«You have good hunches. What do you need me to do?»
«Call Cowgirls.» The managers and bartenders were all wolves. «If Denardo's there, tell them to watch and track him. Lark's driving to my place. If-« his voice cracked for a second, «-if she got out of there all right, and he's not with her, she's fine. I just need to know where she is, where he is.
Hanging up.»
He drove with one hand as he raced onto the freeway. With the other he pulled up Nick's message and attached photo.
It was Kuba, all right, a good frontal shot of the Czech wolf sitting at a table. Another guy at the table sat with his profile to the camera. He couldn't tell for certain, looking at his phone in the dark of his car, but it sure as hell looked like Danny Denardo.
He punched the accelerator and hit speed dial for Lark. It went to voicemail.
«Baby, I told you to call me. Do it now.»
The GPS receiver showed her car headed northwest-the right direction-but who drove it? Was she alone?
He hit redial, got voicemail. «Lark? Where the fuck are you?»
Traffic slowed as he approached Washington and stopped altogether at the Loop, all four lanes locked solid. Self-control slipping, cool melting, his emotions pounded at the door and demanded readmittance. Intellect gave way.
He smelled it, heard it, felt it under his skin. He quit trying to fight it and pulled the car over. Just as well-he'd get there faster on four feet than on four wheels anyway. Let Fast Tow take the car.
He unbuckled and jumped out just in time. Wolves didn't strip and change in public very often, certainly not on the shoulders of major freeways. He'd probably show up in the Chronicle tomorrow, maybe even with a pho…
…shaking his head and howling as the last human thought evaporated, the wolf raced for home and mate.
CHAPTER 7
She watched her rearview mirror all the way from Cowgirls, but no car followed her. Maybe Danny Denardo didn't realize she'd remembered him.
No-surely he smelled her fear. For some reason, he let her get away.
When she saw the cop car in Taran's driveway, she parked under the streetlamp in front of his house. Turning off the engine and resting her head on the steering wheel, she gave in to tears and shakes.
She didn't see anyone outside gawking at the red and blue lights. Taran's house was one of only four on the small cul-de-sac; his neighbors might well all be out on this Friday night.
He'd arrive any minute, crazy with worry or furious at her for not calling. Probably both. She assumed Danny took her cell phone.
She got out and shut the door behind her. Then she looked up and screamed.
Danny Denardo stood in the middle of the street.
The cop-probably a werewolf-yelled, «Ma'am? Ma'am! Get out of the way!»
Too late. Denardo slammed into her, pinning her against the car with his hands on her shoulders.
He looked past her to the cop.
«Put the gun down. Don't touch your radio. I don't want to hurt her.»
«You don't?» she asked tightly. «That's not why you're here?»
Danny stepped back but didn't let go of her shoulders. He trembled as badly as she did. His battered face, sallow beneath the streetlight, wore a miserable expression and his dark, haunted eyes searched hers-looking for what, she didn't know.
«I've never hurt a woman before.»
«You didn't kill Eloise?»
«No. I just told Kuba about her. He did the rest.»
«Why?» She had to keep him talking. The cop could only stand and watch.
«I owed him money. Gambling.» He paused. «I used to be an honorable wolf. I swear to God.»
«I believe you.»
They regarded each other in silence.
«Why'd you let me leave Cowgirls?»
«Was that the first time you remembered me?»
She swallowed, nodded. «Yeah. When I was walking back from the bar, you turned to look at me, and it clicked. You were standing just like that at the table at Le Monde that night.»
«You weren't supposed to remember anything after we put the GHB in your drink.»
«Sorry,» she whispered. «Why'd you do it?»
«Because Eloise was supposed to show up alone. They said if I didn't help get rid of you, they'd kill me. But then I realized you were Taran's cousin, and I met you later, and I liked you, and I like him, and now you're his mate, and…» He closed his eyes and shuddered.
«Did you take my cell phone?»
He laughed humorlessly. «Yeah. You left your purse when you went to pay the tab. You really need to be more careful in bars, Lark.»
«Are you gonna give me the chance, Danny?»
A tear slid down his cheek. «I don't know what to do. Kuba's gonna kill me.»
«Taran's gonna kill you first. You can kill me and the cop, but Taran's on his way and he's not gonna-« «I know. I know!» he agonized. «What do I do?»
«Give yourself up.» She prayed the scent of her fear wouldn't push him over the edge. «The police will protect you.»
«I could get life!»
«Not if you testify against Kuba. He's big. They'll deal for him.»
She waited on a knife's edge of apprehension. Sirens wailed nearby.
He blinked, nodded and stepped back further, releasing her shoulders.
«You're right,» he said dully. «I can't get out of this, and I'm not a killer.»
She heard movement behind her and held up a hand.
«Wait!» she called to the cop. «Don't shoot. He's surrendering.»
Danny put his hands up and smiled sadly. «Thank you,» he mouthed.
She nodded. Together they turned toward the driveway where the cop waited, gun aimed at Danny.
Not only did werewolves run too fast for human eyes to track, they ran too quietly for human ears to hear.
Danny jumped, gasped and vanished from her side. She felt a stroke of fur and rush of wind as a large dark shape sailed through the air and bore Danny with it across the street into the neighbor's yard.
The cop flew after them.
Fangs snapped, flesh ripped. She froze. Then Taran's howls and Danny's screams and the cop's shouts shattered her paralysis.
«Taran! Stop!» She didn't know she could scream like that. Every werewolf in Memorial heard her.
His head came up and swiveled to her. Another cop car and an ambulance streaked around the corner, lighting up the cul-de-sac like a football field. She stared at her love, his wide yellow eyes shining in the headlights, blood dripping from his gaping jaws, his chest heaving.
Their gazes locked.
«Stop,» she whimpered, «please, baby, stop.»
He didn't move, and she didn't take her eyes off him, as a policeman approached from the side.
«Miss,» he said in low, urgent voice, «are you Detective Lloyd's mate?»
She nodded mutely.
«Would you please go to him? We need to get to Officer Denardo, and Detective Lloyd smells very close to loco, ma'am.»
She tried to move, found she couldn't.
«I'm scared.» Her voice sounded strangled. Her heart felt like it, too.
The cop kept his voice low and soothing. «I promise you, ma'am, he won't hurt you. You're the only one who can approach him right now, and we need to get to Denardo before he bleeds out.»
«Danny wanted to surrender,» she whispered wretchedly.
«Yes, ma'am. We can save him, if you'll go to your wolf.»
Her werewolf. He needed his mate.
She wobbled across the cul de sac on shamefully unsteady legs. He didn't move, made no sound as she approached. She stopped a few feet away from Danny's body. Forcing herself not to look, she stared fixedly at Taran instead.
«I'm all right, baby. See? I'm fine.» Tears poured down her face, but she didn't flinch as he crept slowly to her. She'd never been this close to him when he was furry; his back came level with her waist, his head just below her breasts. «I'm sorry I did something stupid and freaked you out. You really love me, don't you?» She held her hand out; he sniffed it uncertainly and leaned into her.