Unmasking the Wolf by Christy Gissendaner Read Free Book Online Page A

in the fluorescent lighting. The glass fronted case was locked. Nothing seemed to be out of place. Picking up the log, he saw Dominic had left a little after seven o’clock.
    Shaking off the paranoia, Luke flipped off the lights and carefully locked the door behind him. Even if the thief had the keys to Mason Building, he couldn’t enter the lab. Only a specially created bar code on the plastic card he carried with him at all times could grant access. He and Dominic had one copy each. The likelihood of the cards being stolen was slim.
    He left the building after speaking with the head of night security. Two extra guards were called in. Feeling better, he retrieved his car from the garage and headed home. His penthouse was located on Boylston Street, not far from Fenway Park. With ten-foot ceilings and a rooftop pool, it was an elegant place to live. Floor-to-ceiling windows provided the perfect view of the city. Much different from the home he’d grown up in.
    Crossing the bamboo flooring, he stood at the window and gazed at the night sky. Lights glowed from numerous windows of the buildings nearby. The city was always such a buzz of energy, nothing like the lazy, laid-back way of life in Jackson, Mississippi.
    His phone beeped. Sighing at the brief moment of silence, he pulled it out and read a terse note from Dominic.
    What the hell, Luke?
    He’d known it wouldn’t be long until Gina’s cousin contracted him. Swiping his fingers across the letters on the screen, he responded. We have a problem.
    No shit , Dominic texted back. Who do you think planned it?
    No clue. Luke growled with frustration. It had to be somebody he trusted. Not many people knew of L-12. It couldn’t be a coincidence his keys were stolen the same day he sent information on it to the FDA.
    What are we going to do?
    Luke typed out a few more words. I’ll handle it.
    No further text came from Dominic. Setting aside his cell, Luke turned back to the windows. He shoved his hands in his pockets and silently cursed. Not only did he have to wait to reveal his wolf side to Gina, he also had a possible enemy on his hands. Who would want to steal L-12, especially this close to trial? No one could hope to claim it as their own discovery at this point.
    Could Laura’s murder be tied into it somehow? She and Dominic had just created their first attempt to mask pyrazine, the chemical responsible for the distinctive wolf smell, the month before her murder. Unlike non-weres, where pyrazine was found in urine, wolf shifters possessed a weaker version undetectable to the human nose. But to another shifter, the scent released through a wolf’s pores was a red flag to the presence of a werewolf. L-12 appeared to work on both versions of wolf pyrazine.
    Whether it was coincidence or not, he’d best be prepared. In his bedroom, he kept a gun hidden in the wall safe. He went to it, typed in the combination, and pulled out his Magnum. Placing it on the table near the bed, he made sure all the doors were locked before going to take a shower. He kept a few L-12 files, mostly lab results, on his laptop. He’d do whatever it took to make sure the research didn’t fall into the wrong hands.
    •●•
    Her alarm buzzed and jolted Gina awake. Groping across the bed, she slammed her palm down on the snooze button but the ringing didn’t stop. Sitting up, she squinted at the time. Not even six o’clock. Why was her alarm going off? She wasn’t due for work until eight.
    A green glow lit the dim room. It was a phone call, not her alarm. She snatched up her cell and glanced at the display. It was her mom. Self-preservation screamed at her to press ignore, but she couldn’t do that to her mother.
    “Hello, Mom.”
    “Hey, baby girl.” Angela Moretti’s voice was deep and husky, the seductive twang of a phone sex operator as Gina liked to tease. “How’s Boston? Do you like your job?”
    Gina ran a hand through her tangled hair. “How did you even know I had a