“We could sit on the bench seat farther along the path,” she suggested.
“Good plan.We’ll sit and listen.”
They’d barely sat when masculine voices drifted closer.Liam cocked his head, listening intently, and she did the same.
“This is a waste of time,” one man grumbled.
“He’s paying us, so we’ll follow instructions.”
Another asked, “Do you really think a leopard is loose around here, or are we chasing ghosts?”
Three men.
Only two had come to their door.
“It’s them,” Liam whispered in her ear.
Then, louder: “Hello.”
The men fell silent, then appeared on the path seconds later.Two black-haired men with beards and a squat, bald man.
“What are you doing here?”the squat man asked.
His demand irritated Sienna.“How is that your business?”
“I’m the one asking the questions,” he shot back.
Sienna glared as he shone a torch in her face.
“We live with family and wanted privacy since we’re newlyweds,” Liam said, showing more patience.“I’m sure you can understand our need to be alone.”
The man released a coarse laugh.Sienna bristled inside but maintained a smile and fluttered her eyelashes.“Are you boys patrolling all night looking for the beast?Staying awake must be tough.”
“We’re getting paid,” one bearded man said.“Money makes it easier.”
Sienna frowned.“How do you search in the dark?Isn’t the beast meant to be black?”
“We have special gear,” he said.“Including night-vision goggles.If the beast exists, we’ll find it.”
“Plus, we have coffee to keep us awake.”The squat man patted his hip where a slimline flask poked from his jeans pocket.
“Wow.”Sienna giggled, feeling Liam’s hand tighten on her hip.He stayed quiet, so she focused on what info they could gather.Jago and Liam had to avoid the hunters.
“It sounds like lots of lost sleep.”
One bearded man shrugged.“I’ll keep going for as long as I get paid.Beats working at the local cannery factory.”
Exactly what Sienna feared—the time these men were willing to invest.Did they truly suspect shifters in the area, or were they chasing rumors?Staying hidden wasn’t easy in the modern world, and accidents happened, especially with younger shifters.
What worried Sienna more was the hunters’ capture of her father or brothers.Fear rippled through her belly, a sudden cold chill bringing a shiver.
“Thank you for checking on us,” Liam said, “but as you can see, we’re fine.”
“Some of the men are jumpy, so it’s probably best to skip the romantic walks for now,” the squat man said.It didn’t sound like a suggestion.
Their presence would make her family’s life difficult, and getting the products to the market would require extra effort.Her shoulders slumped, and she burrowed closer to Liam.His arm tightened around her, his quick squeeze giving her a shot of encouragement.But at least a month of this.Their backer must have deep pockets.
The men called goodbye and moved purposefully along the track.Sienna waited until their footsteps faded.
