Read Online Cat's Paw (Veritas Book 1) by Chandler Steele - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Chandler Steele
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ball, Parkin’s kid sister wouldn’t be headed to the emergency room.
Neil’s call came within a minute. “What do you need?” he asked.
That was the Iceman’s style: no fuss, no drama, just solid backup. It was what made him one of her favorite people at Veritas.
“Did Crispin give you the rundown?”
“Yes.”
“Then tell Parkin what happened and bring him to Tulane Medical’s ER.”
“You want your name mentioned?”
“Yeah, might as well get it all out there. He’ll find out anyway. Be careful with him. This will set him off big time. We don’t want him on a manhunt for this whack job.”
“Understood. Send me a picture of the girl. That’ll get him moving.”
Then he was gone.
Neil didn’t let emotions rule him. He just did his job. Right now, that was exactly what Morgan needed most.
*~*~*
Alex hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but the day had finally punched his ticket and he’d crashed shortly after talking to his sister. He woke up, groggy, thinking he’d heard a car door slam. He leveraged himself up on the lumpy couch and rubbed his eyes. When his vision finally cleared, he checked the clock above the stove.
3:09? Where the hell is she?
He was reaching for his cell phone on the floor when someone pounded on the front door. He sighed in relief. This was probably her. Still, she was supposed to call him . . .
Alex opened the door, ready to ream out his baby sister for being stupid, and found himself staring into the blue-gray eyes of a young man. He had a closely trimmed beard and moustache, and a flattened silver stud in his right ear. He was a big dude, obviously worked out regularly, and was about the same age as Alex. But what Alex noticed the most was the world-weary expression, the kind that said life had kicked this man in the balls more than once, and that he didn’t expect that to change.
“Parkin—”
“Wrong house,” Alex said, starting to close the door. A hand grabbed the door and shoved it open again.
“You need to come with me. It’s about your sister.”
The hair on the back of Alex’s neck rose. “What happened to her? Who are you?”
“Name’s Neil. I work for Veritas . Your sister got into some trouble at a bar tonight, and she’s headed to the ER. I’ll drive you there.”
“How do I know you’re not lying?” he demanded.
Neil pulled out a cell phone, scrolled through his messages, and handed it over. “Sorry to do it this way, but we figured you’d need proof.”
Alex stared at the image of his sister being loaded into the back of an ambulance. There was blood on her face and clothes, a cervical collar around her neck.
“Oh my God.”
His hand shook as he gave back the phone. His mind on autopilot, Alex sank onto the couch, fumbling for his shoes. “What the hell happened? How’d she get hurt?”
Neil stepped inside the house. “Some guy beat her up. It didn’t go any further than that. Valkyrie made sure of it.”
Valkyrie?
Alex laced up the second shoe as he worked through the news: Miri was hurt, bad, or she wouldn’t be going to a hospital and he’d been sleeping when it’d gone down.
Goddammit.
Grabbing the keys off the table, he jammed his phone in a pocket and headed out the door. Once he had it locked, they hurried across the lawn to where a black SUV sat at the curb, prime bait for this neighborhood. Surprisingly, no one was paying any attention to it, as if they knew it would only buy trouble.
He climbed into the vehicle, buckled up, and then they were headed down the street. Alex stared at nothing out the side window. “Who is Valkyrie?”
“Morgan. That’s our nickname for her.”
Alex glared at him. “What does she have to do with this? Why are you guys anywhere near my sister?”
The driver shot him a look, then turned back to watch the road. “Morgan was worried something might happen, so she was keeping an eye on her.”
Alex’s suspicions rose. “Sounds too noble. I’m thinking maybe you
Neil’s call came within a minute. “What do you need?” he asked.
That was the Iceman’s style: no fuss, no drama, just solid backup. It was what made him one of her favorite people at Veritas.
“Did Crispin give you the rundown?”
“Yes.”
“Then tell Parkin what happened and bring him to Tulane Medical’s ER.”
“You want your name mentioned?”
“Yeah, might as well get it all out there. He’ll find out anyway. Be careful with him. This will set him off big time. We don’t want him on a manhunt for this whack job.”
“Understood. Send me a picture of the girl. That’ll get him moving.”
Then he was gone.
Neil didn’t let emotions rule him. He just did his job. Right now, that was exactly what Morgan needed most.
*~*~*
Alex hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but the day had finally punched his ticket and he’d crashed shortly after talking to his sister. He woke up, groggy, thinking he’d heard a car door slam. He leveraged himself up on the lumpy couch and rubbed his eyes. When his vision finally cleared, he checked the clock above the stove.
3:09? Where the hell is she?
He was reaching for his cell phone on the floor when someone pounded on the front door. He sighed in relief. This was probably her. Still, she was supposed to call him . . .
Alex opened the door, ready to ream out his baby sister for being stupid, and found himself staring into the blue-gray eyes of a young man. He had a closely trimmed beard and moustache, and a flattened silver stud in his right ear. He was a big dude, obviously worked out regularly, and was about the same age as Alex. But what Alex noticed the most was the world-weary expression, the kind that said life had kicked this man in the balls more than once, and that he didn’t expect that to change.
“Parkin—”
“Wrong house,” Alex said, starting to close the door. A hand grabbed the door and shoved it open again.
“You need to come with me. It’s about your sister.”
The hair on the back of Alex’s neck rose. “What happened to her? Who are you?”
“Name’s Neil. I work for Veritas . Your sister got into some trouble at a bar tonight, and she’s headed to the ER. I’ll drive you there.”
“How do I know you’re not lying?” he demanded.
Neil pulled out a cell phone, scrolled through his messages, and handed it over. “Sorry to do it this way, but we figured you’d need proof.”
Alex stared at the image of his sister being loaded into the back of an ambulance. There was blood on her face and clothes, a cervical collar around her neck.
“Oh my God.”
His hand shook as he gave back the phone. His mind on autopilot, Alex sank onto the couch, fumbling for his shoes. “What the hell happened? How’d she get hurt?”
Neil stepped inside the house. “Some guy beat her up. It didn’t go any further than that. Valkyrie made sure of it.”
Valkyrie?
Alex laced up the second shoe as he worked through the news: Miri was hurt, bad, or she wouldn’t be going to a hospital and he’d been sleeping when it’d gone down.
Goddammit.
Grabbing the keys off the table, he jammed his phone in a pocket and headed out the door. Once he had it locked, they hurried across the lawn to where a black SUV sat at the curb, prime bait for this neighborhood. Surprisingly, no one was paying any attention to it, as if they knew it would only buy trouble.
He climbed into the vehicle, buckled up, and then they were headed down the street. Alex stared at nothing out the side window. “Who is Valkyrie?”
“Morgan. That’s our nickname for her.”
Alex glared at him. “What does she have to do with this? Why are you guys anywhere near my sister?”
The driver shot him a look, then turned back to watch the road. “Morgan was worried something might happen, so she was keeping an eye on her.”
Alex’s suspicions rose. “Sounds too noble. I’m thinking maybe you
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