Rules of Engagement

by Lynn Hagen

  Lenny just hoped they could soon put all this insanity behind them and start building their lives together without all the drama.

  “For the record,” Lenny said, “I feel like total crap that Wylliam’s nana doesn’t have a ride now. I want to find out who she is so I can take her to that appointment.”

  Chavez rolled his eyes as he sighed. “Babe, you’ve got a really big heart, but what’re you gonna tell her? That her grandson was paid to execute all of us but accidently shot and killed himself? You have to learn when to walk away.”

  His mate was right, even if Lenny didn’t like it.

  Chapter Six

  When Chavez opened his eyes the following morning and Lenny wasn’t in the room, panic tried to set in. He shot from the floor and raced down the stairs, curious when he smelled bacon and eggs.

  “Lazybones,” Reno said when Chavez entered the kitchen. “Thought you would sleep the day away.”

  “It’s seven in the morning,” Chavez groused. “Where’s Lenny?”

  Chavez had always been an early riser, but since he wasn’t working for Mr. Winter at the moment, and as fucked up as this situation was, this was also like a mini vacation for him. And when was the last time he had one of those? Years.

  Reno nodded toward the back of the house. “Outside. Korby is keeping an eye on him.”

  Chavez was starving, but he wanted to know why his mate was out there. He crossed through the den and slid the glass door aside. The fresh morning air smelled even better than breakfast. Chavez sucked in a lungful as he looked around for Lenny.

  His brows furrowed when he saw his mate. “What the fuck?”

  Korby’s soft chuckle almost made Chavez jump. He hadn’t seen the wolf shifter to his right. “The beast wandered into the yard, and your mate hasn’t stopped playing with him.”

  Chavez crossed the yard and stopped a foot from Lenny. The large mutt growled at him. Lenny’s head snapped up, and he stared wide-eyed at Chavez.

  “He just came into the yard,” Lenny said. “I’ve checked him for some kind of dog tag, but he doesn’t have one.”

  The fucking dog looked bigger than Lenny. It appeared to be a mixture between a Rottweiler and something else. Its tail was long and fluffy, but it had the pronounced face of a Rottweiler and the shiny black coat. Its ears were pinned back, as though ready to defend Lenny.

  Chavez gave a louder, deeper growl, showing his canines.

  “You better not be trying to frighten him.” Lenny got to his feet, indignation in his eyes. “He’s just scared.”

  Chavez jerked a hand at the dog. “That big fucker is scared? He looks like he can eat you in one bite. No, no way. He’s not sticking around. We’re taking him to the vet to see if he’s got a tracking chip. If he doesn’t, we’ll find out what to do with him, but he’s not staying here.”

  “Thor is lost and scared. You need to be nice.”

  “Thor?” Chavez nearly choked on the word. “You’ve already fucking named him?”

  Lenny narrowed his eyes. “Well, what did you want me to call him?”

  “A cab.” Chavez wanted to walk away so he could compose himself, but no damn way was he leaving his mate with that beast. If “Thor” hadn’t had the Rottweiler features, Chavez would’ve sworn he was a mix between a Cane Corso and an English Mastiff. The fucker was the size of a pony.

  Lenny threw his hands up. “You’re being impossible!”

  Impossible would’ve been taking that beast down if Chavez had to. Even though his wolf was much larger than his counterpart in the wild, the dog was still humungous. Thor had to be infused with a little Hulk.

  “Impossible?” Chavez grunted as he ran a hand over his jaw. “You don’t even know his temperament. Sure, he’s sitting all pretty now, but he looks like he eats people for breakfast.”

  Thor’s tongue hung from the side of his mouth as he used one of his back paws to scratch at his ear. He licked his own nose while looking at Lenny.

  The fucker was probably trying to decide how yummy Lenny would taste.

  “It’s not safe out here. We need to get inside.” Chavez pointed toward the back door. Lenny started away, and Thor followed him.

  “No ho-ho-ho. He’s not going inside. Thor can stay out here and eat all the squirrels and other critters to his heart’s content. If that doesn’t satisfy him, I saw a farm a few miles down the road. He could go chomp on a side of beef.”

  Chavez nearly had a heart attack when Lenny hugged the Sherman tank. “It’s okay, boy. He’ll grow to like you just like I do.”

  Thor licked Lenny, and Chavez thought he would take a bite out of Lenny’s delicious face. His nerves didn’t settle until his mate walked inside.

  Chavez glared at the dog, whose ginormous tongue was once again hanging out the side of his mouth. “I don’t care what Lenny says, you’re not staying.”

  Korby chuckled. “Threatening a dog?”

  “Threatening a beast the size of Jupiter.” He jabbed a finger at Thor. “Keep an eye on him. If he shifts into a twenty-foot demon, shoot him.”

  Thor whimpered, lay down, and tucked his paws over his eyes. Chavez scented the air, satisfied the dog didn’t smell like a shifter.

  “You’re just mean,” Korby said.

  Was Chavez the only sane one around there? Didn’t Lenny and Korby see the devil in Shamu’s eyes? With a grunt, Chavez walked inside and closed the door. The barrier wouldn’t be enough. If Thor wanted to get inside, the dog would have no problem breaking the glass and finishing what Wylliam started.

  Chavez spotted Lenny sitting by the fireplace, his elbows resting on his bent knees, his face resting on his fists. Chavez sighed. “Fine, if you want a pet we can get a tank of goldfish.”

  “I’m not talking to you.”

  Chavez hadn’t even had his cup of coffee yet. He started out of the room but looked back at the patio door. Thor stood there whimpering, brushing his paw over the glass. When he gave a thunderous bark, Chavez half expected the glass to shatter.

  Frustrated, he went back to the kitchen, thankful there was a pot of coffee already made. Reno always carried his coffeepot around, tucked in whatever vehicle he was driving.

  “Interesting morning.” Reno ate his breakfast out of a Styrofoam container. “Your food is on the counter.”

  Chavez was no longer hungry. He just wanted that dog out of there. Not that he had anything against dogs. In fact, he loved the canine breeds. But damn, did Lenny have to find the biggest dog on the planet?

  Reno arched a brow when Chavez poured a cup of coffee and took a sip, exhaling loudly.

  “That bad? It’s just a dog.”

  “You could’ve warned me what I was walking into.”

  Reno grinned. “And rob you of an organic reaction?” He shrugged. “After I eat, Nelson and I are doing some recon. We’ll grab some groceries on our way back.”

  “You do realize that that dog isn’t normal, right?” Chavez asked. “He’s a mix between a whale and the Hulk.”

  Reno set his container down and hopped off the counter. He patted Chavez on his arm. “Don’t worry, Korby will protect you if Cujo attacks.”

  “I’m really glad everyone is getting a kick out of this,” Chavez groused as Reno left the kitchen. When he heard Reno ask who was a good boy, Chavez nearly lost his shit.

  He went into the den and found Thor lying by the unlit fireplace, showing his belly as Lenny scratched him. His mate looked up and backed away from the dog.

  “He got in by himself. I swear! He used his snout to slide the door open. What was I supposed to do, kick him out?” Lenny patted Thor’s belly. “See, he’s so docile. He’s a real sweet boy.”

  “He’s the size of a bear.”

  “And as cuddly as one.” Lenny scratched Thor’s belly. “You’re such a good boy. Aren’t you? Yes, you are. Chavez just needs to see that and stop comparing you to such big creatures. You’re not so big, are you?”

  Chavez would go bankrupt feeding the godda
mn thing. Even so, he couldn’t deny how much he loved seeing the happiness on Lenny’s face, especially after he’d been shot and freaked out when Wylliam had been killed. He couldn’t pull his gaze away from his mate, spellbound, amazed that such a small package had stolen his heart.

  This had to be more than the pull. There was something about Lenny that simply captivated Chavez. He found himself grinning despite his protests.

  Lenny gave him a big, sweet smile. “You’re caving, aren’t you? Thor’s making you melt.”

  It was Lenny who was making Chavez melt. “I’m not caving. I just don’t feel like arguing right now. Reno and Nelson are heading out, and Korby is protecting the outside of the house.”

  “And you and Thor are protecting the inside.” Lenny’s smile widened.

  “That’s not what I was about to say. I have to go do some things on my laptop. Since I won’t be in the room with you, Thor can help Korby outside.”

  Chavez wasn’t leaving that beast with his mate. Even if Thor turned out not to be vicious, the dog was so big that he could accidently hurt Lenny. He said as much to his mate.

  “He won’t hurt me,” Lenny argued. “He’s so gentle.”

  Fuck, Chavez wasn’t going to win no matter he said. His frustration was mounting. “Please, novio. Just for now, let him help Korby outside.”

  “Fine.” Lenny got up, shoulders slumped, and went to the glass door. “Come on, Thor. You gotta go to work.”

  Thor got up and went outside when Lenny opened the door. Chavez was pretty impressed that the dog listened. He still didn’t like Thor’s size, but maybe there was hope for him.

  God, he was becoming the biggest sucker for his mate, doing shit he normally wouldn’t have done. He saw now that Lenny would get his way and Thor would become a part of their family.

  He just hoped he didn’t have to pull Lenny from between the fucker’s teeth.

  * * * *

  Lenny had been in the kitchen eating his breakfast when he heard the patio door sliding open. Shit. Chavez was gonna kill him if Thor was found back inside the house.

  He set his container down and hurried to the den. Sure enough, Thor was inside, walking toward Lenny. “You’re gonna get me into serious trouble if Chavez sees you in here.”

  Lenny looked toward the stairs to make sure Chavez wasn’t coming down and then led the dog into the kitchen. “You can have everyone’s leftovers. Chavez hasn’t touched his yet, so leave that one alone.”

  Lenny opened the Styrofoam boxes and set them on the floor, petting Thor’s head. “Go ahead, chow down. I don’t have a bowl for you, but I can fill one of the empty containers with water when you’re done.”

  Thor sniffed at the leftovers and turned his head. He hadn’t even eaten the piece of bacon.

  “Don’t be bougie. You’re not a snob. Eat.” Lenny moved the containers closer. “I swear it’s good. It came from the diner in town, and that food is to die for.”

  His head snapped up when he heard a noise. Lenny was hunched down while holding his breath, praying Chavez wasn’t heading their way. When he didn’t see anyone, he looked back at Thor.

  The dog licked his face. Lenny chuckled and scratched Thor under his chin. “You’ve got to behave, okay? If you do, Chavez will let me keep you.”

  He knew the dog didn’t understand a word he said, but Lenny really wanted to have Thor as a pet. He’d never seen another dog like him, and he loved how big Thor was. In fact, Lenny had never met an animal he didn’t like.

  And that made him think of that long-ago dream he’d had to own his own sanctuary. With as big as his yard was, Lenny hoped Chavez let him have a few pets.

  One could only hope.

  When Lenny heard a floorboard creak, he rubbed his face against Thor’s. “Be a good boy and eat. I’m gonna go make sure Chavez isn’t coming downstairs. Let yourself out when you’re done.”

  He gave Thor a few kisses on his muzzle, petted his neck, and then hurried upstairs. Lenny brushed as much fur as he could off his clothes before he entered the bedroom he and Chavez shared.

  “Busy?” Lenny was still in awe that Chavez was his. The guy was seated on his butt, his back against the wall, his ankles crossed and his laptop resting on his thighs. He had on a dark burgundy polo shirt that made his green eyes pop. And that tattoo sleeve still made Lenny drool.

  Chavez closed his laptop and pinched the bridge of his nose. The only thing that would’ve made him even more gorgeous would be reading glasses. Lenny always thought older men with reading glasses were sexy.

  “Come on in, novio.” He patted the floor next to him. “I was just looking up beds.”

  “Furniture shopping without me?” Lenny pressed a hand to his chest. “Unforgivable.”

  Lenny was just teasing. Since he didn’t have any money to contribute, he didn’t think he had a say. His dad had been a wonderful man, but he did have his flaws, and one of them was the fact that he’d had total say over their finances. Lenny’s mom had never argued about him controlling their money, although she would’ve been better at managing it. His dad was always spending it on things they didn’t need, like a large-screen television instead of paying the electric bill.

  The TV had been nice to look at in the dark. But to Lenny’s relief, Chavez didn’t look the type to throw his money away.

  Chavez curled an arm around Lenny’s shoulder and pulled him in for a kiss to the temple. “My apologies. I needed time to clear my head, too. There’s just something about Thor that…I don’t know. I’ve never seen a dog like that before, but that’s not what gives me a weird vibe. I can’t put my finger on it.”

  “Because he knows how to open doors?” Lenny had his heart set on keeping Thor, but if Chavez really put his foot down, Lenny would relent. After all, this was his mate’s house, even if Chavez said it would be theirs. Lenny wasn’t contributing in any sort of way, and because of that, his opinion didn’t count.

  “That is a cool trick,” Chavez admitted. “But…no. I just can’t figure it out.”

  “I know he’s a nice dog because I’m not afraid of him.” Lenny didn’t tell his mate that no animal really scared him. Sure, there were a lot of dangerous ones out there, but Lenny never planned on petting a goddamn wild polar bear or a cheetah.

  “How about he stays outside until I can understand what’s bugging me about him.”

  “And not just because he’s big?”

  “That’s part of it,” Chavez said. “But there’s more to it.”

  That seemed fair enough to Lenny. He leaned up and kissed Chavez’s cheek. “I lucked out when it came to mates.”

  “You got that right.” Lenny beamed, but he’d meant what he said. Chavez was the sweetest, sexiest guy he’d ever met, and he didn’t want to push his luck. “Do you know what Reno and Nelson are bringing back to eat? The breakfast was good, but I’m still hungry.”

  “I’ll give them a call.”

  Lenny curled into Chavez’s side, sighing in contentment. “So, what kind of bed did you pick out?”

  “You’re gonna love it.”

  Lenny honestly didn’t care. Just as long as he could curl next to Chavez, he’d be happy with an inflatable one.

  Chapter Seven

  “It’s like Elvis has left the building.” Reno unpacked the grocery bags and put the items away. He’d even bought stacks of plates, cups, and plastic cutlery. Nelson had come in with a few pots and pans he’d picked up at Goodwill, along with some cooking utensils.

  Chavez thought for a moment they were going to cook dinner, but Reno went back out to the SUV and grabbed white bags and brought them in. “There’s no sign of Frost anywhere,” he said as he unloaded the containers of food. “If he’s watching this house, then he’s a fucking ghost.”

  The uneasy feeling that had settled in Chavez’s gut kept growing. “Something isn’t right,” he said as Korby joined them.

  “I left Thor outside to guard the house while we ate.” He grabbed one of the containers
that Reno had set on the counter. “Too bad we don’t have a dining room table.”

  “You haven’t found anything on your perimeter searches?” Chavez asked Korby.

  “No, man. It’s all been good.”

  It was like the quiet before the storm. That was how Chavez felt. Ever since Wylliam’s failed attempt at killing them, Trails hadn’t sent anyone else.

  Their team had tracked the guy for a year, infiltrating his inner circle. Chavez had gotten to know the criminal pretty damn well. Trails was a genius when it came to making money, but he didn’t have the best patience. He was the type that wanted things done right here, right now, no matter the price.

  And now he’d gone radio silent.

  Chavez crossed the room and began to grab Lenny’s container to take to him when his mate walked into the room. He’d taken a nap, and now he looked like a zombie as he trailed into the room, his hair a mess.

  “I smell food,” Lenny said. “The aroma lured me from my sleep. Gimme, gimme, gimme.”

  When he reached out, Chavez handed his mate his food.

  “I’m gonna head back outside,” Korby said. “When you guys are rested, someone can take over my watch.”

  Chavez was surprised. Normally Korby bitched and moaned about having to do watch for so many hours. The guy hadn’t given one complaint as he walked out of the kitchen.

  When Lenny walked out, Chavez followed. He didn’t trust his mate. Knowing Lenny, he was going to try and sneak Thor back into the house. They settled in front of the fireplace.

  “You seem to love this room.” Chavez flipped the lid and smiled at the dinner. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, and a biscuit. It was the perfect meal.

  Lenny looked just as happy with his food. His smile lit up Chavez’s heart. Lenny’s eyes fluttered closed as he inhaled the aroma. Chavez’s gaze left the smile on Lenny’s lips and slid up to his mate’s eyes as Lenny’s eyelids open. Those crystal-blue eyes that had a spark of heaven in them exhilarated Chavez.