin. “Hey there, Dean. Look who brought lunch.”

Stacey batted her eyes and gave Dean a demure smile—one that gave him the proverbial finger without lifting her pretty little hand.

“Okay, who died?”

“Dean.” Rachel smothered a laugh. “Stacey wanted to say thank you for all we’ve done to help her and her family.”

“Ri-ight. So why is she here and not safe at home at the ranch?” He directed his question to his brother. “You know, keeping out of sight and not inviting trouble to come knocking at the door?”

Burke, bless him, gave him a straight answer. “Stacey’s going out with you this weekend.”