The Shifter's Conspiracy (Paranormal BBW Werewolf Romance Novella) (11 page)

“And you think there’s a connection?” asked Dr. Geiss.

“Yes. I think it’s quite obvious in fact. This is pretty clear evidence that the mob is in some way affiliated with these kidnappings. I don’t know the details, but there’s something here and I mean to find out what that is.”

I smiled to myself. I liked seeing him in control. But I was also happy to be a part of this. I had been the one who’d made the connection, after all. It felt good to be part of the progress. With any luck, we’d soon be on our way to solving the case and putting the criminals behind it in prison. I looked forward to hearing Elias’s plan with great anticipation.

Early that afternoon, Elias and I left to go question the owner of 41X. That was the story, anyway. As soon as we got into his car, Elias turned to me and let me know what was actually happening.

“Tess, we’re going back to my hotel room. We’re going to plan the operation from there. I’m sorry to put you through this; I know you don’t feel comfortable keeping this from the others. But it has to be this way, at least for now.”

“It’s OK, I understand,” I said, looking back at him, doing my best to show my allegiance and my sincerity.

“Thank you. I appreciate your help on this,” said Elias.

“So, what exactly is the plan then?” I asked.

I still had no idea what Elias’s mind was up to in this regard. In a lot of ways, I felt that I was almost as much in the dark as Dr. Geiss and Agent Henderson.

“Tess, before I tell you. I just want you to be prepared. What I have in mind is going to require a lot from you.”

“Like what?”

Elias looked over at me, choosing his next words carefully. Just when he was about to speak I saw him hesitate and look out the window.

“We’ll talk about it back at the hotel,” he said gruffly, as he looked away from me.

We spent the remainder of the ride in silence. I wondered to myself what Elias could possibly have planned that had him so obviously shaken—that had him dreading the act of even telling me the details of the operation. He wanted these abductions to stop at all costs; did that mean that we’d be putting ourselves in danger? It had to be something pretty extreme if he wasn’t telling the rest of the task force.

By the time we got to the hotel, I’d worked up the scheme so much in my own head that I was practically shaking; my hand trembled as I reached to open the door of the car and get out. Just as I was about to, a valet pulled it open for me and helped me out onto the curb.

I followed Elias through the hotel lobby and into the elevator. Finally, he spoke for the first time since we’d gotten into the car.

“We’ll order room service. We’re going to be working up here for the next few hours.”

“OK,” I said.

He still wasn’t telling me anything just yet and it only increased my nervousness. How could something like room service matter at a time like this?

Like the car ride, the rest of our time in the elevator was draped in silence. I was starting to wonder just how much I trusted Elias. What exactly did I even know about him? Not that much when I came to think of it. I had a lot of respect for him, but that didn’t change the fact that he was basically a mystery to me, someone beyond comprehension.

And yet, despite my misgivings, there was something about him that required my unquestioning allegiance. I would do whatever he asked, perhaps against my better judgment. I was bound by something, some supernatural force—or perhaps just my own unspoken desire.

Elias didn’t know how to tell Tess that within the next few hours she would be risking her life. Normally, he was very articulate, but right now words escaped him. Was it perhaps his own misgivings? No, he knew this was what had to be done. Besides, he would be watching over her, protecting her every second. But he needed her trust, and despite his attempts to read her thoughts, he wasn’t quite sure how she would ultimately react to his scheme. He decided it was best to wait until they reached the hotel room.

He looked over at her now as the elevator ascended the many floors up to his room, a nice little suite up on the eleventh floor. It was a comfortable room, perfect for a romantic getaway. It was a shame they weren’t here under better circumstances, he thought.

He could sense fear in Tess. It wasn’t surprising. She didn’t know what her future entailed, and yet she was here, ready to be of service to both himself and the case. She’d already proven to him her intelligence and cunning. It was she, after all, who’d made the connection between Arturo’s and 41X, the very connection that had formed the basis of the operation to follow. So yes, she had the cunning. But did she have the courage to complete the task he’d set in store for her? Elias thought so, but he knew that time could only tell.

The elevator doors opened and Elias realized he only had a few more minutes to collect his thoughts. He needed Tess to be completely onboard for the operation to work. The sooner they put their plan into action, the sooner the disappearances would stop. Elias didn’t even want to consider the possibility of another girl going missing.

I sat on one of the beds in the hotel suite. With the receiver of the phone nestled next to my ear, I dialed the front desk of the hotel. It was a little after lunchtime and I was ordering for the both of us. Elias was on his cell phone on the balcony, providing an update to Dr. Geiss and Agent Henderson. An update on
what
? Nothing had happened yet. And as far as they knew, we were out interviewing people at 41X, which was obviously not in line with the reality of things.

I sighed as I waited for someone to take my order. How did I feel about this? I didn’t know. Part of me was excited, realizing I was about to be part of something big. But beside this intrigue was fear, a sense of the extreme danger to come. Elias hadn’t told me any specifics, but the tone of this voice, his utter solemnness and seeming unwillingness to describe the operation in any detail had set me on edge.

But these emotions were what I felt around Elias more generally. I was always excited to be near him, but also scared. There was something dark in him, some hidden secret that I could only barely formulate, something that reached into the very depths of his being. Did others feel like this when they were around him? I didn’t know. Maybe my mind was just playing tricks on me. But no, there was definitely something different about him, something that warranted my fear and reserve.

I was lost in thought when I heard a voice on the other end of the phone.

“Ma’am? Ma’am? Are you there? Is anyone there? Hello?”

“Yes, yes. I’m sorry. Um… I’d like to order room service for room eleven-sixteen.”

“Yes, ma’am. What would you like?”

I looked down at the menu. My mind had been sidetracked by Elias, so I hadn’t even thought about what I was going to order. Elias hadn’t said anything to me either. Quickly, I scanned the menu and picked out the first few items that looked good to me.

“I’ll have a turkey club with a side salad,” I said, pausing slightly, debating what Elias would want.

“OK.”

“And can I get the Gruyère cheeseburger and French fries?”

“Yes, ma’am. Of course. Any drinks? We have a variety of liquors, liqueurs, wines, champagnes…”

I smirked to myself. A drink was exactly what I needed right now to calm my nerves. Too bad we had an operation to plan.

“No, no thank you. Can you bring us a few bottles of water? Maybe some coffee and sodas, too,” I said politely.

“Yes, ma’am. We should be up within 45 minutes.”

“Great, thank you.”

As I got off the phone, Elias came back into the room from the balcony.

“Did you order?”

“Yeah, I got you some kind of cheeseburger. I hope that’s OK,” I said politely, almost deferentially.

I was nervous about what was to come. I wished he’d just come out and say it so I could judge his plan on its own merits.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Let’s eat, then I’ll let you know what I’m thinking,” said Elias.

“OK.”

He came and sat down next to me on the bed and took my hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. He looked deeply into my eyes. For a split second, the thought crossed my mind that he was about to kiss me. But clearly I’d misread the situation based on his next words.

“It’s going to be risky, Tess. But I think it will be worth it.”

After we ate, Elias gave me that serious look again, that one that let me know he was finally going to reveal his plan to me.

“We’re going to 41X tonight,” said Elias.

“And? That’s the master plan, interview the owner and the bartenders? I thought you said they wouldn’t allow us to look around without a warrant.”

“They won’t. That’s why we’re going undercover.”

“So we’re just going to the club? I don’t get what you think that’s going to accomplish.”

“We’re going to see if we can draw them into making a move.”

“And how do we do that?”

“Well, you’ll go in and deliberately try to attract their attention.”

“How, exactly, am I supposed to do that?”

“Just order a drink at the bar. Hang around awhile, chat with people. If my hypothesis is correct, and these guys are behind the abductions, you should get their attention pretty quickly.”

“But how does that help us? How will we get any evidence?”

“I’ll be watching the whole time, documenting the interaction. And… you’ll be wearing a wire of course,” said Elias, a slight grimace coming across his face, as if it pained him to even ask for my help in this aspect.

“So you want me to string them along, hoping they’ll do something incriminating.”

“Yes,” replied Elias.

“You’re using me as bait,” I said bluntly. “Don’t sugar-coat it for me.”

Elias looked away for a second, seemingly unsure of how to answer me.

“I’d never let anything happen to you, Tess. I’ll be watching the whole time.”

“Are you using me as bait?” I asked again, wanting a straight-forward answer.

“Tess, if we don’t do this, more girls could be abducted. You’re free to back out, no one is forcing you to do this. But until these guys are behind bars, no woman in this city is safe, and that includes you.”