Page 18 of Romeo

“For what purpose?” Romeo asked.

“Well,” he said, reaching for a purple rough-cut gem, “it’s illegal to buy and sell masking chemicals like that, but we could do a search to see where people have bought them recently. The underground bazaar in Toledo is trashed, but there still is a black market for anti-shifter items. It might lead us to her, or at least to someone who might know of her, like her boss, if she really is working for someone.”

“It’s worth a shot. I’m…” His voice trailed off as awareness settled over him, his tiger on alert and his whole body reacting. To something.

“You’re what?” Tera asked.

He didn’t answer but turned slowly away from them and scanned the woods.

It was morning. Snow had fallen overnight and the flakes that had made it through the thick canopy of leaves glittered on the ground like diamonds. A light breeze ruffled the trees, but there was no scent on the wind.

“I need to go,” he said finally. Glancing at his friend, he said, “Thanks, guys.”

“You okay?” Melo asked.

He didn’t answer, just jogged away, heading toward Midas’s house.

The closer he got, the more confused his tiger was. Something was drawing them to the house, but no one was home. Midas and Maya were on their honeymoon, having left after the meeting last night, and the house wasn’t used for meetings when the ambush leaders weren’t there. So why the hell would he feel compelled to go there when there was nothing and no one around?

His tiger let out a soft growl as the house came into view. A car engine turned off and a door squeaked as it opened.

He paused for just a heartbeat as the most enticing smell reached him. Warm like cinnamon, rich like honey.

He knew it was her. He just fucking knew it.

Racing to the front of her house, he skidded to a halt in the snowy grass as he saw his mate walking up the driveway. Elation speared through him as he ran to her, closing the distance swiftly.

He caught her and pressed her against a large oak in the yard. He was half happy and half pissed.

“What are you doing here?”

She stared at him, eyes wide and mouth open. He wasn’t even sure she was breathing.

Then she gasped and started to cry.

“I don’t know! I can’t stop thinking about you.”

ChapterNine

The sun had come up way too fast, and Ashley hadn’t gotten a lick of sleep. Not even a quick snooze to refresh herself or give her addled brain a break.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw that tiger. She could still feel his hands on her, the powerful way he held her against that tree and then marched her through the woods like he was king of the world.

She hated that she’d panicked at being held captive.

And she doubly hated that she actually liked the idea of being held by him.

She couldn’t stop thinking about him, no matter how she tried to change her mind’s train of thought.

In the end, she’d gotten up and fixed a cup of coffee, then stared out the window at the empty street and tried to figure out how to help Brent take out the tigers.

She had a job and got paid well to do it. She’d never failed, and she wasn’t about to let some sexy guy derail her duties.

Right?

Shaking the doubt from her mind, she ran through what she knew about taking out shifters. In general, the simplest way to take out the tigers—or any shifter for that matter—would be to set explosives somewhere they gathered. It was messy but effective. Explosives had helped Brent get the upper hand with the wolf pack he’d taken out.

Her heart ached suddenly as she thought about the wolf alpha she’d seduced in the name of helping Brent. Oh hell no, she wasn’t getting soft on shifters just because some sexy tiger had given her the thrill of a lifetime and come crashing into her life, no matter how brief the moment had been.

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