Enemies and Lovers Amongst Us (16 page)

the past few hours, but to no avail.

He stared at her now while she sat in the front passenger seat next

to Jake. He could see her reflection in the side mirror. She furrowed

her eyebrows and observed the moving scenery in silence. His

protective instincts just wanted to hold her, caress her hair, and tell

her he loved her. That he would take care of her and make sure she

didn’t ever get hurt. The ex-cop in him wanted to take her by her

shoulders, stare into her eyes, and drill her until she spilled the beans.

But he knew neither approach would make a dent in her shield of

isolation. Triala Barns was a stubborn, strong-willed Voyeur Scout

Enemies and Lovers Amongst Us

117

whose mind could not easily be changed. She had set it to silence, and

that was that.

As they approached the Raven’s Nest, Jake glared at him through

the rearview mirror and asked, “Did Tom say he’d be here tonight?”

Sam shook his head. “Yeah, but only later, and he wouldn’t hang

out with us much. He doesn’t want to draw attention. His cover could

be compromised if he stays with us for too long. His job was just to

bring us to Johnny. Now that contact has been made, it’s better he

plays a low-key role in this from here on in.”

“Okay, so then we are basically on our own from now on?”

Sam nodded while looking at Triala once more. She obviously

hadn’t paid attention to their conversation. She still fixed her gaze on

the view outside her side window.

She finally came out of her apparent daze when Jake placed the

car in park. She turned to him and smiled. “Ready to put on our

show?”

Jake frowned. “You sure you’re okay, Triala? We can make

excuses for you if you want to go back to the motel and rest.”

“No, I’m fine. Besides, you need me to scout for Rogues. I can

smell their scent, remember. You can’t.”

“All right, if you say so. Let’s go in,” Sam said while holding out

his arm for her to grab hold.

When she looped hers through his, he heard her deep intake of air.

Her ice-cold hand trembled. Subtly turning his gaze toward her face

so she wouldn’t notice his preoccupation, he noted the worry in her

eyes. Something about the Raven’s Nest frightened her now. Could

the vision have taken place in the club?

“Your hand is freezing.” Moving his arm so he could envelop her

hand, he brought it closer to his body, trying to warm it up by

cocooning it between his chest and open palm.

“Is it? I guess I’m cold.” She blinked twice, staring at her

protected hand. Her mind was obviously somewhere else.

118

Jessica Frost

“I’ll get you something warm to drink.” He smiled, wrapping his

other arm around her back as they walked into the club. Jake quietly

followed by their side.

The place was packed once again, business obviously good. Sam

hoped it wouldn’t have been as crowded as the night before, so they

could better scout it out and take note of who frequented the club on a

daily or weekly basis and who didn’t.

Observing the bartender’s behavior with customers could tell

them pretty much who were the regulars. Then Triala could

inconspicuously follow them around to see if they were werewolves

or not. But as things stood tonight, that would be next to impossible.

“Let’s go sit in the back of the joint. Our table from last night is

vacant.” Speaking loud enough so they could hear him, Jake pointed

to the back of the club.

“How will we spot Johnny then?” Triala asked Sam, leaning close

to his ear.

“Tom told me Johnny usually hangs around in the back of the club

where it’s less crowded and where he can talk drug talk with clients

and suppliers. So when he comes, we’ll see him there.”

As they passed the first bar, Sam let go of her hand and looked at

Jake. “You guys go to the table. I’ll get us drinks. Jake, what do you

want?”

“Double scotch.”

Sam added, “Triala, would you like an Irish coffee? That will

warm you up.”

“That sounds good.” She nodded, rubbing her bare arms as Jake

took her hand, leading her to the far-off table.

Squeezing through the group of five males blocking his way to the

bartender, he excused himself. Though it was obviously a waste of

time since they couldn’t hear what he said with the blaring music.

As he placed his hand on the bar counter, the pretty, blonde

bartender gave him a sultry smile and leaned in so he could hear her.

“So, handsome, what can I get you?”

Enemies and Lovers Amongst Us

119

He motioned with his fingers. “Two double scotches and an Irish

coffee.”

Giving him a flirty sideways glance, she turned. “Coming right

up.”

While he waited, he observed the people around him. They all

seemed to be in their late twenties or early thirties, which was about

the norm for frequent club- goers, he’d say. He wondered who of these

smiling, laughing people were human and who were werewolves,

Rogue werewolves, to be exact. Which of these people hated humans

and set out to kill them?

He had learned early on in his years as a cop that there were no

telltale signs to identify murderers or dangerous drug traffickers. They

didn’t have a crazed look in their eyes or the look of guilt stamped

across their faces.

Anyone in this crowd next to him could be a Rogue, and they

could very well be stalking their next victim, too. Maybe even him.

As he looked on, assessing the entourage, the bartender came back

with drinks and napkins to go with them. “Here you go, lover,” she

said, winking. “That’ll be twenty-eight fifty.”

He took out his wallet and handed her thirty- five dollars. “Keep

the change.”

“Thanks.” She smiled, her bright blue eyes twinkling. She

obviously appreciated the amount.

He sighed as he made his way through another crowd to get to

Jake and Triala. He noticed the bartender had written her cell number

on one of the napkins. Ordinarily, the gorgeous bartender’s

forwardness and interest would have had him calling her out on a

date. That would have led to a very wild and sexy one-night stand.

But that was before he ever met the gorgeous and complicated

Triala Barns. Now that she’d come into his life, turning it completely

upside down and making him fall head over heels in love with her, he

knew he’d never look back. His days of philandering ended the

moment he looked into Triala’s gorgeous green eyes when she

120

Jessica Frost

plowed into him at the Voyeurs’ compound, making him land on the

ground and her right on top of him. She had captured his heart right at

that moment, and he couldn’t be happier.

Crumpling the napkin and the bartender’s number in his hand, he

tossed it in a garbage can he passed as he approached the table.

As he placed the drinks on the table, he asked Jake, “Where’s

Triala?”

Jake looked toward the bathrooms in the rear of the room. “She

went to powder her nose five minutes ago.”

“How is she?” He took a sip of his scotch. The strong alcohol

stung his throat as it made its way down his esophagus. It soothed his

parched mouth.

“The same. Barely said more than two words at the table. Her

mind is a million miles away.”

Sam hit the table. “Damn it! Why can’t she just tell us what it is?”

Jake shrugged. “She doesn’t want to.”

“I don’t care what she wants or doesn’t want. Thorak put me in

charge of this operation, and if I want to know what she saw, she

can’t say no.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Jake snorted.

Sam lifted his brow. “O h, you don’t think I can get it out of her?

You know when I set my mind to something, I won’t rest until I do it.

And right now, I’ve had it up to here with her silent treatment. She is

going to tell me what she saw if it’s the last thing I get out of her!”

He crossed his arms, huffing to make his point to Jake, who sat

there smirking. His partner underestimated his capabilities. He gazed

at the bathroom and waited. By the time this night ended, he’d find

out what her secret was.

* * * *

Her scent hit Rotan’s nose the moment she walked by. How could

he ever forget it? Her essence permanently etched itself into his

Enemies and Lovers Amongst Us

121

psyche when he felt her presence in the alley the night before. Her

sweet odor now flooded him like the Red Sea flooded the Egyptians

as they followed Moses and the Israelites’ Exodus.

He had found Triala Barns. She was just a few yards away.

He hadn’t been looking for her. No, he just came to the Raven’s

Nest to keep an eye on Theo and make sure he didn’t botch things up.

According to Oscar, Theo was supposed to have eliminated Triala and

the humans who accompanied her earlier in the day. The fact she and

her “friends” walked through the club’s doors not that long ago told

him Theo had screwed things up. No surprise. If Oscar were here,

he’d tell him, “I told you so.”

He had half a mind of calling him on his cell to deliver the

reprimanding news. But the high ranking Rogues were under direct

orders to keep a low profile amongst themselves. Frequent

communication risked exposure if Voyeurs were keenly watching or

listening.

Instead Rotan followed her and one of the male humans to the

back of the room and hid in a corner, observing them.

So this was the infamous Triala Barns that Zortal had spoken to

him about. She was a very beautiful, sexy woman. Her super long

legs, plump breasts, and curvy body could put a spell on any male,

human, or werewolf. Add to that her strong visionary capabilities and

Scout’s combat skills and she had what it took to be the perfect

Voyeur spy. Now he understood why the Voyeurs sent her on this

mission, which he figured was to try to uncover the Rogues’

whereabouts.

A chill of worry crawled up his spine. What if she had a vision

about him now? Or maybe she could smell him like he had smelled

her.

Zortal had told the high-ranking Rogues months ago that their

activities had been cloaked thanks to a special, casted dark spell. But

spells could be broken. The Elder Voyeurs could have figured out a

way to undo it.

122

Jessica Frost

She could be playing ignorant, but really knew he was there and

later would report his identity to the Elders. If that happened, he was

sure the Rogues would eliminate him. His contributions to the new

order hadn’t been monumental, nor would they ever. He just did what

he was told and tried to keep his nose clean, as clean as Rogue

werewolves’ noses could be.

A part of him wanted to run out of there as fast as his legs could

take him, but then that would mean he’d have to rely on Theo to get

rid of Triala and the humans on his own. No way in hell would he

allow that.

Triala had seen his face and could identify him at any time. He’d

be put on the Scouts’ target list then. No, he had no choice but to hang

around and survey her and her friends incognito. When the most

opportune time arose, he’d eliminate her and leave no witnesses.

As he stood there, he saw her get up and head to the bathroom.

From her long, serious expression, something was bothering her.

Good, that meant her mind was elsewhere, which also meant she

wouldn’t be on alert. His odds just got better, and he rubbed his chin,

trying to think up a plan to do away with her.

Ten minutes passed, and she still hadn’t come out. But the second,

taller male, who had his arm around her back earlier, came to sit at the

table, carrying three drinks. From his irritated look and behavior, plus

the fact he kept pointing toward the bathroom, led Rotan to believe he

and she had had a tiff.

Interesting! Maybe I can use this.

The show kept getting more and more intriguing. Triala still didn’t

come out of the bathroom after another five minutes passed, but a

man walked up to the humans’ table and started speaking to them.

They talked for a few more minutes, then they got up and walked with

him, heading to a side door, and out they all went.

What the fuck!

He rolled over what just happened and couldn’t fathom what it

meant. And frankly he didn’t care.

Enemies and Lovers Amongst Us

123

The most opportune moment to ice Triala Barns had presented

itself, and he wasn’t about to waste any time.
No witnesses. No

hassles.

Casually, he made his way to the women’s bathroom and prepared

to finish the job Theo Overture botched up earlier today.

124

Jessica Frost

Chapter 21

In frustration, Triala took the tissue on the counter and wiped the

lipstick off with two swift swipes. Her dry lips stung as she tried on

several shades over and over again since coming into the bathroom.

She had been stalling for the past twenty minutes. She couldn’t bring