see that?” he asked.
Reid, Cormac decided, for some reason could teleport. He’d never heard of a Fae being
able to do that, but then, they weren’t supposed to be able to touch iron either.
Cormac shuddered. “Do you ever get used to him doing that?”
“No,” Graham said.
Nell ignored them. She was twitching, fighting her instincts to kill Joe and rush
off to be with Shane. Cormac gave her thigh a weak squeeze, trying to soothe her.
Nell’s face was smeared with soot, her hair wild, her neck singed by her Collar going
off. Cormac thought she’d never looked more beautiful.
“Tell me what happened in there,” Nell said to Joe in a hard voice. “How did Shane
get hurt?”
“A little homemade bomb under the kitchen counter,” Joe said. “I spotted it right
before it went off. It had a cell phone trigger—Miguel called me. The second bomb
was in my fireplace, and Shane was sitting right next to it. I guess a lot of shit
flew into him. Not my intention. My instructions were to keep Shane alive.”
“So that Miguel could kill him?” Nell’s Collar emitted three bright sparks. “I’ll
make you pay for that in so many ways, little human.”
“Settle down,” Jace said, an edge to his voice. “We can’t murder a human, much as
we want to.” He looked at Joe. “Do you have a way of getting in touch with Miguel?”
“If my cell phone isn’t fried, his number will be on it. I have another phone in my
truck—would be on that one too.”
“You’re nice and cooperative,” Jace said.
“I’m a businessman. And this deal was a bad business decision—I get that now. If you
want to take down Miguel, you go for it. He’s too crazy for me.”
Graham went in search of one of the phones while Jace continued to watch Joe. Brody
climbed into the truck bed to hunker on the other side of Nell. Surrounded by the
warmth of Cormac and her second son, Nell began to relax, a little at a time. But
her eyes still held rage and terrible fear.
“Shane’s in good hands,” Cormac said to her. “As soon as Diego and Xav are done here,
we’ll go to him.”
“I know that.” Nell gave him an impatient look. “Shane’s resilient, and Eric knows
what he’s doing. I’m worried about you, you idiot. Why did you push me away like that
and get shot?”
Cormac growled. “So I wouldn’t have to watch you be mowed down by a rifle, woman.
Why do you think?”
“I can take care of myself.”
Cormac heaved himself onto his elbows, anger giving him strength. “Don’t spout that
bullshit at me. Of course you can take care of yourself—under normal circumstances.
But don’t stand in a burning building with the Goddess knows how many more incendiary
devices in it, with a bullet coming at you, and scream,
I can take care of myself.
The bullet doesn’t care. Sometimes we can’t do it all by ourselves. Sometimes we
need other people. Doesn’t mean you’re helpless. Just means you’re alive.”
Nell blinked at him, her Shifter fury still in her brown eyes. “Since when are you
an expert at togetherness? You decided to sneak into a cabin to find a Shifter bounty
hunter who had who knew how many weapons—
by yourself.
”
“Best way at the time.”
“Well, jumping in there and dragging out your ass and Shane’s was the best way for
me.”
“You almost died!” Cormac roared, which hurt his throat like hell.
“So did you!”
“Sheesh,” Brody said, half rising, his hands up. “Could you keep it down? Explosions
give me a headache.”
“They can’t help it,” Jace said. “They’re mates. The ceremonies will be only formalities
at this point.”
“He is not my mate!” Nell shouted.
“Yes, he is,” Jace, Brody, and the bounty hunter said together.
Nell growled and snapped her mouth shut, but at least her terror had left her.
Graham returned with a phone, plus Diego and Xavier. Diego studied Joe without expression.
“Miguel,
Reid, Cormac decided, for some reason could teleport. He’d never heard of a Fae being
able to do that, but then, they weren’t supposed to be able to touch iron either.
Cormac shuddered. “Do you ever get used to him doing that?”
“No,” Graham said.
Nell ignored them. She was twitching, fighting her instincts to kill Joe and rush
off to be with Shane. Cormac gave her thigh a weak squeeze, trying to soothe her.
Nell’s face was smeared with soot, her hair wild, her neck singed by her Collar going
off. Cormac thought she’d never looked more beautiful.
“Tell me what happened in there,” Nell said to Joe in a hard voice. “How did Shane
get hurt?”
“A little homemade bomb under the kitchen counter,” Joe said. “I spotted it right
before it went off. It had a cell phone trigger—Miguel called me. The second bomb
was in my fireplace, and Shane was sitting right next to it. I guess a lot of shit
flew into him. Not my intention. My instructions were to keep Shane alive.”
“So that Miguel could kill him?” Nell’s Collar emitted three bright sparks. “I’ll
make you pay for that in so many ways, little human.”
“Settle down,” Jace said, an edge to his voice. “We can’t murder a human, much as
we want to.” He looked at Joe. “Do you have a way of getting in touch with Miguel?”
“If my cell phone isn’t fried, his number will be on it. I have another phone in my
truck—would be on that one too.”
“You’re nice and cooperative,” Jace said.
“I’m a businessman. And this deal was a bad business decision—I get that now. If you
want to take down Miguel, you go for it. He’s too crazy for me.”
Graham went in search of one of the phones while Jace continued to watch Joe. Brody
climbed into the truck bed to hunker on the other side of Nell. Surrounded by the
warmth of Cormac and her second son, Nell began to relax, a little at a time. But
her eyes still held rage and terrible fear.
“Shane’s in good hands,” Cormac said to her. “As soon as Diego and Xav are done here,
we’ll go to him.”
“I know that.” Nell gave him an impatient look. “Shane’s resilient, and Eric knows
what he’s doing. I’m worried about you, you idiot. Why did you push me away like that
and get shot?”
Cormac growled. “So I wouldn’t have to watch you be mowed down by a rifle, woman.
Why do you think?”
“I can take care of myself.”
Cormac heaved himself onto his elbows, anger giving him strength. “Don’t spout that
bullshit at me. Of course you can take care of yourself—under normal circumstances.
But don’t stand in a burning building with the Goddess knows how many more incendiary
devices in it, with a bullet coming at you, and scream,
I can take care of myself.
The bullet doesn’t care. Sometimes we can’t do it all by ourselves. Sometimes we
need other people. Doesn’t mean you’re helpless. Just means you’re alive.”
Nell blinked at him, her Shifter fury still in her brown eyes. “Since when are you
an expert at togetherness? You decided to sneak into a cabin to find a Shifter bounty
hunter who had who knew how many weapons—
by yourself.
”
“Best way at the time.”
“Well, jumping in there and dragging out your ass and Shane’s was the best way for
me.”
“You almost died!” Cormac roared, which hurt his throat like hell.
“So did you!”
“Sheesh,” Brody said, half rising, his hands up. “Could you keep it down? Explosions
give me a headache.”
“They can’t help it,” Jace said. “They’re mates. The ceremonies will be only formalities
at this point.”
“He is not my mate!” Nell shouted.
“Yes, he is,” Jace, Brody, and the bounty hunter said together.
Nell growled and snapped her mouth shut, but at least her terror had left her.
Graham returned with a phone, plus Diego and Xavier. Diego studied Joe without expression.
“Miguel,
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