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“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll find a way to make it work.”
Even if he looked confident, she just couldn’t wrap her mind around how he expected it to be successful. Their whole plan relied on the villains accepting the staged evidence without question. “Just promise me that you’ll come back.”
“I will. I’ll come back to you, no matter what else happens.”Zeven turned to his brother. “I take it you’ll be following us?”
“You take it right. After your act, Harley will abandon her bike and she will return here with me.”
“Harley, you’ll have to chase me to the onramp we talked about. That’s where the crash will happen. That’s where I’ll take the bike.” Just like that Zeven gave her a last squeeze and walked out the door.
She grabbed the rest of their bags and followed only to be dragged to a stop at the door. Deven tore the handles from her grip and growled, “He has a chance. Don’t fuck it up for him.”
She turned on him then. “Why would I? What would I get from the two of you being at odds?” She yanked her arm free and pulled on Zeven’s leather jacket. “I can see you halfway want to see him dead. You more than half want to be the one to kill him. I don’t know what your problem is, but your brother is my mate, and I will fight for him.” When had the term “mate” become part of her vocabulary? Why did it sound so damn right?
Deven didn’t answer, just held the door open for her.
She bolted and mounted her bike, following Zeven out of the lot. She ignored the trailing black sedan and focused her attention on the chase ahead. As Zeven increased the pace, she did too and soon they were weaving between traffic toward the ramp. The idea was to be visible right up to the fiery crash. And it all had to happen fast if Zeven was going to have enough time to see the client and get back to the motel.
In less than ten minutes Zeven floored the Charger and she swerved off in time to watch it crash through the rails and disappear from sight. She barely glimpsed Zeven rolling free before the explosion blew, so powerful it threw her from the bike and blinded her with white spots.
She stumbled and jerked aside from the impending rush of skidding tires and the smell of the rubber burned against the cement. Then arms lifted and shoved her inside a vehicle. “I got you.”
For a second it sounded like Zeven, but the scent was wrong. His smell was a darker fragrance. Deven smelled more like a city, while Zeven was still the desert.
She blinked away at the blurriness and tried to see Zeven. He was out there somewhere. She heard her bike rev then he flew past them heading out to finish his part in the charade.
“Good luck.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Zeven heard the whisper in his mind and clutched it close to his heart. Damn, this was one thing hewasn’tgoing to fuck up. He’d fix Harley’s life and come back to her. Then they could decide together what would be next.
But what the hell was he going to do about his brother? Dammit, his brother was alive. It was amazing and terrifying. Never mind that the bastard was here to kill him. The simple fact that he existed, that he’d somehow survived… was nothing short of a miracle. Once this was all settled, they’d find a way to come to terms.
Had Deven fared any better outside the clan? Had he found a family? Or at least a purpose with the agency he was with?
His brother had offered that option, that future. Could he take it? If he did, what would that mean for Harley and their future together? He knew her, loved her, would bind his life to her forever. But did that leave any room for a newfound brother? Or the kind of career change Deven suggested?
The estate gates were open when he reached them. That sent his instincts on high alert. Why the fuck would they be hanging open at nearly ten o’clock at night? The guard house should have been secure. The estate was supervised by Donnelly himself.
He pulled the bike around the circle, kicked the kickstand down and headed for the entrance to the main house. He did a check on his weapons on the way to be sure he could handle whatever he had to.
Jack Donnelly opened the door and stepped back, waving him inside. The bastard turned his back on Zeven and led the way to his office.
Shit, something was definitely up. The human was acting strange and there was no staff around, not even the maid. He scented the air…wolves. Dammit. The place was overloaded with the stink of other werewolves. Dozens at least, perhaps as many as a hundred. A second long draw of air confirmed they were still here even if not a single one was visible.
Donnelly casually leaned against the edge of his desk. He swept up a small envelope and tapped it lightly against his thigh. “I’ve been waiting for you to come.”
“You knew I would, once I finished the job.” This new confident version of the human was irritating him and his wolf. It didn’t make sense. Why was he so sure of himself? Was it just because of the army of wolves waiting for his call?
“And it’s finished?” the human asked.
“It is. The threat has been neutralized. The evidence destroyed.” Although he’d come prepared to lie through his teeth if needed, so far it was all technically true.
“Pardon my doubts but this has not been typical of your reputation.” Donnelly stopped tapping the envelope. “I would appreciate an explanation.”
He shrugged. If he wouldn’t accept the truth, then it was time to try the lie. “The woman was a tempting piece. I kept her to chew on for a while, perhaps a little longer than I should have but that shouldn’t matter to you. Hand over my fee so I can leave.” The words even sounded idiotic to his ears.
The human stared at him with a weird smirk. “I’m sure you’ll get what you deserve. Considering the circumstances, I will need more confirmation than your word.”
