Page 27 of Simon's Runaway Mate

“I’ve been following Madison. Three guesses who she’s hooked up with?”

“Who?” I snarled through the phone.

“Jarrod Makers.” Gabe dropped the name, and my blood ran cold. The Makers were trouble. At present, Benji Makers was being kept locked up by the James Pack. He’d escaped from us once before with inside help. Looked like we might have found out who had helped him.

“I’ll leave Cici here. If I leave now, I can be back in—”

“They’re not headed for Benji. I’m not a hundred percent sure where they’re going. We pulled off the highway about twenty minutes ago. Now, I’m in this small-town America, and they’re parked in front of a brick bungalow.”

Fear seized me by the throat and almost stole my breath. “Describe it to me.”

Every word out of Gabe’s mouth painted a picture I didn’t want to see.

“I’m ten minutes out,” I roared.

“How are you…?” Gabe stopped, and I knew he was connecting the dots. “It’s Cici. Why is he going after your mate?”

I waved to her dad. “I need to get to Cecilia’s. Now.”

Cain didn’t say a word. He and Leslie shared a look then he nodded toward his truck as they hurried to it. I gave Gabe orders as I moved.

“Don’t let them get to her,” I commanded. “I don’t know what they want with her.” But I did. God, I was really afraid that I did. “Madison knows she’s my mate.”

“Shit!” Gabe growled. “They’ll try to use her to get to you.”

“To get Benji. It’s about that fucking cocksucker. I wish to hell we’d let Taylor kill him when he had the chance.”

Taylor would have, too. When Makers made the mistake of attacking Taylor’s mate not once but twice, Taylor had been ready to kill him. It was Gabe and I who’d dragged Benji Makers away. Now the bastard’s father was after my mate. Did he really think I’d let that stand? That I wouldn’t rip out his fucking throat the way I had Mullins? No one threatened my woman. No one.

“Hindsight and all that. I’m heading toward the house now. I’ll do what needs to be done.” Gabe disconnected. I knew he’d protect my mate as if she were his. That was the way we were. I’d do the same for his mate when Gabe found her, and we’d both do the same for Taylor’s mate, Rebbie. We’d do it for any of the mates, but the three of us had always been more brothers. I knew Gabe would protect Cecilia, but I needed to be there.

“Five minutes,” Cain said as if he were picking up on my tension. He probably was. I wasn’t subtle about it. “Is Cici in danger again?”

God, I hated the way that sounded, as if she’d been in danger from the moment we’d met. Though in my defense, she’d already been in trouble the first time I’d laid eyes on her. I’d been the one to step in and take out the man who’d hurt her. This time, I’d get there before she was hurt. I’d protect her.

“Yes,” I finally remembered to answer. “I need you to park down the street and stay in the truck. They won’t pick up on my scent. They’ll think it’s Cecilia. I won’t let anything happen to her.”

“And if it already has?” he asked, his voice hard and cold.

“I’ll kill them.” It didn’t matter to me that Madison was a woman. She’d made her bed with the Makers, so she could share their fate. Benji Makers was a dead man walking. Soon, Hannibal and Taylor would take the rogue wolf to another pack, so they could get justice for the female he’d hurt and the one he’d killed. Jarrod Makers wasn’t walking out of Cecilia’s house alive. He’d sealed his fate when he made the choice to go after my mate. I didn’t give second chances. And Madison. Unless she was real fucking stupid, which seemed highly likely, I’d let Bas decide how to deal with her.

“I have keys.” Cain caught my attention as he parked along the road toward the back left side of Cecilia’s house. “Go around back. Hop the fence and sneak in through the back.”

Something in his tone gave me pause.

“What are you planning?” I demanded. No way could I let him put himself or Leslie in danger. They were family, and I protected family.

“I’m going to drive up and park. Then I’m going to take my time walking up to the front door, giving you and your friend plenty of time to slip inside and position yourselves.”

“We,” Leslie interjected.

Cain gave her a fierce look, which was returned with interest, until he nodded. I opened my mouth to argue, and Leslie’s gaze cut to include me. Hell. I wondered if that look worked as well on her son, but I knew it did. I had little doubt Hannibal, no matter his size and strength, would always respect his mother. I figured he’d also protect her. I could do no less.

“Give me five minutes to get in place. They’re going to know you’re a wolf,” I warned.

“I’m counting on it,” Leslie said with a smile. “They won’t know me, who I am or why I’m there. It’ll have them scrambling to decide how to react.”

I prayed she was right.

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