Robin Bielman: Veiled Target

“Yeah, after you mysteriously vanished. It’s a good thing Francesca and I love you enough to find you. She called, by the way. Wanted to let us know when we get back that she’ll still be on assignment.”

“I’m not going back.”

“Don’t be a dill, Tess. What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about being through. I’m tired.” She tightened the towel around and underneath her cold feet.

“It’s all you know. It’s all we know.” Kensie laughed off her confession and looked at her like she’d just flapped her arms and acted like a chicken.

Tess pinched her temples with her hand.

“Wait. You’re serious?” Kensie’s face clouded with confusion. “I wish you’d tell me what’s really going on. You’ve been acting strange ever since I got here.”

“Nothing’s going on. I’m just—”

“You’re different, Tess. Whatever happened on your last assignment changed you. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go back. Francesca says the new boss isn’t so bad. She even told me he’s kind of cute. Which, if we know Francesca, means he’s ripper.” She paused and looked out toward the ocean. Silence passed between them before Kensie said very softly, “You can trust me you know. With your secrets.”

Where would she even begin? She stared at her friend’s profile and wondered if she’d feel better if she did tell Kensie everything. But there was so much she didn’t know about that night.

She didn’t know how the mess at the hotel had been taken care of. Obviously, Hugh had seen to it that the deaths of Dane and her boss were handled discreetly because according to Kensie, the staff at P.I.E. had been told he’d died of a heart attack while out of the country on a business trip. His body had supposedly been flown home and immediately cremated.

She’d no idea how Dane’s death was explained to the Night Runners, but was positive Hugh had given him a proper burial, no matter his betrayal to the pack. Hugh was decent, unselfish, a true leader, and he’d give Dane praises for the sake of his pack. She wondered several times a day about the Night Runners and if anything more had transpired with the Wolf Seekers. Did Dane’s death put an end to the rife or fuel greater animosity? And every night she prayed Trey was okay, that whatever had taken place in Los Angeles that night hadn’t caused him harm. Something told her everything was all right, though. Good always defeated evil, didn’t it?

Then there was Hugh. Not a second went by that she didn’t miss him something fierce. She longed to be in his arms, feel his warmth, share his air. Her every thought included him. At night when she couldn’t fall asleep, she’d let herself drift to his bedroom, his office, the hotel room. All the places they’d devoured each other. All the places he’d worshipped her body while injecting her heart with love.

“I fell in love with my mark,” she finally said, her body relaxing at her admission.

Kensie whipped her head to the side. “You what?” She took a slow, deep breath. “You fell in love with a Veiler?”

“Yes. He’s a wolfen.” A tidal wave of emotions swamped Tess. Saying she loved Hugh out loud overwhelmed her with the courage to tell Kensie everything.

Her friend’s sympathetic eyes gave her the reassurance to continue.

“I didn’t eliminate him.”

Contemplation washed over Kensie’s face. Her brows furrowed and she rubbed a few fingers across her mouth and chin. A full minute went by before she spoke. “Did he deserve it? I mean they all do, don’t they?”

That was the best question Kensie could ask, and it opened the floodgates.

A half hour later, the skies brightening as rays of sunshine poked through the gloomy sky, Tess finished talking. She’d told Kensie everything—well, except for the details of the amazing sex. Those memories were hers alone. Sharing what had happened in San Diego, and Kensie telling her she understood, helped lessen the burden of what she’d done. She breathed easy for the first time since that night. The tide stretched farther up the sand, almost touching her toes.

“You need to go to him,” Kensie said.

Tess gulped. “I…I don’t know. As much as I want to, he—”

“He told you you were his mate, Tess. There’s only you. Don’t be a drongo and deprive him of his mate.”

“What’s a drongo?”

“A stupid person.”

God, it felt good to get everything off her chest, to talk to Kensie like she was a sister and get the feedback she so wanted to hear.

And for the first time in a long time, she took a good look at her surroundings. The sand, soft as sifted flour under all her foot play, tickled her toes and brought a smile— a smile!— to her face. The ocean, wide beyond her scope of vision, and full of so much life, relaxed her, lessened the tightness in her muscles. A little while ago she’d thought about the sea swallowing her. Now she wanted to sail over it. Go where the tide took her. Discover what it meant to be alive and free.

Because for too long she’d been a prisoner to her fears.

For too long she’d been alone.

And she didn’t want to be any more.

She needed and deserved to be loved. Her parents’ death was heart-wrenching and unfair and she’d been deprived of their love far too soon. Jason’s death had also been painful, but loving again did not mean she’d lose the one she loved. She had to believe the risk was worth it.

“What do I do about P.I.E.? You know they won’t just take my resignation and tell me to have a nice life.”

“You won’t know unless you try.” Kensie hugged her legs and rocked back and forth. Her chin rested on her knees and Tess watched her eyes grow moist.

“Oh hell, Kens. Don’t you dare cry.” She put her hand on Kensie’s arm. “This isn’t goodbye.”

“Yes it is.” Kensie squeezed her hand. “You just don’t know it yet.”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you too,” Hugh answered without lifting his head from his desk.

“I thought you were leaving for the Rockies. Yesterday.” The pause in Gavin’s voice, along with the irritated tone, didn’t ruffle Hugh in the least. It was Monday morning. He didn’t let anything bother him the first day of the week.

Still keeping his attention on the papers in front of him, he heard Gavin pull out a chair.

“Your head hasn’t been here in a couple of weeks, Hugh. You need to go and clear whatever shit is going on up there. I’ve got this week taken care of.”

Yeah, there was plenty of shit going on all right. Too much for him to handle, really. And he needed to get away. He knew that. But something inside him told him to wait one more day before leaving.

Give her one more day to show up.

Hugh lifted his head and took in his partner’s professional appearance. In their five years together, Gavin had never let him down. Not once. The business was safe in his hands. Hugh was safe in his hands.

Not that he’d reveal any of his secrets.

“I’m scheduled for this afternoon.”

“If I have to kick your ass onto the plane myself I will.”

“No doubt.” Hugh appreciated Gavin’s interference. Without it, he very well might not leave. Not until I know what happened to her.

Gavin leaned back in his chair, apparently pleased he didn’t get an argument. “You know you can talk to me if you want.”

“What’s there to talk about? You just said you’ve got the week under control.” And Hugh believed without a doubt he did.

“That shit’s really seeped in, hasn’t it? I’ve known you a long time, Hugh, and I’ve never seen you like this.”

“Like what?”

“Like a guy so fixated on a woman he can’t think straight.” He held up his palm. “And don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about. I’ve been in love like that. Once. Right before I came to work here. You saved my sorry ass from spiraling into a drunken stupor.”