Chapter 183 Chapter 183
With furniture placed, dinner in the works, Blair stood and looked out the living room window at the rain coming down. Mika hadn’t returned. Both Torrey and Kobie had assured him that was normal, and she was fine. He only knew of one other cat that loved runs in the rain, Gage, but he’d never worried about him like this.
“You’re going to give yourself wrinkles.” Kobie came up beside him.
“That obvious, huh?” He glanced down at her before looking through the rain-streaked glass again.
“It’s not a bad thing that you care.”
“No? I’d just like—” he stopped and looked down at her. At some point, she’d pulled her hair up into that tight ponytail she wore too often. He debated for a second on pulling it free to watch her hair surround her face again. “After dinner, once the storm has passed, I’d like to take you to the lookout.”
“Where’s the lookout?”
At least she hadn’t said no. “Off to the one side of Ed’s property, it drops off over the river, the view goes on for miles and miles…”
“I’d like that.” She glanced over her shoulder, “think we can sneak out without being followed or before something else happens?”
Blair grinned, “I like your style. Sneaking out it is.” He reached over to pull her closer as Cale burst into the room.
“Mika just came back, says there’s a scent she can’t place.”
“A person or shifter?”
Cale shrugged, “she used the word peculiar, like chemical.”
“Shit.” He started for the door, then stopped and lifted Kobie’s chin. “To be continued.” He kissed her hard on the mouth and released her.
“Jake and Noah are still here.”
Blair nodded, “Get them, Calum too.”
Cale nodded and lit out of the room at a run.
“Can I come?”
Blair paused in the doorway. “I need you to stay here.”
She looked like she was going to object.
“I have no idea what we’re going to find, but I trust you to get the girls to safety if needed.” He held her look and waited for her to say something.
“Okay. I’ll get the run packs ready in case we need them.”
He nodded. “Toss a backpack in my truck, if you have to, you haul the whole group over to Ed’s in my truck.”
She glanced at Jay’s room.
“Call Gage and tell him what’s happening. If we’re not back in forty-five minutes you get the girls out.”
She nodded again and then came over and kissed him quickly. “You better come back. We have a date.”
Blair grinned, “I won’t miss it.”
Calum came running into the room, he tossed Blair’s pack at him. “Let’s go.” He glanced at Kobie.
“Go.” She said, “we’ve got it here.”
Kobie called for the girls to come downstairs. She stood at the window and watched as the men left. The white tiger and black jag were side by side, followed by two large orange tigers.
“What’s happening?” Torrey asked, walking into the room.
“I picked up some kind of strange scent out there.” Mika came from the kitchen, water dripping off her.
“Like what?” Torrey glanced at Cortney as she came down the stairs.
“I’m not sure, like chemical, strange.”
“Who went to look?” Cortney wrapped her arms around her waist.
“Blair, Calum, Noah, and Jake,” Kobie said quietly, turning from the window.
“Kobie.”
Everyone turned to look toward Jay’s room.
Kobie went and opened the door and peeked in.
Jay motioned to the wheelchair, he had yet to be in. “Get me in that. If you have to run, it will be easier to load me up in a chair.”
She gnawed on her lip, then nodded. “Okay.” Looking back out the door, she motioned to Torrey and Cortney, “help me get Jay up and into the chair.” They both jolted and came toward her. Kobie glanced at Mika, “get the packs ready and a backpack, toss them all in Blair’s truck.”
Mika nodded and ran up the stairs.
Jay only sounded like he was going to scream a few times as they got him upright, bent, and into the chair. He was pale but insisted he was all right.
“Oh,” Shaelan came into the room, “I was just coming to do that.”
Kobie motioned to the chair, “I have to call Gage, maybe you could make sure we didn’t do too much damage.”
Shaelan nodded. “Did Blair give us a time limit?”
“Forty-five minutes.”
“Okay, I’ll get a go-bag ready for Jay, his meds, and things.”
Kobie pulled out her phone and went to the kitchen. She kept going and opened the door and stood in it. Before she dialed, she inhaled slowly, trying to see if she could pick up what Mika had scented. With the heavy rain, there were too many smells out there. Dialing Gage, she held the phone to her ear and waited.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Gage, it’s Kobie.”
“Hey, what’s up?”
Kobie glanced in the direction the men had gone. “Mika picked up a strange, possibly chemical smell on a run…”
“Do you need us over there?” His jovial tone was gone.
“I’m not sure. Blair, Calum, and two of your guys went out to look.”
“Okay, Gary and I are heading over. You have packs ready?”
She nodded and then remembered she was on the phone. “We’re working on it. Blair said if they’re not back in forty-five minutes to go over to your place.”
“We have more security over here now.” He spoke to someone quietly. “We’ll be there in five.”
“Okay, thank you.” She hung up and noted the time. It had only been eight minutes. Blowing out a breath, she tucked the phone in her pocket and looked to the back again. The rain stopped so suddenly it was silent.
The evening sun made everything sparkle in its bright light. Kobie gnawed on her lip where she stood in the middle of the yard, watching the trees. She heard a vehicle and knew it was most likely Gage and Gary racing here.
Walking past the house, she inhaled slowly now, without the rain. She couldn’t even smell the men out there. What could make a chemical smell? Chemicals, clearly, but what kind and what were they for?
She heard a truck door slamming and then turned. It wasn’t Gage, it was Beth. She gave Kobie a half-hearted smile. “I thought I’d pick up the young ones and take them over to our house.”
Kobie breathed a quick sigh. Not having to worry about them was welcome right now. “Take Annamarie and Nichelle as well.”
“Will do.” She paused at the door. “My boys will find it.” She gave her a look of encouragement and then went inside.
Shaelan came out and toward her. “I have everything Jay could need ready.”
Kobie nodded and looked back toward the trees.