Ben smirked at the few stragglers who stayed behind to growl at them before heading off with teeth bared. The minister followed behind them. When it was the three of them Ben let out a breath and pulled out his cell phone.
“So, trap?” Mac asked as they turned to walk back to their rental.
“Trap.” Demon said coldly.
“Code Blue.” Ben said into the phone and hung up when he had confirmation. “Still think it’ll be the airport?” With a press of the keys, the car beeped and all the doors unlocked. He pulled open the trunk and threw his suit coat inside to be followed by two more. He passed out the guns, holsters, and extra clips. They all pulled on the holsters, loaded their weapons, and clicked the safeties. Mac took the wheel while Ben slammed the trunk and climbed into the back seat.
“Probably, but we have a shadow just in case they try to take the car.”
Demon didn’t bother to search, knowing he wouldn’t spot anyone watching them. Shawn was a hawk shifter. They wouldn’t notice him unless he wanted them to.
It was almost anticlimactic when they arrived at the landing strip without incident. They parked the car and Ben checked the phone. No alerts had been sent.
“Sniper?” Mac asked, seeing the landing strip around the plane remained clear. Demon shrugged, it was possible, but not in the Bone Crusher packs usual style. When a hawk circled and squawked they got out of the car and headed for the open hatch of the plane. A tall teenager waited for them inside.
At sixteen, he was already just over six feet and not yet finished growing into his shoulders. His sneakers were scuffed, his jeans faded at the knees and his gun holster strapped over a punisher t-shirt. Wiry with a lot of tawny hair he was a smaller version of his father.
“All clear.” He said, pushing the mane of hair that always seemed to be flying everywhere out of his face.
“No problems.” Mac said, “Tell Cleo to start the engines, as soon as Shawn’s in we’ll lock her down.”
“Affirmative.” The boy said heading for the cockpit.
“Ian?” Mac said halting him. “As soon as we’re airborne contact the car rental place and tell them to pick up the car. I’ll let your father know what’s going on.”
The teenager nodded before disappearing into the passageway to the cockpit. A hawk flew in as soon as the engine started and disappeared into the back of the plane. Ben pulled the hatch closed and secured it. His head shaking.
“What the hell is going on?”
“I don’t like this.” Demon said, his jaw clenched tight. He pulled on his seat belt nearly ripping it out of the seat in his agitation. “Where the fuck is Clancy if he isn’t waiting to ambush us?”
Shawn came in from the back wearing black jeans and pulling on a black t-shirt. At six feet, exactly he had a slim whipcord body and moved with precision. His piercing hazel eyes missed nothing. He had brown hair that fell to his shoulder and a beak of a nose. His voice, when he spoke, had a hard core of steel behind it. “Why would Lucas send the brat squad on a mission like this?”
“Cleo hears you calling them the brat squad and she’ll rip you a new one.” Mac said finding his seat and buckling himself in as they waiting for clearance to leave. “And I told you, when I asked about the plane Lucas requested we use Cleo and Ian on the job so they could get some experience in the field. Training will only take them so far.”
“I don’t like it. Lucas has no business sending children into dangerous situations”
Ben snorted. “Cleo’s 19 and Ian’s 16. That’s older than either of us were when we started this business.”
“That was different.” He said sitting down when the plane started to taxi and buckling in. “We didn’t have a choice.”
“Lucas is an outcast who took with him his two purebred lion cubs when he left. There isn’t a pride of Lions anywhere on Earth that wouldn’t kill for breeding stock like that. The fact he has not only survived but kept his kids says a lot about the fucking badass that he is.” Ben said. “But even he can’t be with them every second. They have to be able to protect themselves. They don’t have a choice either.”
Shawn clenched his jaws in obvious disapproval but he kept quiet. As soon as they were airborne, they all unhooked their seat belts and Demon pulled out his cell phone and dialed home. After a few rings, Eli answered.
“This is the new home of the lovely and sexy Clytie Jones and a few others that are unimportant. How can I help you?” Through the phone, Demon heard a laugh in the background that gave him an immediate hard on. He clenched his teeth.
“Eli.” Demon growled in warning. “Don’t get too comfortable with my woman.”
“Perish the thought.” He said into the phone and then to Clytie. “Darlin’ that is one sexy dress. You are a goddess in red.”
Demon was surprised he didn’t break teeth clenching his jaw so hard. Eli laughed at his warning growl.
“Clytie, sweets, love of my life, Demon wants to talk to you.”
There was a small fumble with the phone and then Clyties laugh was right there. A little of the tension he’d felt since leaving her side dispersed.
“Demon?” She asked her voice going soft. “Are you O.K?”
He opened his mouth but nothing wanted to come out. God he needed to touch her. She sighed out a long breath when he didn’t answer. “If it was anything but this show tonight I’d blow it off and we could wallow in each other all night.” She continued her voice a little sad. “If you don’t feel like coming tonight I understand. You can wait for me at home.”
“I’ll be there.” He said liking the way she said that. “We’ll go home together.” He would have said more but all the shifters on both sides were listening. “Just stick close to Eli until we get there...” His voice took on an edge. “But not too close, at least three feet away at all times.” She laughed, the sadness left behind as easy as that.
“You do know you’re ridiculous right? Eli has been nothing but a gentleman.”
A gentleman? Eli? Fuck. Tricky damn cat was up to something. He tried any moves on Clytie and he’d be searching for his spleen. “Baby, put Eli back on the phone.”
There was a short silence. “Why do I worry when you get that sweet tone in your voice?” Eli started laughing like an Ass in the background.
“I just need to talk business for a minute.” He said in his most persuasive voice. “Put Eli on and I’ll see you at the opening.”
“Business?” She said clearly suspicious. “Fine. But if you feel the need to once again threaten him with mutilation if he touches me, I’m going to be very upset.” Before he could say anything to that insight, she handed the phone to Eli.
Eli didn’t say anything for a few seconds then his voice lost the playful edge. “O.K. she’s out of the room. What’s up?”
He huffed out in annoyance reminded Eli was a damn loyal friend. He wouldn’t poach. He released the clamp on his jaw. “Clancy and some of the high wolves were missing at the ceremony.”
“You think they were expecting you and set a trap?”
“Which they haven’t sprung yet.”
Eli thought that through. “You think they know about Clytie? This fast? They’d have to be watching awful close and I have a hard time believing they could do that without any of you spotting them.”
“Probably not but if they are planning an ambush I don’t want Clytie caught in it, even by accident.”
“Not on my watch. I’ll let Logan know to be especially vigilant. He did want me to ask you a question when you called.” Eli’s voice changed to a smirking playfulness that Demon didn’t trust.