Page 33 of A Cougar's Kiss
Chapter 12
Washington D.C.
The Next Day
“Whoa, you called for the jet? We haven’t used the Assembly private jet in years,” Bas said coming to a stand and blocking Nick’s path.
“Get out of my way, Bas! We’re leaving this hotel in twenty minutes and boarding that jet.” When Bas didn’t move quick enough, Nick pushed past him.
That resulted in Bas grabbing hold of Nick’s shoulders to hold him still. It didn’t work. Nick bared his sharp as hell jaguar teeth and roared into Bas’s face with the fury of a thousand wounded animals. To his credit, Bas stood his ground, but it took Ary to come up behind her mate and touch his back to end what could have been a brutal battle between two awesome cats.
“Nobody’s saying you can’t go,” Bas said after X had stepped up to stand in front of him in case Nick decided calm wasn’t his thing and charged after Bas again. “We just want to make smart moves now, especially after the press conference went off without a hitch.”
“I don’t give a damn about that press conference! I need to find my daughter!” Nick yelled before pulling away from Ary’s touch and stalking over to the window where he stood with his back facing the group of them who had come to his room to check on him.
The original plan had been adjusted—Jace and Bas came above ground to keep an eye on Nick when Rome decided Nick was just too volatile to stand at the podium with him at the press conference. Ary, who was also supposed to stay in Oasis for a little longer but had traveled with her mate, agreed with Rome. They were both worried about Shya. All of them were and they didn’t even know everything that Jace and Eli had uncovered.
“I think what he’s trying to say is we shouldn’t go off half-cocked right now. You’re angry and if you come across anyone who makes you angrier, there’s no telling what might happen,” X said. “We cannot afford to be the first to violate the treaty, Nick. You know that.”
Nick shook his head but did not turn around. “What I know is that my daughter is missing. She could be somewhere dying. We all know her condition.”
“The transfusion from Ezra healed her,” Jace spoke up from the chair he was sitting in on the other side of the room.
Ary spoke then, shaking her head as she looked at Jace. “There were side effects from that too. We’ve developed a way to minimize them, but she’ll never be the same. That’s why we need to find her to make sure she has her medication and that she’s alright.”
“And we will find her, Ary,” X told her. “None of us in this room want to turn away from that. Shya is our family too. So, if Nick knows where she is and he wants to go get her, then I’m going with him. But running off in a rage by yourself is not an option, man. I’m not gonna let you do that to yourself or to all that we’ve worked for.”
“He’s right, Nick and you know it. We can do this together, it’s better that way,” Bas said.
Ary cleared her throat and smoothed the hands she’d been holding tightly together down the front of her blouse. “I called Nisa last night to see if she’d heard anything from Shya. She said she hadn’t, but I found that hard to believe. Those two were always thick as thieves. There’s no way Shya would make a move without Nisa knowing.”
Unless, it wasn’t Shya’s decision to make this move.
Jace was smart enough not to say that. Eli was down the hall in the other suite with Rome and Ezra. Jace would convey whatever they found out to him later. Right now, it was his assignment to keep a close eye on Nick and Ary.
“Yeah, that doesn’t make sense. Those two were inseparable,” X said.
“Right,” Ary continued. “So, I called back to ask her again and Nisa was nervous. I could hear it in her voice, but she still said she had no idea where Shya was. I asked if she had some way of contacting her because I know they used to have some sort of code, or way they would get messages to each other any time they were punished or forced to be a part because of Nisa’s training. She told me no again, but she was lying. I know with everything in my soul, Nisa lied to me.”
“So, I put a track on her.” Nick came away from the window to add to the conversation. “I’ve been tracking Nisa’s comlink, her board and the Tracer she drives.”
Jace stood then. He couldn’t have heard what he thought he did. “You’re tracking Rome’s daughter?”
Nick shot him a heated glare. “I’m tracking the one shifter in this whole world who would know where my daughter is! If that happens to be Rome’s daughter—” Nick’s words trailed off.
The room went silent as if they could still somehow hear the words Nick didn’t say.
Seconds later, Bas spoke again. “What did you find out?”
“Nisa’s on the move. She sent a message to an unassigned board last night and hours later her comlink and board began to move,” Nick said. “It stopped above ground, in Miami.”
Bas glanced at X who’d looked away from Nick momentarily to meet Bas’s gaze. Jace looked at Nick, who was staring at him as if waiting for Jace to say something.
“I guess we’re all going to Miami,” X said. “I’ll go let Rome know. Somebody should stay here to carry out the next phases of the plan.”
“I’ll get ready to go,” Bas said and then stopped just as he was heading toward the door. “Ary, did you get the daily update on Cole’s condition today? That cougar’s still assigned to watch him, right?”
“Oh my, in the midst of all that’s been going on, I hadn’t thought to check. I’ll do that now while Nick gets the rest of our things together,” she said and went to the table to retrieve her board.
