CHAPTER NINE
Tamsin wasn’t familiar enough with New Orleans to know exactly where they were, but Angus navigated with ease. He had them on a road heading west, and soon the city fell behind, as did the suburbs. Not long after that, they were out into bayou country.
The freeway became a bridge stretching across a watery landscape. Flat, swampy land poked up along stretches of gray water, the occasional boat zipping by beneath. Clouds had rolled in to make the sky bleak, and rain pattered on the windshield, swept away by the SUV’s wipers in a steady rhythm.
Tamsin leaned back against the seat, humming a tune in her throat, but tension kept her muscles stiff.
Ciaran was the only one of the three who was excited. He peered eagerly through the windows at the rain and traffic.
“Are we going to the haunted house, Dad? I bet Tamsin’s right that it blocked the tracker on the car. We can hide out there.”
Angus shook his head. “He’d find the house sooner or later. He’ll start from where the tracking device cut out and search in a circle from there.”
“Oh,” Ciaran said, disappointed. “You’re probably right.”
“Ben will be there,” Tamsin said in concern. “Should we warn him?”
“Ben and the house can take care of themselves,” Angus answered. “Ben’s not Shifter. Shifter Bureau has no jurisdiction over him, and the house is owned by a human woman. They’ll have to leave it alone.”
“What is Ben, exactly?” Tamsin asked, trying to distract herself. “He said gnome or goblin, but those are human words, used in place of that unpronounceable name he told me.”
“He’s a forgotten race from Faerie,” Ciaran said with the confidence of one in the know. “They were exiled a thousand years ago. The Fae killed almost all of his people and banished the rest to the human world. Most of them died out, and Ben is left.”
Tamsin listened with growing sympathy and horror. “Stupid Fae bastards.”
“That’s what I said.” Ciaran studied Angus. “Then where are we going, Dad?”
Angus didn’t take his eyes off the road. “Somewhere you’ll be safe.”
Ciaran’s face fell. “Aw, don’t dump me. I want to go with you.”
“I’m not dumping you. We’ll go to Kendrick’s compound, and you can spend some time there. You like visiting Dimitri and Jaycee, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but I’d rather stay with you.” Ciaran’s brows came down, jaw tightening in rebellion.
“I’d rather you stayed safe with Shifters who know how to hide you,” Angus said. “You’ve already been captured by Shifter Bureau once. How many times do you want it to happen?”
The scowls of father and son were so identical Tamsin wanted to laugh.
“Tamsin can stay there too,” Ciaran announced. “They’re un-Collared Shifters, hiding out,” he told her. “They have a big ranch—it’s so cool.”
“Which is supposed to be a secret,” Angus said with a growl.
“It’s all right if Tamsin knows. She’s un-Collared too. Besides, you just said we’re going there.”
“I was keeping the details to myself.”
Ciaran heaved a long sigh and slammed himself into his seat. “Fine. Whatever.”
Tamsin slid off the sunglasses and gave him a look of understanding. “Where is this supersecret enclave of un-Collared Shifters?” she asked Angus.
The answer came from behind her before Angus could speak. “Middle of Nowhere, Texas.”
“Awesome. I’ve always wanted to go to Texas.”
Angus said nothing. He was tense all over, hands tight as he concentrated on the road.
He was a hard man, tough. Tamsin had seen him soften when he’d crouched down to Ciaran in the cemetery, making sure he was all right, and again when he let Ciaran lie against him in the station wagon. He’d softened a little bit also when he’d told Tamsin the kiss they’d shared was good. Started a shiver down inside her, those words had.
She ran her gaze over the well-muscled arms, taut as he clenched the steering wheel, his chest hugged by his T-shirt. His close-cropped beard framed his square face, and his dark hair managed to be wolf shaggy, even cut short.
His eyes were as gray as the sky above them. Clear gray, rain gray.
Her hunter and captor had switched to being her savior. Why, Tamsin wasn’t sure. Feeling sorry for her was one thing. Spiriting her away from Shifter Bureau was something else.
Tamsin had been stunned to learn that Angus was Gavan Murray’s brother. The two men couldn’t be more different. Gavan had been electric, outgoing, courageous, and, in the end, utterly selfish. Angus was closemouthed and growling, but his love for his cub shone like a beacon of pure light.
His mate had left Angus for Gavan? She had to have been crazy. Tamsin hadn’t known Angus long and not under the best of circumstances, but she already recognized he was the better man.
“So, who’s Spence?” she asked him.
“Our Shiftertown leader.” Angus closed his mouth immediately, indicating this was another subject he didn’t want to get into.
“He fired Dad,” came the answer from the back seat. “Dad was his second. Then Uncle Gavan went off the rails and Shifter Bureau came after Dad and Spence. Spence booted Dad out of being second in command to save his own ass.”
“He didn’t have a choice,” Angus said tightly. “They’d have removed him as leader and replaced him with a total dickhead. I understood. I stepped down.”
“That was eight years ago. I was just a baby,” Ciaran put in. “But Spence hasn’t asked Dad back to be his second, or even to be a tracker for the Shiftertown again. Reg is second now—he’s a good one, and everyone likes him—but it should be Dad.”
“All right,” Angus said firmly. “That’s enough.”
“Dad is in Spence’s clan,” Ciaran rattled on. “Reg’s clan is down in the pecking order, though Reg is pretty dominant. Even Reg thinks Dad should be second, with Reg as third.”
“I said enough,” Angus said in a hard voice. “It’s the way it is. Talking about it doesn’t change it.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Tamsin said. “I think talking can change a lot of things. It’s helped me out of trouble so many times. Maybe you should tell Spence how you feel.”
The look Angus turned on her could have flattened a forest. “I’m not talking to Spence about it. He won’t make me second again just because we get all touchy-feely and sing campfire songs. Doesn’t work that way in a Shiftertown.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Tamsin made a sweeping gesture. “I stay far away from those.”
“Which is why you’re on the run, taking help from a Lupine you met last night. Is this what you’re going to do the rest of your life?”
“If I have to. You going to take shit from Shifter Bureau the rest of your life?”
“If I have to.” Angus scowled at her. “As long as Ciaran is safe, that’s what I’ll do.”
“Gee, thanks,” Ciaran muttered. “Blame it on me.”
“Ciaran deserves better,” Tamsin said. “My mother thought Shiftertown was the safer place for her family. Glynis ran away because Shifters were being taken in to be experimented on. Running was a better option, or so she thought. I ran too, but in a different direction.” She tasted sorrow, anger with herself for not being with her sister on that fateful day.
“I’m sorry.” Angus’s eyes held sympathy, but his voice was harsh. “But if you’re questioning how I take care of my son, you can bail out.”
Tamsin sat up and looked around for a likely spot to dive and roll. “There,” she said, pointing to a wide place on the shoulder. “Dump me there. I’ll hitch to Middle of Nowhere, Texas, and tell them you sent me.”
Angus didn’t slow. “Stay where you are.”
“Hey, you told me to bail out.” Tamsin clasped the door handle. “If I stay, I’ll keep on asking questions, so I might as well go.”
Tamsin had no intention of diving out of a vehicle moving at seventy miles an hour, but she couldn’t resist seeing how far Angus would take his threat. She pushed the button to unlock the door.
Angus reached out with alarming swiftness, wrapped one arm around her, and hauled her to him, never slowing or swerving the SUV. Tamsin found her nose buried in his side, where she inhaled warmth and the scent of male.
“Oh, this is nice.”
Angus started to unwind himself from her, but Tamsin burrowed in, nuzzling him and closing her eyes. In spite of the console between them, she was able to nestle into his shoulder, enjoying his strength.
She’d had a long night, little sleep, and a long day. The touch of Angus’s body against hers, the soothing rocking of the SUV, and the rhythm of Angus’s breath under her cheek unwound all the knots inside her. Tamsin fully meant to tease him a little and rise back to a sitting position, but her exhaustion took over, and she dropped almost instantly into sleep.
“I think she likes you.” Ciaran’s voice was hushed.
Angus kept his arm around Tamsin’s shoulders as he drove with his free hand. Her red hair spilled over his lap like a stream of fire, her head resting trustingly against his side.
He couldn’t think of a way to answer so he settled for, “Mmph.”
As far as Angus could tell, no one had followed them out of New Orleans. Abandoning the station wagon and driving carefully away in Reg’s anonymous SUV seemed to have done the trick.
The best place to leave Tamsin was in Kendrick’s capable white tiger paws. Kendrick knew how to deal with rogue Shifters, seeing as he was the biggest rogue—or un-Collared Shifter—out there. He’d held together a group of rogue Shifters in freedom for more than twenty years.
Kendrick’s band lived in secret and had to be very careful when interacting with humans. They also wore fake Collars when they went to Shiftertowns so no one would report a Shifter without a Collar running around there.
Kendrick wouldn’t thank Angus for bringing in a fugitive. This would only work if they didn’t pick up a tail.
They’d have to switch from Reg’s SUV before they hit the Texas border. Reg had said he hadn’t registered it with Shifter Bureau, but other Shifters would know he owned it, and if Shifter Bureau went sniffing around the NOLA Shiftertown, they might mention it, even in innocence. And not all Shifters were loyal to Spence and Reg. Jostling for dominance happened all the time, and if a clan thought being in thick with Shifter Bureau was the way to advance, they might tell the agents what close friends Reg and Angus were, and all about Reg’s missing SUV.
Angus slid his cell phone from his pocket and handed it behind him to Ciaran. “Call Dimitri. Ask him if he has a ride we can borrow. Keep the details to a minimum.”
Ciaran took the phone with an expression that showed he was proud to take on this responsibility. He flipped open the phone, expertly scrolled through Angus’s contacts, and touched a button.
In a moment, Dimitri Kashnikov’s voice came through the phone.
“This is Dimitri. What’s your pleasure, Angus?”
“It’s Ciaran.” Ciaran adopted a nonchalant slouch as he spoke. “We need wheels, Dimitri. Can you get us some? There’s three of us—me, my dad, and a hot chick he picked up. She’s on the run, and he’s helping her. Meet up on the Louisiana side of the border?”
Dimitri’s carefree tone vanished. “What?”
“I said we need—”
“I heard you, kid. I’m just stunned. Let me talk to Angus.”
“He’s busy driving. We’re running for our lives.”
Angus growled. “Keep the details to a minimum, I said.”
“Dimitri’s cool,” Ciaran told him. “Can you do it, Dimitri? Where should we meet up?”
“Put me on speaker,” Dimitri’s voice said.
Ciaran punched a key without having to search for the right one. Angus always marveled at how adept his cub was with technology.
Dimitri’s flowing tones filled the air. “Angus, what the h-hell are you doing?”
Dimitri, a red wolf, used to stammer quite badly, but since he’d mated with Jaycee, a beautiful leopard Shifter, his stammer had all but vanished. He had to be very agitated now for it to return.
“Running from Shifter Bureau,” Angus said. “Long story. I need to switch vehicles. We’re ahead, but before long, they’ll figure out what we’re driving and where we are.”
“Right.” Dimitri’s voice faded a moment, but Angus could tell he was talking to someone in the background. His voice came back. “There’s a diner in Lake Charles, near the bus station but off the beaten path. Wait for me there. They have great po’ boys.”
“Awesome.” Ciaran bounced on the seat. He’d taken to Cajun food as soon as he’d had the teeth to chew. Any kind of food, in truth. Ciaran could put it away.
Dimitri gave more specific directions to the diner, then said, “See ya, Ciaran. Keep your old man out of trouble.”
“Not easy, but I’ll try,” Ciaran said. “Bye, Dimitri. Give Jaycee a kiss for me.”
“Now, there’s something I can enjoy.” Dimitri laughed and then the laugh cut off as he hung up the phone.
“Mmm,” Tamsin stirred under Angus’s arm. “Po’ boys. I could eat a good sandwich.”
“We won’t be going into this diner,” Angus said abruptly. “We’re switching cars in the parking lot and getting the hell out of town.”
Tamsin rose from his side, stretched, and yawned. “Sure, whatever. Who was that? He sounded cute.”
“Dimitri Kashnikov,” Ciaran answered. “He’s a red wolf and lives in the secret compound in Texas with his mate, Jaycee. She’s gorgeous, and really fast, and a seriously good fighter. If they let her fight in the fight club, she’d beat everybody, I bet.”
Tamsin listened with interest. “What’s the fight club?”
“Not important—” Angus tried, but Ciaran couldn’t be stopped.
“It’s where Shifters fight each other for fun and profit. Every Shiftertown has one, or at least one nearby. It isn’t allowed, but Shiftertown leaders pretend they don’t know. The leaders never attend, so they’re not sure where it is, and we change up the location from time to time. That way, if the Shifter leaders are interrogated about it, they really have no idea where it is or how many Shifters go.”
Angus broke in. “Ciaran, we really need to have a talk about discretion.”
“It’s all right,” Tamsin said. “Ciaran understands all about need-to-know. And I need to know.” She leaned around the seat to him. “Why don’t they let Jaycee fight if she’s so good? Because she’ll beat everyone?”
Ciaran looked surprised Tamsin had to ask. “Because she’s female. Females don’t fight in the fight clubs. They might get hurt.”
“You think? So could males.”
“Yeah, but males can’t have cubs. What happens if a female is hurt so bad she can’t have cubs anymore? That would be terrible.”
Tamsin looked thoughtful. “I agree, it would be. But males also could be hurt so much they couldn’t have kids. What happens if his nuts are torn up? Or hit so hard they stop functioning?”
Angus had to halt this conversation. “For the Goddess’ sake—”
“There are some rules,” Ciaran went on without blinking. “No killing. No outside interference—no one can run into the ring and help you. And no targeting balls and penises, in human or animal form.”
Tamsin grinned. “You mean, no hitting below the belt.”
“No one’s wearing a belt,” Ciaran said, puzzled. “Everyone fights naked so they can shift.”
“I so have to go to one of these,” Tamsin said in delight. “Is there one close to where we’ll be?”
“They’re all over,” Ciaran said. “You just have to know where to look for them. And they’re not held every night. About once a week, or maybe once every two weeks so Shifters can rest in between.”
Tamsin turned her gaze to Angus. “Take us to a fight club, please, Angus? Why not? If they’re so secret I’ve never heard of them, I bet Shifter Bureau doesn’t know where they are either.”
Angus raised his voice to cut through their chatter. “No. I’m not taking a night off running from Haider to go to a fight club. Cubs aren’t allowed anyway.”
“Cubs might not be allowed,” Ciaran said. “My dad is one of the best fighters of the New Orleans fight club. I’ve seen him. He’s never been beat.”
Angus glared into the rearview mirror. “Are you telling me you go to fight club fights?”
Ciaran contrived to look innocent. “Only to watch you, Dad. Reg takes me.”
Angus hadn’t known that. Angus went to the fight club to take out his frustration about the losses in his life: his mate, his place in the hierarchy, the trust of other Shifters, his brother. Ciaran was supposed to have been home with his babysitter while Angus let out his aggressions—the babysitter being Angus’s trusted best friend, Reg.
“Son of a—” Angus thumped the steering wheel. “I need to have a serious talk with him.”
“Why?” Tamsin asked. She lowered her seat back, resettling her sunglasses over her eyes. “Reg seems like a nice guy. Letting you use his car without question, agreeing to pick me up when he didn’t know anything about me. He must be a really good friend.”
“He is.” Angus’s voice lost its hardest edge. “When I was accused of being in with Gavan up to my neck, he stuck by me.”
“You see?” Ciaran spread his hands. “So it’s fine to go to the fight club with Reg. He looks out for me.”
“Still going to talk to him about that. And if we weren’t heading down a freeway to a covert meeting in a diner parking lot, you’d be grounded.”
Ciaran’s face puckered in the scowl that was so like Angus’s own, then it cleared, his good humor returning. “Good thing we’re on the run, then.”
Tamsin laughed. “I really like your cub, Angus.”
“I like you too.” Ciaran sounded slightly surprised but pleased at this revelation.
“Aw.” Tamsin twisted to reach around the seat for Ciaran’s hand. Ciaran held hers for a moment, relaxing the same way he did when Angus hugged him.
The two smiled at each other. Angus glanced at them and couldn’t stop the twinge of foreboding inside him.
Lake Charles was a town hugging the lake of the same name, a spread of houses, stores, and gas stations, no different from most small towns in the states Tamsin had seen in her life. The land was flat and green, landscaped trees soared in yards, and lawns separated neighbor from neighbor.
The diner lay down a side street that contained shops, a church with a square steeple, a few restaurants, a self-storage center, and a lumberyard.
The day was waning as Angus pulled around the block to the parking lot behind the diner. The lot was small, sharing space with other businesses and a large Dumpster.
Angus parked the SUV in the lot’s one empty space, turned off the engine, and let out a tired breath.
The guy had to be exhausted. Tamsin had slept at the haunted house and again as they drove, but she didn’t know when Angus had. He’d showered at the house, but the red lines around his eyes and the droop of his body told her maybe he hadn’t laid his butt down in a long time.
Shifters didn’t require as much rest as humans—they could go for days if necessary—but they needed some. Tamsin guessed Angus had been awake nonstop since Haider had recruited him.
Tamsin unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door. When Angus didn’t move, she said, “You coming?”
Angus’s gray eyes fixed on her. “I told you, we’re not going in.”
“I am,” Tamsin said. “I’m starving. So is Ciaran. I bet Haider didn’t feed him in that crypt.”
“Not well,” Ciaran said with a shudder.
“Too dangerous,” Angus snapped. “We wait.”
Tamsin hopped out of the SUV and looked back in at Angus. “There’s an old fox saying—You’re not the boss of me. Now, what am I in the mood for? Barbecue beef? Maybe some shrimp? Or debris?” Roast beef with its gravy made rich with roast-beef shavings—Tamsin had only had a debris po’ boy once, but she never forgot it.
“Mmm.” Ciaran almost moaned. “Come on, Dad, please? I’m hungry, and we gave Haider the slip. It will take Dimitri a while to get here, though maybe less if he lets Jaycee drive. If you put on your jacket and keep it zipped up, no one will see your Collar.”
Angus frowned at him for a long time, but Tamsin saw when the tide turned. Ciaran needed to eat, Tamsin was going inside no matter what, and Angus knew he wouldn’t win this battle.
The breath he let out had a snarl in it. “All right.” He grabbed his jacket from the back seat where he’d tossed it and shrugged it on. “We’ll go in. But keep a low profile, and no talking.” He moved his finger from Ciaran to Tamsin.
“Sweet!” Tamsin slammed her door and opened Ciaran’s. “Come on, Ciaran. Let’s go eat everything in sight. And then have dessert.”