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

Chapter Five

Rayna

If Rayna weren’t both a shifter and a trained agent, she would never have agreed to stay at Asher’s, even if her Cheetah thought they were mates, but what better way to judge his character than to live in the same house? So far, the male had been charming and kind. And honest. He apologized for trying to voice her, and she hadn’t felt the odd sensation since she admitted the compulsion didn’t work on her. Spencer hadn’t been wrong about some of the MC being mercenaries, but if Asher had been truthful about the things David did to Rhiannon? Rayna would trust a merc any day over someone who put tracking chips in his child, then dragged her off to live in a cult.

She unzipped her duffel first. Removing her firearm, Rayna placed it on the nightstand, then put her casual clothes and underwear in the new-looking dresser. She hid the burner phone Seth gave her underneath her shirts. Until she knew without a doubt she could trust Asher, she wasn’t going to tip her hand that she had another way to contact Seth. Her suits she hung in the closet. Then she took her toiletries across the hall to the bathroom. She was pleasantly surprised at how clean his place was. For a bachelor’s home, it was charming, decorated in soft blues interspersed with beige and gray. Rayna had expected something different for a biker, which went to show you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, no matter how sexy said cover was.

Asher stating he was demisexual was an even bigger surprise. Not that he was demi but that he admitted it after such a short time. If her instincts weren’t misleading her, Asher was decent and caring. Even before going through training, Rayna considered herself a good judge of character. If she had been wrong about her boss, was she also wrong about Asher? She didn’t think so, and neither did her animal. Rayna’s Cheetah certainly thought he was the shit, and she wanted to come out and play with Asher’s Lion. It had been months since she’d been able to let her other half free, so now that she was unpacked, she planned to ask if he minded. She found him in the kitchen where a burner phone sat on the island.

“Here you are.” Asher pushed the phone across the tiled counter, and Rayna closed the distance to take it. “Fresh out of the package,” he added.

“Thanks.” She set it down on the counter and twirled it. “Should we go see Rhiannon?”

“I’ve already called Ryker and warned him. And throwing this out there, I also told him about you. Since you planned on going to their house, I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“No. That’s fine, as long as they know I’m on their side.”

“I assured them you were.”

Rayna picked the burner up, giving her hands something to hold onto. She was nervous, but with some prodding from her Cat, she asked, “Would you mind if I shifted? It’s been months, and my Cheetah is itching to come out.”

“I don’t mind at all. As a matter of fact, my Lion wants to meet her, if that’s okay?”

Rayna grinned. “That’s perfect. I’ll just go…” She thumbed over her shoulder toward the bedroom. She wasn’t going to get naked in front of the male. She wasn’t ashamed of her body, but she didn’t want to seem too forward. Not after what he shared about his sexuality.

“Me too. It’s unfair the dire wolves can shift with their clothes on.”

“I’ve never heard of them.”

“I hadn’t either until one of the Hounds mated with one. They’re bigger than regular wolf shifters. Anyway, I’ll meet you in the living room? I need to close all the blinds before we shift.”

Rayna agreed, then retreated to her room to undress. She had to leave the door cracked so she’d be able to get out, so she waited until Asher walked past to get to his bedroom. As soon as she was in her fur, her Cheetah purred. They padded down the hall to the living room and waited. When Asher’s Lion prowled toward her, her Cheetah rolled onto her back like a hussy. Since it considered Asher her mate, it made sense her Cat would show her belly.

Asher’s Lion chuffed and shook its large mane. He closed the distance and stretched out next to her. Both she and her Cat were smitten with the majestic animal. Rayna wondered what her mother would have done if she’d met another shifter instead of a human. Would she have mated the male? Or would she have tossed him aside the same way she did Rayna’s father?

Rayna didn’t date often. It had been over a year since she’d gone to dinner with someone, and there had been no spark, so she didn’t accept the second invite. She saw no use in dating for dating’s sake. Unlike her mother, Rayna wanted a mate. Someone to share her life with the way her grandparents had. As she spent the morning with Asher in their fur, she let her imagination run free. What if she weren’t an agent who worked long hours? What if she and Asher hit it off and she moved into his house permanently? Rayna could be patient, becoming friends first, then lovers later. It had been years since she had sex with anyone, so waiting wasn’t a problem. Rayna mentally rolled her eyes. Who was she kidding? The male was gorgeous, and she was nothing special. Just because he was nice and offered her a safe place to stay didn’t mean he was interested in her. He had to get to know someone before becoming romantically involved, and Rayna had nothing to offer. She had no hobbies outside knitting and watching TV. She couldn’t cook. Her looks were okay, and she was stubborn.

Her Cheetah rolled over and stood, then padded around the living room. It had been forever since she’d been able to let the animal outside to run. Maybe Asher knew of somewhere they could go to do so. Since they couldn’t communicate in their fur, Rayna returned to the guest room, nudged the door closed, and shifted back. By the time she was dressed and walked down the hall, Asher was waiting for her in the kitchen where he was sipping a beer.

“Would you like something to drink? I have beer, soda, juice, and white wine. Oh, and all kinds of liquor in the den.”

“Isn’t it a little early for the hard stuff?” she joked.

“We’re shifters. Unless your metabolism is different than mine…”

“I was just giving you a hard time. I’d love a beer.”

Asher set his bottle down and retrieved one for her. After popping the top, he handed it over.

Rayna took a long pull, and after swallowing, let out an ahh . She’d missed drinking whatever she wanted. “Thanks, and thank you for letting me shift.”

“No problem. Feel free to shift anytime you feel like it. It’s easier for me since I can take to my Eagle and fly.”

Something about that niggled at Rayna’s mind. “Your Eagle wouldn’t have white wings, would it?”

Asher rubbed the back of his neck, a sweet blush rising on his cheeks. “Uh, yes?”

Rayna grinned at him. “That was you in the tree watching me, wasn’t it?”

“Sorry if that was creepy.” He picked up his beer and took a swig.

“Not creepy. Beautiful. Do all Hounds have white wings?”

“No. We can call on one of the elements, and the wind is mine, thus the white in my feathers. Fire Gryphons have red wings, water Gryphons blue, and earth Gryphons have yellow or gold, depending on how old they are. We can also change the size of our bird to suit our needs.”

“How big is your Gryphon?” Rayna couldn’t wait to see the magical beast.

“Around eight feet. I should have shown you while we were both shifted. Next time I will, if you’d like to see him.”

“Definitely. Now, don’t you need to go check on Haven?” When Asher looked like he was going to protest, she raised her hand. “Asher, please. You’re already going out of your way by letting me hide out here. I promise I’ll be fine, hanging out, binge-watching television. I have several shows I need to catch up on.” That would also allow her time to snoop.

Asher leaned his butt against the cabinet and crossed his arms over his chest. Rayna was drawn to the many tattoos on his arms, hands, and even his neck. Maybe one day, she would get to study the one on his chest hidden by his shirt. When he didn’t say anything, she realized he was watching her checking him out. Instead of apologizing, she asked, “What do you say?” She arched a brow, waiting.

“I say you’re stubborn. And I’ll go, but not until tomorrow. Sutton already said to wait. That gives us time for you to tell me what you like to eat.”

“You don’t have to make anything special. I already said I’m not picky, and I meant it.”

“I have to cook for myself, so it might as well be things you like. If you had to choose one food to eat the rest of your life, what would it be?”

“Cereal. The fruity kind, not the bran flakes with raisins. Blech.” Rayna stuck her tongue out, and Asher chuckled.

“With or without milk?”

“Both. If I eat it for breakfast, with. If I have it as a snack, straight from the box. When I was a teenager, I’d grab a box of fruity loops and a two-liter grape soda, and that was my snack of choice while watching movies in my room. Drove my Gran crazy, but she kept the pantry stocked, indulging my addiction. Do you not have a guilty pleasure?”

Asher pushed off the cabinet and beckoned her to follow. When he opened the pantry door, he stepped back. Inside were all varieties of cheese snacks. “The fish are my favorite,” he admitted. He then pointed to the top shelf where several boxes of fruity cereal were lined up.

“Yes!” Rayna pumped a fist. “We’re going to get along just fine.”

Ace frowned. “I’m still cooking for you.”

“And I’ll eat whatever you make.” They returned to the island and picked up their beers. “At Haven, we didn’t have meat often, but when we did, it was usually venison.”

Asher retook his spot against the counter. “Yeah, Glory told us how she was the one who had to skin the deer once the hunters brought them in. What was your job at Haven?”

“Helping in the kitchen. Not cooking, mind you, but washing and cutting vegetables, then cleaning the dining room after everyone ate. At night, I knitted blankets to be sold at the market.”

“Is that something you enjoy? Knitting?”

“It is. My grandmother taught me when I was young, and we would sit together and knit while watching TV.”

“Do you still see her?”

Rayna downed the rest of her beer and looked around for the bin. “Do you recycle?”

“Yes. The bin is in the pantry next to the garbage can. You were too busy ogling the cereal to notice,” Asher joked.

Rayna grinned at him. How could she not? She took her bottle to the pantry. When she returned, a fresh beer was on the island. “I don’t see Gran as much as I would like since she lives in Arizona now, but I talk to her on the phone at least once a week. Or I did until I went undercover. I had to tell her about the assignment and how I wouldn’t be able to call for a while.”

“Too bad you can’t do one of those DNA kits to find your father.”

Rayna climbed on one of the stools and twirled the bottle between her hands. “I wouldn’t even if it were possible. I don’t want to disrupt his life, whatever that looks like. He’s probably married with other kids.”

“And you wouldn’t want to meet your siblings?”

“I don’t want to disrupt their lives either. It’s not like I have free time on my hands to get to know them, if they’d even want that. Then there’s the whole thing with my mother and who she is. Vanessa and Seth, and now you, are the only people aside from Gran and me who know that Colette Bellamy is Francesca Ormond. As far as the world knows, she’s single with no children. She loves the limelight, but she’s always managed to keep up that falsehood.”

Asher tipped his head to the side, studying her. “Does it bother you that she doesn’t claim you publicly?”

“It did when I was younger, but I’m used to it now. As far as I’m concerned, Fern Bellamy is my mother.”

Asher’s phone rang. He dug it out of his back pocket, studied the screen, then answered, “Go ahead, Bishop.” Rayna used her shifter hearing to listen in.

“I’ve got an update on Fredrick Hanson. Up until four months ago, it appears the man was squeaky clean. Then a large sum of money was deposited into an offshore bank account in his name. Henry Palamo is the one who uncovered the money. I’m good, but Henry is better. Speaking of Rhi’s father, Henry set up an algorithm to alert him if Spencer is seen on any CCTV cameras. So far, nothing.”

“Can Henry link the money to Spencer?”

“Not yet, but he’s working on it. I’ve already called Ryot. I’ll keep you posted with anything else we uncover.”

“Thanks, Brother.” Asher disconnected and tossed the phone on the island.

“Who’s Henry?” Rayna asked, not caring if he knew she had eavesdropped.

“He’s a Gargoyle down in New Atlanta. Lucy, the female I mentioned who used to work for the GIA, is mated to Tamian St. Claire who is also a Gargoyle, tying the families together.”

Rayna couldn’t imagine what a Gargoyle would even look like. “How many types of shifters are there?”

“No clue, honestly. We know of four now that I’ve met you, but there could be any number.”

Rayna tried to wrap her head around the fact that there were all types of creatures in the world interacting with humans daily. How many had she met and didn’t realize it? “If Lucy’s a Gryphon and her mate’s a Gargoyle, what will their children be?”

Asher thought about it, and when he found the answer, he was grinning. “Total badasses.”

Chapter Six

Ace

Ace did his best to put on a happy face thinking of Lucy being pregnant, the same as he did when he was around the twins or Daisy and Patrick. He understood what females meant when they said their biological clock was ticking. He’d admitted as much to Ripley’s mom, Regina, and she reminded him he could always foster kids or adopt. Ace had taken their talk to heart, and what no one knew, not even Regina or Ripley, was that Ace had begun looking into adoption. He had so much love to give, and while he’d prefer to have a biological child, he could adopt until that happened. If it happened. He’d all but given up on finding a mate.

“Are you okay?” Rayna asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

“I am, but I’m also hungry. I skipped breakfast.” Ace moved to the refrigerator to see what he could pull together quickly. “How do you feel about chicken gnocchi?”

“If you tell me you use sundried tomatoes, I’ll be your best friend for life.”

“Then consider me your BFF,” Ace joked. As he gathered the ingredients, Rayna stood close and watched as he prepared their lunch.

Rayna sighed. “I need to tell Seth about Hanson. Since I’m hiding, he can be our eyes in the field.”

“He needs to be careful. Men like that will do anything to protect themselves. Just look at how far Josiah was willing to go. He either had plastic surgery or found a talented artist to create some type of prosthetic.” It reminded Ace of the masks the Gargoyles used.

“What do you mean?”

While Ace diced the chicken breasts, he explained, “Josiah changed his looks and called himself Jacob. After losing Rhi and David, Abraham was done with Josiah and told the guards to shoot him on sight. I’m not sure if Josiah thought getting Rhiannon back to Haven would return him to Abraham’s good graces or if he was just a narcissist who felt he was above it all.”

“What’s so special about Rhiannon?”

Ace sauteed the diced onions in the oil from the tomatoes, then added the chicken and spices. He stirred as he considered telling Rayna the truth.

“Asher, you can trust me. Glory was willing to kill Josiah to keep him from getting his hands on Rhiannon. I’ve never met the female, but I do know she has a baby, so that alone is enough for me to want to protect her. Children are precious, and there’s no way I could sit by while David or Abraham try to abduct her again.”

Ace added the gnocchi and some chicken broth, stirring it all together. He covered the pot to let it simmer. His beast urged him to trust the female, so he admitted, “Rhi has a gift. I’m not sure exactly how it works, but she explains it as channeling energy into something or someone to heal them. Josiah found out about her gift and exploited it. Those trackers that David implanted were more than locaters. When they were activated, Rhi would become semi-conscious. Josiah recruited humans with life-threatening diseases, promising he could heal them in exchange for their money. He would activate the chip in Rhi, then have her use her gift to heal the person, only she didn’t remember doing so. She would wake up having lost chunks of time. With David and Rhi gone, Josiah lost his income generators. He couldn’t control David, but he thought he could control Rhi. Rhi’s grandmother knows about her gift, therefore Abraham does as well.”

“And David said he wanted to protect Rhi? Bullshit.”

“Rhi’s grandmother wasn’t kind to her or her mother, saying since they were pagan, they were of the devil, but we both know how the men in The Ministry feel about women having an opinion. Josiah, and now Abraham, didn’t care where Rhi’s gift came from, only how they can use it.” Ace removed the lid, added the tomatoes, spinach, some heavy cream, and parmesan cheese. He stirred it all together, letting the sauce thicken. He opened one of the cabinets and removed two bowls. Rayna gathered forks, and when she opened the refrigerator, she asked if he wanted another beer. He did, so she grabbed him a bottle but chose a soda for herself. She took them to the island instead of to the table. Ace dished up the food and took the bowls to where she was sitting. He climbed on the stool next to hers and waited for her opinion.

Rayna blew across the food on her fork, and when she took the first bite, she moaned indecently. “So good,” she mumbled around a mouthful. After swallowing, she asked, “How did you learn to cook like this?”

“My dad did most of the cooking at home since my mom was like you and could burn toast no matter what the setting was. He taught me when I lived at home, and after he passed, I watched online videos. I also made some adlib meals where I threw whatever in a pot to see if it worked.”

“I would ask you to teach me, but my grandmother tried. For whatever reason, I just don’t get it.”

Ace stabbed a dumpling on his fork. “We all have our strengths and weaknesses. You’re smart, but that doesn’t mean you’re capable of everything. You’re proficient with a gun, and I’ve never used one. You can knit, but I wouldn’t have the patience to work on something long enough to make a blanket or sweater. I have no doubt there are plenty of things you’re good at, so don’t worry about your lack of skills in the kitchen.”

“Why do you think I’m smart?” she asked, scooping up a bite of tomatoes, spinach, and chicken. He noticed she ate the gnocchi separately.

“I doubt the FBI recruits uneducated agents.”

Rayna grinned. “I don’t know. I’ve met some agents who don’t seem to have their shit together.”

Ace smiled back. They dug into their meal, eating in companionable silence. Rayna washed the pot after Ace put the leftovers in the fridge. It should have been awkward, having this stranger in his home, but it wasn’t, and that scared Ace. It had been too long since he’d had someone else in his space. His last relationship, if he could call it that, had been several years ago. He had resigned himself to being single, thus the decision to start the adoption process on his own. Rayna mentioned children being precious, and he couldn’t agree more. He’d bought his house with kids in mind. It had three bedrooms besides the master and a big, fenced-in backyard with shade trees. Granted, it didn’t offer privacy for a shifter child, but he had enough money to buy some land the way Ripley had.

Instead of letting the melancholy take over, he plastered on a smile and asked Rayna if she wanted to watch TV.

“What did you have in mind?” she asked, drying her hands on a towel.

“You mentioned there were shows you wanted to binge. Any of those.”

“Are you okay with hot firefighters?” she teased.

“Why wouldn’t I be? Beauty is beauty, no matter the gender,” he admitted. Rayna opened her mouth, then closed it. “You can ask. I won’t be offended.”

“It’s none of my business, really.” She grabbed her soda can and padded into the living room, taking one end of the sofa. Ace snagged another beer before joining her. He tossed her the remote, sat on the opposite end, and a few minutes later, a show about firefighters played. Ace mostly read or streamed movies, but he was quickly drawn into the drama while admiring both the male and female actors. Rayna explained the characters and the overarching plot since she had started with a mid-season episode. He wondered what she had considered asking, and he was sure it had to do with his sexuality. One of his earliest relationships ended when he admitted to being attracted to the person not the gender. The woman couldn’t imagine being with a man who could have sex with another man. Ace didn’t bother telling her he’d never had sex with anyone. No one alive knew that other than him.

After polishing off his beer, he set the bottle aside and raised the footrest. Ace linked his fingers on his stomach and closed his eyes. He’d spent the night before watching the house where Rayna was staying, plus his belly was full of gnocchi. He didn’t plan on sleeping, but his body had other ideas.

Rayna

When Asher began snoring softly, Rayna eased off the sofa and padded down the hall to her bedroom. She opened the dresser and dug the burner from beneath her clothes, taking it into the bathroom and closing the door. Seth didn’t answer, and she didn’t want to leave a voice message in case someone intercepted his phone. A text came through almost immediately.

Seth: Can you pick up the kids from practice? I have to work late.

Va.nessa: Sure.

Seth was smart to set her ID as his wife. So that he didn’t confuse the two, he added the dot, but anyone who didn’t know would hopefully overlook it. His message was a code they’d agreed when he dropped her off at Delia’s. Since his kids didn’t play sports, it meant he couldn’t talk. She didn’t dare send a different response. Instead, she replaced the phone in the drawer and returned to the living room. Asher was where she left him, so Rayna settled in for another episode. She was sure Asher wasn’t into the show, but he didn’t seem to mind her watching it.

Instead of the screen, she studied the male a few feet away. If he were different, she would have flirted with him just to see if he was interested. Earlier, she had almost asked if he was into both males and females, but it wasn’t her business. And if he was? It didn’t matter. Rayna knew a few humans who were bisexual, and although they were looked down upon by some, Rayna felt there was nothing wrong with being drawn to both sexes. In her opinion, it would be nice to have a bigger ocean to fish from. She could appreciate when another female was attractive, but they didn’t interest her.

It mostly didn’t matter because again, he was only being nice by offering her a place to hide. He didn’t know he was her mate, and she wouldn’t tell him. She slumped down on the sofa, leaning her head against the arm, and focused on the TV. Her mind drifted to her boss and Spencer. Rayna wanted to help find the former GIA agent. He needed to be stopped for good this time. She worried about Rhiannon, and even though she’d never met the female, Rayna felt sorry for the young woman. She couldn’t imagine having a gift of healing, then being forced to use it without her knowledge. Rayna had no idea where to start. Where would an agent on the run go? For someone with his abilities, Spencer could be anywhere. He had over three months’ head start on them.

“It’s going to be okay,” Asher murmured. Rayna glanced over at the Gryphon, but his eyes were still closed.

Rayna wanted to believe him. Since she couldn’t focus on the program, Rayna turned the TV off, then stood and stretched. She headed to the back of the house and looked out the window. The backyard was spacious with a small shed in one corner where Rayna assumed the lawnmower was stored since it hadn’t been in his garage. She spied lounge chairs on a covered patio, so she unlocked the door and stepped outside. Rayna dragged one of the chairs out into the sunshine and lay down. Her Cheetah begged to be let out so it could bask in the warmth, but that wasn’t possible. It was one thing she missed about her grandmother’s home where she was raised. The house had been secluded, and Rayna could shift whenever she felt like it. More than once, she asked Gran why the goddess had made them shifters who had to hide from humans. It wasn’t fair to give them some wonderful abilities only to have to keep them tamped down. At least Asher could fly in his Eagle form. Wolves were common enough they could also shift without causing too much chaos. And Gargoyles? What did they even look like? She couldn’t imagine it.

Rayna rolled her sleeves up to her shoulders to let her arms tan more evenly. She closed her eyes and attempted to let the heat ease her mind. She’d gone to Haven when the weather was just turning from cold to warmer, and she’d not been allowed to stay outside any length of time. Living in the confines of the compound had been some of the hardest days of her life. Rayna still didn’t understand why any woman would want to live under such oppression. They had no freedoms. Even the married women were supposed to be obedient to their husband. There was no partnership. No equality. Very little love that she’d seen. Glory’s sister and her husband were the one couple who had even smiled at one another. The older couples seemed miserable.

Asher had been correct that the FBI wanted to take down The Ministry and had ever since the cult brought the world to a halt almost forty years ago. They blamed it on Jonas Montague, the scientist who cloned the world’s first baby, stating he was playing God, but the man didn’t destroy cities. He didn’t kill thousands of innocent people. He created life. Having lived among the cult members, Rayna couldn’t find one good thing about them. They raised young boys to be soldiers. Not so they could defend their country but to defend the compound and anyone who opposed their backward lifestyle.

Then why was her boss working with Spencer? Maybe it had nothing to do with The Ministry. Spencer had proven he could amass fortunes using his computer. Was that it? Was Hanson so greedy he would allow David back into the world where he was a threat to his daughter? Money was often a great corrupter of morals. Maybe Hanson had no morals in the first place. Rayna hated that Seth worked so closely with the man. He had Vanessa and the kids to think about. Instead of hiding, maybe she should return to the office where she would have her partner’s back.

No. Hanson had sent Rayna away for a reason. One she needed to figure out. But how was she supposed to do that from Asher’s house? A shadow fell over Rayna. She opened her eyes to find the biker standing there with a phone in his hand. Damn, he moved silently.

“It was ringing. I thought it might be important.” When Rayna took it, she realized it wasn’t the burner he’d given her but the one she’d hidden. He turned and walked back into the house on quiet feet. She sat up and unlocked the phone. There was one missed call notification and a text.

Seth: Where are you? I stopped by to visit.

Va.nessa: Staying with a friend. With Spencer’s whereabouts unknown, I didn’t trust that he wouldn’t track me down at Delia’s. When exactly was he released?

Rayna watched the dots bounce as Seth typed his response. The dots stopped, then started again.

Seth: Two months, and what friend?

Two months? What the actual fuck? Rayna’s instincts were screaming at her that Seth was hiding something.

Va.nessa: If Spencer’s been gone for months, why didn’t you pull me out of Haven?

No dots appeared, so either Seth couldn’t respond, or he was thinking of a plausible answer. Rayna slung her legs over the side of the chair and stood. She tapped the phone against her thigh as she walked toward the shade trees. She stopped at the far end of the yard, leaning against a tall aspen. While there had been trees at the compound, she’d not been able to enjoy them. Being a shifter, Rayna preferred the outdoors. Her Cat wanted to climb up the thick trunks and lounge on the branches while birds danced around her, toying with her Cheetah. It had been one of her favorite things to do as a teen. She would never hurt another animal unless she was in danger, and small songbirds were a delight. The phone pinged, and she tapped the screen.

Seth: Hanson thought you were safer there.

Safer? From whom? Rayna’s skin itched with unease. The only reason she’d been safe at Haven was because she was a shifter, but Seth didn’t know that. She could have escaped if her life depended on it. She’d been lucky that she hadn’t been paired up with one of the single men. When Rayna first arrived, she let Thomas know she was there for solitude, not to find a husband. Glory had befriended her and shared how she and her family came to be at Haven. Lisa Ann clutched her metaphorical pearls when Glory mentioned having sex as a teen, but then again, Lisa Ann was much older.

Seth: At least tell me where you are.

Rayna hesitated. This was Seth, so why was she hesitant to tell him the truth? Instead of typing a response, she padded across the yard and back into the house. Asher was standing in the kitchen, sipping a beer. He arched a brow, but she ignored him as she tore the phone apart. When she didn’t find a tracker, she put it back together and powered the device down.

She blew out a breath and met Asher’s eyes. “I need a favor.”