by Fel Fern
He nodded. “I should get to work. My mark will be doing his routines soon.”
He rose to his feet, about to walk to the door when Jackal called his name again. Eric turned, swallowing as Jackal gave him a once-over. His skin crawled with revulsion. God help him but he knew that look, because Nolan and his buddies looked at their next victim that way, except Jackal was subtler. A monster in silk.
The way Jackal looked at him was so different from the way Grover did. Grover looked at him like he was the most precious thing in the world to him, but Jackal saw him nothing more than a disposable plaything. He’d heard Jackal took pets, and eventually he got bored with all of them.
“You know, Eric. You and your brother, needn’t make things so hard on yourselves. You can both be my pets. I’ll take good care of you,” Jackal whispered in a desire-stricken voice.
He suppressed the urge to shudder in horror. Instead, Eric schooled his face to a carefully blank mask. “I’ll think about it.”
“Don’t make me wait long.”
Once Eric exited Jackal’s office, he bolted out of there as fast as he could, ignoring the jarring sound of Nolan’s mocking laugh.
Chapter Seven
“Wake up, Evan,” he said in a low voice, careful not to wake their neighbors.
Bleary brown eyes met his. “Eric? What happened? Are you all right? How did your meeting with Jackal go?”
“No time to explain. We need to leave.” Eric had relied on all of his acting skills to pull off the performance of a lifetime.
After his meeting with Jackal, he’d noticed the enforcers monitoring him closely. He pretended to chat with his neighbors, and asked around about co-op jobs. Eric basically pretended he was intent on delivering his promise to Jackal about meeting the rest of his quota. Eventually, the enforcers lost their interest and found other things to amuse them, but he knew Nolan still kept an eye on him.
Thankfully, after the next group of thieves were scheduled to head out, all of the enforcers had other duties.
“Leave? Where are we going?”
Eric took out his phone. When he sent Grover a text asking for help, he didn’t expect the jaguar shifter to reply. Half an hour later, he received a reply. One of Grover’s friends must have texted for him. He received instructions to meet at a bar in town.
“Can you stand?” he asked Evan, who wisely seemed to sense something wasn’t right and stopped asking him questions.
“Yeah. My head’s still a little foggy,” Evan admitted.
“That’s fine. Put on a jacket. It’s a chilly night.” Eric grabbed the emergency backpack under the blankets. He’d had it packed for months, knowing one day, they were going to run. “I paid Boone to cause a commotion. Wait.”
The sound of Boone arguing with Nolan drew most of the other thieves out of their hiding places. There wasn’t much entertainment there. He nudged his brother.
“We’ll pretend to be curious, too, but we’ll slip out the back door, okay?” Eric glanced at the others. No one paid them any attention. “Raise your hood up.”
He did the same.
Evan bit his lip. He looked like he wanted to argue but nodded instead. Evan was smart enough to know they weren’t in the clear yet. He tugged his brother along, joining others who were nearing the entrance where Boone and Nolan yelled obscenities. Jackal had gone out on a meeting, which was convenient. Otherwise, Boone wouldn’t have done anything, no matter how much cash he dangled.
“That bitch is mine.” Nolan snarled and Eric saw they were fighting over the redhead pet he’d seen earlier.
“Mine now, unless you want to find out what it’s like fighting with a wolf,” Boone replied.
Even the other enforcers were there, yelling at Nolan and Boone to cut it out. Seeing the back door unguarded, he didn’t hesitate. Tugging his brother with him, he edged toward the door, heart racing. Usually, even the back door and entrance to the warehouse was guarded. Jackal monitored who clocked in and out. Expecting to be caught any moment, he tentatively turned the doorknob.
Snarls filled the warehouse, meaning Boone and Nolan might have gotten tired of words and started some kind of dominance fight in animal form. Perfect. One step. Two. They were outside, but he couldn’t relax yet.
The back door led to an alleyway. He started a quick jog, making sure Evan could keep up. They emerged at the back alley of a bunch of abandoned buildings. Well, not exactly. Other homeless folk took residence here, some human and others supernatural, but none of them dared to touch any member of Jackal’s men.
He turned his head, panicked to see Evan catching his breath. Eric checked his watch. “Evan, we need to keep going to reach the bus stop. Next one arrives in five minutes. Can you go on?”
“Eric, what are we doing? Jackal’s going to kill us if he finds out, or worse,” Evan whispered.
“I have friends who’ll keep us safe.” Okay, a bold statement. He was sure Grover was still mad at him for leaving without a word, but Grover hadn’t ignored his text, and he knew Grover’s old military buddies were also living in town.
Given the choice, he wanted to keep Grover out of his mess, but he had no choice. He’d beg Grover for cash, enough so he and Evan could leave town. From there, they’d somehow find somewhere else to live. Grover needn’t worry about Jackal coming after him. It chilled him, to come to that conclusion, but there was no other way.
Evan wasn’t I. Evan would know what Jackal’s look had meant, how precarious their situation was.
“Are you sure you can trust these guys?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s run then.”
They reached the bus stop and fell in line with the rest of folks wanting to get on. Eric found them a seat at the back, but once seated, he kept looking out the windows, scared one of the enforcers would be following them.
No one was there but he heard a crow cawing. He suppressed a shiver. Eric had to be strong for Evan, for both of them, because it took more from him than he realized, attempting this escape.
It was so unlike him to not have a backup plan, to be so reckless, but he had a feeling Jackal wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. Thinking of Evan at the mercy of that psychopath made him shudder. No way that was happening. Jackal had to walk over his dead body first.
“Is this friend the guy who spoke to you two nights ago?” Evan asked once the bus started rolling. Two more stops and it would be out of the area Jackal considered his territory and start for the main town area, to where Grover was.
“Yeah, his name is Grover.” To relax, he started telling Evan about Grover. He kept the more intimate details to himself, but he saw Evan looking intrigued, curious. At least, Evan didn’t remind him of the danger he was putting Grover and his friends in.
“Can we really break free from Jackal?” Evan finally whispered.
“We can. We will.”
“Even if that means not seeing your jaguar again?”
His tabby cat whimpered inside him in protest. It didn’t want to leave Grover, especially since they’d just found each other, but the cat understood family loyalty. He couldn’t give Evan his answer, but thankfully, the bus reached their stop. They got down with Eric shouldering the pack containing their essentials over his shoulders.
A crow cawed from somewhere and he shivered. It was probably nothing. There were crows everywhere.
Waiting for them at the stop was Grover, and the jaguar shifter looked mad as hell. Grover wore a casual shirt today and a pair of jeans. The jaguar shifter had on his usual shades, and Pancake stood off to the side on a leash.
Closing the distance between them, he let out a breath when Grover grabbed his arm. He expected an angry confrontation, even some physical violence. Instead, Grover pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, fisted his hair, and slammed his lips over his. He luxuriated in the familiar taste and comfort of his mate before remembering his real purpose. Lingering in town wasn’t an option. Once Jackal returned to Sanctuary, he’d know his best bo
ys were gone.
“You have a lot to explain,” Grover said, withdrawing from the kiss.
“Yes,” he whispered. His soul bled at what he had to do.
Someone politely coughed behind him. Evan.
Blushing, he cleared his throat. He glanced at his brother and saw Evan’s look of surprise at their kiss. He also saw the stiff way his brother stood. It was probably because Evan had had negative experiences with dominant shifters because of the enforcers back at Sanctuary, and Grover’s muscles and ink didn’t exactly scream harmless. “Grove, this is my brother, Evan. Evan, this is Grover.”
Pancake let out a bark, as if to remind Eric not to forget him.
“And Pancake,” he added.
The dog wagged his tail and Evan relaxed a little, even smiling. “Nice to meet you. Can I pet his head?”
“Sure.”
“Hey, boy. Aren’t you the cutest little puppy?” Evan crooned.
At least Pancake distracted Evan enough so Evan could think of something other than fear for a change. A large man with short white-blond hair and glacial blue eyes walked out of the convenience store behind the bus stop. His tabby cat warned him this man was another predatory feline, a tiger, but Grover didn’t look worried.
“Hey, these the little cats?” the blond guy asked.
“This is Eric and Evan,” Grover confirmed. “This is Mike, one of the former guys in my unit. The rest of them are at the bar a street away. They agreed to help, whatever trouble you guys are in.”
“Thank you,” he whispered, meaning it. Feeling foolish but needing the comfort, he reached out tentatively to brush his fingers against Grover’s free hand, relieved when Grover closed his hand around his.
“This way,” Mike said, then frowned. “Grover said you guys were running away, is that all of your belongings?”
“What is?” Grover asked, tilting his head.
“A single backpack,” Eric explained. “It’s an emergency pack I kept under the bed. It’s all the essentials we need.”
He could tell his jaguar shifter burned with questions, but at least Grover hadn’t pushed yet. It didn’t matter, because pretty soon Grover would have all the answers he needed. Eric just prayed Grover wouldn’t hate him after for all the wrong decisions he’d made.
Chapter Eight
Mike led the way. They passed by tourist and antique shops. Most of the time, Eric saw the town as a huge hunting ground for potential marks. He realized that was how Jackal had trained all of them to see Cherry Hill. A couple of kids ran past them, laughing, their moms chatting amiably behind them. He realized this was actually a nice little town he could see himself settling down in with a mate and—no.
That wasn’t an option, for guys like him who preyed on the weak and unsuspecting, emptying their pockets like scavengers. Most days, he refused to think about the consequences of his actions. He stole so he and his brother could survive, and when he realized they’d fallen deep into the system Jackal had created, it was too hard to claw their way out.
“What’s wrong?” Grover asked him in a quiet voice, rubbing the pulse at his wrist.
He swallowed, aware his mate could read him like a book and expose the vulnerable parts of him. With Grover, he felt safe, complete. Hard to believe that moments ago, he’d been so terrified, panicked.
“Here we are,” Mike said, nodding to a tiny bar sandwiched between an independent bookstore and an antique shop that specialized in clocks.
Eric would have never noticed the place if Mike had never pointed it out. The sign read “Horny Raccoon.” Mike ushered all of them in. Despite being late afternoon, the bar had a couple of patrons, most of them, his cat confirmed, weren’t human. A couple gave Evan and him curious looks but ignored them after Mike told them to mind their own business.
Mike led them to a booth in the back that sat six. Two other dominant shifters occupied the booth—a tall, muscled, black-hair and green-eyed man in his thirties and another, younger man with gray eyes and bronze-colored hair. He felt Evan stiffen again beside him but didn’t blame his brother, because no matter how you looked at it, these men screamed dangerous, and so did the beasts inside of them.
“That’s Abram, our former commander. That’s Dusty,” Mike introduced.
“Don’t worry, little cats, we don’t bite,” Dusty said, smiling with a show of teeth.
Evan moved closer to Eric.
“Dusty, enough. You’re not helping,” Abram said, along with a couple of gestures. Sign language, Eric realized.
“Want something to drink?” Grover asked him. The jaguar shifter stood by his side, shoulder-to-shoulder, so close to touching, and all Eric wanted to do was rub his head over Grover’s shoulder. Maybe they could go somewhere quiet and Grover could caress him until he calmed down completely.
Shit. It was happening again. Grover shouldn’t affect him this much, but the big jaguar always did. Thank God he found his tongue. “A beer for me, soda for Evan.”
Evan finally glared at him. “A soda, really?”
“Give it a few years, cat,” Mike said. “Dusty, get your ass out of the booth and sit with Abram so the two brothers can be comfortable.”
Dusty grumbled under his breath but slid out. Eric nodded to Evan, who slid in the empty booth.
“So, you’re the reason Grover’s been acting strange lately,” Abram said, studying him closely.
“Strange?” he asked.
“He’s smiling more often, which creeps the fuck out of us. Grover doesn’t do smiles. He’s more Mr. Dark and Brooding,” Dusty said unhelpfully, then smirked. “And he says you’re good with those hands, too.”
Where was Grover?
“We do what we can to survive,” Evan muttered. “What of it?”
“No one’s judging, but you two need to be honest with us, so we can help you. What kind of trouble are you in?” Abram asked, all seriousness now. “Mike and I have mates, so I’d like to assess the situation first.”
He considered Abram’s question. “Why would you guys help us, if you have people to protect?”
“Because you and your brother mean a lot to Grover,” Mike answered, as if that explained everything.
His heart started beating faster again as Grover returned with a tray holding their drinks and two plates of burgers and fries.
“You didn’t you have to,” he blurted, but to his embarrassment, his stomach, then Evan’s growled.
“Little cats need to eat,” Dusty confirmed.
“You need your energy,” Grover said simply. “No arguments.”
He took the tray from Grover and told Evan to make some space. Grover seemed pleased as he sat beside Eric. Eric noticed Pancake had settled to lay down by his feet. Grover absentmindedly reached down and rubbed the dog’s ears. Pancake whined.
“Eat first, then talk,” Abram agreed.
Eric wolfed his food down, so did his brother. Evan seemed to shed his nervousness at the prospect of a free meal, and it helped Grover’s friends didn’t crowd them. Abram seemed good at small talk, and kept the conversation going, never asking intrusive questions. Meal done, he sipped his beer and looked at his mate.
Seemingly understanding he was apprehensive, Grove reached over and patted his arm in reassurance. Taking a deep breath, he told them everything. These shifters had problems of their own, mates to protect, and yet they would risk their lives for Eric and Evan. The least Eric could do was be honest.
“After our parents died in a car accident three years ago, the system wanted to place Evan and me in different foster homes. Instead, we ran away and ended up in Cherry Hill. While we were leaving a shifter shelter, Jackal found us and told us he had a place for strays like us; that he’d teach us skills to be useful, to survive,” he began.
It was the first time he’d told anyone their story. Jackal told all his thieves to keep everything within the family, but talking helped ease the weight he’d been carrying in his chest all his life. When he got to the part about what t
riggered him to take his brother, about Jackal offering Evan and him to be his pets, Grover snarled, human teeth lengthening to canines.
If Eric hadn’t known his mate all that well, he’d be terrified, but Grover was angry at Jackal, not him.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier about the kind of mess you and your brother were in? You two could have stayed with me, we could have found a solution together,” Grover practically snarled out the words, turning heads.
“Grover, lower your voice,” Abram said calmly.
Grover flared his nostrils, turning his head toward Eric.
“I didn’t want to drag you into my mess,” he murmured in a small voice. “Hurting you is the last thing I wanted.”
Grover let out a breath.
“My brother and I,” Evan said softly, surprising Evan. “Had learned to survive on our own for so long, it didn’t occur to us to ask for outside help.”
Eric’s heart bled for his brother then. They made the decision to join Jackal’s group together, they’d both been kids then, open to influence, but if only he’d been a little wiser, then they wouldn’t be in this position.
Jackal’s words echoed in his head. If it weren’t for my magnanimous decision, you and your brother would be dead on the streets. Jackal always said those words in a joking matter, but Eric could tell Jackal believed his own bullshit. Maybe Jackal was right. Statistics proved weaker shifters didn’t, couldn’t survive on their own without a pack or protector, but Eric couldn’t change the past.
“Okay,” Grover finally said.
“I was hoping,” Eric hesitated, then rephrased his words carefully. “I decided it’s better for us to leave town. That way, Jackal wouldn’t be able to link you guys to us. We’d disappear.”
“You think running away is the solution?” Grover demanded.
Flabbergasted, he stared at Grover before finding his tongue again. “You don’t understand. Jackal has—”
“I don’t give a fuck about a walking dead man, because that’s what he is, right, Abram?”
