Page 23 of Hidden Mate

CHAPTER11

HUTCH

The rest of the day flew by, and with Nora working the front of the bakery, Hutch was able to get a lot more prep work done much earlier in the day. At lunch, he called up to The Workshop and ordered a patty melt and grilled meatloaf sandwich to be delivered after the rush died down. He figured Nora would like one of them. If she liked both, they’d split them.

Several times throughout the day, Hutch spotted Colby’s driver making his way around the town. Colby must have alerted Sheriff Miller and his deputy, Derek Grayson, that there was trouble coming. No one seemed obvious unless you knew the players involved. Hutch had to admit, he felt better about having Nora up front knowing there were others helping to watch over her.

At closing time, they walked out just as the SUV pulled up and the driver got out, opening the door so Hutch could help Nora into the vehicle and slide onto the seat next to her. The drive up to Windsong was peaceful and gorgeous, and Nora seemed to be taking it all in.

He shook his head and chuckled. “You’re not looking at the magnificent view, are you?”

“I’m afraid not,” she said. “I’m calculating ingress and egress, evacuation routes, and possible siege strategies. I’m also looking at how I might have approached Windsong in order to get to Colby.”

“You won’t find any of those,” said the driver, confidently.

“Oh, you’d be surprised. I’ve already got a couple of ideas for him about making Windsong a more difficult target.”

The driver was shocked—his raised eyebrows in the rearview mirror giving him away. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I figured at some point the Master would send me to kill him. I knew it would be a difficult assignment, so I’d already started my prep work.”

The driver shook his head. “I think I’m glad she’s on our side.”

“Me too,” said Hutch putting his arm around her and trying out the link for the first time with a soft and seductive purr.

Nora flexed her fingers on the top of his thigh, letting him know she’d heard him. The massive gates at the entrance to Windsong opened to allow them to enter. It was only once you drove through them that you noticed the armed guard stations on either side.

As the SUV pulled up to the foot of the wide front stairs, the front door opened, and Colby came out to greet them.

“Welcome. We’ve been waiting dinner on you. I’ll have your things put upstairs. Nora, you didn’t seem to have much with you, so if you’ll make a list of things you’d like, I’ll see that they get purchased and brought to you.”

“How did you get our things?” asked Nora, suspiciously.

“I had the driver collect your things from Trudy and then he grabbed some things for Hutch. You should know he now has handgun envy. A Sig P-220-S with a weight compensator, target sights and a custom-molded grip to your hand.”

Hutch whistled appreciatively. “That’s a serious gun.”

“I’m a serious shooter,” she retorted. “Where is it?”

“In your bag where you left it, as is the stiletto that looks like it’s from the fifteenth or sixteenth century. It’s a beautiful piece of work.”

“It was a gift from the Master. It is rumored to have belonged to one of the Borgias—Lucrezia, to be exact.” Nora smiled, as if remembering a pleasant memory. “The Master had it on display in his library. When I first went to his mansion, I didn’t know what to expect so I stole it in order to protect myself. He found it humorous that I thought I could do so and took it away. On my birthday that year, he gave it to me. I was an apt pupil.”

Hutch shook his head. “He started training you as a child?”

“He did, although that isn’t as bad as it sounds. I’d already been put through the mill in the foster care system, and it’s not like he made me a child soldier. My life was pretty easy. It wasn’t until I graduated college that I went to work.”

“Let’s go into dinner, shall we?” said Colby, sweeping his arm toward an enormous dining room. Colby stopped them just inside the entryway. “Most of you know Hutch, as he owns the Northern Lights Bakery. He and his lovely fated mate, Nora, will be staying with us for a while.”

Several people acknowledged the introduction and welcomed them with a smile, a handshake, a pat on the shoulder. Those who lived at Windsong followed their alpha’s lead—if Colby accepted and wanted you there, everyone else was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Hutch was amazed at how comfortable Nora seemed to be. “You’re all right with this?” he whispered as he helped her with her chair.

“I’m fine. I grew up in this kind of setting. I knew when I chose to be with you, I was, in effect, joining the resistance.”

“I don’t want you to feel pressured,” said Hutch. “Being with me is not contingent on you becoming part of the resistance.”

“Maybe not technically, but even if I wasn’t with you, the Master would see my refusal to kill you as not only a failure but an act of betrayal—something he would never allow. So regardless of my feelings for you, I would be joining the resistance. It’s the only way I’ll survive.”

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