by Dannika Dark
“So is Denver, but why do you keep comparing Wheeler to Ben?”
“Because…”
My point seeped in. Ben and Wheeler were twins, but they weren’t the same man. Yet everyone kept holding Wheeler to Ben’s standards.
I tapped her nose and walked by. “Some men have clean skin and are dirty on the inside. Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Her voice called out from a distance. “You don’t even read!”
I almost ran into Ben as he was hurrying up the stairs.
“Watch it,” he growled, brushing past me and stalking down the hall.
I spun on my heel, having noticed the fresh bruises and cuts on his face. I marched after him.
“Naya, where are you going?” Lexi asked.
I reached a door next to Lynn’s room and knocked. I jiggled the handle and walked right in.
“Who the hell invited you?” he snarled.
Not Ben’s usual charming self, and maybe that’s what sent alarm up my spine. “Where’s Wheeler?”
“How the hell should I know?” He peeled off his shirt and began to loosen his shorts. “You want to watch? Is that what you’re into?” Ben approached me and grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me close.
“Let go of me,” I snapped. I backed up a step and shoved his arm away.
“Naya, what’s gotten into you?” Lexi asked from the doorway. “Ben? Who the hell did that to your face?”
He lightly pushed me toward the door. “Get out so I can shift. Both of you.”
The door slammed and Lexi huffed. “Asshole.”
“Wheeler left to get Ben. They were supposed to come home together.”
“He’s probably downstairs.”
After we searched the lower level of the house, I overheard Lexi in the back office with Austin.
“Where the hell is he?” Austin said in a raised voice. “Goddammit.”
“I don’t know!”
“Did you ask Ben?”
Austin suddenly burst into sight and cut through the living room. “Ben, get your ass down here!” he shouted.
We heard a wolf barking upstairs.
“I’ll get him,” Lexi said reluctantly.
A minute later, Lexi came downstairs, gripping a brown wolf by the scruff of his neck. The wolf wagged his tail and dropped to the floor in front of Austin, showing him his belly.
“Please don’t make him shift,” Lexi urged. “I don’t want to see all that.” She waved her hand in disgust at the wolf’s belly.
Austin leaned forward and let his alpha power saturate his voice. “Shift.”
Like liquid magic, the wolf transformed into human flesh. Ben was on his back naked, and Lexi whirled around and gaped at me. “No matter how many times that happens, I’m sorry, I can’t get used to it. Nudity is no big deal, they say. Well, maybe I just have a tiny problem when I have to see a man’s penis other than my mate’s in my living room!”
I chuckled and patted her shoulder. “Don’t feel bad. I think it’s mostly a wolf thing. Packs grow up in tight quarters, so they get used to all the shifting. I’m indifferent either way.”
“You work in a strip club; of course you don’t care about nudity.”
“Ladies…” Austin gave us a cold stare.
Ben got off the floor and folded his arms. “Can’t a wolf rest in peace?”
“Where’s Wheeler? And don’t dick around with me. He told me you called and he went to bring you home.” Austin stepped forward and looked at him steadily. “Careful what you conceal from me, Ben. I’m your Packmaster.”
Ben had paler skin coloring than Wheeler—almost pasty from staying indoors. Wheeler, on the other hand, had an attractive tan from spending time outside. So I couldn’t help but notice when the skin on Ben’s neck and chest turned blotchy red.
After a moment, Ben lowered his eyes. “Delgado.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. I was playing a game and the next thing I know, a scuffle broke out. When Wheeler showed up, Delgado came out of nowhere and they took him.”
Austin’s brow twitched. “Why him and not you?”
Ben shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“Go upstairs and shift. I don’t have time for this bullshit.”
After Ben eagerly left, Lexi sat on the back of the sofa. “I don’t get it. Why would they take Wheeler?”
Austin looked as if he were reading text on the floor. “If you were running a cage fight, which of those two would you think was the toughest dog? He probably sent Ben back to make sure we got the message. Goddammit!” he shouted, his complexion turning ruddy.
Tiny goose pimples rose up on my arms.
Denver shuffled downstairs. “What the train wreck is going on down here?”
Lexi spoke without taking her eyes off Austin. “Delgado has Wheeler.”
Denver rubbed the small scar on his forehead and closed the distance between us. “So what are we going to do about it?”
Austin looked like he was trying to hold in an explosive reaction. “We’re not going to sit around and wait.”
“What about…” I gave him a look regarding Prince.
He turned his eyes toward mine. “The game just changed. We need to find every building, house, and park bench Delgado’s name is attached to. Delgado just fucked with the wrong pack.”
“But Reno’s out of town, and he’s the only one with connections to do that kind of work,” Lexi said. “I can call him, but he didn’t take his laptop.”
“Give him a call,” Austin said. “Tell him put lead on the gas. No one takes one of my packmates.”
Something flashed in my mind and I quickly raced out of the room, running full speed down the hall and toward the heat house. I grabbed my purse off the sink and dumped it upside down.
A small leather book flipped onto the floor, settling against my right foot.
“What are you doing?” Austin asked from the doorway, out of breath.
I bent down and held the book between my fingers. “Delgado’s personal address book.”
Chapter 20
Early that evening, Reno made it home from dropping Skye off in Colorado. Austin summoned the pack to the house. After Wheeler’s capture, he didn’t want to take any chances. He called Prince, who offered support in the form of an alibi if needed, but he couldn’t offer us any men from his pack since the conflict had turned personal. William gave his former Packmaster a call and asked Lorenzo for his support. While he and Austin had never been allies, they shared common ground as Ivy had once been a part of the Weston pack, and Lexi was Lorenzo’s cousin.
There weren’t enough chairs to seat everyone in the dining room, especially with Lorenzo present for the meeting, but Austin had chosen the quaint room to strategize. Izzy’s responsibility was to keep the children together, and Lynn had volunteered to secure all the windows and doors—doing regular checks. Denver went outside and moved the vehicles, turning them all toward the main road and spacing them apart so we could get out fast if needed. Jericho had shifted so his wolf could guard the property and alert the pack of any intruders.
William stood behind my chair and gripped the back.
“I can offer six of my men,” Lorenzo said. “Keep them along the road and property lines. I’ll assign one to sit by the main road and take note of expensive cars passing through.”
“That’ll work,” Austin said in a low voice. “I appreciate your generosity.”
A strand of long hair swept in front of Lorenzo’s eye when he sat back in his chair. “A human—or any Breed—using Shifters for cage fighting must be brought down. What is to stop him from taking one of our women? One of our children?” he growled.
“I don’t think he has time to raise a child for sport,” Reno said.
Lorenzo leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. “Who said it would be for sport? You mentioned the young man had been locked away to satisfy Delgado’s perverse needs. Consider that.”
A few of the men stirred in
their chairs.
Austin tapped his finger on the small leather book. “Naya confiscated this from his office. It’s a book with names, numbers, and some notes. Reno looked through it, and we have a few possible leads we’re going to check out.” He let his gaze slide around the room. “That means splitting up. We have to hit him hard and hit him fast before he has time to move.”
Reno suppressed a burp and pushed away his bottle of imported beer. “Skye’s phone and business cards were a dead end,” he said to me. “Anytime he moved her, she was blindfolded. A few contacts in his book own a lot of land. Not unusual for Breed, but I’m focusing on anyone with property isolated enough to stash some prisoners, although I’m not excluding large homes in the city. We’re not going to find the cage fighters there, but maybe he has a few more pets we can rescue. Chances are Delgado is using someone else to store his goods. Probably profit sharing. That way, if anything goes down, his hands are clean.”
Austin interrupted. “Delgado knows he’s protected in our world, but no human I’ve known about has ever been this brazen and broken so many Breed laws. He’s covering his tracks. There are always exceptions to the rules, so I doubt he wants to put that much faith in our laws protecting him.”
Lexi spun a deck of cards in a circle. “So who’s going? All the men, right?”
He cut her a hard glare. “As it happens, no.”
She sat to attention. Shifters weren’t especially sexist. The men protected women and children because they cherished them, but a skilled Shifter was treated as an equal hunter, regardless of gender.
“You and I are heading south to a secluded location. Reno and Denver will check out the second location. The rest of the men stay home until I give further notice, but will have the vehicles on standby.”
“We’re too far out to move fast,” Jericho said. “Maybe one of us should head to a centralized area so we can get there quicker.”
Reno rubbed his smooth jaw. “Not a bad idea.”
“Good. Then it’s you,” Austin said. “Izzy’s pregnant, so she’s out.”
“Hell’s bells,” Izzy said. “Every time something happens, I’m knocked up. Way to go, Jericho.”
He gave her a salacious wink and grinned.
“And me?” I asked, lacing my fingers together.
Austin scraped his teeth across his lower lip, causing the small cleft in his chin to stand out.
“Send her with one of my men,” Lorenzo suggested. “But keep in mind that if your panther does anything to him, I expect compensation.”
I shifted in my chair. “I’m not a savage.”
“No, but rumors circulate fast, and your lack of control at the club has refueled a lot of concerns about panthers.”
“If a wolf went with your man, he could be every bit as dangerous since they’re not in the same pack.”
“Yes, but the fight would be fair.”
I cocked my head and laughed. “So this is all about a fair fight?”
“Let’s calm down,” Austin said. “Naya will go with one of your men. And no, Church, if something happens, I will not compensate you for the loss. Shit happens, and we all know the risk when pairing two Shifters from different packs. He could just as easily shoot her in the head.”
Lexi slapped him on the shoulder. “Austin Cole!”
One of the men chuckled.
“We’ll keep in communication,” he continued. “Whoever finds the target will pass the word immediately. Hang back until we’re all there so we can plan our attack. We’ll probably need more backup depending on how many guards he’s got. Anything else we should consider, Reno?”
He shook his head, and his hand slid onto April’s lap, gripping her thigh. “I’ve busted a few rings this big with a buddy of mine. Expect four to ten guards spread out in the main house, the compound where he keeps the Shifters, and somewhere on the property lines. If they get wind of us, they’ll probably call Delgado for backup, assuming he has more guards at his disposal. But that’ll take time, so let’s just focus on the assholes on the property.”
“What Breed are they?” Lorenzo asked.
Reno shrugged. “Usually Shifters. I don’t know about Delgado; he seems to have a lot of friends, and that could be problematic.”
Austin flattened his hands on the table. “Let’s assume they’re a mix and prepare for that.”
Reno’s voice quieted. “I have a stunner.”
“Where the fuck did you get that?” Austin said in disbelief.
Stunners were a metal forged with a special magic that could paralyze a Mage if left in his flesh. A Shifter fighting against a Mage was tricky since they could flash and move at high rates of speed and blast us with energy from their hands. Stunners mostly stayed in their possession since their energy didn’t work on one other, so their fights were hand-to-hand combat.
Reno smirked. “I’ve been around the block, boys. Those babies aren’t easy to acquire, but I took out a Mage a few decades ago and…well, finders keepers.”
Austin nodded. “I think we can prepare a few stakes in case there are Vampires.”
Lorenzo’s eyebrow arched. “Only certain types of wood will paralyze them.”
“I know,” Austin replied. “I tangled with a few of them in my last job. The problem is they’re too damn strong, so it’s almost impossible to get close enough to stake ’em. I learned the hard way that to take down a Vampire without getting your arms crushed, you need to buddy up with them so they’re not expecting it.”
“Friends close, enemies closer,” Reno agreed. “Seeing as we don’t have time to make friends, better to be armed than not.”
It wasn’t long ago that I’d been lying on my sofa, petting Misha and listening to a little salsa music on a lazy afternoon. Now here I was, sitting with wolves and planning an illegal raid.
Had Delgado taken Ben or anyone else in Austin’s pack, would I have volunteered as quickly to help? Of all people, why Wheeler? Hadn’t he already suffered enough? I couldn’t imagine how dejected and enraged he must feel to be right back where he started.
He’d never forgive me. Those intimate moments we shared behind closed doors, the secrets, the physical affection, and the tender words would become nothing but scattered memories of something that was doomed to fail. My heart sank, fearing he might give up this time. What did he have worth fighting for? A pack who was ready to cut him loose? A twin who didn’t reciprocate the love and loyalty he did? A good lay from a stripper who was the cause of his predicament?
“Are you okay?” Lexi asked privately while some of the men continued talking.
“No, honey. I’m not okay. I’m far from okay.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
I turned to look her in the eye. “Yes, Lexi, I do. I’m not sure how to explain this without it sounding silly, but I love Wheeler. I adore this man so much that I can’t even catch my breath while thinking about him.”
Her eyes turned saucer-wide. “What? No… no,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not in the mood for Naya humor.”
I leaned in. “Do I look like I’m teasing? Maybe you had your entire life to figure it out with Austin, but I don’t need an hourglass to figure out my emotions. I’m the last woman on earth to choose love over money. I’ve always admired the passion in your family, but I’ve never felt emotions that deep. Not the kind of passion you feel when someone bares his soul to you, or the kind when a man looks into your eyes because he wants to hear your thoughts. Not until Wheeler. Our connection was like a flame bursting into existence. I regret that I didn’t tell him what a remarkable man he is, and I regret that I may never have the chance to tell him how much I love him—for whatever that’s worth. I’m not a fool; I know your pack would never invite a panther to live under the same roof. Aside from that, Wheeler has every right to blame me for all this.”
“Why? It’s not your fault!”
You would never think a slip of a girl like her would have such a big mouth and fire in he
r attitude, but she did. That’s what made her an alpha female.
It’s also what made every man at the table look our way and halt their conversations.
“Naya, I have no idea what’s going on between you two, so maybe my opinion doesn’t matter, but this isn’t your fault. We’re involved because friends help each other out. I’ve known you for years, and you’ve always looked out for me. Not once have you ever asked for a damn thing! You’ve lavished Maizy with affection, time, and gifts. You’ve given me advice on business and love, not to mention talking me into buying a few sexy outfits that aren’t my thing, but Austin seems to enjoy them.”
Denver chuckled and elbowed Austin in the ribs.
“That doesn’t make this okay,” I said. “I can’t help it. I feel responsible in a way that’s painful.” I placed my hand over my chest, fighting back the tears. Oh, please don’t let me lose control in front of everyone. My lip quivered. “If anything happens to him, I’ll never forgive myself.”
Lexi rose from her chair and leaned down to hug me. She smoothed her hands over my back and said softly in my ear, “We’ll find him. Who am I to sit here and judge how you feel? I’m so sorry, Naya. Thanks for everything you’ve done for us. Not just now, but through the years.”
She backed away and I glanced across the table. Denver faked a grimace and wrapped his arms around Austin. “Hold me.”
Austin shoved him off and Denver chortled.
“I’ve changed my mind about the pairing,” Reno grumbled, shooting Denver a frosty glare.
Denver nodded his head at him. “Shut it. We’re Bonnie and Clyde, so deal with it.”
“Have you even seen how that movie ends? That’s the shit I’m talking about, Austin.”
Lexi guided me away. “They mess around with each other all the time, but it’s just play. Everyone knows Denver’s wolf is vicious, so despite his laid-back attitude, he’ll fight when it counts.”
“Interesting family. Now that I’ve seen them in their natural habitat, I understand all your complaints a little better.” I wrapped my right arm around her playfully and squeezed.
“I never thought I could live in such a big house with so many people, but I have to admit I love it. We push each other’s buttons all the time, but we never cross a line that can’t be uncrossed. We might look a little insane to an outsider, but these men have nothing but love for their packmates.”