Page 52 of Revenge of the Blood Pack

I’m shaking again when Max reaches out and very gently touches my shoulder. I look at him, and his gaze holds mine. “We’re here. We’ll do everything we can to make this outcome different from the other one.”

Then he drops his hand and climbs out of the car.

Braxton, Trouble, and I get out too and Trouble is instantly at my side, like he can feel my terror. I reach down and slowly pet his head, some of the anxiety inside of me dissipating. But then Grim sees us and heads toward us. Max walks ahead of us to meet him. They stop, exchange a few words, and then Max hits him. And I meanhitshim, knocking him out cold on the ground. His minions run up to Max, and Braxton is gone from my side and is next to his brother, looking pissed.

I hear Braxton tell them, “Do it! I fucking dare you!” He looks angry. Angrier than I’ve ever seen him, but Max still appears calm. He says something, and the other men look irritated as they drag their buddy off.

Hesitantly, I walk up to them, Trouble still glued to my side. “What was that about?”

Max turns to me, and I can see the rage behind his carefully placed mask. “I reminded him that we’re not executioners. And that if we have another issue like last time, I’ll personally handle him.”

And the way he sayshandleis hot as fuck. I had no idea cool and calm could be so… sexy.

“Thank you.”

He nods. “It wasn’t just for you, Asha. I wouldn’t work for people who felt that was okay.”

And I swear my heart melts a little, especially because he said it wasn’tjustfor me. It’s like he’s telling me, without telling me, that it was for me. Never in my life would I have thought a man punching another man for me would leave me feeling warm inside.

“Now,” he says, straightening his cuffs, “we need to figure out what’s going on and how we can be the ones to handle your pack. You three stay close to me and don’t say a word unless necessary. Got it?”

We both salute him and then exchange a grin. I hadn’t realized Braxton was going to do it, but it felt right in the moment. Max’s amused look is all the reward we need; this saluting thing is going to be a new joke we do.

“Usthree, huh?” Braxton asks, just as Max is starting to head for the other Enforcers.

Max looks back, confused.

Braxton smiles. “I know damn well how hard you’ve been trying not to get attached to Trouble, but you have. You’re thinking of him now. You see him as one of us.”

Max lifts a brow. “I ordered a special vest for him the first day I saw how important he was to you. That doesn’t mean I’m going to baby talk him the way you do and let him lick my ice cream, but he is… one of us.”

Braxton pumps his fist, then turns excitedly to Trouble. “Hear that? You get a special outfit from Uncle Max!” Trouble excitedly jumps around and gives a few playful barks.

Max shakes his head and mumbles, “Uncle Max?” before turning and heading for the command station out here.

It’s strange. We’re here, at the brink of absolute chaos, and I feel better than I have in days. Maybe because these two arestarting to form places in my heart and my life… a heart and life that have been empty for too long. And it’s nice. I even forgot about the dark magic for a while. Even now, the whispering, the calling of the dark magic, it’s quieter.

Is that what we need to get free of it? New connections? Things to ground us to this world after all we lost?It’s something I’ll be thinking about.

We follow Max to the half-tent canopy thing they have set up. Half a dozen people are at smaller tables on laptops, and there’s one long table in the middle with papers scattered across it, another computer, and a bunch of walkie-talkies. As we walk up, the big man behind the table picks up one of them off the table and says, “Report.”

“Alpha One, no change. No access.”

“Alpha Two, no change. No access.”

Fifteen people in total report back the same thing before the big man slams down his walkie-talkie and lets off a string of curses. He runs his head over his big, bald head and glares around until his gaze connects with Max’s. Then, instant relief washes over his expression.

“Max Blackwell!” He roars Max’s name, his deep voice making everyone turn and stare. People begin to whisper as Max walks up to the table and shakes the other guy’s hand. The man turns to look at the people around him. “This is Max Blackwell. He took out the Demon Singers, the Witch Child Ring, and even the Shifter Fights. If anyone can fix this thing, it’s him!” There’s obvious relief on everyone’s faces.

Apparently, Max is an even bigger deal than I thought.

“Hi, Thomas,” Max says with a smile. “How are you doing?”

The big man seems to only have one volume, which is super loud. “Not well, son, not well at all. This whole thing is a shit storm. We’re watching humans and supernaturals alike beingslaughtered. There just doesn’t seem to be anything we can do about it.”

Max nods. “Well, we’re here to solve that issue.” He turns and gestures toward me, so I move up closer. “This is Asha of the Blood Pack. She has some unique abilities that might be able to help a small team get inside. A team which would include her, me, and Braxton here.”

Thomas’s gaze runs over me. “You said Blood Pack?”

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