Dark Refuge Read Free Page A

maintained a fleet of jets and helicopters, which allowed her to bypass the general airport entrance and all the security hassles. After the frustrating couple of days she’d had, Em really didn’t want to deal with all that.
    She watched as the company jet with the bold CGI logo and its proud pack of wolves racing across the fuselage touched down, circled back on the runway and rolled smoothly across the tarmac. Too bad she didn’t rank a corporate jet for her trips to Asia. No lost luggage that way.
    She wondered who was on it, what packmate her father had found to help her. She was sorry it wasn’t Aaron. She actually missed her big brother, but her dad had only said he’d make certain someone was here by midnight. She hoped so. She was still haunted by that poor woman’s unspoken plea for help.
    She’d not heard from her since. It had been Thursday evening when Em gave her the business card. She’d waited all day Friday, but no word. She hadn’t planned to call her dad, but until she got this settled, Em didn’t think she’d be able to quit worrying. The woman, Sissy was her name, had to be Chanku. Em had gotten a glimpse of dark amber eyes, a dead giveaway when combined with the strong telepathic voice.
    Mindspeaking was not broadly known as a Chanku trait, but as far as Emeline knew, no other sentient species had the ability. Sissy had contacted her as clearly as if they’d been speaking aloud, face-to-face.
    The door on the side of the small jet opened and a staircase lowered. Em stepped out of the shadows as a large figure filled the doorway, so it definitely wasn’t Aaron, and not one of the women, either.
    She heard male laughter and then a man swung into view and came quickly down the steps. Her heart stuttered in her chest and shivers raced along her spine. It couldn’t be.
    She glanced behind her and fought the compulsion to run back inside, into the shadows where he wouldn’t see her. How could her father do this? Didn’t the man have any compassion at all?
    “Hey, Em. Goddess, girl, it’s good to see you.”
    And he was there, dropping his bags, wrapping his arms around her in a big brotherly hug, swinging her around as he’d done when she was three. When she was five, when she was fifteen. Even now, when she was twenty-six years old, a fully grown woman in charge of an entire division of the same company he worked for.
    “Put me down, you oaf.” She hated the fact she was laughing, but she shoved against his chest, and as always it was like pushing against a brick wall. At least he hadn’t called her by that horrible nickname he and Aaron had tagged her with.
    He set her lightly on the ground. “EmyIzzy, you never change, except to get more beautiful. How come you haven’t found a man?”
    She brushed her hair out of her eyes. Then she carefully smoothed her skirt over her hips and glared at him. “Please don’t call me that. I’ve hated that name ever since you and Aaron cooked it up.” Before he could answer, she spun about and headed back to her car. “It’s late, but I’m hoping we can go look for her.”
    “Her who?” Gabe slung his pack over his shoulder and followed her. “Emeline,” he said, and she couldn’t help but notice his emphasis on her name, “I have no idea why I’m here. Oliver said that you were involved in a situation, but not what the situation is.”
    Em opened the trunk on the little SUV and Gabe tossed his bag in the back. She got behind the wheel, and once he was settled, she turned and glanced his way. “A woman contacted me telepathically. She’s a prostitute, working in Chinatown, and she’s terrified. I gave her my card, told her to call me, but she said her pimp was close by, and I could tell she’s afraid of him. Then her client showed up and she got in his car and left. I haven’t seen her since, but I’m sure she’s still out there.” She backed out and headed for the freeway. “If she’s still alive. That was Thursday evening,