hopped a cab. I’ve got a plate number for you.”
Xander examined the paper Chago handed him before passing it off to Wyck. “Good. Maybe we can get a location on him.”
Wyck grabbed the note. “What’s the cab company?”
“Checker,” Chago said as he pulled up a chair from a nearby table.
“How’s life on the ranch, mate?” Wyck asked.
Chago glanced at Wyck’s ice cream moustache and chuckled. “
Bueno.
”
While the warriors reminisced, Kagan scooted closer to Mira to accommodate their new arrival. His thigh brushed hers, and she jumped at the frisson of awareness caused by the brief contact. His hand moved to her knee. Mira coughed to cover her startled gasp. Maybe small talk wasn’t a bad idea. “Where’s your ranch, Chago?”
The warrior didn’t respond. Instead, he assessed her with his disturbing, icy blue gaze. Mira looked away. His seeming rejection stung worse than she’d imagined. The guy’s hulking size was intimidating, yet she saw a spark of something in his frosty demeanor, a glimmer of her own despair in his tough shell, and she wanted to know why.
“Chago’s not a big talker,” Xander said, smiling. “In his off-ranch time, he’s our warfare expert. You need something annihilated, Chago’s your guy.” He ignored his subordinate’s frosty glare and continued. “His ranch is near Butte, Montana.”
“Sounds nice.” Mira gave Chago a wary smile across the table.
Chago blinked and turned his attention to Kagan, his words layered with a heavy Spanish inflection. “Your mission goes well,
si
?”
Kagan stuffed a few fries in his mouth before answering. “
Si
, but would be better if Argus was dead.”
“Any guesses on his destination, Chay?” Xander asked.
“He came out with a briefcase. Fully loaded by the looks of it.”
“We need to find out what’s inside.” Xander stood. “This might require some urban exploration.”
“Wicked.” Wyck said, his tone deadpan. His phone buzzed, and he read the message with a chuckle. “Got a text from the rest of the chaps. They’re alerted, if we need them. And by alerted I mean sitting on a beach in Hawaii. Barron made the finals in a surfing contest.”
“Fabulous,” Xander said, seemingly unimpressed as he shrugged on his coat. “Time for my daily report in with the boss. Chago, you staying to help?”
“
Si
.” Chago snagged a couple fries off Mira’s abandoned plate.
“What’s urban exploration?” Mira whispered to Kagan.
“Illegal.” Kagan grinned.
Xander glanced at his watch. “I’ll catch up with you guys later. And please be careful with the humans.”
Three warriors answered in unison, “Sure thing.” Xander turned up his collar and disappeared into the crowds.
“Ready?” Chago rose to tower above the group.
Wyck nodded and looked across the table at Kagan. “See you in a few?”
“
Si
.” Kagan leaned back in his chair.
Wyck winked at Zoe. “How about you, darling?”
At Mira’s nod, Zoe rose and dumped her trash into a nearby container. “Ready.”
Mira started to get up. Kagan caught her arm and she froze. His booted foot rubbed her shin, and his quiet voice caressed her ear. “We’ll join them soon,
piccola
.”
She met Zoe’s gaze and formed what she hoped was a reassuring smile. The three took off across the food court to huddle around a service entrance on the opposite side of the patio. Wyck fiddled with the security keypad, and moments later the door sprang open. They disappeared inside and Mira’s stomach twisted.
“What’s going on, Kagan?” Mira turned to find him far too close. Her courage tumbled to her feet.
Kagan smiled, leaning forward when she retreated. With a chuckle, he stood and grabbed his coat. “C’mon,
piccola
. Time for urban exploring.”
He led her to the same service door the others had disappeared through. After a quick recon of the area, Kagan shoved a tiny wireless device into his ear and whispered, “We’re in
Xander examined the paper Chago handed him before passing it off to Wyck. “Good. Maybe we can get a location on him.”
Wyck grabbed the note. “What’s the cab company?”
“Checker,” Chago said as he pulled up a chair from a nearby table.
“How’s life on the ranch, mate?” Wyck asked.
Chago glanced at Wyck’s ice cream moustache and chuckled. “
Bueno.
”
While the warriors reminisced, Kagan scooted closer to Mira to accommodate their new arrival. His thigh brushed hers, and she jumped at the frisson of awareness caused by the brief contact. His hand moved to her knee. Mira coughed to cover her startled gasp. Maybe small talk wasn’t a bad idea. “Where’s your ranch, Chago?”
The warrior didn’t respond. Instead, he assessed her with his disturbing, icy blue gaze. Mira looked away. His seeming rejection stung worse than she’d imagined. The guy’s hulking size was intimidating, yet she saw a spark of something in his frosty demeanor, a glimmer of her own despair in his tough shell, and she wanted to know why.
“Chago’s not a big talker,” Xander said, smiling. “In his off-ranch time, he’s our warfare expert. You need something annihilated, Chago’s your guy.” He ignored his subordinate’s frosty glare and continued. “His ranch is near Butte, Montana.”
“Sounds nice.” Mira gave Chago a wary smile across the table.
Chago blinked and turned his attention to Kagan, his words layered with a heavy Spanish inflection. “Your mission goes well,
si
?”
Kagan stuffed a few fries in his mouth before answering. “
Si
, but would be better if Argus was dead.”
“Any guesses on his destination, Chay?” Xander asked.
“He came out with a briefcase. Fully loaded by the looks of it.”
“We need to find out what’s inside.” Xander stood. “This might require some urban exploration.”
“Wicked.” Wyck said, his tone deadpan. His phone buzzed, and he read the message with a chuckle. “Got a text from the rest of the chaps. They’re alerted, if we need them. And by alerted I mean sitting on a beach in Hawaii. Barron made the finals in a surfing contest.”
“Fabulous,” Xander said, seemingly unimpressed as he shrugged on his coat. “Time for my daily report in with the boss. Chago, you staying to help?”
“
Si
.” Chago snagged a couple fries off Mira’s abandoned plate.
“What’s urban exploration?” Mira whispered to Kagan.
“Illegal.” Kagan grinned.
Xander glanced at his watch. “I’ll catch up with you guys later. And please be careful with the humans.”
Three warriors answered in unison, “Sure thing.” Xander turned up his collar and disappeared into the crowds.
“Ready?” Chago rose to tower above the group.
Wyck nodded and looked across the table at Kagan. “See you in a few?”
“
Si
.” Kagan leaned back in his chair.
Wyck winked at Zoe. “How about you, darling?”
At Mira’s nod, Zoe rose and dumped her trash into a nearby container. “Ready.”
Mira started to get up. Kagan caught her arm and she froze. His booted foot rubbed her shin, and his quiet voice caressed her ear. “We’ll join them soon,
piccola
.”
She met Zoe’s gaze and formed what she hoped was a reassuring smile. The three took off across the food court to huddle around a service entrance on the opposite side of the patio. Wyck fiddled with the security keypad, and moments later the door sprang open. They disappeared inside and Mira’s stomach twisted.
“What’s going on, Kagan?” Mira turned to find him far too close. Her courage tumbled to her feet.
Kagan smiled, leaning forward when she retreated. With a chuckle, he stood and grabbed his coat. “C’mon,
piccola
. Time for urban exploring.”
He led her to the same service door the others had disappeared through. After a quick recon of the area, Kagan shoved a tiny wireless device into his ear and whispered, “We’re in
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