The Quiet One

42

The four settled in a booth toward the back of the Mexican restaurant they'd walked to. Once their drink order had been taken Regal jumped into the conversation.

"So Harper and I were on the same plane as Joseph King. He is a well-known mobster who collects books. When Harper and I went to his home for the holiday party, I planted a bug in his computer. I haven't been able to get anything from the plant. He is using his computer for normal activity. He threatened Harper to hand over the Gerard Berlin book in the terminal while we were waiting. Did something similar happen to you?"

"No one spoke to us directly, but I'm certain they followed us. Every rest stop we made, the same black SUV was behind us. The men in the SUV looked like some guys coming out of the car were massive. One bumped into Julie and I glimpsed a concealed weapon. They smelled like rogue shifters, a mix of types," Michael explained, and Regal frowned.

"I would bet they all work for Joseph King. Was there any tampering on the truck?" Regal asked, sipping his water.

"Yes. This morning when we went out to the truck I noticed there had been tampering with the lock. They weren't successful, but there were scraps. I think it is silly of them to think we would leave the rare books in the truck. Julie insisted we keep them in the hotel room," Michael explained.

"This is ridiculous, what could be so important for them to try to break into our truck?" Julie complained while sipping on her margarita.

"Maybe they wanted to see if we brought the Poems of the Forest book with us?" Harper suggested and Regal shook his head.

"No. My guess is Joseph King isn't the only one after rare books. Anyone in the collector world would know George passed away. Agatha May let us in on that little secret when she probed Harper about George leaving her his collection. I wouldn't be surprised if we get a lot of collectors by the booth to see what you inherited. Most of them won't know the details of the will only that Harper got the books. Michael you and I are going to have to stay close and keep the more interested persons under close observation," Regal explained and Michael gave him an understanding nod. After the information from Michael, Regal didn't feel comfortable with Harper being out with Julie on their own for lunch tomorrow.

"Where are you and Julie having lunch tomorrow?" he asked as their meals came out.

"We always try to find a small cafe to have lunch," Harper explained, digging into her fajitas.

"Can you make it close to the convention center? It would make me feel better if you two were close," Regal shared and saw Michael give a slight nod.

"I saw a small cafe down the street when Michael and I pulled in," Julie announced looking over at Michael.

"How far is it?" Michael asked, taking her hand in his. Regal watched them and smiled, they were mates.

"Only a block maybe two," Julie answered.

"We will have our phones with us. Don't worry so much," Harper interjected, patting his hand.

"You can't blame a man for worrying about his mate and unborn child," Regal replied, kissing her hand. She laughed and kissed his cheek. They finished their meals and went back to their hotel rooms ready for the first day of the book convention.

The following morning Regal awoke and smiled down at his mate. Last night he satisfied his need for her well into the night and knew she would be tired.

"Regal," she mumbled, turning her head to look at him with one bleary eye.

"We need to get up, baby. We are supposed to be at the convention center in an hour," he replied running his fingers through her blond hair.

"I don't want to get up," she grumbled rolling away from him. Regal laughed and snatched the blanket off of her. Harper curled up against the cold air on her warm skin.

"Up Harper. Today is the first day of your convention, you don't want to be late," he told her, kissing her gently before heading into the bathroom to get ready for the day. Using his shifter hearing he heard her getting up grumbling about fiances who were too happy in the morning. Laughing he set about brushing his teeth and dressing for the day. Harper walked into the bathroom a few minutes after he did, she was dressed in a loose-fitting turquoise dress. Regal watched her, noticing bags under her eyes.

"I promise to let you sleep tonight," he murmured, pulling her into his side.

"Making a baby is exhausting," she mumbled leaning against the sink to brush her own teeth. Regal vowed to be extra vigilant, no one would get close to her booth without Regal nearby to protect her. He still didn't think Joseph was working alone. He had to have someone in town who could get to Harper easier than any of his goons. Michael passed the background inspection and none of Regal's people who dare harm their alpha's mate. What about the wolves? They were unhappy with Harper getting George's collection. Regal had a lot to think about and wouldn't be able to relax until they were back home.

"I'm ready to go get breakfast," Harper announced, slipping on a pair of low flats. Regal took her hand and they went down to grab a quick breakfast before heading into the convention center. Julie and Michael joined them, Regal noticed Michael was monitoring those who were sitting around the breakfast area. The more time he spent with Michael the more he liked the bear shifter. He was taking their safety seriously, it made Regal's job easier.

"Ready to open our stall?" Harper asked Julie once they had their to-go containers filled with breakfast.

"I love opening day of the convention! So many new stalls have been added this year. I think we will find some new authors to bring to the shop and add their books to our inventory. I already have my eye on Taylor Abbot a new author who writes about strong, black women. I think we need to focus on adding diverse authors to our store," Julie explained, Regal watched Harper take Julie's opinion to heart nodding her agreement. The two women worked well together, something he hadn't seen a lot of with best friends. 

Let me know what you think! Don't forget to vote!