“Yes, I met him in the Marina a few days ago,” Connie's dad said. He was looking at Chase with the sort of hopeful, ingratiating expression he usually turned on Connie when he wanted her to clean up his messes for him. “He's in town for the race. I think he's staying on his yacht, though. Do you think you'll be able to find him?”
“If he's within my range,” Chase said, mysteriously. He stared at her dad in an oddly intent way. “Can you describe him for me? And the men who attacked you, too.”
“Well, they were about—” Connie's dad began.
“That'll do,” Chase interrupted, his smile reappearing. “Yes, I can find them. Connie, don't worry. Everything's going to be fine.”
“No it won't,” Connie said numbly. She gestured at her dad. “Sammy Smiles wants my plane badly enough to do this. There's no way he'll listen to you.”
“Oh, I think he will,” Chase said, flashing a grin that was rather more feral than usual. “I can be very persuasive.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“Why did I let you talk me into this?” Griff shouted into Chase's ear.
Chase snorted. *You've been sitting behind a desk for too long. You said you wanted to get out into the fresh air.*
“I didn't say I wanted to fall into fresh air!” Griff clung onto Chase's mane for dear life. “Do you have to go so high?”
*High? This isn't high!* He beat his wings harder. *Look, you can still see the boats on the water below.”
Chase felt Griff's weight shift on his back as the dispatcher peered down.
*They're those tiny little specks,* Chase pointed out helpfully.
Griff let out a low moan, burying his face again in Chase's neck. “Oh, this was a bad idea.”
*You're afraid of heights? Really?* Chase let out a whinny of laugher. *You can't be afraid of heights! You're half eagle shifter!*
“And no doubt I wouldn't be afraid of heights,” Griff snarled, his knees squeezing Chase's flanks hard enough to bruise, “if I could actually shift!”
*I've always wondered about that.* Chase curved his neck to look back at Griff thoughtfully. *Maybe you just need proper motivation?*
“Chase, you bastard, don't you daaaaaaare—!”
Griff's last word turned into a drawn-out yell as Chase folded his wings, arrowing down out of the sky. Chase was tempted to do a barrel roll, just to see what other interesting noises the dispatcher might make, but there wasn't time for horsing around. A long, sleek white yacht cut through the waves below, and Chase's pegasus senses told him that their quarry was aboard.
A couple of crew members looked up as he soared overhead, pointing out his black-winged shape to each other. They had to be shifters; no ordinary human could see a mythic shifter who didn't want to be noticed. But unfortunately, Chase's 'don't see me' mind trick didn't work on other shifters, not even those who turned into ordinary animals rather than legendary beasts.
Well, he hadn't counted on having the element of surprise. Chase beat his wings, landing neatly on the raised deck at the rear of the superyacht.
Griff slid off Chase's back. He pushed his wind-swept, tawny hair back from his face, eying the crew members who were rapidly converging on them.
“I hope you know what you're doing, Chase,” he muttered.
Chase shifted back to human form. “Trust me.”
“This is private property,” a uniformed crew member yelled at them. From the man's thick neck and beefy arms, Chase was pretty sure his role on board wasn't just to serve drinks. “You need to leave!”
Chase flashed the thug his most dazzling smile, along with his firefighter badge. As a mythic shifter, his clothes and any small items in his pockets came with him when he shifted, which came in handy for situations like this. “We're here to see Sammy Smiles. Official business.”
The thug paused at the sight of the metal shield. “Uh…”
Chase flipped the leather wallet shut before the man could realize it wasn't actually a police badge. “I suggest you fetch him right away.”
The thug dithered for a moment, then snapped his fingers at a smaller man. “Go get the boss.”
*Well?* Chase sent silently to Griff as the crew member ran off.