Enticed (Two Marks 3)

“I’ll redirect them away from here,” I said, trying to think quickly of ways to keep Holt and Theo from whatever Hollaroy had planned.

“No can do, sugar. It’s time for a little payback, and you’re going to help. Get your phone, and text him.”

He didn’t say more, only arched a brow and gave me a pointed look.

I took a deep breath and pulled my cell from my back pocket.

“Tell him to come to the trailer. I’m sure you know about it. Ten o’clock. Nothing more,” he warned.

Hollaroy didn’t identify which guy he thought I was with, but since Theo was DEA and this was his investigation, I sent the text to him. My thumbs fumbled over the tiny letters, and I finally got it right.

“Show it to me.”

I held out the cell so he could see my message, which was exactly what he’d said. I wanted to tell Theo the text was a trap, or clue him in that Hollaroy was here. Or tell him that he shouldn’t actually come.

The ding signaled an immediate response. My heart leapt at the sight of his reply.

I told you to stay away from there.

I showed it to Hollaroy and he nodded, clearly satisfied. “He does know about the trailer. You mentioned it to him.”

I blushed, realizing I was caught.

Hollaroy shrugged, and pressed the button on the side of my phone to turn it off.

He rubbed his hands together. “Good. Remember, you and your daddy are expendable. The meth’s on your land. Nothing like the thought of taking out a lawman to make me hungry. What are you cooking us, woman, while we wait?”

13

THEO

“She’s going to get a real spanking this time,” I snapped, slamming my truck door shut and rounding the back.

“Get in line,” Holt added, settling his Stetson on his head.

The sun had set behind the mountains about an hour before, but the sky still had color. It was bleeding to dark quickly. With our shifter eyesight, we didn’t have to slow as we cut across the grassland from the service road.

When I’d received Ali’s text, I’d cracked the screen with frustration. She wanted us to meet her at the trailer? The trailer! After we’d told her not to go anywhere near the place? She’d promised. What in the hell was she up to?

“It might be her land, but she has no idea the kind of asshole Hollaroy is,” I added. My investigation had given me a solid look into him. Holt knew the fucker from the wolf shootings. Hollaroy might not have much of a rap sheet, but that was because he was cunning enough to get away with crimes. Like murder.

My wolf pushed me to move faster. I wanted to toss Ali over my shoulder, carry her off, and claim the shit out of her.

Holt only offered a grunt in reply. We’d spun this in so many circles since she’d called, trying to figure it out. When I’d texted back and she hadn’t responded…

Yeah, I moved a little faster. While she’d told us the new structure was near a pond—where she’d gone for a ride with Ariel—we hadn’t gotten more specifics than that. Hadn’t thought we’d need them.

Holt stuck out his arm to stop me. “Listen,” he whispered.

Breathing, voices. I looked toward where we suspected the trailer to be. We’d pulled up a map of the county, studied the property lines, the topography. Where the burned out cabin was, and the area that was left we hadn’t observed.

“She’s not alone.” His voice dropped even lower, barely audible.

I cocked my head, but couldn’t make out what was being said.

“Her father?”

Holt shrugged.

We moved closer, going silently as if we were in wolf form.

A shot split the quiet of the night, and we froze.

“Theo Decker. We know you’re out there.”

The deep voice caught on the summer breeze.

I stood tall and set my hand on the butt of my service pistol on my hip. “Identify yourself!” I called back.

“I don’t need to tell you who I am. I’m sure you and Cooke recognize the business end of my rifle, since it’s the one that killed those wolves.”

Fuck. Hollaroy. Blatantly admitting to what he’d done. He’d pleaded guilty to the crime of killing endangered wolves. All he’d gotten was a slap on the wrist with a fine. Probably a slap on the back from his cronies.

He’d gotten away with his fun, the smug bastard.

“We doing this in the dark, Hollaroy?” I called. Not because Holt and I couldn’t see, but because I needed to stall. Needed to get eyes on Ali to keep her safe.

With those words, lights came on. They were exterior fixtures attached to the single-wide trailer Ali had mentioned. There wasn’t just a small bulb by the entry door but spotlights around the metal structure. It was overkill for safety, but it did a great job of illuminating the open field. Definitely useful for working late at night. Loading trucks, perhaps?