On to the barn full of horses that needed to be worked. Time to focus. Luke already had Bubbles all saddled up, so I led her out to the ring. Like Bruce, she had a registered name, Seaswept Ladyhawke, but she also blew bubbles in her water bucket so her nickname stuck. In the center of the ring I tightened the cinch a little more and flipped the reins up over her head. She’d only been ridden a few times, but she was a good-hearted mare. I was still careful with her, but so far she’d been pretty eager to learn.
With my left boot in the stirrup, I stroked her neck. “Ready, Bub?”
She seemed steady, so I grabbed the front and back of the saddle and pulled myself up, swinging my right leg over to the other side. I slid my foot into the stirrup and adjusted the reins. With a little click of my tongue, Bubbles stepped forward and we worked as a team practicing turns and moving her through her gaits.
I smiled, stroking her mane as we loped along the rail of the ring. Riding horses brought me peace like nothing else. Having an animal nature myself, we shared an unspoken communication. The horses trusted me and usually tried everything I asked of them. Rarely did any of them give me any trouble.
Not like Lana. I smirked. She definitely excelled at trouble. It seemed to follow her around like a puppy.
I rode Bubbles back to the barn and slid down from the saddle. Luke grabbed the reins and walked her back toward the crossties to pull the saddle off and cool her out. Once I found a chair in a shady spot, I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Lana’s number.
No answer. Frowning, I left a voicemail. She was probably just in the shower, I told myself. But rationalizations or not, my animal instincts were on alert. I needed to hear her voice and know she was safe. But before I could race over to her hotel to check on her, Aren pulled up.
And he didn’t look happy.
Chapter Thirteen
Lana
My PI contact in Dallas had assured me he’d call a few people he knew in San Antonio and hook me up with someone who had a Children and Family Services background. Waiting for my phone to ring, though, knowing Gabe’s killer was out there looking for me, made me tense and claustrophobic. Especially since I knew he was the only one who really could give me the answers I needed.
If he really could track my scent, he’d find my new hotel eventually. If he found me there, alone in my room, even with pepper spray, I would be vulnerable. If I lured him out, instead, I’d have the home field advantage. I’d see him coming. No surprises. It seemed like a no brainer.
I wandered around the casino for most of the morning, staying in very public places where kids ran by every few seconds begging their moms and dads for “just five more dollars.”
He finally entered by the slot machines. His dark eyes caught mine, his jaw set. I made a beeline to the restaurant and sat at a table near the buffet. He couldn’t kill me in the middle of a busy restaurant, and with casino security guards hovering around the exits, he wouldn’t be able to carry me out without my consent. And I wasn’t consenting to anything but talking.
Besides, he hadn’t really tried to hurt me. Not yet anyway.
We both watched my cell phone ring and then stop. “If I don’t call him back, he’ll come looking for me.” I reached for my cell phone in my purse, but creepy cat man stretched across the table in the restaurant and caught my wrist before I could grab it.
He flashed me a slick smile. “Your wolf is no match for me, Little One.”
“My name is Lana, so you can drop the gross pet name.”
He released my wrist. “I don’t have time for name games. Your scent is all over this casino. You brought me here. I know this was not an accident.”
“I want information.”
“I will take you back to the Organization, and they can give you all the information you require.”
“Why don’t you start by telling me who the Organization is?”
“So now we play twenty questions? I don’t think so.” He grabbed my upper arm, hard, and started to tug me out of the booth. Using my free hand, I smacked him hard across the face. It felt like everyone in the buffet dining room froze and turned to look at us.
“Let go of me, or I start screaming,” I whispered.
He nodded and let go of my arm.
“I’m okay,” I said to the gawkers. “Sorry about that.”
Creepy cat man didn’t look as okay. My handprint rose up in red across his face. His eyes narrowed. I may have taken this meeting further than I should have. My plan hadn’t been to get physical. I only wanted to ask him some questions. I clung to my theory that he couldn’t murder me in front of witnesses.
Now I just needed to get him to talk. “Look, I’m not going anywhere with you, but I am willing to talk.” I let my back rest against the booth, hoping I looked more confident and relaxed than I felt. My thumb toyed with the bump of the pepper spray canister in the pocket of my jeans. “Why don’t we swap information?”
“Because I don’t need information from you.”
“Then what exactly do you need me for?”
He wet his lips with a menacing glare. “In case Cyrus and his team failed in their mission, I was sent to find you and bring you back. Nothing more.”
“Why would anyone want to kidnap me?”
“Not kidnap.” The corner of his mouth quirked up into a crooked smile. “Retrieve.”
“You can’t retrieve something that was never yours to begin with.”
He seemed to ponder that for a moment. “You puzzle me. You do not know the Organization?”
“No. The Nero Organization is nowhere to be found.”
This made him grin. “Ahh, so you do know something.”
I hadn’t wanted to be right about Nero, but I was. I tried not to let him see the red warning lights going off in my head and rolled my eyes. “Why are they so secretive?”
“We are elite, not secretive.” He crossed his arms. “You should be honored they are welcoming you back.”
“You don’t get it. I’ve never been there. I don’t know who they are, and I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He frowned slightly. “You are lying.”
“No I’m not.” I leaned in closer to him, lowering my voice. “I only lured you here to find out why you were stalking me. If I was from your Organization, wouldn’t I already know?”
“Perhaps.”
“Are there other…people like us in the Nero Organization?”
He nodded, but seemed like he was miles away.
I sighed. “Can you at least tell me your name?”
He stood up from the table and stared down at me. “You can call me Sebastian.”
“You’re leaving?” I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. Why was my stalker running away from me? Not that I was complaining, but nothing was making sense.
“Yes, we are finished for now.” He met my eyes with a chilling stare. “Stay away from the wolves, Lana. They are killers.”
“No different from you.”
He raised a brow. “I was after you. The wolf was in my way.”
“Then why did you dump him at the lake?” Then it dawned on me. “You knew I wasn’t alone.”
He raised a brow. “It would be difficult not to notice a filthy wolf scent while I tracked yours.”
Did he see Adam or just smell him? “You wanted me to be blamed for that.”
“I wanted you away from the wolf.”
“He knew I didn’t kill Gabe.”
“His pack does not.”
With that, Sebastian was gone.
I was surprised how quickly he disappeared into the crowd. I pulled out my cell phone and called Adam back, but it rang and went to voicemail. Strange. He’d just called me a few minutes ago. I left a message, polished off my iced tea, and headed back up to my room.