Page 10 of Nugget

Did Stryker mean more to Gavin than he’d expected?

Had fate finally smiled on Gavin?

Gavin was almost afraid to find the answers he needed.

He was no coward though.

It was time for the final stage of this game that he and Stryker were playing. And there was a very good chance that Gavin was playing off a different set of rules than Stryker. Gavin was playing for keeps.

Gavin had an idea of just where his little stalker was hiding. He’d been thinking about it. Hard to think about anything else. It was time to make his nightly flight and track down his wayward boy.

Chapter Three

Stryker

If this fucker was going to mess with Stryker’s fun then Stryker would just change tactics. He didn’t need his computers. Okay, he did. Stryker really hated to be cut off from his entire lifeline. Computers were his thing and Gavin knew that.

Well, surprise-surprise, Stryker wasn’t going to let Gavin get away with anything. Staying on the opposite side of the street, Stryker watched Gavin walk into Dean’s bakery.

If Stryker was in front of his computer, he would not only be able to see inside the bakery but also hear what Gavin said to make Noah laugh. Noah was his friend first. The little familiar was hilarious and kind of a troublemaker himself. He’d also been more than happy to answer all Stryker’s questions about the paranormal world.

Pulling out his phone, Stryker texted Gavin.

One, two, I’m coming for you!

There! Let’s see what Gavin thought about that text message. Stryker had warned him that he would pay.

Inside the bakery, Gavin pulled out his cell phone and glanced at the screen. He didn’t even respond. Just said something to Noah before shoving the device into his back pocket.

Stryker growled.

That was not how to play the game. It was no fun if Gavin wasn’t a little worried about what Stryker was going to do.

He sent the next text.

Three, four, better lock the door!

Stryker smirked. He was a master thief. Sure, this expertise was more in computers, but computers also ran security systems. He’d get to Gavin then make the other man do what Stryker wanted. No more teasing!

Dean came from the back kitchen and exchanged a fist bump with Gavin. Of course Logan wasn’t far from his mate’s side.

Stryker might not understand the connection between mates, but it was obvious that there was something that drew them together. Even after Gavin was done with him, forcing Stryker to move on, Stryker was pleased with all the new information that he’d picked up from his observing of the paranormal family. No matter where Stryker ended up, he’d know what to look for when it came to spotting paranormal creatures. Not that Stryker could do that quite yet, but he was learning the quirks of a paranormal.

Maybe he’d find a nice beach house to hole up in. At least until summer was closer and those homes were utilized more.

He’d learned at an early age how to tell when a house was empty. What signs to look for, how and where to listen to conversations about upcoming vacations, and so on. Stryker might not have ever had a place of his own, but he’d only slept on the street a handful of times. Having questionable morals helped.

Living in the gray areas of life could be interesting. At least when he wasn’t being ignored. Stryker really hated being ignored. Gavin had figured Stryker out pretty well but there was no way that Gavin was aware just how close Stryker was.

Gavin had taken a mug of something, probably coffee, and sat his fine ass at a table in front of the large window. Stryker had the perfect view of Gavin but that also put him at risk of being spotted. Stryker wore his custom black utility pants, an old, faded band T-shirt, with a black cap pulled down low on his forehead. He couldn’t wear his favorite Call of Duty mask out in the open. That he had to save for video calls. The street wasn’t busy but they were in the heart of town and people both walked and drove past every few minutes.

And Gavin was still ignoring Stryker’s messages as he sat there casually sipping from his mug.

Ugh! This guy was impossible!

Stryker was reaching for his phone when one of his alerts went off. He slipped farther into the alley before he pulled his cell out and clicked his own link. Ha! Maybe Gavin didn’t want to play with him but it seemed that the private dick the RV-owning government agent had hired was finally trying to do his damn job.

“Security cameras?” Stryker muttered. He’d wiped the storage facilities cameras and had already checked that the surrounding six blocks didn’t have anything on him either. Luckily, most businesses didn’t keep footage more than a month at a time so they didn’t have to pay for extra space on their network. The private dick was just wasting time. This wasn’t even difficult! Stryker had really been hoping for a worthy opponent.

---