Page 48 of His to Claim
She was definitely nervous, her lower lip even quivering. “I don’t…”
“You can trust me if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Laughing, she darted a glance into my eyes. “I think you just might be the only person I can trust.”
“Then talk to me.”
She folded one arm over the other, searching my eyes. “I’m searching for information, the kind that Mr. Montenegro likely wouldn’t be happy for me to find. My guess is that’s why those assholes were at the bar last night. A nice little warning.”
I snarled and took two long strides in her direction. “What the fuck are you doing? Are you working undercover?”
“Only for me.” She shook her head. “Don’t chastise me, Stone. Since you seem to know all about my life, you have to accept that I’m damn good at what I do. I know the minds of criminals, how they think and what they hunger for.”
“You’re certain about that?” I challenged.
A warm flush crept along her jawline. “I’m not certain of anything any longer.”
“If you’re not working undercover, what are you looking for? Do you have some personal vendetta against Montenegro? You must know what the owner and his son have been accused of in the past.”
“I know very well, Stone. I spent months researching them before I decided on this wild goose chase. Yes, this is personal, which is why I quit my job.”
“Jesus Christ, Vanessa. My father used to tell me that secrets were capable of destroying lives no matter how small.”
“Yeah? Your father was a wise man. Secrets have burned a hole in me since I was a child.”
“Then let me help you,” I said quietly. I could see the indecisiveness in her expression, the slight quiver of her arms. What had happened in her childhood that would continue haunting her to this degree? “I know people in this town. I can help you get answers.”
“Why are you back in Denver, Stone? You were on your way to an amazing career as a doctor.”
Sighing, I took another gulp of the beer, suddenly loathing the flavor. “My father asked me to come back and take over. He was very ill.”
“If I remember correctly, you father was a doctor, which would mean you needed to finish your education in order to take over.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that.”
“Then you should be interning at one of the Denver hospitals. Being a doctor is all you talked about. It’s what you love. The hospitals are damn good from what I’ve heard,” she said, offering a slight smile.
“My life is just as complex as yours appears to be.”
“Secrets.”
I tipped my bottle in her direction. “We all have them.”
We remained quiet for almost a full minute.
“You do know the press will eventually find out your name. They will hound you for what happened.” I offered the words casually.
She laughed softly. “I have no intentions of telling them anything, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’ve played enough games in my life with members of the press. I don’t need them on my back for any reason.”
I nodded, more relieved than I cared to believe.
“But I’m going to ask you something and I want an honest answer. Tell me about wolves.” Her voice was much stronger than before, her eyes lit up as if she’d just uncovered a deep, dark secret.
The question wasn’t one I’d expected, although I’d realized that if Max was correct, she would eventually succumb to our combined desperate needs, hungers that refused to be denied. “Wolves?” I allowed myself to laugh, even though the sound held no sincerity. “There are definitely wild wolves and other creatures lurking in the forest and mountains. Why?”
“I’m not talking about that kind of wolf.” She made the statement in such a matter of fact way I was unable to tell if she was jesting or not. There’d always been rumors about werewolves living in the wild surrounding Denver and other cities, mostly folklore that created fantastic stories and nothing more. However, there’d also been a group of people insisting that wolves were preparing to take over, destroying humanity.
Thank God, the majority of people thought those in the wayward group were nutcases.