Page 66 of Tempest

Cash tensed beneath him. "We're grateful for any help?—"

Nero cut him off, eyes locked on Nico. "Considering that Dare and I are equal to about six of you, I'd say it's about fair, especially since he provided the plane and financial support as well."

"The two of you are worth six of us,” Nico repeated, an incredulous smile on his face. "How do you figure?"

Nero leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees and cocking his head to the side. All of his good humor and smiles had disappeared. What was left behind was a beautiful but deadly predator.

"Because the two of us aren't afraid to kill someone. That's what we train for. Not to win a fight, but to end it. Permanently. Your hesitation makes you weak."

"That's enough,” Liam said firmly, shooting Nero a frown before turning to the Kincaid Pack members. "Please ignore him. My brother tends not to put an emphasis on manners, but we are very appreciative of your help."

Nico kept his eyes on Nero for a long moment and then relaxed back in his seat, turning to Liam. He waved a hand. "Yeah, of course.”

“I'm also grateful that Rick let me cash in my favor on this,” Liam said, face solemn. "You let him know we're square now.”

Nico scoffed. "Nah, brother, this is a freebie."

Liam's eyebrows twitched. "Excuse me?"

"You did something very personal for me and my mate., and Rick promised a favor in return, but this isn't for that."

Liam glanced at Cash, who was on one side of him, and then Saint, sitting on the other, before turning back to Nico. "I just assumed it was."

"No. This is because it's what's best for the parahuman community," Marcus said, looking up from his phone. “Ore’s parents mentioned they couldn’t risk contacting us, worried they were being watched and spied on. I think I’ll suggest to Alpha Kincaid that we set up an encrypted messaging system.”

“That’s a great idea, cariño,” his mate said, caressing the side of his neck and drawing Ore’s eyes to the bonding bite there.

How on earth…

"Exactly,” Nico agreed. "It’s for the good of everyone. When you need a personal favor, that's when you can cash in your chit. Got it?"

Liam smiled. "Got it."

Ore was a little surprised that when they landed at the private airport, there were enough black SUVs waiting for all fifteen of them.

Cash looked at Liam. "Your brother?"

"When I suggested we could just use a rideshare, he laughed at me and told me it was a good thing I had my looks since I wasn't so bright,” Liam told him dryly, shaking his head.

Ore slapped a hand over his mouth to suppress a giggle. He was both curious and terrified at the idea of meeting Liam's brother one day. The other Alpha Amato seemed like he wasquite the character. Definitely dangerous, but also generous, especially when it came to his younger brother.

They loaded into the SUVs, making sure everyone had the location of the pack, and then set off. He and Cash were in one with Nero, Dare, and Saint. Liam had jumped into the back of the one the Silver Oak betas had claimed, and then the Kincaid Pack members had split into the remaining two.

"Have you remembered anything else?” Saint asked him as soon as they were moving.

"Not since I told you everything I could remember a few hours ago,” he said wryly.

Fern had explained to him that he remembered his family first because they meant so much to him. The connection was the strongest. He'd assumed he would then start remembering his packmates, alpha, and the place he'd lived most of his life.

He did remember some things, but others were still big blanks. He had a vague recollection of what his alpha looked like, but most of the rest of the pack, he couldn't at all. But he could remember his fear as he’d fled, desperate to get away from Gladstone before he… forced the issue.

Most of the rest was still frustratingly blank.

Saint slapped him on the knee, giving it a quick shake before letting go as Cash growled at him. "Don't worry. Your parents gave us the layout of the territory and your alpha's house, so we should be okay."

"Plus, we do have the advantage of surprise,” Nero chirped from the front seat, twisting around to grin at them.

"They have to know we'd come for Ore's sisters,” Cash said, frowning. "When his parents stayed instead of going back with Gladstone, they had to assume we'd do something to get the girls back."

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