Grounding Gracus (First Wave Book 6) by Mikayla Lane

trust this human with his life. And had before.
    Joe shook his head. “No, but if he’s here in town, he should be easy to find. Is he in a vehicle?”
    Grai nodded. “Yeah, the cabin SUV,” he said with a sigh.
    Joe picked up the phone. “Josh, ask the guys to check around town for the SUV Grai keeps at the cabin. You’ve already seen it? OK, thanks,” he said, looking at Grai as he spoke.
    Joe hung up the phone and grinned at Grai. “Looks like you’re in luck, it’s over at Blanche’s Diner. You may want to prepare yourself though, the deputies noticed it because it looks like it’s been out playing bumper cars.”
    Grai sighed and shook Joe’s hand. “Thanks Joe, I’ll try to get this cleared up quickly,” Grai said, hoping that he would.
    Joe grinned. “No problem, you let me know if you need anything, I’ll do all I can for you,” Joe said, meaning every word.
    “I will,” Grai said with a smile, hoping that he wouldn’t need to bother his friend again.
    He led the guys out of the office and down the sidewalk to Blanche’s. It didn’t take long for them to see the SUV in the parking lot, looking like it was beat all to hell. Decano whistled and laughed while Scaden turned to Grai.
    “I’m so sorry,” Scaden said, shaking his head at the scratches, dents and broken lights on the back and front of the vehicle.
    Grai walked around it, taking in the multiple impacts sites and hoping like hell that the Valendran didn’t harm anyone while wrecking the vehicle. Multiple times. Grai sighed as he rubbed a hand down his face. That SUV had been here at the cabin for years and never had a scratch. It took one Valendran to do all of this , he thought with a shake of his head. A pilot no less!
    While Niklosi laughed and took pictures with his comm, Grai headed into Blanche’s hoping to find one particular Valendran who had become a lot more to handle than he had ever expected.
    He’d barely taken a few steps into the diner when Blanche came running up to him and hugged him around the waist in happiness. Grai returned her hug and scanned the empty diner for Gracus.
    Blanche pulled away when she saw the others coming in behind him and smiled at the newcomers. “I’m Blanche, my husband Frank is in the kitchen. Any friends of Grai’s are friends of ours. Come on in and sit down, boys,” Blanche said as she led the group to a table big enough to hold them and waited until they sat down.
    “Now, how about a round of the special today, Classic Confluence?” Blanche asked with a grin at the large men and their normally hearty appetites.
    Grai looked around the table and noting the few stomach grumbles and knowing they all had missed lunch, Grai nodded his head while Blanche broke out into a smile and headed towards the kitchen calling out, “Five Classic Confluence with all the extras Frank! Grai’s here with a couple of friends!”
    Niklosi quirked an eyebrow at Grai while Amun looked at him quizzically. Grai just shook his head. “Trust me, if this is going where I think it is, you’ll be grateful for the food,” Grai said cryptically as he contacted Traze through the Shengari’ to get things ready for them.
    Scaden was getting ready to ask Grai to explain when Blanche returned to the table with a tray full of sodas and water. As she handed them out to the men, Grai asked, “Have you seen one of my men lately? His name is Gracus.” Grai showed her a pic of Gracus on his comm.
    Blanche finished setting down the last glass and turned to look at the picture on his comm and gave Grai with a brilliant smile. “Oh my yes! He’s the one that our Becca saved at the river. I could hear in her voice when she called it in that she was captivated by him, so when he came in looking for her and knowing he was one of your guys… I just had to help him,” Blanche said proudly, her smile not faltering when several of the men cursed.
    Grai hushed everyone with a scathing look before he turned to Blanche and