Her Lone Wolf by Paige Tyler

out there finding the killer.”
    “Sir—” Danica began, but Carhart kept talking.
    “Which is why I’ll be briefing the task force this morning on the profile we’ve come up with for the Hunter.”
    Tony exchanged looks with Danica. “Hunter? That’s what we’re calling this guy?”
    Carhart waved his hand. “That’s what the media has started calling him. And right now, it’s as good a name as any.”
    Danica bit her tongue. She wouldn’t be surprised if Carhart had leaked the name to the press. Nothing grabbed the media’s attention like a good serial killer name. And her new boss was all about making a name for himself.
    “When did they come up with a profile for the killer?” Tony asked.
    Carhart gulped his coffee. “After we broke up into focus groups. It’s a broad list—survivalists, gangbangers, hunters—but it’s a place to start.”
    More like a waste of time. Even without seeing the list, she knew there’d be thousands of potential suspects on it. The task force could work twenty-four hours a day for months and still not be able to check all of them out.
    “Sir, Agent Buchanan thinks we’d be better off looking—”
    Carhart thumped his mug down on the desk so hard that coffee spilled onto his hand. “For the Hunter’s prey, I know. But Buchanan isn’t in charge of this investigation, Agent Beckett. If I had my way, he wouldn’t be on the task force at all. I contacted everyone I know, called in every favor to get him tossed from the team—I mean I called all the way up the chain. I don’t know who the hell he is, but he isn’t just Teflon-coated; he’s bulletproof. I can’t touch him.”
    No wonder Carhart’s list of suspects was so damn brainless. He’d spent his night trying to get his best asset kicked off the team. What an idiot.
    “If we can’t get him out of the way, we’re going to have to marginalize him,” Carhart continued. “I need you to help me do that.”
    Okay. Idiot would be a step up for this guy.
    “I know neither of you want to babysit this jerk, but I want him kept away from the investigation. This is an FBI operation and we don’t need outsiders from the Department of Homeland Security getting in the way.” He held up his hand when Danica opened her mouth to protest. “I know you two want to help catch the Hunter, but the best way you can help is to keep Buchanan on the sidelines. So if he wants to scour Sacramento looking for people he thinks might be the Hunter’s next victim, let him.”
    Danica had to fight to keep from laughing. “Let me get this straight. You want us to keep Agent Buchanan busy while the rest of the task force rounds up suspects?”
    “That’s exactly what I’m saying.” He eyed her and Tony. “So, how about it? Can I count on the two of you to take one for the team?”
    Obviously Carhart’s finely tuned detective skills had yet to inform him that few people kept Clayne Buchanan in check. Her least of all. She didn’t answer his question right away. She’d been planning to help Clayne regardless, only now she wasn’t going to have to sneak around behind her boss’s back to do it. But she couldn’t give in too easily. So she sighed loudly and put on her best resigned look.
    “Yes, sir.”
    Carhart turned to Tony. “Agent Moretti?”
    Beside her, Tony nodded.
    “Good,” Carhart said, sounding pleased with himself. “That’ll be all.”
    Danica wondered how pleased her boss’d be if he knew they’d catch the killer way before the rest of the task force did. At least she hoped they caught him. Because if not, things were going to go from bad to worse for the city of Sacramento.

Chapter 4
    When Danica explained he’d been exiled to the periphery of the investigation, Clayne almost laughed. He was going to do his own thing whether Carhart approved or not. Although if he didn’t know better, he’d think Danica had manipulated the fed into ostracizing him so he could go after the shifter without being under