“None I can see.” Which left what he couldn’t see. He couldn’t quite shake the feeling that someone was out there. Watching. Waiting.
He explained to Joshua what the plan was. “I’ll leave the loaded truck for a day or so to make certain no one is watching. If I see anything suspicious on my tail when I leave, I’ll dump the truck somewhere along the way and we can pick it up later.”
“Do you need any help?”
His fingers gripped the phone so hard his knuckles began to turn white and he forced himself to relax his hold. Part of him wished his brother was here beside him and that they were close enough for him to talk to. But he’d been reserved for years, keeping to himself, and they didn’t have that kind of relationship. Suddenly he wished it were different. He wanted to ask his brother about his mate, how he’d felt when he first met Alexandra.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Okay, see you soon.” Joshua disconnected and Isaiah was left listening to a dial tone. He pressed the off button and tucked the phone back in his pocket just as the Bykowski Bakery truck pulled up in front of the garage.
Isaiah hurried across the roof, down the interior stairs of the building and out the back door. He paused, listening for anything that seemed out of place. When he was sure he was alone, he worked his way over to the garage and slipped in through the smaller door. The truck was already inside, the large garage doors closed.
Divine was there along with Leon and his father, Otto.
“Let’s get started,” he growled. Quicker they were done, the quicker he could go see Meredith. There was no way he would be able to leave the city without going to see her first.
“Everything is upstairs.” Divine led the way up the back staircase. They all followed behind her, Isaiah bringing up the rear.
Maybe he’d be able to see her again when he came to Chicago. It wasn’t so far away that he couldn’t come up at least once a month. Yeah, like a classy lady like Meredith would settle for something like that. Not a chance.
“You okay?” Divine had stopped to wait for him, her expression concerned.
“Yeah.” She really was a great lady, for a human, and he told her so. She laughed, her blue eyes twinkling, and the moment passed.
The mound of boxes and furniture was substantial so he grabbed one and started back down the stairs. He heard the men chatting with Divine as they all fell to work loading the truck.
From his vantage point down the road, Collins noted the truck driving into the garage. He also noted the way that Leon looked up and down the road before shutting the door.
It had been genius of him to loosen a few wires under the hood earlier this morning and drive to the garage to get the problem looked at. It had allowed him to introduce himself to the man working there. Leon Bykowski was quiet, but competent. But most importantly, he was human. There was none of the fluid grace when he moved and his senses were no more than normal. He’d lightly blown on a dog whistle when Leon’s back had been turned just to be certain. Not loud enough for anyone outside the garage to hear, but loud enough to get a reaction if Bykowski had been a werewolf. The man hadn’t jerked or shown any reaction at all.
When Collins had asked about the former owner, James Riley, Leon had shrugged and said he didn’t know much about him. He’d simply rented the garage from the new owner of the building.
Still, he hadn’t been able to shake the sense that the man was holding something back. Quinn had taken the afternoon shift but seen nothing. Collins had switched cars and driven back to take up his watch for the evening. From the looks of things, their luck was about to change. He shifted his lanky body and yanked his cell phone out of his back pocket.
He thumbed a button and waited while it rang. It was picked up on the third ring. “Yeah?”
He was glad he answered to Jones instead of Macmillan. That bastard creeped him out. “There’s a lot of activity at the garage tonight.”
“Okay. Keep a watch. I’ll bring the boss up to speed, then I’ll round up Warren and Quinn and we’ll stay ready if you need us.”
“Sounds good.” He wouldn’t mind getting a little action. It had been a while since he’d bagged a werewolf and his trigger finger was getting itchy.
“If you see that tall bastard, don’t lose him.”
Collins winced. Warren had seen him but lost him last night. Macmillan hadn’t been happy.
He rubbed his hand over the stock of his rifle that lay on the seat beside him. “Don’t worry. I won’t.”
Chapter Ten
It was late by the time Isaiah reached Haven. Too late. The club was already closed. Isaiah swore under his breath. Taking care of business had taken much longer than he’d anticipated. The bakery truck had gotten a flat on route to the parking lot where he’d stashed his truck. By the time they’d fixed that, driven to the lot, shifted everything from one truck to the other and moved his truck to a parking garage, Leon and his father were ready for a meal and a drink. And they’d wanted to talk with Isaiah.
He’d been unable to refuse them.
They’d done so much for James and the pack they deserved his respect. They were also genuinely nice men. They’d put themselves in harm’s way just to help a friend.
Otto had driven them to a pizza place where they’d devoured two large pizzas. Well, Otto and his son had shared one. He’d managed one on his own. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he’d started eating.
Two hours later, Isaiah had managed to extricate himself and say his final goodbyes to the two men. Divine had been waiting for him downstairs at the garage with a letter for Alex, which was currently stuffed in his back pocket. He’d said goodbye to her as well, not flinching when she’d reached out and hugged him.
He liked these people, but he didn’t plan on coming back anytime soon. At least not to the garage. Meredith’s club was another matter altogether.
Right now, the building was locked up and the security lights were on. Damn, he’d rushed as fast as he could, even opting to take a cab to the edge of Meredith’s neighborhood before hot-footing it the rest of the way. The back of his neck was tingling and his shoulders were tense. Something was very wrong.
Isaiah heard a sound and ducked back into the shadows. Hank’s voice drifted over the night air, followed by a low mumble. Possibly Teague, but he couldn’t be certain. He didn’t make his presence known, uncertain of his welcome after this morning’s incident.
Then he heard a sound that went straight to his groin. Meredith. Her low, sultry voice washed over him. He closed his eyes and was savoring the sound when it occurred to him they were getting distant. They were leaving the building. He wasn’t just hearing them through an open window. Their voices were moving away from him.
Where were they going this time of night?
Keeping his back flat against the wall, he took a quick look around the corner. Sure enough, the entire family was walking down the road. Thankfully, he was downwind. That and the usual stench of the city should block his scent from detection.
Did this have anything to do with the secret Meredith was keeping from him?
He had no idea. All he knew was he had to follow them. If nothing else, he needed to talk to Meredith before he left the city in the morning. He’d told his brother he’d probably wait a day or two, but if everything stayed the same there was no reason for him to remain any longer.
Meredith had made it clear this morning that last night wouldn’t happen again. His muscles bunched and rippled in his shoulders and his fists clenched at his sides. He wanted the opportunity to change her mind.
He shoved that distraction aside and concentrated on where they were going. He noted that Meredith’s sons seemed to be talking intently as they brought up the rear. Meredith led the way with Hank keeping pace beside her. The other three strode in the middle of the pack. He sensed the tension in the air and quickened his pace.