Therian Prisoner(43)
“If any of Osric’s information is accurate.”
“He hates the cats more than we do. There’s no reason for him to lie.”
Nehema shook her head. “That’s not what I meant. There’s no way he has actually been inside any of those buildings. As you said, the bad blood between him and the Lashtons flows way back. It’s possible for his sources to be flawed.”
“Yeah well, the placement of the buildings is accurate. I was looking at satellite images when you walked in. Public records list Rocky Mountain Wildlife Rescue as the owner of four of the houses and Holt something-or-other owns the fifth.”
“Which one is Holt’s house?”
Zophiel indicated the house northwest of the sanctuary. “Why do you ask?”
“It’s the only one not directly linked to the Lashtons. If something happened there, they would have plausible deniability.”
“As long as Holt is willing to take the fall for them.” Zophiel scratched the tip of her nose as she considered the possibilities. “It’s as good a guess as any, I suppose.”
“What makes you think they took her out to the sanctuary anyway? Wouldn’t it be smarter to stash her in some nameless motel?”
“Cats like environments they can control. The sanctuary is in the middle of nowhere. Anyone that approaches can be seen for miles before they actually arrive. It’s a basic defense strategy.”
“Which all means nothing when you can fly.”
Zophiel grinned. She wasn’t sure if her wings were a gift from her father or a byproduct of her unusual definition. Either way, she enjoyed them immensely. “I’ll wait until dark and check it out.”
Chapter Seven
Lexxie blew a kiss to Jake then bounded into the passenger seat of Heather’s car. Jake’s gaze remained fixed on Heather as he stood leaning against the side of his SUV. World-weary insight made his dark eyes shimmer while the barest hint of a smile bowed his sensual lips. Heather offered him a distracted wave then pulled around the gas station so she could retrace her path along I-70. She didn’t have the time or energy to think about Jake right now.
“I don’t care if he is a cat.” Lexxie sighed dramatically and pressed her hand over her heart. “I really want to lick his whiskers.” She put enough emphasis on the last phrase to make it obvious it wasn’t his whiskers she wanted to lick.
Despite her determination to ignore Lexxie’s antics, Heather laughed. “Jake has that effect on a lot of women.”
“But not you?” Lexxie snapped her seatbelt into place then pivoted in her seat so she could look at Heather without craning her neck.
“I understand the appeal, but he’s a cat. End of story.”
“Yeah right.” Lexxie snorted. “You’ve never pictured him naked?”
Heat spread across Heather’s cheeks, so she quickly changed the subject. “How’s Dhane? Did his condition improve after all the energy?”
Lexxie’s features tensed and all the playfulness evaporated from her demeanor. “He still couldn’t release the shift, so the cats took him to some fancy vet. Apparently Dhane is stable, but no one can explain why he can’t transform.”
“Damn.” Heather tapped her thumbs against the steering wheel as she merged onto the busy highway. “What happens now?” Until Dhane was well enough to make decisions for himself, her only option was to leave his care to Landon. If she suddenly disappeared for days at a time, their father would become even more suspicious than he was already. Landon’s politics might be screwed up, but he still loved Dhane as much as she did.
“Landon said he’d send updates through me so your dad doesn’t throw a fit.”
“Good plan. Dad is sniffing around already. He knows something’s up.”
“But he doesn’t know what?” Lexxie sounded hopeful.
“This is Nate Fitzroy we’re talking about. He’ll figure it out. It’s just a matter of time.”
Lexxie faced forward and settled back in her seat. “No doubt. Your dad will scratch at anything until it bleeds.”
“Speaking of bleeding. Dad wants to hold an old-style competition with me as the prize.”
“You told him no, didn’t you?” Lexxie looked suitably mortified.
“Of course. That doesn’t mean he won’t do it anyway.”
Lexxie shuddered as she glanced out the window. “The hunters will tear each other apart for the right to yank down your pants. You’re the unattainable ice princess. Whoever finally pries your thighs apart will be a legend.”
“Charming description,” Heather muttered. “You know damn well my reputation is exaggerated.”