Coming Up Aces (The Hounds of Zeus MC #9)

Chapter Three

Rayna

When Seth finally picked Rayna up from Providence, the first thing she did was ask about his wife and kids. Vanessa was Rayna’s best friend and had been for years. Only after he assured her they were all good did Rayna tell him what she’d found at Haven. It wasn’t anything they didn’t already know. What she didn’t tell him was that Talbert was dead.

“What took you so long?” Before Seth could answer, Rayna eyed the exit leading home, which he passed. “You missed my exit.”

“I know. I’m taking you to Delia’s.”

“Delia’s? Why?” Delia was Seth’s sister. Rayna had hung out with the woman, her husband, Joseph, and their two kids several times over the years. Her house was a good thirty minutes away from Rayna’s.

Seth let out a deep breath. “Because David Spencer was released after you went undercover. According to Hanson, Deputy Director Grissom and someone at the GIA made a deal.”

“What kind of deal? And released to whom?”

“That’s above my paygrade, but I’m assuming he’s in GIA custody.”

“Then why are you taking me to Delia’s?”

“After he sent you to Haven, Hanson stopped allowing anyone else into the interrogation room. When I tried to access the recordings, I was told they were locked down for security purposes.”

“And you think what?”

“I think it’s possible Hanson and Spencer are working together. Call it a gut feeling, but until I know for certain, I don’t think you should come in. There was no good reason for you to go undercover, Ray. I think Hanson did it to get you out of the way.”

“And what about you? Why aren’t you hiding?”

“As far as the higher ups know, I’m being a good little sheep. Between cases, I’ve been trying to find out if the GIA really made a deal, or if Hanson let Spencer go free. So far, I’ve hit nothing but dead ends. I’ve also been watching the Hounds, and there’s nothing about them that indicates they’re bad people.”

Rayna thought back to what she’d seen and overheard at Haven. She was still on the fence, but for now, she was giving them the benefit of the doubt.

“I told you that before I went to Haven.”

Seth scrubbed a hand down his face. “I needed to see it for myself. You know how convincing Spencer was.” He gestured toward the house. “Delia and Joseph took the kids on vacation to Disney and the beach, so you’ll have the house to yourself for the next two weeks. I stopped by your place and packed a couple of bags so you’d at least have your own clothes and toiletries. That’s why I was late. I also put a burner phone in your laptop bag along with some cash and one of my credit cards so you don’t have to use yours. Until we know what’s going on, I don’t think you should use your phone or computer. Not yet anyway. If you need to go somewhere, take Delia’s car. I need you safe, Ray.”

“Yeah, well, I need you safe too.”

“Hanson sent an inner office memo stating he would be out of town a few days, so at least I have a reprieve from him watching my every move.”

“That’s even more reason I should come back to the office. I can help you while he’s gone.”

“No,” Seth barked. Rayna moved as far back as her seatbelt allowed, and he shook his head. “I’m sorry. Just do this for me. Stay at Delia’s and keep your head down. I’ll keep you posted if I find out anything.”

“Fine.”

When he pulled in the driveway, Seth didn’t get out. Rayna didn’t blame him considering the late hour. Instead, he handed over the house keys and gave her the security code. Rayna thanked him as she grabbed her bags from the back seat. Seth waited until she was safely inside before backing out of the driveway.

Rayna reset the alarm, then dropped her laptop bag on the sofa. It was odd being in someone else’s home, even if she had met them. She took her duffel and suit bag, searching the house for a spare bedroom, finding one upstairs. She hung the garment bag over the closet door and unzipped the duffel. Rayna removed the toiletries and went across the hall to wash her face and brush her teeth. When done, she changed out of the pajama-like clothes of Haven into a T-shirt. She climbed under the covers and wanted to cry. Damn, but she’d missed a regular mattress. If she never went undercover again, it would be too soon. Instead of falling asleep quickly, her mind spun with questions about David Spencer, the GIA, and her boss. Her dreams were filled with random images of Ace. Rayna’s dreams were never cohesive, so that wasn’t unusual.

Even though it was late when she went to bed, the next morning, Rayna was up before the sun, being used to starting early at Haven. She made a pot of coffee, then showered and dressed in cutoff shorts and a tee. It felt odd yet comforting to once again wear her normal clothes, even if they were a little tight from not working out over the last few months. She grabbed the burner phone and Seth’s credit card, taking both to the kitchen. She poured a cup of coffee, then rummaged through Delia’s kitchen for breakfast food. There wasn’t a lot in the fridge, but that made sense, considering the family was out of town for two weeks. Rayna did find a box of cereal, so she opened the package and munched on the fruity gems while making a list of groceries she would need for the next few days, which consisted mainly of frozen meals since her skills in the kitchen were worse than lacking.

Rayna took the box of cereal and her coffee to the living room. She placed her mug on the end table, located the controller, and turned the TV on. She had missed having access to electronics. No phone, no scrolling the internet, no movies, no music. Since she wasn’t going into the office, Rayna planned to take a full day to lounge in her shorts and binge some of the shows she’d missed while at Haven.

She wanted to boot up her laptop and do some snooping, but that would alert the higher ups that she was no longer where they thought she was. Her Cheetah was restless, but she couldn’t let the animal out. She’d noticed more than one camera throughout the house, and she had no idea if Delia would check it while Rayna was there. She cursed her boss for not being able to go home. Her place was small, but it was her sanctuary.

After binging several hours of a program about firefighters, Rayna’s stomach rumbled. First, she ordered a cheeseburger with all the fixings, French fries, and a strawberry shake from her favorite fast-food place. Then she found the local grocery store app and ordered the items on her list. The food arrived within half an hour, and she relished the meal, dunking her fries in the shake instead of ketchup. With a full belly, Rayna went back to the sofa and watched a couple more episodes. By then, the groceries were delivered.

Rayna put them away, but instead of going back to the sofa, she found a blanket and headed outside. There was plenty of daylight left, so she spread the blanket on the ground and lay down, letting the sun’s rays warm her skin. She remained outside until it was dark, then she went inside and popped a frozen meal in the microwave. Once it was ready, she ate it on the sofa while watching more mindless television. All in all, it was a good day.

The next morning, Rayna took her coffee out to the covered patio. The backyard boasted tall trees, flowering plants, and the kids’ play fort. Birds were singing, and several dogs barked somewhere in the distance. Rayna’s Cheetah bristled, and she looked around. Using her Cat’s superior eyesight, she studied her surroundings. The only thing out of the ordinary was a large eagle in the top of a neighbor’s pine tree. It was stunning with its white wings. She’d never heard of such a creature. Could it be an albino? Was that even a thing? The bird didn’t move. It stared at the ground below, most likely searching for its next meal. When her cup was empty, Rayna rose to go inside for a refill and breakfast. As she did, she took one more glance at the magnificent creature, but it was no longer there.

Rayna had purchased some breakfast scramble kits, so she opened one, cracked an egg in the bowl, stirred it around, then popped it in the microwave. It wasn’t gourmet, but she still savored the food. It had been months since she’d eaten anything besides oatmeal and toast for breakfast. That in itself was reason enough to hate her boss. After downing her food, she poured another cup of coffee and took it to the sofa to binge another one of her shows.

Instead of focusing on the fantasy featuring a hot mage, Rayna’s thoughts went back to the brooding biker with spiked hair and hooded green eyes. That led to thoughts of her last night at Haven and where Glory killed Talbert, and Sutton convinced the congregation of things happening differently than reality. What the hell was she going to tell Seth? She’d managed to avoid his question of how she’d gotten away, but she knew her friend. He wouldn’t be satisfied with not knowing everything. Rayna wanted to help him find Spencer, but she couldn’t do that hiding at Delia’s. Rhiannon needed to know her father was possibly no longer in custody.

Before going undercover, Rayna spent hours studying the Hounds. She mainly focused on the Lazlos since Ryker, the oldest son, was Rhiannon’s boyfriend as well as the President of the MC. Rhiannon had been several months pregnant, so by now, she would have given birth. Instead of calling and having Ryker ignore the unknown number, Rayna decided to visit their house and inform Rhiannon that her father was possibly loose. Rayna cleaned up her breakfast trash and washed her mug, then made her way to the guest room and changed into one of her pantsuits. Just because she was hiding from her boss didn’t mean she wasn’t still an agent. Hopefully, that fact would give her some leeway with the biker when she went to speak to his female.

Rayna checked her firearm before sliding it into the holster beneath her arm. She was putting on her coat when her Cat bristled. Rayna eased down the stairs, pulling her weapon as she went. She hit the bottom stair just as the doorbell rang. She padded on silent feet to the front door and looked out the long window beside it. “What the hell?” The male standing on the front porch was delectable in jeans that hugged his legs and a tight black tee that accentuated his build. It was his eyes, though, that Rayna had dreamed about.

Rayna holstered the gun, punched in the alarm code, undid the locks, and opened the door. “Good morning, Ace.”

“Hello, Melinda. May I come in?”

Her Cheetah purred, but Rayna ignored it. “May I ask how you found me?”

“I followed you when you left Providence. I wanted to come by and see how you are now that you’re no longer at Haven.”

Rayna glanced past his shoulder but didn’t see a vehicle. Her skin prickled. “I appreciate your concern, but as you can see, I’m fine. Now if you’ll excuse me...” Rayna pushed the door only to have it blocked by Ace’s hand against it.

“You should let me in so we can talk about why you’re dressed like an agent of some sort.” The air shifted with Ace’s voice. Was he trying that voodoo Sutton used? She didn’t want him to know it didn’t work on her, so she stepped back, holding the door for him. As he walked past her into the living room, her Cheetah purred again.

Mate.

Rayna closed the door and followed the male, ignoring her beast once again. If Ace was her mate, they would get there. Eventually. She gestured to the sofa. “Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you.” Ace lounged on the sofa, and Rayna stood far enough away so that she could get to her weapon if he turned out to be dangerous.

“I am curious about your attire. If you are some type of agent, that means you were possibly undercover at Haven. I think we could help one another by sharing information.”

“What type of information would that be? The type that tells a government agent what really happened to Josiah Talbert? Are you willing to share the truth, Mister…?”

“Asher McMurray, and yes, I’ll tell you the truth if you promise to do the same with me.”

Asher. What a fabulous name.

Ignoring her Cat, Rayna asked, “So?”

“Why don’t you go first?”

Rayna knew a diversion when she heard one, so she admitted, “I overheard Ripley and Glory talking in the loft after she killed Josiah.”

“Fuck,” he muttered as he scrubbed at his face. “Are you going to arrest Glory?”

“No.” Rayna sat in one of the overstuffed chairs, crossed her legs, and propped her elbows on the chair arms. “Josiah Talbert was an evil man, and from where I’m sitting, the world is better off without him. But I am in a pickle, Asher. What Sutton told the congregation happened and reality are two different things, yet I can tell my boss neither. I also can’t explain what Ripley’s mother was doing in the loft as I didn’t see her, but from what I overheard? It sounded as though she took out Thomas. And then her mate had to take her clothes to her.” Rayna arched a brow and waited to see if he would confirm her suspicions.

“What do you mean what Sutton told the congregation and reality are different?”

“Come on, Asher. You were there. Sutton told Haven that one of the guards killed Josiah and that Thomas ran away. We both know that’s nowhere near the truth. I thought it odd how everyone went along with his words, then I realized he was voicing them.”

His eyes narrowed. “Voicing?”

“Isn’t that what the Hounds call it when they’re manipulating others?”

Asher’s eyebrows rose. “How do you know that?” His face was so expressive. Rayna usually enjoyed making those she interrogated uncomfortable, but she felt bad doing it to this male. Not that she was interrogating him per se.

“I wouldn’t be a very good agent if I weren’t aware of all the players and what they’re capable of,” she hedged.

“True, but I’m curious as to where you learned the term.”

“Ripley used it when he and Glory were talking in the loft, and for the record, it doesn’t work on me.”

“Shit. I apologize for trying to do so earlier, but I didn’t think you would let me in to speak with you otherwise.”

Rayna waved off his apology. “No harm done.”

“I need you to keep that information to yourself.” The air rippled again, and Rayna kept her face impassive, waiting. Asher thunked his head against the sofa and stared at the ceiling. When he returned his gaze to hers, he swallowed hard. “Melinda—”

“Rayna. My name is Rayna Bellamy.”

“Oh, that’s a beautiful name.”

“Thank you. And don’t worry. I won’t spill the Hounds’ secrets. Speaking of secrets, I’m assuming the Hounds, at least some of them, are different if they have mates, and before you deny it, I’ll admit I’m also different.”

Asher leaned forward, propping his forearms on his thighs. “That explains it.”

“Explains what exactly?”

“Why you sniffed the air when Glory introduced you. It was subtle, but I noticed.”

Rayna studied the male her Cat was so interested in. Since King Cheetahs were rare, it made sense they wouldn’t have to find another of their kind to mate with. Rayna’s grandfather had been a regular Cheetah, and her father was human. He and her mother never secured their bond. They met while Rayna’s mother, Colette, was filming a movie in Italy. Colette was more interested in her career than having a mate or a child, so she never informed the man he was going to be a father. She said it was because he was human and couldn’t know the truth about them, but it still hurt Rayna’s heart that she didn’t know him. Hell, Rayna didn’t even know his name. Colette left Rayna with her grandmother while she continued seeking fame as an actress.

“When you borrowed Branson’s phone, he overheard you use the term Sir, and that sent up a red flag. Since you know the truth, you can understand why we wanted to find out who you were speaking with. Again, I’m curious as to why you were undercover at Haven.”

So polite, and Rayna was enamored. She was more interested in what he was than discussing Haven. “Are you dodging the elephant, Asher? How about I go first? I’m a King Cheetah.”

“Oh, wow. That’s a new one.”

“Are you some other type of cat?”

“Not exactly. I’m a Gryphon. Half eagle, half lion. If I choose to do so, I can shift into either animal separately. Zeus called his Gryphons hounds , thus the name of our MC.”

“Zeus, huh? I was raised to worship a goddess. Does that bother you?”

“It doesn’t. The wolves I know also worship the goddess, as does Rhiannon. I’m assuming you’ve heard of her since Sutton mentioned her during his speech?”

“Wolves…” Rayna bit her bottom lip. Gryphons and wolves and cheetahs. What other types of shifters were there? Getting back on task, she said, “Yes, I’m aware of who she is. Rhiannon is the reason I went undercover. When her father was taken into custody, David Spencer vowed his innocence. Said he took Rhiannon to keep her safe from the Hounds.”

“Yeah, that’s what he told her, but she didn’t believe him. If he wanted to keep her safe, he would have never taken her to Haven where…” Ace snapped his mouth closed.

“I thought we agreed to share the truth?” Rayna urged.

“It’s not that simple. Let’s just say Rhi is special and leave it at that. What I can tell you is Spencer is a dangerous man, and with his stepfather being the leader of The Ministry, he—”

“His stepfather?” How had she not known that? Spencer left out that bit of information during their talks.

“Yes, Abraham Goodman married David’s mother, Ruth. After Rhi’s mother died, David took Rhi to Haven instead of Oasis to keep her away from them, but Josiah Talbert used Rhi for his own gain, and David did nothing to stop it. The man put tracking chips in his young daughter, for Zeus’s sake.”

“That’s appalling.” If the man could do that, he could have lied about the Hounds being mercenaries. Rayna had to tread carefully.

“It is. It allowed James, one of the men from Haven, to track Rhi when she escaped. James was the man Josiah had promised Rhi to even though she didn’t want to be his wife. Whatever else Spencer claimed, I can assure you the Hounds are honorable, Rayna. We were created to do good, and while there have been a few Gryphons who turned from our ways, the majority are decent, and we do what we can to make the world a better place.”

Rayna slid her elbows back and tapped her fingers against the chair arm. Making the world a better place could include taking out the trash. There had been times Rayna wanted to put a bullet between someone’s eyes when there wasn’t enough evidence against them, or they walked on a technicality and went back to their heinous ways. Maybe being a mercenary wasn’t such a bad thing.

Asher continued, “David Spencer provided crates of guns to Haven. He used his computer skills to invest their money while hiding their involvement with governments.”

“How do you know that?”

Asher sat back and propped an ankle on the opposite knee. “When James found Rhi, we were able to subdue him. We questioned him about the tracker as well as David’s position within Haven.”

“And you’re certain he was telling the truth?”

Asher rubbed the back of his neck. When she angled her head waiting, he dropped his hand. “Yes. We, uh…”

“You voiced him.”

“We did,” Asher admitted.

“I’ve sat in on the interviews with Spencer. He’s very convincing.”

Asher scowled. “Most sociopaths are.”

“On that, we can agree. Why do you think Spencer is convinced Rhiannon isn’t safe with the Hounds?”

Asher toyed with a loose thread on the cuff of his jeans. “Rhi lived at the cult for years, so she would know they aren’t the God-fearing community they claim to be. She knew they raised the boys to be soldiers. On top of that, she has knowledge of who her father truly is, and if she shared that with the Hounds, we could expose him for the liar he is. It isn’t that Rhi’s not safe; it’s David’s fear of her talking.” Asher narrowed his eyes. “I’m confused, though. Why were you sent undercover inside Haven? You said it was because of Rhi, but she hasn’t been there for almost a year and neither has David.”

Rayna didn’t have a plausible answer. She’d wondered that herself when her boss insisted her time was better spent inside the compound gathering intel on David from the cult members and Talbert than looking into the Hounds.

“That’s a good question, one I asked myself several times. My boss said he wanted intel on David from the members. What he didn’t realize is that I wouldn’t be allowed to talk to anyone who had that information.”

“How is that possible? From what I understand, the FBI has been looking to take down The Ministry ever since they claimed responsibility for the apocalypse. Surely in the last thirty plus years, they have garnered knowledge of the inner workings of the cult. Rayna, are you sure you can trust your boss?”