9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Cain

N ot touching her as she stood arguing with me was torture. The flush in her cheeks from her anger and the cold had me wanting to cup them in my hands. The way she tipped her chin defiantly had my wolf itching to dominate her and remind her who she belongs to. I had to forcibly remind him that we're in hot water with her, and until we dig ourselves out, he has to chill.

Fuck, I love her fire.

Even with a contract out on her, she's fearless. Unwilling to back down. Stubborn to the core.

Once she returned to the building, I had Carter and Nyxon move ahead to the bar, I will wait for Bri to leave and follow so nothing happens in transit.

Cain: Text Ghost. Let him know she's headed to The Tam with the staff.

Dante: Quinn's texting you his burner number now so that you can be in contact.

As soon as the mind-link comes through, my phone vibrates with the number from Quinn.

Thanks Q

I text her back before adding it to my contacts and using the ghost emoji for his name.

Bri is on the move, headed to The Tam - Cain

Copy. I'll head there now.

Relief fills me as I post back up on the fire escape to watch the entrance while pulling up the directions to the bar so I know how far we need to go. It's only a mile and a half away, but it crosses over the Fort Point Channel, preventing me from shifting to run over because a wolf on a bridge would be a sight people would notice, especially in after-work traffic.

I'll have to jog it, which makes me glad I didn't wear too many layers despite the temperature. It takes a lot for me to get cold, but I'll be sweating by the time I get there. Google says it will take them about ten minutes by car, which means I should be able to tail them pretty easily with a six-minute mile pace.

A text message from Carter comes in as I close the map.

We're set. Two points of exit. Both are visible from the bar area. We have a spot at the end of the bar near the back door.

Copy. She's walking out now. Should be there in 10-15min

I snap a photo and tuck my phone into a pocket as Bri exits the building, all bundled up, following a curvy brunette a few inches shorter than her. They're laughing and head over to a silver minivan that's idling in front of the building next door.

I hadn't seen it drive up, and I'm moving before I can stop myself.

"Brielle, this is my husband…" My heart rate drowns out the rest of her statement, and I change directions as soon as I get to the other side of the street.

This is her ride. The other lady knows him.

I slow my breathing, allowing myself to return to a level of calm as they climb in and pull away. I send the picture to Pres and then call her, throwing in a Bluetooth earpiece, before beginning my jog.

"Who am I looking at?" she answers on the first ring.

"A staff member at Boston Digital. Can you run background on her and her husband for me? I have their plate," I say, finding my stride and turning where I saw the van head right as I rattle off the license plate number.

"On it," she says, and I hear her typing as she gets to work. "Why are you breathing so heavily?"

"I'm jogging behind the car in the snow," I answer.

"Well, you sound like you need to train more," she sasses.

"Thanks for the insight. As soon as my Mate is out of life-threatening situations, I will be happy to kick your ass in a training session," I respond, intentionally trying to keep my breathing controlled.

I haven't been running as much, or sleeping as much, or eating as much.

Hell, I've barely been existing, taking in any moment I could spend with her and then planning the next one like a love-sick puppy.

Which is precisely what I am.

Head over heels, stupid in love with my Mate.

"Alright, we have one Tristan Miller..." Pres interrupts my thoughts with the information as I shake my head to try and focus on the details. As I make it to the other side of the bridge, the van is still in my sights. "Both have clean records, no pack ties that I can see, and a couple of really adorable kids," she finishes.

"Thanks. I'm going to need surveillance tapped for The Tam. We're about four minutes away.

More clicking and the faint rhythm of a bass drop from her office music sound before she speaks again.

"No can do. They're old school, old school. No cameras. No internet. They don't even take virtual payments or cards. Cash only. I can do some digging on ownership, but if I were betting, this place is owned by one of us, so we're probably out of luck there, but fortunately, so is everyone else."

I make a mental note to ask Jess if she knows anything about this place when I get there.

She left from the airport to greet her old Alpha and give our regards. He knew we were coming and requested her specifically. She texted just before Bri wandered out looking for Ghost, letting me know we have two additional rooms at Carter's hotel. I told her to stand by and ensure she didn't recognize anyone in the area.

"Is there anything else I should know?" I ask Pres as I spot the dive bar ahead and see Tristan and Brielle exiting the van out front.

"Report went out today about a fire in a Boston building," she says.

"And this is relevant because…" I ask, slowing my stride as I approach.

"It seems the building belonged to Fallon Industries, a shell company for several other businesses. It hasn't existed on paper ever, and I have only heard of it from finding transcripts from the Fallon investigation run by the LLC."

"Someone torched it? Was anyone inside?" I ask, slowing my stride to finish the conversation before entering the busy bar.

"Three sets of remains were found inside. None of them have been identified yet. They are calling it an accident, faulty wiring," she adds.

"Well, keep me posted. We know at least one person with a reason to burn that organization to the ground. It sounds like he's been busy," I say, finishing the call.

Chatter assaults my ears as I enter the Tam. It's bustling with professionals just off work, and I have to intentionally breathe through my mouth to block out the mix of heavy perfumes and colognes that overpower the musty space.

I spot Bri and her friend waiting in the middle of the bar, and I work to slide behind them without attracting Bri's attention. Carefully, I move to the end of the bar and pat Carter on the back in a friendly hello so I fit in with the crowd.

He introduces me to Nyxon, and I notice how similar Nyxon looks to his sister Jess: almond-shaped eyes, inky black long hair and lashes, and golden-touched skin. He wears a skeptical expression that would instantly tell me they are related. While she leans into her petite stature and uses it to her advantage, Nyxon stands at least six inches taller than she is and leans against the bar in a way that tells me he can fight.

His weight is evenly distributed, his hands are free to move, and his back is against the wall to protect himself.

"She got here just before you did," Carter says, nodding and nursing the beer in front of him. Typically, drinking on the job would mean a lecture, but given the environment, not drinking or appearing to would stand out, so I understand his choice.

It takes us a lot more to be impaired than humans anyway with our tolerance levels.

"Anyone else drop in?" I ask, hinting at Ghost but leaving it open in case other players are in the room.

"Not yet," Carter answers before Nyxon speaks.

"Bartender is Henry. He's pack," he says quietly, nodding toward the bald, bearded man on the far end of the bar. "Charlie owns this place. Lone wolf. He has no pack ties but has been granted permission to operate since his family left him the bar. We make sure to have at least one pack member on staff to stay in the know here. I spoke with Henry, and there was some chatter about the contract last night around closing, but there has been nothing since he got on shift today."

I nod, scanning the room and watching the interactions of the patrons. My focus never strays far from Brielle, and her laugh draws my eyes back to her in time to see a man with his back to me slide a drink in front of her.

Mine.

A growl escapes my throat before I can stop it, and both Nyxon and Carter whip their heads in my direction. I grip the bar, physically holding myself in place.

"Cain?" Carter says my name slowly, trying to gauge whether I'm going to lose it, just as the man turns to speak to Tristan.

Immediately, I relax.

It's Ethan.

Usually, it wouldn't matter to me who it was; she's mine, and no one should buy her drinks, but I looked into Ethan after they spoke on the phone for her interview. Brielle is not only not his type, but he's been married to his partner, Archer, for nearly two decades.

It's part of the reason I didn't have more anxiety about her coming out here. I knew the good-looking Marketing Director wouldn't sweep her off her feet.

The tension in my shoulders releases, and I slow my heart rate just as my eyes catch Bri's.

I want to look away; I'm supposed to be out of sight, but I drink in her expression, catching the desire as it flashes before I see her fight it back.

You're still in there, Firefly.

Her cheeks flush, and her eyes drop, giving me an idea.

I pull out my phone and text her at the number she sent me before she left the office. I know she only gave it to me because she didn't have Ghost's number, but she gave it to me nonetheless.

You going to be okay to drive?

I send hoping she remembers our last text message conversation in a bar.

She glances over to the phone on the bar when it lights up, and she clicks on the screen. The smile that pulls on her lips sends butterflies dancing in my stomach, and I wonder how she will respond.

The vibration in my hand has hope building within me just as a glass breaks in the middle of the bar, pulling everyone's attention toward the sound. My eyes flash to Bri, not allowing the noise to pull my focus from her. As I scan the crowd to see if it was an intentional distraction or an accidental drop, I notice a man in a black hoodie moving through the crowd away from the commotion and right at Brielle's group. I step around Carter to cut off the man's path just as my eyes meet ice-blue ones. It takes only seconds before Ghost casually wraps an arm around the man, catching his weight as he slumps, and then turns him, quietly escorting him out of the bar. I didn't see the other man's face, but based on Ghost's reaction, he was after the contract money and was tired of waiting for an opening.

The crowd in the bar begins talking again, resetting the noise level now that the dropped drink no longer holds their focus. The large bald man behind the bar throws a dirty look at our group. Nyxon shrugs and continues his conversation with Carter.

"I'm going to check on that," I state, not elaborating further before weaving toward the front doors.

Scanning the crowd as I move, nothing out of the ordinary jumps out at me. I note that Bri's group is talking animatedly, their voices beginning to carry above the crowd as I pass, pulling her attention without even trying.

As much as my feet want to stop and turn toward her, I force my steps to continue, winking at her as I pass.

It's not until I'm out in crisp evening air that I remember the text message she sent me. I pull up my phone and open the messages, a smile splitting my face.

I may need to be rescued… know anyone who could save me?

I might know someone, but I can't guarantee you can handle him…

I send back, knowing her stubborn nature just might get me a chance to hold her tonight as I step off the curb, looking for a certain white-haired mercenary who seems to have a habit of saving my girl.