Dex flinched, his claws piercing the tips of his fingers.
"Easy there, kitten." Wolf turned Dex's head toward the curtain and parted it so they could see out to the dance floor straight ahead. "What do you see?"
Dex frowned. "My brother, Austen, and West."
"And what do they have in common?"
"They're cheetah Therians?"
"Good boy. Let's pretend I'm a coldhearted killer." Wolf put his finger to Dex's lips before he could remark on that genius observation. "Now let's say my goon squad and I have been hired to grab Sparks's little spotted pet, and I happen to know for a fact that he's here tonight for a certain sexy THIRDS agent's bachelor party, but I don't know what the kitty looks like. I arrive, and I find not one spotted little feline, I find three. What's a lowly thug to do?"
Dex sucked in a sharp breath. Oh God. No.
Wolf pressed his lips to Dex's cheek for a kiss before whispering in his ear, "In the next half hour, your brother and his friends will be subdued, bound, gagged, and tossed inside an unmarked vehicle, which will deliver them to a very grisly death. Hurry, Dexter."
Dex pushed away from Wolf and bolted toward the dance floor where Cael, Austen, and West were talking and laughing. He caught a change in scent, one caused by a spike in adrenaline. It was quickly followed by sharp movement in his peripheral vision. He spun around, but there was no one there. Shit. Turning back, he saw Cael, Austen, and West hadn't moved.
Pushing through the crowd, Dex glanced at the bar and thankfully happened to catch Ash's eye. Dex's expression must have said it all, because Ash straightened and sobered up like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over his head. Ash frowned, and Dex nodded in Cael's direction. Ash looked at Cael, then back to Dex, who discreetly twirled his finger. He tapped his neck on the left side with two fingers right where a Therian classification tattoo would be. He had no idea if the hired thugs were Human or Therian, but Dex wasn't taking any chances. They needed to protect Cael, Austen, and West without causing a panic. That would just make it easier for the assholes to grab them. Ash, Seb, Hobbs, Hudson, Dom, and Zach reached Cael and the others just as Dex did.
Cael leaned in so Dex could hear him over the thumping music. "Everything okay?"
"Not sure. I need you, Austen, and West to be on your guard."
Cael studied him for a heartbeat before nodding. He pulled Austen and West close. While Cael talked to them, Dex motioned Zach over. The guy had to bend down so Dex could reach his ear.
"Someone's after Austen. I need you to stick with him. Don't let him out of your sight."
Zach turned his face to speak. "They want to hurt him?"
Dex turned to meet Zach's gaze. "Worse."
Zach straightened, his chiseled jaw set firm and his amber eyes filled with silent fury. He nodded, then turned to Austen and grabbed his wrist. Austen stopped midsentence to stare up at Zach like the guy had just lost his ever-loving mind.
"What the hell are you doing?" Austen tried to jerk his arm out of Zach's grip to no avail. He narrowed his eyes at Zach. "Let go," he hissed.
Zach bent forward so he was nose-to-nose with Austen, his scowl deep as he growled, "No."
Austen's eyes clouded, and he stepped over to Dex, Zach right beside him.
"What the hell is going on, Daley? Why do I have Baloo attached to my arm?"
Zach let out a weary sigh. "You know, the bear jokes get old really fast."
"Well, I'll be damned. A whole sentence in three hours," Austen drawled. "Must be a new record for you." He turned his attention back to Dex before Zach could reply. "Talk. Now."
Dex told Austen everything he knew, leaving out mention of TIN, since they were in front of Zach. He also left out his source. Austen would just have to trust the intel was reliable.
Austen shook his head in disbelief. "Let me get this straight. A bunch of assholes are on their way to grab me, and you think making this guy my nanny is going to stop them?"
Zach frowned. "I'm a THIRDS agent."
Austen rounded on Zach. "Yeah, and not only do I have a higher security clearance than you do, my training and skill set far exceeds yours, so I don't know what the hell it is you think you can do for me that I can't do for myself."
"Austen," Dex warned. Why the hell was Austen lashing out at Zach? The guy was just trying to help.
Austen ignored Dex and poked Zach in the chest, indifferent to the fact Zach could bench-press Austen with one arm tied behind his back without breaking a sweat.
"Listen, whatever little bonding moment you think we had when I was injured, didn't happen. You need to lay off. I don't need you. Can you get that through your thick skull?"
Zach flinched and released Austen. He took a step back, breathed in deep through his nose, then turned and walked away. Dex jerked Austen over to him.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? Why are you being such a dick to him? Can't you see the guy's crazy about you?" Dex was stunned by the pain that filled Austen's eyes.
"Which is why he needs to stay away from me," Austen snapped. "I'm trying to keep him safe. You think this is the first time someone's come after me?" Austen shook his head. He averted his gaze. "I won't let him get hurt because of what I do, or who I am. He deserves better."
Dex nodded. "I understand. Personally, I don't think you're giving him, or yourself, enough credit."
"Yeah, well, not everyone gets to live in your perfect little world, Daley."
There was no point arguing with Austen. The guy was possibly more pigheaded than Ash. Seb, Hudson, Hobbs, Dom, and Zach formed a discreet perimeter around their cheetah Therian friends, and Dex told Austen to think about their next move before he motioned for Ash to follow him off the dance floor so they could talk. Dex kept his eyes on his friends.
"Wolf's here."
"What?" Ash jerked his head up and scanned the floor before Dex put a hand to his shoulder, getting his attention.
"We're not looking for Wolf. And he's not the threat."
Ash blinked at him. "Have you lost your fucking mind? What do you mean Wolf isn't the threat? Since when is he not a threat?"
"Since he came to warn me that a bunch of thugs are on their way to kidnap Cael, Austen, and West. Apparently, they're after Austen because of TIN, but the only intel they have is that he's a cheetah Therian and that he's here tonight for my bachelor party. When they realize there's more than one cheetah Therian here, they're going to grab all three. We need to get the guys out of here."
"You really think they'd try something with this many people around? I mean, how do they plan on dragging away three Therians with no one noticing?" Ash seemed to think about it. "Scratch that. If they've been sent here after Austen, I'm guessing they're pretty well versed in kidnapping, which means they've probably got a plan, so we need one too."
"Agreed. For all we know, they may already be in here. We need to keep this situation contained."
"If they're here to pull this shit under our noses knowing we're THIRDS, it means they're either counting on the element of surprise, or considering this is a bachelor party, that we're too drunk to know our asses from our elbows."
Dex hated to admit it, but if it hadn't been for Wolf's warning, both of those statements would have been true.
Austen appeared next to Dex and threw his arms around Dex's neck to press up against his side. What the hell? Dex was about to push Austen off him when Austen whispered in his ear, "They're here, and I have their attention."
"How do you know it's them?" Dex asked.
Austen arched an eyebrow at him. "That's sort of my job. Also, there was a group of Therians by the bar who weren't here before. They split up, and were obviously looking for someone. So smile, flirt, and pretend you're taking me home."
What was it with these spies getting all up in his personal space? Dex smiled and slipped his arm around Austen's waist, murmuring in his ear, "When this is over, I'm going to kick your ass. And then I'm going to tell Sloane on you."
Austen
laughed seductively, like Dex had just said the filthiest thing. He lowered his lashes, and Dex was taken aback by the sudden change from bristled felid to agent provocateur. It was more than a little disturbing. Didn't change the fact Dex was going to kick his ass for this.
"What's the matter, handsome?" Austen purred quietly, his hand going to Dex's stomach. Dex flinched on instinct. "Oh, you're going to need a much better poker face if you're going to make it as a spy, Daley. A little physical contact makes you nervous? You really think you have what it takes to be TIN?" Austen slipped his hand under Dex's shirt, his fingers stroking Dex's skin.
Dex gritted his teeth, and he met Ash's dark gaze. The question was there. Dex could see it in his amber eyes. They might not always agree on things, in fact they rarely did, but however they might deny it, they were family. They'd been through a hell of a lot together.
With a seductive smile of his own, Dex took hold of Austen's hand and pulled it out from under his shirt. He brushed his lips over Austen's brow and squeezed Austen's hand so tight it made Austen suck in a sharp breath.
"Not only do I have what it takes," Dex said, his voice husky as he slipped his knee in between Austen's legs, "but I can and will do it without crossing that line." He flinched as the tips of his claws pierced his skin. Gently he pressed his claws against Austen's back, just enough to hear his breath hitch. "What is it you're trying to get out of me here? Don't play games with me, Austen. I am never, ever going to cross that line. Not for you, TIN, or anyone. This job might mean a lot to me, but not as much as he means to me."
Austen looked up at him, studying Dex's face. "That's all I wanted to hear."
"Were you testing me?"
"I was curious. The real test is yet to come. Now let's go. They're back at the bar."
Dex nodded at Ash as if he were excusing himself for the night. "You, Seb, and Zach, meet us at the playground next block over. Make sure no one sees you. Everyone else keeps an eye on Cael and West."
Ash gave his back a hearty pat before walking off. Dex threw an arm around Austen and drew him close as he headed for the coatroom to fetch their coats. He smiled as he helped Austen into his trendy bomber jacket before he thanked the coat check guy for bringing him his black overcoat.
"You left your shirt inside," Austen said, looping his arm through Dex's.
"I'll grab it later. How many?"
"I made six. Doesn't mean there aren't more."
"Make sure they follow."
"Don't worry, they're following."
"Good. Let's do this."
Chapter 8
DEX AND Austen left the club and headed toward the park one block over. The park was closed, and the gates locked. Not that it could keep out anyone who wanted to get in. They were being followed. Even if Dex didn't know it, he'd have felt it. His vision, sense of smell, and instincts were sharper. He might not be able to see the Therians following them, but he could smell them. He focused on isolating the Therian scent--ignoring the shower gel or soap--and their individual male musk. Then he compared those unique scents to those of Therians he was familiar with. The jaguar scent hit him first, then the lion. Two lions. A tiger, and two cougars. At least he knew what they were up against. For now, anyway.
Austen climbed the fence to the playground and leaped over the bars with ease, landing gracefully on the other side. Dex followed, finding it easy to hoist himself up and over, despite his added body mass. He took a seat on one of the swings beside Austen, who was lost in thought. Dex had a pretty good idea who those thoughts were about. After all this time, he still knew so little about Austen--only what Sloane had shared with him about how they'd met and how Austen ended up with TIN. Dex had no idea where Austen came from, or what he'd been through while out on the streets. Dex often had to remind himself that Austen was younger than Cael. Instead of being in school with other kids his age, Austen had been working for the THIRDS and TIN.
"Stop," Austen growled.
"What?"
"Stop looking at me with that stupid sad puppy face. You're as bad as Zach."
Dex arched an eyebrow but didn't respond.
"He looks at me with that face. Like he's sorry for me. I'm no one's charity case."
"That's not what I was thinking," Dex said quietly, swinging slowly. "I'm pretty sure that's not what Zach thinks either."
"Then what?"
"I was trying not to get angry."
Austen cast him a sideways glance. "About what?"
"About how you should have been given the chance to be a normal kid. Go to school, get in trouble for reading comic books during math class or putting a skunk in the PE teacher's car for telling your little brother he stinks at dodgeball. Hard to avoid something twice your size being hurled at you by Therian kids bigger than you."
Austen stared at him. "You put a skunk in your teacher's car?"
Dex waggled his brows. "Guess who stunk after that?"
Austen snorted. "You're such a dork, Daley."
"Old news."
Austen shrugged, his gaze off at nothing. "Hard to miss something you never had. I got lucky."
"Lucky?" Dex shook his head in disgust. "You were shooting people in the head before you were old enough to buy a beer. I mean, what the hell was Sparks thinking? Then again, it's not like she gives a fuck. She used you the same way she does everyone else."
"You don't know shit, Daley," Austen snapped, startling Dex. "Yeah, she's done a lot of fucked-up shit, but don't think for a second you know her. Granted, sometimes I want to tell her to go fuck herself, but she saved my life. She asked me to join TIN because I wanted it more than anything. I was tired of being vulnerable, of feeling scared and having to run. Tired of seeing Therians my age forced out into the street, turning tricks, and dying with a needle in their arms just for being Therian. Do you know what it's like to blow a guy just so you won't starve?
"I came close once, but ran at the last second. Instead I became really good at stealing and not getting caught. Until Sloane. He was the first mark who caught me, and I swear I thought I was fucked, because he was either going to turn me in or accept my offer." Austen dropped his gaze to his boots. "It was the first time the idea didn't make me feel sick to my stomach. Maybe because I knew he wouldn't take advantage of me like so many of the others would have." A slow smile crept up his boyish face. "Also, he was hot. He was so fucking good, so nice. Not because he wanted something from me, but because he was a genuinely good guy. Blew my mind. Before Sloane, I hated everyone. I hated the whole fucking world and just wanted to see it all burn. After Sloane introduced me to Sparks, she brought me to THIRDS HQ. She didn't give me the spiel. Instead she let me shadow Destructive Delta. I'll never forget what she said. Maybe you'll never grow up to be the kind of man Sloane Brodie is, but you can make him proud."
Dex swallowed hard. That made sense. Sloane had a way of inspiring people, of making them want to do their best just so they wouldn't disappoint him.
"I've never forgotten those words. She knew me. I don't know how, but she did. It was all I needed to hear, because it was all I wanted. I begged her to let me work for her. I'd do whatever she wanted. She said it would be the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life, and that sometimes I'd hate her or regret my decision to join, but when that happened, I had to think of Sloane, and others like him, both Therian and Human. As a show of her trust in me, she showed me TIN's file on Sloane."
Dex stared at Austen. "TIN had a file on Sloane?" Had Sparks considered Sloane for TIN earlier? If she had, why hadn't she approached him? Why wait?
Austen nodded. "TIN has files on exceptional Therians. Those who would make good operatives. The more I read about Sloane, the more inspired I was. Here was a guy who had been experimented on and tortured, and instead of letting his anger and hate consume him, he used his pain to drive him toward something good. Your man was the source of a lot of arguments between Sparks and the higher-ups in TIN."
"Really? Why?"
"TIN wanted to bring S
loane in right after Gabe was killed. Sparks refused."
"What the hell? Why would they think Sloane would join them at a time like that?" It struck Dex then. "Because he was vulnerable and angry."
Austen nodded. "With the pain so raw, getting Sloane to start fresh with a new life doing something to protect those he cared about would have been an easy sell. When you lose someone you love, and suddenly you're presented with the opportunity to do something about it, to prevent it from happening again...."
The irony was not lost on Dex. His heart hurt. "It's hard to turn down something like that."
"You didn't."
"I know," Dex sighed. "Why didn't Sparks want to bring Sloane in?"
"She said he wasn't in the right frame of mind. That he'd be too unpredictable and hard to control. And maybe that's true. Wouldn't be the first time an operative ended up on the wrong path, but if you ask me, she was protecting him."
Dex scoffed. "You'll have to excuse me if I find that a little hard to believe."
"I don't care what you believe, Daley. I'm telling you how it is. What you choose to do with that information is your problem. All I'm saying is don't be so quick to judge before you really know someone. Where the hell are these guys? They get lost or something?"
"We're right here."
Dex stood and turned to face the six Therians, Austen at his side. The jaguar Therian stepped forward, a smug grin on his face.
"Your friends won't be joining you. They're a little stuck right now."
So there were more of them. Fan-fucking-tastic.
"We got no beef with you. Turn over your little spotted friend, and you get to walk away."
"Sorry, pal, but that's not happening." Dex put himself between the thug and Austen.
The guy stopped before he let out a bark of laughter. "Are you shitting me?" The rest of his crew joined in. "You shouldn't have involved the Human."
The jaguar Therian's friend looked nervous, and he leaned in to murmur quietly, though not low enough for Dex not to hear, "Mack, we're not supposed to leave a mess. Just grab the cheetah Therian."
A smile crawled up Dex's face.
Austen looked at Dex, his expression wicked. "You ready for this?"
"Oh yeah."
Time to see how his TIN training was going.
Dex's heartbeat quickened, his muscles tightened, and his blood temperature rose. This time, the threat was real. This wasn't a supervised training session. It wasn't a THIRDS callout. It was six Therians ready to rip him apart and leave him for dead. Dex unbuttoned his coat and tossed it onto the jungle gym, barely feeling the cold through his T-shirt.