Page 57 of Stray Cat

“This waylaying gang is the one that has Dean?” Xav asked.

“No one admitted to knowing the perpetrator, which I found interesting,” Emma said. “Means my contacts aren’t afraid of the California gang returning butareafraid of the ones who vanquished them. One of my old friends told me—in person, not on the phone, only way he’d speak to me—that it was indeed Jeff’s gang. He says its leader is seriously ruthless. If Dean is in his clutches, I suspect he’s not getting away easily.”

“Does your friend know whether Dean’s joined them?” Diego asked.

Emma looked surprised at the question but shook her head. “He doesn’t know much more, except that they’ve deserted their old headquarters. In his opinion, they’ll use all the money to buy a mansion and live the good life.”

“Or they’re stashing the cash until the attention dies down,” Xav suggested. “Somewhere they have to reach by helicopter? I thought maybe they were flying Dean out to kill him, but in that case, they’d have left his body at the crash site to make it look like he died in the accident. But if they didn’t intend to kill him, why take him along?”

“Either he really has joined them, or they need him for some reason,” Diego said.

“To get to AC?” Emma wondered.

“Possibly,” Diego said. “Maybe that’s why AC isn’t trying harder to get away from us, and why he shut Jeff up. Could be he suspects they’re dangling Dean as bait, and he wants to spring their trap, with DX Security as his backup,” he finished wryly. “Thanks, Emma. I appreciate the extra effort. Now, both of you, get out of here. I’m going home. We all have lives.”

Emma didn’t hesitate. “Yep. Night is young. Want to go have some fun, Xav? Call Lindsay, and we’ll party.”

“Maybe I should head up to the cabin,” Xav said without moving. “If Emma’s hunch is right that the gang is using Dean to lead them to AC, we should make sure he’s safe.”

Diego raised his brows. “If you think anyone is getting pastTiger, you’re losing it. You being there or not isn’t going to make a difference.”

He had a point, Xav conceded. Xav also had to admit he was looking for excuses to avoid confronting his suddenly complicated relationship.

“Go talk to Lindsay,” Emma said. “Don’t be a chickenshit. Yes, I know about the mate-claim. Brody told me.”

“So nice to have privacy.” Xav heaved himself up, telling himself that Emma was right. “Okay, okay. I’ll go. Where? My business.”

He grabbed his jacket and headed out of his office. Xav was usually the last to leave the building, the one who locked up, but he sensed Diego wouldn’t let him do that tonight.

Diego and Emma stood back to let him stride past them out the door, and Xav pretended to ignore their knowing grins. He made for the back parking lot, shrugging on his jacket against the chill when he made it outside.

Lindsay emerged from the shadows and fell into step next to him.

“Shit.” Xav jumped, the jacket settling on his shoulders. “I thought you left with Neal.”

“I told Neal I wanted to wait for you.” Lindsay slid her hand up Xav’s arm as though she couldn’t stop herself. She wore only the light sweatshirt and cargo pants she’d dressed in for the mission, no coat in sight, but her touch was warm. “He understood. Mating frenzy is a real thing.”

Xav’s heart beat faster. “Is it?”

“Sometimes happens after a mate-claim.” Lindsay’s hand moved to his shoulder, turning him to her. “The Goddess speeds up our instincts. Or something. I don’t know. I only know it makes me want to do this.”

She dragged him to her for a sudden and satisfying kiss, one that cut the chill of the breeze. By the time Xav caught his breath, she’d twined herself around him, her body hot.

“How about we take this inside?” Xav whispered as he leaned to nibble her enticing earlobe.

“Emma and Diego are still in there.”

Xav laughed softly, his choice of where to go this evening suddenly settled. “I meant to my house. Away from prying Shifter eyes.”

Lindsay hesitated, but Xav sensed it wasn’t because she didn’t want to continue what they’d started. He had the feeling she was ready to pull him into the bushes that lined the iron fence around their property and get on with it.

Xav’s heartbeat sped even more imagining them sweaty and laughing as they tried to have sex with branches scratching at them.

“Fifteen-minute drive,” he promised.

“Mm.” Lindsay kissed him again, licking across his lower lip. “I might be able to hold it in that long.”

“I’m willing to find out.” Xav took her hand, and they started for his car at a run.

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