Moonlight by Lisa Kessler Read Free Book Online Page B

me.
    Staring out at the water, I collected myself again. Mourning would have to wait. I turned around and found Lana already in the passenger seat. She didn’t seem frightened, or shaken, but rather determined and focused.
    Only the gnawing at her lower lip gave her away.
    I climbed behind the wheel and forced myself to breathe through my mouth, not wanting to catch the scent of Gabe’s body. The storm of pent-up emotions calmed with Lana nearby. Until now, my relationships remained physical. No emotional ties. My Pack brothers were the only friends and family I needed. But here she was.
    Hard to believe how quickly everything could change.
    She tapped my leg. “You okay?”
    One of my friends lay dead in the backseat of my Jeep. How could I be fucking okay? Hysterical laughter threatened, but I fought to remain calm. “I’ll be fine.”
    Taking a deep breath, I kept my eyes focused on the front of the Jeep, and fired up Chaney’s V-8 engine. I jammed the stick shift into gear, but before I let out the clutch, Lana placed her hand over mine. She didn’t say a word. Maybe it meant more that she didn’t speak. She was with me, and her solidarity gave me strength.
    Once we were on the highway, safe from prying ears, I looked over at her. “I need to drop you off first.”
    “What? Why? Shouldn’t we do something about Gabe first?”
    I shook my head, careful to keep Chaney below the speed limit. The last thing I needed was to be pulled over with a mangled body in my backseat.
    “You can’t come with me. I have to take Gabe back to my ranch and call the Pack.”
    “And?”
    My fuse was short. This was tough enough without her questions. I shot a glare in her direction. “And you’re a jaguar, Lana. They’ll think you did this.”
    She opened her mouth to reply, but then closed it and looked out the window. My simmering frustration fizzled. I reached over and took her hand. “I’m sorry. I know this wasn’t your fault. But it wouldn’t be safe for you.”
    She nodded and stared out her window. Silence settled in for the rest of the drive. What could I say? All I could think about was retribution. This went beyond patrolling our territory to keep it safe from jaguars who threatened to expose our kind to the humans. I wanted the bastard that killed Gabe. Revenge wouldn’t bring him back, but I didn’t really give a shit at this point. I needed to do something.
    I pulled off the freeway and took the back streets to Lana’s hotel. Other than telling me where she was staying, she remained quiet. I dropped her off at the rear entrance.
    “I’ll call your cell later.”
    “All right.” She nodded and gave my hand a squeeze before getting out of the Jeep. She turned back, her dark eyes locked on mine. “I’m sorry. About everything.”
    “Me too.” I slid the gearshift into first. “Don’t disappear on me.”
    Lana ran her hand up her opposite arm like she caught a chill. “My car is still at the diner.”
    I watched her walk away in my rearview mirror. That time she didn’t look back.
    “Fuck!” I slammed my hand against the steering wheel.
    Merging onto the highway, I cranked up the radio and focused on ratcheting up my rage. I was better at being angry than dealing with all the conflicting emotions festering inside me. Easier to be furious at whoever killed Gabe, and angry that my own Pack was a threat to my mate, than to allow myself to shoulder the guilt for not following through on my responsibilities. But where exactly did my loyalties lie, with the Pack who raised me or with an alluring jaguar woman I’d only known for a day?
    Stupid .
    Chaney’s tires squealed as I cranked the wheel to turn up the steep drive to Whispering Pines Farms, my stable. Since Gabe’s body was in the back of the Jeep, I drove right past my ranch house and down the narrow blacktopped road toward the barn. I’d have to call the rest of the Pack and have them meet me up there. I couldn’t risk driving Gabe’s body