Betrayed: Days of the Rogue (35 page)

The police cruiser in front of her
pulled away, and Eve moved her car into place. Mike had now rounded
the pumps to talk to the men in the grey car, and Gordie… She
looked around for him and saw that he was inside talking on the
phone and drinking from a can of soda. Deciding both men might be a
while, she climbed out of the car to get her own gas. Yep, full
service was great unless you were in a hurry. She opened the tank,
inserted the nozzle and began to idly eavesdrop on Mike’s
conversation.

“You’re looking for Rafe McRae’s
place? Sure, I know where it is. Not many places around here that
I’m not familiar with. It’s real easy to find. You just…”

Eve stiffened upon hearing Rafe
mentioned. Why were these men looking for him? Not that it was any
concern of hers, but they didn’t look like the type who would be
renting a fishing cabin. She shifted her position slightly so she
could peek at the occupants again.

Their faces would likely crack if
they ever tried to smile, and they were all big, bulky types with
muscles layered over muscles. For some reason, they reminded her of
thugs.

A cold feeling washed over her. Did
Rafe owe them some money? Was that why he’d been set on closing the
cabins so quickly? Her heart began to race as she pictured two of
the men holding Rafe’s arms while the third rammed a fist into his
stomach.

She swallowed hard and wondered if
they had guns. Inching closer, she tried to look down into the
vehicle, almost gasping out loud when she saw a picture of Damien
clipped to the front of a folder that one of the men was
holding.

What was going on? Her mind racing,
she stepped back, not wanting to be caught snooping. Rafe had
always told her to stay away from Damien. Was he some sort of
criminal? There was a certain dark edge about the man, yet at the
same time he seemed broken and vulnerable.

Eve bit her lip; she really wanted
to know what was going on. Feeling slightly guilty, she lowered her
mental wall, searching for some sense of the men’s emotions. All
she wanted was a quick look, some reassurance that everything was
okay. Once she had that, she’d put the wall back in place and mind
her own business. Forcing herself to relax, she opened up her mind,
letting it stretch and spread out, ready to absorb the subtle
emotional waves that people continually gave off. Strangely enough,
there was nothing coming from the men. There was no sense of
emotion at all. That was odd. She took a deep breath and tried
again yet still picked up on nothing.

The gas pump clicked off indicating
she’d filled her tank. Distractedly, she put the nozzle back in
place and replaced the cap. She couldn’t read these men, just like
she couldn’t read Rafe or Damien. Could they be Fae as well? She
frowned, trying to make sense of things.

Hadn’t Rafe said there were very
few Fae left in the world? And yet here was a whole carload of
them. Including herself and Rafe, that made five empaths all within
the confines a small town like Grassy Hills. That seemed an awfully
large percentage to her.

She reached into her car and pulled
out her purse so she could pay for the gas, still trying to puzzle
through the situation.

Why would Rafe have lied about the
prevalence of Fae in the population? And why did those men have
Damien’s picture? Had Rafe lied about Damien as well? Was Damien in
fact another empath? But what made him dangerous enough that three
large men were needed to deal with him?

Question after question swirled
through her mind.

“Hey, Eve. How’s it going?”

She gave a start when Mike spoke to
her. The grumpy looking stranger was climbing back into his car; he
must have paid while she was lost in thought.

“I’m fine, Mike.” Eve nodded
towards the car that was now pulling out of the lot.
“Tourists?”

“Friends of Dr. McRae’s, or so they
say. Mind you they weren’t overly friendly.” Mike shrugged and
dismissed them. “Did you hear the news?”

“What news?” She watched as Gordie
appeared, and began to check her tire pressure while blatantly
listening in on their conversation. He blushed when he caught her
looking at him and she gave him a small smile before looking away.
No point in encouraging the boy.

“Duffy told me there’s been a loco
wolf sighted in the area. Everyone’s supposed to stay inside until
it’s caught. Some special group of wolf hunters will be coming into
town to capture it.”

“Really?” She tried to appear
surprised; that must be what Rafe had meant when he said a wildlife
group would take care of the rogue.

“Yep. You better stay inside with
your doors locked until they catch the animal.”

Eve agreed, paid for her gas and
thanked Mike and Gordie for the service. Once behind the steering
wheel she pursed her lips. She should head out of town and continue
her journey to Calgary, but she really wanted to know what was
going on with Rafe and Damien and the three men. For one moment she
hesitated, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, and then
turned the vehicle towards Rafe’s.

In her rear view mirror she caught
a glimpse of Gordie watching her, a surprised expression on his
face. Likely he thought she was heading the wrong way for someone
going to Calgary!

Eve followed behind the grey car,
staying far enough back that she could just barely keep it in view.
When it turned down the private road to Rafe’s cabins she slowed
and then pulled off the road. What should she do now? Despite the
spring rain, a car travelling down a dirt road still kicked up a
trail of dust; there was no way she could continue to follow them
surreptitiously.

But…she grinned as an idea came to
mind. Did it have to be secretive? Couldn’t she boldly appear and
knock on Rafe’s door? She’d left some of her finished art pieces
and painting supplies there. Why not claim she’d belatedly
remembered that she needed them? Once inside, Rafe would have a
hard time
not
introducing her and who knew what clues she
might overhear.

Pleased with her plan, she headed
towards Rafe’s.

Frustratingly, her grand idea hit a
snag about half a mile later. Her car started to pull to the right
and soon the distinctive ca-thunk sound of flat tire could be
heard. Turning off the engine, Eve climbed out and rounded the
vehicle to stare at the front tire. It was as flat as the birthday
cake she’d tried to bake last year. She let loose a string of
expletives and kicked the offending tire, feeling only marginally
better for the venting.

Now what was she supposed to do?
She dragged her fingers through her hair. Calling Rafe was an
option, one she didn’t relish. Or she could walk to his place; that
would still give her the element of surprise. Mike’s warning about
staying inside until the wolf was caught came to mind, and she
shivered, recalling the last time she’d been travelling this
stretch of road. It hadn’t been too far from here that the rogue
wolf had chased her.

Eve looked about nervously, noting
how the trees towered overhead, and the clouds partially blocked
the sun. It was barely noon, so the sun wouldn’t be setting for a
while, but hadn’t the weather forecaster spoke of the likelihood of
rain? Perhaps walking wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Rubbing her arms with her hands,
she stared at the flat tire. She’d never changed one before and
hadn’t the vaguest notion of how to even begin. Her car was old and
who knew when one of the wheels was last taken off. Even if she
could figure out the instructions to operate the jack, chances were
she wouldn’t be strong enough to undo the bolts.

Reluctantly, she climbed back in
the car like any sensible person would do. Rafe had called her
reckless and impulsive, but see? She wasn’t always; it was only
when he was driving her crazy. Pulling out her cell phone, she
called Mike Privet. Not only did he own the local gas station, but
he had the tow truck contract with the auto club as well.

When he answered, she explained her
predicament.

“Gee, I’m sorry Eve, it will be at
least an hour or more before I can come and get you. Gordie’s on
his lunch break, and if I leave there’s no one here to man the
pumps. Usually Monica would help out, but the kids have the ’flu
and—”

“That’s okay, Mike. I understand.
I’ll wait here for you.”

“Sorry, Eve. I’ll be there as soon
as I can.”

Eve accepted his apology and ended
the call before miming beating her head against the steering wheel.
Things like this only happened to her. So much for her sleuthing
skills and figuring out what Rafe was up to. Now her only hope was
that Mike arrived before the grey car with the wannabe thugs came
back this way. Even if they were empaths, she didn’t relish meeting
up with them by herself. Checking that the car doors were locked,
she hunkered down in her seat and pulled a book out of her purse
and began to read to pass the time.

Chapter 35

Damien prowled through the woods,
his steps making no sound. It was a skill he’d mastered years ago
and was proving to be especially useful right now when he couldn’t
travel as a wolf. Having no real idea where Eve was, he didn’t dare
chance being vulnerable to her empathic skills. If she were to read
his emotional state at the moment it could ruin everything.

When he’d arrived at Rafe’s he’d
been surprised that no one was around. It was out of character,
based on what he’d observed over the past week. Eve’s car had been
gone, too. There weren’t many places to go in the area; they might
have travelled into Grassy Hills or perhaps over to Eve’s cabin.
He’d decided to check Eve’s place first and was presently making
his way there. He chuckled wryly to himself. All the planning and
surveillance that had gone into this operation might have been for
nothing simply because the main player did something unexpected. Of
course, that would never happen in a movie; fictional characters
always stayed where they were supposed to be!

He consoled himself with the
knowledge that Eve would eventually return. All he had to do was be
patient. Unfortunately, wherever she went, Rafe was always close
by. The man was determined to protect her, and that couldn’t be
allowed. It was a point he’d considered several times and had even
mentioned during his last check-in call. The solution that was
suggested had been simple. Take him out.

Easier said than done, Damien
mused. Rafe wasn’t a trained Enforcer, but he’d done his time at
the Academy and kept himself in peak condition. It was possible to
best the man, just not as simple as those pen-pushers would like to
believe.

A distant sound, unnatural to the
woods, reached his ears, and he paused, cocking his head to the
side in order to hear better. The drone of a vehicle on the road.
He slipped behind a tree and crouched down low so he was hidden
from view.

The woods grew on gently rolling
land, and he was presently on a slight swell, the road dipping down
below, giving him a vantage point from which to watch. Soon a grey
car came around the bend, three men inside. A slight breeze was
blowing his way, and he was able to pick up on their scents.
Lycans. But not ones he knew. They weren’t likely to be friends of
Rafe’s; from what he’d gathered, the man wasn’t advertising his
location. Enforcers? No, he knew most of them. Perhaps Rogue
Retrieval?

While not unexpected, their arrival
still brought a curse of his lips. So it had finally come to this.
Clenching his fists, he growled and bared his teeth; they didn’t
know what they were about to face.

As the car disappeared from view,
he got to his feet. If Rogue Retrieval was here, there was no time
to waste. He’d have to find Eve quickly. He picked up his pace,
putting less emphasis on silence and more on speed.

What would he do if they approached
him? Simply fall in with their plans or go down fighting? It was a
point he’d considered on sleepless nights. Intellectually, he knew
cooperating with them would be more fruitful, but his gut protested
the very idea; hadn’t Reno always told him to go with his gut?

Reno. Did the man know what a
screwed up mess his former partner was now in? Life and death;
revenge and honour and duty. They all twisted around in his soul,
and he’d yet to decide which path to take. It had been so simple at
first…

Ten months after Beth’s death, he’d
finally been tracked down. Stinking drunk, he’d barely been able to
hold his own in the alley brawl he’d landed himself in. Six gang
members had him cornered, planning on having fun with the
apparently intoxicated man they’d found weaving down the street. He
should have been able to take them, but given the fact he was
seeing double his blows weren’t as effective as they should have
been.

A direct hit to his gut had left
him doubled over and gasping for air when a shadowy shape had
unexpectedly appeared. It had begun to toss his assailants about
like the bags of garbage they were. Surprised shouts, followed by
the sounds of flesh hitting flesh and grunts of pain, had filled
the small alley. Before he’d managed to catch his breath, it was
all over. Gang members had littered the pavement, whimpering like a
bunch of pups, while he’d found himself being dragged into a van
that was parked nearby. The first words his unknown saviour had
spoken had been laced with comforting profanity.

“Shit! Those punks almost kicked
your ass. How fucked up are you?”

There was only one person who’d
greet him with a string of curses after a prolonged absence. With
his vision going in and out of focus, he’d hardly been able to
believe Reno was actually there. It had brought back memories of
times they’d fought back to back, and come out victorious yet
battle scarred. Afterwards, they’d nurse their wounds and drink a
few beers while reliving the events of the day. He’d begun to grin
until his split lip protested. That stab of pain had brought him to
his senses.