concerned. It was creepy. Ash let out a heavy sigh and patted the bench next to him. Cael took a seat, snuggling up close to him, his arm wrapping around Ash’s waist.
“No, I don’t think she’d do that, sweetheart. But let’s face it, whoever we thought she was….”
“Pretty sure she can hear us,” Dex murmured, scrubbing furiously at the paint on his forehead.
“Thank you, Justice, for your amazing insight.”
Whoa, hold on. That was the second time Ash had referred to Dex as Justice. Ethan held a hand up before Dex could tell Ash off. He pointed to Dex, who let out a groan as he dropped into the chair across the bench. “Yes, all right. Since Simba opened his big freakin’ mouth—”
“Technically, your boyfriend spilled the beans first,” Ash corrected, smiling broadly.
Sloane cringed. “Yeah, that was my bad.”
“You’re lucky you’re damn sexy, Brodie,” Dex grumbled before addressing Ethan. “That’s my middle name. Justice.”
Rosa and Letty broke off into laughter, and even Calvin seemed unable to keep himself from laughing. Ethan grinned broadly at Dex. That was so adorable. The look on Dex’s face told him he didn’t agree.
“Yeah, all right. Get it out of your systems. You can all bite me.”
They laughed at Dex’s grumbling. Ethan thought the name suited Dex, even if his friend didn’t think so. According to Dex, he’d been named after his great-great-great grandfather, who’d been a Pinkerton Detective back in the day.
They finished cleaning themselves off and changed into new uniforms before reaching HQ. Austen was outside the truck when Ethan hopped down. He really didn’t like anyone driving his BearCat. Except for the sarge, obviously, and maybe someone from his team. Occasionally. But he really didn’t like anyone else driving it.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t feel her up.” Austen threw Ethan the keys before wriggling his eyebrows. “Too much.”
Ethan growled and made a swipe for Austen, who darted behind Dex with a laugh. They were seeing a lot more of Austen these days, with him being their liaison to Sparks and anything TIN related. The guy was exhausting. He was filled with boundless energy, never-ending innuendos, and loved to pop out of the shadows like some damn ninja. Austen gave Dex a sniff and purred. “I know Sparks gave you that arm thing, but you still smell good. Like Broodie Bear.”
Sloane promptly clamped a hand on Austen’s shoulder and removed him from Dex’s person. “What have I told you about that?”
“Don’t rub up against your boyfriend without you?” Austen asked hopefully.
“Nice try.” Sloane released Austen before pulling Dex up against his side and nuzzling his hair. Dex no longer batted an eye at Sloane’s Felid Therian needs, though Ethan had noticed Sloane was more possessive over Dex than he’d been before. He wasn’t very vocal about it, but he didn’t have to be. It showed in his actions. The way he always had to touch Dex in some way when another Therian was close by, whether it was a subtle gesture like a hand on the small of Dex’s back or a clear message like him wrapping his arm around Dex.
“Speaking of bears,” Dex said as they headed for the corridor leading to Sparta. “Have you talked to Zach lately?”
“Not cool, man.” Austen narrowed his eyes at Dex, who looked puzzled by Austen’s sudden change in mood.
“What? I was curious. Sloane said he asked about you the other day.”
Austen peered at Dex before moving his gaze to Sloane, who nodded.
“He did. He asked me if I’d seen you around, if you were doing okay.”
“Oh.” Austen frowned.
“What? No cheesy comeback? No zingers?” Ash cocked his head to one side, his expression smug. “Looks like our pal Zach’s managed to accomplish what no one else has. Leave you speechless. Wonder why that is?”
Austen’s expression darkened, and for a moment Ethan wondered if the guy was going to plant one in Ash’s face. Wouldn’t be the first time someone on their team had managed it. Instead, an evil smile spread across Austen’s face as he turned and walked backward ahead of them. “Have fun in training. Try not to get your asses kicked too badly. We’ll be in touch.” With a salute, he disappeared into the shadows at the end of the garage.
“By the way,” Dex said to them, “don’t forget tomorrow’s moving day. Bright and early.”
“Yeah, yeah. We’ll be there, your majesty.”
Ash held the large steel door open while everyone walked through. With a wide smile, Dex patted Ash’s chest.
“Thank you, Jeeves. Next time perhaps a little less snarl.”
“You know what? That’s thirty minutes, Justice. Starting now.”
Dex’s jaw dropped, and Ash grinned smugly. When Dex made to open his mouth to speak, Ash held a hand up.
“Nope. Rules were clear. This isn’t an emergency, so for the next half an hour I get blissful silence.” Ash patted Dex’s cheek none too gently and smiled widely. “That’s a good boy.” Ash ruffled Dex’s hair, talking to him as if he were a puppy. “Who’s a good boy? You’re a good boy, that’s who. Yeah, now get lost.”
Dex’s jaw muscles tightened, and he flipped Ash off before thundering down the corridor toward one of the larger training bays, much to everyone’s amusement, especially Ash’s.
“I’m so going to enjoy this.”
Ethan was pretty sure they wouldn’t be enjoying whatever Sparks had in store for them. They stood in formation, their hands clasped behind their backs while Sparks tapped away at her tablet with her bright red manicured nails. She was back in her signature white pantsuit and five-inch heels. Ethan was still getting used to the fact she was some kind of secret spy agent. According to Dex, Sparks had been with TIN since the THIRDS opened its doors, so Ethan had to wonder how long that had been. He had to give her credit. None of them had ever suspected a thing.
The room was empty except for their team, Sparks, and some random equipment, including tactical vests and a privacy screen. He noticed there were no mats. At the end of the room was a climbing wall, and at the top in the center a black case dangled from a rope. Between them and the case was a shitload of obstacles that included hurdles, tires, ramps, blockades, and scattered everywhere were a bunch of little discs with green lights.
“For this training sequence, make certain you pay attention and think about what you would do differently from your teammates. As you can see, there is a case at the end of the room. One of you will retrieve the case. Consider your opponent your enemy. I expect you to give it your all. Don’t think of this as training. Think of it as you out in the field. There is no room for failure. The green lights are hostiles patrolling the area. Get too close, and the light will turn red, meaning you’ve lost precious time dealing with the problem. You lose ten points for each one you cause to go off.” Sparks pointed to the table beside her, with fancy laser tag equipment. “You’re to take one tactical vest and one laser gun. You may keep your standard equipment on you. Use the laser gun to disable the hostiles before the light changes. You have a limited number of shots. Agent Keeler and Agent Summers, you’re up. The rest of you pick up a tactical vest and suit up. Not you, Keeler.”
Shit. Calvin and Ash? Ethan didn’t like this. And why did the rest of them have to wear tactical vests if they weren’t involved in the training?
“Agent Keeler, please shift into your Therian form. Agent Summers, please pick up your equipment. I’ll attach the sensor to Agent Keeler once he’s shifted.”
Ethan stared at her. Ash was going to be in his Therian form against Calvin? His best friend looked surprised, but he seemed to quickly snap himself out of it. He nodded and did as he was asked, though not before Ash gave him a wicked grin.
“I’ll try not to ruin that pretty face of yours,” Ash said, chuckling as he strolled off to the privacy screen. Sparks motioned for Letty to assist him before turning her attention to Calvin.
“You’re to retrieve the case, Agent Summers. Agent Keeler will do his best to s
top you.”
Calvin frowned. “By his best, you mean…?”
“He will hurt you.”
Ethan stepped forward, only to have Sparks stop him. She waited until Ash’s pained cries stopped resonating through the training bay. A fierce roar followed, and once it was quiet again, Sparks addressed the team.
“Out in the field, you deal with feral Therians. They don’t give a damn who you’re sleeping with, and if they find out your lover is working beside you, they will do everything they can to destroy you. You stated your romantic relationships wouldn’t impede your performance? We’re going to start putting that to the test. Tactical vest on, Agent Hobbs.”
Ethan swallowed hard. What exactly did that mean? He strapped himself into his vest, as did the rest of his teammates before resuming formation. What wasn’t she telling them? He was coming to learn that Sparks held out on a lot, feeding them tiny morsels of information as they went along, and only when she deemed it necessary. Ethan hated being in the dark. As an explosives specialist, he relied on having as much information as possible in order to perform his duties. Without the necessary intel, an easily resolved problem could turn fatal.
Ash emerged from behind the screen, shaking his head and causing his massive furry mane to swish impressively. Ethan rolled his eyes. Show-off. The only one impressed was Cael, but then Ethan supposed that was to be expected. Cael always looked at Ash as if he was some big rock star, and Ash ate it up. Ash trotted over to Sparks and sat on his haunches, his tail thumping against the floor. Lion Therians were so smug. Calvin finished strapping himself into his vest and tucked the laser gun into the back of his waistband while Sparks clipped a sensor to Ash’s mane. Ethan couldn’t help but snicker, and the rest of his teammates soon joined him. Sparks had clipped it below his ear, making it look like he had a barrette in his mane.
Calvin walked over with a laugh. “Well, aren’t you a pretty kitty.”
Ash snarled, taking a swipe at Calvin, claws drawn. Ethan instinctively stepped forward, and Sparks arched an eyebrow at him. Damn it, he had to control himself. With a frown, he stepped back into line and gave Sparks a nod. He could do this. His partner was an experienced agent. Ethan took comfort in the fact Calvin wouldn’t hesitate in planting one in Ash’s face if he had to. Ash turned his amber eyes on Ethan, and Ethan could tell he was enjoying this. He narrowed his eyes at Ash. If he was in his Therian form he’d knock the smugness out of him. Ash might be fierce, but in his Therian form Ethan was bigger, his claws and fangs were sharper, his mass heavier, and his roar fiercer than any lion Therian. Of course, in a fight to the finish, Ash would kick his ass. Lion Therians were survivors. They would fight until their last breath with everything they had. Their mane also protected their necks. Ethan didn’t have a mane to protect him. Still, he’d give it his best.
“All right.” Sparks addressed Calvin. “You have a five-second head start, Agent Summers. Go.”
Calvin took off, maneuvering through the tires as fast as he could. He climbed over one of the blockades. Not an easy task considering the added weight of his vest. At least his partner didn’t have to worry about tactical equipment. That alone would have slowed him down a good deal.
Seconds later, Ash’s roar resounded through the training bay, and Ethan balled his hands at his sides. He watched nervously as Ash sped after Calvin, who was running up one of the ramps to the swing rope ahead of it. Ash caught up in seconds, roaring and bounding onto the ramp. He had Calvin in his sights, and he had every intention of catching his prey. Ethan knew the feeling. His muscles tensed at the familiar call. Despite being in his Human form, the tiger inside him stirred, eager to join the chase, to protect what was his. His pulse picked up, his heart pounded fiercely, and his senses grew sharp. At this moment, nothing mattered to Ash other than getting his claws into the flesh of his quarry. Sparks met Ethan’s gaze, her intense pale eyes knowing.
“Agent Hobbs, I suggest you keep a tight grip on your Therian half.”
Ethan gritted his teeth and nodded. He turned his attention back to Calvin, his heart in his throat as Calvin dropped onto the ramp and rolled onto his back, kicking out as Ash leaped at him. He caught Ash on his belly with his boots and sent him tumbling down the ramp. Jumping to his feet, Calvin spun on his heels and took off, leaping when he reached the end of the ramp. He caught hold of the rope and swung to the other ramp, hitting the wood boards with a roll before popping up onto his feet.
Ash swiftly recovered, his snarl heard from where Ethan stood. Their lion Therian teammate was pissed, even more so than usual. Come on, Cal. You can do this. Calvin hurried through the obstacle course, making certain to stay clear of the sensors or shooting at them when there was no way around them. Ash was quick on his heels, but Calvin made sure to use the obstacle course to his advantage, anything that would take Ash longer to go around. Way to go, Cal.
As Calvin headed for one of the hurdles, Ash changed direction. Where the hell was he going? Ethan watched as Ash sped up one of the ramps. What the— Realization dawned on Ethan, and it took everything he had not to run off after Calvin. Ash leaped and slammed into Calvin, knocking him to the floor and sending them rolling. Three of the sensors went off around Calvin, his laser gun skidding across the floor and out of his reach. His gun was hardly his partner’s biggest concern at the moment. Ash roared and pounced, taking a swipe at Calvin’s side and his claws snagging Calvin’s tac vest. The move backfired as his claws got caught in the bulletproof fabric, giving Calvin enough time to pull back a fist and punch Ash across the muzzle.
Ethan cringed. Ash’s fierce roar sent a chill up his spine, and he watched anxiously as Ash swatted at Calvin again, his claws tearing at Calvin’s sleeve. Luckily his partner had moved away before Ash could draw blood. Using the end of his Glock, Calvin swung at Ash, forcing him to jump back. Calvin scrambled to his feet and ran to the climbing wall. He jabbed his gun into his thigh rig and climbed with Ash trying to claw at him. Calvin was fast on his feet and agile. He dodged Ash’s blows and continued to climb. Ash jumped and swiped, but each time he was met with Calvin’s boot. Lucky for Calvin, lion Therians weren’t so good at climbing.
That’s it. Annoy the living hell out of him!
Calvin reached the top and swiped the suitcase. The only problem was Ash was waiting for him at the bottom, pacing with fangs bare as he hissed. Ethan was on edge as he watched Calvin doing his best to hang onto the rope with both hands while holding onto the case. Ethan could read Calvin clearly. He was considering all his options. Then a familiar look Ethan knew all too well came onto his partner’s face. He’d found the solution. Calvin tugged a Therian-strength zip tie from his belt and secured the case to his belt. Then he swiped up his Glock and fired two rounds in their direction. Right into Cael’s vest.
The force of the bullets hitting Cael knocked him off his feet, and chaos quickly followed. Ash roared and took off toward Cael while Dex and Sloane rushed to Cael’s side. Ethan watched, stunned, as Calvin dropped to the ground and broke into a run, reaching Sparks just as Ash reached Cael. Calvin handed her the case as Cael was pulled to his feet.
“What the fuck, Cal?” Dex glared at Calvin. “You fucking shot him.”
“He’s wearing a vest,” Calvin replied calmly. “I wouldn’t have shot him otherwise.”
Dex stared at him. “What if you’d missed? Jesus Christ, do you realize—”
“Are you saying I can’t hit a fucking inanimate object?” Calvin challenged Dex. “Shooting is what I do. If he’d been running I still would have been able to hit him. Had I wanted to shoot him somewhere else I would have aimed there.”
“Now I’m inanimate? Thanks, man.” Cael groaned, removing his vest and tossing it to one side. He rubbed at his chest. “Fuck. That hurt.” He was going to have a couple of nasty bruises.
“Sorry. It was my only option.”
Ash turned with a hiss. He bounded toward Calvin, only to have Sparks step between them.
“Stand down, Age
nt Keeler! That’s an order.”
Ash growled and hissed, but he sat back on his haunches. Sparks pointed to the privacy screen. “Change. Now. Agent Guerrera, you’ll find supplies in the duffel bag by the screen. Help your partner.”
Letty silently did as ordered, and they all resumed formation, waiting as Ash shifted back into his Human form and Letty administered Postshift Trauma Care. Ethan stood beside Calvin, and he couldn’t help but sneak a glance at him. He refrained from smiling at the pleased look on his partner’s face. He’d beat Ash, and did so by thinking outside the box. As Ethan studied Sparks, he had a feeling she knew what might happen. Why else would she have issued them vests? As if reading his mind, Sloane spoke up.
“You knew this might happen. That’s why we’re wearing vests, even though we’re not involved in the training.”
“An exceptional agent makes do with what he has and always has an escape route.”
A loud clatter caught their attention, and Ethan braced himself as the privacy screen skidded across the floor. Ash thundered toward Calvin, his amber eyes burning with anger. He ignored Letty’s pleas to finish drinking the Gatorade. He wasn’t fully recovered, and it was clear in his unsteady march. Letty ran to his side and threw an arm around his waist as he reached Calvin and jabbed a finger at him.
“You fucking cheated.”
“Agent Summers did exceptionally well,” Sparks declared.
“What?” Ash rounded on her, a mistake he realized too late. His knees gave out, but thankfully Sloane and Dex were there to catch him before he hit the floor. They helped Letty hold him up. Why was their friend so damned stubborn? He knew full well what would happen if he didn’t receive the proper care.
“This test wasn’t just about him, Agent Keeler. Your objective was to stop Agent Summers. You allowed yourself to not only become distracted, you allowed an enemy operative to escape with the package to check on your boyfriend. Your performance was commendable, until that point. Agent Summers discovered your weakness and exploited it. Then on top of that, you don’t allow yourself to recover from postshift properly. You’re no use to your boyfriend or anyone else in this state.”
Ash frowned at her. “Wait, you didn’t say anything about me being judged on my performance.”
“I shouldn’t have to. You had your mission, Agent Keeler. You failed to follow through and allowed an enemy operative to expose your weakness. I expect better results next time. You’re all dismissed. Go home and rest. Agent Keeler, get something to eat and finish your PSTC, before I have the medical team drag you away.”
There was no doubt in Ethan’s mind that Sparks would follow through with her threat. They removed their vests and left them by the table where they’d picked them up earlier. Ethan followed Calvin to Sparta’s male locker room while Cael and Letty headed for the canteen. Ethan could all but feel Ash’s laser-beam stare boring into him and Calvin. It was probably best for all of them if they showered quickly and went home to give everyone time to cool down. Well, to give Ash time to cool down.
Of course, they had no such luck. Calvin seemed determined to take his sweet time. They had showered and dressed, when Ash stomped into the locker room fully recovered and fully pissed. Whatever agents had been lingering around darted out like the place was on fire. Sometimes Ethan felt bad for their fellow agents. Destructive Delta had a habit of running everyone off with their drama.
“Summers,” Ash growled, marching over to Calvin. Ethan subtly stepped up behind his partner. He wouldn’t get involved, but he’d be there if his best friend needed him.
“Hey, you wanna lay one on me,” Calvin said, opening his arms wide, “go ahead. You won’t always be able to protect him, Ash.”
“Fuck you!” Ash stepped forward, only to have Cael put a hand to his chest, stopping him in his tracks.
“He’s right, Ash.”
Ash’s expression softened. “Cael….”
“We should have both been paying better attention to Calvin and not each other. I was worried about you. That’s exactly what Sparks was talking about. I know it might be different out in the field, but we can’t take that chance. I thought because I was on the sidelines that I was safe, and how well did that go with Hogan? He caught me by surprise. What if I hadn’t gotten out from under him?”
“Wait, what do you mean out from under him?” Ash’s amber eyes clouded over.
Cael’s eyes widened, and it was clear he hadn’t meant for Ash to find out whatever happened inside the surveillance van that day.
“What did Hogan do?” Ash growled, his fists balled at his sides.
Ethan and Calvin backed up.
“Cael?” Dex dropped his duffel bag on the floor and turned to face his brother. “What happened in the van?”
Cael folded his arms over his chest. “What does it matter? Hogan’s dead.”
“It matters!” Ash snapped, making Cael flinch.
Ethan had no idea what was happening, but one minute Ash was about to go feral, the next he had Cael in his arms, his voice soft.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Ash.” Cael hugged Ash close and buried his face against Ash’s T-shirt. After a few seconds of being in each other’s arms, Cael pulled back, but he wouldn’t meet anyone’s gaze. “Before Hogan knocked me out, he managed to pin me on my stomach. He….” Cael shook his head and closed his eyes. “He felt me up, said maybe he should fuck me right there, that we should make a video for you. He said he would’ve loved to see your face when he defiled me. Then I head-butted him.”
“That motherfucking son of a bitch!” Ash turned away from Cael, his fingers flexed at his sides. Sloane was going to say something, when Ash slammed a fist into his locker, the force behind his punch denting the metal.
“Ash, please.” Cael took hold of Ash’s arm, turning him so he could cup Ash’s face. “I’m okay. Hogan’s dead.”
“He’s damn lucky he’s dead, because if he wasn’t, I’d beat the ever-living shit out of him until he joined Collins in hell for putting his fucking hands on you.”
“Stop. Why do you think Sparks is so concerned about our training? We’re not as prepared as we think we are. None of us are. We rely on our weapons, our partners, our proficiencies and Therian forms, everything that can quickly be used against us. What good is all our training if we let our emotions get the better of us?” Cael lowered his voice. “I’m willing to bet the kind of assholes TIN operatives face know how to discover and use those weaknesses.”
“But we’re not TIN operatives,” Ash argued. “We have to be careful.”
“The way we were a few minutes ago?” Cael shook his head. “I’m glad Sparks is training us. I don’t want to ever feel helpless like I did in that van. I can’t rely on you to protect me.”
“I’d do anything to protect you.”
“And when you don’t have that choice? We’ve all got each other’s backs, but we have to learn to be strong on our own.” Cael took Ash’s hand in his. “I love that you’re always there for me, but that leaves you vulnerable. You’ve already
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