Lion’s Claim (Shifter Chronicles Book 6) Read online

  “I doubt that,” Magnus said.

  “I agree,” Logan admitted. “It won’t matter, though. I was there and I know what happened.”

  “And you believe he’ll get time?”

  “Yes.” Logan said with confidence. “The last case like this I was involved with didn’t have half the evidence and the man was sentenced to fifteen years. The courts are taking these charges seriously.”

  “Finally,” Magnus muttered.

  “You don’t believe in the system?” Logan asked, surprised.

  “It’s not that.” Magnus leaned to glance out of his door and leaned forward. He braced his forearms on the desk as he spoke. “I tried to get Coalition help when your agency was first formed. We didn’t have any trouble in town, but our town limit lines up to meet the federal land. I’ve been dealing with illegal hunting more and more.”

  “No one said anything about it last night,” Logan said, growing concerned. He’d spoken to Mac and Annabelle and neither of them had mentioned trouble.

  “They don’t know,” Magnus said. “I’ve been trying to keep it quiet.”

  “Why?” he couldn’t help but ask. If Annabelle had had some warning, she might have taken better precautions prior to her run the previous night.

  “The people who live here need the protection that we’re able to provide. They depend on being able to remain unknown. If they start to fear hunters, or anything else, I have no idea how they’ll react, but it won’t be good.”

  The sheriff’s words, said with passion, struck a chord with Logan. He could only imagine how Mac and the others at the bar would respond to a threat in their back yard. Logan didn’t know the other residents of Brookside, but the way they had frozen him out the day before spoke of a close community.

  “How can I help?” Logan asked.

  Magnus furrowed his brow. “Help?”

  “Protect the people of your town. You said that the Coalition hadn’t assisted?”

  “They haven’t,” Magnus confirmed. “I’ve made calls to them and the State Park Rangers. Still haven’t seen anyone.”

  “My office would be the closest,” Logan said. He hadn’t heard about any trouble up there. “Who’d you speak to?”

  Magnus flipped through a notepad. “Agent Ruiz.”

  Huh, Ricardo Ruiz was one of the first agents who had joined Logan’s division. They’d started about the same time, but Logan had never liked the other agent. “What’s he say?”

  “Not much. He promised to look into it and ask the Rangers to keep a better eye out, but I know he’s just blowing me off.”

  “How many hunters?”

  “This is the third time this month that we’ve brought someone in. I can’t file the federal charges and without any help…” Magnus shrugged.

  “You’ll have it now,” Logan vowed. He’d look into what Ruiz’s issue was, but Logan had called in a couple of the newest agents and he doubted either would have a problem with getting more involved.

  “Why are you offering to help when agents from your own office won’t?”

  “Because it’s our fucking job,” Logan snapped.

  “Then I will expect you to do your job.”

  Even though Logan now understood some of the hostility coming from Magnus, it was hard not to feel challenged. “While we’re talking about doing jobs, I have some questions for you.”

  Magnus lifted an eyebrow.

  Logan opened his own file and pulled out the picture of Samantha Jones. “Have you ever seen this woman?” He slid the photo across the desk.

  To his credit, Magnus picked up the image and studied it. “No. She’s a pretty girl and I would have remembered her. Why?”

  How much to tell him? Hell, Logan hanging around the bar had already showed Mac and his group that he was suspicious. Even if Magnus told Mac that Logan asked questions, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. “We have a missing person report that links her to some of your residents.”

  Magnus leaned back in his chair and grinned. “Let me guess, your link is through the Den.”

  “Yes,” Logan confirmed. “You know anything about what’s going on there?”

  “You seemed pretty comfortable yourself around them,” Magnus replied. “What do you know?”

  “Nothing,” Logan admitted. “But I have my suspicions.”

  “All I’m at liberty to say is that if Mac or anyone in his group is involved, then that girl is in good hands.”

  Why didn’t Magnus’ confirmation that Samantha wasn’t in danger there make Logan feel better? The sheriff knew something he wasn’t saying and Logan wanted answers. “That’s all you’re at liberty to say?” he pressed. “You’re a law enforcement officer. It is your job to stop a crime from being committed.”

  “I know what my duty is,” Magnus replied, his shoulders going stiff. “I don’t need a reminder from some uptight city boy.”

  “City boy?” Logan repeated. Is he fucking serious?

  “It’s obvious you don’t belong here.” Magnus ran his gaze down Logan’s button-down shirt and dark slacks. “You’ll get those nice clothes dirty.”

  Logan resisted running his palms along the thigh of his pants. They were tailored and fitted, but he wasn’t wearing a full suit. So I dress nicely. How is that a fault? “I can’t believe you’re bringing up my clothes.”

  “It’s only the most obvious sign that you’re not from here.”

  “Your entire town has made it apparent that you don’t welcome outsiders,” Logan pointed out.

  “For good reason,” Magnus said.

  Logan wasn’t getting anywhere with this guy. It was frustrating him to a point that he almost threatened him, but by the look on his face, it seemed Magnus expected that reaction. Logan needed to be the bigger man here. “This case started by me doing a friend a favor.”

  “Favor?” Magnus asked dubiously.

  “A buddy of mine got the call from Samantha’s boyfriend, saying she’d been kidnapped by a couple of guys on bikes after they’d beaten him,” Logan shared. “Samantha’s not far from the head Coalition office in Lake Worth. The boyfriend, a sheriff by the way, got a look at the license plates on the bikes.”

  “Which led you here,” Magnus said.

  “Yes. He asked me to come up here since I was closer,” Logan said.

  Magnus tapped his finger on the desk as he stared at Logan. “What do you need in order to drop the investigation on this woman?

  Finally, they were getting somewhere. “I want to talk to her. If she answers my questions over the phone, then I’ll leave her alone.”

  “And leave town?” Magnus asked.

  “I kind of like it here,” Logan replied, not giving away his true feelings. Magnus didn’t need to know anything about him and Annabelle.

  “You stayed at the Den last night?” Magnus stated.

  “I did.” Logan gazed right back at the sheriff. “Is that a problem?”

  “Not for me. Surprised is all. Mac is pretty protective over his people.”

  “I noticed.”

  “But him allowing you to hang around, even sleep there, says he trusts you,” Magnus responded.

  “I haven’t given him any reason not to.”

  “Most people don’t get the chance.”

  Logan nodded, not having anything more to say. He’d been surprised when Mac had offered. Even Annabelle had been shocked.

  Outside the window, Logan saw a black, company-issued SUV pull up and park beside his truck. “My guys are here.”

  “Go ahead,” Magnus said. “Carl has the transfer paperwork.”

  Logan hadn’t had time to write his report. “Do you have somewhere I can sit and talk to them?”

  Magnus pointed to the only other office, which was right next to his. “Use that space. No one else does.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Sure.” Magnus glanced down at the photo of Samantha, which was still on his desk. “I’ll work on this other matter.”

  Logan wa
s grateful. He’d like to close this investigation up to concentrate on more personal matters. In the first time in his long career, Logan felt like he wasn’t performing to the best of his ability at his job. It was not a feeling he wanted to carry around with him.

  Fabian and Fredrick, twin wolf shifters, and Logan’s favorite young agents, were stepping into the station as Logan exited Magnus’ office. Fabian, a natural flirt and friendly guy, eyed and smiled at Carl. Fredrick rolled his eyes but followed his brother as Fabian walked right up to the deputy’s desk.

  “Well, hello there.” Fabian’s richly accented voice sounded warm and inviting.

  Carl jumped up from his desk, knocking a few papers onto the ground. The young deputy blushed before bending to pick them up. Fabian made no attempt to hide his eyeballing of Carl’s ass.

  James snorted as Logan passed him, but didn’t comment. The older deputy didn’t seem disgusted or even bothered at all by Fabian’s ogling.

  “Hey, Logan,” Fredrick greeted him.

  “Thanks for making it here so fast,” Logan replied, shaking Fredrick’s hand.

  “Oh, it was our pleasure,” Fabian crooned, leaning against Carl’s desk.

  Carl looked like he didn’t know whether to run away from Fabian or step toward him.

  “Come on back,” Logan said, hoping to keep Fabian on task while giving Carl a break from his intense attention.

  “Be right there,” Fabian said, turning his gaze to Carl.

  Well, he’d tried. Fredrick followed him into the empty office. Logan switched on the light and was surprised by the clean, bare space he found. The space was about the same size as Magnus’ and held a desk, a few spare chairs and filing cabinet.

  “You made it here quicker than I thought,” Logan commented, setting his stuff down.

  “I lost a bet and had to let Fab drive.”

  Chuckling, Logan sat to power up his laptop. “You’re never going to learn.”

  Fredrick grinned, sitting across from him. “If I let him drive, at least I don’t have to worry about him playing with all the buttons in the car.”

  “True,” Logan agreed. “Not a bad idea.”

  “So you said you caught a hunter?” Fredrick asked. “I can’t believe he didn’t know that there are no open areas around here. I looked it up before we left. This entire territory is protected.”

  “Oh, he knew. Have you ever heard anything about this place having trouble?”

  “No,” Fredrick confirmed. “Never heard of the place.”

  “The sheriff has made several requests to our office and hasn’t received any help?”

  Fredrick frowned. “Did he say who he spoke to?”

  This was tricky ground. While Logan liked Fredrick and Fabian, he didn’t know how close they were to Ruiz.

  “It’s probably that prick Ruiz.”

  Logan glanced up at Fabian, who was walking through the open doorway. “What makes you say that?”

  “I’ve heard him answer calls. He’ll promise to look into things, but I never actually see him working,” Fabian replied. “When I asked him about the calls, he told me to mind my own business.”

  That wasn’t good. Logan wished he could say something to defend a fellow agent, but he had a feeling that things with Ruiz were going to get worse.

  “What else has he said to you?” Logan asked.

  “Nothing I can’t handle.” Fabian clutched the back of the only other empty chair then spun in around to plop down.

  “Like what?” Logan pressed.

  “He calls him a fag,” Fredrick supplied.

  “Fred!” Fabian snapped at his brother.

  “No.” Logan held his hand up. “You don’t have to put up with that bullshit. I need to know.”

  “It’s not a big deal,” Fabian said, shrugging. “I just ignore him.”

  “How many other people ignore him?”

  Both Fabian and Fredrick looked uncomfortable.

  “Never mind.” Their reaction was enough. “I’ll take care of it.”

  “We like working there,” Fabian told him. “Not a lot of other divisions would have allowed us to work together.”

  “I understand,” Logan said. He would make sure that whatever he had to do, nothing would come back on the twins. Logan opened the program he needed. “Let me explain what’s going on and what I need you to do while I finish my report.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Fabian replied, settling in to listen.

  As Logan spoke, he outlined everything that he needed. Fabian and Fredrick both asked good questions, proving to Logan that they might be new, but they were highly trained. Once he’d given them everything he could, he stood and motioned them up.

  “Let’s get you guys on the road,” Logan said.

  “I don’t know.” Fabian looked out to the front. “Are you sure you don’t need me here? I could stay.”

  Since Fabian was eyeing Carl, who watched Fabian from the corner of his eye, Logan knew exactly why Fabian had made the offer.

  “Sorry.” Logan slapped Fabian on the back. “But if something comes up, I’ll give you a call.”

  “Figures,” Fabian muttered. “I never get the good assignments.”

  “Deputies, can you help transfer the suspect to my guys?” Logan called out.

  “Sure.” Carl was by Fabian’s side in an instant. The shifter moved damn fast.

  James grumbled but started to rise.

  Amused, Logan turned to go back into the office and almost ran into Magnus.

  “Here.” Magnus passed him a piece of paper.

  “What’s this?” he asked.

  “A phone number,” Magnus replied.

  Such a smartass. “Whose?”

  “Call it and find out,” Magnus told him before spinning on his heel and returning to his office.

  Okay. Logan didn’t follow the sheriff. Instead he pulled his cell from his back pocket and punched in the number while ambling to his computer.

  “Hello?” The voice on the other end of the line was soft and trembled.

  “Hi, this is Agent Coldwell with the Shifter Coalition,” Logan said.

  “Yes, Agent,” she responded. “He said you’d be calling.”

  “He who? And who am I speaking to?”

  “This is Samantha Jones.”

  There’s no way it’ll be this easy. “Samantha Jones?”

  “Yes.”

  He scrambled to his file and opened it. “Samantha, can you verify your birthday for me?”

  “April tenth, nineteen ninety-four.”

  “And the last four digits of your social security number?”

  “Six three one one.”

  Holy shit, this really was Samantha. “Do you know why I need to speak to you?”

  “Because I ran away,” Samantha replied.

  “I just need to make sure you’re safe.”

  “I’ve never been as safe as I am right now.”

  Logan sat, not believing that he was actually getting to speak to the woman he’d been searching for.

  “I won’t tell you where I am,” she said firmly.

  “If I can verify your story and you feel that you are in no danger, there is no reason for you to.”

  She let out an audible long breath. “Where do I start?”

  “Can you tell me what happened the night you left?”

  Chapter Seven

  Logan stepped into the Den and almost ran right into Mac. The big bear shifter laughed while moving to the side.

  “You’re back so soon, agent,” Mac commented.

  “Yes,” Logan responded. “I am.” There was no way Mac didn’t know Annabelle had a date.

  “I’m glad,” Mac said. “I believe Annabelle is anxious for your date tonight.”

  Logan nodded.

  “Or are you here about something else?” Mac didn’t appear nervous in any way, but Logan was certain Mac knew about the phone call from earlier.

  “I spoke to Samantha Jones today,” Logan info
rmed him.

  “The young woman that you were looking for?” Mac asked. “I take it she’s been found?”

  “She states that she left of her own free will and that she doesn’t want to return home.”

  “Isn’t that what you believed?” Mac asked.

  “It was one of the options I was interested in checking out.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  Logan glared at the biker. “You think you’re pretty smart, don’t you?”

  “I have no idea what you mean,” Mac said.

  “Just because my case is closed doesn’t mean I’m giving up on figuring out what is going on around here,” he threatened. It probably wasn’t the best move to declare his intentions, but he’d had all afternoon to think about what he was going to do.

  After a phone call to Jamie officially took the Jones investigation off his plate, he really didn’t have a reason to hang around. Or at least that was what he’d thought before he’d asked Magnus for the records on all the hunting incidents that he’d been requesting assistance for.

  Logan had believed he’d been grasping at straws for a reason to stay around until he’d actually read each report. Magnus did have a problem and it was getting worse.

  “I have no doubt that you think you’ll uncover something, but I assure you we’re just a makeshift family who take care of one another.” Mac shrugged.

  “For Annabelle’s sake, I hope that’s true.”

  Mac’s face changed. Gone was the cocky, relaxed man and he instantly hardened into the scary biker. He leaned close to Logan’s face. “Don’t think that because you spent a little with her that you know anything about what she needs.”

  “We both know there’s more happening between me and Annabelle than hanging out a few times.” Logan wasn’t intimated. If Mac was testing him, then it was time for Logan to show him he was strong enough to be a true equal partner with Annabelle. If there was going to be trouble in Brookside, Logan wouldn’t allow Annabelle to be involved. Her run-in with the hunters the night before was all she needed to deal with. She’d been lucky. “That’s why you’re letting me hang around, isn’t it?”

  Mac glared at him. “I’m beginning to regret my decision.”