Beneath a Darkening Moon (8 page)

“Well, he was certainly a
tool
.” She studied him for a moment, her pale eyes knowing. “So what’s our next move?”

“Tomorrow you can grab one of the rangers and start visiting all the hotels, motels, etcetera, to collect the names of anyone who has checked in during the last two weeks.”

“Why new?” Anton asked. “There’s nothing to indicate this isn’t being done by a local.”

No, but if a local had been at the commune, then surely Vannah would have mentioned it. After all, that person would be the obvious starting point.

“It’s easier to eliminate visitors first.” He glanced back at Trista. “Ronan would probably be a good choice as a guide. He seems to be a bit more personable than the kid.”

And knowing Trista’s more-than-predatory ways, the handsome Ronan would soon be less of a problem for him. Or rather, for his access to Vannah.

While bedding reservation rangers might go against the unwritten code of conduct, he’d turned a blind eye to it in the past and he’d certainly do so now. Especially if it got him what he wanted—time alone with the one person he’d never been able to shake from his thoughts, no matter how hard he’d tried.

Trista nodded. “Since it’s almost cross-country ski season, we could end up with quite a few names to cross-check.”

“Then draft the kid as well.” Cade looked at Anton. “You can run the fingerprints we found at the murder site through the system. Tomorrow, I’ll run back to the site with our head ranger. Apparently we had a watcher this evening. She gave chase, but lost him.”

“Then we could be right in thinking that this is all a setup to get you here.”

“Probably.” Vannah was here, after all, and now so was he.

“If that’s the case, it might be better if you step down—”

He cut Trista off with a curt, “I’m not going anywhere.”

“That’s not—”

“I know. But if the bastard behind these murders is after me, then they’re welcome to give it a try.”

“The IIS doesn’t approve of its agents acting as bait,” Anton said dryly. “It’s considered a waste of good training when they get killed.”

Cade grinned. “I have no intention of getting killed.” Especially when sex was in the air. “I’m off to scout the town and see if I can hear any gossip in the bars. Call if Hart sends the second autopsy report in.”

Anton reached for his briefcase, grabbing something, and tossed it to Cade. “Emergency tracer,” Anton said, as Cade caught it. “If you get into trouble, press it and we’ll come running.”

Cade turned the button-sized bit of technology over in his palm. It had a small loop at one end so that it could be threaded through a chain. He could wear it without being obvious. “What’s the range?”

“Ten miles.”

“Even in the mountains?”

Anton nodded.

“Amazing.”

“It could be more than amazing. It could be lifesaving,” Anton said, voice still dry. “So make sure you have it with you at all times. Even in the shower.”

“It’s waterproof?”

“And shockproof.”

“Good.” He undid the gold chain from his neck and threaded the tracer on to it. “Call me if anything happens.”

Anton nodded.

Then Cade spun around and headed into the moonlit night.

S
AVANNAH PUSHED OPEN
the diner door. Warmth rushed out at her, followed quickly by the familiar scents of homemade bread and the richness of fried onion. Her dad might have some crazy ideas about what was and wasn’t proper for young wolves, but he sure could cook a mean burger—and the best darned bread she’d tasted anywhere.

The place was packed, as usual. Ari, the head waitress, flitted between her tables, her spiky golden hair glowing in the warm ambience of the diner’s interior. More than one customer followed her movements with longing, and Savannah smiled. Though Levon kept warning Ari about flirting with the customers, there was no doubt that they enjoyed it—or that it was good for business.

Her gaze scanned the rest of the room, coming to rest on the well-rounded figure at the far end of the room. Neva straightened, a smile touching her lips as her gaze met Savannah’s.

Hey, welcome to the madhouse, Sis
.

Thanks. Aren’t you supposed to be resting?

I was, but Jacci called in sick
.

Does Duncan know?

Neva’s amusement bubbled through Savannah’s mind.
He’s helping Dad cook burgers
.

Will wonders never cease
. She’d never expected that Levon would reach even grudging acceptance of her sister’s soul mate after only a year.
You got a spare table, or do I retreat to the kitchen?

Dad will rope you in to help if you do, and it doesn’t feel like you’re up to that. Come down here
.

Savannah wound her way through the tables, smiling so many hellos that her cheeks began to ache. Half the town seemed to be in the diner tonight. While some small part of her wanted to retreat, mostly she wanted to wrap herself in familiar surroundings and the warmth of family in an effort to ward off the chill of Cade’s return.

Neva was resetting a small table at the far end of the counter. Savannah kissed her sister’s cheek, then bent and did the same to her bulging belly.

“How are the brats treating you?” She placed her hands gently to either side of Neva’s tummy and smiled when she felt the responding kicks.

Neva grinned. “I’ve decided they are going to be athletes, because they don’t ever seem to stop moving.”

“It’s their father’s fault. The Sinclairs have a reputation for being extremely active.”

Her twin’s green eyes sparkled. “You don’t have to tell me. How do you think I got pregnant in the first place?”

“Well, that’s what happens when he goes off the fertility control shots and the two of you go at it like rabbits.”

“Neither of us actually expected his fertility would kick in this quickly. It usually takes at least a couple of months for a male’s sperm count to come back to normal.” Neva’s smile certainly didn’t suggest she minded—quite the opposite, in fact. “You want the usual?”

“Just coffee and some banana-nut bread tonight. Thanks, Sis.”

Neva nodded and waddled toward the kitchen.
Savannah reached for the newspaper sitting on the counter and got down to the business of catching up on the local news. Ten minutes later, Neva was back with her order, complete with an extra cup for herself.

“So,” she said, stretching out her legs and wriggling her feet with a sigh of relief as she sat. “What’s up?”

Savannah smiled. She should have known she couldn’t come in here seeking a moment of serenity without her twin sensing something was wrong. She picked up a slice of the rich-smelling bread and munched on it as she figured out how best to phrase her question.

“Did you ever regret making that first promise to the moon?”

Neva frowned. “How could I when I did it to save you?”

“But if you had to do it all again … would you?”

“Yes. Because, at the time, it was my only option.” Neva paused, speculation growing in her eyes. “This is about a promise you made, isn’t it? That old history you once mentioned but wouldn’t explain.”

Savannah nodded. “Let’s just say it’s come back to bite me.”

Neva’s concern flicked through Savannah’s mind. “And you’d rather avoid being bitten again?”

She sighed. “I’m not sure what I want—and that’s half the problem.” God, they hadn’t even made love yet, and her thoughts were all but consumed by him. She couldn’t afford that, not a second time. And certainly not with a murderer running loose.

Neva reached across the table and wrapped her hand around Savannah’s. “Do you like him?”

“I did once.”

“And are you still attracted to him?”

A smile touched her lips as she remembered the heat of his kiss, and the way she’d ached to arch into him. “Yes.”

“And are you going to dance with him?”

“Yes. But only because I have no real choice.”

“Why not?”

Promises made
.

Ah.
Neva lightly squeezed Savannah’s hand.
You want me to touch his thoughts and blast away any memory of the promise?

No, because this is an unfulfilled moon promise
.

Well, shit
.

Exactly
.

Neva leaned back in her chair and rubbed her belly with her free hand.
I’m here if you need me, Sav. Anytime, night or day. Just call me
.

She knew that, but hearing it said was comforting. Most people considered her the stronger of the two, but that had never really been the case. Neva had shown more gumption and courage in the last year than Savannah had ever shown in her entire life. Walking into the Sinclair mansion during the moon dance, tying herself to the wildest of the Sinclair brothers, and finally, inevitably, rejecting their father’s demands—that took nerve
and
strength. Hell, when Savannah had rebelled, all she’d done was leave town. And while she may have joined a left-of-center commune and done things that would have given her old man a heart attack, in the grand scheme of things they didn’t really count, because no one here knew about them. And while she’d forced the final confrontation between her sister and her parents so that Neva
could claim the man she loved without fear of parental backlash, she had no such courage when it came to her own life. Nor when it came to Cade and the history between them.

There’s no shame in being scared of confronting your past, Sav
.

I’m a ranger,
she said, mind-voice dry.
We’re supposed to be able to control our fears
.

But you’re also a woman. So why not just enjoy the sex and to hell with the rest? If worse comes to worst, pretend he’s Ronan or something
.

Savannah almost choked on her bread, and Neva grinned mischievously.
Did you really think you’d be able to keep a secret like that from me?

No one else knows, do they?

Hell, no. This town runs on gossip. If anyone knew, it’d be public knowledge in an instant
.

That was all too true—which made the fact they’d kept a lid on the murders all the more amazing. Even Matt had kept his mouth shut—a miracle in itself.

Neva glanced back at the crowded diner and sighed. “I guess I’d better start helping again.” She hesitated. “You’re seeing him tonight, I gather?”

Savannah nodded.

“Then come for breakfast tomorrow morning, and tell me all about it. And remember … it’s what
you
want that’s important. Not the past, and not him. And remember, too, that while you may be forced into the dance, you can probably control the way events unfold.”

“Oh, I’ve already laid down the ground rules.”

Neva grinned and squeezed Savannah’s hand again.

“That’s my girl.” She quickly finished the rest of her
coffee and pushed to her feet with a groan. “No one told me pregnancy was a backbreaker.”

As she waddled away, Savannah sipped her coffee and considered her sister’s advice. As usual, Neva was right. To get through this, she not only had to keep to the ground rules she’d already set, but she also had to keep it just about the sex. Hard, fast, long, or slow, it didn’t matter, as long as it remained detached. All about physical sensation, and not about feelings or emotions.

He’d done it the first time—and he’d done it so well that she’d thought it
had
been real. Until the last night. Until he’d shown his true colors with that one, unforgivable act.

But then, those events—both her foolishness with Cade, and not seeing what Jontee truly was—had, in many ways, led to her becoming a ranger. So, in some ways, she owed a debt of thanks to the past. She loved what she did, and she probably wouldn’t have thought to become a ranger if not for those events.

A bell chimed as the diner door opened, and she looked up to see Ronan walk in. Though he didn’t often eat here, she wasn’t entirely surprised that he’d come tonight. She’d been avoiding him for most of the day, but it was inevitable he would catch up with her.

Thanks to the aftermath of the dreams he’d witnessed so often, he knew a little about Rosehall. He would have recognized the intent behind the words carved into the victim’s back—and he knew those words had been aimed at her.

She picked up her coffee, meeting his gaze squarely and watching him move through the tables. Ari
caught him halfway, flirting more outrageously than she usually did. Ari had had the hots for Ronan, and had for as long as Savannah could remember. As far as she knew, he’d never returned the interest—but maybe that was
her
fault. After all, Ronan had been hurt by the past as much as she had, and she was just as much a crutch for him emotionally as he was to her.

He dragged out a chair and sat down opposite her. “So,” he said simply. “Explain.”

She did—briefly.

“And Cade?” he asked.

“Became sexually involved with me to get close to Jontee and stop him.”

“So you were one of Jontee’s lovers?”

“I was Sunday and Wednesday.” Though she hated the fact that she’d been involved with a killer, she couldn’t actually regret the rest of her Rosehall experience. If nothing else, it had been a wild, amazing ride. “Cade was under the impression that, as one of Jontee’s lovers, I had to know something about the murders. I didn’t.” Not through firsthand knowledge, anyway. No one had. Jontee had kept the dark intent of the commune well and truly hidden from
everyone
—something she’d told Cade over and over, but he’d never believed her. Never trusted her.