Veiled Target (A Veilers Novel) (17 page)

“Did the witness see his face?” Tess asked before Hugh could.

Trey stopped moving. “No. And fuck—pardon my French—if I know anyone in our pack who would do such a thing.”

“Aren’t there other Night Runners here in LA? Maybe you need to look outside the pack.”

“We’re the only ones,” Hugh said.

Tess’s eyes widened. “You’re the only Night Runners?”

“That’s what I said.”

She bit her bottom lip. Her eyes stayed on his with enough affectivity to make his stomach feel like a swarm of eels were inside.

“Wow. How many are in your pack?”

“Sixty-four,” Trey said when Hugh didn’t answer right away. He was trying to figure out what was going on in that beautiful head of hers.

“No wonder you’re so protective.” She broke the connection to look at Trey. “Why have the Wolf Seekers targeted your pack when there are several other wolfen?”

“They hate all wolves,” Trey continued. “But we’re the closest to extinction so they’ve set their sights on us.”

“Have you thought about teaming up with another pack? I mean, is that allowed? Can you co-mingle?”

“That’s enough,” Hugh interjected. “There’s no time for a history lesson here. What else did you learn?” The reasons for their small number didn’t factor into getting to the bottom of things.

“Right.” Trey spoke directly to Hugh. “There’s someone else involved with the Wolf Seekers. I don’t know who, but there were quite a few phone calls from him. And the sons of bitches—sorry”—he glanced at Tess—“are planning something big.”

“Such as?” Hugh needed concrete information so he could form an objective analysis.

Trey wavered. “Unfortunately, I don’t know. When it came down to discussing details or anything worth a damn they turned on a high-pitched siren at a frequency that blindsided me. I couldn’t make out shi—crap.”

“Damn.”

“There is other news I need to share with you.” His tone indicated it was a private matter.”

Anything you’ve got to say you can say in front of Tess.

Whoa. That took all of a split second to register in his mind. Did he feel that comfortable with her to include her in more confidential information?

Yeah, he did.

“Go ahead.”

Trey’s eyes darted to Tess then back to him in a subtle attempt to say
get rid of the girl
. “You sure?”

“I am standing right here,” Tess said. “You can come out and tell me to take a hike. I won’t take it personally. But I should tell you, I’m very good with private things.”

Hugh just bet she was. His cock was more than ready to get up close and personal. And by the look on Trey’s face, his apprentice thought the same thing.

“Talk,” Hugh demanded, almost on the verge of throttling Trey. Tess was off limits.

“There’s a hit out on you. P.I.E.’s got it.” He glanced at Tess, a mixture of interest and concern on his face.

With a voice sinfully sweet, she said, “I thought pie was something you ate.”

Trey fell for it hook, line and sinker. “No. Actually P.I.E. is—”

Tess laughed before Trey could elaborate. The kid ran a hand through his unkempt hair and looked to Hugh for an explanation.

“Meet the eliminator,” Hugh said, tilting his head in her direction and raising his eyebrows.

“No shit! What is she doing here? What is she doing with you? What the fuck is going on?” His eyes flickered to the coppery brown tone they took before he shifted.

Hugh appreciated his willingness to defend him.

“It’s cool,” Hugh assured him, putting a hand on his arm to let him know shifting wasn’t necessary. “At least for the moment. Tess and I have a deal. She’s not going to eliminate me.”

“Yet,” she chimed in.

“You need to explain.” All interest in Tess disappeared from Trey’s face.

“I will, but for now my relationship with Tess has to be kept secret. No one else knows who she is.”

Trey nodded.

“There’s something else I need to ask you.” Before Hugh could get his question out, Dane approached.

“Trey,” Dane extended his hand, “I’m glad to see you’re okay.”

“Thanks.” They shook hands and genuine affection crossed Trey’s face.

“Anything I need to be brought up to speed on?” Dane passed a glance over the three of them.

“Trey will fill you in. Take him back with you and I’ll call later with instructions.”

“Sure. You ready?” Dane asked, taking his leave.

“Yeah.” He turned to follow Dane but Hugh held him back.

“He’ll be right behind you.” Something nagged at Hugh and he needed Trey to put it to rest.

Dane didn’t look back, just waved a hand in the air.

Hugh released his hold and asked in a hushed voice, “Did you happen to catch the name of the person involved with the Wolf Seekers?”

Trey didn’t hesitate. “Yeah. Dobson.”

Tess nearly came out of her skin when she heard Trey say
Dobson
. She held her tongue until he walked away then turned and almost tackled Hugh to the ground, she was so excited. Finally, after five years, she had a lead.

Normally nothing ruffled her, but at the thought of coming face-to-face with the wolfen who killed Jason a knot the size of California lodged in her stomach. She’d get her revenge. She’d have closure once and for all.

“Oh my God. Did you hear that?” She nudged his shoulder, wanting to touch him, but keeping a respectable distance since other Night Runners might be watching.

“I did.” He didn’t look half as happy as she was.

“What’s wrong?”

Engines roared to life. The sound grabbed Hugh’s attention and he looked past her to the Night Runners taking their leave. With his focus elsewhere, she took a minute to revel in the news Trey had shared and lift her chin to gaze at the stars. There weren’t any. Only a night sky painted dirty white with low clouds. No wonder humidity filled the air.

In the muddy sky, she did see something, though. A face. Jason’s face. For five years she’d been desperate to find his killer because she’d made him a promise. And if her word wasn’t good to those she’d loved, where did that leave her? Would there be any good left in her at all?

Killing, working for P.I.E., even though she believed she fought evil, didn’t warrant any citizenship awards.

When she brought her chin down, Hugh was brooding over something. “What is it?” she asked again, hoping whatever he had to say wouldn’t exclude her from tracking down Jason’s killer.

“Dobson.” His eyes searched the park as he took her arm and led her back to the Ducati. “You said he’s a wolfen.”

“Yes.”

“Are you positive? There’s no doubt?” The hair on her arms stood up at his businesslike tone.

Annoyance crept into her mindset. “I’m positive.”

“If Dobson’s a wolfen, then it means the Wolf Seekers have got a shifter as an ally and that sure as hell doesn’t make sense.”

Tess wanted to slap herself in the forehead. “You’re right. What is a wolfen doing with the Wolf Seekers?” And more disturbingly, did the Wolf Seekers have something to do with Jason’s death?
Oh my God. No.
The Seekers were human.

After witnessing what went down this evening, her doubts about the truth and good versus evil came roaring back. From what she could tell, the Wolf Seekers were far more ruthless than the Night Runners.

Had she been living in a bubble? Had she taken for granted everything P.I.E. told her as the golden rule? She’d never questioned the Veiler-human equation, but… She started to hyperventilate, her skin got clammy.

“I need a second,” she said.

Hugh halted and let go of her arm. She bent over, put her hands on her knees and took slow, deep breaths while trying to clear her head.

“You all right?” Concern, more concern than she’d ever imagined from a Veiler, sounded in his voice.

“I’m fine. Just lost my breath for a minute.”

Things definitely weren’t black and white anymore. If she were walking a chalk line and had to pick a side right this very minute, she’d side with the Night Runners. She’d leap in front of a tranquilizer for Hugh. How the hell could she be a P.I.E. eliminator and feel that way? The last week had put all her beliefs into a tailspin. Hugh had shared his pack’s mission, shared stories about marriages and babies being born and job promotions. The picture he painted had changed her mind about wolfen. He’d shared openly, answering her questions. He’d let her
in
. And after seeing the way the Wolf Seekers had attacked unprovoked tonight, she knew for certain they were corrupt.

He knelt and with the softest, sweetest voice she’d ever heard, whispered, “Are you hurt? Please tell me you’re not hurt.”

Hurt didn’t begin to explain the pain circling inside her. For the first time since she’d been recruited by P.I.E. she wanted to disappear and never eliminate another Veiler as long as she lived.

Equally painful was the squeeze on her heart. She’d told herself not to fall for Hugh. She’d planned to keep the walls she’d built up firmly in place. But somewhere between meeting him in a bar and standing beside him now, she’d forgotten that. Her resolve had slowly chipped away and it pissed her off.

The people she loved left her by dying. It was as simple as that.

“I’m not hurt,” she bit back, knowing he didn’t deserve her nasty tone of voice.

He backed off by a few steps. She heard his cell phone ring, heard him answer it. She stared at the grass, thinking it a much better choice than returning upright to look at him. Looking at him caused her sensibilities to go haywire.

“Thanks, Trey. That information is very helpful. Do me a favor? Keep this between us.”

Only because he had new information, she stood. And looked at his shoes.

“Keep a low profile and tell everyone to be cautious.”

When she heard him take a deep breath, she dragged her attention upward. “Information on the Wolf Seekers?” she asked, trying her damnedest for a neutral tone.

“No. Dobson.” He swept another glance around, searching, she knew, for any sign of trouble. He might be able to pick up on every detail going on with her body, but she could tell when he was on edge. His chin lifted ever so slightly, his nostrils flared.

“What is it?” The sooner she found the SOB, the sooner this whole thing could be over. She’d sell her soul this instant to be finished with everything wolf-related.

Hugh kept his distance and started toward the motorcycle. “Trey remembered a reference to a hotel in San Diego.”

“That’s great. Let’s go.” She fell in step beside him. The nerves tangling in her stomach calmed. She worked to slow her hurried breaths. Mind over matter.

“I’ll fly us there. It’ll be much quicker than driving.” He tossed her her helmet.

She didn’t like his take-charge attitude, but the idea of flying with him and getting closer to Dobson eased her irritation. “Sounds good.”

“Before we go,” he said, rounding the bike, “can I ask you a question?”

Questions. She was tired of questions. Tired of asking them mostly, but tired of answering them too. She wanted to shut down her brain.

“Sure. Go ahead.” She wondered if he heard the reluctance in her voice and hoped he didn’t take it personally.

“Were you going to accept the date with Trey?”

There couldn’t have been a more indicative question to his feelings. A fricking flutter blossomed in her chest. As good as she was at turning off her emotions, her body had a mind of its own. It took major muscle control not to break out in a gigantic smile.

“Why, Hugh, are you jealous?” Making light of it would hopefully mask the question’s influence.

“No. Just don’t like leaving questions unanswered.” He put his helmet on, and looked away like her answer didn’t matter.

He was full of shit. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not looking for a relationship.”

“A date isn’t a relationship.”

She put her helmet on and took her time answering, just to mess with him. “That’s true. In that case, I guess I will—”

“Don’t,” he commanded, darting a quick look at her.

Tess waited for him to elaborate but he didn’t. He got on the bike, started it up and scooted forward. She guessed the conversation was over.

“Did Trey say anything about me when he called?” She flung her leg over the bike and sidled right up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He felt better than her favorite cashmere sweater. Too bad they weren’t biking to San Diego.

He growled, giving her a great deal of inner satisfaction. “No. But I don’t think we should trust anybody but each other right now. Deal?”

Striking another deal seemed like an idiotic thing to do, given she couldn’t trust herself around him. He made everything all right and all wrong at the same time. But he was a better man than any human she’d ever met. And she did trust him. And he was helping her find Dobson when he could have easily walked away after getting Trey back. And
geez,
she could come up with a dozen more “ands” before ending with he was a man of his word.

Tess understood that. “Deal.”

She prayed it was their last one.

Chapter Thirteen

“You own your own company?” Tess asked, noticing the Langston Aviation sign as they headed into a private hangar at the Van Nuys Airport. They’d arrived in the nick of time. Sheets of rain poured outside.

“Yes.”

Three helicopters were lined up side-by-side, each gleaming bright as new. Tess had flown in copters dozens of times and these were top of the line. But it was the shiny metal sitting just beyond that really caught her eye. Without asking for permission, she made a beeline to get a closer look.

She half skipped, half walked, as she called over her shoulder. “What’s this?” It looked like a toy plane with three feet, one long wing across its top and a propeller.

“That’s a Flight Design CT.”

She suspected Hugh wasn’t bothered at all by her detour because he sounded like a guy who’d just been asked to show off his prized baseball card collection. He stood beside her and ran a hand along the stripes of the small airplane. She did the same, the tips of her fingers lingering on the smooth surface. Flying gave the biggest rush, triggered the best endorphins.

“So this is what a light sport aircraft looks like.”

“This baby’s the best LSA out there,” he said, giving a solid slap to the plane.

“I bet it flies like a dream.” With her nose pressed against the glass, she hoped she didn’t look too in awe. “How far can you go on a tank?”

He moved behind her, and with arms on either side of her body, pressed his hands against the window. His chest grazed her back ever so slightly as he leaned closer to talk into her ear. “San Francisco and back. You want to go for a ride?”

Yes she wanted to go for a ride. But not in the CT. She closed her eyes, relaxed into him. With his warm breath in her ear and his body cradling her backside, she lost herself to the moment. He felt so good, so right, it took all her willpower not to melt in a puddle right there.

“I bet the scenery is amazing with the bubble-shaped cockpit.” She’d talk about visibility to get her mind off him and his abs, his chest, his tattoo.

He continued to talk into her ear, his chin almost on her shoulder. “It’s unbelievable. To see a hundred miles of mountains and valleys or ocean gives you a sense of solitude and freedom that’s unmatched by anything you can do on the ground. I’ve flown over snow capped mountains and the Pacific Ocean in the same day. It’s an incredible rush seeing things from a perspective that isn’t familiar.”

She heard most of what he said, but really his sexy voice, combined with his pure maleness, reminded her of what had almost happened between them earlier, and his words were sort of lost on her.

“How fast does it go?” she asked, ducking out from under him and strolling around the front of the CT in order to put much needed space between them.

Hugh followed at a safe distance. “With the right tailwind, I’ve exceeded one-fifty, but usually I cruise at around one-ten.”

“Sweet.”

“Sweet?” He repeated, sounding like he was trying to refrain from laughing.

“You got a problem with sweet?”

“No problem,” he shot back, the chortle gone from his tone. “Come on. Follow me.”

He took her to a reception area decorated with couches, a coffee table and a tall green plant in the corner. One wall, she couldn’t help but notice, held a collection of sketches similar to the ones in his house. Her heart pounded and she took a deep breath to slow it down. They captured the human condition better than anything she’d looked at before. The other wall was covered with photographs of aircraft and amazing aerial views of Mother Nature.

While Hugh went behind the reception desk, she took a closer peek at the photos. “Did you take these?”

“No—”

“I did,” came an unfamiliar voice from behind her.

She spun around to see an attractive guy about the same age as Hugh, dressed in khaki pants and a collared polo shirt. Neat. Clean. Tame.

“It’s about time you showed your face around here,” he said to Hugh. “I was starting to forget what your ugly mug looked like.”

Hugh came out from behind the desk and fist bumped him. “Thanks for holding down the fort. Gavin, this is Tess. Tess, this is Gavin Rhoades, my partner.”

A smile a mile wide played across Gavin’s face. He extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Tess.”

“You too,” she said, taking the time to register everything she could about Gavin Rhoades. His shake was firm, but his hands soft. His clean-shaven face was nice enough, but a little too pretty-boy. And his eyes were the dullest shade of brown she’d seen in awhile.

Not a Night Runner.

“Would you wipe that smirk off your face?” Hugh returned to the other side of the desk and rifled through some papers. “Any emergencies I should know about?”

“Sorry. It’s just when you called and said you’d be gone for a few days to take care of a problem, I didn’t imagine the problem would be blonde with blue eyes. I mean, as long as I’ve known you, you’ve never had trouble like this.”

Tess’s stomach lurched. She liked that last bit of information.

“You’ve got a problem, huh? Hmm. Here, I thought I’d been sweet as pie. But you know, I can be a major pain in the ass with the right provocation.”

One side of his kissable mouth lifted when he glanced up from the desk. “You mean you haven’t been already?”

“You sure weren’t complaining when I—”

“Stop right there,” Gavin said, holding up a hand. “That’s more information than I need to know. I didn’t even realize Hugh here had a sense of humor. I say keep doing what you’re doing, Tess.” He turned his attention back to Hugh. “You should take her on vacation with you.”

“Vacation?” she and Hugh said in unison.

She beat him to the follow-up. “You’re going on vacation?”

Hugh got sidetracked with a piece of paper he lifted off the desk, his eyes scanning the contents.

“He was supposed to leave days ago. The poor guy hasn’t had a vacation in, what, five years?”

Hugh answered the question with a shrug and kept reading.

Gavin returned the conversation to her direction and added, “No one works harder than my partner. He puts me to shame every day. He’s found more lost hikers, rescued more oil rig workers and probably saved more stupid teenagers than any other rescue operation in the state. Anyway, he’s long overdue for some R and R.”

Hugh put the paper down. “Shut up, Gavin.”

“That’s the Hugh I know and love,” he shot back.

“You’ve rescued that many people?” Her admiration for him grew, and she wished like hell he’d do something, anything, to prove it was all a façade and he really was a good for nothing wolfen. It would make her life so much easier. She didn’t want to think that beneath his tough exterior lived a man who put others—humans—before himself.

“Hugh, you keeping secrets from this lovely lady?”

No, not secrets,
Tess thought.
He just isn’t comfortable talking about himself.

“Some things are better left unsaid,” he answered, splitting his attention between them.

Like the fact you’re a wolfen.
Tess sensed Gavin had no idea Hugh was a Night Runner. Gavin didn’t look at Hugh the same way Trey or Dane did. He seemed genuinely attached to Hugh in a business relationship sort of way that indicated there was familiarity, but also some reservation. Their professional lives were closely intertwined, personal not so much.

“I agree.” She plopped down on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table.

“What are the two of you doing here?” Gavin joined her on the couch.

“We’re taking one of the choppers to San Diego.” Hugh came around the desk. “Tess has got some business there.”

“Tonight? In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a pretty thick cloud cover right now.”

“Along with some precipitation,” Tess added, just because she thought it might get on Hugh’s nerves, her conversing so easily with Gavin.

He didn’t even flinch. “I noticed. I think it’s moving pretty quickly, though. We’ll wait it out.”

“Must be important business.” Gavin put his elbows on his knees. “Anything I can help you with?” He waggled his eyebrows and Tess almost laughed.

She smiled instead. The kind of smile that leads to an answer the guy doesn’t want to hear. “Thanks, Gavin. But Hugh’s all the help I can handle.”

“I get it,” Gavin said with a wink.

“What the hell does that mean?” Hugh crossed the reception area and stood in front of the coffee table, finally looking a little hot and bothered.

Don’t let his hot and bothered make
you
hot and bothered.

“It means—”

“Never mind,” he said, interrupting Gavin. “I don’t give a shit what it means. Isn’t it time for you to go home?”

“I could do that. Or I could—”

“Go home, Gavin. I know you’ve been putting in extra time.”

Gavin glanced at his watch and stood. “Am I to assume it’ll be that way for a couple more days?”

Hugh shifted his weight looking a wee bit uncomfortable at Gavin’s remark. She knew Hugh hated needing help, so leaving Gavin with extra responsibilities probably killed him. The fact made her that much more smitten with him. He could have easily walked away from her tonight. Instead, he’d kept his word, put her before Langston Aviation.

“Yeah.”

“Tess, it was great meeting you.” Gavin gave her a farewell nod. “I hope we see each other again. And Hugh…” He paused for a moment until he had Hugh’s attention. “Don’t worry about anything. I’ve got it covered. And this doesn’t mean you’re excused from your vacation, so don’t even think about forgetting it. As soon as you finish with Tess, I’m kicking your ass to the Rockies whether you like it or not.”

Hugh gave some sort of gurgled response that appeased Gavin enough. The preppy partner waved a hand and headed out into the hangar.

Finish with Tess.
Gavin’s words rolled around in her head like the tiny metal ball in the plastic mazes she’d loved to play as a kid. Once Hugh fulfilled his obligation, would they be finished? Would she be able to fulfill
her
obligation to P.I.E.? If there was one thing she’d learned tonight, it was not all humans are created equal. The Wolf Seekers were not operating by a code of ethics. And if that were the case, didn’t it reinforce that not all Veilers were created equal either?

The man standing in front of her certainly blew her notion of Veilers out of the water.

Their eyes locked for the hundredth time. A comfortable yet static silence passed, as if speaking would snap the electricity in the air between them. Whenever she was alone with him, she was torn between uncertainty and desire. Want and apprehension. He watched her like a caged animal willing to do anything to escape.

When he inched closer, his gaze never wavering, a nervous sigh almost slipped from her lips. She backed up as far as she could into the corner of the couch. He moved without making a sound, convincing her he could hear every wild damn beat of her heart.

She had to prove his innocence. Because with every second that ticked by, she lost the urge to fight. He sat down, the gravity in the room changing, her willpower weakening. Just looking at him made her tremble and no matter the exorbitant fee P.I.E. received for eliminations, the man in front of her was worth more.

A ring and vibration interrupted her thoughts. She jumped and broke eye contact to rummage in her purse for her phone. “Hello?”

“Tess, it’s Francesca.”

“Francesca. Hi. Hold on a second.” She covered the receiver with her hand and whispered to Hugh, “Could you give me a minute?”

His eyes darkened, narrowed. She looked away and inhaled slowly. Lord, his gaze made her nervous. He let a second pass before standing and heading into the hangar.

“I’m back. What’s going on?”

When Francesca called, it always meant business. She made the no-nonsense side of the P.I.E. roommate triangle and paid little attention to anything that wasn’t work-related unless Kensie dragged her into it.

“Christian wants to see you.”

“Did you tell him I’m working on my assignment?”
And hell if I know what I’ll say to him if I see him now.

“Of course. He’s in a god-awful mood. Says you need to come in as soon as you safely can.”

Tess choked. “Yeah, right. Safely to him means before he takes his next target practice. Which is what, every six hours?”

“Like clockwork. You’ve never had trouble coming in before when you’re on assignment. Is something wrong? Do you need some—”

“No, Francesca. You know I don’t need help. Nothing’s wrong.” She watched through the glass wall as Hugh closed up the hangar, locking them inside. Just the two of them. Alone. “I’ll be in tomorrow. I’m in the middle of something now that could prove valuable to my investigation.”

Or her libido. The two were intertwined, weren’t they?

“Don’t screw up again, Tess. I’m afraid of what will happen if you do.”

“Thanks for that. Your vote of confidence is awesome. Do I sound like I’m going to do something foolish? I’m handling my mark just fine. Tell Christian to chill and I’ll be there when I can.”

“Tess—”

“Tomorrow. I promise tomorrow morning.” So much for flying the friendly skies with Hugh.

“Fine. Stay safe.”

“I always do.” She stowed the phone back in her bag just as Hugh’s broad shoulders filled the doorway to the reception area.

“Finished?” he asked, a rascally look on his face.

Dammit. She’d forgotten about that hearing of his. Had he listened in? She decided to play it like he hadn’t. “Yep. Why’d you close up the hangar? I thought we were flying out as soon as the weather improved.”

He looked like he didn’t know what to do with himself. Sit on the couch? The coffee table? Keep standing? Move behind the desk? “We are. It’s easy to open up when we’re ready to leave. I closed it for security reasons.”

“You afraid someone might steal me?” A week ago the idea of Hugh—of anyone— keeping her safe would have riled her. Now the thought didn’t bother her so much.

“Something like that.”

“What are we going to do until it’s time to go?” The memory of what they’d started earlier ambushed her. Being alone with him, she ached for his touch all over again. For those few minutes in his bedroom, he’d made her forget her job, their agenda, everything. And she so wanted to stop thinking. She got up from the couch, letting her purse fall to the floor, and moved around the coffee table to check out the reception area. “How about a tour of your office and a lesson in aviation?”