Page 43 of Coming Up Aces

Wow. So this was what it was like having a mother who gave a shit. One who had your back. Rayna could get used to it.

“I could go for a spa date,” Rory added, surprising Rayna. The female had been quiet up until that point.

Instead of getting upset, Sutton smiled at his mate. “It has been a minute since you took time for yourself.”

“Oh, for Zeus’s sake,” Asher fussed. “I’m not winning this argument, am I?”

“Better to learn this lesson early on, Son,” Conrad told him. “Besides. They’re all shifters. One is a trained agent, and the other two can voice their way out of a sticky situation.”

“I thought I could voicemyway out of a situation too and look where it got me.”

“And once we capture David Spencer, I’ll be taking a piece of his hide for it,” Rory said, her own momma Lion coming to the front. Literally. Her face morphed into her feline briefly before reverting to human.

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll follow them and hang out down the street,” Conrad offered.

“No. They can handle themselves.” Asher tugged Rayna down so she was sitting on the bed. “Please be careful.”

“I promise.” Rayna leaned down and gave him a chaste kiss.

“Don’t forget your mask,” Asher said.

“I won’t.” She kissed him again, then retrieved the prosthetic and wig. She entered the small restroom, donning both. Rayna walked back to where the females were waiting. “Ready?”

Regina and Rory kissed their mates, and Regina clapped. “Let’s do this.”

Chapter Fifteen

Rayna

Rayna was worriedabout Seth and Vanessa, but she was also excited. It had been months since she was in the field, and spending that time at Haven had been hell. While this wasn’t a case, it was similar. During the drive, Rory called Lucy and told her what the three of them were up to, asking her to monitor the security cameras. In other words, delete the evidence of Regina speaking to the agent.

Rayna had missed seeing Vanessa while undercover, and listening to Rory and Regina chat about their lives made the ache greater. Regina and Conrad were looking at houses in New Troy now that Ripley and Glory were mates. They were keeping their home in Florida as a vacation house.

“Asher already asked if he could use the house in New Boca, so once this mess is over, maybe the two of you can take a vacation,” Regina said.

“I’d love that. I’ve never been to Florida.”

“It’s secluded enough that you can shift without being seen.”

“Now that’s an awesome benefit. Asher and I shifted to our cats when I first got to his house, and it was wonderful even if we couldn’t do more than stretch out in the living room. My Cheetah was ready to throttle me while we were at Haven. I rarely go four days without taking to my fur, much less four months.”

“Not being able to shift aside, I don’t see how you managed to remain there for months without throwing down with the men. Those fuckers are nuts,” Rory said.

“That they are. But I reminded myself I was doing it for Rhiannon, even though I knew that wasn’t true. We, as in the FBI, were aware how the men treated women, so why my boss thought going undercover would help was a mystery. When I left Haven and met up with my partner, we both assumed I was sent away so that there was one less set of eyes on what my boss was up to. I hate that Josiah kidnapped Glory, but it did give me the opportunity to get the hell out of there. It was fascinating seeing Sutton voice the congregation and watching how everyone’s eyes just sort of glazed over.”

Rory turned in her seat to look at Rayna, who was sitting in the back. “What do you mean?”

“For whatever reason, voicing doesn’t work on me. It took me a few minutes to realize what Sutton was doing, but I overheard Ripley tell Glory the Hounds had voiced the guards, so I put two and two together. Asher tried it on me when he followed me to the house where I was staying. It’s a strange sensation, I’ll give you that.”

Rory angled her head, studying Rayna. “It must be because you’re a shifter.” She turned back around when the GPS alerted them that they were close. Rayna could have given Regina directions, but it was easier to let the computer do so. Rayna clocked the Fed sitting across the street, and she pointed him out before Regina parked in the lot at the side of the building.

“Hang on. Let me text Lucy that we’re here.” Rory tapped her phone, and when it pinged a few seconds later, she said, “Okay. We’re good to go.”

The trio got out of Regina’s car. Rayna and Rory waited at the side of the building while Regina jogged across the street. She knocked on the window, and the agent rolled it down.

“Did you put any type of device in Vanessa McCauley’s salon that can listen in on conversations or watch who comes and goes?”

“No.”

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