“Brat,” Major whispered.
Tabitha turned and walked backwards. “But I’m your brat.” Major stopped, and Tabitha held her breath. Was he going to deny her?
“Damn straight.”
Relieved, she asked, “Why’d you stop?”
“So that I don’t grab you and take you somewhere no one can hear you scream.”
Tabitha stumbled a step. Gods what this male did to her. She blew him a kiss, turned, and jogged toward the house before she said screw the job. Once inside, she opened her senses to figure out where everyone was. Trista and Craig were still in the living room, but she didn’t hear Daniel. Instead of intruding on Trista and Craig, Tabitha headed downstairs to set up an area for Trista and her to spar later.
The basement ran the length of the front of the house. Since it was set underground, the only windows were narrow slits. Surprisingly, the lights were already on. Whispered words carried through the space, and Tabitha froze. Being a Goyle, she could slow her heart rate and moderate her breathing to the point that it appeared she wasn’t alive. Not that she did it often, or ever really, but all their kind were taught how to do it asa defense mechanism.
“You have to figure this out. Now,” Daniel whisper-yelled. “I don’t give a fuck how much it costs. You have three days. Fuck,” he added a few seconds later.
When Tabitha entered the room, he rounded on her. “What are you doing down here?” The man had acted squirrely from day one. Maybe that was his normal demeanor, or he could be hiding something. Her money was on the latter.
“Setting up a space where Trista and I can spar later.”
“Where is Major? Is he upstairs with Craig?”
“He’s outside patrolling the area.”
“Oh. Well, that’s… that’s good.”
Tabitha looked around, searching for yoga mats or something else to use as a cushion. The move Trista wanted to practice involved flipping her opponent. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard from the detective?”
“No, but they were in touch with the studio, not me. Shouldn’t you be upstairs since Major’s outside?”
“The alarm is set, and no one else has the new code. I assure you, Major and I will keep both Trista and Craig safe.”
“Fine.” Daniel kept his eyes averted as he stalked past her and up the stairs.
Tabitha found a couple of yoga mats in a closet and placed them in the middle of the floor after moving the poker table off to the side of the room. With that done, she texted Nikita and asked her to hack Daniel’s phone, then she made her way upstairs and stopped in the kitchen for a can of flavored water. After popping the top, she took a sip, then headed toward the living room. Standing in the doorway, Tabitha kept one ear on theactors while also listening in on Daniel. Craig called for a break just as the alarm beeped. Tabitha expected Major, but it was Perry returning from the store. Noticing the way he shook, she asked, “Are you okay?”
“No. I think I was followed.”
Chapter 5
It was a goodthing installing the cameras didn’t take much thought, since Major’s mind was firmly fixated on the stunning redhead inside the house and the kiss they shared earlier. Tabitha was the complete package when it came to females, and he was ready to claim her as his. He confided in his dad about spending the weekend with her, and Maveryck congratulated him on finding a good one. Many years ago, when the Gryphons and Gargoyles were working together to rescue Major’s cousin Lily, Maveryck had encountered Tabitha’s mom, Tessa, and he had been captivated with the badass Gargoyle. She, however, was already mated to Gregor Stone.
It wasn’t long after that when Mav had met Lolly. Hearing the stories of how his dad, uncles, and a lot of Hounds met their significant others, Major wondered if trouble was part and parcel of finding one’s mate. It was the same with most of the Gargoyles. They couldn’t simply run into one another at a coffee shop or bar and feel the zing, then live happily ever after. With Tabby, their relationship had begun easily. At least Major was hopeful this was the beginning of a lifetime together. He couldn’t imagine any other female being his mate. The only issue he saw was the distance between their homes. Marshall suggested Major move to Atlanta. Major didn’twant to leave his brother and sisters behind, but he also didn’t want to miss out on being with Tabby full time, if he was her fated mate. Maybe this was their hardship, since it seemed most couples had them in the beginning.
He had just finished placing the last camera when a car drove onto the property. He made his way toward the house as Perry rushed inside, sans groceries. Major entered through the patio doors, and when he got to the kitchen, Perry was pacing.
“What makes you think you were followed?” Tabitha asked, letting Major know what the problem was.
“When I left the parking lot, a car pulled out right behind me, and it made all the same turns I did. Since I’m not familiar with the area, I couldn’t drive around to make sure I wasn’t being followed, so I stuck to the route on the GPS. They kept going once I pulled into the neighborhood. Should we call the detective?”
Tabitha twisted the bracelets on her arm. It was something she did when she was thinking. “Not yet. Besides those of us here, who was told Craig and Trista were moving? I thought this location was to be kept secret.”
Perry leaned against the island, wiping his forehead. “The six of us and the representative from the studio who booked the rental.”
“Don’t forget Marilyn,” Tabitha said.
Trista slashed a hand through the air. “Marilyn is family. She would never compromise my safety.”
“What kind of car was it? Could you see who was driving?” Major asked, clocking Craig and Daniel hovering outside the kitchen.
