nodded toward Mike. “You didn’t see her take out that big cat
over there with a flying leap from the ledge above? He was coming down right on
top of you.”
A
sense of dread started to pool in Jaxon’s gut. He’d been aware of the cougar
above him, had seen someone else take him out, but hadn’t noticed that person
was Andie. He should’ve known that she wouldn’t listen to him and stay in her
room. “So where is she now?”
William
shook his head. “Don’t know. I was a little busy at the time, and I knew she
could handle herself.”
Jaxon
held in a frustrated growl. He stalked back over to Mike. “If you’re here to talk
to Andie, then where the hell is she?”
“Andie?
You mean A.J.?”
“She
goes by Andie here. My Protector says he saw her take you out. I’m not going to
ask you twice.”
“I
don’t know where she went.”
Jaxon
gritted his teeth. “So you talked to her?”
Mike
looked at him, poker-faced, and said nothing.
Jaxon
started to suspect that Andie hadn’t just defied him to fight. She’d left. The
panic welling up in him at the thought of her out there alone made him want to
take off Mike’s head. Luckily, common sense prevailed.
He
leaned forward, his face only inches from Mike’s. “Do you have orders to join
this dare?”
“No.
The plan is to return to Carstairs. Keep him off her scent.”
“You
wouldn’t have to do that if she had asylum here.”
He
saw the flash of doubt in Mike’s eyes, but still the other man remained silent.
Jaxon let out a frustrated sigh. He hated to have to do it, but he had no
choice. He leaned forward and whispered just one word in Mike’s ear. Then he
leaned back so Mike could see the truth of it in his eyes.
Mike’s
jaw clenched. “Does she know?”
“No.
And she can’t. Not yet. Now, where is she?”
“I
really don’t know. I delivered my message, and then she left.”
“And
you let her go?” Jaxon’s voice was quiet, but Mike flinched.
“She
told me to stay. I took it as an order.”
“She’s
just a Strategist. How can she give you orders?”
Mike
frowned. “She’s a Commander.”
Jaxon
felt as if he’d just been slapped. Hard. A female Commander wasn’t unheard of
but was extremely rare. For a misogynist like Walter to let her take that
position was even more confusing. But he’d seen Andie fight, and he’d discussed
her strategies with her firsthand. He’d been a blind fool. No Strategist had
skills like hers. No wonder Kyle Carstairs had tried to mate her. And given
what she’d told him about her father, he’d bet she had also been trying to
position herself to take out Carstairs eventually, helping her people survive in
the meantime. No other way would she be a Commander for that monster of an
Alpha.
“What
was the message?”
Mike
shook his head. “That won’t help you much either. A contact of Andie’s called
Papa Bear wanted to discuss her options.”
Shit.
Options could only mean one thing in Jaxon’s mind. She was going to another
dare, another Alpha. Not if he had anything to say in the matter.
Mike
broke into his thoughts. “She’s too smart to go anywhere Carstairs or anyone in
our dare would know about. And good luck tracking her quickly. She taught me
everything I know, and it took me weeks to figure out she was here.”
Jaxon
spit out an expletive. He was desperate to run right out that door and go after
her immediately, but he probably wouldn’t find her that way. Jaxon took a
calming breath and thought about his next move. First he needed to handle these
Carstairs men.
“I
don’t even know if I can trust you.”
“I
think I can help you with that,” Mike said.
Jaxon
arched his eyebrows. “Oh?”
“Is
Hannah at the compound by any chance?”
Holy
hell… that was it! Jaxon remembered how two guys named A.J. and Mike had helped Hannah and Nick
escape the Carstairs compound last year. Hannah had gone there to discuss a
business deal between the two dares. But she’d
over there with a flying leap from the ledge above? He was coming down right on
top of you.”
A
sense of dread started to pool in Jaxon’s gut. He’d been aware of the cougar
above him, had seen someone else take him out, but hadn’t noticed that person
was Andie. He should’ve known that she wouldn’t listen to him and stay in her
room. “So where is she now?”
William
shook his head. “Don’t know. I was a little busy at the time, and I knew she
could handle herself.”
Jaxon
held in a frustrated growl. He stalked back over to Mike. “If you’re here to talk
to Andie, then where the hell is she?”
“Andie?
You mean A.J.?”
“She
goes by Andie here. My Protector says he saw her take you out. I’m not going to
ask you twice.”
“I
don’t know where she went.”
Jaxon
gritted his teeth. “So you talked to her?”
Mike
looked at him, poker-faced, and said nothing.
Jaxon
started to suspect that Andie hadn’t just defied him to fight. She’d left. The
panic welling up in him at the thought of her out there alone made him want to
take off Mike’s head. Luckily, common sense prevailed.
He
leaned forward, his face only inches from Mike’s. “Do you have orders to join
this dare?”
“No.
The plan is to return to Carstairs. Keep him off her scent.”
“You
wouldn’t have to do that if she had asylum here.”
He
saw the flash of doubt in Mike’s eyes, but still the other man remained silent.
Jaxon let out a frustrated sigh. He hated to have to do it, but he had no
choice. He leaned forward and whispered just one word in Mike’s ear. Then he
leaned back so Mike could see the truth of it in his eyes.
Mike’s
jaw clenched. “Does she know?”
“No.
And she can’t. Not yet. Now, where is she?”
“I
really don’t know. I delivered my message, and then she left.”
“And
you let her go?” Jaxon’s voice was quiet, but Mike flinched.
“She
told me to stay. I took it as an order.”
“She’s
just a Strategist. How can she give you orders?”
Mike
frowned. “She’s a Commander.”
Jaxon
felt as if he’d just been slapped. Hard. A female Commander wasn’t unheard of
but was extremely rare. For a misogynist like Walter to let her take that
position was even more confusing. But he’d seen Andie fight, and he’d discussed
her strategies with her firsthand. He’d been a blind fool. No Strategist had
skills like hers. No wonder Kyle Carstairs had tried to mate her. And given
what she’d told him about her father, he’d bet she had also been trying to
position herself to take out Carstairs eventually, helping her people survive in
the meantime. No other way would she be a Commander for that monster of an
Alpha.
“What
was the message?”
Mike
shook his head. “That won’t help you much either. A contact of Andie’s called
Papa Bear wanted to discuss her options.”
Shit.
Options could only mean one thing in Jaxon’s mind. She was going to another
dare, another Alpha. Not if he had anything to say in the matter.
Mike
broke into his thoughts. “She’s too smart to go anywhere Carstairs or anyone in
our dare would know about. And good luck tracking her quickly. She taught me
everything I know, and it took me weeks to figure out she was here.”
Jaxon
spit out an expletive. He was desperate to run right out that door and go after
her immediately, but he probably wouldn’t find her that way. Jaxon took a
calming breath and thought about his next move. First he needed to handle these
Carstairs men.
“I
don’t even know if I can trust you.”
“I
think I can help you with that,” Mike said.
Jaxon
arched his eyebrows. “Oh?”
“Is
Hannah at the compound by any chance?”
Holy
hell… that was it! Jaxon remembered how two guys named A.J. and Mike had helped Hannah and Nick
escape the Carstairs compound last year. Hannah had gone there to discuss a
business deal between the two dares. But she’d
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