Page 35 of Stray Cat

“Way to say good morning,” Lindsay told Neal and Brody. “Seriously rude, guys. Yes, Xav lives here. Yes, Emma is visiting. They work together, remember? I’m here for a different reason.”

Brody’s grumpy gaze softened the slightest bit. “Finally. If you two had kept apart any longer, I’d have lost a bet.”

“Mind your own business, bear,” Lindsay growled. “You can let them in now, Emma.”

“Oh. Right.” Emma jumped and swung the door wide, then quickly turned away before Neal and Brody stepped inside.

Neal unslung the wrapped broadsword from his back and stood it against the wall as Brody closed the door and lumbered into the kitchen in Emma’s wake. Neal clicked the lock on the door, something he’d never do in Shiftertown, and sent Lindsay a silent glance.

His eyes abruptly narrowed—Guardians were more perceptive than other Shifters.

“Does he know?” Neal asked in a near whisper.

Lindsay’s alarm sprang high, as did her elation. If Neal could sense the mate bond, maybe it was real. “No, and you aren’t going to tell him.”

Neal, a man of few words, stared hard at Lindsay and then went on into the kitchen.

“Coffee in a minute, Brody,” Xav was saying. “You should have called ahead—I’d have had it fresh and hot.”

“Itwasfresh and hot, but we drank it,” Emma informed Brody. “You’re too late.”

Brody glared at her. “I was dragged out of bed at the crack of dawn on aMondayby a wolf with a sword. Now I’m being scolded by a human woman before I’ve had caffeine.”

“Not scolding,” Emma said with bravado. “Just stating the truth.”

Brody stared back at her for a few moments, his dark eyes shielding his thoughts. “Whatever,” he huffed and lumbered to the refrigerator, opening it to examine its contents.

“How’s AC?” Xav asked Neal, ignoring the exchange.

“Surprisingly docile,” Neal answered as he leaned comfortably against the counter. “Settled in at the cabin with no problem, went to bed, no sign of him trying to escape. Nell and Cormac relieved us so Brody could get his beauty sleep.”

Brody backed out of the refrigerator with a pitcher of orange juice, scowling.

Xav chuckled. “Nell will keep AC in line.” Brody’s mom could be one mean grizzly. “Did you have time to track the info I wanted?” Xav continued to Neal. “Or did you need your beauty sleep too?”

“I have it.” Neal regarded Xav impassively. “I’ll need to get into the Guardian Network to show you, but that’s no problem. I have my own hotspot.”

“I have a VPN, if you’re worried about anyone pinpointing your location,” Xav answered.

Emma rolled her eyes. “And when they start with the nerd speak, I know it’s time to leave.”

“And me.” Lindsay set her empty mug and Emma’s in the sink. “Can I bum a ride from you, Emma? You can let me off anywhere near Shiftertown.”

Xav, who’d pulled a laptop out of the desk built into the end of his kitchen counter, set down the computer and moved swiftly to Lindsay. “You’re going?”

Lindsay’s heart fluttered as Xav laid a warm hand on her shoulder. “Watching you boys gaze at numbers on a screen isn’t my idea of fun.”

“Mine either,” Brody broke in. “But Eric assigned me bodyguard duty. No choice.”

Xav kept his focus on Lindsay. “I understand.” He sounded deeply regretful, which spiked Lindsay’s yearning higher. “When we’re done here, mind if I come over?”

Lindsay was aware of the other three watching them intently, not even pretending they weren’t eavesdropping.

“You’d better,” Lindsay said softly. She smoothed her hand down Xav’s chest. “How else am I going to know where to look for AC’s brother?”

Xav touched his forehead to hers. “See you later, then.”

“Guess so.”

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