24. Miles

TWENTY-FOUR

MILES

Blayne handed an earpiece to Celina. "This is how you'll hear what we say."

Celina took the tiny earbud and looked at it apprehensively. "It's so small. How will I get it back out? It's not gonna, like, get lodged in my brain or something, right?"

Blayne chuckled. "No. See this little wire here? That's what you grab to pull it back out. It has to be small, so no one else can see it. With your hair down, nobody will be able to tell that you have it in or see the pull wire. Trust me, it's safe."

I stood behind Blayne, watching as Celina slipped the earpiece in. We'd already put a small wireless microphone on the belt loop of her jeans. Both devices had batteries that would last up to a couple hours. We'd used them before and found it to be a great way to track conversations between people at a distance. All I was worried about was that Celina would be going in alone.

Felicity had contacted her and asked about doing brunch this morning. We'd started planning immediately. Finding the right equipment was easy. The hard part would be getting the details out of Felicity. Last night, Tate and I had spent over an hour working with Celina, giving her pointers on how to draw information out. I wasn't entirely sure she would be up to the task. Even people who were experienced in stuff like this tended to let nerves get to them. Celina was untrained. Not only that, she had a hard time with uncomfortable conversations. Celina would not be meeting up with Felicity if it were up to me.

I'd voiced that concern to Celina, but she had been adamant that she wanted to do this.

"Miles, I want to help you. This is one way I can. We'll be in public, and I'll have all four of you guys nearby in case things fall apart," she'd said last night in bed before we fell asleep.

She was right. We would be nearby, but something was gnawing at the back of my head. I couldn't shake the feeling that this was all too dangerous. For her part, Celina looked as cool as ice. I knew her well enough at this point to know her mind was probably going a mile a minute, but on the outside, she looked totally fine.

"Okay," Tate said, taking a seat next to Blayne. "Do you remember what we discussed?"

She nodded. "I think so."

"Vague questions about her family. Try to bring up her dad. Don't let her know what you know. Talking about parents is pretty tame stuff, and that shouldn't throw her guard up. Most of what she says will probably be a lie, and we expect that. But if we get enough information out of her, we can try and use it. Maybe she'll sprinkle the truth in along with the lies. We won't know what helps lead us to her father until later. All you're going to do is draw the conversation out."

"I can do that." I smiled at the confidence in her voice. "This isn't really my line of work, but I'll do my best."

I looked at her and said, "Imagine this is one of your stories. You're the heroine trying to save the day."

Excitement lit in her eyes. "You're right. That does help. You can trust me; I can handle this."

I hoped she was right.

We sent her on her way fifteen minutes before the scheduled brunch date. The bodyguard still trailed her, but instead of using one of the black company sedans, he drove his personal car. We wanted to make sure there was no way any hunters watching would know Celina had someone on her tail. I'd wanted to be the guy in the car, but I'd been overruled. The hunters knew all four of our faces for sure. They'd spot me a mile away. I'd reluctantly agreed, knowing they were right. I put all my faith in Celina to get out of this safely. Instead, we loaded the audio equipment into a nondescript van and parked it about two blocks away. We were probably a thirty-second sprint from the restaurant, but I felt like I was on the other side of the world.

I sat in the back of the van with the guys and listened to the audio coming through Celina's mic. Terry, her bodyguard, was one of our best, and I trusted him to do the job right. He was on the same frequency as Celina's radio so he could call in the moment he saw anything weird.

"Celina's pulling in the parking lot. All clear," Terry radioed.

I leaned forward, clenching my hands between my legs. Every second she was out of my sight, the more worried I got. There was a burning sensation in my chest from stress-induced acid reflux.

"Calm down, Miles," Celina whispered into her microphone.

I couldn't help but relax a little. Steff looked at me and smirked. "She already knows you pretty well, huh?"

I nodded. "Even five miles away, she can tell I'm freaked the fuck out." It was scary how in sync we were already.

"She's walking inside now," Terry said.

My smile slipped off my face when I heard Felicity's voice on the radio.

"Celina? Over here."

I felt powerless as I sat and listened to them exchange pleasantries. Simple words back and forth. Still, I got the sense that things were on a razor's edge. Ready to fall over one side or the other at the slightest provocation.

"You look good. I'm glad to see you're still in one piece," Felicity said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Celina asked, and she sounded truly confused.

"Well, it's been almost a week since I saw you last. I'd have thought Miles would have tried to ravage and take advantage of you by now."

I clenched my jaws, anger flooding through me. I could hear the insinuation in her words. Was she talking about sex? Sure, but also the bestial side of me. Like I was some animal that would devour her.

"Miles is a gentleman. He's patient with me. I don't really understand why you feel the way you do about him."

Felicity snorted a laugh. "Sweetie, he's still a man. All men are the same. They want to shove their dick in all your holes, get what they want, and then leave you out to dry. They're dogs, plain and simple."

Celina didn't respond to that. A deep breath hissed out of her nose. I could almost see her trying to keep her anger hidden. I hoped she was successful. We needed Felicity to think nothing was wrong.

"So, how was your time with your mom?" Celina asked. Her voice was wooden and clipped, but I could tell she was trying to sound as normal as possible.

"Oh, it was fantastic. We went and shopped downtown. Prada, Louis Vuitton, all the high-end places. Honestly, I can't believe you don't treat yourself to more nice things. The money you make with those books is more than enough to get some designer clothes or luggage or something."

"Money isn't the main thing in life. I guess when you grow up with basically nothing, you go one of two ways. Make up for it by doing everything you can to buy the things you never had, or you decide the things you didn't have weren't that important and don't bother with them. That's kind of where I am, I think. It's fun to be able to afford what you need and not have to worry if you have to decide between paying your heating bill or buying ramen for dinner. I work hard for my money, and I think I should spend it on more meaningful things."

I widened my eyes in surprise. Tate glanced over at me. "Your girl can be feisty."

I nodded and wanted to grin, but I couldn't. I was too engrossed in the conversation. Felicity didn't seem to have a response to that. It would have been nice to have a camera. I'd have loved to see the bitch's face.

"I guess we see things differently," Felicity finally said.

The tone of her voice was all wrong. Something had changed. My wolf and I both tensed, and I could tell the others heard it, too. Blayne slid to the edge of his chair and frowned—Tate and Steff reacted similarly.

"I really hoped we'd be more like-minded, Celina. I guess you've already been swayed," Felicity said. Her whole voice changed. She was being hostile and cold now. The real Felicity was coming out now or, more accurately, the real Mariana.

"What do you mean?" Celina asked.

"I mean, the people you've surrounded yourselves with are nuisances. You may not want to believe it, but you're keeping bad company. There's no reason to associate with people like that. If you let me, I could introduce you to people who really understand the world. Who could show you the way things really are. People with connections, power, and influence. You shouldn't be thinking small. Lilly Valley is a shit hole. A dead-end town that doesn't deserve you."

"Really?" Celina asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "And where the hell do you see me going?"

"Denver, first of all. That way, you can meet the people who will tell you the truth. People who know what kind of person Miles and his filthy fucking friends really are. They can lift the veil from your eyes. Denver. That's where this story starts for you."

Blayne and I locked eyes. "Denver? It was that close the whole time?" he asked.

"I guess so," I said, pulling my headset off.

"I'm on it. I'll see what I can find." Blayne spun around and began typing furiously on his laptop.

I couldn't help but grin. It wasn't a big hint, but it was a hint nonetheless. Felicity had possibly given us the info we needed to narrow our search. It was a little disconcerting that the organization was just an hour down the road. Tate waved at me frantically to put my headset back on. I jammed it onto my head.

"...the city's great. All my guys love it there. Real men. Men who understand the world. I bet I could find one of them for you."

I gritted my teeth. I wanted to reach through my headset and strangle the woman with my bare hands.

"Your guys?" Celina said. "What exactly does that mean, Felicity?"

She was silent before laughing the question off. "Oh, you know. Friends. They're like family. More than family, since we all have a common goal."

"And that is?" Celina asked, her voice now quiet and hesitant.

"Ridding the world of scum, of course. I thought it was obvious. Are we still playing some game here, Celina?"

Things were going sideways fast. My wolf growled, and my own lips peeled back in a snarl. For obvious reasons, Terry wasn't included on the audio feed from Celina. He was a great guy, but like the rest of our team, he had no idea about me and the guys' secret. I clicked over to his channel to give him an update. "Terry? Things are getting a little weird. Be ready. Are we still all clear?"

"All good, boss. No sign of anyone. I'm ready. Seat belt off, door cracked, pistol cocked, locked, and ready to rock. Give the word, and I'm out."

"Okay, stay ready."

"What game are you talking about?" Celina asked.

"Do you believe unnatural creatures should be allowed to exist?"

"Unnatural? What do you mean? Murderers? Child molesters?"

Felicity laughed. It was more of a humorless bark than a true laugh—bitter and irritated. "Can we stop this? You know. And I know that you know. Stop playing this stupid little game. I know your mongrel boyfriend is listening in right now."

"Fuck," Tate shouted and looked at me.

The panic in my voice was almost as great as what I felt inside. I clicked over. "Terry? Get in there. Get in now."

Silence. All four of us looked at each other, and an empty, sinking feeling started to swell in my stomach.

Steff got on the radio. "Terry, goddamn it, respond. We need you in there."

Silence again. Then a burst of audio from the radio headset. "Who is that?" Celina's voice said, quivering with fear.

"A friend of mine. He's here to help," Felicity said.

The headset was off my head, and I was out of the truck less than a second later. My feet slammed the ground as I ran. Things had gone bad. As wrong as they possibly could have been. I didn't even try to hide my supernatural speed. I raced down the alley faster than any Olympic sprinter who had ever lived. I took the corner and angled to the restaurant. I saw Terry slumped in the parking lot next to his car. A knot of fear jerked tight in my chest, but I had no time to check on him. I could only hope he was knocked out and not dead.

I could see through the front door and glass window of the restaurant. Celina and Felicity were at a table right by the window. A big, younger man stood at the table, towering over Celina. My shifter eyes, better than any human's, spotted the gun in his waistband. I amped up speed and burst through the restaurant door right as the guy grabbed Celina's arm and tried to lift her out of the seat.

In two quick steps, I was on him. I chopped a hand down on the wrist of the hand that was grabbing Celina. I slammed my hand into his throat, hitting him below his Adam's apple with the webbing between my thumb and forefinger. He gagged, and his eyes bulged, croaking as he tried to scream while the muscle in his throat convulsed. I yanked his arm around his back and twisted. To prevent his arm from breaking, he had to bend over fast. The movement caused him to slam his own head into the table. I held him there and grabbed his other hand, so he couldn't reach for the gun. I sniffed the air. There was a weird scent in the air that I couldn't quite place.

Before I could trace the source, there was an explosion of sound from the patrons and workers of the restaurant—shouting and calling for help. I tuned them all out and looked at Celina. "You okay?"

She nodded, looking shaken.

"What the hell are you doing?" Felicity screamed, jumping up from her chair.

"He was putting his hands on me." Celina pointed out. "Why was he assaulting me?"

"He's my bodyguard, that's all. He was here to…uh…escort us home."

I sneered at her, but before I could say anything, Celina beat me to it. "And why the hell do you need a bodyguard?"

Felicity's face went pale as she realized all her lies had piled up so high she couldn't keep balancing them, and the whole thing was starting to fall over.

Celina stood and glared at Felicity. "Are we still playing some game?" Celina said, mocking Felicity with her own words from earlier.

I reached into the guy's waistband and slipped his gun out, sliding it into Celina's purse, being careful that no one in the restaurant saw it. What the hell was that scent? I glanced around, trying to find the source. It smelled faintly of a shifter, but how could that be possible? Tate? Was he here already? I let the guy go, and he stumbled onto his knees, still fighting to get his breath back as he clutched at his throat. He'd be fine, but he was no longer a threat.

I nodded to him and looked at Felicity. "Handle your men better next time." I pointed at the guy. "Because if it looks like anyone tries to harm Celina again, that will be the least of what I do to them."

Felicity glowered at me. "Fucking mutts. Always somewhere they aren't wanted."

She turned to look at Celina, a smile spreading easily across her face. My body went cold, seeing how quickly she was able to put the mask on. The smile was warm, sweet, and looked real. The way she was able to switch it on was terrifying.

"Celina, I'm so sorry about all this. I'll get in touch when your little dog isn't around to sniff on the floor and hump your leg."

Celina shook her head. "What is wrong with you?"

Felicity grabbed her purse, and walked over to the guy. She put an arm under his armpit and helped him stand. He held his throat and glared at me as he walked out with her. I stared right back at him, and then stared daggers at Felicity's back as she left.

"Hey, you all need to get out of here, or I'm calling the damned cops," the server yelled. There was a chorus of agreement from everyone else in the restaurant.

I put my arm around Celina and walked her to the door. Once outside, I saw Tate and Steff kneeling in the parking lot with Terry. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Terry leaning against the car, holding a hand to his head. Blood trickled from a cut at his temple, but otherwise, he looked okay. Tate saw me and gave a nod.

I led Celina away toward the surveillance van. Blayne opened the door for us. Once we were inside and safe, Celina started to tremble. I pulled her close, wrapping her arms around her.

"She was so cold. Did you see that?" Celina asked. "The look in her eyes made my skin crawl."

"You were fantastic. I know it was hard. I'm sorry it didn't go as planned."

She sighed. "I felt dirty the whole time I was talking to her. I've never experienced something like that. And all her lies? I don't know why she was still trying to keep the story going."

"She's desperate to keep the connection with you. She's using you. I think she's also still holding out hope that she can sway you to her side. Bring you into the fold and get you to help them."

Celina made a disgusted sound. "Yeah. And I don't believe that guy was there to only walk us back to our cars or something."

"No," I said, a cold fist of fear clenching in my stomach. "He was there to help Felicity make her move. Us being there made her plan backfire." I took Celina's chin in my hand gently and tilted her face toward mine. "I promise, no matter what it takes, I'm not letting Felicity get her hands on you."

Celina smiled and nodded, then rested her head against my chest. I looked over at Blayne, and saw the worry on his face. He was thinking what I was thinking. Today had been close. Too fucking close. I'd made a vow to Celina. I had every intention of keeping it, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I prayed I could do what I'd promised.