Wylde (14 page)

 

“After you and the Chief fight.”

 

“We are not going to—” Noah took a deep breath. “He trespassed, Josh.”

“Yeah, I figured.” Josh shrugged, looking out the window at the passing shops in town as they drove deeper into the village. “I know you are pretty uptight about having your own space, but I have a feeling he’ll be doing that a lot.”

Noah grunted, hands tightening on the wheel. He couldn’t easily tolerate someone doing something without consulting him again. Not after Adam.

Josh glanced at him. “He really cares about you, more than I think even he knows. And when you care about someone, you screw up.”

“T
HANKS
for coming to see me, Mr. Anderson,” Kell said, nodding

as his visitor walked into his office. The business magnate nodded back, his face browned from a harsher sun than one that burned in the Pacific Northwest. Apparently he’d been in Australia for a while. His weathered hand gripped Kell’s firmly, slate gray eyes assessing the lawman much as the Chief imagined they did the highpowered clients he handled.

“I came as soon as I could spare some time,” Anderson said, settling in the chair Kell offered him. He folded his hands, looking completely unruffled, unlike most people, who usually had a residue of uneasiness visiting a lawman.

Kell frowned and leaned back in his own seat, tipping it as he studied the other man. “I’m sorry I have so far found no sign of the gun your son fired and lost in the woods.”

The businessman cleared his throat, his pale eyes holding Kell’s. He didn’t have the stoop-shouldered physique Kell pictured for someone who spent long hours in an office, but he seemed a more active type, despite being well into his sixties. “That is a shame as it was a collector’s item. I had forbidden Thomas to ever touch my gun cases and didn’t even know he knew where the key to the locks were.” The man’s lips tightened. “And for the record, he’s not really my son.”

Kell blinked. He’d found if he went fishing, sometimes he turned up something unexpected. And so far all he knew was there were some strange goings-on up on Sullivan’s Mountain, so talking to the few residents might shed some light. “Oh?”

“My wife and I got together shortly after he was born.” Anderson smiled thinly before he took off his glasses and used a handkerchief to wipe them, looking thoughtful. “I married her and adopted Thomas because it was her wish and we have an… agreement.”

“Uh huh.” Kell’s eyes narrowed, instinct kicking in. “Your son mentioned Morley Orris came to the house but you didn’t seem to like him much?”

Anderson’s face tightened. “I had a distaste for him. Thomas might have thought I was unaware of that man’s side business, but there is little that goes on I miss.”

“Well, certainly you’ll agree that something strange is happening and people are getting hurt. I’m sure you want to help out with that, since your adopted son nearly got lost, and then someone broke into your garage and left that cryptic message.”

“I have no idea why someone would threaten anyone in my family.”

 

“Threat. Interesting that you take the word ‘don’t’ to be a threat,” Kell noted.

 

Anderson shrugged. “I’m sure I have no idea what it meant.” “Well, I have a theory that it could be a very personal message. Have you ever seen anything strange in the area?”

 

Anderson’s eyes were opaque. “If you are speaking of the socalled ghost, then no, not personally.”

 

“Your wife or son?”

“My wife thought there might be a homeless person in the area, yes. I ordered her to stop leaving food if that was the case,” the businessman said primly. “There are, after all, places for such people.”

“‘Are there no work houses, are there no prisons…?’” Kell quoted Dickens softly, grimacing. “So you’re saying you suspect this homeless person might have left that statement in your garage?”

A loud bang, wood smacking against wood, interrupted Anderson’s reply. From beyond Kell’s office door, the Chief caught the upset voice of his once-a-week-secretary, Marg Kenney, and then the clatter of someone stomping past her desk. “Sir! Sir, you can’t go in there, the Chief is talking to someon—”

Noah burst into the room without knocking, pale-faced, his gray eyes giving off sparks.

Seeing him, knowing immediately why he must have come, lightning forked through Kell’s gut. He tensed automatically, but he’d been expecting this, sooner or later. Of course, he’d hoped for later, after he’d had a little time to prepare the ground with prickly, independent Noah.

“Hey,” he said. And he hoped that Noah didn’t figure out how turned on he was right now, seeing him so pissy—he always wanted him, shy, responsive, angry—but he figured now was not the time to show it.

Noah slammed some wrapped-up diner food down on Kell’s desk. “I can’t believe I bought you lunch!”

 

“Whoa.”

 

“We need to talk,” Noah snapped.

“Agreed,” Kell said. He stood, going to Noah and putting a gentle hand on his arm, practically feeling the passion sizzling through his skin. He cocked a brow at Anderson. “Why don’t you grab lunch at the diner? We’ll pick this up again.”

The businessman glanced at Noah’s stony face and looked uncomfortable, obviously picking up on the vibe. Tough shit. Kell knew folks figured he was bent, but now they’d have to get used to Kell being bent for Noah.

The man nodded. Seeing that his visitor would wait, Kell opened a side door into the file room, which was muffled by papers, and so better soundproofed than his office.

“What happened?” Though Kell had an idea.

“
You
happened. I told you in confidence about Adam and
he called me!
He said a police detective in Seattle asked him some questions.” Noah swallowed, looking sick.

“Yes, I called a friend at the Seattle PD and I’d do it again,” Kell admitted flatly.

“You had no right!”
“Wrong. Do you think you are the only man he ever frightened? I looked into his army records; he was dishonorably discharged after assaulting another man in the showers. He has a history, Noah, and I wanted to make my friend aware so he could do some digging.”
“I trusted you, Kell, but I guess you just thought I was a coward, running away from Seattle, in need of someone’s protection.”

Kell shook his head. “Bull. What I know is you’re pissed, but we’re going to work it out.” Noah growled under his breath, crossing his arms. “We are. And don’t go putting words in my mouth that I think you’re a coward.” Kell took a deep breath. “I think maybe that’s how you see
yourself
, but that’s damn sure not what I see.”

Noah’s gaze fell, and he flushed, but Kell could see he was listening, at least.

“Looks like we need another mirror,” Kell noted. “So you can see how incredibly brave I think you were, protecting your kid and listening to your instincts about a wrong guy.” Feeling Noah still had to be rattled from that bastard’s phone call, Kell struggled for a moment with his feelings of rage and possessiveness. He’d deal with Adam, oh, yes. For now though, there was Noah, and he needed Kell. “Sit down.” Kell pointed to a chair. “Uh, please.”

Noah cocked a wry brow but complied while Kell went to the coffee maker, filling up a mug and bringing it to Noah, kneeling beside him. “It’s not fancy Seattle beans, but it’s hot. Where’s Josh?” he asked.

“At the library,” Noah said, taking the peace offering and sipping from the mug. “I wanted to treat you to lunch, so I was in the diner when Adam—”

Kell’s jaw flexed. “Baby, I’m sorry. I never meant for that son of a bitch to call you. I just wanted someone to look into his background. I wanted to make sure if he ever came to my town I knew who I was dealing with.” He didn’t add that he almost hoped Adam would come so he could have a piece of him. Maybe that wasn’t responsible, but it was how he felt.

“But he’s not your problem to deal with!” Noah shot back, putting down his coffee mug with a clatter on the nearest metal bookshelf.

Kell cupped Noah’s cheek. “
Wrong,
” he said.

“Because I let you kiss me a couple of times and give me a hand job? That doesn’t give you the right.” Gray eyes snapped, but Kell could feel the cautious single dad still weighing him.

“Because I….” Kell swallowed, unable to continue for a moment, even knowing that if he wanted Noah, he’d have to give— probably in every sense of the word. But his chest tightened when he thought of the burden of shame Noah still carried. Fuck! Adam was six three, heavily muscled. Noah was no match for that kind of man, trained to kill. He’d done the smart thing, following his gut.

“Kell.”

 

“I was going to tell you about it but I wanted to give you some time to like me first,” Kell admitted simply.

 

Noah rubbed his forehead. “I dealt with it.”

 

“But you never let anyone close after it happened, did you?”

Kell mulled.
“Not until you,” Noah admitted, looking a little disgruntled.
“But I was planning on dating again eventually, I’ll have you
know,” he finished off huffily.
Kell caressed Noah’s hair, waiting patiently, ready to listen.

“Okay, I admit, I wish I’d handled it differently!” Noah burst out.

 

“You were protecting Josh.” Kell shook his head. “And you’re right; you did handle it. Sometimes I almost wish….”

“What?”
“That I had someone like you when I was a kid.”

Noah raised a weary hand, having had enough. “I don’t want to talk about him anymore. I came here to make a fresh start. But I do like you, Kell.”

“I want you to forget him,” Kell agreed, his hand tender as he stroked Noah’s curls, though his eyes were uncompromising. “But don’t expect me to.”

Noah pulled away. “Just what is it you want from me? I thought it was just something quick, like one night, but—”

“I don’t know, but I can promise you one thing; it
won’t
be quick,” Kell answered, smiling as Noah’s eyes widened. He wanted to banish the shadows now, for both of them. He bent close and glanced his lips against Noah’s.

Noah shuddered, fingers gripping Kell’s shoulders. “I’m still not sure of the wisdom of dating you. What does it entail?” Noah asked.

“Hmm, well, it means I get to take care of
this
for you.” One big hand confidently reached down and gently squeezed Noah’s stiffening sex through his jeans.

Noah leaned closer, his breath touching Kell’s lips. “There’s something to be said for cavemen sometimes.”
“A
RE
you sure I can’t convince you to head back?” Alec asked Jade

as they crested another rise. They were deep in the woods above her house now, and Alec was gripping the talisman his grandmother had given him.

“Is that bit of voodoo doing any good?” Jade asked, wiping her sweaty face with a bandana and completely ignoring Alec’s question. If he thought the little woman was staying put, he had a lot to learn about her. And she almost looked forward to teaching him.

But then she frowned at her own thoughts. Huh? She’d probably go back to barely being aware of him after this, and better for the Boy Scout if she did.

Alec shrugged. “Nothing yet.” Then he frowned and paused to thrust some thorny runners from a blackberry bush carefully aside before kneeling next to the trail they were following. “Now that’s something you don’t see every day,” he muttered.

“What?” Jade glanced around the moss-hung trees, jumpy. She’d never come up here growing up, and if her fool dog hadn’t gone missing, she wouldn’t be up here now. Not that she believed it was really a ghost or all that bullshit, but….

“I’ve seen these tracks before. Like someone with homemade moccasins or something.” Alec pointed to a soft track in the mud. “Huh.” Jade didn’t know anything about tracks, but it did look odd. “So someone’s living rough up here?”

“Looks like there might be truth in the rumors since tracks don’t lie. Whoever it is is very slim and in good shape, moving fast, as if they know the trails up here.”

Jade liked how Alec talked to her, sharing the discovery as if she had a brain and not just a nice ass. She pushed her hair back, feeling the sweat on the back of her neck turning clammy in the chill of the damp forest.

“Do you think these tracks are also connected with what’s going on lately?”

A
LEC
made a soft sound of agreement. “Everything is connected. I don’t have to be my grandmother to see that.” The bundle around his neck warmed, and he felt a corresponding tingle from the talisman his grandmother had given him. He straightened, senses on alert as he looked around. “Are you sure you want to keep going? We’re going deeper into the forest than I’ve ever gone before.”

“I really am worried about Beau,” Jade said. “I remember flying over this stretch once. A real wilderness.”

 

Alec tensed suddenly. He looked up into Jade’s eyes and saw them widen.

 

“
Barking!
” Jade whispered, squeezing Alec’s arm. “Alec, that sounded like Beau!”

A
T THE
library, Josh was lost in thought, his pencil scrawling random images and words on a pad of paper as he sifted through the impressions he’d had of the ghost that haunted the woods. He’d had a dream about him the night before, but when he woke up, his head was muddled and aching, and all he felt was…
grief.
“Hey,” the librarian, Mrs. Mathers, greeted Josh so he jumped

and then huffed out an embarrassed laugh. The red-haired woman smiled at him. “You all right, Josh? Have you found everything you need?”

Josh shook his head, gaze on the stack of books he’d been going through, trying to work things out. “Not yet, but I will,” he said.

“Hmm, a thoughtful young man. You remind me of a boy who used to come in here. He stopped a long time ago,” Mrs. Mathers sighed.

Josh looked up at the older woman, seeing sadness in her eyes. “Is something wrong?”

 

She paused and chewed her lip. “For a long time, yes, I think something has been, Josh.”

R
EGRETTING
he couldn’t mess around further with Noah in the file room—that was pushing it, even for Kell—he returned to his office with him. At least they’d cleared the air, and maybe he could talk him into another—he froze. “
Shit!
”