Chapter 15
ELAINEawoke in a start when she heard the creak of the cabin door.
Cloaked in darkness, Connor entered. “It’s just me.”
“Hey, you.” She took a second to get her bearings. The digital display on the TV told her it was past midnight. She’d fallen asleep watching a movie in the living room but must have turned out the lights before she drifted off. The infomercial on the TV hurt her eyes with its brightness, so she grabbed the remote and turned the TV off.
Connor removed his jacket, kicked off his shoes, and walked toward the end table. “Mind if I turn on the light?”
“Go ahead.”
The light illuminated his face from below, making the hollows of his face more pronounced.
He and the others had been searching for Royal Hill for about a week now but hadn’t found any sign of the man. Connor had been going out after work every night for a few hours. His schedule was taking a toll, mostly because she knew how disheartened he was.
“Come here.”
Connor sat next to her on the couch and enfolded her in a bear hug. With his face against her neck, his nose buried in her hair, he lowered her to the couch. She lay down, and he snuggled in next to her.
She didn’t say anything for a while and just combed her fingers through his hair. She thought he might fall asleep that way and was sort of hoping he would, just to give him some rest. It didn’t work. Although he may have been worn out, Connor remained alert. From out of her periphery vision, she spied the dark orbs of his eyes.
“Nothing yet?”
“Nothing good. They turned over Hill’s taxidermy shop. The only things in there were stuffed animals. No paperwork. No credit card receipts. No computer. A few of us have tried to catch his scent as it leads away from the shop, but it never goes far. This is a man who knows how to clean up after himself. He doesn’t even show up on a Google search. We don’t even know if Royal Hill is his real name. It’s as if he popped up out of nowhere, paid cash for everything, and left.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe he has left for good.”
Connor pulled away so he could look at her. “Based on what you know of shifter nature, do you really believe that?”
She tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “No.”
“Exactly.” He cradled her skull and held her head against his chest, kissing her on the forehead. “The man has built an organ trafficking empire. There’s no way he’s leaving it behind. He stands to lose too much money. He might have found a place to lay low, but he hasn’t gone away.”
She knew it. Every shiver down her spine told her so. Everywhere Elaine went she felt eyes on her. It was likely just the eyes of her friends and the shifter police officers assigned to island surveillance, but the feeling was still unsettling.
“Elaine.” Connor held her a little tighter. “Tomorrow, I want to move you and the kids into one of the suites at the lodge.”
She extricated herself from his arms and sat up. “But the cabin is our home.”
He sat up as well. “It’ll still be your home. I’m just talking about a temporary arrangement until we locate Hill. Here, you’re too isolated. I would feel better going on patrol if I knew you were at the lodge, surrounded by others.”
“I know. I just hate the idea of you out there all alone, looking for Hill.”
“I’m not alone. I’m with Drew’s officers. You know that. And several of the guys from the Ursa have been joining us. Jani’s been coming out every night with me. He’s a good tracker, plus I think he may just get off on this shit.”
“I want to come with you.”
“Sweetheart, I can’t ask you to do that.”
At least he was talking about asking her. It was a change from the sputtering macho man whose veins almost popped the last time she suggested wanting to take part. “I get it, Connor, and I wouldn’t feel right leaving the kids with someone else every night. I just want to do more. I don’t like waiting at home, feeling helpless. I’ve been there, and I don’t want to feel that way again.”
“I know, and I promise to involve you as much as I can. Drew’s in charge of this investigation. I’m sure there are things he hasn’t shared with me yet either.” Connor rubbed his hand along her thigh. “Look, I don’t have a shift tomorrow morning. I’ll help move you and the kids into the lodge. We’ll make it an adventure for them.”
“They’d like that.”
“Then it’s settled. After we’ve moved your things, you and I can talk to Drew. How does that sound?”
“Good, thanks, but…what about you? Where will you stay?”
