Abandoned and Unseen (Branded Packs #2)(55)

“That’s it?” she asked with blatant suspicion. “You aren’t going to argue?”

He held her gaze as if willing her to accept the sincerity of his words.

“Only you can decide how this is going to play out,” he told her. “I’m just going along to provide the muscle.”

Another layer of the ice that had coated her heart since Bowe’s death melted. This male possessed a unique ability to strip away the defenses that she’d built with such painstaking care.

Still, she ignored the hand he continued to hold out.

She wasn’t losing another person she loved.

“No.”

He blinked in confusion. “No?”

She folded her arms over her chest, preparing for a fight. “You’re not going.”

Tucker moved forward. He didn’t have the smooth prowl of a feline. Or even the grace of a wolf. Instead, he plowed straight toward her, his bear glowing in his eyes.

“I’m fairly certain that I didn’t hear you right.”

She wasn’t a submissive, but it took every ounce of her willpower not to cringe beneath the force of his overwhelming presence.

“You’re a part of the Unseen,” she managed to mutter between stiff lips.

His nose flared. “That’s not a newsflash.”

“You can’t be caught with a shifter,” she continued. Did she really have to spell it out? It seemed she did, as he simply glared at her with smoldering anger. “You’ll put your entire Pack at risk.”

“It’s my decision.”

She rolled her eyes. She didn’t have much experience with bears, but she didn’t think they were all so aggravating.

Were they?

“You’re not thinking clearly,” she informed him.

A humorless smile stretched his lips. “I’m freshly mated. I’m not supposed to be thinking clearly.”

“Tucker-”

He pressed a finger to her lips, halting her protest. “We both go. Or neither of us.” He leaned down, his expression hard with an unmistakable warning. “Decide.”

Shit. He was serious.

If she didn’t agree to let him go with her, then he wasn’t going to give her the information she so desperately craved. Hell. She didn’t doubt he would lock her in this cabin if she didn’t give in.

She made a sound of annoyance. “Bossy bear.”

****

Tucker pulled the nondescript mid-size car to a halt on the corner of the quiet street. Broomfield was a suburb close to Boulder, with streets that were lined with brick homes, neatly trimmed yards, and family cars parked in the driveways.

Not the sort of place he would expect to find a ruthless killer. But then again, that could be the point. If the SAU wanted to keep the guard from being found, then what better place to hide him?

However, the info that’d been put in the file may have been a deliberate trick for anyone searching for information on the ruthless murderer. He and Nicole could easily be walking into a trap.

Seated beside him, Nicole sent him a frown. “Why are you stopping?”

He nodded to the small house that was nearly hidden behind a wooden fence.

“Viker’s home is at the end of the street,” he murmured, muttering a curse as she shoved her car door open. Reaching out, he grasped her arm. “Nicole.”

She scowled, her teeth gritted. Nothing unusual. She’d been scowling and gritting her teeth since he refused to allow her to run off without him.

“Do you sense something?” she demanded.

“Not yet,” he admitted, his gaze moving over the neighborhood that was drenched in the late morning sunlight. “But I’m not going to charge in until we know exactly what we’re getting into.”

She gave a grudging nod. She might be frustrated with him, but she wasn’t stupid.

“You want me to do a search?” she asked.

“Yes, but first we watch,” he decided.

He could feel her studying his profile. “Watch for what?”

His gaze continued to skim from one house to another. “Security cameras. Local cops. Suspicious traffic. Every neighborhood has its own pulse.”

He settled back in the seat that wasn’t created for a man his size. Of course, he’d spent enough time on stakeouts to know that even the most comfortable seat became cramped and lumpy over time.

The only plus this time was the sweet scent of Nicole that teased at his senses, reminding him of the long hours of pleasure they’d shared in his bed.

They settled in to watch the humans go about their business. Most houses were empty since the occupants had already left for work, but there were a few mothers with younger kids at home. There were also delivery trucks, a postal carrier, and a construction crew that was replacing the roof on a garage.

“What happened after your father died?” Nicole abruptly broke the silence.

“My mother raised me near the North Pole.”

She gave a startled laugh. “Like Santa Claus?”

“Yep.” He turned his head to witness her rare smile, his bear savoring the knowledge that he’d earned such an elusive gift. “It was brutally cold, so I spent most of my time as a bear until Sinclair traveled through the area and recruited me to join his Pack.”

“Why did you join him?”