Skin Walkers: Monroe (5 page)

“Don’t kill
it!”

She frowned over her shoulder at him, a little hurt that he’d think killing would be her first choice.  She lifted her rifle, “
Tranqs.”  Her eyes dipped from his to the grim line of his mouth.  “Get in your car and stay there Mr. StoneCrow.  I’ll send your men back to protect you.”

When he didn’t respond, she turned and
headed for the woods.

“
I’m sorry.”

His words were the only warning she got.  When she turned to ask what he was sorry for he’d instantly stripped the rifle from her hands and dropped it to the ground before he wrapped strong arms around her
and lifted her off her feet.  He was halfway to his Humvee before Eden even realized he’d disarmed her. 

“What are you
…  Mr. StoneCrow!” she tried to wriggle free.  “Take your hands off me!  Monroe!  This is a Federal offense!”

He didn’t listen
.  He hauled her to the vehicle and shoved her into the back seat before following her inside.

Eden had sprawled on the floor where he’d shoved her.  Struggling to right herself she spun, shoving hair back from her face as she frowned at
him.  “Are you out of your mind?”  She reached for the door nearest her and jerked on the handle but it didn’t open.  She searched for an unlock button but found none.

“Calm down Eden, I…”

“Calm down?  You do realize what you’ve just done right?  I can have you charged with assaulting a peace officer, for kidnapping.”  She moved for the other door but Monroe caught her wrist.  “Let me out of the damn car!”

Shaking his head, M
onroe released her when she jerked free of his tight grip.  “It’s for your best interest. You don’t know what’s out there.” 

“
Your panther is what’s out there!” she challenged.  “All due respect Mr. StoneCrow, but it is my job to be out there hunting your strays.  If you didn’t want them tranq’d then you should have done more to ensure that they were properly secured.  What’s worse is now I see for myself that they’re dangerous.  There are people that live up here. 
I
live up here.  I can’t afford to have dangerous animals on the loose.  Now unlock the goddamn door and let me out before I decide to press charges against you and have your ass thrown in jail!”

Monroe was looking directly at her but it’s like he wasn’t.
  He was looking through her as if not really paying attention to anything she was saying.  Finally, he blinked then reached for the door.  He fingered a button under the armrest and there was a clicking noise before he pulled on the handle and the door opened. 

Eden scrambled out of the car just as King jogged from the tree line
toward the vehicles. 

“
Panther is down.  I’ll call in more Sentries for support.”

Monroe nodded and King ran to one of the
Humvees before climbing in and making a production of calling for support.

“Sentries?
”  Eden frowned, still angry.  “Why would you have staff that you refer to as Sentries?”

“I don’t permit unauthorized access to my preserve.”

Face still flushed Eden turned to face him.  “Well Mr. StoneCrow you
will
grant my access.  I’m inspecting your wildlife preserve or rehabilitation center or whatever in the hell you wanna call it.”

Monroe
ground his teeth to hide his disappointment.  This was the worst case scenario.

“
Get your paperwork in order.  I want to see licenses, I want to see permits, I want to meet staff, and I
will
see where and how your animals are housed, fed, washed, and treated.”  She took a step closer, sparks of fury giving her dark brown eyes a tempting allure.  “And Mr. StoneCrow, if you aren’t up to code in any area, if I am dissatisfied in
any
area,
I will shut you down
!  With that she spun but Monroe gripped her arm.  She turned to frown at him in shock that he’d dare detain her again but he wasn’t looking at her.  Instead, he scowled at King.

“Get it done,” he commanded before
stepping into Eden. 

She had to tilt her head back
to glare up at him, and when his eyes finally met hers she could see that she wasn’t the only one displeased with the situation.  His expression darkened and she imagined a person of lesser character would have backed down.  She wasn’t one.  “You’ve got a millisecond to release me!”

“The panther and the
gemsbok are recent additions to my facility.”

Her teeth ground together in frustration when he didn’t let her go.

“They are in my care because one was abused and the other neglected.  I won’t go into detail of the deplorable condition they were in when my staff rescued them but I will say that they are both lucky to alive.” 

When Eden’s expression softened by a mere fraction
, Monroe knew he had her.  He couldn’t have her agency or, heaven forbid, the media traipsing around these mountains.  The secret of their existence was hard enough to keep but if StoneCrow was under scrutiny it’d be damn near impossible.

“If this situation gets blown out of proportion Ms.
StCloud there’ll be no other recourse but for those animals to be put down.  The rules are strict.  I won’t be able to save these poor creatures a second time if the public or even your superiors get wind of this.”

She exhaled harshly and dropped her head, the
anger left her face completely.  He was right. 
Damn him! 
Her eyes shifted to King where he stood at the driver’s side door to the other Humvee.  She could tell he was eavesdropping, waiting to see their fate. 

Uncertainty warred within her. 
She knew what it felt like to need someone to help keep a secret and that’s what it felt like Monroe was asking her to do.  In the end, she couldn’t let animals suffer because of her pride.

“Fine!”
she barked, “I’ll do an independent audit.  If everything’s up to code there’ll be no need for me to file a report.”  She shook her head; for some reason it felt like she was being played but it didn’t make any sense.  “Your fate is in your hands Mr. StoneCrow.”  She let her eyes slide up and down his frame condescendingly before jerking her arm from his grip.  “I suggest you get your shit in order.  I’ll be up in four days.”  She turned and stormed to her truck, jerked the door open, climbed in, and sped off down the mountain.

Monroe stood stock-still staring at the road Eden had just disappeared down. 
He was anxious, annoyed, and more turned on then he’d ever been in his life.  Hearing a snicker, he turned to scowl at King who was smiling at him in that all-too-knowing way.  Damn Sentry always saw too much!

“Bishop?”

King sobered, “He’s still chasing the Walker.”

“I want them brought in King
, and I want them brought in now!”  He didn’t need this now.  He was trying to get the addition to StoneCrow finished by spring and now they had the problem of little Ms. StCloud to contend with.  Why Walkers felt the need to test the area before coming in, he’d never understand.  Worse, they did it in the most absurd forms.  How in the hell was he supposed to explain a gemsbok and black panther?  Fucking idiots!  He was going to rip them apart when he got his hands on them!

“Don’t worry
, Crow.  RedKnife captured the other Walker a few minutes ago.  He’s secured him at StoneCrow and is coming here to assist Bishop.  Legion’s coming too.  It’s only a matter of time now.”

Monroe
stalked with lethal grace to the Humvee.  “I want it finished!”  In a rare move, the CEO climbed into the driver’s seat and the vehicle’s tires kicked up earth as Monroe launched the vehicle forward, taking himself back to StoneCrow estates.

Chapter
6

Eden had
been checked in at the main gate and forced to leave her vehicle there to be driven by King up a nearly mile-long winding road that led to the manor.  It was the first time she’d ever been on the estate and to say she was impressed was an understatement. 

The grounds were immaculate.  The landscaping appeared to have been professionally done and was out of place so deep in the mountains.  The
manor was even more impressive and perplexing at the same time.  The stone façade reminded her of Scotland’s Stirling Castle.  The structure was exquisite but odd for a wildlife preserve and rehabilitation facility.  To her left was a long building with a garage door at the far end.

“Parking garage,” King supplied.

When Eden looked to her right, she saw another large structure that was obviously the barn. 

“I’m assuming the panther and
gemsbok have been reclaimed and caged?”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“Any injuries to the animals?”

“Nope.”

“Hmmm,” she pursed her lips in displeasure.  Over the past four days she’d replayed the scene in the forest with Monroe and his men and the more she did, the less sense it made.  She’d hoped she was being overly judgmental because of her dislike for Monroe StoneCrow, but sitting next to King even now she couldn’t help but feel like a production was being put on. 
What are they hiding?

The
Humvee pulled to a stop at the steps of the manor and she exited the vehicle before King could race around to assist. 

“I would have gotten your door,” he growled with a frown.

Her lips tweaked and unbeknownst to her, the action reminded King of Monroe. 

“I’m a
big girl.  I can open my own doors.”  Her head was tilted back as she looked up at the four story structure looming before her.  “I even dressed myself this morning.” 

King chuckled and pulled open one of the double front doors, “Come on, Crow’s waiting.”

“Crow?”

“
CEO StoneCrow.  I call him Crow for short.”

Eden nodded and entered the buildin
g and the next five minutes were a blur.  She stepped through the front doors and gawked at the impeccable lobby only to be startled when a buzzer sounded and several doors to her left were thrown open.  The dark wood interior was exquisite and what she assumed were elegant offices began gurgling forth children.

“
School’s in session,” King supplied.

Eden couldn’t hide her surprise, “School?”

“The children housed here on the estate are schooled in-house,” he shrugged carelessly, “too far to drive ‘em to town.”  He pointed a strong finger down the hall.  “Cafeteria’s at the end.”

Watching the parade of children as the
y hustled by, Eden couldn’t help but question the number of children.  There were too many for the staff it would require to run the facility.  Again, her lips pursed in suspicion before King stalked to a glass-doored elevator that sat nestled next to a fully carpeted, and quite grandiose, staircase that led up.

Just before she entered the elevator she looked to her right and noticed that the long corridor there was cut off by two
large swinging doors.  “More classrooms?”

“Infirmary,” King answered while thrusting his arm forward to keep the elevator doors from closing before she could get inside.

Dragging her gaze away, Eden entered the elevator and questioned, “Are there many injuries here?”

“No, but if something happens in the winter it’s easier to treat
the injured here rather than fight the roads to get them to town.  Crow won’t chance it.  He keeps medical personnel on staff.”

The elevator whisked past the second floor and chimed as it settled on the third.
  As the doors slid open, Eden was greeted by the same beautiful navy carpet with intricate gold designs that covered the expanse of the first floor and stairs she’d seen.  To her left was another hall lined with dark oak doors alternating on either side.  The luxury of the place was breathtaking.  “More classrooms?” she guessed.

“No, school’s on the first floor only.  Those are suites,” King turned to his left, “Crow’s private office and personal
suites are this way.”

She followed, but not before noticing that a dark wooden rail rested on the far side of the hall so that one could
lean over and look down or up to the other floors.  Her eyes darted to the staircase and she wondered what could possibly be upstairs.  With a school, cafeteria, infirmary, suites, and Monroe’s office and quarters covered, there wasn’t much else she could think of that a wildlife preserve and rehabilitation facility would require, aside from the barn she’d already glimpsed.

“Ms.
StCloud?”

Her eyes jerked to where King stood holding a door open.  Sheepishly, s
he hurried to him and entered. 

The door led to a room that
rivaled the reception area of any corporate office she’d ever seen.  A cherry wood desk sat empty amid a sea of burgundy carpet.  Tall, green plants dotted the space and a row of couches with a glassed top table sat as a waiting area in front of the reception desk.

King stalked through the area to the only door visible.  Following, Eden brushed past as she entered the second room, which she quickly disco
vered was Monroe’s personal office.

The sight of Monroe behind his desk and on the phone sent a punch of lust shooting through her.  He looked virile
, powerful, and so sexually potent that she couldn’t help but detest him for it.  With his raven black hair, broad shoulders, tall build, and impossibly blue eyes, he had every right to be as arrogant as he was.  The determined set of his jaw was so savagely hewn that she couldn’t stop the image of him parting his lips to nip at her flesh.  She blushed even as self-loathing washed through her.

Just then those gorgeous blue eyes lift
ed from the paper he was jotting on to slowly survey her from head to toe then back up.  She was glad she’d opted to wear her full tactical uniform today.  The appearance fortified her nerve.  Dressed in all tan BDU’s, her button-up shirt was tucked in at the waist, cinched with a belt, and the pants of the legs were tucked into her tall, black, combat boots, while her black 9mm pistol was strapped to her thigh.  She’d pulled her hair back in a tight ponytail and knew she at least carried the look of authority.

Staring at the CEO, she saw the corner of his mouth tweak slightly as he watched her but spoke to the person on the other end of the phone. 
For some reason his appraisal left her feeling deflated, as though he’d seen right through her plan to look like she was the one in control. 
Damn him!

“Get it done,” Monroe barked and hung up the phone without any
further salutation.

“
Mr. StoneCrow.” Eden’s tone was clipped as she tore her eyes from his to eye the expensively furnished and slightly intimidating office. 

“Nice to see you could keep your appointment
, Eden.”

“It’s Warden
StCloud.”

Monroe
smiled and she knew he had no intentions of using her title.  “And,
Eden
what have you uncovered?  Dead bodies in the barn, falsified licensure, forged permits, a crack house in the cafeteria?”

A
rrogant ass! 
Nettled, Eden refused to let it show.  “No Mr. StoneCrow, what I’ve seen so far is confusing but not unlawful.”

“Seen so far?”
his gaze jerked to King who was backing toward the door.

“Sorry
, Crow.  I forgot I have an appointment.  She’s only glimpsed the first floor.”  King turned and opened the door, “Gotta go.”

The door shut
and when Eden turned to Monroe she could see that he wasn’t happy about King’s rapid departure or the fact that he’d now be required to give her the tour of the site himself.

“Well,” he straightened his tie as he stood then buttoned his
suit coat.  “Shall we?”  He crossed in front of the desk and grabbed her elbow to lead her from the room.  She tried to pull free, but his grip only tightened.

***

An hour and a half later and back in Monroe’s office, Eden was more confused than when she’d come to the estate. 

Monroe led her to the two black leather couches that sat facing each other in front of his
desk.

Taking a seat, Eden fought
back her scowl.  “Explain to me again why you need an on-site reception hall and pub?”

Unbuttoning his suit coat before taking a seat opposite her, he replied coolly, “We’re forty-five miles from the nearest town.  I don’t want to promote drinking and driving.
”

It made sense, but she still couldn’t get over the feeling like she’d missed something, something big.

Sitting opposite her and watching her mind work, Monroe knew she had suspicions.  Hell, if the tables were turned he’d be suspicious as hell.  Rather than fueling her curiosity, he simply sat and watched her, waiting for her next question. 

Perfect teeth worried her plump bottom lip and he had plans on crushing King’s throat for leaving him alone w
ith her.  She was beautiful, intriguing, and smart as hell.  Several times through their tour, he’d caught her staring at him.  When he’d looked at her, she’d attempted to hide a blush and divert his attention with questions or demands to see certain licenses or paperwork.  The one thing she couldn’t disguise though was her scent.  She smelled like sweetgrass and rain and it was distracting as hell because it reminded him of the one thing he loved nearly as much as his Walkers…Montana. 

S
everal times over the course of the tour he’d scented her arousal.  Hesitant arousal.  She was attracted to him when she didn’t want to be.  Her diffidence and uncertainty were sexy as hell.  Especially to a man who could have his choice of women at any time.  Not Eden.  She would be no easy conquest and he was glad for it.  The slight insight into her character coupled with the sweetly agonizing scent of her arousal had him fighting back an erection.  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had to do that and it was annoying as hell. 
Typical!
  He would be attracted to the one woman in the state that not only was fighting her interest in him but was determined to make his life a living hell.

His eyes stroked her slight frame as if memorizing her when instantly an image seized him. 
Chocolate brown eyes, half-lidded in raw passion.  Her back arched with pert nipples atop luscious mounds thrust in the air.  Her bare, bronze, flesh slick with the heat of her passion.  His large frame settled between her spread thighs and his head tossed back, a roar leaving his mouth with force, as he sank into the moist heat of her. 

Monroe bit back a primal snarl.  Had any woman ever affected him this way?
 

“
It would appear that your facility is operating under legally permissible parameters,” Eden offered when it was obvious she couldn’t think up any more questions.

He was
having difficulty concentrating.  His brows hiked as he steepled his fingers and offered a delayed but sarcastic, “Shocking.”

Not liking his tone Eden forged on
, two could play this game. “I could set up a schedule.”  She slowly stood and paced to the window that sat behind his desk and smiled to herself as she saw from the corner of her eye that his gaze jerked to follow her.  “If I request it, I could have your facility inspected for the next four-quarters.”  She turned then and winked, “Ya’ know, just to ensure I haven’t missed anything.”  She shrugged a slim shoulder.  “Better safe than sorry.”  Looking back out the window she smiled when she heard the unmistakable curse under his breath.

She felt the heat of his body behind her and spun to frown up at him.
  How had he moved so fast?

“And
if you do that, I’m going to have to take time out of my schedule to satisfy your wounded pride.”

“
My
…”

He didn’t let her finish, “And if I have to
take time of out my schedule, things won’t get done.  Important things like recovering injured or wounded animals.”

The frown left her face.

“Things like rehabilitating the abandoned or abused animals that we already have here at the facility.  Things like…”

It was her turn to cut him off as she stepped closer until her chest pressed into his.  Her hands planted on her slender hi
ps and she had to tilt her head far back to glare up at him.  “I get it!”  Her shoulders rose and fell sharply as she took in great lungs-full of air and exhaled just as deeply.  “Let’s get one thing straight right now.  First of all, let me say what a class act you are to use my obvious love of animals to get what you want.  Second, that might deter me but it won’t stop me if I find out there is shit happening on my mountain that shouldn’t be happening.  And finally, I’m only going to tell you this once so listen close.  This.  Is. 
My.
  Mountain.  I work here, I live here, and I’m raising children up here, young,
impressionable
children.”