in her eye.
“You’ll just have to find out,” she replied. “Got the files, Nick?”
“I do,” he said, and she kissed him on the cheek.
“We should go,” she said. “Good luck, boys.”
“Thanks,” I replied, even though I wasn’t sure whether it was luck, a miracle, or a referee that we needed.
Chapter Eleven
Jonathan
If I wasn’t allowed to rush home and have sex with Jenny, I needed to have something else to take my mind off of the situation. After my video call and after Nick had left, I began to snake into whatever I could find to see if I could get a trace on Matthew. Based on the traffic camera that was now pointed at his window, he wasn’t at home, and he hadn’t been at home since we took her. I wasn't afraid of him coming here and looking for her, but I certainly didn’t feel like starting a war, as Jacob had said.
“Hey, I think I’m going to go out for a few hours,” I said, and Jacob raised an eyebrow.
“Where?” he asked.
“Wolf hunting,” I replied. He turned to me.
“What are you on to?”
“Nothing,” I said. “I just want to make sure that he isn’t looking for us.”
“He’s probably looking for her,” Jacob said. “At least, if he’s any kind of decent being, he’s probably looking for her.”
“Maybe,” I said. But as long as he was not about to blow our business, I didn't really care.
“Good luck,” Frances said half-halfheartedly as I left the office. I didn’t think he was really listening and I didn’t really care. I grabbed my coat and headed out the door. Bears didn’t usually need to wear coats, but we tended to look a little more normal when we did, especially in the cold weather.
One of the cars was parked outside, and I took it to the center of town, where Jenny and Matthew lived. I realized after I got out that I should have taken a less expensive car if I wanted to keep a low profile. I tried to park it around the corner as I pulled the hood of the jacket up and started to walk the streets.
I wasn't sure what I was looking for. I was looking and smelling as I walked through town. There were certainly more wolves than normal. It occurred to me that I didn’t quite know what normal was, but I knew it wasn’t smelling wolf on every street corner. He had brought in reinforcements from somewhere. I wondered if they were from his pack or official council wolves.
He only would have brought in official council wolves if he thought that bears took her. I had to get to the bottom of this, and quickly. If we needed to keep Jenny locked in the cabin completely, we would, but I didn’t think that was necessary just yet.
The most inconspicuous way I could think of to be the eyes and ears of the town was to head down to the bar and have a drink. I was sure they would have called it a saloon if they were allowed, but it was one step too far onto our copyright. I put my sunglasses on and chose a seat by the window. I was trying to look like just a day drinker who had no friends, but people kept glancing at me as I took a sip. I was certain that they recognized me from the publicity pictures, or even the photos outside the ranch that introduced us. I had told Jacob a million times that those things really weren’t necessary and he should take them down, but he couldn’t seem to listen.
“Hey, aren't you one of the Ursa brothers?” a cute blond said to me. Normally, I would have been all over an opportunity like that, but this time, I paused.
“Maybe,” I said. “Who wants to know?”
“I love the ranch,” she said. “Can I have a picture?”
I shrugged and leaned forward. If she had already seen that I was there, I didn’t see what harm a picture would do. I was a little taken aback, though, when she leaned forward and licked my ear.
“Wow,” I said, pulling back. “What was that for?”
She giggled.
“You’re really cute,” she said. “Any chance you want to get together later?”
It was barely two in the afternoon, but I could already smell that she was drunk. Under normal circumstances, I probably would have said yes. This time though, I paused.
“Uh...no,” I said. “I'm sorry.”
Her eyes widened and I’m sure my eyes would have