The words should have sent him into orbit, but there was a hint of hurt behind the sarcasm. What could he have possibly done to hurt her? He breathed out slowly and tried to calm himself until he could figure out the truth. “All right, Nessa. What have I lied about?”
Her eyes sparked. “You’re rich,” she hissed. “Not a little, but a whole bloody shitload of a lot. You’re loaded, Bear McDunphy.”
He frowned. “So?”
“So?” Her voice rose. “You live in a shack. Your jeans are older than anybody on this plane.”
He shook his head. What was wrong with his jeans? “Again, so?”
She sat back. “You’re hiding your money. Pretending you’re poor.”
He scratched his chin. Had she lost her mind? “I’m not pretending or hiding.” Man, life was confusing. No. Forget that. Women were confusing. “I like my cabin and there’s nothing wrong with my jeans. Not once did I tell you I was poor.” He grimaced. “This plane is mine. I don’t like it, and I really don’t like flying, but I have a plane. It’s better than flying with other people. With humans.”
She blinked several times.
He relaxed his hold on her, but he wasn’t ready to let her up yet. The hurt had been real, and it wasn’t just about money. “Why are you bothered if I have money, Nessa?”
A guilty flush wound over her face.
He watched, fascinated. Then he clicked facts into order. “Wait a minute.” She worked for the Coven Nine. The Enforcers had been recalled, and now Apollo was back on the streets. Humor bubbled up through him, and he snorted. “You think I’m distributing Apollo?”
She shifted uneasily on his lap.
It slapped him then. “Oh my God. You thought I might be the manufacturer?” His breath heated, even as his mind spun. Part of him wanted to laugh his ass off, and the other wanted to beat hers. “So you’re investigating me?”
Her shoulders went down. “Aye.”
Wow. That kinda hurt. “Ness? Did you really think I was behind Apollo?” He smoothed curls away from her face.
“No,” she mumbled. “Not until I saw how much money you have.”
“By hacking into my accounts?” he guessed. That should piss him off, but truth be told, he didn’t much care. “Why not just ask?”
She tilted her head. “If you were behind Apollo, would you just have admitted it?”
Okay. Good point. “No.” But she should’ve said something the second she’d found the accounts. Of course, if she was half as thrown by their mating experience as he was, he could understand her wanting to regroup a little. “Witches always have multiple agendas,” he muttered. So she’d come to town to heal him, investigate him, and mate him to gain the ability to throw fire. Yep. It figured. “I’m not creating or running Apollo, baby.”
“All right.” Her gaze fell again.
He ran his thumb across her bottom lip. “What else, Nessa?”
She sighed. “Smitty called. Wanted to know if you were meeting him this Thursday.”
Dumbass Smitty. “Damn it. Smitty has a big mouth.” Bear shifted uncomfortably in the seat.
Her gaze rose. “You admit it. You’ve been shifting back to human once a week for the last few months. When everyone thought you were in bear form the whole time.”
Heat climbed up the back of his neck and spread to his chin.
She watched, her gaze interested. “Bear? What exactly have you been doing once a week?”
He cleared his throat. His ears burned. “Does it matter? Maybe I just had some human stuff to do.”
Her shoulders hunched. “Fine. Okay.”
No, it wasn’t okay. He’d demanded honesty. “Remember the shirt you borrowed? The Pontsey Porcupines shirt?”
She leaned back to study him. “Aye. Why?”
He looked away and back. “Fine. All right. I coach a baseball team—the Porcupines. Games are on Thursdays, and I couldn’t think of a way to just disappear. Too many of these kids have had folks leave them already.” His chest filled. He felt like an idiot. “They’re a mismatched group of lost human teenagers, and I’ve got them playing baseball.” Defensiveness rose in him, and he sat straighter.
“Baseball?” Her eyes softened to the color of spring bluebells.
Why did they have to discuss this? “Yes. There’s the answer. Enough.” He moved to put her back in her seat.
She stopped him, her arms winding around his neck. “That’s one of the sweetest things I’ve ever heard.”
Geez. He rolled his eyes. “Good. Let’s stop talking about it.”
She kissed his nose. “Why don’t you want people to know you’re a nice guy?”
His ears got even hotter, and he could see Garrett’s shoulders shaking up ahead with what had to be muffled laughter. Hopefully the kid choked on his chortles. Bear pressed a hard kiss to Nessa’s lips. “The alpha leader of a shifter nation isn’t a nice guy. Ever.” There was no way she could understand that.
She leaned back. “Of course. Your secret is very safe with me.”
Why wasn’t she understanding him? “It’s not a secret. I just don’t go around telling everybody about it.” He wanted another taste of her. So he leaned in and indulged himself. If she thought he was sweet, he’d run with it. Within seconds, the kiss deepened, engaging his whole body.
She pulled back first, her expression bemused.
They weren’t alone on the plane. He had to get himself under control as they moved into battle mode. He’d shared his secrets, and it was time for her to share hers.
The tablet next to her seat dinged.
She stiffened, head to toe.
He caressed down her arms. “You understand how to do this?”
Her eyebrows rose. “I’ve been doing this a long time.” With that statement, she rolled off him and back into her seat to grab the tablet.
He stood and crossed to sit facing her as she straightened and pressed buttons on the tablet.
A male voice came through the speakers. “Hello, Nessa. Are you alone?”
Bear shut down all emotion before he lost his mind. The familiarity in the voice made him want to crush the other male’s throat with his bare hands. He would at some point.
Nessa’s face remained mildly polite. “George. Where’s my uncle?” So that was good ole George’s voice. Kind of nasal.
“He’s safe. A little the worse for wear, but still spitting fire.” George had a grating chuckle. “Well, not fire. But you know what I mean.”
Nessa’s expression didn’t alter. Not by an inch. “I see.” If anything, she sounded bored.
Bear watched her, his admiration growing. She was a helluva lot tougher than he’d realized. His interest piqued, he forgot all about temper and murder.
“Are you in the air?” George asked.
“Aye. Should be over Los Angeles in about ten minutes,” she said as if reciting a recipe. “What’s the plan?” Her gaze remained on the tablet screen as if there was nothing else to look at in the plane. “This is getting tedious.”
George laughed again. “You are so cool under pressure. I’ve always liked that about you.”
Bear focused on Nessa. Just how well did the two know each other?
Nessa sighed. “I’ve never thought much of you. The plan?”
“I’m assuming you’re in a Guard private plane?” George asked.
“No.” Nessa shook her head, and her hair tumbled. “You said to keep the Guard out of this. I borrowed a plane from a friend.”
Nice job. George’s question had been a trap, and Nessa had easily sidestepped it. Bear rubbed his chin as the men behind him remained perfectly silent. Nessa was interesting to watch in action. She truly was a phenomenal actress.
Should that concern him?
George cleared his throat. “I’m sending you the coordinates of a private airstrip in southern Oregon. You might need your pilot to turn around. Come here, land, and get out of that plane alone, or I’ll send orders to have your uncle beheaded.” There
was silence for a moment. “By the way, I like your hair down. A lot.”
Nessa waited and then slammed the tablet down, screen first.
Bear reached for her hands. They shook so hard he enfolded them, trying to add warmth. Tears gathered in her eyes, and her shoulders trembled. Wow. She had given away nothing—not one bit of the turmoil that was consuming her. He pulled her across the way and snuggled her into his arms.
Lucas reached around Bear and grabbed the tablet. “I’ll give the pilots the new coordinates.” Without waiting for an answer, he moved toward the cockpit.
Bear ran a soothing hand down her back. “I can take you home and send forces, Nessa. Just say the word.”
She lifted her face to his, tears on her lashes. “He’s my uncle. My only family.”
Bear brushed tears off her smooth skin. “He was your only family. Now you have me.” His job was to protect her.
Her eyes softened. “The plan is good. Are you sure you don’t mind jumping from a plane?”
Hell yes, he minded. “No.” He stood and let her slide to her feet. “It’s time to suit up.”
The boys hustled into motion, fetching bulletproof vests, weapons, and parachutes.
“You ever skydive?” Garrett asked, handing over several knives.
Bear shook his head. The very idea of allowing gravity to have a hold on him in midair made him want to puke. But he kept his face stoic. “Nope. But just pull the purple cord, right?”
“Right.” Logan checked a clip and slid a green laser gun into the back of his jeans. “It’s fun. Just relax and float.”
Bear grasped a smaller vest and pulled it over Nessa’s head. Then he handed her the shirt button containing a tiny camera, which she placed at the top of her blouse.
She tightened the Velcro. “This will work. It has to.”
Bear shoved an earbud into his ear. “Don’t leave the plane until we’re in place. No matter what.”
She nodded. “Affirmative.”
The woman was right in character. Bear eyed her. She had better be telling the truth. “I mean it. You stay put until I give the okay.”
She pressed an earbud into place. “Of course.”
Why didn’t that reassure him?
She tied her hair back at the nape. “If my uncle isn’t at the airport, you have to let them take me. Follow all you want, but I’m going with them.”
Bear hated that part of the plan. “Tell me you’ve at least trained for this type of thing.” As an accountant for the Nine, she’d have had some training. At least a little, right?
“I have,” she said. “Don’t worry.”
Lucas returned and quickly suited up. “Just got a call. There were two Apollo dart attacks in Seattle earlier today. Both witches living in Bellevue, and both took enough darts to be killed.” He sobered. “I’m sorry, Nessa.”
Her head lifted. Anger lit her features. “Thank you. We’ll deal with them next.”
Damn it. Bear rolled his shoulders beneath the vest.
Garrett opened the back door. “Time to jump. It’ll take us about fifteen minutes to run from where we land to the coordinates of the private airport. Let’s go.” He disappeared into thin air.
Bear leaned down and pressed a hard kiss to Nessa’s lips. Everything was jumbled, but he needed her to stay safe. The idea of not having her with him hurt deep inside, surprising in its intensity. “See you soon, baby.”
Chapter 19
Although Nessa had been in the field, she hadn’t been in combat in much too long. Frankly, she’d never spent much time in combat. Strategy was her specialty, and she liked how numbers lined up. The fighting and shooting were just bonuses.
After the men had jumped from the plane, she’d secured the door and sat back down, waiting for the plane to land. The two pilots, both shifters, were armed and trained to fight. They’d stay in the cockpit unless she yelled a distress signal. She had absolutely no intention of yelling anything.
Her body felt different since the mating. Stronger, somehow. More attuned to Bear, that was for sure.
Yet . . . she held out her hand and tried to imagine the oxygen molecules morphing into plasma. Nothing happened. She tried harder. Nope. She spent the next twenty minutes trying as hard as she could to make fire. Nothing even sputtered.
Well, her uncle had trained her to hone her healing skills. Maybe she just needed a fire-thrower to teach her how to do this. Plus, she’d just gotten mated. It might take time for her chromosomal pairs to change and adapt. She’d studied the science extensively before approaching Bear with her rather unusual plan, and time was needed for sure.
For now, she’d have to rely on her fighting skills. The plane continued descending, finally touching down on a small strip with just a lone warehouse at the side. She looked out the window to the trees surrounding the place. Talk about deserted.
The plane rolled to a stop, and she opened the door and waited for the automatic steps to stretch out to the concrete. The slight wind stirred her hair, but Oregon seemed to be having a much milder winter start than Seattle. She looked around, trying to find any immortal signatures.
Nothing.
Her men were well hidden in the forest, if they’d made it. Anybody in the building was well shielded, most likely with countermeasures she’d helped to develop through the years. She centered herself and tried again, finding a familiar energy. Bear. He was in the stand of trees to the far left.
Keeping her head high, she descended the stairs. The lights outside of the warehouse turned on, illuminating the area. She paused on the tarmac, and the wind blew her hair around her face.
The front door of the warehouse opened, but only darkness was visible inside. Keeping her hands free, she strode forward, each step light on the tarmac. Her gun was tucked nicely in her back, and she had three knives hidden on her body. The one on her thigh would be tough for anyone to find. That’s why she liked skirts.
She reached the door and stepped inside. It instantly shut behind her, and the lights turned on to reveal a small waiting area with a sofa in front of three private planes. Four soldiers guarded the planes with automatic weapons in their hands and green laser guns at their waists.
George sat on the sofa, a gun pointed at her. For the meet, he’d worn dress slacks, a button-down shirt, and brown boots. His wavy dark hair curled around his ears. “Nessa. It’s good to see you again.”
“I canna’ say the same,” she said, her brogue deepening. “Where is Boon?”
George stood and moved toward her, tucking his gun away. “If you move, they’ll shoot you.” Then he brushed her hair back.
She showed her teeth.
“Please.” He tugged out her earbud and then scrutinized her. “There it is.” With deft fingers, he removed the camera button from her shirt. Then he casually tossed the camera and bud on the floor, crushing them beneath his boot. “This isn’t my first op.”
“This isn’t an op,” she hissed. “Where is my uncle?”
“Safe,” George said. “You can have him the second we mate.”
She relaxed her stance. George wasn’t paying attention, or he’d sense her mating. She all but smelled of Bear. If needed, she could jump to the side and go for her gun. “Not garna happen. So hand over Boon, and I won’t put the Guard or Coven Nine on your ass.”
George sighed. “You have always been such a bitch. Why can’t you just see how strong we’d be together?” He took one step away from her. “Even your uncle agrees.”
Nessa snorted. “He most certainly does not.”
A tall figure exited the nearest plane. “That’s not exactly true, sugar plum.” Her uncle smiled as he crossed the painted concrete toward her.
Her breath deserted her. Completely. “Boondock?” she whispered.
He smiled, a handsome man in full health. “Aye.” Instead of being a bloody disaster, he was clean-shaven, with his dark hair slicked back. His movements were smooth in his pressed green slacks and gray Armani shirt. “You m
ight want to step away from her, George. She can get violent when riled.”
George took another step back.
Heat clawed down Nessa’s throat. What was happening? She shook her head, trying to get a grip on reality.
George sniffed her.
She shoved him farther away with one hand.
He frowned and sniffed her again. “Sonuvabitch. You smell like bear. A blooming bear.”
Heat climbed into her face.
“Nessa?” Boondock asked, reaching the sofa. “Please tell me I’m not too late.”
George slammed his hands on his hips. “You said you’d talk her into mating me if I helped you. You promised.”
Boondock rolled his eyes. “Please. You can’t handle a woman like my niece. She’d chew you up, spit you out, and then bat you around for fun. You’re an idiot, George. Always have been.”
George’s face turned a mottled red. “Oh yeah? Shoot them!”
Nessa set her stance and reached for her gun, but nobody else twitched. She paused.
“They’re my soldiers,” Boondock said smoothly. “Guard soldiers.”
Nessa looked at the four. She didn’t recognize any of them.
Boondock took in her surprised expression. “They cover Australia. There’s no reason you’d recognize them.”
Realization started to dawn. “You didn’t. Please tell me you did not set this whole situation up just to get me here. Uncle?” Her temples pounded. “I cried about you.”
“Ah, that’s sweet.” He quite wisely kept his distance. “I don’t like being unaware of your location.”
Anger ripped through her so quickly her entire throat felt scorched. “I was on mission.”
“Yes, but I didn’t know where.” His smile twinkled in his eyes. “When I got Jasper drunk, he may have let your whole mating plan slip.”
“You got Jasper drunk?” she snapped. Not Jasper. He was the one who’d told her about the kidnapping. “He’s in on this?” That betrayal cut deep.
“Of course not.” Boondock waved a hand. “We legitimately had him beat up trying to protect me. The boy gave it a good shot, I’ll have you know. Took out three of my men.” Boondock puffed out his chest. “You two are well trained, if I do say so myself. I did a good job.”