Chapter Eleven
Rayna
Ripley’s father froze upon seeing Rayna. She stood and wiped the dirt from her hands. “Hi. I’m Rayna Bellamy. You’re Conrad, right? Ripley’s father?”
“I am. Have we met?”
“No, but I saw you Saturday night at Haven.”
Conrad squinted at her. “You were at Haven?”
“Yes, Sir. It’s a long story.”
“I see. Is Asher home? He didn’t answer his phone.”
“No, Sir. He’s off doing something for Sutton.”
“Oh. I came by to see if he wanted to have lunch with my ma— wife and me.” He closed the distance between them, eyeing the turned soil. “Have you known Asher long?”
“No. We met Saturday night.”
“And you decided he needed a garden?” Conrad grinned, pointing at the ground.
“I was bored.” She shrugged. “I spent the last four months knitting, so I don’t want to see yarn for, oh, about a year. Asher gave me free rein to do something while he’s working. I can’t cook, so I thought I would grow vegetables he can use.”
“That’s mighty kind of you, especially since you just met.”
Rayna could tell Conrad was confused.
“Would you like something to drink? I’m not sure when Asher’ll be back. He went to Oasis.”
“You know about Oasis?”
“I do. I also know how you and Regina treat Asher like a son. And can I just tell you I am thrilled Glory has you in her life now?”
“We’re thrilled too. How do you know Glory?”
“She and I were cabinmates. Only while I was there, everyone knew me as Melinda. I was undercover for the FBI.”
Conrad took a step back. “If you hurt Asher—”
“Relax, Conrad. I would never hurt him. He’s my mate, but I’m not sure he’s onboard with the idea just yet.”
“Your mate?” Conrad sniffed the air. “You’re not… like us.”
“Nope. I’m a King Cheetah shifter.”
Conrad ran a hand across his dark hair. “I think I’ll take that drink now.”
“Come on in. I can’t do any more in the garden until I go get the plants, and I was hoping Asher would go with me to pick them out.” Rayna strolled past the male and into the house. She stopped at the sink to wash her hands. “What would you like? There’s beer in the fridge, but there’s also plenty of liquor in the den.”
“Are you living here?” Conrad asked, helping himself to a beer.
“For now.” Rayna poured herself a glass of water, then propped her hip against the counter while she explained her situation. “My partner knows I’m no longer at Haven, but he’s the only one. I haven’t told him where I am, though.”
“Do you not trust him? Your partner?”
“I do, but I don’t trust that the company won’t have eyes on him. He’s been looking into our boss and Spencer, and that could have thrown up red flags.”
They chatted a bit more while Conrad finished his beer. After tossing it in the recycle bin, he said, “Well, I’ll get out of your hair. Please tell Asher I stopped by. Since Ripley and Glory are busy with her family, Regina and I have time on our hands. We’d love to see him. Maybe take him out to eat. You’re welcome too.”
“I appreciate that, and I’ll tell him.” Rayna walked Conrad to the front door, beeped the alarm, then reset it once he was gone. With nothing left to do outside until she got the plants, Rayna took a shower. Once dressed, she retreated to the living room and turned on the TV. Her mind drifted to Asher, praying he was okay. He hadn’t said how long he would be gone, but the longer he was, the more she worried. If Oasis was like Haven, the guards had guns, and even though he was a shifter, Asher wasn’t impervious to bullets.
She had watched several episodes of one of her shows when the doorbell rang. Rayna rose and looked out the window. A pretty brunette was holding a package. Having researched all the Lazlos, she recognized the female.
Rayna turned off the alarm and opened the door. “Hi. Lucy, right?”
“Yeah, and you must be Rayna.” Lucy held out her hand, and Rayna grasped it.
“Please, come in.” Rayna widened the door after releasing Lucy’s hand so she could step inside. “Asher isn’t here right now. He left earlier to deal with Abraham Goodman. Would you like something to drink?”
“I appreciate the offer, but I just stopped by to drop off this.” Lucy handed the package to Rayna.
“What is it?” She shook it. The package was light so definitely not a computer.
“It’s a prosthetic. Ace asked me to make one so you can move about without being recognized. I didn’t have time to produce a voice modulator.” Rayna opened the package and pulled out the mask and a couple of wigs. “Ace mentioned your pretty hair, so I thought you might like options to further camouflage yourself. Let’s go in the bathroom, and I’ll show you how to put it on.”
Fifteen minutes later, Rayna was a new person. At least on the outside. “That’s amazing.” She had opted for the blonde wig, and she couldn’t believe the person staring back at her.
“If I have time, I can make them where the hair is part of the prosthetic, but Ace only asked for this last night.”
“No, this is perfect. Thank you.”
“My pleasure. I hate to run, but—” Lucy’s phone rang. She pulled it out of her back pocket. “Hey, Pops.”
“Have you been to see Rayna?”
“Yes. I’m here now.”
“Is Ace there?”
“No. I thought you sent him to Oasis.”
“Ask Rayna if she’s heard from him today.”
Rayna shook her head. “No. He left before I got up. What’s going on?”
Lucy narrowed her eyes. “How did you know what he asked?”
“Shifter hearing, but that’s not important. What’s going on?”
“You’re a shifter?” Lucy asked.
“Yes, a King Cheetah, but again, not what we need to focus on. Where the fuck is Asher, and who is Pops?”
“My grandfather, Sutton.”
Rayna grabbed Lucy’s phone. “Sutton? Rayna. Asher left while it was still dark out this morning. He was supposed to meet Viper at Oasis.”
“Yes, he was, but I can’t reach either of them on their phones. Viper’s mate hasn’t heard from him, and if Ace isn’t home…”
Rayna strode from the bathroom with the phone wedged between her ear and shoulder. “Tell me how to get to Oasis. I’ll go look for him myself.” She opened the drawer where she’d stowed her pistol and ID, removing both.
“Whoa,” Lucy said. “Why do you have a gun?”
“I’m a federal agent. Asher knows this. I was undercover at Haven. It’s a long story. One I don’t have time to get into. What I need to do is go find my fucking mate.”
“Rayna, calm down. I’ve already sent more Hounds to Oasis,” Sutton commanded, pissing Rayna off.
“If your mate was missing, would you be calm? Either one of you?”
Lucy winced. “No. Pops, send the coordinates to my phone. Tamian and I will drive Rayna to Oasis.”
“Dammit— Hang on. King’s calling.”
Rayna handed the phone to Lucy and went to the closet and pulled out a suit. If she was going in as an agent, she needed to look the part. But that meant not wearing the prosthetic. Fuck it. She wasn’t taking it off.
“Rayna?” Sutton came back on the line.
“It’s me. Rayna’s changing clothes,” Lucy answered.
“King’s at Oasis. Both bikes are there, but he didn’t find either male. What he did find was a shitshow. Abraham was raving about how Spencer got into a shootout with a guard. Ruth jumped in front of David and was killed, then Spencer killed the guard too before running off.”
“Maybe Asher and Viper shifted and are waiting until the chaos settles?” Rayna offered.
“If that were the case, one of them would have called. Rayna, I know you want to go find Ace, but let the Hounds look first.”
“No. He’s my mate. If the others haven’t found him by now, they aren’t going to. My Cheetah can talk to his Gryphon.”
“Did you two complete the bond?” Lucy asked.
“Not yet, but our beasts still communicate. Sutton, either you send the coordinates, or I’ll figure it out on my own. It’ll be faster if you help me.”
“ Fuck ,” he muttered. “ Sending them now.”
“Have you called Ripley?” If they were as close as Asher said, Ripley would want to know what was going on.
“No. He and Glory have enough on their plate with her family. Lucy —”
“We’ll be careful, Pops. I promise.”
“ Rory’s going to skin me alive .”
“No, she won’t. I’ll keep you posted.” Lucy disconnected and blew out a breath.
“Lucy?” a male voice called out.
“Be right there.” To Rayna, Lucy said, “Let’s do this.”
Rayna followed Lucy down the hall. A gorgeous male stood by the front door with his arms crossed over his chest, scowling. Lucy approached her mate, pulled his head down, and kissed him soundly. Tamian gripped Lucy’s hips, pressing his forehead to hers once their lips parted. “Come on, Papa. We need to get Rayna to Oasis. There was a shootout, and Ace and Viper are missing.”
Rayna wondered if the endearment was a kink thing or… No, when she reached out with her shifter senses, she detected the faint heartbeat alongside Lucy’s. She hadn’t noticed the small bump beneath Lucy’s tee, but now it was evident. Rayna was happy for the couple, if not somewhat wistful. She set the alarm and locked the door behind them, then followed along to their SUV and climbed in the back seat.
Lucy’s phone pinged, and she studied it a few seconds, then tapped the address into the car’s GPS. Once they were on the road, Lucy turned sideways. “I’ve never heard of a Cheetah shifter. Are there many like you?”
“Not that I’m aware of. My mom, grandmother, and I are King Cheetahs. My grandfather was a regular Cheetah shifter. His family was spread over the world, but there weren’t many of them. My grandmother was an only child, and her parents passed away before my mom was born.”
“And your father?”
“Human. Has no idea I exist.”
“Do Cheetahs have fated mates?”
“My grandmother says yes, but my mother didn’t believe her, or maybe she did and just didn’t want one. My Cat and Asher’s Gryphon have decided we’re mates.”
Lucy cocked her head to the side. “You don’t agree?”
Rayna tried to smile, but her heart was breaking not knowing where or how Asher was. “Considering I’ve known him four days and I’m ready to tear Oasis apart? Yes, I agree. I appreciate you siding with me since Sutton’s your grandfather.”
“Like I said, Tam and I understand. When we first met, I was working for the GIA, and my boss at the time hid me away in a basement lab to finish work someone else had started. We were able to mind speak even though we were barely acquainted, so the fact that your beasts can communicate makes sense to me. You mentioned you were undercover at Haven. Will you tell us about that?”
“Of course.” Rayna explained everything that happened from the time David Spencer was arrested up until then, including how Bishop and Henry were investigating both Spencer and her boss.
“No wonder Pops wanted me back here to help Bishop. With him and Henry tag-teaming the shit going on with Sultan and the mob…” Lucy scrubbed a hand down her face. “David is no joke, and if he’s killing people, he has nothing left to lose. The man is even more unhinged than before, and that’s saying a lot.”
“Asher told me how David took control of Ryker’s car when he was after Rhiannon the first time. That’s next-level skills.”
“It is. I can’t do that.” Turning to Tamian, Lucy said, “We might need to call on Lachlan Rokesby.”
“Who’s that?” Rayna asked.
“A brilliant Gargoyle who once worked against Tamian’s Clan. I hate to ask him for help, but to protect Rhiannon, I will.”
Tamian shifted in his seat. “Lachlan redeemed himself, Sweetheart. If Rafael can forgive him, that’s good enough for me.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“Let me call Xavier. Carter is working on their new house, and he should know how to get ahold of Hunter.”
Rayna didn’t know who all these people were, but it didn’t matter. Yes, she was involved because of her boss, but this mess with David affected the Hounds even more than it did Rayna.
Tamian pushed the Bluetooth button on the steering wheel and said, “Call X.”
After a few rings, a deep voice answered, “Hello, Son.”
“Hi, Dad. Lucy and I are in the thick of it again, and we could use Lachlan’s help. Will you ask Carter to reach out to Hunter and have them call us?”
“Shit, Tam. If you’re asking for Lachlan’s help, I’d say you’re neck deep. What’s going on?”
“We’re crunched for time, so please speak with Carter, then I’ll fill you in. There’s no telling where the two males are.”
“Yeah, I’ll call him now. Sit tight.” The call disconnected, and Tamian blew out a breath.
“You know X is going to offer to help,” Lucy said.
“He will, and I might take him up on it. If David’s shooting folks, we’re better equipped than the Gryphons to go after him. Plus, he and Stefan helped hide Rhiannon the first time David was after her, so they’re aware of his desperation.”
Lucy turned back to face Rayna. “Did Asher tell you much about Gargoyles?”
“No. He only mentioned you and Tamian are mates.”
“Male Gargoyles have skin that’s impenetrable. They also have wings. The only way to kill them is either beheading or a couple of rare poisons. If David were to shoot one of them, it would only piss them off.”
“Just ask Gregor,” Tamian quipped.
Lucy rolled her eyes, grinning. “Tamian’s sister, Tessa, shot her mate when they first got together, knowing it wouldn’t hurt him. It’s a running joke in the family.”
“Is she crazy?” Rayna slapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” she muttered, but Tamian and Lucy both laughed.
“A little wild, yes. She’s one of the fiercest females I’ve ever met, but she’s also a lot of fun.”
The in-car audio announced an incoming call. “Hey, Dad,” Tamian answered.
“Carter contacted Hunter. He and Lachlan are in Greece. Lachlan is going to call you to see if he can help from where he is or if he needs to fly back to the States. Now, tell me what’s going on.” Once Tamian finished filling his father in, Xavier offered to help, just as they expected.
“I’d appreciate the help, Xavier. Rhiannon has a new baby, and she doesn’t need David causing any more trouble than he already has,” Lucy said. “Right now, we’re headed to Oasis to see if we can locate the missing Hounds. Rayna and Asher haven’t completed the bond, but they are mates, and she says her Cheetah was communicating with Asher’s Gryphon before he disappeared.”
“I don’t like you and Rayna heading into a situation where guns are being used, Lucy, especially with you carrying my grandson.”
“Granddaughter,” Lucy corrected.
“We’ll see,” Xavier joked. “Seriously, though. Why are you—?”
“I’m not putting myself in the line of fire. Rayna’s a trained FBI agent. I’m just along for moral support.”
The onboard system beeped again. “Dad, there’s another call coming through. Hopefully, it’s Lachlan. Call your buddies and get them ready, just in case.”
“Will do, Son.”
Tamian switched over to the new caller. “This is Tamian.”
“St. Claire, it’s Lachlan. Carter said you’re in need of my services. Tell me how I can help.”