Foster slammed his fist against the table. Dale sat back and threaded his fingers behind his head.
"Bas, let's be real," Dale said. "Do I need to remind you what the congressman had to go through to get the last bill passed that you wanted? Your wolves would have lost federal protection if it weren't for Landon."
Foster choked on his coffee. He looked from Dale to me and back again. "Do you really want to discuss that right now?" Foster didn't seem to want to let the cat, er, the wolf out of the bag. He thought I was in the dark about who Dale and Bas really were.
Dale shot me a sinister smile. "Oh. This isn't mixed company, Congressman. Miss Winslow has lived in Wild Lake most of her life. She is well aware of what's at stake. Aren't you, Abby?"
I didn't like the attention one bit. I didn't care that Foster knew I knew about the wolves, but Dale certainly seemed to think I should. Foster leaned back, his lips parted slightly as he looked from Bas to me and back again. A slow blush crept up his neck that horrified me. His look turned lecherous, and Dale's smile widened. I sat back hard in my chair and slammed my own portfolio shut.
Bas put his hand on my knee. It had the unsettling effect of both calming me and stirring my blood all at once. But, Dale was trying to bait me, and no matter what else I knew, this was a fight between them.
"I don't know why the hell you called us out here. If you try passing that bill you're going to lose my support. I don't know how much clearer I can make my position. If you think you can survive the next election cycle without me, go ahead and try. Wild Lake Outfitters pretty much provides the tax base at the local level here. You can't hold the district if I choose to throw in with someone else, Landon."
"Sebastian, you have to compromise. You know I have to serve other interests besides yours. And this is a good bill. Surely you don't want to risk coming out against conservation so close to home. Going against me on this is going to cause you more of a backlash than it will me. Surely you can see that."
"You let me worry about my own backyard. This isn't about saving wetlands or spotted owls or anything else. This is you trying to control my home. You know it and I know it. And don't you dare try to throw the endangered list at me. I'm well aware of your efforts in that regard. And you aren't the one who made it happen. We've got sensible judges on the bench I can thank for that. But, make no mistake, when it comes down to it, I can and will protect my own. You keep thinking you are in some position to get in the way of that. There is no amount of legislation or paperwork that is going to matter to me if you come after me, Landon. My people have been here since long before you got here, and we'll be here long after you're gone. How soon that happens is up to you."
Bas rose and jerked his chin toward Brogan and Martel. As they rose, so did I. I couldn't help it; whatever unspoken command he gave to the others seemed to transmit to me too. Dale's eyes turned to cold steel, but I didn't move. Bas hesitated. His pinky finger brushed the side of my hand, and just that slight touch set off a starburst behind my chest. I gripped the edge of the table and swallowed hard. Then, Bas turned and walked out of the room with his pack members close behind.
Dale slammed his portfolio shut and rubbed his hand hard across his mouth. "He's bluffing," he shouted as soon as the conference room door shut. He took a breath, about to launch into a tirade, but Foster put up a hand to stop him.
"Not another word, Dale. You have grossly mismanaged this entire negotiation. Grace could have done a better job handling Lanier."
"Landon, you have to trust me." Color drained from Dale's face. He tugged at his tie and leaned forward, slumping at the shoulders. "This isn't over with him. Just give me a few days and I'll put something together."
"Enough. I don't want to hear anything you have to say. You though." Foster pointed a finger at me. "I'm beginning to think I'm going at this guy all wrong. From now on, I want Abby involved with every meeting and discussion we have on this project. If you're incapable of handling Lanier, let's see what she can do."
The air in my lungs seemed to have physical weight and dropped straight down. Dale's wolf eyes flashed and a corded muscle in his neck jumped. I read danger all over him again and had to keep my fingers curled around the table edge to fight off the urge to run. That same sick feeling settled in my bones as if Dale were giving off some kind of toxic signal. I knew now it had everything to do with Bas and whatever growing connection we shared. Dale meant danger. Bas meant safety.
"I'll look over the bill language again," I said. "See if there's some common ground we've missed."
Foster seemed placated for the moment, and I gathered my things and left the conference room. Dale gritted his teeth. I knew he didn't want to leave it at that, but I wasn't about to stick around long enough to let him get me alone again.
I blew past Grace's desk and headed straight for the elevators. "I'm going to down to the library," I said, waving the portfolio. Grace gave me a nod as the doors closed. As I got distance from Dale with each passing floor, my heart started to ease. Until finally, I almost felt normal again as I stepped off the elevator and headed into the parking lot. I didn't really need to go to the law library. I could have done my research at my desk. But, I couldn't fathom spending another second near Dale.
I made it half a block toward the bus stop before a black SUV pulled up alongside me. As the dark window rolled down, my heart raced again.
"We need to talk," Bas said, his eyes flashing both fire and ice.
Chapter Fifteen
I pulled the seatbelt across my lap just as Bas's tires squealed and I was rocketed back into my seat when he drove away from the curb.
"Are you all right?" he asked, nostrils flaring as he tore down the street, taking turns fast and hard.
I didn't know how to feel. My body thrilled at the nearness of him. I couldn't stand not touching him. And yet, I also felt like throttling him. He'd gone AWOL for nearly two weeks after everything that had happened. I could be indignant. Maybe I should have told him to drop me off at the nearest corner and keep right on driving. Except, I couldn't. No matter what happened, there was no point trying to hide what was happening inside of me. By the looks of his white-knuckled grip and the furious pulse beat in his temple, he couldn't hide what was going on inside of him either.
"I needed you." There it was. A strange thing to say maybe, but it was the truest thing I could think of.
He squeezed his eyes shut tight for an instant then stared back hard at the road. "I'm sorry. I had to take the pack north for a little while. We've had some . . . trouble. I wasn't really in a position to carry a cell phone. And I swear to God I didn't think it was going to take as long as it did. Plus, I don't know. I thought maybe you needed some space."
I don't know why, but I barked out a laugh. He didn't have to explain for me to understand what he meant. Whatever pack trouble kept him away, Bas had stayed in his wolf for most of it. It also explained the intensity of his stare. He seemed more animal than man right now, and I can't deny how it thrilled me. Still, I had questions. Lots of them. And there was something else. I'd kept myself under control for as long as I could up in the conference room. Now that it was just the two of us alone in that car, I had to touch him. I reached across the console and laid a hand on his thigh. A frisson went through me, making my heart jump. A tremor went through Bas's right hand as he gripped the wheel.
I don't know where he intended to take me, but he made a sharp, screeching turn and parked behind an abandoned gas station beneath a highway overpass. He jammed the car in park then turned to face me, his eyes flashing fire.
"God. You don't know how badly I've wanted to be with you. I am sorry. I would have gotten word to you, but everyone I trusted was with me."
"Is everything all right? With the pack, I mean?" I kept my hand on his thigh. I tried to focus on his face, his words, but desire coursed through me. It was as if I'd been starving and Bas was some sort of buffet. I could pretend the things we said to each other mattered, but the simple truth was, I craved his touch more than anything.
Bas searched my face. He reached out and slid his palm along my jaw. I closed my eyes and turned into it. He was flame and light, heat and life. I brought my hand up and placed it over his.