Ten
Turned out, Rylee didn’t need directions after all. Luca came out a moment later, then with a breath hissed through his teeth and his face scrunched in pain, he scooped his brother from the ground and carried him to the SUV parked in the drive.
He settled Niko into the backseat before stepping aside for her to get in. Maple rushed out of the house a second later, followed by Jaxon, who was weighed down with all the bags containing the new clothes she’d bought earlier in the day. “Call me if you need anything,” Maple hollered once Jaxon had loaded everything in the back.
“Should you be driving?” she asked Luca, eyeing him warily when he slipped behind the wheel and closed the door.
He glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “It’s either me or my brother. He won’t allow anyone else close to you.”
“Maybe I should drive,” she offered. She didn’t want to leave Niko’s side, but it was obvious Luca was injured, as well.
The man shook his head and chuckled, then winced. “It’s best if you stay there. As long as you’re next to him, we won’t have any issues.”
If she were in any position to argue, she would, but the fact remained that she didn’t know where she was going, and they’d get there sooner if Luca drove. “Fine.”
She rested her hand on Niko’s furry neck, stroking him with shaky fingers as much for her comfort as for his. “So, what did this? What am I up against?” she asked Luca.
Niko growled but didn’t lift his head from where he’d rested it on her lap.
“A cougar. We didn’t scent any others in the area, so we’re hoping he’s the only one around.”
Rylee shook her head. “I don’t know if it was a cougar, but someone was trailing us in town while we were shopping. That’s why we were at Maple’s house. We had to cut the trip short.”
Luca’s gaze snapped to hers, and Niko lifted his head from her lap, his eyes sharp as he assessed her. A ripple of movement along the length of his body drew her attention.
“Don’t even think about it. No shifting,” she ordered again, then almost smiled when he whimpered. “We can discuss it at length once you’ve finished healing. For now, you can just listen.”
A bark of laughter came from the front. “Watching you keep him in line is going to be fun,” Luca said.
Niko half barked, half groaned, making Luca chuckle harder.
“What happened in town?” Luca finally asked once he’d sobered.
She shrugged at him through the mirror. “Nothing, really. Just an uneasy feeling. I didn’t see anyone, but my gut was firing all kinds of warnings, and in my business, you can’t afford to ignore your gut.”
“He said you’re a retrieval expert. How did you get into that line of work?”
There was no college or university degree for what she did. She’d learned the tricks of the trade on the streets as a kid. Getting into tight spots and leaving again before anyone was any the wiser had been the only way to fill her belly some days since the adults charged with her care had been more concerned with their next hit than feeding her.
It hadn’t taken long for her reputation to grow and for people—not always the good kind—to come knocking, offering money in exchange for her services. She’d almost been caught a few times. Once by the cops, and the rest by people who would have made sure she disappeared forever had they found her. The only thing that had protected her was her instincts.
Was she proud of her not-so-clean past? No, but it was what had shaped her and made her who she was today. She couldn’t regret that. “I did what I had to do to survive on the street. Got good at taking things that didn’t belong to me,” she finally said, her head held high.
“Jaxon’s going to want a meeting to get all the info so we can protect the town,” Luca said as though she hadn’t just confessed to starting out as a thief. If either brother had any real objections, neither let them show. Not that Niko could, but his body hadn’t stiffened in the least.
Rylee nodded. She didn’t usually share information about her work with anyone, but angry cougar shifters and blood-sucking vampires were nothing to sneeze at. If she was bringing danger to Dexter, the least she could do was tell them what little she knew. “That’s fine.”
Luca pulled onto a dirt road that soon gave way to a bumpy trail. “Uh, where are you bringing us?” she asked. It wasn’t that she was afraid, but there was no way this was the same road they’d taken that morning.
“Home. This is the back way. You’re going to have to familiarize yourself with the property eventually. Might as well show you the shortcut while we’re out this way, just in case something wants to take a bite out of you and Niko or I aren’t around to help.”
Niko’s tail slapped the seat. He had yet to take his gaze off her. Using her fingernails, she scratched the fur along his neck, and his eyes drifted shut.
“I appreciate it. Hopefully, nothing will find me here. I’d hate to bring trouble to you guys,” she said, as she looked out the windows, finding landmarks she’d be able to use to get her bearings.
“See that maple up ahead? The one that’s taller than the others? That’s what you’re aiming for,” he pointed to the one he meant. “The trail isn’t easy to spot, but if you take a right there, you’ll end up at the farm. Go straight, and it’s a giant loop back to the road.”
Sure enough, as soon as they passed the tallest tree, he turned the wheel. Branches scraped at the shiny paint, making her wince. With thicker brush crowding it, had Rylee not been looking for the trail, she would have missed it. “Thanks.”
Luca gave her a small nod but didn’t speak again until they pulled into the barn and he cut the engine. “I’m going to get him settled in, and then I’ll head out.”
“I don’t need you to leave. You know that, right?” she asked. Even though Niko looked to have sustained worse injuries, Luca hadn’t come away unscathed. The least she could do was cook dinner and make sure both brothers rested until they were healed.
Niko stiffened on the seat next to her but didn’t make a sound. She dug her hand into his fur, soothing him with her touch.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Luca said before gingerly getting out of the truck, rounding to the passenger side, then opening the door.
“Unless there is somewhere you need to be, I’d rather you stayed, if you don’t mind. What if someone came around while you were gone? I’m sure Niko would protect me, but at what cost? You saw how determined he was to shift at Maple’s house. Besides, you’re injured, too. I can cook us all a nice dinner while the two of you rest.” She wasn’t above using Luca’s concern for his brother’s wellbeing to make him take care of himself.
Luca locked gazes with his brother, and then with a sigh, gave her a small nod. “I’ll stay.”
“Good. Let’s get him into the house then. I can come back out for the stuff in the back after I get dinner going.” The last thing either of the Garcia men needed was to be carrying her shit around in their conditions.
Luca slid his arms beneath his brother and opened his mouth, presumably to protest, but with one look at her, he closed it. Good. From what she gathered, Niko and Luca did just about everything together—well, not everything—but most things. It wouldn’t do to have either of them think she was a pushover.