Page 62 of Stray Cat

Apparently, they’d found Dean.

He sat upright in the chair without being stiff, the man full of confidence and at his ease. He didn’t look like a captive, even one who’d decided to fall in with his captors. People who’d joined criminals after they’d been taken by them usually wore an air of defiance, as though daring anyone to dispute their choice.

Dean regarded Lindsay as though trying to decide if she’d be an asset or a vulnerability. If the latter, Xav feared, he’d dispose of her.

Lindsay never turned her head or came alert when Xav peeked into the room, but Xav knew she sensed him there. He couldn’t say why, but he felt her presence so tangibly she might have been pressed against him. There was a tingle in his chest, one that warmed when he looked at her.

“Are you going to kill us?” Lindsay’s voice held the perfect amount of shakiness. “Can I call my mom and tell her goodbye?”

“You aren’t calling anyone, sweetie,” Dean answered without rancor. “We’re waiting for your boyfriend to wake up and join us. Once he does, we’ll talk about what happens to you. I have a lot of questions for him.”

Lindsay’s mouth drooped. “You are going to kill us. Why? I never did anything to you.”

Xav wanted to warn her not to lay it on so thick, but he could only watch and listen.

“I knowyoudidn’t,” Dean answered. “But Xavier and his brother are getting in my way. They’ve teamed up withmybrother, who has become a serious pain in my ass.”

“Your brother’s worried about you,” Lindsay offered.

“Sure, he is.” Dean chuckled, a chilling sound. “He’s worried he won’t get a piece of the money I’ve been smart enough to make. He’s a washed-up loser. There’s a reason I don’t want him anywhere near me.”

Of course. Xav knew AC had been lying all along, though he hadn’t been certain exactly about what. Dean might have originally joined up with this gang against his will, but it looked like he’d long ago thrown off his shackles and gladly risen through its ranks.

AC had probably heard how Dean had orchestrated the robbery from the money launderers, and planned for his own payout. AC had grabbed Xav, who was close to his own brother, and recruited Shifters, who were all about family, telling them the pathetic tale of wanting to reunite with Dean. He’d used Lindsay’s soft heart against her.

Lindsay realized this at the same time, because her pathetic pose evaporated. “You mean he played me?” she asked, voice rising in anger. “That son of a bitch.”

“You aren’t the first to be duped by my brother, honey,” Dean said. “He’s shit on me most of my life. The day he was carted off to prison was the happiest day I could remember. I wanted to thank the Escobars for putting him away, but now I want to shoot them for almost leading him to me.”

“Is that why you were helicoptering all over the desert?” Lindsay asked, as though merely curious. “To keep AC from finding you?”

Dean shook his head. “No, no, to look for good stashing places. When you acquire a lot of cash, people want to take it from you. I was hunting for a place to put it for safekeeping. All those old silver mines are great for hiding things in.”

“Did you find one?” Lindsay’s question held the eagerness of a woman dazzled by the thought of loads of loot.

Dean laughed. “If I had, I wouldn’t tell you, but no. The places we explored were too dangerous. It doesn’t help to leave your money somewhere that will cave in as soon as it rains hard enough. The mines can be useful for other things, though.”

Like disposing of bodies, Xav mused. His and Lindsay’s maybe.

Xav decided to come off the sidelines. He readied himself for a fight but strolled casually into the room, treading carefully on his bare feet.

“You okay, Linds?” he asked before acknowledging Dean’s presence.

“Yeah.” Lindsay’s expression became that of a scared woman worried about herself and her boyfriend. He saw the flicker of Shifter impatience in her eyes, but she hid it heroically. “You?”

“Fine.” Xav turned to Dean. “I guess we found you.”

“No, my man, I foundyou.” Dean grinned. “I had my guys track down who the hell was dogging us. I’d never heard of DX Security, but when I looked into it, I realized that Xavier and Diego Escobar had turned into hired guns. Respect.”

Xav shrugged. “It’s a living.”

Dean lost his smile, his face hardening. “Then I found out you were working for AC, my scummy brother. I couldn’t believe it. You put him away, now you’rehelpinghim? He was coming after me and my money, you idiot.”

Xav opened his hands. “What can I say? He appealed to our better natures, and we felt sorry for him. We had no idea of his true motives. So, why break into my house and take me and Lindsay? Leverage to make Diego throw AC to the wolves?”

“I only meant to grabyou, Escobar. We didn’t realize you’d brought your girlfriend home for some celebration. She saw my guys, so they brought her along.”

Xav lounged against the wall near the door, a vantage point from which he could assess the situation and decide what to do. He’d been well and truly tranqued on the drive here, so he had no idea how far they’d come. Might have been two hours, might have been two days. They could be just outside Las Vegas or two states away. Likely still in the southwestern deserts though, or it would be colder in the unheated warehouse.

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