Storm Watch (Woodland Creek) (6 page)

Storm looked pointedly around the cabin. “I don’t see a tree.”

He laughed. “I always cut one down on Christmas Eve. Do you want one sooner?” It was still almost a week until Christmas.

“No. I don’t really want to go out in this,” she admitted. “When do you think it’ll ease up?”

“Forecast was for two days. But, I’m betting the roads take a few more days to be cleared past that. This kind of snow takes a while to clear here.”

“God, I wish this was over,” she said suddenly.

“It will be, Storm. Soon. Eat,” he said gently.

She nodded and managed to finish off the sandwich and washed it down with a large sip of her soda. “You’re bossy. Did anyone ever tell you that?”

He grinned. That was certainly the truth. Both as a SEAL and as a cop, he’d always been in charge. It was in his nature. Not to even consider the fact that he was a tiger shifter. She had a lot to learn about this area. And about him.

Later.

“What’s your point?”

Storm chuckled. “I think I might like that about you.”

“Like the Alpha Male huh?” he teased, grinning when she blushed. Damn, maybe she didn’t have so much to learn after all.

“Maybe.”

“Let’s find out,” he said huskily. He lifted her and carried her to bed.

T
hey spent the next few hours in the warmth of Luke’s bed. He made love to her gently, needing to savor every moment with her. At least the first time.

After the first time, they’d both seemed to have a sense of urgency. He wasn’t entirely sure that this woman wasn’t casting some sort of spell over him. If so, he sure didn’t mind.

He watched her as she slept. Her head was resting on his chest, and she’d curled her arm around his torso. Yeah, he didn’t mind that one little bit.

Part of him wondered if he should slip from the bed and try the phone again. If what she’d said was true—and he was about ninety-nine percent sure it was—then he’d need to let TJ know so he and his officers could be on the lookout. But, if the phone didn’t work, he’d have to go down nearer the road to use his cell.

He decided not to risk it. If she awakened, and found herself alone, he figured she might panic. That was the last thing he wanted to see happen.

At times like this, he regretted leaving the force. It would have been a simple matter to run a few searches in the databases, and to check with his old contacts at the FBI. But, at the same time, he figured he could still use those contacts at least.

Almost as if she’d known he was awake, she lifted her head. “What’s wrong?”

He wondered if she had a bit of telepathy, too. He’d bet his last dollar she had the use or at least control of fire. “Nothing. Just wondering if I should go call my friend and let you sleep a bit.”

“I thought the phones were out?”

He nodded and ran his fingers through her tangled hair. “Yeah, they are, most likely. But, if I jog down to the road, my cell might work.”

“Oh. Are you sure you can call someone that won’t tell Raymond anything?” she asked.

“I’m sure. I’d trust TJ with my life. He’s the police chief here.”

Her eyes widened. “I just realized…I don’t know where ‘here’ even is. I was headed to Indy, but I got lost.”

“We’re in Woodland Creek,” he said. “We’re a pretty small community. A couple of hours from Indy, actually. What’s in Indianapolis?”

“Nothing, really. I just figured if I went west, he’d look for me somewhere else…but if he hired you—from this town—he must know I’ve headed this way,” she said, her brow furrowed.

“It was likely the card you used for gas. I’d guess if he has the connections you think he does, that it would be nothing to check for usage,” he said. “But like I said. I can and will protect you.”

She sat up and pulled the sheet over herself. “But how? I mean, he’s got a lot of people working for him. When he comes, it won’t just be him. He’ll have others with him.”

“And we’ve got a good force of cops here. Believe me, they are not on his payroll.”

She closed her eyes for a long moment. “You’re sure?”

He nodded. Hell, maybe it was time for her to learn a bit more about the town she’d found herself in. There would be no shortage of help in this town. “I’m sure, Storm. You couldn’t have found a safer place.” And just to be sure, he’d contact Mercedes. As her crow, she’d literally have a birds-eye view of the road coming both into town, and to his place.

Samuels wouldn’t know that she’d made it here yet, and he figured he had a bit of time.

She sighed. “Okay. I’m going to trust you.”

He grinned. “That’s smart.”

This time, she chuckled. “Yeah, yeah.”

Oh, it was good to hear that sound from her. Gone was the terrified woman he’d found the night before. He just needed to make sure that he had folks watching. “I should try to go use the phone.”

“Okay.” She climbed from the bed, the sheet still wrapped around herself. “I’ll be ready in a couple of minutes.”

He really wanted the tiger’s senses to check the area. His sense of smell was much better when he shifted. “You can wait here, Storm. I won’t be more than twenty minutes at most. It’s still freezing outside, and you weren’t exactly dressed for the weather.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yup. Stay warm…and keep the fire I started going. I won’t be long.” He climbed from the bed and walked, unselfconscious, to the chair where he’d dropped his clothes.

When he got back, he decided, he’d try to feel her out about the special talents many in the town possessed.

§§§

Five minutes later, and he’d shed his clothes and shifted to his tiger. He wanted to be sure that there was no one around the cabin with a scent that he didn’t recognize.

After a quick run of the perimeter, he was satisfied that the area was clear. He’d put his clothes back on—damn, but it was cold—and was now sitting in the Jeep—with the heater running. He dug out his phone and dialed TJ first. He wanted to let him know what was going on.

“Hey, TJ. It’s Luke Steele,” he said easily when the older man answered. “I have a problem.”

“What’s wrong?” TJ asked, his voice deep.

“Possibly nothing, but I was hired to locate a missing woman. Her name is Storm Reynolds. When I found her—by the way that’s her car on the side of Highway 5—she was damn near frozen solid. I’ve got her at my place.”

“Still waiting for the problem,” TJ said dryly.

“Getting there,” he said and chuckled. “She claims that the man that hired me is a killer.”

There was a pause. “Do you believe her?”

“Yeah, I do,” Luke said. “Have you heard of Raymond Samuels?”

“Sure, who hasn’t? Wait…are you telling me that she’s saying Samuels is a murderer?”

“Yeah, that’s what she says. Apparently, he killed a man right in front of her.”

“Back in New York? Why didn’t she go to the police?” TJ asked.

Luke sighed. “She says that they are on Samuel’s payroll. I didn’t want to take the chance that she was right. I’m guessing you haven’t heard any rumors, then?”

“Well, no, but that’s not surprising, Luke. We’re a small town. It’s not like the feds let us know of any Tom, Dick or Harry they are watching. You know that.”

“Yeah,” he said with a sigh. “But I was hoping. I don’t want to leave her alone too long, and I have no phone service at the house. Can you do a bit of checking for me?” Luke looked at his watch. He’d already been gone nearly twenty minutes. “I need to get back.”

“Of course. But, how will I reach you? I can’t call if your cell is out.”

Damn, he hadn’t thought of that. “It’s okay. I’ll call you back later this afternoon.”

“Be careful, Luke. You don’t carry a badge anymore.”

Didn’t he know it. “I know I don’t. But if someone tries to hurt her—you are going to need body bags.”

“Don’t do anything stupid, Luke. Look, your Jeep has good traction. Why don’t you both come to town? I can put you up for a day or two until the weather clears.”

Luke considered it for a moment. “Let me see what Storm says,” he said.

“Okay. I’ll talk to you or see you in a bit, then.”

“Thanks. Bye, TJ. And be careful. She says this guy is nuts.”

“Always, my friend.”

Luke disconnected the call and pocketed his phone. He had a sudden uneasy feeling, though. Something was wrong.

He put the car in gear and raced back to the house.

§§§

The door was shut when he arrived, but he didn’t need to search the inside to know that the house was empty. He’d have caught her scent if she’d still been in the cabin.

Damn it all to hell, she’d gone out and tried to go on her own. After promising him she’d stay put. He was still cursing as he stripped and shifted. He had to find her, because when the sun went down again, it was going to be a lot colder than it was right now.

A quick glance told him that she’d at least put on one of his coats. She’d be a lot warmer than she’d been in that coat she’d been wearing the night before.

He stood on the porch, as the tiger, and listened, his sharp ears, though, picked up nothing out of the ordinary. Not that he’d really hear someone walking in the snow.

His sense of smell was exceptional when he shifted. He could follow her scent, at least. For a terrifying moment, he wondered if somehow Samuels had found her, but decided that wasn’t likely. He’d have caught the scent when he’d done the perimeter check.

It only took him a few minutes to find the direction of her scent. She’d headed toward the small wooded area behind his cabin. He considered going back for his clothes, but decided against it. He’d find her, make sure she was safe, then go get his clothes. He couldn’t get the Jeep in the area. The trails were too narrow.

But, what she didn’t know, was that the woods likely had animals—and not the typical animals one might see in this part of the country.

Damn it, he should have told her about shifters. If she ran into some shifter, she could be hurt. Not from the shifter—but because she’d likely run and get herself hurt.

He climbed a small rise and spotted her, trudging slowly through the snow. With a sigh of relief, he started to turn back to the house when he heard a shriek.

He didn’t see anything—and didn’t scent anything, either—but still, he bolted toward her. Something had terrified her. He’d deal with her terror at finding herself face-to-face with a white tiger.

Luke stopped in his tracks when he was about two feet from her. The edges of the jacket she wore had started to smolder. With a mental curse, he knocked her to the ground from behind and used his powerful legs and head to put out the smoldering before she burst into flames.

S
torm started to scream at the weight on her back, the fear of the sudden smoldering of the coat forgotten for the moment. “No!” It was impossible. A white
tiger?
She couldn’t take the time to try and figure that out. It could kill her in seconds.

Without conscious thought, she pushed at it, and heard the tiger make a yelp and step back. She looked at her hand and then at the tiger. There was a burn on the white fur near it’s front shoulder.
What the hell was happening to her?