But she couldn’t shake the feeling that her father was up to something more. That he had an ace he hadn’t played yet and was just waiting on her. The communications blackout had kept the spy’s transmissions from going through, and Jonas had whispered to Tanner that they were narrowing the location of the attempted transmissions further in the mountain.
Which left the estate house safe, at least for now.
“One of these days,” Scheme commented as they left the reporters, “one of those reporters is going to catch onto your lies.”
He chuckled at that, pausing as he moved to a small group of women gathered around one tall, blond-haired cowboy.
“Scheme, I’d like you to meet some friends,” he announced. “Tamber Mason.” A tall, well-toned brunette with twinkling brown eyes reached out to shake her hand with a murmured, almost too soft hello. She appeared shy. Restrained. Though the low-cut, almost too short silver dress she wore was anything but restrained. “Tamber is our resident communications expert. She runs the comm shed like a little drill sergeant.”
Tamber ducked her head as though embarrassed with the praise.
“It’s good to meet you, Tamber.” Tamber nodded, mumbled again and offered a small smile.
“This is Shiloh Gage.” He introduced an auburn-haired Jaguar Breed beside Tamber.
This Breed, Scheme remembered.
“The brat?” Scheme’s lips twitched as the other girl stared back at her with brazen curiosity.
Shiloh Gage had been known for several things in the labs she had been created in. Among them was her ability to work the scientists and trainers in a manner that screamed princess brat. Tonight she was dressed in snug tan breeches and a sleeveless, deeply cut vest that revealed a generous cle**age.
She should have been killed within the first five years of her life. Instead, the scientists had written in their reports that they kept her alive for study purposes. They were trying to figure out where she had managed to get the idea that she deserved life, and why she assumed they would care. Personally, Scheme knew that the scientists in that particular lab had a sense of humor.
“That’s me,” Shiloh agreed archly.
“And she doesn’t mind admitting to it.” The tall, blond-haired Southern charmer, human, ex-mercenary and general bad ass, Simon Quatres, spoke from beside Shiloh. “I assume you know who I am?”
“Not everyone knows you, Simon,” Shiloh informed him querulously.
“Actually, I have read several reports on him,” Scheme agreed. Thankfully, he didn’t insist on shaking her hand. The pain would have been hard to hide. “It’s good to meet you.”
“And it’s fine to finally meet you, ma’am,” he drawled. “Ole Tanner seemed to do well for himself after all. He’s surprised us.”
Tanner grunted in reply.
“Callan’s motioning for us now,” Tanner told her, gripping her elbow as she offered her good-byes to the small group.
“Meet and run. An interesting concept,” she told him as they headed toward the front of the ballroom.
“Cabal’s watching,” he murmured in her ear. “You’ll meet a lot of the others the same way.”
“Tamber’s much different from her files,” she said. “I wouldn’t have thought she would be so shy.”
“Pissed is more like it,” Tanner sighed. “We had to order her out of the comm shed tonight. She’s been installing new equipment this month and didn’t want to leave her babies.”
Shaking her head, Scheme drew in a deep breath as they neared Callan and stepped onto the podium erected for the band at the far end of the ballroom. Time to smile and play nice, she thought as her gaze swept the room, seeing the distrust, and in many cases the animosity, that filled the eyes of those watching. It was going to be a very interesting night indeed.
Moving through the ballroom after the announcement of their engagement, Scheme spotted Jolian slipping quietly through the French door into the gardens beyond. She knew Jolian had taken a hell of a mental beating from Jonas earlier yesterday, and if the girl’s pale face was any indication, she still hadn’t recovered.
Why she should care, Scheme wasn’t certain. But she did. As Tanner stood talking to Jonas, Dane Vanderale and several politicians, she slipped away, certain he would never allow her to go after the little Panther Breed otherwise.
And slipping away from Tanner wasn’t an easy thing to do. She stopped by several clusters of guests, chatted, smiled, made certain she wasn’t touched, because the first brush she’d had against someone other than Tanner had felt like knives tearing through her flesh.
Long minutes later she edged around the French doors though and stepped onto the patio where Jolian stood silently. And alone.
“Jolian.” Scheme tilted her head, watching as the Breed female tensed at the sound of her voice.
“You should go back inside,” Jolian told her firmly, if a bit huskily. “Cabal would be upset to find us near each other.”