Chapter 19 - Tolliver
Tolliver leaned against one of the floor-to-ceiling windows in Zach and Hayley’s house. The alpha and his wife had been accommodating the small group consisting of Tolliver, Laila, Cora, Francisco, and Benny after the attack on them. Tolliver had insisted that he didn’t want to bring the rest of the Black Ops in on everything yet because the target on Laila seemed more personal than the other kidnappings. Zach had agreed. He was just as curious and concerned about the bull’s eye on Laila’s back as Tolliver was.
They were all gathered in the living room, waiting for the tea and coffee Hayley had offered. Everyone was quiet. Laila sat huddled beside Cora. Tolliver could see that she was still shaken up… So was he. Not even the ever-talkative Benny and Francisco had anything to say. They understood the gravity of the situation. One of their own was being targeted, and they weren’t certain why.
Zach sat in a winged back chair, watching everyone with steepled fingers. Tolliver had known him since they were kids. The alpha’s lord of the manor pose meant his mind was going a hundred miles per minute, thinking about the possibilities of why Laila was being hunted. One of his people, being in any kind of danger, didn’t sit well with him.
His gaze flickered to Tolliver, and his eyebrows shot up. Tolliver looked away from him to focus on the full moon. Just as he knew Zach well, Zach knew him, too. He knew Tolliver was hanging on by an emotional thread. He felt like he was responsible for Laila almost getting hurt or taken tonight. It was a close call, and he was still slightly angry with himself. His idea of taking Laila out on a date was a terrible one. Guilt pricked him in the chest.
Hayley walked into the room, carrying a tray, and interrupted Tolliver’s guilt trip. “All right, everyone, I’ve got tea and coffee.” She placed the tray on the center table. “Please, help yourselves. I have to put Kyle to bed.” She walked to Zach and gave him a peck on the cheek.
“Do you need help?” he asked her.
“No. You take care of things in here. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay.”
Tolliver watched them with a pang of longing. Zach watched Hayley walk away with stars in his eyes. A part of him envied their easy interaction and reciprocated affection. Could he and Laila ever have that again? Was there a future where they tucked their children into bed together? He glanced at her and found her watching the couple, too. As if she felt his eyes on her, she glanced at him, blushed, and then looked away.
Zach’s attention returned to the group as they helped themselves to the tea and coffee Hayley had brought. The clink of spoons against cups broke the silence, though no one spoke yet. Tolliver finally detached himself from the window to pour himself a black coffee, but he went right back to his position and proceeded to stare out the window.
Zach’s piercing gaze locked onto Tolliver. Sensing his friend’s mood, he directed his question at someone else. “All right,” he began. “Let’s hear it. Walk me through exactly what happened tonight.”
Laila cleared her throat. “Tolliver and I… went out for dinner.”
“Like a date?” Zach asked.
Tolliver caught the underlying teasing note in Zach’s voice and gave him a seething look. It seemed everyone except her was rooting for Laila and Tolliver to get back together.
“Well…” She shifted uncomfortably and took a sip from her cup. “I suppose…”
“I see,” Zach hummed. “And you were attacked after?”
“We sure were,” Francisco said. “Benny and I agreed to help by patrolling the safe house's perimeter. Three wolves practically pounced on us.”
“They made every effort to get past us to aim for the safe house,” Benny interjected. “We figured they were Mercer’s guys going after Laila and warned Tolliver.”
Letting out a sigh, Tolliver continued the story. “We left immediately, but the three shifters gave Benny and Francisco the slip and attacked us. We fought them off.”
“And you said one of them ran?” Zach asked.
“Like a bitch,” Benny snickered.
Fransisco jabbed him in the side with his elbow.
Zach stroked his jaw, deep in thought. “He likely ran right back to Mercer. They had to be Mercer’s guys.”
“I’d bet on it,” Tolliver murmured, staring into his cup with a deep frown.
Zach’s gaze zeroed in on the strange face next to Laila. “And you are?”
“I’m Cora,” she beamed. “Your friendly neighborhood, witch. I’m Laila’s bestie, and I help this gang occasionally.” She hiked a thumb over her shoulder at Tolliver, Benny, and Francisco.
Zach arched an eyebrow and glanced at Tolliver, who replied, “I’ll explain later.”
Zach nodded and then went back to the topic of Laila’s predicament. “Another failed kidnapping attempt…” he mused. He got up and started to pace, a habit whenever he was trying to figure something out.
Tolliver threw back the rest of his coffee and winced. He was still sore after the incident. Although his major wounds had healed fast, he’d feel the fight's effects for a few days.
Zach peered at Laila with sharp, assessing eyes. “Laila, this doesn’t make sense. Mercer seems to have a specific target on you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice quivering.
“One of our guys thwarted another attempted kidnapping a couple of days ago.”
She sucked in a breath. “Gods. Another one?”
Tolliver hung his head at that. He knew about it but hadn’t mentioned it to Laila. He didn’t want to frighten her more than she already was.
“Yes.” Zach frowned. “The thing is, he hasn’t gone after the woman again. Yet, he seems hellbent on getting you, no matter how many times he’s failed. I’m… We’re all starting to get really concerned. Of course, we now know his motive for the kidnappings, but his attack on you seems personal at this point. Are you sure you’ve never met him?”
She shook her head. “Never. I swear.”
“Come on, Laila. Maybe you met once, and you don’t remember.”
“My brain is functioning perfectly, Zach. I would have remembered meeting a psychopath. As I told Tolliver, I’ve never met Mercer.”
Zach sighed heavily, his frustration becoming clearer. He ran a hand through his hair and kneeled in front of Laila. He kept his tone soft as he said, “Laila, we’re not doubting you. But we’re missing something here. It’s costing us time and putting you and other female shifters in danger.”
Laila’s body stiffened, and her fingers clenched around her mug. Tolliver could hear her heartbeat picking up speed. “I’ve told you everything I know. I don’t have any secret connection with Mercer. I don’t know why he’s after me.” Her voice cracked slightly, betraying the strain she was under.
Tolliver could feel the mounting storm of emotions through their bond, which was strengthening with each day that they were in proximity to each other. Frustration, fear, and simmering anger were right beneath the surface. Her emotions clawed at him, making his wolf restless. He wanted to reach out to her, to ease her tension, but he held back, thinking that she wouldn’t welcome his comfort in front of others. She was still skeptical about rekindling their romance. He hadn’t been deterred by her mild rejection during their date, but he was willing to give her the space she needed.
Zach placed a hand lightly on Laila’s arm. “I know you’re scared, but we need to figure this out before—”
A deep, guttural growl rumbled from Tolliver’s chest. The sound sliced through the room as a warning. His wolf surged forward, possessive and protective. Tolliver was sure Zach’s touch was innocent and meant to comfort Laila, but his animal wasn’t as logical as his human side. He was ready to attack his alpha for merely being that close to his woman.
Zach froze, his eyes snapping at Tolliver. For a moment, the room went completely still. Cora, Francisco, and Benny didn’t even breathe. Laila looked between Zach and Tolliver. Her wide eyes then flickered to Tolliver as if to silently ask what the hell he was doing.
Zach, ever the composed alpha, understood that Tolliver was likely more animal at that moment and that any action might be perceived as a threat to his mate. So, he slowly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “All right, Tolliver,” he said evenly, his voice calm but carrying an edge of caution. “Message received.” He rose to his feet and backed away, giving Laila space.
When Tolliver gained control of his wolf, he sent Zach an apologetic look. Zach only shrugged, his eyes flickering with understanding. “Laila, you must be exhausted,” he said. “Tolliver, why don’t you two go home and get some rest?”
That was the best idea Tolliver had heard all evening. “Sure, we’ll do that.
“Francisco and Benny, would you be willing to come with me to clean up the mess near the safe house?” Zach asked.
“Of course, boss,” Benny said, jumping to his feet. “We’re still rearing to go after all that adrenaline from earlier.”
Francisco stood up and shook his head in agreement. “Yeah, we’ll rest later.”
“Cora?” Zach raised his eyebrows in her direction. “Where are you staying for the night?”
“With me,” Laila quickly answered.
As everyone shuffled out of the living room, Tolliver stopped to have a chat with Zach. “Hey, man, I’m sorry about earlier.”
Zach chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. I realize my mistake. If you had touched my woman, I’d probably get the urge to bite your head off, too.”
For the first time in hours, Tolliver smiled. “Look, it isn’t fair for you to go out and clean up my mess.” There were still two bodies in the woods to be taken care of before a human happened upon them. Plus, an injured wolf was on the run, and they should catch him before he returned to Mercer. Tolliver had some questions for the surviving attacker.
“Tolliver, it’s fine. Just because I’m the mayor and alpha doesn’t mean I can’t get my hands dirty.” Zach huffed. “Hell, I’ve been dying to move from behind that wretched desk to get a little action.”
Tolliver chuckled at his friend’s pained expression. He didn’t envy Zach’s position as alpha and mayor one bit because he wasn’t a sit-behind-a-desk-all-day kind of guy. “All right, fine. Have fun tonight, then.”
Zach smirked and clapped him on the shoulder. “Go on, get out of here.” He gave Tolliver a once over. He was still bruised, and spots of blood stained his clothes. “You look like shit.”
Tolliver snorted and walked out, relieved that he could go home and get a little rest.
No one said a word on the way to Tolliver’s house. Not even the chatty Cora seemed in the mood to talk. After Tolliver got her set up in one of the guest rooms, he went to check on Laila. He stood outside her door, internally debating whether he should disturb her or not. He lifted his hand to knock but put it back down. As he was about to walk away, the door opened.
Laila leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed. “Hey.”
“Hey.” He rubbed his nape, a little embarrassed about his uncertainty. He was always confident and sure of himself in every situation, but when it came to Laila, sometimes, he felt clueless.
She assessed him from head to toe with furrowed eyebrows. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. All healed now… and clean.” His sore muscles felt better after about ten minutes under a hot shower.
“Good. I heard you out here,” she said. “You didn’t knock…”
“I was, um… I wasn’t sure if you wanted to see me.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to?”
He held her gaze steadily and was a bit surprised that she hadn’t looked away. “You’re probably exhausted, and I know you like your space.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Laila, I’m sorry about tonight. I never should have brought you to—”
She placed a finger over his lips, and he blinked, stunned by the light contact. “Don’t you dare apologize for tonight. “I had a great time. For once in a long while, I felt like a normal girl out on a nice date.” Her lips lifted into a small smile. “Let’s just not count the wild car chase and the bloody fight after as part of the date.”
His shoulders relaxed with a soft sigh. “That’s a great idea.”
To his further surprise, Laila chuckled. He thought she’d still be too stressed and traumatized to laugh. “How about we pretend that Jonas Mercer doesn’t exist tonight? And after dinner, we didn’t have a tense conversation about our relationship. We came straight home, and as the gentleman you are, you’ve walked me to my door.”
After a beat of silence, he grinned. “Okay…” He cleared his throat and stood taller. “Laila, thank you for a wonderful night.”
“Thank you, too, Tolliver,” she said politely. “Dinner was lovely. Thank you for walking me to my door.”
“No problem.” Taking her hand, he kissed the back of it, making her giggle. “I hope we get the chance to have another normal dinner date.”
“I do, too.”
Those three words coming from her sent a surge of hope through him. Maybe he was reading too much into it, but she sounded more open to seeing him again after the mess with Mercer. For a moment, neither of them moved. Tolliver stood there, still holding her hand, his gaze fixed on hers. A slight unease stretched between them, but it wasn’t from tension this time. It was from the uncertainty of what to say next.
Laila shifted her weight slightly, her lips parting as if to speak, but then she stopped. The silence grew heavier, and Tolliver began to feel like he should step away and give her space. Before he could, she surprised him again. She stepped forward and threw her arms around him. Her head pressed against his chest, and for a second, he didn’t move. Then, instinctively, his arms wrapped around her.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice muffled against his shirt. “I know I gave you a hard time since this whole thing started, but thank you for protecting me. For being there when I needed you. I don’t… I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
The mixture of gratitude and vulnerability in her voice made his chest tighten. He closed his eyes briefly, resting his chin against the top of her head. He could feel her trembling slightly, and he tightened his hold, offering her the comfort she seemed to need.
“You don’t have to thank me,” he murmured. “I’d do it a thousand times over, Laila. You mean too much to me not to.”
When she pulled away from him, she stared at him with wide eyes. The gray orbs darkened like always when she was caught up in intense emotions. They swirled with a mixture of emotions that confused Tolliver. At one point, he swore he saw guilt… but what did she have to be guilty about?
“Tolliver…” She tugged at the hem of her t-shirt. “There’s something I have to tell you…” She gnawed at her lower lip so hard he thought she’d pierce the flesh. When he couldn’t bear to see her agitation any longer, he placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Hey, we’re pretending we had a nice, normal night, remember?” he said softly. Whatever it is, don’t worry about it. Get some sleep, and we’ll think about the hard stuff tomorrow.”
She softened and smiled. “Okay.”
He kissed her cheek and stepped back. “Good night, Laila.”
“Good night.”
Tolliver didn’t linger because the temptation to give her more than a peck on the cheek was overwhelming. He walked away, his steps rapid and brimming with the desire he felt but couldn’t give in to.
***
Anticipation curled in Tolliver’s gut as he watched the activities from the other side of the train tracks. Yesterday, when he went to the office, he got new intel about the Jonas Mercer case. His crew had been using the railroad as one of their methods to transport the women they took. He had done what he did best—dug into the deepest, darkest corners of cyberspace and managed to hack into Mercer’s network.
The information was vague, but it led him to a city a few hours away from Bellefleur, to the train tracks. Tolliver had been watching from the bushes for a while and had started to lose hope of getting concrete evidence when he saw two men escorting a woman into the cargo section of the train. The woman looked dazed, as if she’d been drugged, and her hands were wound behind her, so it was safe to say she wasn’t their willing travel companion.
Tolliver snarled at the sight. “I’ve got you now, Mercer.” He zoomed in and snapped a few pictures with his phone to send to Ryder. Although Jonas Mercer wasn’t present, he had concrete proof of the trafficking ring to get the elders and other higher-ups to take things seriously. There was always a bunch of politics and red tape to get through in these cases.
He got an instant reply from Ryder.
What is this, and where the hell are you?
Tolliver stared at Ryder’s texts with a twinge of guilt. He hadn’t told anyone what he was up to, not even Laila. After his interaction with Laila the other night, he’d gotten the impression that she was softening toward giving them another shot. He was prepared to prove himself and win her heart. To do that, he needed to get the problem of Jonas Mercer out of the way. The man hung over them like a dark, mysterious shadow. The sooner he got rid of Mercer, the more time he’d have to focus on his relationship with Laila.
Ryder and Zach wouldn’t approve of him going after Mercer half-cocked. It wasn’t like him either. Tolliver was known to be calm and methodical. However, Mercer’s men had gotten too close to Laila the other night for his comfort. If they tried again, they’d probably get their hands on her, and he couldn’t allow that.
Tolliver watched the men loading the train a little longer to be sure there were only two of them. He hadn’t seen anyone else the entire time he was there, so he decided to get a closer look and maybe help the woman he’d seen. He crouched and took careful steps forward, his focus sharp. His mind was already racing with plans to intercept the operation. If he could take these guys down now, he’d have the upper hand. He had plans to use them to lead him directly to Mercer.
When he was close enough, he was about to reach into his pocket for his phone. Now that he was sure he could get Mercer, he’d bring the others in. However, before he could make a move, a sharp, blinding pain exploded at the back of his head. He didn’t hear the rustle of movement or sense the attacker before it was too late. His body crumpled to the ground, but he was still conscious. Before he could find his bearings and fight back, something stuck him in the neck.
Tolliver instantly knew what it was because of the searing burn that radiated from the injection. Wolfsbane. The poison moved fast, spreading to the rest of his body and practically lighting his nerves on fire. His muscles locked up, and his wolf howled in agony. He muttered a curse before everything went black.