concerned look.
Eli took a deep breath, still not ready to share the epiphany Baxter had laid on him with anybody else just yet. Especially since his gut instinct in this regard had nothing to do with any vision he’d received. Although, while they’d been riding to the truck stop, he had thought that a vision showing him where Nivea’s sister was and who she was with would have been pretty damned convenient. But that would mean he was accepting what he’d been told about what he truly was. Eli wasn’t ready to take that leap.
“Doesn’t matter,” he told Ezra. “I’m ready for whatever and I’m not scared, are you?”
“Not on your life,” his twin replied.
“We’re ready to rock ’n’ roll,” Aidan announced.
“We should get on the road so they don’t have a lot of time to do whatever before we get there,” Nivea told them.
She was already heading toward their truck. Eli decided to simply follow her.
“Got a bossy one there, huh, little brother?” Ezra said, clapping him on the shoulder as he walked by.
Caleb and Aidan both chuckled as they moved to their designated spots, while Brayden simply shook his head.
“I know how it feels, shifter females are a handful,” he said, giving Eli a look of commiseration.
“Tell me about it,” Eli replied, climbing into the backseat beside Nivea.
Twenty minutes later Brayden, who had been keeping his eyes glued to the map on his iPad, shouted an address. Aidan, who was driving, punched it into the SUV’s GPS. Seconds later the younger shifter made a growling sound.
“What?” Caleb asked his brother.
“That address is deeded to Robert Slakeman too,” Brayden told them.
“Like I said,” Eli whispered. “It’s all connected.”
CHAPTER 17
“They’re both here,” Brayden said the moment he stepped out of the truck. “Rogues and hybrids. The stench is mixed and it’s foul as shit.”
Caleb and Aidan got out and sniffed the air, both frowning their agreement. Eli heard them from inside and scowled. He did not want her to be here, did not want her to go into that house and do what he knew would need to be done. But how could he tell her to stay behind? This was her family.
“Stay close to me,” he told her instead.
“I’ll make sure they’re safe,” she told him, as if to say she was going to do whatever she had to do regardless of what he said.
“Nivea, please,” Eli attempted.
She shook her head, holding up a hand to stop his words. “This is my family, Eli. My sisters and my mother. I’m going to get them with or without you.”
Her words burned through him like a torch and Eli gritted his teeth. There was no “without” him as far as he was concerned. He was not only going in there with her, but he was going to be on her like a second skin making sure she was safe, whether she liked it or not.
“Let the Sanchez brothers go up to the house first. They’ll scope out the grounds, see what security we’re dealing with,” he told her.
She looked at him impatiently. “They’d better make it fast.”
“Eli, can I see you a second?” Ezra called to Eli from outside.
“I’ll knock when they’re back,” he told Nivea.
She nodded tightly and Eli moved in closer. He wanted to kiss her, to promise her this would be better and that once it was over he would … they would … what? Live happily ever after? Walk blissfully into the light of joining and be mates forevermore? What the hell was he going to say to her when all of this bullshit was over? More importantly, how was he ever going to walk away from her?
“Go,” she whispered before looking down at her phone in her hand. “Just go.”
He did as she said because if Ezra was interrupting him, it was for a good reason.
“Okay,” his brother began the moment he was out in the early morning air. “Slakeman makes guns. He works with the military. Crowe is a Marine.”
“Nivea’s father was sending money to Comastaz and probably sending them shifters
Eli took a deep breath, still not ready to share the epiphany Baxter had laid on him with anybody else just yet. Especially since his gut instinct in this regard had nothing to do with any vision he’d received. Although, while they’d been riding to the truck stop, he had thought that a vision showing him where Nivea’s sister was and who she was with would have been pretty damned convenient. But that would mean he was accepting what he’d been told about what he truly was. Eli wasn’t ready to take that leap.
“Doesn’t matter,” he told Ezra. “I’m ready for whatever and I’m not scared, are you?”
“Not on your life,” his twin replied.
“We’re ready to rock ’n’ roll,” Aidan announced.
“We should get on the road so they don’t have a lot of time to do whatever before we get there,” Nivea told them.
She was already heading toward their truck. Eli decided to simply follow her.
“Got a bossy one there, huh, little brother?” Ezra said, clapping him on the shoulder as he walked by.
Caleb and Aidan both chuckled as they moved to their designated spots, while Brayden simply shook his head.
“I know how it feels, shifter females are a handful,” he said, giving Eli a look of commiseration.
“Tell me about it,” Eli replied, climbing into the backseat beside Nivea.
Twenty minutes later Brayden, who had been keeping his eyes glued to the map on his iPad, shouted an address. Aidan, who was driving, punched it into the SUV’s GPS. Seconds later the younger shifter made a growling sound.
“What?” Caleb asked his brother.
“That address is deeded to Robert Slakeman too,” Brayden told them.
“Like I said,” Eli whispered. “It’s all connected.”
CHAPTER 17
“They’re both here,” Brayden said the moment he stepped out of the truck. “Rogues and hybrids. The stench is mixed and it’s foul as shit.”
Caleb and Aidan got out and sniffed the air, both frowning their agreement. Eli heard them from inside and scowled. He did not want her to be here, did not want her to go into that house and do what he knew would need to be done. But how could he tell her to stay behind? This was her family.
“Stay close to me,” he told her instead.
“I’ll make sure they’re safe,” she told him, as if to say she was going to do whatever she had to do regardless of what he said.
“Nivea, please,” Eli attempted.
She shook her head, holding up a hand to stop his words. “This is my family, Eli. My sisters and my mother. I’m going to get them with or without you.”
Her words burned through him like a torch and Eli gritted his teeth. There was no “without” him as far as he was concerned. He was not only going in there with her, but he was going to be on her like a second skin making sure she was safe, whether she liked it or not.
“Let the Sanchez brothers go up to the house first. They’ll scope out the grounds, see what security we’re dealing with,” he told her.
She looked at him impatiently. “They’d better make it fast.”
“Eli, can I see you a second?” Ezra called to Eli from outside.
“I’ll knock when they’re back,” he told Nivea.
She nodded tightly and Eli moved in closer. He wanted to kiss her, to promise her this would be better and that once it was over he would … they would … what? Live happily ever after? Walk blissfully into the light of joining and be mates forevermore? What the hell was he going to say to her when all of this bullshit was over? More importantly, how was he ever going to walk away from her?
“Go,” she whispered before looking down at her phone in her hand. “Just go.”
He did as she said because if Ezra was interrupting him, it was for a good reason.
“Okay,” his brother began the moment he was out in the early morning air. “Slakeman makes guns. He works with the military. Crowe is a Marine.”
“Nivea’s father was sending money to Comastaz and probably sending them shifters
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