Lone Wolfe Protector (5 page)

Koda swallowed and lowered his head.

“Okay,” he said. “Okay. I’m going to back up now.”

Cradling the rifle in his arm, he took a cautious step backward.

Silence.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

The owl called again, but farther away this time. He took another step backward, aware of the sweat trickling between his shoulder blades. It was starting to itch, and a hot pressure mounted at his temples.

“There we go.” Another step. Then another. After a minute, the sweet sound of a car passing on the freeway signaled he was finally out the way he’d come.

He stood at the tree line, staring into the darkness, and lowered the flashlight to his side.

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered.

Chapter Seven

They drove back to the Inn with the fog lifting a little. There were even a few patches above where tiny glittering stars punctured the black-velvet sky.

Maggie’s head hurt. Actually, that was an understatement. It throbbed with an intensity that made it hard to form a coherent thought.

She snuck a look in Koda’s direction. The darkness inside the sheriff’s vehicle made it hard to see his expression. He stared straight ahead, his messy black hair sticking straight up where it hadn’t before. Apparently she wasn’t the only one whose coif was affected by the relentless damp around here. In spite of herself, she laughed.

He looked over. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“What is it?”

“Nothing. It’s just…” She pointed at this head. “Your hair.”

Craning his neck, he looked in the rearview mirror and smiled. They were passing underneath a streetlamp, and his face was illuminated for a moment. Dimples, smooth olive skin, straight white teeth, expressive crinkles at the corners of his eyes. For a painful second, Maggie’s heart stopped. He was
that
handsome. That exotic-looking, with his high cheekbones and wide mouth. And she could see the resemblance again, between him and his brother. It wasn’t surprising that Candi had fallen for one of the Wolfe brothers in high school. At seventeen, Maggie would have been a goner, too.

He reached up and ruffled his hair. “It’s the mist. It does this.”

“I get it.”

“Some days I don’t even comb it. There’s no point.”

“I’ve only been here a few days and I’m starting to think I should invest in a hat. I look like Medusa—” He turned, and she touched her curls self-consciously— “…Snakes. You know.”

“No.” He held her gaze a little longer than someone driving a car probably should have. “I like your hair.”

When it came to Maggie’s hair, she knew better. But his voice, which had dropped an octave, was so soft and believable, that she simply stared at him.

A charged silence settled between them, before he cleared his throat and looked at the road again.

“How’s your head?” he asked.

“It hurts.”

They turned a corner, and there was the Inn. It seemed to be waiting patiently by the side of the road, the porch light burning through the darkness to guide them home.

Koda put the truck in park and came around to help Maggie out. She was still unsteady, and wobbled a little.

“Whoa,” he said, taking her arm. “Got it?”

Her pulse quickened at the touch. “Yeah. Thanks.”

“You know, I never asked before. But what were you doing driving around up there in the middle of the night, anyway?”

Maggie shrugged.

“Because,” he continued, “this isn’t exactly the kind of place where you go exploring on your own.”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“So you decided to take a drive in the fog and ice? At midnight?”

Shrugging again, she pulled away.

“Hey.” He grabbed her arm. “I’m not kidding.”

“I know, Deputy. You’re
very
serious.”

“You think this is some kind of joke? Some kind of game you’re playing?”

He was getting mad now. And that annoyed her. He’d just said he liked her hair.

“Yes. I think this is some kind of game. It’s so fun that I lost my best friend, quit my job, and moved here to try and find out what happened to her. Fun, fun, fun.” She was surprised to find she was on the verge of tears.

He took a visible breath. “You may not want to believe this, but we do know what we’re doing. We’re not a bunch of hicks in charge of this case, no matter what you might think.”

“I don’t think—”

“Ah, save it. You’ve been on TV, remember? You’ve been quoted in national newspapers saying we aren’t doing enough.”

“Well, saying you aren’t doing enough and saying you don’t know what you’re doing are two different things. I
don’t
think you’re doing enough.”

“Oh, really. And what would you do differently in your infinite wisdom?”

Her face warmed. He had her there, and it stung. She wasn’t a cop. She was just a person who wanted answers. Desperately.

“For starters,” she bit out, “I wouldn’t have shut out Aimee’s closest friend from the beginning. Has it ever occurred to you that I might have been able to help in some way right after her disappearance?”

“You were a
suspect
right after her disappearance.”

“That was routine.” Her head swam, and she just wanted to lie down. “The sergeant from OSP said so.”

He reached out to steady her again, but she shrugged him off.

He stood there with his hand suspended in the air. When he dropped it, he looked tired. And older.

“As a sheriff’s deputy in this county, I feel like it’s my responsibility to tell you you’re being careless and stupid.”

She glared at him.

“Like I said before,” he went on, “it’s a free country and I can’t tell you to leave. But I
can
make it my mission in life to follow your every move.”

“You’re going to stalk me?”

“I’m going to try and make sure you don’t get yourself killed.”

She bit her tongue. This man had seen her with a toilet-paper tail. Technically, there was a limit to how mad she could get without picturing that debacle.

“What’s it going to take to convince you that what you’re doing is dangerous? Whoever took Aimee is still out there. You don’t think they might know you’re looking? You’ve only advertised it to the whole fucking country. You don’t think they might take exception to that?”

He was right. Of course he was. She could add him to the list of people who thought she was insane, along with her mother. But she couldn’t explain, even though she knew it was stupid and careless, she couldn’t
not
be here.

She had to find out what happened to Aimee, even if it meant being bait to do it. And maybe that’s all it would come down to in the end. Baiting the murderer and flushing him out. But at what expense? Her life?

“Koda?” The front door opened and Ara stepped out in her bathrobe. “Is everything okay?”

Koda gave Maggie a hard look. “Everything’s fine, Aunt A. Maggie here had a little accident. I was just driving her home.”

“Oh, no.” Ara shuffled over in her slippers. “Are you all right?”

“I just hit my head. But it’s okay, it’s a really hard head.”

Ara winced and inspected the cut. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” She took Maggie’s hand and tugged her toward the door. The feel of Ara’s warm skin on hers was comforting, and for a blessed second, Maggie forgot all about the mysterious animal she’d hit half an hour before, and the argument she’d just been having with the exasperating man beside her.

She could use a little comfort.

The next morning dawned clear and cold. Outside Maggie’s window, came the rhythmic,
chop, chop, chop
that she’d grown accustomed to over the last few days.

She swung her legs out of bed, grimacing when her feet touched the chilly wood floor. She grabbed her robe, wrapped it around herself, and walked over to the window.

Jim, the caretaker, was in the backyard again, chopping and stacking wood. He stilled and lifted his head, almost as if sniffing the morning air. He turned and looked up, waving when he saw her peeking around the curtains. Lifting a tentative hand, she waved back. How in the world had he known she was there?

He went back to work, raising the ax with his powerful arms, and bringing it down to split the big hunk of wood on the block.
Crack!

Maggie watched, brushing her fingers across the cut on her head, sore now, and warm to the touch.
Crack!
After another few seconds, she blinked and forced herself to turn away. She grabbed a sweater, a pair of jeans, and her shower bag, and opened the door. Peeking out, she looked both ways before scurrying down the hall to the bathroom. No way did she want to run into Zane Wolfe and his devastating smile this morning.

When she got to the bathroom, she locked the door and leaned against the pedestal sink. The floor tiles were warm, as if someone had been there recently. Maggie reached over and turned the water on in the claw-foot tub, and it came out instantly steaming.

“Ouch!” She snatched her fingers away and blew on them. Wincing, she adjusted the faucet and stood to take her robe off. It slipped from her shoulders and fell to the floor in a fluffy terry cloth puddle. Despite the strong, perfumed bath salts gracing the table by the tub, the bathroom itself smelled like wet pine needles.

Maggie wrinkled her nose and stepped in, taking a minute to get used to the heat. After a second, she sank down, letting the water lap over her thighs and belly. Sighing, she closed her eyes and laid her head back against the cool porcelain.

She’d completely relaxed when a door slammed down the hall. Startled, she opened her eyes. Heavy, purposeful footsteps grew closer. She looked over to make sure the door was locked before turning off the water.
Does Jim have a master key?
She pictured him earlier with the ax poised in his thick hands.

Residual water dripped from the faucet, echoing the beat of her heart.

The footsteps slowed as they neared. Maggie stared at the sliver of light beneath the bathroom door. And then, just like a scene out of a horror movie, a shadow appeared.

Someone stood on the other side of the door.

She tried to take a breath, but found it next to impossible.
So what?
she tried reasoning with herself.
Just because someone’s standing outside doesn’t mean they’re here to murder me. Maybe they just have to pee, Maggie.

But Koda’s words from the night before kept trotting through her head.
You’re being careless and stupid…

Maggie’s eyes began to water. It felt like they were actually bugging out of her head. He was right, wasn’t he? Whoever had taken Aimee was probably more than aware of Maggie Sullivan’s presence in Wolfe Creek. And whoever had taken Aimee had already shown they had no intention of giving her back. Or even offering up a clue of where she might be. Someone like that wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. Especially if it meant shutting Maggie up.

Gripping the sides of the tub, she cleared her throat. “Can I have some privacy please? I’ll be out in a minute.”

That is, if I live through this bath.
Maybe she’d have to reconsider. Maybe she’d have to pack up and get her rear end home before someone collected it for a trophy.

But even sitting there, starting to shiver, as much from fear as the dropping water temperature, she knew she couldn’t do that. Because obsession drove her now. The all-consuming need to know what had happened to her friend. She honestly didn’t think she could live with not knowing. Had that ever really been an option?

As she watched the shadow at the bottom of the door, teeth rattling away, she thought of her mother and the last thing she’d said before her only daughter had left for the little town high in the mountains of Oregon.
Promise me you’ll be careful.

And then, as if on cue, the shadow shifted, the floorboards creaked, and whoever it was took a step away. Then another, and another, until the shadow passed gracefully by, and Maggie Sullivan, the careless stupid girl from the city, was left alone again in her cold, lonely bath.

Chapter Eight

Maggie walked down the staircase that evening, her fingers trailing along the old wood banister, glossy with varnish yet rough at the same time. There was probably a story behind each knick and scratch, and the history geek in her was endlessly fascinated by this.

Candi waited on the first floor, wearing a long coat with a faux-rabbit-fur collar. Her cheeks were flushed neon pink.

“It’s colder than a witch’s tit in a brass bra out there.”

Maggie snickered, surprised to find how glad she was to see her new friend.

“I heard you had some trouble last night,” Candi said, putting an easy arm around Maggie. “And it looks like it kicked your ass, too.”

Maggie moved her hair carefully over the cut.

“It’s not that bad, sweetie,” Candi said. “I’ve had boyfriends give me worse.”

They walked into the dining room, where Ara met them wearing a red-checked apron that said
Kiss The Cook!

“Well, there they are!” She gave Candi a quick hug, before fussing over Maggie. “I was worried about you. Feeling any better?”

Maggie was ashamed for having been so rude to Ara before, who practically oozed hospitality like a warm peach cobbler.

“Much, thanks for asking. And thank you for taking such good care of me last night.”

“I’m just glad you weren’t hurt any worse. Please,” she said, motioning toward the table, “sit.”

“Where are the guys?” Candi asked.

“I haven’t heard from Zane yet. I’m assuming he’ll be here. That boy hasn’t missed a meal in his life. Koda’s on his way. He’s running late with some sort of sheriff’s business.”

She disappeared into the kitchen and as if on cue, Koda walked in. It was the first time Maggie had seen him in civilian clothes. He looked over and she remembered to smile, thank God. Worn, sexy Levis hung loose on his hips. His blue-plaid shirt was open at the throat, showcasing smooth, dark skin and a corded, muscular neck. His hands were buried in his pockets and his broad shoulders were hunched a little, masking his considerable height. Maggie stared up at him.

Candi elbowed her in the ribs.

“Uh…hi. Hi,” she said.

Koda leaned over to kiss Candi’s cheek, eyeing Maggie over the bouffant strawberry-blond hair. “Hi, hi to you, too.”

Maggie’s face burned. She’d always been painfully aware of her slender body, her plain looks. But never in her life had she been more self-conscious than around boys in high school. She had to remind herself that she wasn’t that girl anymore. She was a grown woman who’d filled out since those awkward teenage years. (Not a lot, but she’d take what she could get.) She was smart and sassy. Full of moxie, that was what her brothers said. Aimee had always said she was full of shit.

Remembering her friend, and how she probably would have taken great delight in Maggie’s nervousness around Koda Wolfe, Maggie pushed her shoulders back.

None of this was lost on Candi, however, who looked amused.

From inside the kitchen, Ara banged around, pots and pans jostling together in a cacophony of dinnertime sounds. She sang a low tune, the words of which Maggie couldn’t hear. The warm, savory smell of meat cooking filled her senses and her stomach growled in response.

“How’re you feeling, Maggie?” Koda asked, his eyes settling on the cut at her hairline.

“Just fine, thank you.”

“I was hoping you’d come to your senses today.”

“If that means giving up on looking for Aimee, sorry. No way.”

“Well, obviously I use the word ‘senses’ loosely.”

She gave him a dirty look.

“Guys,” Candi said. “Chill out.”

Maggie sat stiff in her chair. “Tell him. He’s the one trying to bully me into leaving.”

“And she’s the one who’s going to get herself killed,” Koda snapped back.

“Like you care,” Maggie said.

“I do care. You getting killed means more paperwork for me.”

“
Koda
,” Candi cried.

“You’re unbelievable,” Maggie said.

“You’re crazy.”

“Stop it, you two.”

Feeling bad for Candi but unable to help it, Maggie fired back. “Tell me you wouldn’t do exactly the same thing if it was someone you loved.”

He stared at her, his expression icy.

“Well, well, well.” They all looked up to see Zane standing there. “Glad I got here when I did. Is this a lover’s quarrel?”

“Shut up, Zane,” Koda grumbled.

Maggie’s cheeks caught fire.

Beside her, Candi seemed all too aware of the other male who had so quietly entered the room. Not that Maggie could blame her. Zane Wolfe was full of grace and sexuality.

His long black hair hung forward. His bomber jacket, which he wore over a faded Led Zeppelin T-shirt, creaked like saddle leather when he moved. He was clean-shaven tonight, with only the shadowy promise of a beard along his jawline. And when he smiled at the two women in the room, his teeth flashed bone white against his skin.

From across the table, Maggie could feel the hostility in Koda’s very presence. But there was something else there, too. Something that made her stomach flutter.

Zane pulled up a chair and sat down as if he had nothing better to do.

“Where’ve you been?” Candi’s voice was suddenly bedroom silk, cascading into the room like a long dark ribbon.

“Here and there.”

Maggie shifted at the electricity in the room. Something was obviously still going on between the ex-stripper and the Native American hottie who sat across from her. She glanced across the room to find Koda staring at her. His gaze drew her in, and time seemed to slow. It wasn’t animosity in his eyes, now, but something that made her want to stare back. To give in to this new and powerful intimacy between them.

It was mind-boggling, her sudden shift of emotion toward all of the people there. They were so complex, so dynamic, and so different than what she thought she’d encounter when she arrived in Wolfe Creek, that for a second, she was overwhelmed by it.

She looked up to find Zane staring, too. His black eyes were bright, glittering. His mouth was turned up on one side, his head cocked as if he knew her exact thoughts. He was such a curious mixture of intensity and nonchalance, that she had trouble sitting still under his obvious scrutiny
.

Candi must have noticed, because she cleared her throat with a little too much enthusiasm. “I don’t know about you all, but I’m starving.”

Zane’s gaze slid to her and dropped to her cleavage. “Me, too.”

Maggie blushed, embarrassed. Candi didn’t seem to mind, though. She leaned forward and Zane grinned in appreciation. Koda muttered something under his breath.

Balancing a platter in both hands, Ara burst through the door. “I hope everyone’s ready for some roast beast!” Koda got up to help, and she patted his cheek gratefully. “Zane,” she said, “glad you could make it, honey.”

He rose to give her a hug. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

“I thought we’d see more of you when you moved in, not less.” She clucked affectionately and reached up to move his hair from his face. Then gasped.
“Zane.”

The table grew silent. Now that his hair was brushed back, Maggie could see a bruise covered the entire side of his face, a deep, angry color that bloomed even under his olive complexion.

“What happened?” Ara asked softly.

“Nothing. Just a little disagreement. You should see the other guy.”

Koda rubbed his temple. “Should we even ask if you’re hurt anywhere else?”

“Nowhere a little TLC won’t fix,” he said, winking at Candi.

She wasn’t smiling back. “Zane?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” This, from Ara, who no longer looked cheerful. In fact, she looked like all the life had been drained right out of her.

“Aunt A, I’m
fine.
It was nothing.”

“You promised. You promised you’d stay out of trouble.”

“I didn’t go looking for it. It found me.”

Ara’s face reddened. “You’re violating your parole. Or haven’t you thought of that? You’re putting your brother in a terrible position. Or haven’t you thought of that, either?”

Zane sighed.

“We’re worried about you,” Candi said. “One of these days you’re gonna pick a fight with someone faster.”

“Or someone with a bigger knife,” Koda said.

“Will everyone
please
, just get off my back?”

“And what about the other guy?” Koda asked. “How’s he?”

Zane gave his brother a hard look. “He’s fine, bro. And by fine, I mean he’s not dead.”

“Well, that’s a relief. Because the next time you go back, it may not be for any piddly fucking six-year sentence.”

Maggie had the feeling that she was witnessing much more family dynamic than met the eye, and her throat tightened. Even with the scent of warm roast beef hanging in the air, she was no longer hungry.

“Look at me,” Ara said.

The chilly look Zane had just given his brother was gone. In its place was one of complete indifference.

“I want you to stay away from that bar.” Ara’s voice was no longer sweet and passive. It rang with a tone that made Maggie want to shrink away. “We all know it turns you into something you’re not.”

Zane gazed down at her defiantly.

“I love you too much to lose you again. Those are my conditions. Either live by them, or you’ll have to find somewhere else to stay.”

Tension hung in the room, heavy and thick. Finally, Zane leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Ara’s cheek.

“I just remembered,” he said, rubbing his chest. “I have somewhere to be. I’ll see y’all soon.”

He turned and disappeared out the door, a soft zephyr that had breezed through, touched them briefly, and vanished before they’d even known what happened.