by Tl Reeve
They broke from their meeting, and Caim grabbed Rafe’s arm. “Where the hell have you been?”
“Apparently,” he answered, “home.”
“For three days?” Caim cocked a brow.
Three fucking days? How the hell had he lost that much time? What the fuck had he been doing? He’d freak out later when he was alone; right now, he had to keep his shit together. “Yeah, why?”
“I have been trying to call you since you left the bar with that guy.” Caim matched him stride for stride as they headed for their supply room.
Well, that also explained the stains and smells on his bed. They’d been laying in their own cum and bodily fluids for days. I am burning that fucking shit when I get back. No way in hell I’ll be sleeping on that mattress again. “Sorry, I think I shut off my phone on accident.”
“It’s been three fucking days,” Caim hissed in a hushed tone.
“Good piece of ass,” Rafe replied, trying to keep his shit together. “What can I say?”
Caim shook his head. “You suck at being a leader.”
He never claimed to be the best, either. “Whatever. Let’s get our shit and go. It sounds like we have some haughty agents coming in, and I don’t need them riding my ass because we’re not there to escort them or whatever the hell they expect from us.” The patch in his bag would have to wait. If PRA agents were involved in their case, even the little bits Rafe knew of them, all hell had broken loose.
The heads of the agency were asshole shifters. Kalkin Raferty, the Sheriff of Apache County shared PRA duties along with his Co-Alpha Rapier Dryer, and Jerome Blackhorn, a highly decorated former FBI Agent, and Beta Caden Raferty. Their mates Keeley, Danielle, and Jasmine also had a hand in the agency. Keeley Raferty ran the traces and hacked databases along the way, kind of like an underground railroad getting all who needed help from point A to point B—to them in Window Rock. Danielle Raferty was their resident healer and doctor, while Jasmine Dryer ran the children’s therapy clinic. Brienne Blu worked with the adults who happened upon them for services as well. The Alpha, from the information he could recall about the man, made it his mission to protect their kind. For all his bullshit bluster, Kalkin Raferty, even though he was an asshole, had been a stand-up guy, and a fair Alpha, more than most packs would ever see.
“Yeah, this conversation is far from over, but you’re right. Our victims need us. I won’t let you fuck this up.” Caim pushed past him and went straight to his locker.
Ouch, my feelings.
Chapter Two
Five hours earlier...
“I need you kid.” Kalkin’s rough voice startled Gabriel Raferty out of a dead sleep. “Grab your sister and meet me at the office.” The “office,” sat in the middle of town. A building Keeley and Danielle had occupied since they’d arrived in Window Rock years ago.
“Sure, Uncle Kalkin. We’ll be there.” He hit end on his phone before he slipped out of his bed. Ted or Tim or whatever the fuck his name was, had a thing for shifters and quick fucks. He also didn’t waste time on pillow talk. The asshole took off five minutes after Gabriel came. The guy mumbled something about Gabriel not being Alpha potential and wanting to feel the knot or whatever. Gabriel ran his fingers through his hair and blew out a breath. So fucking stupid. He’d only realized the truth of it, after he’d been balls deep in the guy. He couldn’t stop talking about Gabriel’s big wolf dick plowing him and wanting to experience “the real deal.”
I am such a loser.
Gabriel scrubbed his head as he padded to his bathroom. He hadn’t expected his life to take such a desperate turn. Hell, he hadn’t figured he’d be fucking guys in the same apartment he shared with his twin, Natalie, and little brother Bay.
A knock came at his bathroom door as he turned on the shower. “Big brother?”
Gabriel closed his eyes. Even though they were only a few minutes apart and she technically was the oldest, she constantly referred to him as the eldest twin. One of her many endearing qualities. “Yes?” He popped open the door enough to see her.
“I got a text from Uncle Kal.”
“We have a job. Give me ten minutes, and I’ll be ready to go,” he replied.
“Guy didn’t stay, huh?”
A rush of embarrassment filled Gabriel. “No.”
She gazed up at him with those haunting preternatural green eyes of hers. “Sorry. He was a loser, anyway. You could do so much better.”
“Same could be said for you. I haven’t seen you date ever. Not even kiss another guy. Is there something you want to confess, little sis?” He grinned.
She snorted, waving him off. “Get cleaned up. You smell.”
He closed the door with a laugh then stepped into the shower stall not far from where he stood. They were truly inseparable. Their twin connection could only be described as complicated. Being psychic shifters within a pack that recovered and accepted children who were different, made it easier on them. However, explaining what they saw had been difficult to say the least. No one in their family had the ability to see dead people like he could. No one could talk to them like Natalie was able to.
Together, they magnified their abilities.
In the beginning, Gabriel didn’t want his abilities. He shunned them—hid what he could do, even from his sister. When she told him of her experiences—of talking to dead people—he called her crazy. He’d told her to stop talking about it and to leave him alone. An eight-year-old shifter didn’t have the proper way to articulate seeing deceased people or experiencing what they experienced right before death.
So, he became a sullen boy.
When his aunt Keeley finally realized there was something different about him and Natalie, she took them under her wing. Their simple—for his age, anyway—conversation, made him realize how much he’d hurt himself, and his sister. Keeley was the first person who’d tried to get him to talk to her. He had to confess his deepest darkest sins and fears. He’d had to ask for forgiveness for betraying their twin bond with his own vileness. Once he found the words needed to annunciate his true phobias, his training began with Keeley and Natalie.
Now, as adults, they were stronger than ever.
Which led him to wonder; why Kalkin might need him and Natalie. It was a given it would be for a case. But, which? He scrubbed his body quickly then washed his hair before getting out. Knowing his sister, she was already in their kitchen drinking her tea while waiting on him.
He grabbed a shirt and his jeans from his closet then threw them on before snatching a pair of socks and his shoes. Gabriel didn’t look or act like a typical PRA—Psychic Retrieval Agency agent. He wore screen T-shirts, mostly of his favorite bands, and denim or leather, depending on the occasion. Being left handed, all of his leather bracelets were on his right wrist. He didn’t carry bulk like his uncles. He was a cross between Jace and Blake. Slim but compact with muscle. Where his dad was six-two and Blake six-four, Gabriel stood a whole inch shorter than his father. He also favored Jace as well, black curly hair and cobalt-blue eyes.
Natalie...fuck, she was knock-down gorgeous. She was the spitting image of their mother and Blake. She never cut her white-blonde hair because she loved when their mother would braid it. At some point, Lynx, their cousin, had convinced her to put streaks of color in her hair. Green to match her eyes, and purple for a pop of color.
It only added to her mystique.
She had an old soul, too. Natalie enjoyed being with her family much more than going out on weekends. While they worked for their uncle Kalkin, she was all business and interacted with everyone. Away from the job, she was content to read or watch old movies, ignoring the outside world.
“It rises,” she said, before taking a sip from her dainty teacup.
He rolled his eyes. “You ready?”
She nodded and pointed to his travel cup. “I am. I made you coffee.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he replied, grabbing his mug.
“You’d go insa
ne.” Bay stepped into the kitchen, smacking the girl’s ass who’d graced their humble abode the night before with him. “I’ll call you, later.” He molested the girl’s mouth in a sickening kiss the woman, apparently, got off on then stepped away as she trotted out the door.
“You’re so gross, Bay,” Natalie admonished.
Bay ran his fingers through his white-blond hair and smirked. His rangy body was a literal road map of his conquests. The red-kiss tattoo on his neck was from a girl he dated for two months. Cat-scratch tattoos on the other side were from a girl in Utah he screwed for three days while tracking orphans. He had another girl’s name tattooed on his forearm. He also had ‘pleasure zone’ tattooed over his groin, which Gabriel had been blinded by when Bay came out of the bathroom naked. Then, two years ago, their little brother pierced his nipples and his tongue. He proudly showed them off for days. Of all three of them, Bay was the wild child. He gave all three of their parents anxiety without even trying.
“Keep that shit to yourself,” Gabriel muttered.
“When you’ve got it, you’ve got it.” He glanced at Gabriel. “Why you in a shitty mood? I heard you plowing ass. You should be happy... Chill.”
Gabriel frowned. “Shut up, Bay.”
“What? We’re siblings. If we can’t talk about our sex lives—” He glanced at Natalie— “or lack thereof, what can we talk about?”
“Don’t speak about your sister that way,” Gabriel growled.
“Why?” Bay challenged, as he leaned against the counter. “You do.”
“We don’t have time for this.” Natalie stepped between them. “We have a mission. You,” she looked at Bay, “have whatever conquests still remain in your little black book, to bed.”
Gabriel gathered their things along with Natalie’s go bag. “We’ll see you around.”
“Don’t get shot, assholes!” Bay shouted from the front door of their apartment. “Would hate to have to explain it to mom and dads!”
Gabriel closed his eyes as he clenched his jaw. What the fuck was wrong with Bay? He’d always been high-strung and rebellious. He always had to prove himself even though they never expected anything but for him to be himself.
“Let it go,” Natalie whispered, placing her hand on Gabriel’s arm. “He’s showing off is all.
Gabriel sighed and shook his head, willing his mind to calm. “Thank you.”
“It’s what I’m here for,” she said, getting into their Enforcer. “We’re going to be late, big brother.”
“Right. Sorry.” Gabriel placed their things in the back then got in on the driver’s side. “I guess we’ll figure out what the rush is when we get there.”
She nodded. “Yeah. It’s a little weird, though, don’t you think?”
He shrugged before pulling out of the parking lot. “It’s Kalkin. Nothing should surprise us anymore.”
When they arrived at the office, two FBI vehicles were outside along with two of the PRA Enforcers and a Sheriff’s car. Gabriel frowned. Whatever had happened, it was bad. FBI didn’t come around unless someone got hurt, or like last time, Adrian showing up looking for sanctuary. He parked the SUV in the adjacent lot then got out.
Two guards stood sentinel by the door when Natalie joined him.
“Not good,” Natalie murmured as she opened the door.
“No.”
The place was completely silent when they stepped inside. Gabriel wove his way through the desks in the direction of Kalkin’s shared office with Keeley. The door had been left ajar, allowing him to hear the whispered conversation.
“You’re going to have to tell them,” Keeley said. “You can’t send them in blind.”
“I know,” Kalkin replied. “It’s going to hurt both of them.”
Keeley sighed. “It’s one of the perks of the job and one of the dangers—making friends.”
A knot formed in the pit of his stomach. He rapped his knuckle against the door before stepping inside. Kalkin, Rapier, Keeley, and Danielle sat around the massive oak desk. Tension radiated from all of them. The scent of sadness and something else rolled off of them in sickening waves.
“Hey, guys,” Keeley said, trying to smile. “We’re glad you’re here.”
Even at twenty-five, Natalie still held his hand. Right now, he was glad she stood beside him. He didn’t like the sludge-like atmosphere permeating from the room. Natalie trailed behind him, not letting him go as they entered the room. All eyes were on them as they took a seat in the empty chairs around the desk. When they sat, Kalkin handed each of them a file.
“There was an incident,” Kalkin said. “Aurin and Bain were on assignment. They were supposed to be retrieving six souls. Two shifters and two human children with abilities and two adult shifters, one of which was pregnant. They never made it back. From the preliminary information we’ve received, there is a missing infant, which also matches our records. You two are the only ones who know that as of now.”
All of the air in Gabriel left him in a rush. “Fuck.” Aurin and Bain were his friends. Like some of the orphans who were brought to Window Rock, Aurin and Bain joined PRA as soon as they could to give back to the community and their family. Gabriel had gone on two missions with them previously and had been lucky to call them friends.
They had plans. Ambitions. They wanted mates and families of their own. Something they could be proud of. It made Gabriel yearn for the same things, even though he didn’t think he would ever get to experience a mate or children.
“Their bodies were discovered this morning in a shallow grave on Old Forest River trail, in Salem,” Kalkin said. “State police put in the call to us. Another call was placed to a second set of investigators from the FBI.”
“We can do this on our own,” Gabriel said, not inclined to entertain someone else stepping into their territory.
“Too bad,” Kalkin replied. “Jerome requested them, and I am sending Maxwell and Hauser with you.”
Jesus fuck. Did anyone else have secrets they’d like to spill? Natalie squeezed his hand in reassurance. “Who are they—the new unit?”
“According to Jerome, they’re so new, they don’t have a name yet. The leader of this particular team is Rafe. You’ll meet him and his team at the scene.”
“Well,” Natalie murmured. “At least we can help them in the name department.”
Rapier snickered.
“Once you’re on the ground and you begin your initial investigation, I want you to call in. Let me know what you see and hear.” Kalkin pinned Natalie with a knowing look.
“We will.” She opened the file on her lap. “Is there anything we should be aware of with this team? Will we be exposed?”
Kalkin shrugged. “Nothing more than what they know about us.”
“So, we’re going in blind?”
Rapier nodded. “Not completely. Use your gifts to help you out.”
“Sure.” Gabriel stood. “Have we been cleared to use the jet?”
“It’s at the strip, fueled and waiting on the both of you. Hauser and Maxwell are already there,” Kalkin said. “Good luck.”
****
“What are you thinking about?” Natalie’s question brought Gabriel out of his thoughts.
“Aurin and Bain,” he answered. “Their parents.”
She nodded. “Me, too. Uncle Kalkin will tell them.”
“That’s what I’m worried about.” He chuckled.
“There’s more, isn’t there?” Natalie hedged.
Gabriel rolled his shoulders. “This whole job. It’s not sitting well with me.” They were almost to their destination. The foliage thickened as they drove down the old two-lane road, to the point of dotting out the cityscape of Salem. Behind them were Hauser and Maxwell or as he liked to be called, Max. Sometimes, it felt like their parents and their family members thought they needed a babysitter. In this particular case, Gabriel was grateful they were there to watch over Natalie and him. “How did whoever murdered Aurin and Bain, find the team to begin w
ith? We usually have backup. Yet, when I read the file on this case, there wasn’t anyone.” It’d been an enforced rule. A way for all agents to CYA if shit went sideways, so it didn’t make sense to Gabriel.
Natalie nodded. “I agree. We’re almost there. I suppose we’ll figure it out when we’re on scene.”
“Yeah, suppose so.” He pulled off the road when the yellow caution tape came into view. Three vehicles were parked along the side of the thoroughfare in front of them. He pulled in behind them then parked. Hauser followed suit then got out of the SUV he’d been driving.
“Shit, someone could get lost out here even with the city is just over there.” Hauser pointed in the direction of main square for Salem.
“Guess that’s the point,” Max said coming up beside Hauser with his go-pack. “You guys are taking point. We’re here as backup, should you need us.”
Gabriel nodded. “Let go meet our team.”
After grabbing their gear, Gabriel led the way down the dirt path. The smell of dead leaves and wet ground assailed him. It was different than the desert terrain of sage and yucca. Ahead of him, the low rumblings of conversation echoed off the canopy of trees.
Natalie took his hand and gave it a squeeze. They were only moments away from seeing everything. Get it together. You’ve been trained. Stop freaking out. A part of Gabriel couldn’t help it. His friends were dead. Their bodies along with three kids and two adults, were in the clearing up ahead.
“Think they’re going to show?” one man said in the distance.
“We’ve only been waiting an hour and a half for them,” another man said.
“If Kendrick said they’ll be here, they’ll be here. Calm your tits,” a third person said.
“Well, they sound like a fun bunch,” Natalie muttered.
“Yeah, guess we shouldn’t keep them waiting. Ready?” Gabriel glanced down at his sister.
“As I’ll ever be.” She tightened her grip of his hand and guided him into the clearing.
The first steps into a grizzly scene like they were about to step into, always sent a jolt through Gabriel. It’d been as if the spirits of those who died, super charged the area giving it a boost, so Gabriel could see them and feel what happened to them along with seeing it. At that particular spot, not only could he feel Aurin and Bane, but several other women and men.
