Tiger Time (20 page)

“Relax. They will call when they find something.”

“I hate waiting.”

“I’d never guess.” Felix’s words were laced heavily with sarcasm.

She gave him a look to let him know she wasn’t amused, but he just chuckled. She could hear a faint ring.
What is that? My phone.
She raced to the bedroom, where her purse was, and pulled the cell from it.

“Don’t!” Felix yelled at her.

Not listening, she hit the talk button and put it on speaker. She had a feeling she knew who it was, since the one person that called her was dead. “Hello?”

“You escaped my grasp again, but know this: Ty can’t protect you forever. When I catch you, you will suffer all the more for making me chase you.” The voice came through the speaker phone.

“Then let’s put an end to the games. Where are you?”

“You don’t think I’m that stupid, do you? I know you would bring your guard dogs. But don’t worry, we will meet again and soon.” With that, he hung up. She tossed the phone back in her purse.

“Shit!” Felix stood behind her, growling. “We should have put a trace on your cell, but we never thought he would call it.”

“I’m not sure he’ll call it again but to be safe, do whatever has to be done so we can trace it next time.”

“We should let Ty know.” He reached for his own cell.

“There’s nothing he can do about it. It can wait until he’s finished. He needs to concentrate on what he’s doing. We can’t allow them to be distracted and miss something.”

Felix nodded.

* * *

“He what?” The anger rolling off him nearly buckled her knees.

“Just as she said, he called her cell phone while you were gone,” Felix told him again, helping her to the window seat. “Control your anger. Look at what it’s doing to your mate.”

She could feel him trying, but his anger was out of control. “Come here,” she bit out.

Ty sat beside her, and she wrapped her arms around his body. As they touched, the anger started to subside.

“Her phone should have been set up for us to trace the call.”

“No one thought he would call, but I’ll have it set up right away. Either way, she handled it well. You should be proud of your mate,” Felix explained.

“I am. But I want her safe.” He pulled her into his lap.

She didn’t fight, because she wanted to touch as much of him as possible. “I’m safe. Did you find anything?”

“Connor and some of the guards are going through what we found. There were many letters from his sister and what appears to be a notebook in which he kept records of his contacts with Pierce. I came over here to get you. Pierce must have never considered there would be evidence, or he would have destroyed them.”

“Well, let’s go. I want to see what we can find.”

* * *

After spending hours going through the letters and other things that were recovered from Chris’s cabin, they still had no idea what Pierce’s plans were. They knew where they might be able to find him, different houses and locations that he used in the past; places he preferred, contacts he had, a number of the people in his clan, but still no closer to stopping him.

“Wait, what about this Jessica?” Tabitha asked from her position on the couch as she read through one of the notebooks.

“Jessica?” There was surprise in Connor’s voice.

“You know her?” Ty asked, catching the disbelief in his voice also.

“Not really know her but know
of
her. It’s his sister. She’s human, but she knows about shifters and Pierce’s condition. If anyone would know his plans or where he is, it’s her. She isn’t supportive of his decisions, but still, he confides everything to her. He wants her to accept his life and approve of him.”

“Thomas, see what you can find out about her—location, habits, spouse. I want to know everything you can find.”

“I can help. I’m a master at computers and finding things people want to stay hidden,” Connor stated, somewhat quietly.

Ty didn’t answer right away but looked at Tabitha, who gave a small nod. “Okay. Go with Thomas. If you two find anything, I want to be notified immediately.”

Chris followed Thomas out of the conference room with a look of determination on his face.

“Now the rest of you, I want you to finish going through this stuff. Same thing stands. I want to know if you find anything. Tabitha and I will check in later.” He reached for her hand. “Come on, mate.”

She laid her hand in his, and he smoothly pulled her to her feet. She eyed him uncertainly. He led her out the door, Felix following behind them.

“I want you. You’re my mate, and I’m tired of waiting,” he whispered, nuzzling against her neck.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

They made it to the bedroom in record speed. Tabitha was ready for him. The heat and need vibrated through their bodies.

He slipped his hand under her shirt and pulled it over her head. “Mine.”

She ran her hands through his hair, moving it away from his eyes. She loved to look into his eyes. It was like looking into his soul. There was so much love and compassion there.

“You have too many clothes on.” She pulled at the gun shoulder-holster he wore, sliding it down his arms.

“Too slow.” He jumped out of bed and stripped out of his clothes before she could blink. “Now
you
have too many clothes on.”

She slipped out of her pants. “Better?”

Running his hands over her body, he purred with satisfaction. The heat between them was growing, becoming overwhelming. “We waited too long.”

Beyond words, she let out a hum.

“With the mating heat, if you wait too long, it’s harder to control the beast within. It will be rough.”

“I don’t care. Just take me.”

“I won’t be able to control myself,” Ty snarled, his body tense next to her, letting her know he was trying to control his own beast.

“I love you for who you are. Man, tiger and all. Nothing will change that. Please, Ty, don’t make me beg. I want you.”

Without hesitation, he slid into her core, making her moan with pleasure. He roared, shaking the walls. This time, there was no exploring of each other’s bodies. Their need had full control over them.

Her lips touched his, and a spicy taste drew her in. Their kiss was fast and furious as if matching the pace as he slid in and out of her core.

A moan of desire escaped her lips, and her eyes closed as she soaked in the pleasure that surrounded her.

“Open your eyes, Tabby. I want to watch your desire build.”

She opened her eyes as her body arched. Her lusty needs came forward to match his urgency.

Her nails dug into his back as ecstasy found them. His release was announced with a roar.

He slipped out, rolling to lie next to her, their legs still tangled. She curled into him, her head on his chest, and listened to his heavy breaths. Her leg draped over his as they enjoyed the after-bliss.

“I didn’t realize it before, but our marks come alive when we’re together,” he said, raising his hand so she could see.

The tattoo glowed a faint gold light, as if there were a light bulb beneath the skin.

Interesting.
“Why do you think that is?”

“I don’t know. But it’s fine with me as long as more don’t keep appearing,” he stated with a laugh.

“One is enough for me.”

“Tabby, before you sleep…”

Opening her eyes just a crack, she looked up at him.

“I think Thomas should be the third chosen guard. I know you liked Lance also, but after last night, he isn’t trustworthy. I still need to deal with him running off to be with his mate.”

“I agree about Thomas. We’ll tell him later. Why did Lance go to his mate? Did he think she was in danger?” She ran her hand over his chest, feeling the tight abs under her fingers.

“I wouldn’t be so upset about it if that was why. But that isn’t the case. He was horny. Since it was quiet, he thought he had time to get his needs met without anyone noticing him. He didn’t see Thomas coming as he was sneaking away.”

“What will you do to him?”

“He will be suspended from our guards and required to work the perimeter. He’ll also have to work with a partner to keep an eye on him until we can trust him again. If he screws up, the punishments will be more severe. Or if things would have gotten out of control last night and you were injured, he would have been at fault. I don’t think he realizes that if last night you would have been injured or killed, I could have demanded his death.”

“His death because someone else harmed me?”

“Yes. Guards have the duty to protect their charge, or you, in this case. If they fail, then they will be held accountable. It’s the way of the shifters.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

They were spending so much time in the conference room, it was starting to feel like a second home. Whoever designed the place should have had it connected to Ty’s quarters instead of in a space down the hall. At least the walls were a cheerful yellow, giving a light and airy feel even if there were no windows.

Thomas and Connor sat across from them in the debriefing conference room. Raja and Felix stood close to the door.

“Connor found the sister. It was buried, but Jessica is living in California. She is attending college there for her PhD—you’ll never believe this—for animal psychology.” Ty looked over the notes on Jessica as he debriefed the guards.

“Very good. With any luck, she will be of some assistance to us. We’ll have to get someone go check her out,” Ty said, his hand resting on Tabitha’s leg.

“If possible I would like to assist whoever goes. I have met her and might be able to help. She knew my situation and felt sorry for me. She tried to tell me to get away from Pierce before it was too late. If she is going to open up to anyone, I think I have the best shot,” Connor stated in an unsure voice.

“We will discuss it and let you know. You have been a great asset to us, and we appreciate it. My mate believes you mean us no harm and will not betray us. If you are inclined to stay on, we would gladly provide you with a cabin of your own.”