Chasing Payne Read online

  “Lora.” Chase's gruff voice made her jerk back to reality.

  She shook Austin's hand quickly, and looked away, crimson heat staining her cheeks.

  When she looked up again, Chase's eyes were glued on her like a hawk soaring over its next prey. His expression was so tense that Lora didn't even notice the second man enter the office.

  “So the rumors are true. Jacob really did let you join the agency.”

  Lora twisted in her chair at the sound of the familiar voice behind her. “Turner!”

  A younger and less brooding version of Chase, Turner's grey blue eyes gave her a look of appraisal as she stood. He scooped her up in his arms in a hug that left her breathless.

  “God, look at you. So beautiful and all grown up,” Turner said.

  Lora laughed, returning the hug, and kissed his stubble cheek. Despite how much he looked like his older brother, there had never been more than friendship between the two of them. Her heart broke every time she stared into his eyes, eyes that held tightly to the pain and torment of his past.

  “Put her down. She's not a child.” Chase snarled and slammed his palm down on the desk. “For god's sake, you're at work. Try to act like it.”

  She pulled back from Turner's grip and frowned at Chase.

  Slowly, Turner placed her back on her feet, and raised his eyebrows at his brother. “What crawled up your ass this morning?”

  Chase's already stiff posture grew more rigid as he gave his brother a pointed stare. “Watch it. You're already skating on thin ice. Don't make me regret allowing you back here before your probation is up.”

  “Easy big brother. You need to get that prickle out of your paw.” Turner draped a casual arm over Lora's shoulder and smiled down at her. “God, it's been too long. You really do look great.”

  Austin leaned against the wall, his legs crossed and his hands in the pockets of his slacks. He gave her a crooked smile that made her knees go a bit wobbly. “We're heading over to Mac's Tavern after work. Why don't you join us?”

  The small almost indecipherable tick in Chase's jaw turned into outright teeth grinding. “Until this case is solved, you will all be working late.”

  There was a heated moment of silence.

  Austin stifled a small chuckle under a fake cough and Turner studied his brother with a look of wry humor.

  Something passed between the men that she didn't understand.

  Turner put his hands up in surrender. “All right, then let's get started. What do we know so far?”

  A dark moodiness still hung over Chase, but he turned back to the papers on his desk and handed each of the men a large manila file similar to the one he had shown her. “We've got five victims. None of which have any known connections or previous knowledge of Metamorphs. The shifts happened instantly, and at present, it appears the victims are stuck in a permanent animal state.”

  “Damn,” Austin said, flipping through the files.

  Turner sat down in the seat Lora had previously occupied. “Have we conducted DNA tests?”

  Chase nodded. “The chromosomal abnormalities place the victims under the category Homo sapiens Metamorph.”

  Lora shook her head and tried to keep up with the conversation. The six-week training program the agency provided only covered basic shifter genetics. What they were talking about now was way beyond anything she had learned.

  “So they're shifters.” Turner took the files that Chase handed him and thumbed through them. “Then why can't they morph back into their human form?”

  “We have DNA samples of two of the victims before they shifted. There's no denying they were human.” Chase leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. “We believe whatever caused their genetic structure to change happened so quickly that it severed their human and animal connection.”

  Lora bit her lip. “What could cause something so terrible?”

  “The question isn't just what, but who,” Chase said.

  “You know exactly who's behind this,” Turner growled, slamming the files on Chase's desk. “This has Richard Boyd's stench all over it.”

  “Don't start.” Chase shot Turner a warning glance. “The man's dead. You know that better than anyone.”

  Turner's expression darkened and he mumbled almost inaudibly, “Maybe.”

  “Is it possible that someone has continued with Boyd's research?” Austin asked.

  Chase shook his head. “The fire destroyed most of his work. Anything that could be salvaged was confiscated by the Council.”

  Anger vibrated almost visibly off Turner. Lora placed a hand on his shoulder, and squeezed gently. “What if there isn't anyone responsible, and it's just nature's way of balancing the system. I mean Metamorphs evolved somehow, right? Maybe it's nature's way of creating more of us.”

  Damn, had she just said that aloud? It hadn't sounded as stupid in her head. All three men stared at her for a long moment and she thought she might just die of embarrassment.

  Austin shrugged and gave her a crooked grin, revealing the dimples in his cheeks. “Anything's possible. There are stories among the wolves of instances when a bite has caused a human to turn. Maybe it's something like that. Every subspecies of Metamorph carry their own folklore and secrets.”

  Lora smiled at Austin. He was a werejaguar, one of the most isolated and secretive groups of Metamorphs. His eyes glittered with mischief and she was certain he had a few secrets of his own.

  Chase coughed. “There were no bite wounds on any of the victims. No indication of any foreign substance or venom in their system. And so far none of the victims have turned wolf.”

  “Thank God for that,” Turner growled.

  Lora bit back a smile. Turner had never hidden his aversion for wolves and coyotes. How he managed to work alongside them at the agency was a feat in its own right.

  Chase ignored the comment. “We have several leads, but we want to begin the investigation with the small group of rogue Metamorphs in upstate New York. The agency has been following their electronic trail for some time. They seem harmless, but we believe they may hold the key to finding out who is responsible. I'm sending a team—”

  “I'm going.” Turner's fingers curled into fists as if daring his brother to disagree.

  Chase's jaw clenched, but he nodded. “You and Austin have been assigned to—”

  “What about me?” Again she spoke without filtering, her voice whiny and childish even to her own ears, but she couldn't stop herself. “You told me I'm on this case, so I should go as well.”

  The look Chase gave her sent a chill down her spine. “No.”

  Turner leaned back in the steel chair and crossed his arms over his substantial chest, making his biceps look steroid large. “You said yourself that the group is harmless. Let her go. She needs experience in the field. She isn't learning anything stuck down in this dungeon.”

  Lora gave Turner an appreciative glance and braced herself for Chase's rejection.

  His blue gaze never left hers.

  “You said yourself I'm not a child.” She wasn't above using his words against him. “Let me do this.”

  “Fine,” he answered, through gritted teeth.

  The audible gush of air that flowed from her took with it the uncomfortable tension that had built in her chest. Lora pressed her lips together to stop herself from grinning like an idiot.

  She caught Austin watching her. He winked and gave her another dimpled smile. First field mission and she got paired with Agent Sexy Brown Eyes. Sure, Turner would be with them, but unlike his brother, he wouldn't stand in the way of some harmless flirting.

  She wanted to jump up and down in joy, until Chase said the four single words that punctured a hole in her happiness.

  “I'm going with you.”

  Chapter 4

  A makeshift communication center had been set up on the outskirts of the small compound they were investigating. Four black Escalades lined the parking lot. Dense trees covered their location, but
Lora could see the chain-link fence that marked the compound's location through a small clearing as they pulled up.

  Chase shifted into park, and turned to her. “Stay out of the way and keep your mouth shut. You're here to learn. Nothing else.”

  “Yes, boss,” she said tersely, unbuckling her seatbelt.

  When she reached for the door handle, he placed his hand on her arm, stopping her. “Lora.”

  She froze. The warmth of his touch burned through the fabric of her shirt, searing her skin. With a shaky breath, she looked at him.

  Their eyes locked for a brief heated moment, before he slowly removed his hand and looked away. “I'm trying to keep you safe.”

  She clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to get her heartrate back into normal range. For a moment, she thought he'd felt it; the connection she'd always sworn was there. Something deeper than the brotherly affection he confessed to have for her. God, she could be so delusional, especially where Chase Payne was concerned.

  “I appreciate that you feel the need to protect me.” She wiped her palms on her pants. “But this is my job. You can't treat me differently just because I'm Jacob's sister.”

  Without waiting for his response, she opened the door and got out, slamming it behind her. She took a deep breath and glanced around at the other agents who all seemed to have a purpose and task to do, unlike her. A knot formed in her throat. She needed this job. It was more than just work. It was redemption. For once in her life she had the chance to do something meaningful. She knew it could never make up for what she had done in the past, never erase the physical and mental scars she had caused, but it was something. It was a new start.

  Chase rounded the vehicle, his expression back to its regular surly mask. “What have we got?” he asked, as an older agent approached carrying a black hard-cased laptop.

  The Agent was an impressively fit man, in his mid to late sixties, with a shock of silver hair and intense hazel eyes. He glanced at Lora briefly before responding. “Thermal imagery indicates that there are three individuals inside the compound. No one has gone in or out in the past forty-eight hours.”

  Removing his suit jacket, Chase laid it on the hood of his car and rolled up his sleeves. “What do they have for security?”

  “We've hijacked the building's security system, but it wasn't easy.” The silver-haired agent opened the device he carried and punched a few buttons. “We're dealing with some high-tech stuff here. When you're ready to enter, we can shut it down, but I can't be certain what you're going to find inside.”

  “Were you able to do a background check on the targets?” Chase's eyes narrowed at the screen.

  “They rarely leave the building, and when they do, their faces are covered. Our facial recognition software couldn't pick anything up.” The man frowned, typed in a few more codes, and pointed to the screen. “But take a look at this—”

  The men turned their backs on her as they huddled over a sophisticated tablet. She craned her neck, but given her size, it was impossible to see over their broad shoulders.

  Turner and Austin pulled up behind Chase's parked car.

  They laughed as they climbed out. Lora left Chase and the older agent and walked towards them.

  Austin stared at her under heavy lashes. “You ready for this?”

  She'd be more than ready if Chase showed even the smallest amount of confidence in her abilities.

  “Of course she is,” Turner said, not giving her the chance to answer. Rounding the car, he gave her the full Turner Payne I'm-hot-as-hell smile. He tugged gently on her ponytail.

  She rolled her eyes, and glanced back to where Chase was standing.

  A younger female agent had joined him. With short blonde hair, piercing green eyes, and a long lean body that any model would kill for, she was exactly the kind of woman Chase typically went for. Lora immediately hated her.

  With a flick of his wrist, Chase motioned for Turner to join him, his ice blue gaze meeting hers briefly before turning back to the blonde.

  “Time to get this party started.” Turner winked at her, and then walked towards Chase and the other agent.

  Alone with Austin, she let her gaze rest on him for a brief moment. In the sunlight his dark brown eyes showed flecks of gold. He grinned at her and her stomach flip-flopped.

  He stood with his thumbs tucked into the pocket of his dark slacks. He tilted his head, and his eyes roamed down, and back up her body. Despite the multiple layers, including a bulletproof vest, she felt naked under his gaze.

  “You look good,” he said, his voice smooth and low.

  The words sent a shiver down her spine. Was he hitting on her? The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying.

  “Thanks.” So did he, but she wasn't about to admit it. Especially, not with Chase twenty feet away, ready to pounce on her for any breach of protocol.

  The blonde's hand rested on Chase's bicep as she pointed something out on the computer screen. What a slut.

  “You like Chinese?”

  “What?” Her gaze snapped back to Austin, and she stared at him wide-eyed.

  His lips quirked. “You do eat, right?”

  The look in his eyes gave her pause. Oh god, was he asking her out on a date? She glanced sideways and saw Chase watching them, his expression dark.

  It took all of her reserves to maintain a cool, professional demeanor, but Austin obviously hadn't gotten the NO FLIRTING Memo. “I prefer Italian.” The words came out before she realized what she was saying.

  Austin nodded while holding her in his gaze. A warm, sensual, and confident hunger gleamed there, a look that had her pulse racing rapidly.

  With large, strong hands, he reached towards her. She anticipated the touch of his fingers on her skin, and stiffened. Instead, he adjusted the heavy leather belt that hung around her waist. “This looks uncomfortable.”

  She nodded and held her breath as he fidgeted with the binding that armed her with a Glock 22, baton, and stunbolt gun that could tranquilize a six-hundred-pound tiger. None of the other agents were dressed in body armor, especially not the leggy blonde, whose emerald eyes were locked on Chase with an invitation to play.

  Lora clenched her teeth and glared at the woman. “Another of Chase's ridiculous requirements. I'm surprised he didn't wrap me in bubble wrap and tie a leash around my neck.”

  Austin threw his head back and laughed. “I wouldn't say that out loud. You don't want to give him any ideas.”

  “McCaffrey, get your ass over here,” Chase's sharp order made her jump.

  “Boss is calling,” Austin said, smirking. He patted her arm and walked away.

  She looked over her shoulder to see Chase stalking towards her, a deep scowl on his face. Shit. He glowered at her as he approached, lips pressed tight in a thin line.

  He whispered harshly in her ear. “If you want to be taken serious, then stop flirting with the other agents.”

  She bit back a retort, and swallowed hard, stuffing down the anger that swelled inside her. There was no point in arguing, and with his mercurial moods, he might just change his mind and make her stay back.

  * * *

  She followed the three men through the dense forest that opened onto a gravel parking lot. The rectangular building had seen better days. The plaster was peeling and crumpling, exposing thick concrete blocks.

  A rusted mint green door on the far side of the building was the only way in and out that she could see.

  “Stay behind me,” Chase ordered. His jaw clenched, cheeks hallowing, the hard angles of his face becoming more pronounced.

  In line with the others, she armed herself with the stunner. Therian law prohibited the use of firearms on another Metamorph. The penalty was severe. Their kind were already too sparsely populated. The Council was against taking any life unnecessarily—Even a rogue shifters' life.

  The security system panel beside the door flashed, turning to a solid green. The door clicked, and opened.

  Austin entere
d first, followed by Turner.

  Chase stopped outside the door. “Ready?”

  Beads of sweat dripped down her back, but she wouldn't let him see her fear. She rolled her eyes and motioned for him to follow the others.

  Inside, the hall was dark, and the smell of vinegar and metal wafted through the stone corridors.

  She shadowed Chase. He stopped, stalling outside a metal door. Turner placed his hand on the knob, his gun raised and ready in his other hand.

  Something was off. She felt it in every cell of her body, but for the life of her, she couldn't put a finger on what it was. She tried to relax and fight back the trembling in her limbs.

  With a single nod, Turner opened the door.

  She entered behind the men. Her senses were on high alert, and she immediately smelled what was wrong. “Humans.” The air was thick with their scent. What the hell?

  The three individuals staring at them from various spots in the room were one hundred percent Homo sapiens, without a single trace of Metamorph blood among them.

  “Hands where I can see them,” Chase ordered with icy efficiency.

  Lora's gaze swept across the room.

  A twenty-something Asian male, sporting a vamped Emo-style outfit jerked backwards from his cluttered desk. The pencil clenched between his teeth clattered to the floor as his mouth dropped open. “Shit, man! What the hell?”

  Lora's attention jerked to the corner of the room where a young woman with fuchsia-streaked hair let out a high-pitched squeal, falling backwards into an upright fetal position. Her hands covered her face and she immediately began sobbing.

  “Hands in the air.” Austin's stunner marked a red dot on the chest of a kid who didn't look old enough to drive a car, let alone drink a beer. The light of his computer screen cast an unnatural shade of blue on his pasty complexion. The kid's fingers trembled as he raised his hands in the air, and Lora picked up the scent of fresh urine.

  She could smell their fear. These weren't rogue shifters. They were just kids.

  Someone had screwed up. Big time.

  “Keep your hands where we can see them.” Chase's tone was controlled, but his eyes reflected the confusion she felt.