Emerald Eyes

by Julia Talbot

  He rolled his eyes at himself. God, he was a giant dipshit. Get to work.

  The way in proved to be a vent shaft next to a huge, noisy turban fan. Perfect. So vulnerable and unguarded.

  And slipping down into tiny holes he didn’t belong in was sort of his superpower.

  Yves actually grinned, feeling like the Grinch sliding through a fireplace, about to steal Who Christmas.

  If he was lucky, he’d be able to tie one on after with Reuben and call the pup Max.

  ***

  Reuben knew the moment Yves left the building.

  After a short debate, he stayed in wolf form so he could follow his nose in case he lost the visual. He made a note of what bus station Yves hid his bags in as well, wishing he’d called Deke and filled him in.

  Silly pussycat, thinking he was going to sleep through all that. Seriously? Reuben might have to bite him.

  Mmm. Biting.

  His heart almost stopped when they reached Yves’ destination and the fool man began leaping from ledge to ledge. He only relaxed when Yves made it to the roof.

  Crazy little bouncy motherfucker.

  And there were two of them. He couldn’t imagine someone’s mom dealing with that. Then again, maybe cat moms weren’t as involved as wolf ones...

  He wished he could see what Yves was doing up there, but it was impossible, so he waited, wishing there was a place to hide a cell phone in a wolf body. A pocket near the butt like a kangaroo, but with less goo.

  Snorting, he found a safe spot and flopped down, head on his paws.

  The scent of pack hit him, then Deke landed beside him with a huff. Seriously? He rolled his head to one side, glaring at his boss. He could do his job, damn it. He didn’t need a nanny wolf.

  Deke waggled his eyebrows and gave him a shit-eating, wolfy grin, not the least bit chastised. He’d have to ask later. For now they would just watch for trouble and wait for Yves to come back out.

  Yves was going to come back out.

  Reuben refused to lose a primary on his watch. If nothing else, Deke would chew his ass, which sucked. And hey, if he was too fond of that crazy kitty already, so be it.

  It wasn’t like the boss could bitch.

  Any of the bosses, but Jonny especially. The thought made him chuff, his tongue lolling.

  Deke leaned over, gnawed on his ear.

  Reuben nipped at Deke’s muzzle. No playing. Work.

  Deke laughed at him, then turned to guard again. Jerk. Such a puppy sometimes. How could a wolf be so happy when he was mated with a vampire?

  Hell, how could a wolf be so fascinated with green eyes and a slinky black body? Kitty. Lord. He watched the windows, wondering how much time had passed. That sucked sometimes, as time moved differently in his wolf body.

  It wasn’t long though before Deke started wriggling, moving from side to side.

  Yeah. This was supposed to be an in and out, right? Thievery. So where was his cat?

  He stood, shaking his fur. It was turning dark. Already. Time to sniff around, see what was what.

  They needed to figure out what was up with Yves.

  ***

  Damn it.

  Yves’ head rocked back on his neck, his head cracking against the brick wall for the fortieth time.

  Silvia’s men were stupid as fuck, but Yves would give them points for stamina. Also, if he figured out who the fuck set up the security system, he wanted to pick their brains. Possibly with his claws.

  The roof had seemed so vulnerable. Ha. He’d made it maybe five steps into the building before he’d been flanked, unable to turn back or go forward.

  Now Silvia -- who was this surprisingly vampiric-looking suave little fucker -- kept screaming about the stones. Asshole.

  “I know you have them, Luc! I know you hid them from me.” Silvia waved his arms, pacing back and forth. His saving grace; the man thought Yves was his brother.

  He simply stared. He was vastly better at silent than his twin. Stillness was not Luc’s skill.

  “Hit him again,” Silvia snarled.

  Goodie.

  He felt his cheekbone crack this time, and damn, that stung. Blood trickled down his lower lip to his jaw, then trailed down his neck. In his head, Yves followed the path, straining to be Zen.

  Honestly, death wasn’t a good option for him and, if they’d just take say, possibly a fifteen-minute break he could be out of this cuffs.

  “I want those emeralds. I have the fucking ritual. Where are they?”

  See, this was why he let people talk without replying. They gave away all their information.

  Maybe if he asked for a time out they’d listen.

  Someone smacked him again, maybe just for shits and giggles since Silvia didn’t order it. Ohh. Ordering. He’d take a large anchovy and extra cheese with white sauce, please.

  Also, a beer. Or that interesting concoction he’d shared with a pair of shaman -- shamans? -- during a trip along the Amazon. Yoko something? A nut with lots of caffeine.

  “Wake him up, boys. I need him paying attention.”

  Icy cold water splashed against him and he snarled. He hated that shit. He didn’t mind a hot tub, or even a nice skinny dip, but water torture? So Cold War.

  “Where are the emeralds, you stupid shit?”

  “Emeralds?” Yves widened his eyes as far as he could. “I’m not a geologist. Aren’t they... is Zales a country?”

  Silvia came forward now and hit him, getting those manicured hands dirty. “Are you the same asshole? You sure don’t act like him.”

  He grunted, the whole beating thing getting old fast. Still, if Silvia was beginning to doubt he was Luc, that boded ill for his brother. He just had to...

  To what?

  Get beaten to death?

  This was not a plan. Plan. Right. A plan. He needed them to leave him alone. So...

  He lifted his head, staring Silvia right in the eye. “The only asshole here is you, you gaping, diseased fuck opening.”

  This time when Silvia’s fist flew toward his face, Yves leaned into the punch so he could slump gracefully into unconsciousness.

  ***

  Reuben rose, the ground getting cold now that full dark was on them. Something was wrong, and he couldn’t wait for Yves to come out. Now, how he was gonna get in there as a wolf, even with Deke’s help, he had no idea.

  A long, dark Caddy pulled up, and Deke barked, jumping up on the side of the driver door.

  “Seriously? I just had her washed. Get in here, both of you, and put some clothes on.” Kasey’s clipped British voice held that note of fond annoyance he and Deke so often heard.

  Not that Reuben was going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

  Deke had shifted to human by the time Reuben hopped in the car, and damn, that heavy, hard body was ripped. He took a moment to admire, which made Kasey tsk at him.

  “Not for you, hmm? I can’t blame you for admiring, though. Get dressed. Your primary is in trouble.”

  “Did you bring us weapons?”

  Kasey turned to stare at him over the backseat, those unnatural blue eyes gleaming in the gloom. “Don’t be any more stupid than you must be.”

  “Right. Sorry.” He tugged on clothes, loving that Kasey had the whole size thing down. There was precious little worse than having to insert yourself in a shit situation with boots two sizes too small.

  “Guns, ammo, communication devices. Nice, baby.” Deke slid into clothes. “Have you got any intel on the building?”

  “I hacked into Yves’ computer and got us blueprints. He’s not a stupid kitty; I’ll give him that.”

  “My brainy vamp.” Deke snapped a clip into a Glock handgun. “Point me and shoot me, then.”

  “Just don’t shoot the primary, huh? We have to have a chat, the two of us.” A long, bitey, probably naked chat.

  “Mmm. I think we need to have a long meeting with him,” Kasey said. “He’s a naughty boy.”

  “You keep that naughty stuff off my kit. I’
ll deal with that.” He couldn’t stop the growl. Damn it.

  “Possessive bastard.” Deke punched his arm. “Gear up. We need to get in there.”

  “10-4.” He was all over that. It didn’t take them five minutes to get to a side door, Kasey overriding the security.

  The vamp was damned handy to have around.

  They didn’t bother to hide their presence. Hell, if there were guards on Yves, they hoped to draw them out and dispose of them.

  The lights and the scent of blood drew him to the stairs, up a floor where the sound of electricity crackling made his hackles rise.

  Reuben put on a burst of speed, Deke right on his heels. They’d waited too damned long.

  No one was on guard. No, these boys were playing torture the pretty kitty. Said pretty kitty hung there in chains, limp as a wet dishrag, and red rage filled Reuben’s field of vision.

  A man in a blood-spattered dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, was pacing, ranting about emeralds and spells and power. Yves didn’t respond, at least not until the guy stepped up to hit Reuben’s jaguar and then one hand slipped free; Yves grabbed the bastard’s balls and squeezed hard enough that a squeal filled the room.

  Good man.

  He and Deke rushed the guards, and they all wore Yves’ blood, so he refused to do anything gently.

  Yves refused to let go of the guy he had in hand, dangling by one arm as the dude bent.

  Kasey took out one guard with a single throat punch, that freakish vampire strength amazing. Deke struggled to take two guys out and Reuben shot his target, wanting to get to Yves.

  A huge noise shook the building, the scream deafening. Everyone stopped a second, everyone but Yves. Yves threw his head back and screamed right back.

  The guy in Yves’ grip shouted and started to fight to get away, but Yves never let up on the bastard.

  A huge black cat burst into the room, screaming again. Yves called to it and it leapt, landing on the dude in the shirt and just... Jesus. Hamburger meat.

  Yves struggled to get free of the cuff, pulling hard.

  “Stop. Yves, I got you. Just hold still.” Reuben bolted to Yves’ side. “Shh.”

  Yves’ eyes were huge, wild. Absolutely crazed in their glowing greenness. Or something poetic.

  He managed to pry the cuff open without a key because Yves had done some damage to it.

  Yves fell to the ground and shifted, joining Luc in the bloodbath after shoving Reuben out of the way.

  Goodie.

  “I thought Jonny was locking him down?” Deke said.

  Kasey held up his hands. “That’s what he said, anyway. We need to get the hell out of here and soon. That security system probably doesn’t go to the cops, but it hooks in somewhere.”

  “Yeah, and I don’t want to explain this to the cops.” Deke looked around frowned. “Where the fuck are the kitties?”

  “They were--” Not eating the guy who had bled out. “Who was this guy?”

  “Silvia.” Deke’s nose wrinkled in distaste. “He blew up Luc.”

  “Shit.” Reuben blinked over. “Deke. That’s the guy who has whatever the fuck Yves is looking for.”

  “Well, that’s where the kits will be. Trying to steal shit. Kasey, where’s the vault? You looked at the blueprints.”

  Kasey was already streaking out the door, his long coattails flying.

  He shared a glance with Deke, then they were running, trying to keep up. Not much on talking, that Kasey. That was his and Deke’s problem, maybe. They were wolves. They communicated.

  Thankfully, Deke seemed to be able to track Kasey by scent. Took them maybe four minutes to skid into an opened vault room, Yves tearing through files, Luc nosing through boxes.

  “Come on, boys. The cops are coming.” Reuben went to Yves, shook his ruff. “Seriously.”

  Yves bared kitty teeth at him, those green eyes glowing.

  “His information is all collected on a couple of terabyte drives,” Kasey said. “I have them. Can we go now, please?”

  Luc yowled, coming up with these weird-assed pieces of parchment that matched the ones Reuben had seen, all carefully sealed in pouches.

  “Yves. Look. They’re here. Let’s go.” Reuben grabbed them, waved them in front of Yves’ nose.

  Those eyes fastened on the papers and Yves bit Luc on the shoulder, pushing him toward the door. Score.

  Rock on. Movement. Steady downward, outside fucking movement. They needed to get to Kasey’s vehicle and get the hell out of Dodge. That was one thing he and Deke were good at. Herding prey.

  They kept the cats moving and, by the time they got downstairs, Kasey was waiting in the car, the engine idling.

  “Back to the safe house?” Reuben asked.

  Kasey glanced at him in the rearview. “No.”

  “No? I need to stop at the bus station, then. Pick up our things.”

  “Already taken care of.” Kasey looked satisfied as all fuck.

  “So fucking efficient.”

  Deke snorted. “You have no idea.”

  Reuben glanced at the two big cats, curled up together and sleeping like babies. Probably good that they didn’t have to stop.

  “You can’t tell them apart,” Kasey said.

  “I can,” Deke spoke with him, their voices echoing.

  Kasey snorted. “You both have an advantage.”

  He sniffed. “Are you suggesting we cheat?”

  “No, I’m saying I would rather have heightened hearing and sight than have to smell every little thing like you two do.”

  Deke rolled his eyes. “He’s just jealous.”

  “I bet he likes it when you sniff him.” Relief had made him a little giddy. He hoped Yves healed like a werewolf did when in animal form.

  Reuben dared to reach out and Luc growled low, but Reuben didn’t back down. Yves was his.

  He stared at Luc until those whiskers twitched and Luc laid his head on Yves’ back. Then Reuben stroked those fuzzy ears.

  Yves pushed carefully into his touch, panting with his pain.

  “Shh.” He could feel it now, through his hand, how much Yves ached. He could hear Yves screaming like he knew this man never would when he’d been tortured. “Easy. I have you.”

  Those green eyes stared at him, looked deep into him. Yves saw him.

  “That’s right. I have you.”

  Yves’ moan echoed inside him. Poor baby. Easing into the pile with Luc and Yves, he shared his warmth, his care. His strength.

  Deke looked back at him. “Huh.”

  He didn’t ask. He would later, but for now he would rest.

  Reuben had a feeling that one way or the other, the shit was about to hit the fan.

  Chapter Four

  Jonny waited in his private rooms at the Bloodrose, the club he owned, and the safest place in the city for his Luc’s all too curious kitty brother.

  He had a room prepared after Kasey texted to tell him Yves was injured. Jared was an extremely efficient club manager, after all.

  Then he texted Kasey back informing him he expected to see Kasey, Deke, and Luc in his rooms as soon as Yves and his bodyguard were settled.

  Someone -- someones -- were going to get a rather intense talking to.

  He tapped his fingers on the table next to his favorite leather chair, his fangs dropping with his impatience. Jonny hated to be kept waiting.

  “Hey, Boss.” Deke came in, disheveled and bruised. “Yves and Reuben are licking their wounds.”

  “And our erstwhile lovers?” The beating Deke had taken did not soften his mood.

  “Kasey seemed good. Mr. Kitty ate someone.”

  “Did he, now? What I mean is, where are they?” He spaced each word, his accent deepening until he sounded as if he’d never left home.

  “Heading here. Should be...”

  Luc and Kasey walked in.

  “...right here.”

  “Ah. So good of you both to join us.” He looked at his panther, still in his cat fo
rm. “Human, if you please, Luc.”

  Luc blinked at him and he glared, pinning his cat with a look.

  “Now, Luc.”

  Luc yawned, whiskers pushing out to the sides, sharp teeth showing. Then a slow change happened, Luc lengthening and losing his fur.

  Kasey glared at Deke. “What the hell were you thinking?”

  “Hey, I was just backup.”

  “What was he thinking?” Jonny caught Kasey’s icy blue gaze with his. “Seriously? Have you all lost your minds? He should never have been allowed to leave the safe house.”

  “That’s on Reuben. You can bite him later.”

  Jonny was going to put Deke over his knee.

  Luc snorted. “Like that puppy could handle Yves. I took care of it, didn’t I?”

  “Yes.” Jonny focused on his lover, standing to stalk that fine form across the room. “You did. Without even letting me know.”

  Luc tried for innocent. Perhaps he would let Kasey take care of Deke’s ass and remind his mate that he was the big boss.

  Jonny glanced at Kasey. “I think we owe them a bit of discipline.”

  Kasey gave him a wicked grin, one that had Luc backing up and Deke growling. Oh, they did like to protest, both of them.

  Moving as one, he and Kasey rushed their lovers, vampire speed one of the rare advantages they had over the shifters. Luc evaded him, slipping away, his impaired sight not slowing him down one bit.

  He rumbled, vision going crimson with worry and hunger and he snagged his lover, dragging them together. Jonny snapped at Luc’s neck, his fangs aching with the need to sink in, to let Luc feel everything he felt.

  Luc’s yowl filled the air, sharp and edged with adrenaline.

  They slammed against one another, and he scraped his teeth over the vein at the base of Luc’s neck, promising more with the touch. The smack of flesh on flesh told him Kasey had done more than promise Deke a touch. Luc’s nostrils flared, and that lean body bucked hard against him.

  “Yes.” Jonny licked his lips, rubbing all along Luc’s body. “You scared me, sweet. You know I hate that.”

  “I had some business to deal with.” Luc’s empty eyes glittered, the look fully inhuman.