his lips feathered across my forehead and trailed softly down until he reached the

corner of my mouth. My breath stuttered at the exquisite touch and the heavy weight from the last couple of days felt lighter.

A wailing siren served as an unfortunate reminder of our surroundings, and a

cop blew through the intersection answering unseen summons. Reality intruded,

bringing the muted sounds of passing traffic. As much as I preferred to remain in

his arms and forget what awaited us, it wasn’t to be. We had things to do and people to meet.

Reluctantly, I pulled back, wiped a hand over my wet face, and caught sight

of the time. I groaned. “We need to get going. We’re going to be late.” I settled

back behind the wheel, and threw the Jeep in gear.

Kayden shifted in his seat and winced. “How far out are we?”

“About ten minutes, if we’re lucky.” When a break in traffic emerged, I

pulled out and got us back in the flow.

“I’ll let Bishop know.”

Kayden typed out a text as a comfortable quiet filled the space between us.

Despite my emotional breakdown, the rough edges of my headache had

smoothed out. Who knew a crying jag would result in more than a red nose and

stuffy sinuses?

It was closer to fifteen minutes when we pulled in, five of which was spent

navigating the tiny streets to the out-of-the-way parking lot near The Dragon. A

man in dark sunglasses waited for us, leaning against a dust-covered SUV. Tall,

broad, and muscles, he oozed menace, enough that if I was alone, I wouldn’t step

foot out of my Jeep. He walked toward us.

“Please tell me that’s Bishop.” If he wasn’t, I was getting the hell out of dodge.

“Don’t shut off the engine yet,” Kayden advised as the walking threat got closer.

My hands tightened on the steering wheel as the back-passenger door

opened, then Bishop was taking up space behind me. He pulled the door closed

and pushed his sunglasses up. The dark frames barely made a dent in the wild explosion of reddish-brown curls.

A coffee-dark gaze swept over me in a quick once-over before moving to

Kayden. Those dark eyes narrowed, and a thundercloud settled over the strong face. “What the hell happened to you, Shaw?”

I undid my seat belt, then turned until my back rested against the door. The

new position allowed me to watch both men.

“Long story,” Kayden brushed his question aside. “Where are we at?”

Bishop shifted his weight and dug into his pocket. “The Colonel called in the

rest of the team, but the only ones who’ve made it in so far are me and Wolf. The

others should be here tomorrow. Wolf’s got eyes on Hobbes’s house.” His hand

came back with two small ear buds. “Here.”

I took the small device and tucked it in my ear. “You really think Ellery’s going to try and contact him tonight?”

“Highly doubt it, but Delacourt’s worried about the extra shadows,” Kayden

said.

Bishop sighed. “Nice of Ellery to bring friends to the party.”

Kayden tucked his own earpiece in and arched an eyebrow at Bishop. “Are you really surprised?”

“Nah,” Bishop answered. “Until we can figure out who the other player is, the Colonel wants eyes on Hobbes at all times. Hobbes and his sidepiece will probably drag out dinner for a couple of hours before heading out. Who’s getting

dinner tonight?”

“Kayden.” My answer overrode Kayden’s and brought forth a glare. I

matched it with a sweet smile. “You have better people skills, besides…” I tilted

my head to indicate the dark bag half hidden on the floorboards behind his seat.

“Have camera, will people watch. Trust me, a woman with a camera won’t be out of place.”

“Fine,” he growled, then he turned to the man watching our exchange with a

small grin. “Where are you headed?”

Bishop’s answer was simple. “Going to report into the Colonel, then hook up