“Come again?” It hadn’t escaped him that he’d deliberately steered clear of Hunter talk while courting Sophie. This new together time with her had to be cherished, and he refused to consider death and killing while cementing his ties to his mate.
“Look, wolf. I’ve looked everywhere I possibly can. She’s got to be here.”
“What?” Monty glanced around. Dean and Grady had to be setting him up. No way Miles there’s a permanent stick up my designer ass Bermin was actually asking him for help. Voluntarily.
“It’s Joy. Ever since we left a month ago, she’s been here and gone. And by here, I mean in Miami, and by gone, I mean she checks in by phone, but that’s it. She says she’s finding herself, but after that mess with Stacey and not capturing all the Hunters involved in the kidnapping, I’m worried she’s in danger.”
“And Quince?” The Florida cat had purportedly been working with rogue Ac-taw and maybe Hunters. Yet evidence had proven he’d been trying to take down the rogues all along. Maybe.
Miles’s lips thinned. “He’s gone too. I don’t know what the fuck is going on, and you’re the best tracker I know. Hell, everyone I asked for help recommended you. When it comes to Hunters, you’re the expert.”
A fact he hated. “Yeah, well, I’m mated now. I’m hanging it up.” He didn’t like the look on Miles’s face. As much as the cat plain irritated him, Monty felt for the guy. “Shit. You sure Joy is in trouble and not fucking with you? This is Joy we’re talking about.” He paused. “You see Burke yet?”
“Yes and no. I know Joy can be a handful.”
Monty snorted. The she-devil caused trouble like Dean on a bad day. And she was pretty, so she got out of it as much as she was in it.
Miles continued, “Last she and I spoke, she told me she was coming back to Cougar Falls to sort things out. That was three days ago. I haven’t heard from her since. I haven’t been to town yet to see Burke, but I’ve kept in touch on the phone. He has no idea where she is either, and he mentioned I should talk to you. That you were looking into the Hunter problem.” Miles met his gaze, and the worry there touched a chord in Monty. “Look. I know you and I don’t exactly get along. I’m not asking you to involve yourself in this for me. But for Joy. She’s innocent beneath all that trickery. And Hunters—”
“You don’t have to tell me about Hunters,” he interrupted. He felt sick to his stomach, imagining her in the hands of someone like Norris. Letting someone else deal with the prick wouldn’t work anyway. Before long, Sophie would want to leave town for one reason or another, and Monty would freak out that she might be in danger, that Norris was still looking for him. Might as well face it head-on.
“Hell. I’ve put this off anyway. We’ve been looking for the Hunters that got away that day, after they grabbed Stacey and Dean. The order took out five of them since you left. The last one went down a few days ago. No word of their ringleader yet.” No Ted Norris. “But that doesn’t mean he’s involved in Joy’s disappearance.”
“And it doesn’t mean he’s not. Miami is in a shit sandwich, everyone jockeying to be pride leader. Joy’s better off up here in town. But I can’t find her, Quince is suddenly missing and there are stirrings in Tennessee that some big Hunter’s Folly is going down.”
Monty paled. Hunter’s Folly was what those murderous dickheads called their main fighting event. The ultimate challenge where Hunter owners pitted their enslaved Ac-taw against one another, a death match to end all death matches. He rubbed his wrist, fingering the silvery scar left by a cougar’s sharp teeth.
“Look. I’ll dig into it. Tennessee, you said?”
Miles shook his head. “That’s where I heard the rumor, but the Folly is supposedly going down outside of Kalispell real soon. Funny thing, them having the festivities in Montana so close,
“Look, wolf. I’ve looked everywhere I possibly can. She’s got to be here.”
“What?” Monty glanced around. Dean and Grady had to be setting him up. No way Miles there’s a permanent stick up my designer ass Bermin was actually asking him for help. Voluntarily.
“It’s Joy. Ever since we left a month ago, she’s been here and gone. And by here, I mean in Miami, and by gone, I mean she checks in by phone, but that’s it. She says she’s finding herself, but after that mess with Stacey and not capturing all the Hunters involved in the kidnapping, I’m worried she’s in danger.”
“And Quince?” The Florida cat had purportedly been working with rogue Ac-taw and maybe Hunters. Yet evidence had proven he’d been trying to take down the rogues all along. Maybe.
Miles’s lips thinned. “He’s gone too. I don’t know what the fuck is going on, and you’re the best tracker I know. Hell, everyone I asked for help recommended you. When it comes to Hunters, you’re the expert.”
A fact he hated. “Yeah, well, I’m mated now. I’m hanging it up.” He didn’t like the look on Miles’s face. As much as the cat plain irritated him, Monty felt for the guy. “Shit. You sure Joy is in trouble and not fucking with you? This is Joy we’re talking about.” He paused. “You see Burke yet?”
“Yes and no. I know Joy can be a handful.”
Monty snorted. The she-devil caused trouble like Dean on a bad day. And she was pretty, so she got out of it as much as she was in it.
Miles continued, “Last she and I spoke, she told me she was coming back to Cougar Falls to sort things out. That was three days ago. I haven’t heard from her since. I haven’t been to town yet to see Burke, but I’ve kept in touch on the phone. He has no idea where she is either, and he mentioned I should talk to you. That you were looking into the Hunter problem.” Miles met his gaze, and the worry there touched a chord in Monty. “Look. I know you and I don’t exactly get along. I’m not asking you to involve yourself in this for me. But for Joy. She’s innocent beneath all that trickery. And Hunters—”
“You don’t have to tell me about Hunters,” he interrupted. He felt sick to his stomach, imagining her in the hands of someone like Norris. Letting someone else deal with the prick wouldn’t work anyway. Before long, Sophie would want to leave town for one reason or another, and Monty would freak out that she might be in danger, that Norris was still looking for him. Might as well face it head-on.
“Hell. I’ve put this off anyway. We’ve been looking for the Hunters that got away that day, after they grabbed Stacey and Dean. The order took out five of them since you left. The last one went down a few days ago. No word of their ringleader yet.” No Ted Norris. “But that doesn’t mean he’s involved in Joy’s disappearance.”
“And it doesn’t mean he’s not. Miami is in a shit sandwich, everyone jockeying to be pride leader. Joy’s better off up here in town. But I can’t find her, Quince is suddenly missing and there are stirrings in Tennessee that some big Hunter’s Folly is going down.”
Monty paled. Hunter’s Folly was what those murderous dickheads called their main fighting event. The ultimate challenge where Hunter owners pitted their enslaved Ac-taw against one another, a death match to end all death matches. He rubbed his wrist, fingering the silvery scar left by a cougar’s sharp teeth.
“Look. I’ll dig into it. Tennessee, you said?”
Miles shook his head. “That’s where I heard the rumor, but the Folly is supposedly going down outside of Kalispell real soon. Funny thing, them having the festivities in Montana so close,
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