Page 32 of Brick

She gripped his wrists as tears slipped down her cheeks.

“I do trust you. I’m crazy about you, too, but I’m also crazy scared.”

“Fear is a good thing. It’s your body telling you to be ready for anything. But you can still trust me to keep you safe. And Alli with her sword.”

“She’s turning out to be a great person to have in my corner.”

“Definitely.” He kissed her once and then a second time, his wolf humming at the contact. “Let’s get this show on the road and get back home. The sooner the better.”

She nodded and they rose to their feet together and joined the others to head to Millbourne and face her demons head on. He was determined to prove he could keep her safe because failure was not an option. He was not about to lose the most important person in his life, and whatever he had to do to keep her by his side? He was damn well going to do it.

Brick scanned the oddly eerie surroundings of the abandoned drive-in movie theater. The town itself seemed deserted, not to mention the utter desolation of the drive-in, with weeds growing through the cracked asphalt and two huge rusting movie screens looming behind them.

The atmosphere was tense, the summer heat heavy in the air, and Brick couldn’t help but think it was a weird place for a meet up with a pack that clearly had violent intentions. It seemed to scream “trap,” just the sort of place a lunatic who thought he could order someone to be his mate by force would choose for a meet and greet.

Jade was shaking so badly that she was visibly trembling, so while he kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings, he held her close. Alli was next to them, sword in a sheath at her back and her whole vibe one of don’t-fuck-with-me.

They’d brought eight with them, including Alpha Adam and Solan.

A line of vehicles arrived through the only road into the drive-in. They parked away from their group, leaving a wide stretch of the parking lot between them. A dozen males got out of the vehicles, and the one in the lead was clearly the alpha. He looked so arrogant and entitled that Brick wanted to give him a good punch in the face on principle.

Dane stopped in the center of the distance between their vehicles and Adam walked up to him, with Leo and Solan flanking him.

“I’ve come for the female,” Dane said, crossing his arms.

Adam let out a low growl and then motioned behind him. Brick brought Jade forward with Alli trailing close behind, asmirk on her face that just dared someone to mess with her friend.

“You’ve had your fun,” Dane said. “It’s time to do what your alpha has ordered. You’ve been given to me in exchange for an alliance between our packs.”

Jade inhaled sharply but didn’t say anything.

Brick stood subtly in front of her. “She’s not yours, and she’s not Holloway’s property to give away.”

“This doesn’t concern you,” Dane said.

“She’s my truemate. She’s not going anywhere with you.”

“Irrelevant,” Dane said. “She’s been promised to me and I’ll take what I’m owed.” He looked at Adam. “I gave you the courtesy of meeting in neutral territory, but I didn’t come to have a conversation. Hand her over or suffer.”

Brick was two seconds away from launching himself directly at the offensive male when the sound of engines revving split the silence and vehicles rushed in from the road and surrounded them. Dark-tinted windows lowered and Brick saw the flash of a muzzle just a heartbeat before bullets started flying.

“Ambush!” Brick shouted as he pushed Jade to Alli and let out his claws and fangs. Their pack rushed to the vehicles for cover, and he hit the ground by one of the SUVs and leaned against it as the dust billowed up around them as bullets hit the ground.

“Son of a bitch,” Brick said. “Dane is fucking running away!” Maybe Brick shouldn’t have been surprised that an alpha who thought a female was some kind of package to be given away rushed through the line of cars to escape.

“Coward,” Leo snorted as he ducked another barrage of bullets.

The tires screeched as the vehicles stopped and the doors opened, males rushing from them with guns and knives.

“Who the hell are these assholes?” Alli yelled as she pulled her sword free. Jade peeked around her and caught Brick’s gaze. She was clearly freaked out but was safe, and that was all that mattered.

Brick was almost certain it was the H. A. S. group, and then someone yelled, “Die, shifters!” and he knew for sure it was them.

“Human Against Shifters,” he yelled to Alli.

“Those fuckers? Shit. All right, let’s take out the trash.” The fearless fallen angel stood, yelled a battle cry worthy of a Viking, and rushed into the battle, sword swinging.

“She’s not going to have all the fun,” Leo said to Brick. He followed Alli into battle, dodging bullets and rushing toward the males who were firing as they were the most dangerous.

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