Renegades
Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Even a shifter must cover her tracks when a determined enemy calls in reinforcement. Shye’s secret is out. But how do you catch a shadow?
Shye pushes her limits too far and is cornered by a man she’s never seen in town. His sudden arrival feels suspicious and it doesn’t take her long to discover who hired him. Paid to catch Shye in the act, Pike Draven is shocked when he sees her shift into her shadow before robbing the local bank. He realizes the task of proving her guilt is remote. While tracking the elusive raven-haired beauty, Pike does a shift of his own.
Trip Viper has been hunting the man responsible for his brother’s death. When Pike rolls into town he prepares to make his move. Pike’s increasing interest in Shye gives Trip more than one reason to see the man dead. But he wants to protect the woman he loves from getting caught in a firefight.
Taken captive by a wanted man, Shye struggles with her feelings when he casts doubt on Trip’s integrity. Will she believe the right man before it’s too late? When fate takes a hard turn for the worse, can she leave her peaceful life behind to become a renegade?
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Renegades
Copyright © 2013 Austina Love
ISBN: 978-1-77111-421-9
Cover art by Martine Jardin
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Devine Destinies
An imprint of eXtasy Books
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Renegades
Sweet Hitchhiker 2
By
Austina Love
For my beloved Austin whose spirit lights my way.
With respect to my Native American ancestors most of whom I have never met. While writing this book I heard the drums of my past and experienced a reawakening in my soul. Though I do not resemble them in appearance, their spirit is in my blood. Visions I saw can only be attributed to my connection to those who walked before me.
Everything I describe regarding Native Americans in this book came from my imagination and visions from my mind.
A special thank you to my readers. My wish is that you feel the story and become swept away by the mystical aura I felt when writing it.
To Jay, thank you for everything.
Chapter One
She studied his face—his enthralled expression—as loving fingers toyed with the new necklace given to her by the ghost dancer. The awestruck feeling never grew old anytime she recalled her supernatural experiences and visions with the spirit that had bestowed upon her a rare gift.
“The feathers look cool.” Trip’s gaze drifted over her face in open fascination then moved lower to her neckpiece. “What is the significance of the black and white feathers you have attached to your beaded necklace?” His soulful dark eyes looked straight into hers. “You promised me the truth…”
“Yes, I did.” Shye stood between his outstretched legs as he sat sideways on his Harley. They’d parked on the edge of a small South Dakota town—a place she’d called home most of her life. Strong yet gentle hands rested at her waist. With a yielding smile, she traced the lines of his ruggedly handsome face with one hand while running the other through his long black hair. “I hold the black feather to shift into my shadow and the white one to return to my human form.”
“Nagi…the ghost dancer, has given you this power?”
“Nagi Howiwacipi…Shadow the ghost dancer, yes she came to me in a vision on the highway. It was quite terrifying actually but when she’d gone, the feathers were in my hands. I went to an esteemed chief of our people for guidance. He knew the story and explained the vision.”
“Incredible.” He gave a slow shake of his head. “I’ve heard many tales during my visits with the Native American people, but never met anyone directly touched by their spirit world.”
“My father prayed the night I told him about Carter’s trickery. I had an amazing experience during his prayer. I saw myself with him and that’s when I first heard the name coming from the trees. He told me what they meant and that I was chosen. It was Chief Blackwater who had filled in the blanks.”
Shye glanced nervously at the bank then back at Trip. “Carter has stepped up his watch. I haven’t seen one teller leave the bank yet and it’s past noon. They always go across the street for lunch but not today.”
“Yeah. He was fairly pissed off when the Sherriff refused to bring you in.” He brushed a messed lock of hair from her face. “I don’t want to lose you after just finding you.”
“You had fair warning to bow out. I told you I’m on a mission,” she said teasingly, adding a playful wink.
“Something tells me that we are running a parallel course.”
“Oh?” She arched one brow. “Am I going to learn more about the mysterious Trip Viper now?”
“Hm…” He leaned his forehead against hers. “If I tell you my secrets you might lose interest. I sense you’re a woman who loves a challenge.”
“Sharp man.”
“What’s your plan for today’s run?”
“Not getting caught,” she replied with a laugh. “You’ll be right here? I need my fast getaway driver who’s as hot as his bike.”
An easy smile swept over his face, the smile she already loved so much. His eyes carried a hint of concern yet the way he looked at her made her feel like the most desirable creature on earth. Even his worry failed to hide the open adoration he had for her. When he gazed at her this way flutters filled her stomach.
“I’ll be as fast as you need me to be, then slow and easy when you’re in my arms later tonight.”
Oh god… She placed one hand over her heart. “I best get this job done because I’m definitely looking forward to later.” Brushing a soft kiss over his sensual lips, she pulled back slowly. “See you in a few minutes.”
He grabbed her hand before she slipped away. “Hey, babe…be careful.”
With a nod, she eased her hand from his and headed toward the bank. Mike Carter had been poking his head outside every half hour, no doubt watching for any suspicious activity. Surely he’s seen the strange happenings on his security cameras. I bet he’s racking his brain trying to figure out how his teller, La and even he showed up on video hauling sacks of money from his bank.
She tried to appear casual while loitering in the main square. Typically the small town was bustling this time of day. Maybe the intense heat kept everyone inside for the afternoon. Glancing up at the sky with one hand shielding her eyes, she could practically see heat waves radiating in the air. The thought occurred to her that Carter had tightened the reins on his employees in light of recent events. Nobody had been in or out of the bank except customers. Tellers hadn’t taken their lunch nor had La been seen outside of Gage’s office.
A slamming door caught her attention, followed by heavy footsteps. Shye leaned against the cool brick of an adjacent building, hugging the shadows while listening in and secretly watching.
“I didn’t do it!” La’s voice pierced the thick humid air from the porch of Gage’s office.
“Then where is my money?” Gage growled while looking around anxiously. Clearly he didn’t want to make a scene but that was La, always on display and telling the world everything she knew.
“I don’t know, Gage. It’s not my job to manage your bank accounts.”
“You’re lucky I don’t press charges. It’s not your job to do anything anymore…you’re fired!”
Shye couldn’t withhold a smile. Ha ha…finally! Strike one!
La lowered her voice and glowered at him. “You can’t press charges on me…I know all about your involvement with Mike Carter. And if you fire me, I just might start talking.”
Though she had spoken in a low growl, Shye still heard her. Whatever evidence La had on the two men hadn’t been anywhere on her computer. But it was significant because a horrific look of shock traversed Gage’s face. Clearly he hadn’t expected La to fight back.
“Nobody’s going to believe a trashy big mouth like you,” Gage snarled, gripping her arm.
“Sure you want to take that chance? After all, I wasn’t the only one seen on camera making a hefty withdrawal. At least mine looked legit. Mike was taped hauling cash straight from the vault. And what about Jill? She was also caught on video taking money.”
“We are still sorting that madness. Someone has found a way to tamper with security cameras and we have a pretty good idea who’s behind it. But as for you transferring all my money into your account then withdrawing it, that’s clear-cut. I want the money back.”
La stood her ground and huffed, “I told you, I didn’t take it and don’t have your dirty money. If you don’t back off, I’m going to start screaming bloody murder in two seconds.” She gave her hair a haughty flip then added, “And if you think I didn’t back up the evidence on a disc and leave it in a safe place, think again. If anything happens to me your crooked deeds go public.”
He appeared ready to blow with clenched fists and a red face. “Fine,” Gage snapped with another shifty look around, clearly very stressed. “Get your ass back inside. This isn’t over yet. Keep your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you.” The tone in his voice was unmistakable. If La failed to comply, she’d find herself in serious trouble.
Obviously the woman’s knowledge about Gage’s dealings with Carter had placed her in a precarious situation. Wow, Carter has everyone in the palm of his hand. So La isn’t as daft as she looks, Shye thought. She cleverly backed up whatever she’d found, hid it away and cleared her computer. Too bad we aren’t friends…not even close.
At this point the secrets La knew could possibly put Carter behind bars and pave the way for Shye to take back what he stole from her family. Yet that didn’t seem likely. If La had wanted out, she’d have walked away when Gage fired her. Her determination to stay and fight clearly indicated she wanted to remain in the game whatever the stakes. La’s lust for the handsome lawyer would become her undoing—an event Shye hoped to witness for the wench’s part in the hijacking of her family’s farm.
Once Gage and La had gone back inside, Shye made her way toward the bank. Her daily heists were getting harder to pull off. Now that people knew something was going on, everyone would be on guard. She didn’t know how much longer she could continue using the shadows of others to get inside the vault.
I may just have to go in as my shadow and pray the cameras can’t pick up my presence. If I hug the walls maybe, just maybe I can get in and out undetected.
With no employees leaving the bank, she’d either have to abandon her mission or take the risk as she was running out of time. You must release the shadow before the sun sets or you will disappear with it and roam in the land of darkness forever. Chief Blackwater’s words forced their way into her racing mind.
The thought of roaming in darkness forever didn’t hold much appeal. She needed to shift and shift again before sunset in order to strike again and stay in this world. She’d never been one to back down. The war had already begun. She decided winning one battle at a time was worth the risk in order to take back what had been stolen from her.
Crouching behind a dumpster beside the bank, she gently held with one hand the black feather dangling from her neck while staring at her shadow on the pavement. Nagi…I am ready.
A rush of cold air flowed over her, the one part of shifting she found most uncomfortable, as if the chill of the other world literally permeated her bones. This was how she knew she’d shifted successfully. As Shadow her body felt cold—ice cold. She wondered if all spirits were cold because they had no human blood to warm them. Either way, she was now Shadow and had a job to do before the sun went down.
She crept around to the rear entrance keeping close to the wall of the building. When she came to the door, instead of opening it and risk making a noise or setting off an alarm she pressed her hands against the metal. The door felt mushy to touch which always astounded her. Easing her way through, she held her breath as her body followed her hands through a solid steel door that brought her into a small hallway just down from the vault. Again she merged through another tremendously thick door. This time it made her a bit queasy but she shook it off.
Working very fast, she grabbed a canvas bag and slunk along the wall while keeping her head down. She knew the camera did a continuous slow sweep of the area from her previous visits to the huge safe, so she moved quickly and did her best to stay ahead of the camera. After filling the bag with as much as she could carry, she glanced up and saw the camera had swept around and was preparing to come her way again.
Immediately Shye merged back through the wall, hugging the sack of money to her chest. Amazingly enough, the canvas bag seemed like part of her and came through the wall without any trouble. She wondered about this. Can anything I am holding travel with me or just objects without a life force?
Back in the alley again, she placed one hand around the white feather and called upon Nagi. Instantly a wave of intense heat washed over her, making blood feel like fire in her veins. The odd sensation lasted less than a minute and was easier to tolerate than the cold. It was like shifting from the spirit world then back to life—kind of creepy but absolutely mind-blowing. The gift she’d been given was indeed unique.
Just as she pushed to her feet a tall figure blocked her way. “Going somewhere?” he asked. His voice was deep and husky.
She stared up, way up into the dark eyes of a very tall man. Long black hair hung several inches past his shoulders and his brown-black eyes were flecked with gold. He looked Native American but she’d never seen him on the reservation. His high cheekbones were tan and so were his long muscular arms. Strikingly handsome, his sudden appearance had taken her off guard and for a moment rendered her breathless. But it didn’t take long for an ominous aura to grip her spirit like an icy chill.
“Who are you?” She slanted a suspicious look his way.
“Someone you don’t want to mess with. Now hand over the money and maybe I’ll forget we met.”
“Like hell I will,” she snapped.
He braced both hands on the wall behind her, blocking her escape. “I don’t know how you pulled it off…I’ve never seen anything like it…but my job is to bring you in.” He shook his head in open disbelief.
His reaction indicated that he’d seen her shift or at least merge through the wall. This is not good. Carter must have hired him. I can’t believe his thug found me already. Damn that man! Panic
rose in her throat but didn’t last long. Suddenly an apparition manifested at the end of the alleyway.
She breathed a sigh of relief and pointed past his head. “You’ll have to deal with that before taking me prisoner.”
His head jerked around in time to see a horse galloping toward them at full speed. “What the hell?”
Shye watched in fascination as a huge black stallion raced forward. On his back sat the Indian maiden she’d seen in her visions—Nagi Howiwacipi—Shadow the ghost dancer coming to her rescue. The horse never broke stride. As it came upon them she saw the blazing eyes and flaring nostrils. He snorted his fury while knocking this brawny man aside then the stallion and the maiden simply vanished.
In the next instant the roar of a familiar Harley drew her from her dazed state of mind. Trip came to a screeching halt in front of her.
“Get on and hold tight,” he said low and fierce.
She wasn’t sure if he was angry or just stunned or both. Either way, she hopped on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, keeping the canvas sack wedged tightly between their bodies. He maneuvered the bike with impressive skill around the back streets of town until they cleared traffic. They hit the highway doing at least eighty before shooting off like a skyrocket. The breath got sucked straight from her stomach as they raced out of town.
He didn’t slow down until they were safely at his campsite high in the mountainous area of the Black Hills. Golden skies laced with shades of pink and blue bid farewell to a setting sun. Another close call but she came out victorious yet again. Her body was still vibrating from the wicked ride north as the bike came to a halt. She slid off and tucked the money into a saddlebag for now. Trip held her hand as they walked the few feet to a grassy patch near a fire pit.
“What the hell was that bearing down on Pike?” he asked with arched brows.
She shrugged, feeling as shocked as he looked. “A ghost rider?”
“You have a very strong guardian around you.”