With Abandon: With or Without, Book 4

eyes not to shift when you arrived?”
    “No.”
    “Shit.” The acrid smell of Gadget’s fear mingled with Aubrey’s own.
    Bambi came up behind them. “I checked and none of the vehicles are gone. I don’t like this. It’s not
    like Matthew to leave without telling someone where he is.”
    “Did you open the back door?” Gadget asked Bambi.
    Bambi shook his head. “No.”
    Hurrying out onto the porch, Aubrey lifted his nose in the air. A ball of butterflies raced around his
    stomach, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
    Gadget picked up something on the swing. He held up Matt’s phone. “He was here.”
    A half-empty water bottle sat on the ground below the swing. Aubrey retrieved it. “It’s still cold.” A
    shiver racked his body. He took a deeper breath. There was another scent mixed with Matt’s. Another wolf.
    Did he leave with a fellow pack member? “There was someone with him.” He stepped off the porch, trying
    to follow the scent trail. The other wolf’s odor was strong in the bushes. He’d been there a while. But why would someone hide in—?
    Oh shit. Aubrey recognized the scent. Bile rose in the back of his throat and his chest constricted,
    stealing his breath.
    Boskie hadn’t sent those pictures.
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    Chapter Nineteen
    “I knew something about that Jordan guy was off. Damn it!” Using the heel of his hand, Aubrey
    pressed on the burning pain in his stomach. He stopped in front of the bushes next to the back porch and inhaled. It was easy to pick out Matt’s scent even though it was almost imperceptible. Closing his eyes to hang on to that smell, he moved the phone to his other ear. “How can I use my senses to find him? Don’t we have some sort of nose thing? You and Dad are both good at following scents.”
    Keaton sighed over the phone. “If you’re asking if our third form gives us some special sniffing
    power or something, the answer is no.” Keaton groaned. “You know that’s your problem, you never did
    trust your sense of smell. Just follow the scent trail…and find Matt.” Keaton’s voice cracked a little.
    Aubrey pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded even though his brother couldn’t see him. He was
    afraid too. “I will. We found Jordan’s last name and cell number in Matt’s phone, so Bambi’s on his
    computer looking for info. Gadget says Bambi is a programmer and knows how to find things on the
    internet. And I’ve already called Jake. He’s on his way over.”
    “Aubrey?” Gadget’s head popped up from behind the shrubbery, followed by two of his sons, Logan
    and Chris. Gadget shook his head. “There’s nothing here, not even discernible tracks.”
    There was some rustling over the phone, and Keaton said, “If anyone can find him it’s Jake. He’s a
    damned good detective.”
    That was true. Aubrey had first met Jake when he’d come to Georgia with Keaton last year. It hadn’t
    taken Aubrey long to become friends with the man or to detect his competence.
    Logan and Chris disappeared around the side of the house, studying the ground, looking for tracks.
    Gadget still held Matt’s phone in his hand like a lifeline. Mumbling, he wandered around the bushes.
    “Matthew is nothing if not responsible. He’d never up and disappear without telling someone.”
    Jake Romero, Matt’s Alpha and friend of the family, walked through the back door followed by
    another big guy with a neat, closely trimmed beard and short black hair.
    “Keaton, I gotta go. Jake’s here.”
    “Call me when you find out anything .”
    “I will.” Walking toward Jake, Aubrey hung up and stuffed the phone in his pocket. He held out his
    hand. “Jake.”
    With a grim look on his face, Jake shook Aubrey’s hand. “Aubrey, good to see you again. Congrats
    on your mating. Sorry about the circumstances in which I’m finding out though.” He indicated the big man, J.L. Langley
    and Aubrey noticed the gun on Jake’s hip for the first time. “This is my Beta and business partner, Rhys.
    Remi’s on his way. He was leaving the firehouse when I called to tell him Matt was missing.”
    Rhys offered his hand to Aubrey. He had a firm handshake and huge hands. He also wore a gun. It
    was in a shoulder holster on his left side. “I haven’t gotten a lot of info yet, but I’ve got feelers out.
    Bambi’s in the house still looking for a money trail. He’s a damned good hacker and has found things for me before. We’ll find