Taming the Moon (12 page)

Olivia nodded. “Everyone in the pack who’s had children after they became werewolves had normal human children. From what I’ve been told, if it weren’t for Eddy, they’d live normal human lives.” She bit her lip, not liking the memories of just how many turnings she’d been forced to witness over the last three years. “But he makes sure that the children are turned on their eighteenth birthdays. He considers it a coming-of-age. If they don’t…” She met Sully’s gaze. “People don’t leave his pack. Ever. Unless they’re carried out in pieces.”

Sully cupped her face. “I am so sorry for what you’ve had to go through, love.” He placed a light kiss on her lips. “We’ll stop him, Olivia. I promise you that.”

“We have to.” She turned away from him and looked at Declan. Just to make sure, she asked, “So your friend is coming, right?” At his nod, she went on. “When should I call Eddy and let him know? After Ryder’s arrived? Or just before?”

“You tell us.” Declan stretched his arm along the back
of the chair. “How would Miles react if he thought you knew of Ryder’s pendin’ arrival at least a day before you told him?”

“He wouldn’t be happy.” Boy, was that the understatement of the year.

“Well, we don’t want to give him too much of a head start,” Sully protested in his crisp British accent. He crossed his arms and leaned one hip against the narrow table behind the sofa. “Giving him time to dig in somewhere won’t help our cause a bit.”

Olivia couldn’t help but stare at him. He was such a handsome man. Dark brown hair fell over his forehead, giving him a young appearance. Two days’ worth of stubble lined his strong jaw. The rolled-up sleeves of his shirt exposed strong, hair-covered forearms. Narrow hips made keeping his pants in place a fight against gravity. And green eyes that went tawny when his emotions were aroused never failed to arouse
her
.

She caught his eye and grinned at his satisfied smile.

Yeah, he liked her ogling him.

She hoped she’d have time to concentrate on him later.

She took a deep breath and tore her gaze away from temptation, looking at Declan. “Did Ryder say when he thought he’d be arriving?”

“He was goin’ to see about gettin’ the first flight out of Heathrow that he could, so sometime tomorrow, I reckon.”

“Then I should call Eddy.”

“You mean Miles,” Pelicia corrected softly.

Olivia shook her head. “I have to keep thinking of him as Eddy. If I slip up and call him Miles, he’ll know something’s wrong.” She swallowed. “I can’t give him any hint at all that we’re planning something. Zoe’s life depends upon it.”

“Call him after we find out Ryder’s itinerary, once we know he’s well on his way,” Sully murmured. “That way, even if Miles is able to get a flight out that day, he’ll still arrive after Ryder has.” When she nodded, his lips curved in a slow smile. “In the meantime, you can stay here with us. With me.”

“I
want you two to go to Tucson and keep an eye on Olivia. I don’t trust her to complete her assignment.” Eddy stared at one of the men in front of him with a steely gaze, directing him without words. In addition to finding a place in Tucson, he wanted Peter to keep an eye on Calvin to be sure the man either passed this final test of loyalty or, if he failed, to make sure that his failure was fatal.

Peter gave a short nod. “We won’t let you down,” he said. He glanced at Calvin. “Either one of us.”

“See that you don’t.” Eddy directed his gaze to Calvin. He knew the other man hated him for what he’d done to his family, but it didn’t matter. Eddy was pack leader. His word was law.

He
was law.

“Hell, they’re in the middle of a desert. You two hole up somewhere isolated. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find a place sitting out in the middle of a few dozen acres or so.” As he looked at Calvin, displeasure tightened his lips. “Even for you.”

Calvin kept his gaze lowered, showing the proper subservience, but Eddy knew behind those hidden eyes seethed
hatred. He should just kill him and get it over with, but Calvin had garnered a lot of sympathy from many in the pack. To kill him without provocation might be Eddy’s right as pack leader, but it would cause more problems than it would solve.

Of course, if something happened while Calvin and Peter were out in the Sonoran Desert…

“Go get ready,” he told Calvin. “Peter, stay,” he said to the other man. When the door closed behind Calvin, Eddy lowered his voice, even though the soundproofing he’d had installed in the room should block anyone from eavesdropping. “If you find a place that’s occupied but otherwise is suitable, kill whoever’s there. You should only need the place for a day or two at the most. Livvie’s deadline is fast approaching. But be careful. Keep it under the radar of the police.”

Peter nodded again, his pale blue eyes sparkling with anticipation of meting out violence. Of all of Eddy’s lieutenants, Peter was the biggest sociopath, which made him ideal as Eddy’s prime enforcer.

He was also the most ambitious, which made him a likely candidate for mutiny. Eddy knew he had to keep his eye on him because it wouldn’t be long before Peter believed he could win a pack challenge. But, until then, he’d do Eddy’s bidding because it was in his best interests to do so.

Eddy could live with that. For now.

He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers, tapping his fingertips together. It was one of the things he liked to do, using body language to drive home the point that he was the one in charge. “Once you’re out there and have done what needs to be done, take care of Calvin.” He
jabbed a finger toward Peter. “I want him taken care of, you hear me?”

Peter nodded. “Gotcha.”

“If anyone in the pack asks what happened, you can just say that Calvin tried to kill you, and you acted in self-defense.” As a thought occurred, he narrowed his eyes. This would be an opportunity for Peter to throw an unfavorable light on Eddy. He had to nip that in the bud right now. “And don’t think about pointing the finger back at me. I’ll disavow all knowledge. As far as anyone else is concerned, I was trying to salvage Calvin as a valuable pack member.”

“Whatever you say. You’re the boss.” Peter clasped his hands behind his back. “Is that all?”

Eddy planted his palms on the top of his desk. He pushed to his feet and, bracing himself on the desk, said, “Just remember one thing. I made you; I can unmake you.” He gave a jerk of his head toward the door. “Go.”

Peter inclined his head, the light glinting off the blond strands of his perfectly layered hair. “I’ll call you as soon as it’s done.”

Eddy stared at the doorway long after Peter was gone, his thoughts churning. He hadn’t yet gotten a call from Olivia letting him know she’d completed her task. He was very much afraid he’d have to carry through with his threat against Zoe.

If he did, he’d take her to Tucson and take care of her there where Olivia could see up close and personal what failing him meant. As much as it would hurt him, he’d leave Zoe’s little body out in the desert for the coyotes and other scavengers to feed on. By the time the police found her remains, there would be nothing left of her to identify.

Just as there’d be nothing left of Olivia.

He shook his head and sat back down. It was a shame, really. At one time he’d given serious consideration to taking Olivia as a mate. One of many, of course, but she would have held precedence in his favor.

Until she’d proven to be so stubborn, so…intractable. It had seemed poetic indeed to turn a woman whose married name meant “little wolf” and whose maiden name, also Gaelic in origin, meant “warrior.” While she was certainly that, especially where her daughter was concerned, she had failed completely in proving she could be a warrior for
him
.

He blew out a sigh and rubbed his forehead. Live and learn. It was easier dealing with people who weren’t parents before they were turned. From now on, he’d only turn single people who were unattached—no children, no significant others.

People who were desperate to belong, who would eagerly accept a place in his pack. And who would be proud to add children to the pack as well. Children who, upon reaching adulthood, would also join the pack as full-fledged werewolves.

Just a few more loose ends to take care of and life would be…

Perfect.

S
ometime after midnight, Sully propped up on one elbow and stared down at the woman beside him in bed. Kindred spirits, that’s what they were, he and Olivia. Two of a kind—proud, independent, unwilling to let others see the chinks in their armor.

As much as he’d tried to deny it, he knew it to be true. They did share the same soul.

Wonder gripped him anew at how important she’d become to him in such a short time. It had to be more than his admitted savior complex—his deep-seated need to safeguard those in need of protection. It had to be more than his profound respect for the fervent love she held for her child. That was to be expected of any parent, though many fell short.

He couldn’t shake the sense of familiarity, and it was more than the fact that he’d seen her outside his terrace house in London. He felt close to her in a way that defied definition. For the moment, at least. Sooner or later he’d put his finger on it.

One thing he did know—it wasn’t important. He felt; therefore he was.

He rolled his eyes at his fancifulness. What was it about love that made men sodding idiots?

He held his breath a moment. Love. Was what he felt really love? Olivia being important to him was different than him loving her.

Wasn’t it?

For God’s sake, he didn’t know enough about her to love her. She was a single parent, but he didn’t know anything about her deceased husband, and next to nothing about her child other than that she was a girl named Zoe, and she was six years old.

Sully didn’t even know how old Olivia was. She appeared to be in her early thirties, but according to Declan werewolf metabolism slowed down the aging process, so she could be older than she looked.

He didn’t know what she did for a living. She’d mentioned teaching kickboxing, but that was it.

Did you ask?

No, he hadn’t. Apparently she was supposed to become this fount of information, spilling details about herself without being asked. He knew enough about her to know she was a private person, just like him. With the situation she found herself in, he knew she’d feel that the more information someone had about her, the more it could be used against her. So she’d keep as much as she could to herself.

It was all about trust. Not only him trusting her, but vice versa. What had he done to show her
she
could trust
him
, other than have the best sex of his life with her?

You couldn’t base a solid relationship purely on sex, though as far as Sully was concerned good sex went a long way. Great sex went even further.

He stared down into Olivia’s face, able to see her fea
tures clearly even though the room was dark. A sliver of light from the security spotlight outside came in from around the edges of the curtain, allowing him to make out the graceful slant of her jaw, the sultry curve of her lips, the sweep of dark lashes against her cheek.

Christ, she was beautiful. At that moment, with sleep cradling her in its peaceful arms, she looked content. Almost happy without the lines of care creasing her forehead and bracketing her mouth.

He shook his head. There he went again, being poetic. What had happened to the hardnosed, tough DCI Sullivan?

“Sucked into the quagmire,” he murmured.

Olivia must have heard him, for her brows dipped, and she sighed. Her eyes fluttered open, but he could see she wasn’t really awake. “Wha…”

“Nothing, love.” He stroked her hair, tucking a few strands behind her left ear. He pressed a kiss to her temple. “Go back to sleep.”

She sighed again and closed her eyes. “’Kay.”

And just that quickly her breathing evened out.

Poor little thing. She’d probably been running on adrenaline for the last three years. This could very well be the first solid night of sleep she’d gotten in quite a while.

He was glad he could calm her fears enough so she could get a much-needed rest.

Now, if someone could just settle him down and help him accept his new life…

Late the next morning, Olivia glanced around the breakfast table at her companions. She held her cell phone in one hand. “You’re sure about this?” She hoped they wouldn’t back out, but to be fair she had to give them the
chance to change their minds. They were getting ready to walk into a very dangerous—maybe even deadly—situation. She had no right to ask it of them, yet she knew they were her only hope.

If they decided not to help…She didn’t even want to think about what that would mean for her.

“Make the call.” Sully leaned forward and took her left hand in his.

“Aye.” Declan reached out and pulled Pelicia closer to him, the legs of her chair screeching against the tile floor. He twined his fingers through hers, grinning at the shake of her head. “Ryder’s e-mail last night said he managed to book a flight out of Heathrow this morning. It’s roughly a fifteen-hour flight. With just the one layover, he should be in tonight around five-thirty.” He tipped his chin toward the cell phone in her hand. “Call Miles and tell him the news.”

Olivia nodded and took a deep breath, holding it in for a moment. After she exhaled, she punched in Eddy’s number and brought the phone to her ear. It was answered on the second ring by a deep, melodious voice with an Hispanic inflection.

Olivia tightened her fingers on the phone. “Hello, Rico. It’s Liv. Let me talk to Eddy.”

“Por qué, chica?”

She’d long ago ceased to find anything even remotely sexy about his deep, accented tones. Rico was almost as slimy as Eddy. As far as she was concerned, that took away any positive appeal his dark Latin good looks might have otherwise held. A pretty face didn’t make up for a black soul.

“I have news for him, and I don’t have a lot of time.”
She made sure to keep her voice hushed and put as much urgency into it as she could. “Come on, Rico. Put him on the line.”

“All right, all right. Hold on.”

She heard a rustling noise as he transferred the phone to Eddy, then Eddy’s voice came on the line, hard with displeasure and impatience. “Livvie? You’d better have good news.”

“I do.” Olivia bit her lower lip. Please, God, let this work. Now that she had him on the line, all she could think about was her daughter. “Let me talk to Zoe. Please,” she tacked on, not wanting him to interpret it as a demand, though it was.

“Give me your news first then I’ll determine if it warrants a reward.”

She swallowed and crossed the fingers of the hand Sully still held. “I’ve been trying to get close to Sullivan to find the opportune moment to strike.” She met Sully’s gaze and inwardly winced at the sympathy she saw in his eyes. God, when he found out she was the one who’d turned him…She blinked and pushed that thought away. She’d deal with that later, once she had Zoe safe and sound.

If her daughter was protected from Eddy, then what was the sacrifice of Olivia’s happiness? It was nothing. She’d give her life if that’s what it took.

She realized that Eddy hadn’t yet said anything. “Eddy? Are you still there?”

His words came out in measured cadence, evidence that he was furious. “You mean to tell me that Rory Sullivan is still alive?” His voice ended on a rasp.

Oh, boy, he was really, really mad.

“Go get Zoe,” she heard him say.

Her heart leaped into her throat, then dropped and began thudding hard behind her ribs. “Eddy, wait! There’s more.”

“More than the fact that you’ve been in Tucson for three days already and have yet to complete your task? Ticktock, Livvie. Ticktock.” He cleared his throat. She could see his expression in her mind’s eye and, knowing he was about to say something sarcastic and hurtful, she braced herself. “It’s not that hard, even for a stupid bitch like you. Isn’t that right, Livvie?”

God, but she hated it when he called her that. He’d get his, and soon. For now, she had to agree with him that she was stupid. “Yes.”

“Yes.” He sighed. “What else?”

She paused for effect then said softly, “Ryder Merrick is coming here.”

“What?” His voice was incredulous. “What did you just say?”

“I said that Ryder Merrick is coming to Tucson. I overheard Sullivan and O’Connell talking about it when they were out at a local coffee shop this morning.” She paused, then fumbled her words a bit to make him think she was nervous. Well, she was nervous, but not for the reason he would think. She hoped.

She met Declan’s encouraging gaze. “Go on,” he mouthed with a slight smile.

Olivia nodded. “I…I figured that’s, ah, who you’ve been trying to get, you know, revenge on. You almost said his name when you told me a little bit about the reason you wanted me to”—she softened her voice even more—“to kill Sullivan.”

“I did?” His voice had softened as well.

She cleared her throat. “Yeah. You, well, you said ‘Merr’ and then trailed off.” She drew in a breath and quietly exhaled, knowing his werewolf hearing would pick up the sound. She made sure there was a slight tremble in her voice as she asked, “Was I wrong? Should I not have bothered you with this?”

The other three around the table were tense, sitting straight, their gazes fixed on her as they listened to the one-sided conversation.

Well, as Pelicia listened to the one-sided conversation. Olivia suspected that Sully and Declan could both hear Eddy.

“No, no. You did absolutely right in calling me with this news.” As it usually did when he was feeling particularly pleased about something, a slight British accent had crept into his voice. “When is he due to arrive?”

“This evening, sometime around six p.m.” She fudged the arrival a little, just to give them some more time.

“That soon?”

“I called you as soon as I knew,” Olivia hastened to say, making her voice sound defensive.

“Of course you did, pet. Give me a minute to think.”

Silence was broken only by the intermittent static on the line.

She looked at the others and gave a slight shrug, and tried not to panic. If he didn’t take the bait, she was SOL.

And so was Zoe.

Finally he said, “I’m coming out there.”

She removed her hand from Sully’s and gave a thumbs-up signal. “When?”

The others relaxed, Sully slumping back in his chair and Declan pulling Pelicia closer in a silent hug.

“Don’t you worry about when,” Eddy said. “You worry about Sullivan.”

She frowned. “You still want me to—”

“Yes, I still want you to kill him. Why would you think that had changed?” His voice was hard again, full of irritation.

Olivia tightened her lips at his aggrieved tone. Please, God, soon this would all be over and she’d be done with him. For now, she kept her voice soft and timid. “Well, I just thought that—”

“Don’t think, pet. You’ll overheat.” He laughed at his own joke.

She grimaced, not appreciating his humor. Not that she ever had, even when she’d first met him. BC. Before the Change. He had a mocking sense of humor that frequently belittled others. She told herself it was because he felt inferior and had the need to make others feel bad in order for him to feel good. But that didn’t always help when she was on the receiving end of his insults.

“I don’t need Merrick to witness it.” Eddy went on in a musing tone. “As a matter of fact, I’d like that to be the first news he hears when he gets off the plane this evening. It’ll distract him. So, make it happen.”

Olivia swallowed. “Today? In the next”—she glanced at her watch—“eight hours?” She looked at Sully with a frown.

“It’s okay,” he mouthed.

“Stop fucking around, Livvie, and get it done.” Eddy’s indrawn breath was sharp. “I’ll call you when I get into Tucson, and you’d better tell me then that Sullivan is dead. You hear me?”

She sighed. “Yeah, I hear you.” He sounded like he was about to hang up, and she yelled, “Eddy! Wait! Please let
me talk to Zoe.” When he didn’t respond, she repeated, “Please.”

She heard him snap his fingers and hardly dared to breathe while she waited. But soon she heard Zoe’s dulcet tones. “Mommy?”

Olivia closed her eyes against the urge to weep. Zoe sounded all right. Not scared, not unhappy. Just her sweet, lovely little self.

“Hello, baby. How are you?”

“I’m okay. Me and Calvin’s been hanging out, but he had to go away.” She sighed. “I miss you.”

“I miss you, too.” Olivia propped her elbow on the table and bent her head, resting her forehead against her fist. God, it felt so good to hear her daughter’s voice. She’d been so scared for her. “But I’ll be home soon.”

“Uncle Eddy said you had something you had to take care of.” Her daughter’s voice became muffled as she added, “Isn’t that right, Uncle Eddy?”

“That’s right, poppet.” Eddy’s voice was indulgent. Full of affection. But Olivia knew that affection could turn deadly in a heartbeat. She could almost see his hand stroking over Zoe’s shiny dark hair as he murmured, “Very important business your mommy has, and she mustn’t fail.”

“Oh, my mommy won’t fail. She’s smart.”

Olivia laughed at that. From the mouths of babes…She only hoped she was as smart as her daughter believed her to be. “Sweetheart, I promise I’ll be home just as soon as I can, all right?”

“Okay, Mommy.” Her voice was still muffled.

Olivia shook her head. Her daughter was notorious for covering up the receiver area when she used a cell phone. “Zoe, honey, take your hand off the bottom of the phone.”

She heard Eddy say, “Tell your mother good-bye, poppet, and give me back the phone.”

Ever obedient, Zoe said, her voice no longer muffled, “I have to go now, Mommy. I love you.”

“I love you, too, baby. Zoe—”

“Go on back to your room and play with your dolls, Zoe,” Eddy told the little girl. Olivia realized he’d taken the phone from her daughter and was waiting for Zoe to leave the room before they went on with their conversation. “Today, Livvie,” he said as he came back on the line. “I want confirmation
today
that Sullivan is dead. And more than just your word that the deed is done.”

She frowned. She had to ask, but dreaded his answer. “What kind of confirmation?”

“Hmm. Well, there aren’t all that many things that would be certain proof, are there?” He laughed. “Once I’m in town I’ll call you with my location. You can bring me his head. In a sack.” He hung up without waiting for her response.