by Olivia Arran
“Can you stay ahead of him?”
A low, steady exhale came over the line. “Yeah, but you’re going to need to up your game. I’m good, but I’m going to need to sleep at some point.” Yeah, I knew she was good. Before she’d been bitten and turned, she’d worked for the cybercrimes division.
“I’m going to need to plant an address for our guy to find when he digs a little deeper.” Something banged in the background and she cursed. “Stupid idiot. Why the hell did he put that… Hang on. Right.” Another thump. “Sorry. Jake is a slob.” Jake being her helper for this project and Brent’s teammate. “Anyway, as I was saying, our guy’s going to dig a little deeper and uncover Mr. Moonbeam’s real identity. Which will also include a real address. So, gimme.”
I looked at Mandy. This was her city.
She reeled off an address and Nita grunted.
“Hello, nice to meet you unknown person.”
“The name’s Mandy.”
A cackle of laughter rang out. “Ooooh, I’ve heard about you! You’re the one who’s snagged Grant. Not bad, not bad.”
“I’m right here, you know.”
Nita snorted. “I haven’t met Mandy yet, so I can’t give you a verdict. She sounds pretty though.”
“I like you,” Mandy declared.
“You’re friends with Bree, and she thinks you’re all right.” Nita paused. “Okay, I like you too. We can be friends.”
No, I mouthed at Mandy, but she was already agreeing.
Aw, hell. I covered my eyes and groaned.
“Man up, Grant. Your lady and I are going to be BFF’s. You should be happy for her.”
“He calls me pretty lady,” Mandy replied, shooting me a wicked look.
My mouth dropped open. “No, you can’t be friends. Not happening.”
“Aw, I knew you were pretty, Mandy! And Grant, real smooth. I’m proud of you.”
“Nita—”
“Did Bree tell you? I’m adopting the pack. Or, I’m thinking about it. One word, Mandy—slumber parties!”
I squeezed the phone. “That’s two and I’m hanging up now.”
“Pfft. Stop messing around and go catch us a bad guy. Speak later, Mandy!”
When did Nita become so chatty? I’d always taken her to be the silent, surly type.
“What now?”
Slipping my phone into my pocket, I held the door open for her. “Now we go see Kel and hash out a plan.”
The clock had started and we were already running out of time.
Chapter Twenty-One
Mandy
Grant’s phone pinged and he bent his head, the backlight lighting his face with a soft glow as his thumb scrolled, his gaze scanning the screen. His thigh pressed against mine, his long legs spread wide out of necessity to fit into the back seat, but I wasn’t complaining. His weight pressing against me was a constant reminder that he was here with me, ready to back me up at a moment’s notice. He glanced at me and nodded.
In the front seat, Talon steered the SUV with one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the door. Beside him was Sarah, who’d chosen to escape Dante for the short journey, who was following behind in the other SUV we’d commandeered for this outing.
Our group was rounded out with Don, who had twisted in his seat, checking on the rest of the team. “Do we have a location for the shifter?”
I shrugged, pretending to stare out of the window into the dusk filled gloom, but really I was staring at Grant. “Kel said he’d brief us at the location.”
“Okay.” Don’s fingers tapped on his thighs as he jerked his head in agreement. “Shit. We’re really going to do this? Go after a shifter?”
“That’s why these guys came down to train us. To help prepare us for this kind of thing.”
“I think the government changing up the treaty and opening up jobs in the city is a good idea.” Sarah glanced over her shoulder to meet my eyes, then slid her gaze to Grant, who was still staring at his phone. “Especially since I’ve heard that we’ve applied for five posts in the department.”
“Do you think they’ll get the green light?” Don looked worried. “Funding might be tight.”
Grant eventually looked up but kept quiet.
Maybe he hadn’t been listening?
“We’re here.” Talon pulled over to the side of the road and killed the engine. Climbing out, we made our way over to the other car, huddling around the surveillance photos that Kel had laid out on the hood.
Everyone fell silent as he started the briefing, keeping his voice low and to the point. “We have intel that Mr. Moonbeam is at this residence.” He pointed at the map, indicating a house one street over. “The mission is the same as last time. We need to retrieve the evidence and convince the contact to come with us.”
“We’re not going after the shifter?” Don looked relieved, while Chris studied the map in more detail, picking up one of the surveillance shots and squinting at it.
Kel proceeded to run over the plan, assigning us our positions.
Sarah frowned. “Hang on, what about these guys?” She jerked a thumb at the Heartsridge gang. “What are they going to be doing, painting their toenails?”
“They have a secondary mission and they’ve already been briefed.” Kel started gathering the papers together, holding his hand out for the map, which Chris still held.
“And that is…” Don prompted.
Kel looked at Grant, question in his eyes. “Up to you.”
Leaning back against the hood of the SUV, Grant folded his arms. “This doesn’t leave this group. My IT expert back home managed to put a trace on Fergus Sandringham’s phone. We have his location and we’re going in for extraction.”
“So … why’d you tag along with us?” Sarah asked.
“Because Fergus is presently one block that way.” Dante pointed West, waving his hand in a vague fashion. “On the off chance that Mr. Sandringham and Mr. Moonbeam are working together, it was decided that it be best if we coordinate the timings of our missions.”
“Sounds good to me.” I checked my sidearm, then secured my badge, to prevent it from slapping me in the face if I needed to run. Yeah, that had happened before; big boobs weren’t something to be trifled with.
“Five minutes and we’re moving out,” Kel ordered, returning to his vehicle. He wouldn’t be coming in with us during the first wave, due to his injury, but he’d be right outside, ready to talk some sense into Mr. Moonbeam.
Who didn’t exist. Wow, I was really getting caught up in the moment.
I backed up to Grant until I felt his hand brush my arm. “I don’t think this is going to work,” I muttered, angling my face toward him but keeping my eyes on my squad.
Grant’s phone buzzed and he glanced at it. “It’s done.”
We started walking, all traveling in the same direction until we reached the end of the street, where we’d have to peel off in opposite directions.
“Do you think this is the right address?” At Chris’ question, I glanced over at where he was keeping pace by my side.
Don peered around him and Chris dropped back a little. “Has to be right? What was the address again?”
I reeled off the address and he nodded, seeming satisfied, then dropped back to walk with Chris and Sarah.
“What was the address for Fergus Sandringham again?” The question had my instincts screaming, but the speaker had me performing a double take.
“They didn’t say.” I looked back in time to see Sarah jerk her chin at my answer, her game face in place as her she strode with purpose.
There was a low muttering behind me from both Chris and Don, then Sarah’s voice drifted to me, sharp and clear, “Well, I’m sure we’ll find out later when we’re de-briefed.” My best friend sounded annoyed. “Let’s focus on our own mission, boys, and leave Fergus to the shifters.”
Ah, so one of the guys had prompted her to ask. Damn. I patted my ribcage. My heart had nearly jumped out of my chest for a moment there.
Grant’s fingers brushed against mine and the whirlwind inside me stilled. “This is where we split.” He tugged me to his side, his lips brushing against mine. “Stay safe,” he growled, pressing the words into my skin.
“Happy hunting,” I murmured, to which he grinned. It was feral and dark, and made my blood pump a little bit faster.
We split, the shifters sprinting off into the dark and disappearing into the shadows. Forcing my eyes to face forward, I followed my squad down the street, splitting off into our designated pairs. When Sarah followed me without question to our assigned position at the front of the porch, creeping low and moving soundlessly, I almost cheered, a heavy weight lifting from me. I glanced at the neighboring houses, noting they were dark. Good, no nosy neighbors to worry about.
Pulling my gun, I held it out and down at my side, gesturing for Sarah to take the steps. Once she was in position, I joined her, pressing my back against the wooden slats covering the bottom third of the house. Tugging at the radio on my collar, I reported in, keeping it to a whisper, “No movement detected out front. We’re in position, over.”
A hiss and a crackle, then, “Same out back. In position, over,” Don reported.
“Mandy, you’re a go to engage.”
“Copy that, over.” Lifting my hand, I banged on the door.
Nobody answered. Which, of course, I’d expected. I knocked again. “City Police. Open up, we just want to talk to you, Mr. Moonbeam.”
The door clicked open and a woman filled the gap, grinning at me.
Sarah opened her mouth and I slapped my hand over it, pressing my radio. “Lieutenant. I have a lady here who denies that a Mr. Moonbeam resides here. Please advise.”
Kel came back through loud and clear, “Damn it. Okay, you’re to stand down and regroup out front.”
“Copy that,” I replied, Don’s affirmative coming through seconds later.
“Sorry about that, Ma’am.”
The woman rested a shoulder against the doorframe, her corkscrew curls nearly as crazy as mine and brown eyes glittering gold under the soft glow of the adjacent street lamp. “No problem at all.” She winked at me, and I was glad I was still covering Sarah’s mouth. Grabbing my best friend’s attention, I pressed a finger to my mouth, then slowly lowered my hand.
After gulping in a couple of deep breaths, she gave me a look that said she thought I was clearly crazy, but followed my lead as we retraced our steps back to where Kel was waiting, two houses over.
“What’s the plan, boss?” Don said as he joined us, Chris by his side.
Kel stood with his hands braced on his hips, ignoring the pain his shoulder must be giving him. Shaking his head, he curled his lip. “Must be bad intel.”
“Canvas the area?” Sarah suggested.
“And ask for a Mr. Moonbeam? That might not even be this guy’s name.” Chris rolled his eyes.
“We have a photo we can show.” Kel pulled out his phone and seconds later, everyone’s phone buzzed. After carefully tapping at the screen, I blinked as a picture loaded. I wonder who that is? It was a typical DMV photo, showing a good-looking guy wearing glasses, button up shirt, and a hint of a smile.
I pointed at the two houses adjacent to our original target. “I’ll start with these.”
Don and Chris indicated the other side of the street and took off.
Kel tapped his ear, staying put.
“Come on.” I grabbed Sarah’s arm and shuffled her over to the first house, forcing myself not to look over my shoulder. When we got to the gate, I hung back, not allowing Sarah to go any further.
She tried to pull away from me, then stopped when I wouldn’t let go. “What’s going on?” she hissed, folding her arms and tapping her foot.
“Wait,” I whispered, pulling my phone out and pretending to take a call.
To her credit, she did manage to wait thirty seconds. “Mandy, what the hell—”
My ear piece crackled to life. “The bait has been taken, the package is secure.”
I waited for something more, something less vague, something like a goddamned name, but nothing came. Assholes. “Come on.” I grabbed Sarah’s hand and pulled her toward Kel, who was making his way up the road. “Who?”
His eyes slid to mine, then back to where Don and Chris had been canvassing. “I don’t know. They both went in that house.” He pointed at the house in question.
The one directly next to the house where Mr. Moonbeam supposedly lived, courtesy of Nita and her wicked hacking skills.
Speaking of Nita, she was striding over to join us. Linking arms with me, she tugged at one of my curls. “Nobody told me we were twinsies!”
I chuckled, but tension still bubbled inside my stomach. I introduced Nita and Sarah quickly, before launching into a brief explanation that had Sarah’s mouth rounding in a silent O.
“You ready?” Kel looked at us, his face drawn in grim lines. One of our own had betrayed us. This day would stay with us for a long time. I laid my hand on his arm, Sarah doing the same on his other side. Movement caught my eye and I glanced back, my heart catching in my throat when I saw who it was.
Damn, it sucked to be right. Then again, I’d thought of both men as family.
This day sucked.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Grant
Twenty minutes earlier…
I checked my phone, squinting at the lit screen in the back of the car. Mandy moved next to me, her leg pressing up against mine and scrambling my mind for a moment.
<< Reporting in and ready to spank. >>
I mentally shook my head, tapping out a reply. << What the fuck? You’re making my head hurt. Speak English. >>
<< Spank = punch in the face :) >>
Despite my aggravation, my lips quirked. << You’re an asshole. Don’t spank anyone too hard. >>
I nodded at Mandy and put my phone away.
Five minutes had passed since arriving at our drop off point when Mandy backed up to me. I reached out, brushing my hand against her arm.
“I don’t think this is going to work,” she murmured, angling her beautiful face toward me. Her eyes kept watch on her squad and I wanted to pull her into my arms, to try and ease the hurt this must be causing. She didn’t give her trust easily, but once she did, she gave it her all. When we discovered who had betrayed her trust, it was going to devastate her.
I would be there to pick up the pieces.
My phone buzzed. << The eagle has flown the nest to try and deliver the good news. >>
Goddamnit. What was it with people and their inability to speak plain English?
“It’s done,” I said, under my breath.
Mandy didn’t look at me, just started walking, her mind already on the mission.
I followed.
For her, I would always follow.
We’d just split off from the cops and I could still feel Mandy’s lips brushing mine, her words echoing in my ears. Happy hunting. A smile was fixed on my face as we sprinted up the street, cutting through someone’s yard before coming to a stop.
“Everything’s in place,” I confirmed.
Ridge checked his watch. “We need to get in position.”
We doubled back, silently moving through the shadows until we caught sight of Kel’s squad. Using the yards, we slipped past them, watching as they approached the target’s house.
Mandy knocked. Waited. Then knocked again, this time calling out.
When the door swung open, I grinned.
Talon almost walked into a bush. “Who’s that?”
I dragged him away from the thorns. “That, my friend, is Nita and she’s scary. She also might be kind of taken.”
Throwing her a mock salute, to which she winked at me, I dragged Talon out of his momentary lapse of judgment, and slipped into the house behind me.
Not bothering to walk silently, I strode through to the living room and rocked to a stop, shoving my hands in my pockets. Ridge took point at the window, peeking out of
the side of the curtains to keep watch on the street, while Talon and Dante took up positions on the couch.
The prisoner sat silent between them. Well, he couldn’t really move, not with his legs chained together and hands cuffed to his ankles. Neither could he speak, with the duct tape plastered over his mouth.
Furious eyes glared at me.
“Did he try shifting?”
Daryl shrugged from his very comfortable looking chair. “I don’t think he’s very happy with Brent right now.”
Funny little fact that Dante had shared with us. An alpha could lend power to another alpha. But, it wasn’t all about dominance and politics, sometimes it just came down to who was the biggest and baddest. Bears had a similar hierarchy to wolves, they chose to follow their alphas. Once the loyalty was given, alpha’s held certain advantages over their packs or clans, so they could keep them in line. A dominant shifter could break from his alpha, no sweat. A submissive might have more of a problem.
Brent was plenty dominant and we’d bet the farm on the fact that he’d be able to make this asshole submit to him.
“Did you need to assist?”
Owen shook his head, Bree tucked against his side as he nuzzled her ear. “Nope. Brent is a bad motherfucker.”
Emma laughed. “Don’t. I have to live with him.”
Brent just shrugged. “He’s not that dominant.”
“I think I could take him.” Emma peered at Fergus Sandringham, like he was a science experiment. She nudged her mate. “Let me have a go.”
“We’ve got movement coming our way,” Ridge called out. He didn’t say who it was, since he knew we were all appreciating enjoying the big reveal.
Dante leaned into Fergus, smoke drifting out of his nostrils. “Good thing your friend messaged you to tell you we were coming, isn’t it?”
“Want to go rock-paper-scissors on this one?” Owen’s eyes gleamed at the thought of catching the person who’d tried to infiltrate Heartsridge. He’d come into our home, eaten our food, slept in our beds, and then tried to stab us in the back.