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Instead of answering his question, she said “Lucas, you need to come home. Now!” She sounded upset. And congested, as if she’d been crying.
“What happened? Are the girls okay?”
“No! I mean, yes, they’re fine. But when Nathan and I dropped by your parents’ place for dinner tonight, Taylor shifted right in front of him!”
Chapter 20
Malia was in her cabin, getting ready for bed while Lucas was over at his place, reading his girls their bedtime story, when her cellphone rang.
The Caller ID was ORNELAS, ERNESTO.
Ernie and his family were jaguar shifters and lifelong residents of Bearpaw Ridge. They owned and operated the Ornelas Organic Dairy, which was becoming well-known for its butter and cheeses. Rob had been shot on an undeveloped section of their property.
“Hi Ernie,” she said. “Is everything okay?”
“Hey, Malia, I’m really sorry to call you when you’re off duty,” Ernie said. “But since you’re the one investigating your brother’s shooting, I wanted to let you know I found a couple of newly-installed trail cams and a whole bunch of bear bait today right around that huckleberry patch.”
“Thank you,” she said, grabbing for a notepad and pen. “And you haven’t given anyone permission to hunt on your property?” Excitement shot through her. It wasn’t bear hunting season, so whoever was baiting was a poacher.
This might be the break I need to solve my brother’s shooting!
Ernie snorted. “Hell no. You know I don’t like Ordinaries with guns roaming my land. After the last bit of trouble, I posted No Trespassing and No Hunting signs all along Lynx Creek Road, and all along my other property lines. These guys got no excuse—they know they’re on my land.”
“Ernie, can you do me a favor? Don’t touch those cameras or go near the area for the next few days. I think your trespassers may be the same poachers who shot Rob. They’re armed and extremely dangerous.”
He snorted. “Malia, I’m ajaguar. They’ll never see me coming. I just wanted to give you the heads-up in case a couple of hunters end up dead due to an animal attack.”
“Ernie, please. I know you can handle yourself, but these particular guys nearly killed my brother. I want them to go to prison and spend the rest of their lives locked up behind bars. Please let me and the other trained law enforcement officers deal with them.”
He sighed and capitulated. “Okay. But just because it’s your brother and you have the right to avenge him. You need backup?”
“I’ll call Gage if I need help. First thing tomorrow, I’ll go over to the site to stake it out.”
“Happy hunting,” Ernie said. “I look forward to hearing all about it.”
He ended the call, and she finished undressing.
Her mind was whirling with the news. Should she begin her stakeout now?
Then she remembered that Lucas was planning to hunt with Bickham and Silvers tomorrow.
If her mate really was in cahoots with the two of them, she couldn’t say or do anything to tip him off.
All she could do was pray that Gage and Kymberlie were wrong about the level of Lucas’s involvement with his hunting companions.
And that if they showed up to hunt on Ernie’s land tomorrow, Lucas wouldn’t be with them.
* * *
“Oh, shit,” Lucas said, beginning to pace through his cabin. “How’d Nathan react?”
“How do youthinkhe reacted?” Emily asked despairingly. “Lucas, you have to come homeright awayand help me deal with this!”
“What is it that you need me to do?” Lucas asked his ex-wife.
“I don’tknow!What if Nathan divorces me because of what happened tonight?” She sniffled loudly. “I love our girls, you know I do, but the…weirdness…makes everything so much harder! All I ever wanted was a normal life with a normal guy!”
Lucas drew a deep breath and prayed for patience. “How’d you handle the situation?”
