Page 5 of Honey Heat
“That’s what I was thinking.” Lucio pocketed his phone. “I’m heading back to Sin’s to show him.”
“I’ll come with you,” Chopper said. “Nothing more we can do here anyway.”
Outside, more pack members were arriving, securing the perimeter and continuing the search. Lucio briefed them quickly before mounting his bike, Chopper following suit.
The ride back to Sin & Steel felt longer than usual, the weight of what they’d discovered pressing down on Lucio’s shoulders. Someone was hunting shifters again, experimenting on them, and now they had a face to put to the threat.
As they pulled into the parking lot of Sin’s, Lucio spotted Matias’s motorcycle already there, along with an unfamiliar pickup.
“Might be Boone’s,” Chopper noted, cutting his engine.
Lucio nodded, a knot forming in his stomach. Relations with the bear clan had always been cordial, but distant. Finding one of Boone’s bears drugged and experimented on in wolf territory could change that fast.
Inside Sin’s, the usual afternoon crowd had been cleared out, leaving only pack members scattered around tables. At the far end of the bar, Matias sat with a massive man whose presence seemed to fill the room despite his relaxed posture.
Boone was exactly as Lucio remembered. Tall, broad-shouldered, with eyes that missed nothing. The bear alpha wore simple clothes, jeans, boots, and a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up, but carried himself with unmistakable authority.
As Lucio approached, both alphas looked up.
“Found something you should see,” Lucio said, pulling out his phone and bringing up the images. He passed it to Matias, who studied them with Boone looking over his shoulder.
Cesar brought out plates of food, setting them on the table. When he saw the man in the suit, his expression darkened. “Son of a bitch.”
“You know him?” Matias asked.
Cesar nodded slowly, anger radiating from him in almost palpable waves. “That’s the guy from the alley. The hyena who had two pack members with him.” He glanced around then shouted, “Luca, come here.”
The mechanic walked over, his elegido by his side. “What’s going on?”
“Recognize this guy from the shootout on Hawk’s Landing?”
Luca examined the photo. “Tough to say. Only caught glimpses that day.” Darcy leaned against him, his hand wrapped around Luca’s arm.
“That’s one of the men who threatened me that day, when I was dog walking. The one who chased me into the park,” Darcy said, his voice trembling. “I’ll never forget those cold, flat eyes.”
It appeared that more than one person had seen this guy, but they still couldn’t put a name to his face. Lucio felt an intense urge to get back to Ethan.
Chapter Two
Awareness returned in fragments, like puzzle pieces scattered across Ethan’s consciousness. A steady beeping sound pulsed nearby, matching the throbbing in his head. The scent was wrong. Instead of rust and mildew, Ethan smelled antiseptic, like the inside of a hospital. And was that coffee mixed with it?
Where am I?
His eyelids felt glued together, too heavy to lift, requiring actual effort to pry them open. Blinking slowly, he tried to focus on the blurry shapes surrounding him, but nothing would stay still.
Gradually, the room came into focus. White ceiling. Gray walls. Fuzzy outlines of medical equipment. Nothing made sense.
When he tried to move, pain shot through his ribs, forcing a gasp from his dry lips. He blinked several times, willing the room to stop spinning.
“Take it easy,” a deep voice said from somewhere to his right.
Ethan turned his head, wincing at the stiffness in his neck. A handsome face swam into his field of vision. Broad shoulders, dark hair, and eyes that were watching him intently. Not one of them. Not one of the men who’d hurt him.
“Welcome back,” the stranger said, his voice carrying a slight accent. The guy had bags under his dark eyes, appearing… hung over? Ethan had seen that look in many clan members, barely awake but functioning.
Ethan tried to speak, but his throat felt like sandpaper. A weak croak emerged instead of words.
“Take it easy,” the man repeated, leaning forward. “I’m Lucio Alcaraz. We spoke briefly before you passed out again.”
