Wolf to the Rescue Read online

  To her surprise, Kim was standing there, looking pale. She’d been sleeping in the room next door instead of staying with Stacey, so she could have more privacy and not disturb Stacey all night. Kim was not a wolf, just a good friend and a great partner when they teamed up on assignments.

  “I was going to go with you to see if I could eat something…” Still looking a little green around the gills, Kim held her stomach and hurried off. “Forget that. See you later.”

  “I’m so sorry, Kim.” They were both hoping it wasn’t a case of stomach flu, or she’d be sick for longer.

  “Don’t be. I’m just glad you didn’t get it.” Kim stood at her door and patted her pockets. “Ohmigod, no! Damn it!”

  “No room key?” Stacey asked, feeling awful for her friend. Nothing was going her way.

  “Nope. The key’s in the room.”

  “Come on back to my room. I’ll get your key. Is your balcony door open?” Stacey asked.

  “Yeah, I was airing out the room.”

  “Okay, come on. Use my bathroom.”

  Kim looked reluctant to do it, but Stacey insisted. Once Kim was inside, Stacey headed for her balcony.

  “What are you doing?” Kim didn’t wait for an answer but rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door.

  Stacey was afraid if she went to the front desk, they might not give her the key to Kim’s room without her friend’s ID. She walked out onto her balcony and glanced at the group of wolves at the one table. They were busy talking to one another and eating steak and lobster. The lone wolf was on his phone, looking at his table. She was glad none of them were watching her, and she didn’t see anyone else who was observing her either. A couple of kids were in the pool, splashing around, and a man and woman were observing them. She was thankful she’d swum her laps earlier. She considered the short distance between the balconies and the wall in between them to give the guests in each room more privacy. She figured she could make it across.

  She began the climb, stretching across, hoping she didn’t end up with her bikini top in the bushes down below.

  Her friend suddenly hurried onto Stacey’s balcony and yelled, “Stacey, don’t fall!”

  Giving a startled gasp, Stacey nearly had a heart attack and lost her grip.

  Chapter 2

  Andrew had been calling his partner when he glanced in the direction of Nettleton’s balcony and saw the woman who’d been swimming trying to climb across her balcony next to Nettleton’s room to the room adjoining hers on the other side, looking more cat burglar than she-wolf. His heart skipping beats, he quickly left money on the table for his meal and a tip and strode across the patio next to the pool to reach the woman’s balcony, intending to catch her if she fell. Then another woman yelled out her name, “Stacey,” and startled her.

  Stacey lost her grip for a second but grabbed hold of the railing again, to his relief.

  “Kim,” Stacey said, sounding exasperated, clinging to the railing, suspended between the two balconies, her cheeks flushed. “I’m doing fine.”

  His heart in his throat, Andrew sprinted the rest of the way to the balcony, but Stacey managed to climb around the privacy wall and over the balcony rail and called out, “I made it, Kim.”

  Again, he felt relief that Stacey hadn’t fallen.

  “Okay, I’m returning to my room,” Kim said.

  “No, I don’t have my room key, Kim!” Stacey cried out in a hurry. “You’ll end up locking me out.”

  That was why the she-wolf had climbed across the balcony? Because the other woman had left her key in the room? Why didn’t Stacey just go down to the front desk and ask for another one?

  He saw the pink bikini top clinging to a bush and remembered Stacey leaving the pool, dripping wet and looking like a wolf goddess. He rescued the wet bikini top from the shrub. He was about to take it through the building to Stacey’s room when he heard her say, “No, Kim. Don’t worry about locking me out. You’re sick and you didn’t get much sleep last night. I’ll just return to my room the same way as I climbed to yours. Is the Gatorade helping?”

  “I can’t keep it down. But I’m sure when I can, it will help.”

  “Okay, I’ll check on you in a bit. I need to grab my bikini top—it fell in the shrubs below—and go to dinner.”

  “Ugh, got to go,” Kim said.

  “I’ll check on you in a little bit.”

  Waiting to make sure Stacey made it across the balconies again, Andrew watched as she climbed back around the privacy wall. He was glad she hadn’t looked down and seen him there. He might have startled her. He was impressed that she was so agile and very good at climbing balconies. She finally reached her balcony, and he smiled.

  Then he headed for the stairs to go to her room and give her bikini top back. Because her room was next to Nettleton’s, Andrew knew where she was staying.

  He had just reached Stacey’s room on the second floor when she opened the door and walked into the hallway. Her gaze immediately switched from his face to the bikini top in his hand. He smiled and handed the top to her.

  She frowned. “Thank you for bringing my bathing-suit top to me.” She took ahold of it and tucked it into her bag. “I planned to retrieve it right away, but I got sidetracked. My friend locked herself out of her room. She’s been sick. Stomach flu or food poisoning, we’re not sure which.”

  “I’m sorry to hear it. Then she locked you out of your room and you were climbing across balconies again.”

  “You watched me?” She sounded so astonished, yet he was surprised she hadn’t looked down to see him there, hands outstretched, moving along her path, ready to catch her if she had fallen.

  “I was poised to catch you if you fell. Why didn’t you run down to the front desk instead and ask for another key?” That was what Andrew would have done. Though the way she’d handled the emergency was infinitely more fascinating than the way he would have dealt with it.

  “What would the fun be in that? Besides, I didn’t have her ID.”

  “Someone would have sent someone up to verify that everything was legitimate.” He hoped she would consider eating with him at the café. Though if she wanted to go somewhere else, that would be problematic. “Do you want to have dinner with me?”

  “When I left the pool, I noticed you were having dinner already.”

  “Right. I’ll get some dessert.”

  “Why didn’t you already?”

  “I saw you doing the high-railing act and was afraid you needed a helping hand when you were climbing between balconies.”

  She groaned and walked with him down the hallway. “I’d hoped nobody had seen me.”

  “I was going to bring your bathing suit up to you, but I figured I needed to wait down below and make sure you made it okay.”

  “Thanks. I didn’t have any trouble.”

  “Except when your friend startled you.”

  “There was that. Are you part of an Arctic wolf pack?” she asked as they walked down the stairs.

  “No. I’m a lone wolf. You?”

  “On my own. What about the others who were eating in the café?”

  “I don’t know them, but they seem to be good friends with one another. I overheard them talking about returning to Seattle.”

  * * *

  So none of the wolves were from here. On most jobs she worked, Stacey didn’t run across other wolves, so this was a new one for her. She glanced in the direction of the table where the other wolves were still eating, enjoying an assortment of desserts from strawberry shortcake to chocolate crème pie. The male and female wolf who appeared to be a couple were talking to each other. The bachelor males were watching her and Andrew.

  “They’re a long way from home. I’m from Houston, Texas. What about you?” Stacey asked Andrew.

  “Anchorage, Alaska.”

  “Arctic wolf. Figures.” She couldn’t imagine Arctic wolves getting by with running in the wilderness if the state didn’t have a significant amount of snow for part of the year so they could blend in better with their surroundings. And Arctic wolves that were all wolf did live in Alaska, so they had a good cover story that way. She wondered how Arctic wolves would fare in Seattle.

  He smiled. “I’m Andrew White, by the way.”

  “Stacey Grayson.” she said.

  They walked into the café and found a table overlooking the pool. She hadn’t expected to have company, especially with her friend on this mission now sick. Certainly not a male wolf’s company, but it was nice for a change.

  “You lost me at the river.” Andrew sounded amused.

  “Neat trick, eh?”

  He chuckled.

  They sat down, and the waitress brought them menus.

  “I’ll have decaf coffee and one of those seven-layer chocolate cakes,” he told the waitress.

  Stacey smiled and looked at that menu. It sounded good, but she’d have to swim another fifty laps to make up for it. “What did you have for dinner?” she asked Andrew.

  “Tacos, and they were great.”

  Stacey handed her menu to the waitress. “I’ll have those and water.”

  “All right,” the waitress said. “I’ll bring them right out.”

  “What do you work at?” she asked Andrew.

  “Bringing criminals to justice.”

  “Oh, that’s great.” She smiled. “I do too. I’m with the Fish and Wildlife Service.”

  “Ah, a special agent who goes after criminals who secure endangered species for profit, for one.” He sounded impressed.

  “Exactly.” She waited for him to sa
y who he worked for, but when he wasn’t forthcoming, she assumed he worked undercover for some agency. Then she frowned. He couldn’t be after her bad guys. Wouldn’t her agency have known about it?

  * * *

  Andrew was glad she hadn’t asked who he worked for because he really couldn’t say, not that he suspected she was in cahoots with the bad guys, especially if she worked for a law enforcement agency, but it was against policy on a case like this.

  “Are you just passing through?” she asked, but then the waitress arrived with a tray of tacos and dessert before he could come up with an answer.

  The waitress set the plates on the table. “Would you like anything else?”

  “I’m good, thanks,” Stacey said.

  “I’m fine,” Andrew said.

  When the waitress left, Andrew told Stacey, “Yeah, I’m just passing through. You?”

  “Same with me.” She looked like she wanted to ask him more, but she began eating her tacos.

  He caught sight of Nettleton headed for the café. He looked like he was going to sit at a table next to them, and Andrew thought this was perfect. He could watch the money launderer while his delightful dinner companion would help alleviate any suspicions that he was FBI.

  Stacey glanced in Nettleton’s direction, then continued to eat her tacos. “These are good. I like the spicy beef. Thanks for recommending them.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m glad you like them.”

  “What about the cake?”

  He smiled. “Delicious. Now you know my addiction.”

  “Chocolate?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah. It’s all my mother’s fault. Once she made a chocolate cake instead of her usual carrot cake, I was hooked.”

  “You appear to wear it well. But you’d have to dress down a bit so I could tell for sure.”

  “You mean like going swimming?”

  “Yeah. I bet you don’t even have a swimsuit with you, as dressed up as you are.”

  “Sure I do.”

  “But?”

  “No buts about it. Tonight then. After the kiddies go to bed. I’ll meet you down here around nine before they close up the pool and we can go swimming. Then you can tell me if I’m allowed to eat any more chocolate. As long as you’re up to it.” He just hoped he didn’t get the arrest warrants right as he was swimming with the she-wolf in the pool.

  “Deal. I’ll race you.”

  That made him think of capturing the woman in pink in the pool, her in his arms, laughing… Hell, he had a job to do, and that wasn’t part of the mission!

  Chapter 3

  Though she couldn’t believe she was going to swim again, Stacey figured she might as well have a little more fun while she was waiting for the arrest warrants to come for Nettleton and Rizzo. Rizzo wasn’t due in until after midnight, according to their intel. She still wanted to learn why Andrew was really here. She needed to check on her partner too.

  Once she had eaten the rest of her tacos, Stacey said to Andrew, “Excuse me for a minute. I’m giving my friend a call to see if I can pick something up for her to eat from the restaurant.”

  “Yeah, sure, go ahead.” He asked the waitress for more decaf coffee.

  Stacey declined getting a refill for her water, pulled out her phone, and called Kim’s number. “Hey, how are you doing?”

  “Sleeping. Was sleeping. I’m so sorry that I’m not helping with the case.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. It could have been me who got sick. Nothing’s happening anyway. If you are feeling better, I could bring you something to eat. Like chicken and rice soup? Or just plain rice?”

  Kim groaned.

  “Okay, not that. Does anything appeal?”

  “As weird as it might sound, I feel like having an orange Popsicle.”

  “I’ll run to the store and get some.”

  “If it’s not too much trouble. What about Nettleton?”

  “Eating at the café.”

  “Are you sure about not watching him?”

  “Yeah. It’ll only take me a little bit. A grocery store is located right near the hotel.”

  “Okay, thanks. I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. You couldn’t help it. See you soon.” Stacey ended the call and tucked her phone into her purse.

  “She’s still not feeling well?” Andrew asked.

  “She wants something sweet and icy. I’m going to get her some Popsicles.”

  “Then I’ll see you later to go swimming.”

  She smiled. “You’re on.” She brought out her charge card to pay her bill.

  “I’ll get it.”

  “Are you sure?” Stacey hadn’t meant for him to pay for her meal.

  “I invited you. Yes, I’m sure.”

  “Thanks. I’ll see you later.” She really appreciated that he’d offered.

  “See you then.”

  Stacey still wondered if Andrew being here at the hotel had anything to do with taking her perp into custody. She sure hoped not. She really liked the wolf.

  She hurried out of the café and through the lobby. When she reached her car, she drove to the grocery store, hoping the stupid arrest warrants would arrive soon!

  * * *

  After Stacey left, Andrew texted his partner: Our target is in the café for now.

  Garcia texted back: Okay. I’m coming in out of the cold. I’ll be in the lobby watching a football game. If he leaves, I’ll tail him.

  All right. I’ll be swimming this evening for a little bit.

  Swimming?

  Andrew smiled and texted: Yeah, for exercise.

  Whatever floats your boat.

  The she-wolf certainly did. Andrew remained seated at the café, getting another cup of coffee while he waited for Nettleton to leave the café. The guy didn’t seem to be in any hurry, reading a book while eating crab cakes, broccoli, and a baked potato and making some phone calls.

  About an hour later, Andrew saw Stacey on her balcony, and he smiled. She waved at him. He raised his cup of coffee to her. Then she disappeared into her room. Before long, she was sitting on her balcony, and then her friend joined her, both of them eating Popsicles. He was glad her friend seemed to be feeling better.

  Nettleton finally packed it up and left the café.

  Andrew called his partner. “Hey, are you ready to get something to eat? I’ll switch places with you.”

  “You just want to see the game.”

  Andrew chuckled. “I’m afraid everyone will wonder why I’m still in the café for hours. Besides, you need to eat. He’s left the café.”

  “Yeah, he went up to his room. I’m on my way to your location.”

  “I’ll meet you on the way.” Andrew paid the bill and walked to the lobby, nodding a greeting to Garcia in passing, and took a seat by the fireplace. From here, he could watch for Nettleton if he used the elevator or stairs to return. The word was Nettleton had come here to meet with one of the men he laundered money for.

  Their source had said the other man would arrive around midnight and Nettleton would take care of the transaction right there in his hotel room. Andrew had envisioned breaking into the room, guns drawn, and handcuffing the two men, then hauling them back to Alaska to stand trial. Nettleton might not be armed, but Andrew couldn’t be sure of that. Rizzo would be carrying.

  Andrew watched everyone who was coming and going through the lobby, looking for anyone who might be Nettleton’s cohort. No sign of Rizzo yet, just families with kids, older couples, some younger couples, no one who looked like the man in question. Not that Andrew thought he would be coming this early, but he was still watchful in case the guy did show up ahead of schedule.

  Andrew was looking for someone who fit Rizzo’s description: a man with short, black, curly hair, his eyes nearly black. He was around five-seven and had a reputation for being tough and surly, yet from outward appearances, he looked friendly and innocuous. Nettleton was blond, muscled, blue eyes, around six feet in height. He was friendly but wary. Andrew suspected Nettleton was more of an outdoorsman than they’d thought after seeing him power hiking through the woods. Rizzo tended to frequent the bars and was always on the lookout for a new girlfriend, according to their sources.