Page 34 of Targeted By Temptation
Go to him. He’s scared.
Gods, I hated this life. Being part of a large family, a pack, and a shifter community had many advantages, but in this moment, being a loner looked pretty appealing. I could whisk Reign away and there’d be no one to tell me I was being selfish.
“Yes.” Though I couldn’t touch him, I needed to get closer, so I ran rings around him until my wolf told me he was dizzy, but I kept jogging in circles. “You're the bravest person I know. You're going to walk in there, do what needs to be done, and walk out. And I'll be waiting with open arms.”
He sniffed the air as if scenting me. “Promise?”
“I promise.” I made a heart sign with my fingers, and he did the same. “Remember, the work order is in the pocket of your uniform. You go to the ventilation system on the third floor. Calloway's office is at the east end. Room 304.”
“Room 304,” he echoed.
My eyes were wet as he waved and traipsed down the street. I waited until he went inside and crossed the road so I’d see the lights go on in his apartment. And when they did, they reminded me of beacons, leading people to safety.
Not wanting to meet my brothers yet, I wandered along the street staring into shop windows and stamping in puddles from the recent rain. The bars were busy, but I needed to keep a clear head, not that alcohol affected me as it did humans.
This is wrong. I hate what you’ve done.
It was rare for my beast and me to be at odds. He was thinking with his heart, not his head, and I wished I could do that too.
A reminder on my phone told me I had to get to the meetup point. My brothers and I, along with members of the Stravon pack, were taking up our places in Calloway’s neighborhood.
“Is he ready?” Boaz eyed my swollen lids and tear-stained cheeks.
“As ready as he'll ever be.” I didn’t intend to sound bitter but was certain I did. I couldn’t help it.
“This isn't your fault.” Lake nudged me.
“It is. I’m the one who agreed to train him and who said he could do this.”
“We all agreed,” Thiago reminded me. “Because Calloway is a threat who won't go away on its own.”
“That doesn’t make it easier.”
Boaz reminded us to get into our positions. “We need to be in place by dawn.”
We'd studied the area around Calloway's building. There was a bar two blocks north, and Thiago and Riggs would be there, nursing their drinks and playing pool. There was a bakery across the street that was already open at this early hour. Lake and Maynard would buy baked goods and eat them in the store. Archer was going to hang out at a bus stop with a view of the building entrance, and Boaz would be in his car three blocks away. Other Stravon pack members were scattered throughout the neighborhood.
Maynard handed me tattered clothing, and I changed in Boaz’s car because I was taking the place of the homeless guy on the street. We’d taken the actual homeless guy who lived around here to a shelter, and Viktor promised he’d find him a permanent place to live.
I had a gun hidden in the huge trench coat I was wearing, and I’d use it with anyone messing with my mate. The gun we’d given Reign was buried deep in his maintenance bag.
If we got too close, Calloway would sense us, and everything would fall apart. But we could watch, and if Reign needed us, we'd be there in seconds.
“Is everyone clear on the plan?” Boaz asked.
We all nodded.
I had a smartwatch hidden in my pocket, and I’d use it to track the Airtag. If it started moving erratically or if it stopped, I’d be going in. It was my lifeline to Reign.
The pavement was hard and cold, and the flimsy blanket beneath my butt offered no comfort. But even if I’d been splayed out on a luxurious mattress, I’d have been anxious.
“He'll be okay.” Lake appeared, offering the “homeless guy” a coffee and tossing coins in the empty cup at my feet.
My mate shouldn’t have been facing down a killer, but he was counting on us, and I’d be watching that little dot every step of the way.
18
REIGN
