The Wallflower And The Seal: Gray Wolf Security Shifters New Mexico, #4

By Glenna Sinclair

This is the fourth book of the second series of Gray Wolf Security Shifters and contains over 50,000 words of paranormal romantic suspense. For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to start from the beginning with Pack of Misfits, Gray Wolf Security Shifters.

 

Wilson is a son of the reservation, a former soldier who's still a Momma's boy. With three sisters and a troubled brother, he finds himself jumping whenever he sees his mother's number on his phone.

 

Wilson is drawn into what looks like a conspiracy against Gray Wolf Security, which hits close to home when he discovers that his brother is right smack in the middle of it all.

 

But Wilson isn't the only one caught up in this conspiracy. Creed and Dibe fear that an old friend of the firm is in deeper than anyone could imagine. But the question is, who is the real target of this conspiracy: Gray Wolf or Dibe Haskies herself?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Glenna Sinclair
• Release date: Feb 21, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224082551

Glenna Sinclair

Experience the heart-racing novels of Glenna Sinclair, the master of romantic suspense. Sinclair's books feature strong male protagonists, many with a military background, who face real-world challenges that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Books2read.com/GlennaSinclair Facebook.com/AuthorGlennaSinclair GlennaSinclairAuthor at Gmail dot com

Book preview

Chapter 1: Dibe

Another case done, I said, getting the bottle of whiskey out of the desk drawer.

It’s not even noon yet, Creed said.

Do you have a problem with that?

He hesitated a second and then shook his head. No problem.

Didn’t think so.

I filled two glasses and handed him one. To another case well done.

To another case. He took a sip after touching the lip of his glass to mine. And to many, many more successful cases.

I lowered my head, drinking to that one too. I wanted nothing more than for this place to continue on, to be successful for many years to come. Just because someone else owned it now didn’t mean I didn’t have the best of intentions for it.

Almost as if reading my mind, Creed said, I haven’t done a terrible job helping turn this place around, have I?

I sighed. My thoughts were turning to dark places I didn’t want to go just now. I wanted to sit here and enjoy this glass of whiskey, wanted to have a moment of triumph before things had to come back around to reality.

Does this always have to turn into an evaluation of your performance, Creed? Can’t we just enjoy a success?

I just want to make sure you aren’t ready to send me packing.

And there it was. The cold splash of reality.

I hesitated a moment, a small smile on my lips as I debated revealing what I knew to him. I wasn’t sure why he’d hidden the truth, why he couldn’t be truthful with me. But I wasn’t even mad at him. I was mad at myself because I should have known. I should have seen this coming a mile away. I should have heard him whispering to my staff behind my back. I just didn’t want to know.

Finally, I pulled a piece of folded paper out of a folder sitting in the center of my desk.

I can’t really do that, now, can I? I got this memo from Ash’s office a few days ago. ‘To whom it may concern,’ I read. ‘Creed Jones has been appointed the new CEO of Gray Wolf Albuquerque. Please inform all employees of this change and assist to the best of your abilities to facilitate a smooth transition in power.’ It’s signed Ash Grayson.

To his credit, Creed’s face reddened. He reached over and snatched the memo out of my hand. He wasn’t supposed to do this.

How long have you known?

Creed looked away. That told me more than I’d wanted to know.

I’ll be out of this office by the end of the day, I said, standing and beginning to organize the pencils and pens that littered the desktop.

That’s not necessary.

Of course it is. This is your office now.

No, Dibe. I never wanted this.

Doesn’t matter. This is the way it is.

Stop! Creed came around the desk and grabbed my wrist, forcing me to stop gathering my things. This is still your firm. I’m just—

"What? Making a fool out of me? Allowing me to give you the trailer to live in, making me trust you, while all the while you’ve been lying to me? You are making a fool of me!"

That wasn’t my intention, he said, suddenly so close to me that my heart started to beat a little faster. I never wanted any of this. Ash wasn’t supposed to do anything like that. He was supposed to allow me to handle things.

Yes, well...

I’m not trying to steal your firm, Dibe. I just want to help.

I looked up at him, not sure why the acid-covered words on the tip of my tongue weren’t coming out. I was aware of his uneven breathing, of the scent of his soap, of the feel of his hand around my wrist. It wasn’t exactly an unpleasant feeling.

I want to help, he said again, softly.

But what was I supposed to do with that? What was I supposed to do with this man, this... powerful, beautiful man?

I’d been down this road before with a man who’d charmed his way into my heart—and then stole from my business to begin one of his own. I couldn’t do it again.

I wouldn’t do it again.

Steeling myself against his charms, I said the only thing that would come to mind: I quit.

It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room. We stared at each other for a long moment, the silence complete. But then he growled, a sound that was more animal than human. And then he jerked me toward him, snagging my arm against his chest as he reached for the other. I fought him for a second, not allowing him to get a grip on my wrist. But he was much stronger than me despite our different natures, despite my pride in my own strength. I worked hard to be as capable and as strong as a man, but there were some areas where the female form still failed when put to the test.

Or maybe I just let him overpower me.

He pulled me so hard against his chest that his power vibrated through my body, nearly making my teeth rattle. As tall as I was, he was still several inches taller, looking down at me through those impressive blue eyes, his long hair falling down in a curtain along the sides of both our faces. His lips were slightly parted, just a hair’s breadth from mine, his nose actually touching the tip of mine. We were so close that only a sliver of light could come between us.

I won’t allow you to quit.

Somehow I’d forgotten the nature of our conversation until that instant.

"You won’t allow me?"

I won’t. You are the heart of this place. Without you, it will never succeed.

Then maybe you should have thought of that when you accepted the job as CEO.

If I hadn’t, neither one of us would be here. He shook my arms just slightly. "Don’t you get it, Dibe? I’m trying to save you. I’m trying to put right what was wrong with this place so that you can keep running it. Ash is a good man, a generous man. But he’s also a smart businessman. He only sees the bottom line. He doesn’t know you, doesn’t know what you do here, doesn’t know how you inspire the people around you. He doesn’t know that this place would fail without you no matter what I, or some other new CEO, might do."

I shook my head, trying to pull away. Don’t try to charm me, Creed. I’m not one of your girls from the bars. I’m not going to fall for all your pretty lies.

They’re not lies.

I tried again to pull away, but he tugged me even closer, so close that I could feel his heart pounding under a shirt that suddenly seemed incredibly thin. He stared down at me, almost like he was trying to get through to me with just his expression, like he was trying to communicate with me without words. But that wasn’t how it worked.

I started this firm, I said, angry at the choked sound of the words as my throat filled with tears, to do something good with what my grandfather left me. I never cared about the bottom line, never cared about the business side of things! I just wanted to help people!

I know that! And that’s why you have to stay, Dibe.

He released my wrists and stepped away, but not before he brushed the side of my face with the backs of his fingers, the gesture the most tender touch I’d felt in a very long time. He dropped his eyes to the floor, a new sound coming from deep in his chest as he stepped even further back from me, almost as if he was afraid of being too close.

I haven’t always been a good man. I haven’t always done the right thing. But I can see what you have here, what you are capable of doing here... He stopped, almost as if he was searching for words. But that wasn’t possible because I have never known Creed Jones to be at a loss for words. His eyes came up slowly, touching my face again with that same tenderness that had been in his fingers. The only reason Ash sent me here is because I am a shifter, not because I’m some great business manager. I didn’t know a thing about running a business until I joined Tunstall up in Minnesota! The only reason he put me in charge is because he has the mistaken idea that I’m responsible for the way things have been improving on the bottom line. But that’s not just me, Dibe. That’s you, too. That’s you inspiring your operatives to fight for you; it’s you inspiring the people of this town to trust us; and it’s you working long, hard hours and motivating the people in this building to do the same. You are the heart of this place.

I couldn’t stand the way he was looking at me. I turned slightly, brushing at tears that wouldn’t obey my desperate orders to stay put. There was something about the way he spoke, about the way he looked at me, that said this was as hard for him as it was for me. And that touched something deep inside of me. I wanted to believe him, partly because I loved this firm so deeply that I couldn’t bear the idea of walking away from it. But partly, too, because I needed to believe that Creed was a good guy and that he hadn’t stabbed me in the back just for the advancement of his career.

Dibe, I just—

The door opened, forcing us both to turn awkwardly, hiding the high emotion on our faces. Joshua stuck his head in, doing a double take when he caught sight of us.

What the hell?

I shook my head, rubbing at my eyes again, angrily scrubbing tears away. What’s going on? I asked aloud.

Joshua frowned, his thoughts blazing through the space between us. If Creed hurts you...

Joshua!

Denton’s here, he said, his gaze falling on Creed, a dangerous look in his eyes. He says it’s important he talk to you.

What about?

He claims it’s business.

That’s highly unlikely, Creed said, his voice adopting that same indifference it normally held.

Send him in.

Are you sure that’s what you want? Creed asked at the same time Joshua asked the same question inside my head.

I’m sure. I dropped back down into my office chair, shoving a pile of pencils in the center of my blotter back into the cup they came from. Get out of my office, both of you!

A light came into Creed’s eyes. He lowered his head, offering me a slight wink before brushing past Joshua. The other man, though, refused to leave, his eyes hard on my face.

I’m okay.

We’ll find a way to get everything back, Dibe. You don’t have to put up with this shit!

I believe him, Joshua.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I believed Creed or not until those words came out of my mouth. It just made more sense than the other alternative. He could have sent me packing the moment Ash promoted him, but he didn’t. He could have taken everything from me—this business, the building it was in, and the life I’d built inside of it. He didn’t. That had to mean something.

And now that the truth was out, now that there were no more secrets between us, we could stop playing at this rivalry and focus on what was really important: the firm.

Go get Denton.

Joshua frowned. He’d yet to come to the same conclusion as me, but he knew better than to argue with me in certain moments. Now was one of those moments.

He left, slamming the door a little harder than necessary behind him. I picked up the memo that Ash had sent where it had been forgotten on my desk, balled it up, and tossed it in the trash. I didn’t know Ash Grayson. All I knew about him was rumor and gossip. But he was the only safe bet when I found myself faced with the reality that I was going to lose everything if I didn’t sell. His company, his money, saved my firm. Now it was up to me to prove my worth to him. Creed had handed me that opportunity, and now it was up to me to take it to the next level. Now that I knew the score, I was going to fight for what was mine.

There wouldn’t be any quitting. Not today. My resolve was ironclad... until, of course, Denton Isaacs walked into the room.

Hello, beautiful, he said, that big, bright, charming smile on his face.

Ex-boyfriends should just evaporate the moment the heart breaks. A lover shouldn’t have to stand face to face with someone who once knew them intimately after the magic fizzles and dies. I shouldn’t have to look at the face of this man who had the power to shatter my heart and still pull me back into his orbit with just a look.

What do you want, Denton?

His smile faltered slightly. Is that a way to welcome the love of your life?

I think we put that little question to rest the last time you were here.

Denton glanced over his shoulder. I saw the lion man out there. He doesn’t like me much, does he?

Well, after he had to toss you from my apartment because you wouldn’t leave at my request, did you think you’d be best friends?

Denton shrugged as he made his way around the side of my desk, taking a perch on the edge right beside me. That was just him interfering in a little tiff.

A tiff? Is that what you call an argument about whether or not a man has the right to impregnate a teenager when he was in a relationship with another woman?

Denton’s expression tightened slightly. We were on a break.

I laughed, covering the pain his little excuse shot through my heart. Has the baby come yet? Do you know if you have a boy or a girl?

He brushed that off with a gesture, guilt burning on his face. Look, I didn’t come over here to rehash ancient history. I actually have a job for you.

A job for me?

For your firm.

When we’re hard-up enough to need your help getting work, I’ll let you know. I stood and made a point of walking around the desk in the opposite direction from where he sat. Why don’t you go back to your firm and leave us to worry about our own business?

"You would be doing