Noel scrubs a hand through his long hair. “If this is a scam, Kane’s going to murder you. And then me.”
“Relax,” Chris states. “She’s not like that.”
I narrow my eyes. There it is. That quiet, certain note in his voice that tells me he’s already attached. Fuck. He meets my stare head-on, steady, stubborn.
“She’s… good,” he says simply. “Bad day. Wrong people. Could use a win.”
It hits something old in me, that feeling of wanting to be the guy who shows up when no one else does. I sigh. “Fine. I’m in.”
Chris brightens like a damn sunrise.
Noel groans. “You’re both idiots.”
“Then you’re volunteering too,” I say.
He flips me off but doesn’t argue.
Because we’re the type of fools who crawl into the dark for strangers.
Chris claps his hands together. “Great! I’ll text some friends about borrowing their animals.”
I point a finger at him. “But if one of those reindeer takes a dump in my truck again, you’re cleaning it with your toothbrush.”
Chris just grins. “Worth it.”
Noel sighs. “This is going to be fun.”
“Probably,” I agree, feeling a reluctant spark of interest for this mysterious Omega. But beneath all the teasing, my thoughts settle into something sharper, protective.
If she’s trouble and hurts him, I’ll end it.
But if she’s worthy? God help her. Because when Chris chooses someone, he never lets go. And neither do I.
We finish up with the reindeer, making sure everyone is fed and watered. Bishop is back to headbutting Knight, but it’s half-hearted now, more habit than actual aggression. Rook has found a spot in the sun and parked himself there. Castle is already heading toward the barn, done with outdoor time.
“All right, everyone inside.” I secure the gate, double-check the lock. The barn is open if they want to go inside. It’s heated, insulated, plenty of space for all eight plus equipment. We rebuilt it two years ago specifically for them, made sure it was solid enough to handle mountain winters. “We’ve got that skip trace job tomorrow morning.”
We head back toward the house. “The bail jumper from last week who thought moving away from Idaho and to the mountains would solve his problems.”
“Right.” Chris cracks his knuckles. “We leave at five, should have him in custody by noon if the intel is good.”
We reach the house, stomping snow off our boots on the back porch. The security panel blinks green, no alerts, no attempts to breach the perimeter overnight. Inside, it’s warm, smells like the coffee Noel made at dawn.
“Adelaide is coming home for Christmas, right?” I ask Chris as we head into the kitchen.
“I think so, as she hasn’t gotten back to me to confirm.” He grabs a fresh mug, pours coffee.
“Hope she can make it. It’s been a while since she’s visited.”
“Me too.” There’s affection in his voice. “She’ll probably show up with some stray animal she rescued or a new business idea that requires funding.”
“Or a new boyfriend,” Noel suggests.
“Fuck, I hope not. The last one was an ass.”
I snort. Then we settle around the kitchen table, and Chris starts making calls while Noel pulls up maps on his laptop. I grab my own laptop, start researching petting zoo regulations and insurance requirements, because someone has to think about the boring practical shit.
We’ve been doing this for years, the three of us, working together, backing each other up. Started as kids, as we went to the same school and found each other there. Turned into a pack that works like a well-oiled machine. Bounty hunting pays the bills, gives us purpose, lets us do some actual good in the world.
