Page 49 of Fight (Kitsune #2)

I was still sleeping when my PCD rang the next morning. Rolling toward the sound, I reached blindly for the table beside the bed where I'd left the device. I found the small electronic and without bothering to open my eyes, I accepted the call and lifted it to my ear.

"Hello?" My voice was slightly slurred.

"Nickie Daniels?" Asked a man's voice, the voice was familiar but I didn't place it.

"Yes?" I opened my eyes to find the curtains pulled closed and the room shrouded in shadows despite the bright light that leaked around the edges.

"This is Reese Donovan,"

"Oh." Now I knew why the voice sounded so familiar. "What can I do for you, Reese?"

He exhaled sharply before speaking. "I want to do it, I want to try." He spoke quickly, as if afraid he'd change his mind if he took too long.

"All right." I thought quickly. "When's a good time for you?"

"Any time after tomorrow." He said. "I've got tours today and tomorrow, but after that I'm clear for a week."

"All right. I need to get a hold of the Anikitos and work out when and where, then I'll call you back."

"That's fine." He sounded relieved. "If I don't pick up, leave a message. I don't always get agood signal on the boat."

"No problem." My mind sped ahead to the arrangements I needed to make, as we said our goodbyes and rang off. I looked at the device in my hand, checking the time before I set it down, I was stunned to find that it was nearly noon. I must have been more tired than I’d realized.

I got out of bed, Devon came into the room as I dug through my suitcase for something to wear.

"Did I hear a call?" He asked.

"Yeah." I pulled out a pair of jeans, a tee-shirt and clean underwear. "It was Reese. He wants to do it. I've got to get a hold of Ridges and set it up, then let Reese know when and where."

"Why don't I ask Alexis to call Ridges?" He suggested.

"All right," I nodded. "that works. Let her know that any time after tomorrow's good with Reese."

He nodded. "You headed for the shower?"

"Yeah, then I'm going to have to find something to eat. I don't know how I slept so long as hungry as I am."

"No problem, I'll call down and order something now,"

"Thanks." I stretched up to kiss him on the cheek before I disappeared into the bathroom to shower.

My hair was still wet when I went into the common room and found Caden and Devon sitting comfortably in the seating area, involved in their own activities while Alexis paced back and forth near the dining table while she talked on her PCD.

I detoured into the small kitchen to pull a supplement shake out of the small refrigerator, shaking it, I headed over to Devon.

"You said something about ordering food?" I sat on the sofa beside him.

"I did," He glanced up from the game he was playing. "it should be up in a few minutes, if you'd rather wait." He nodded at the shake in my hand.

I popped the can open and took a long drink. "I'm hungry enough for both." I tipped the can back and finished the thick liquid in a couple long drinks. "What's with Alexis?" I nodded in her direction as she continued to pace while she listened to whoever was on the other end of the call.

"Not sure," He sounded unconcerned. "she got a call a little bit ago and she's been doing that ever since."

"Same call?"

"Yep."

"It's the Anikitos." Caden said from his seat.

"Bill or Ridges?" I asked, curious.

"Ours. It was his ringtone." he never looked up from what he was doing

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say.

I sat considering what to do before getting up to throw away the empty can.

Restless, I went back into the bedroom and brushed out my nearly dry hair.

Trying to stay busy until the food arrived, I straightened up the room, stuffing my dirty clothes into a laundry bag from the closet while I was at it.

I was nearly finished picking up when I caught the scent of food.

I quickly finished and went to eat. I found that room service had arrived and the waiter had laid it all out on platters on the large table.

I started opening covers, finding that Devon had ordered a large meal, several burgers, a huge order of fries for us all, milkshakes and something that looked like a large chocolate cake for desert.

I grabbed a plate and started helping myself to food as Alexis came through the door from her bedroom.

"Good Morning!" She greeted me brightly. "Or is it afternoon?"

"I've been up for a while but you were busy." I smiled back.

"I saw you, but I was on the phone with Bill."

"Did he have anything of interest to say?" I asked, aware that they may have been discussing something she couldn't tell us.

"Let's sit down to eat and I'll tell everyone what he said."

Devon came back from walking out the room service waiter, and started fixing himself a plate. Caden laid down the device that had held his attention since I first came into the room, and joined us.

Alexis waited until we'd all fixed our own plates before beginning.

"I think you're all aware that that was Bill I was talking to.

" She started, glancing around the table at the rest of us.

"He was able to get a hold of the relatives that Brandon was supposed to go stay with.

He's learned that Brandon was there, but only briefly.

From what we can tell, Brandon showed up, spent a few days and disappeared.

He led them to believe that he was just there for a visit, and was on his way somewhere.

His parents haven't heard from him since he left his aunt's place in California. "

"How long's he been gone?" Devon asked.

"At least three weeks." She said.

"Well, if he's behind the attack then he's talking to someone." Caden reasoned.

"I agree, but the hard part is figuring out who he's talking to and where he is now."

"There has to be some way to track him." Devon said.

"If we could access bank records or trace his PCD, we could find him but we don't have anyone in the pack with access to that kind of thing."

I'd been following the conversation while I ate, listening without adding anything. "I have someone who can access it. It probably won't be legal but we're not looking for a court conviction."

Alexis and Caden both turned and looked at me expectantly.

"I'm not sure if he'll do it, but if I explain it to him Raine may help us out. Do a little research with his police access."

"It can't hurt to try but you know you can't tell him about us." Caden said.

I shook my head. "I don't have to, he already knows."

Caden's eyes got large and his jaw dropped. "You're brother, the cop, knows about the Kitsune? Does Bill know about this?"

"Of course he does. I told him as soon as I found out.

I didn't tell Raine. He knew about us before, I just gave him more information.

Don't worry, Bill's given me permission to tell Raine anything I feel a need to.

Raine has secrets of his own, his position is that he wouldn't want anyone to tell his secret so he'll help keep ours, as far as he can. "

Caden looked unhappy. "I guess I can see that but I don't know if I like it."

"Anyway," I redirected the conversation back to the original topic. "I'll call Raine after we eat and see what he is willing to do for us."

"That would be great." Alexis said.

We ate quietly for a few minutes before I remembered Reese.

"Did you get a hold of Ridges about scheduling a time and place to shift Reese?" I asked.

"I called and left a message, I'm still waiting for a call back. I'll let you know as soon as I have something."

"All right," I nodded. "That works."

After we'd finished eating, I helped clean up the mess before going back into the bedroom and dialing my brother.

"Hey, how are things going up north?" He answered the call. "You ready to come home yet?"

"Hey, Sunshine, how are you?" I reverted back to a childhood nickname that I knew irritated him.

Raine growled on the other end of the line. "You've got to be in some kind of mood to go back to that. What's up?"

"We've run into a bit of trouble and I need some help, but you might not want to give it."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Don't you want to know what I need?"

"Not until I know how much trouble you're in. Do you need me to come bail you out?"

I laughed. "No, not that kind of trouble." I took a deep breath, and let it out in a rush. It would be best to just say it, to get it over with. Raine wasn't going to be happy. "Someone tried to kidnap me."

"Since you're calling, I assume they didn't succeed." His voice was concerned but calm.

"They succeeded, but I escaped."

"Where was Devon for all this? I thought he was there to protect you."

"He is. He was sleeping. Alexis and I left the hotel together, we were walking down the street to the coffee shop. It's less than a block away, we didn't think there would be a problem." I knew I was justifying our actions, and I stopped.

He was quiet for a moment. "So they managed to overpower the both of you. I assume since you said you were kidnapped and not that you both were, that only you were taken?"

"They drugged us both, shot us with darts filled with ketamine. Then all they had to do was pick me up and put me in the van. They just left Alexis laying there. The guys found her still laying on the sidewalk when they got to her minutes later."

"I assume the cops are on this?"

I cringed, not looking forward to this part. "Yes and no."

I heard him sigh on the other end of the line. "Tell me. "

I recounted the entire episode, leaving almost nothing out. If anyone could handle it, Raine could. Besides if he later found something out that I hadn't told him, there'd be hell to pay.

"But you're all right now?" His voice shook with anger.

"I'm fine now. I heal fast, you know that." I tried to calm him.

"I do." I heard him take a deep breath and let it out slowly. When he spoke again he was calmer, more controlled. "What is it you need from me?"