A Howl for a Highlander (28 page)

“My mom learned that the college lost a lot of money to Silverman, including the grant money they should have paid me for this trip, which meant that I couldn’t afford to be here alone. When Mom grew worried about it, Wendy let it slip that I was rooming with a Highland wolf—male type.”

“And?”

She let her breath out in an exasperated sigh. “My Uncle Ethan is on his way here.”

Hell. Her uncle was bound to get in the way. “The one who called, then. Did you return his call?”

She gave a little snort of laughter. “No. Are you kidding? He’d give me the third degree and come here and kill you anyway.”

Duncan smiled. “He’ll have to get in line.”

“I’m not going to Scotland with your brother, Duncan,” she said, looking back at him. “If nothing else, if I stay here, I might be able to stop my uncle from wanting to kill you.”

“We’ll talk about it later.” He meant to get her on the damned plane no matter what. No sense arguing with her about it right now. “What is your Plan B?”

“Well, it was to email Sal or Carlotta, or both, and let them know that I’m in the picture, but I can’t find an email address for either of them.” She pulled out her cell phone and Sal’s business card. “I guess I’ll just have to call him and see what’s up, even though I really don’t want to talk to him on the phone any longer.”

Duncan frowned at her. “What are you going to say?”

“Not sure until I hear his voice.” She smiled not so innocently.

He wanted to take away her phone privileges and return her to bed instead. Duncan pulled her from the dining room chair before Shelley could make her phone call. He took her to the couch, where he sat down and settled her between his legs, then wrapped his arms around her waist. “Go ahead.”

“Just be nice and quiet while I try to figure out what to say, all right?”

He grunted, which meant he wasn’t buying it. She frowned at him, then punched in the number for Sal’s phone. At first, there was no answer. The answering machine came on. She hesitated, not sure what to say. She wanted to hear what Sal had to say first, and then she’d wing it.

Speaking into an answering machine made her tongue tie in knots. “It’s Shelley. I… guess you’re not in. I’ll… call back later.”

She’d just managed to snap her phone shut and open her mouth to tell Duncan she’d try back later, when the phone rang in her hand. She dropped it in her lap. Heart thudding, she looked at the caller ID and saw it was Sal’s phone number. No name listed.

“Hello?” she said very sweetly, like she hadn’t a clue who was calling her. In truth, until she heard his voice, she wasn’t sure it would be him calling her back.

“Shelley,” Sal said, his voice silky smooth. “To what do I owe the
pleasure
of your call?”

As soon as she heard Sal’s voice, she stiffened with apprehension.

She didn’t care how much he tried to sound like some Casanova. She didn’t find him sexy in the least. Put on? Definitely. “Duncan and I had a visitor in the middle of the night. Was he a friend of yours?”

A long silence passed between them.

Listening in on the conversation, Duncan began massaging Shelley’s shoulders again. She was grateful, trying her damnedest not to moan in ecstasy as he helped ease her tension.

“Only one visitor?” Sal asked warily.

Either he
knew
there were two wolves, which meant he had to have sent them, or he
assumed
they had come as a pair. So which was it? She took another tack. “Duncan was pissed. He said you tried to buy him off to see me, so why did you send a friend to… persuade him to go away?”

“I didn’t know the man who visited you. Is that what Duncan told you the man said?”

She hesitated for less than a second before she responded. “He wouldn’t tell me what the man said. He told me it was best if I didn’t know.” That wasn’t exactly the truth, but since Sal was one of the biggest liars around, she didn’t feel obligated to tell him anything that he didn’t need to know.

“Is Duncan around? Let me talk with him.”

She raised her brows at Duncan. He nodded and held out his hand for the phone. “Yeah, Sal?” He didn’t sound friendly in the least, rather like he was ready to take Sal as he had the other guy. Just one false word or move on Sal’s part and he’d be a goner.

Sal didn’t respond at first, but Shelley figured he’d assumed Duncan had to be nearby when she’d called, particularly after what had happened in the middle of the night. Unless Sal had thought she’d called him privately to see what he knew about the whole ugly affair. Sal’s hesitation to respond to Duncan’s answering the phone surprised her. Maybe Sal was losing some of his bravado around Duncan, now that he knew what the Highland wolf was capable of.

“How many men were there?” Sal asked Duncan.

“Don’t you already know?” Duncan’s voice was dark and growly, threateningly menacing.

Sal had to realize that Duncan was seriously angered.

“I didn’t send the men,” Sal quickly said.

“But you knew there were more than one.”

Shelley was holding her breath until Duncan leaned over and ran his hand over her belly.

“I assumed no one would send only one wolf after you. That whoever had done it would have sent at least two.” Sal was talking faster than he normally did, not cool and collected this time. “So, what happened to the other one?”

“If he’s smart, he’s swimming home,” Duncan said, his voice low and hard.

Shelley smiled up at Duncan. He kissed the tip of her nose and winked.

“Why the hell did you leave the other one’s body in my pool? My…” Sal abruptly stopped speaking.

“Your girlfriend might have seen him?” Duncan prompted with dark humor.

“I sent her away last night on a flight back to Miami. I didn’t send the bastard to your place, all right?”

So, he sent his girlfriend home because he still thought he had a chance with Shelley? But now Sal sounded as though he was running scared. Maybe thinking if Duncan could kill a wolf like that and thought Sal had sent him, Sal could be next. So why wasn’t he packing his bags and leaving? Maybe this was the safest—or had been the safest—place for him to hole up, away from the various agencies that wanted him in prison. Maybe Sal was afraid to make a move for the time being.

Shelley wanted to tell Duncan to ask for the money again, but she didn’t want to be part of the bargain, even if it was a ruse. On the other hand, she was afraid that if they did tell him that he had stolen money from Duncan’s wolf pack, Sal would make a run for it, no matter how afraid he was of the Feds.
They
wouldn’t kill him. Not like the wolves would. He would have to know that.

“So if you didn’t send the bastard to see me, who did?” Duncan asked.

Again, Shelley held her breath, waiting for Sal to tell them that his mate had sent the men. Then he’d have to let them know that he had a mate. Sal had to be thinking that if they learned he was the one who had stolen so much money, that he was
the
Sal Silverman of Miami, they’d realize the danger he would be to the werewolf kind.

Even if Duncan hadn’t been one of the people Sal had stolen from, he was still a wolf, and once a wolf knew of a crime committed by another of this magnitude, the wolf or any other had to take care of the perpetrator as soon as possible. That made her think Sal must have isolated himself from wolves all along.

Sal would have to know the trouble he would be with any wolf pack. He kept quiet.

“If you didn’t send the men, and I can’t imagine anyone else who would do such a thing, who did?” Duncan growled. “Believe me, if I get hold of the other man—and this is one damned small island, considering square footage to hide in—I’ll be sure to find out all the details from him.”

Duncan was letting Sal know that he was vulnerable, despite his guard dogs and bodyguards.

Sal still didn’t speak. Duncan mouthed to Shelley, “Carlotta.” His eyes were nearly black. She knew Duncan was concerned even more now about her own safety.

“Hell,” Sal said. “I’ll take care of it.”

Yeah, he’d take care of the other wolf because he didn’t want Duncan to learn who sent the men. But for once, Shelley smiled. How had the tables turned so quickly that now Sal was on their side, in a manner of speaking?

Not really, of course. Because not only had he ruined so many financially, but Shelley had learned from the news stories that at least four individuals had committed suicide over the losses. Two because they’d lost their jobs with their firms over it. Two because their life savings had been tied up in those funds and they were losing everything they owned. So in essence, he’d committed murder by suicide. Shelley was certain that none of the men would have considered killing themselves if Sal hadn’t brought them to financial ruin.

At least Sal would make every effort to get rid of the other wolf who had come to the villa. She suspected that the wolf was trying to get a boat or plane ride off the island pronto before he was shark bait, too.

“Did you break into my house?” Sal finally asked.

Duncan frowned. “I’m sure you have it heavily secured if you’re worth so much. Your estate is probably filled with priceless treasures. Why would I attempt such a thing? Why would I feel the need?”

Long silence filled the airwaves. Shelley wondered what had happened. She mouthed back to Duncan, “Carlotta?”

Duncan said silently, “Possibly.” He turned his attention to Sal. “What was stolen?”

Again, an unfathomable silence. Then Sal cleared his throat. “Were you at the airport anytime last night?”

He’d evaded Duncan’s question, which made Shelley wonder what was missing at his estate. But the airport question really threw her.

Duncan raised his brows at Shelley’s surprised look. “Why would I have been at the airport? I was taking care of wolves who threatened me and my own. After that, I returned to Shelley and stayed with her the rest of the night, if it’s any of your concern.”

Sal swore under his breath.

“What happened at the airport?” Duncan asked, sounding more curiously amused than concerned.

Chapter 16

Shelley wondered what could have gone down that had Sal worried about Duncan breaking into his estate. Sal didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes after Duncan’s question about what trouble might have occurred at the airport, which made her wonder what had happened there, too.

Sal finally said, “All right, listen. I want you to know I had nothing to do with the two wolves that came to your place. As far as Shelley goes, she’s yours, beyond a doubt. But I’m going to need some protection. Do you have any training in that? Beyond what I’ve seen you can do as a wolf to a man?”

Duncan and Shelley’s startled gazes met.
Protection?
What had happened?

“Protection?” Duncan asked, his voice betraying his surprise.

Duncan couldn’t offer to protect the bastard. Not when Sal owed so many millions in stolen funds. Sal had to disappear after that—permanently. He’d caused deaths. It wasn’t just a matter of stealing money from wealthy folks. He had ruined people and led some to commit suicide. The bastard had lived like a king off their money without any remorse whatsoever. More than that, once the Feds caught up to him, he’d go to prison. There was no escaping that eventuality.

Moreover, she didn’t think Duncan could promise to keep him safe, then go back on his word. Not as honorable as he seemed to be.

What if Duncan asked for his clan’s money again? What if Sal agreed to pay it? Then Duncan would feel obligated to protect the bastard.

From what or whom, though? Carlotta? Or was he thinking Duncan could protect him from the Feds? Had the government learned he was here?

No, she thought, it was someone else. One pissed-off mate, a woman scorned. Had she heard about Shelley and now planned to feed her mate to the wolves? If she had to get rid of her mate, Carlotta would no doubt keep trying to eliminate Shelley also, perhaps being angry at her for having to kill her mate.

“Three of my bodyguards have gone missing. I have no idea what happened to them. None of them have taken a flight out of here. They were just… gone this morning when I walked out to the pool and found the dead man floating face down in the water.” Sal sounded tired and anxious.

“I called for my bodyguards. No one came. My guard dogs were all gone, too. Vanished. My private plane is gone. Hell, I need protection. I know we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot with each other, but after you took on the two men, well, you’re not one to piss off. So I’m willing to pay good money…”

Shelley and Duncan exchanged dark looks.

“…to ensure that I don’t meet with an untimely death,” Sal quickly finished.

“Who would want to eliminate you, and for what reason?” Duncan asked coolly.

“It’s none of your damned concern. The woman is yours. I won’t even hazard a glance in her direction. I need a damned reliable bodyguard and am willing to pay top dollar, depending on your worth. You’d be in my employ. My reasons for anything I do are my concern, not yours.”