Read Online Tiger's Lily by Cheyenne Meadows - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cheyenne Meadows
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No communication rules during a job existed for a reason. The men they sought weren't dumb or ignorant. They could easily pick up a cell phone tracer on any of their lines and follow them to the source, either to the Wind Warrior himself or to the person they spoke with. Frowning, he turned toward the bedroom, prepared to read his brother the riot act for putting them as well as his girlfriend in absolute danger.
Lily's face morphed from happy greeting to bafflement before something clicked in her mind. "He's using my cell phone. I offered. After all, she would want to know he's okay. I would if I were in her shoes."
Cale's eyes snapped back to her, his mouth falling open before he shut it again. His moment of temper vanished immediately. They should be safe using Lily's phone. Dillon didn't take advantage and ask. Thus, he could only chalk it down to Lily's kindness and innate ability to read beneath the surface. A potentially deadly skill if she didn't possess the goodness he saw in her over and over again. With a sigh, he relaxed onto the couch beside her, absently stroking Hope when she climbed on his lap, purring loudly.
"Please don't be mad at him. It was my suggestion and offer. I thought it might help him feel better and recover faster, getting to at least talk with the woman he loves." Lily bobbed the stick again. Charity grabbed the end of the cloth with teeth and nails, refusing to let go of her prize. Faith batted at her until Lily found a toy mouse, tossing it near the black and white spotted kitten, watching her smack it and chase it around on the hardwood floor.
He couldn't argue with that logic. "It's okay. And, I think you are right. It will do him good to talk to her."
Lily continued to watch the babies. "He told me she's an elementary school teacher."
Cale nodded, not really surprised Dillon had spoken of Della to Lily. She had a talent for weaseling things out of a guy.
"They hope to marry soon. Settle down. Raise a family."
"Yeah." He knew all that a while back.
"You don't approve?" Lily glanced up.
He shrugged. "I like Della. She's a good woman that I think can make Dillon happy. I really wish them the best."
"But…" She pressed him for more.
He waited until Hope turned a couple of rounds before settling comfortably in his lap, tucking her front paws under and closing her eyes. "I worry what kind of job Dillon will find. It's not like he can mesh back into polite society easily. He needs excitement and challenge. We all do."
"We?"
Debating on how to answer that question, Cale took a long breath. "We. Others that do the same kind of job. It's not nine to five, no holidays, no weekends. It's a go from the moment the phone rings until the job is done. Then you re-group and head off to the next one."
She nodded. "What exactly is it you do?" The words whispered from her lips, as if she considered not speaking them at all.
He debated for a moment, then gave her a truthful answer minus details that she didn't need to hear. "We are a small group of men that are paid to ferret out particularly nasty criminals and capture them." Send them to Hell was more like it. But he didn't want her expression of interest and trust to turn into one of disgust and repulsion. No. He needed her acceptance, her trust, the look of mindfulness of his maleness when she thought he didn't notice. Once he received those precious gifts, he stubbornly refused to return them, holding them protectively like a child with a favored Christmas present. Cale watched her features closely, as his words soaked in.
One of her hands reached over to his, twining her smaller fingers with his. Softness descended over her face. "Unfortunately, someone has to do it. If you didn't, I fear the world would become a darker and treacherous place."
His shoulders slumped in relief at her quick approval.
"I can only imagine the dangers you and Dillon must face. It has to be doubly hard on Della." She looked down, whispering beneath her breath.
Lily's face morphed from happy greeting to bafflement before something clicked in her mind. "He's using my cell phone. I offered. After all, she would want to know he's okay. I would if I were in her shoes."
Cale's eyes snapped back to her, his mouth falling open before he shut it again. His moment of temper vanished immediately. They should be safe using Lily's phone. Dillon didn't take advantage and ask. Thus, he could only chalk it down to Lily's kindness and innate ability to read beneath the surface. A potentially deadly skill if she didn't possess the goodness he saw in her over and over again. With a sigh, he relaxed onto the couch beside her, absently stroking Hope when she climbed on his lap, purring loudly.
"Please don't be mad at him. It was my suggestion and offer. I thought it might help him feel better and recover faster, getting to at least talk with the woman he loves." Lily bobbed the stick again. Charity grabbed the end of the cloth with teeth and nails, refusing to let go of her prize. Faith batted at her until Lily found a toy mouse, tossing it near the black and white spotted kitten, watching her smack it and chase it around on the hardwood floor.
He couldn't argue with that logic. "It's okay. And, I think you are right. It will do him good to talk to her."
Lily continued to watch the babies. "He told me she's an elementary school teacher."
Cale nodded, not really surprised Dillon had spoken of Della to Lily. She had a talent for weaseling things out of a guy.
"They hope to marry soon. Settle down. Raise a family."
"Yeah." He knew all that a while back.
"You don't approve?" Lily glanced up.
He shrugged. "I like Della. She's a good woman that I think can make Dillon happy. I really wish them the best."
"But…" She pressed him for more.
He waited until Hope turned a couple of rounds before settling comfortably in his lap, tucking her front paws under and closing her eyes. "I worry what kind of job Dillon will find. It's not like he can mesh back into polite society easily. He needs excitement and challenge. We all do."
"We?"
Debating on how to answer that question, Cale took a long breath. "We. Others that do the same kind of job. It's not nine to five, no holidays, no weekends. It's a go from the moment the phone rings until the job is done. Then you re-group and head off to the next one."
She nodded. "What exactly is it you do?" The words whispered from her lips, as if she considered not speaking them at all.
He debated for a moment, then gave her a truthful answer minus details that she didn't need to hear. "We are a small group of men that are paid to ferret out particularly nasty criminals and capture them." Send them to Hell was more like it. But he didn't want her expression of interest and trust to turn into one of disgust and repulsion. No. He needed her acceptance, her trust, the look of mindfulness of his maleness when she thought he didn't notice. Once he received those precious gifts, he stubbornly refused to return them, holding them protectively like a child with a favored Christmas present. Cale watched her features closely, as his words soaked in.
One of her hands reached over to his, twining her smaller fingers with his. Softness descended over her face. "Unfortunately, someone has to do it. If you didn't, I fear the world would become a darker and treacherous place."
His shoulders slumped in relief at her quick approval.
"I can only imagine the dangers you and Dillon must face. It has to be doubly hard on Della." She looked down, whispering beneath her breath.
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