Page 10 of Perfectly Leashed
He scanned the interior, windows smudged with handprints, fast food wrappers littering the floor. Luca opened the car door to search for the key. Under the mat was a common place to hide it., but it wasn’t there.
“Where’s the driver?” Chopper asked when he approached.
“Dunno.” Luca flipped the visor down. Nothing. The car could be towed without one, but having the key made things a lot easier. No sign of the owner. No keys.
Chopper leaned in close. “Feels off, hermano.”
“I was just starting to come to that conclusion,” Luca said under his breath. He eased out of the car and closed the door. “I feel eyes on us.”
Pine trees pressed close on both sides, the woods tight with summer heat.
A flicker of movement, impossible to pin down. It was too big for a bird, too fast for a squirrel, but it was just enough to put his nerves on edge. Time ticked by quietly. A woodpecker stuttered loudly somewhere in the branches, a bad soundtrack for the mounting chill in Luca’s gut.
He scanned left then right, tracking movement along the brush line. More rustling, along with a flash of something dark. It didn’t matter who, or what, was out there. Nothing good skulked in the woods mid-morning on an empty road. “You seeing the movement?”
“Clocking it.” Chopper pulled his shirt aside to free his gun. “We expecting company?”
“Not until lunch.” Luca drew his Sig, rolling his shoulders loose.
Something pricked along his skin. He scanned the tree line, picking out a flicker of movement—a flash of denim, maybe, on a shape ducking low behind a fallen cedar.
Luca pulled his phone free, and with one hand, he fired off a text to Santiago, one of the pack enforcers.
Spider tingles activated. Might be tangled in a web. Bring a few flame throwers. Then he dropped a pin for their exact location.
The pack had had too many incidents on back roads not to take precautions. Mostly dealing with guns and bad luck. Just three weeks ago, Cesar, a packmate, and his elegido had been shot at then pinned down in a derelict barn. Another packmate, Miguel, and his elegido, Jared, had nearly been run off the road. Suero, along with his elegido, Kia, with his cousin Jared in the car, had been pinned down by hyenas shooting tranquilizer darts at them.
Rico, the alpha of the hyenas, was dead, but still, the thought of one of those darts hitting Luca made his blood run cold.
“Don’t like this,” he muttered, low so only Chopper could hear. “I was set up.”
“Piss anyone off lately?”
“Every customer who’s tried to rip me off or accused me of shoddy work, but I doubt a Prius owner is sneaking through the woods right now.” Luca steadied his breathing, every sense tuned to the hush of the threat settling around them.
Chopper crept around the trunk, eyes narrowed as he scanned the woods. “Movement, two o’clock.”
Luca glanced once at him, silent understanding passing between them. He’d been hoping for an easy morning, a greasy burger, and enjoying whatever time Darcy wanted to spend with him. Instead, he waited, tension gathering, ready for whatever the brush decided to spit out.
Chapter Three
“Never thought I’d wish I had some dogs with me,” Darcy murmured, staring at the tavern from across the street. He’d passed this place a few times but never had the desire to go inside.
There were only a handful of motorcycles out front instead of the massive lineup he’d seen once or twice. No music was blaring, and people weren’t spilling out the door.
The street was pretty quiet, with only a few cars passing by. Darcy shifted from one foot to the other, wondering if Luca was already inside. Since he didn’t know what the guy drove, Darcy would have to enter the place to find out.
“Here’s to hoping I don’t completely embarrass myself.” He waited for a red pickup to pass before he crossed the street and opened the tavern door. He wasn’t about to stand there and debate for another ten minutes.
Darcy was starving and hoped the food was good. Something smelled fantastic—fried onion rings and chicken if he wasn’t mistaken.
The interior was dim, making him pause until his eyes adjusted from being out in the bright sun.
To his left were tables and chairs, to his right was the bar. Scanning the room, Darcy didn’t see Luca. But he did spot a familiar face. “Percy?”
The blond glanced up from a plate of nachos, a stunned look on his face. “What’s my pizza delivery guy doing here?” His brows knitted. “I didn’t mentally place an order, did I? Sweet fucking rainbows. Now I’m telepathically ordering food.”
Darcy snickered. “No, you didn’t beam an order to the restaurant with your mind. I’m meeting someone for lunch.” Maybe Luca had an emergency at the shop that was keeping him.
