Eye of the Tiger

by Crissy Smith

  Zak didn’t respond to the offer of a promotion. There was a better chance that they’d kill him after Zak took care of Luca for them. Logan might be ordered to do it anyway. Zak’s chest tightened as he realized just how very limited his options were.

  “For now, take Logan back to the party. Let him meet the others. He’ll be taking over for Luca once he’s gone,” Chad ordered.

  Zak pushed the Glock inside his waistband at the back of his jeans before yanking down his T-shirt to cover the weapon. No one would think anything about him carrying other than Luca. Maybe that would be a way to warn his friend.

  Because there was no way he was killing anyone.

  He had a feeling that either he’d have to flee with Luca or he was about to make his biggest move against the group.

  Only time would tell if he would be successful.

  * * * *

  The old motel was only two blocks from the sheriff’s office. It rented a total of ten rooms and, while clean, was so run down that Abilene was surprised at how good the Internet was.

  When she’d first arrived she’d almost slept in her car instead of checking in. The arrangements had been made by one of the office workers who took care of traveling arrangements for agents during investigations. She couldn’t believe the motel they’d reserved. She’d sucked it up, though, and had been pleasantly surprised once she’d actually gotten into her room.

  The décor, while old-fashioned, also managed to be comfortable. The dark blue curtains, carpet and paint trim were actually very pretty. A huge white bedspread was softer than some of the expensive hotels she’d stayed in before. The room included a dark wood desk, flat-screen television, small kitchenette and a tiny bathroom. She had just enough space to get ready in the mornings.

  She could have stayed in town but she felt better about being closer to Luca while he was undercover. It had taken months for Luca to be accepted into the fold of the terrorist group. They’d been on the ATF radar after two bombings in the city of Lake Worth. She and Luca had been called in by the local agents since they were one of the few shifter teams in the agency. Or at least some of few who were actually ‘out’.

  Not all shifters or species had agreed to become public. Even the felines had a choice to actually reveal their true natures or not. Abilene didn’t have a problem sharing her secret. Since her brother had joined an elite military unit made up solely of shifters, she’d hadn’t had much of a chance to keep it hidden from anyone who knew them.

  She was proud of Dallas so she really didn’t mind having to come clean for him. Their other brother, Beaumont, was reclusive and practically lived off the grid. Beaumont didn’t share much with anyone. He remained hidden, but that didn’t matter, as no one knew they were related. There was no other family. Her aunt had raised them after their parents had died in a car accident when she was ten. Several years ago they’d lost their aunt to cancer. It was hard to remember the sweet woman wasting away in the hospital, but Abilene knew she was now at peace.

  Abilene decided to take a shower while she was waiting on feedback from the information she’d called in. The license plate, which Luca had provided, had come back just to a company, so she’d had to call the boss to see if the techs could get more.

  Abilene had also put in a call to Leslie—one of the techs who owed her a favor—in hopes that she could uncover what secrets Zak Lewis was hiding. Sure, she was a little obsessed at this point but better safe than sorry. This man was who Luca had watching his back when she couldn’t be there.

  It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Abilene thought he was attractive. Hell, he was more than just attractive. Not only were his hazel eyes full of knowledge, there was also power radiating from his impressive six-foot-tall body.

  She’d tried to ignore the broad shoulders that tapered down to a slim waist. The T-shirt he’d been wearing hid his torso but she would just bet that he had a flat, sexy stomach.

  And she wasn’t even going to think about the package he’d been sporting under those tight, well worn jeans.

  Nope, not going to picture what he’d be able to do with those strong, thick fingers.

  After walking into the small bathroom, she peered into the mirror, wondering what Zak thought of her. She hated her thick, curly brown hair. All her life she’d wished for straight, silky locks like other girls. Her mother always told her that most women would pay a lot of money for the waves that cascaded down her back, but Abilene would never understand why. She also hated her plain brown eyes. They weren’t mysterious or alluring like green or blue.

  Keeping in shape the best she could was the only positive that she could give herself. She worked out an hour a day, no matter what. She preferred swimming, but while on assignment there were a lot of times she had to settle for the basic sit-ups, push-ups and crunches to stay in shape. Because she needed to remain ready at any given time, Abilene was very careful with what she ate. She didn’t drink, smoke or stay out late. She was a dedicated agent and work always came first.

  A man like Zak probably spent most of his time doing all the things she’d sworn off. She’d smelled the aroma of cigarettes coming off him and while that usually made her nauseous, even that scent had been sexy on Zak.

  Shaking her head at her foolishness, she stepped away from the mirror to turn on the water for her shower. Steam began to rise in the small space as she started to undress.

  What she needed to do was stop thinking about the tiger shifter. Tiger shifter, wow. She’d never met one of the rarest shifters before. Tigers in the wild were unpredictable and dangerous. That description also seemed to fit Zak as a human. Damn, she had to get her mind off the man—or maybe she just needed a little relief. Then she’d be able to get her head back in the game.

  Stepping under the spray of the shower, she let the water beat down on her chest and stomach. It felt good, better than normal, as her body was already flushed with excitement. She turned and tilted her head back to soak her hair. She picked up a bar of soap and started to wash her body. Her breasts were heavy and full as she palmed and squeezed them. Slipping her hand lower, she trailed the soap in circles until she reached the soft, trimmed hair below.

  She stroked her fingers over her pussy and brushed through her folds, imagining that it was Zak touching her. Closing her eyes and leaning back against the wall, she spread her legs farther apart before pushing her middle finger inside. She dropped the soap, no longer caring about it. Abilene rocked her hips, sending the digit deeper inside while biting back a moan.

  Mmm. It had been a long time since she’d been filled.

  Adding in her pointer finger, she used her thumb to press down on her clit.

  Yes, that’s it. Right there. Quickly, she sped up the rhythm, taking her closer to release. She could practically taste Zak’s lips against hers, nibbling on her bottom lip before taking that fantastic mouth lower.

  She wondered if Zak was a biter.

  Just the image of Zak drawing her flesh between his teeth, in connection with her own fingers, pushed her over and she climaxed.

  Collapsing back against the wall, she fought to catch her breath. Maybe now she could concentrate on the case.

  Chapter Four

  Zak led Logan back to the beer coolers before pulling three bottles out and handing him one. He needed to get away from the bodyguard and get Luca alone.

  Logan accepted the drink but didn’t open it. Sighing, Zak nodded back toward the grills where Luca was busy serving burgers to a small group of guys. “Just follow my lead,” Zak told Logan.

  He made his way back to Luca, still running through his options. If he could just find a quick moment to warn Luca maybe they’d come up with a plan together. The way Logan was stalking each step of his, Zak was almost certain that wouldn’t happen.

  “Hey!” Luca greeted with a wave. “About time.”

  Zak tried to grin at his friend but knew it fell short. “Sorry about that. Had to run up to the main house.”

&nb
sp; Luca’s eyebrows rose but he was smart enough not to question Zak in front of anyone else.

  “This is Logan,” Zak introduced. “He’s gonna be hanging with us a while so we can show him the ropes.”

  “Oh, okay, cool.” Luca recovered from his surprise quickly. He offered his hand. “Luca Perez. Nice to meet you, Logan.”

  “You too,” Logan replied.

  “How about we grab a couple of burgers?” Luca offered. “Sam’s going to take over here for me. I’ll grab some and we can sit and eat.”

  “Sounds good, man,” Zak told him, patting him on the back. If Zak was able to get Luca out safely without blowing his cover, he was going to miss his new friend. In his line of work that could be dangerous. Knowing he’d been correct in his assessment of Luca confirmed that Luca was a good guy.

  Not that his feelings affected whether or not he would save Luca. Even if he had hated the coyote shifter, he wouldn’t have taken his life. He’d dedicated his life to protecting others.

  Logan was watching him as Zak started toward one of the empty picnic tables. He had to remember he was also effectively under a microscope. He chose a table that was empty and sat facing the crowd. Logan slid across from him.

  “You have to forget he’s your friend,” Logan noted quietly.

  “Yeah,” Zak admitted. “We’ve been through a lot and I thought we had the same beliefs—that we’re in this for the long haul. We’d save all the shifters together. I can’t believe he’s a Fed.”

  “This won’t be easy but it has to be done. Just keep in mind that he has to be removed. It’s us or him,” Logan whispered.

  Zak glanced at Logan. The big guy looked close to Zak’s age, and while there was a hard edge to him, Zak was shocked by the compassion he also saw.

  “I’ve had to do this before,” Logan confessed.

  Zak leaned forward while glancing around to make sure no one was listening. If Logan was confessing to the murder of another cop, Zak could use that as leverage.

  “A cop?” Zak pressed.

  “The first group that I joined had a woman I’d become close with,” Logan told him. “I was with her for six months before she gave herself away.”

  “What happened?”

  Logan finally opened his beer before taking a long pull. Zak sat quietly.

  “She disappeared,” he admitted softly.

  The pain that Zak heard in those words gave him hope that maybe Logan wasn’t as hardcore into the cause as he appeared.

  “If Luca is a cop, he’s just doing his job,” Zak tried.

  “His job is to arrest us,” Logan said. “Like I said, it’s him or us. I, for one, have no intention of going to jail.”

  “Hey, guys,” Luca greeted as he strolled toward them. He was balancing three plates, so Zak jumped up to help him.

  He grabbed two of the plates before returning to the table. Passing one over to Logan before pulling his own to him, Zak glanced at the two men. Luca was grinning as he took a seat next to Zak.

  “So, Logan, where do you join us from?” Luca asked.

  “I’ve been in the Las Vegas chapter for about three months. Before that, southern California.”

  Zak made a mental note to look at missing police or Feds in those areas.

  “What brings you to Lake Worth?” Luca questioned.

  “This is where the action is,” Logan replied.

  Luca snorted. “Haven’t seen much action lately. Hopefully that will change soon, though.”

  Logan looked up and met Zak’s gaze. “I think we’ll see more happen around here soon,” Logan commented.

  Zak pushed his plate away, even though he hadn’t taken a bite yet. Like a switch, Logan had turned from being sensitive back to the stone cold killer he’d first met. Luca shifted in his seat, bumping up against Zak gently. Zak had to fight the urge to scream at his friend to run—to get away and bring the entire ATF organization to the farm.

  Instead he dropped his hands into his lap and fisted them.

  “What about you, Luca? Are you originally from Lake Worth?” Logan inquired.

  “I moved here at the beginning of the year. I was supposed to get a job with one of the local construction companies but once they found out I was a shifter, the position was all of a sudden gone. I didn’t have a job any longer,” Luca told Logan.

  Zak had heard this story before but this time he paid closer attention to the details. Knowing that Luca was a federal agent, Zak wanted to see if there was anything in the cover story that could tip someone off.

  “That sucks,” Logan commented.

  “Man, I sold all of my stuff and moved here. Then those assholes decided that I wasn’t even human. I wasn’t good enough to hang Sheetrock just because I could shift. It was bullshit!” Luca exclaimed.

  The same passion that Zak had witnessed before was still there. Damn, Luca was good.

  “What did you do?” Logan asked.

  “Nothing at first. I’d already paid first and last month’s rent in my apartment so I went searching for a job. That’s where I met one of the guys here. After I told him my story, he invited me to a meeting.”

  “So you decided to join us?” Logan pushed.

  “Not at first. I know the company I was supposed to work for was run by a bunch of asssholes but I still wasn’t sure. But the more meetings I went to, the better I realized that we were being treated like second-class citizens. It’s not right,” Luca said.

  “I agree,” Logan told him.

  “Yeah, but I got them,” Luca boasted.

  “Oh yeah?” Logan pressed.

  Zak didn’t know what Logan was playing at. Logan already knew—or at least suspected—that Luca was a cop, so what was with the interrogation? They had to kill him regardless, didn’t they? He frowned at Logan but the bodyguard just shrugged.

  “At first we had a couple of the teenagers that hung around to go to the job sites where the crews were working to vandalize and cost them money.” Luca leaned forward as he spoke. “After about a month of messing with them, we burned down a house they’d just completed.”

  “Wow.” Logan sounded impressed.

  “I heard that the company had to get two loans just to keep the current business they had. It might not be much, but I got my revenge.”

  “Good. They deserved it,” Logan agreed.

  “That’s what I think.”

  Logan and Luca laughed while Zak just sat there with his inner turmoil. Luca bumped his shoulder.

  “What? Heard my story too many times to appreciate it any longer?” Luca teased.

  Smiling, Zak just shrugged. “Sorry, man. I think last night is catching up with me. I’m just tired.”

  “Yeah, what about what Seth said? Are we going with him to take care of the waitress?” Luca asked.

  Fuck. With everything happening, he’d forgotten about the threat to the human woman.

  “What waitress?” Logan asked.

  As Luca explained what had happened the night before and how Seth had tried to get him and Zak to go back with him, Logan started shaking his head.

  “We don’t need that kind of heat right now,” Logan replied. “I’ll make sure they lay off.”

  When Logan stood, Zak grew excited thinking he’d have a minute with Luca. His spirits dropped after Logan waved over another stranger. Logan whispered in the guy’s ear but never left the table.

  Leaning close to Luca, Zak did manage to slide his leg over to brush against Luca’s. Luca glanced over at him. Shifting in his seat, he pulled up the back of his shirt slightly. Luca’s eyes widened.

  Zak nodded at him just as Logan retook his seat.

  Straightening, Zak picked up his beer and drained it.

  “I heard there’s one of the empty fields you guys use for training,” Logan sated. “Why don’t you show it to me?”

  Getting Luca away from the others where they won’t hear the gun over the sounds of the barbeque. This is it.

  Zak stood, bumping into Luca
again. Either he or Luca needed to figure out what to do quickly. The short walk to the field wasn’t going to take long.

  * * * *

  Luca kept looking back and forth between Zak and Logan. He hoped Luca figured out something wasn’t right. Zak was relieved to see Luca moving so carefully and eyeing Logan.

  The only option Zak could come up with was getting Logan away from the others and taking him down instead of Luca. Zak wouldn’t kill him but he was sure as hell going to make sure that Logan didn’t hurt Luca.

  He might be able to keep his cover if he went along with the mission but that wasn’t as important as Luca’s life.

  “So what are we really doing out here?” Luca directed his question to Logan.

  “Need to have a private conversation,” Logan replied.

  “Private?” Luca asked before humming.

  They were far enough away that Zak couldn’t hear the others around the barbeque and knew no one could see them either.

  Zak was a little surprised that Luca was as calm as he was acting. Scenting the air, he could smell only a slight hint of fear. Logan’s increasing unease was stronger, making Zak even more nervous.

  “This is far enough,” Logan barked suddenly.

  Luca turned to face the two of them while Zak braced himself for the confirmation.

  “What now?” Luca asked, looking at Zak this time.

  “Now we make sure you don’t make your next check-in, Agent Perez,” Logan taunted.

  Luca closed his eyes for an instant. When he lifted his lids and peered at Zak, his gaze was peaceful. He nodded. “How did you find out?”

  “Let’s just say you’re not the only one who can get people into places they need to be. As soon as your partner showed up and started working with the sheriff’s office, we knew we had a rat,” Logan told him.

  “So you’re just going to shoot me?” Luca asked.

  Zak noted the way his legs were braced while he kept his arms loose at his sides.

  “Actually I’m not,” Logan said, glancing in Zak’s direction.

  Luca followed Logan’s eyes to Zak.