Chapter Fifteen
Jade
“There are three entrances into the mines, all of them reinforced by steel doors. One on the west, southeast, and north. If you jam two of the doors and blow in the third, they won’t have any way of escaping. I would suggest blocking the doors in a way that a group of shifters with more brute than brains can’t push their way out,” Drew explained.
“How much firepower do you think they have?”
“None. They think too much of themselves to arm themselves with weapons. They want to fight hand-to-hand.”
“Fuck, let’s just send Jade in there to take care of them and we’ll clean up the mess after.”
Noah growled and Jade laughed, wrapping her arm around his waist and pulling him close.
Jade couldn’t help but reflect, again, on how much her life had changed in the past month. She found and thought she’d lost her mate, she discovered her brother, and her assassin family was safe and happy. So it didn’t bother Jade when Ax suggested she go in.
“Shut it, blondie. You’re not sending my mate in there alone.”
Ghost cleared his throat. “Although she could probably handle it, we all go in together.”
Drew elbowed her and turned to her with a smile. “Just how deadly are you, little sister?”
“As much as the others. We’re all highly trained assassins.”
Axel’s laugh boomed around Kai’s living room, where they were planning their raid of the underground shifter lair.
“She can kick Kai’s ass, and there isn’t an immortal assassin alive who can even get close to Kai, much less touch him. Jade can and she beats him every time they spar.”
“Fuck off, blondie.” Kai’s words came out a bit playful and Jade threw her head back and laughed.
“So, one-on-one after the planning meeting?” Drew asked.
Jade sobered and she shook her head. “I don’t want to hurt you. I just found you.”
Noah threw his arm over her brother and glanced at Jade. “He’s a tiger shifter. He can handle it—just take it easy on him like you do Reaper.”
Noah laughed when Reaper’s growl reached his ears.
“Fine.” Drew laughed when Jade agreed.
Ghost cleared his throat. “Here’s the final plan. Hunter and Axel will set small charges on the west and southeast. We will go in the north entrance. Jade and Gunnar—”
“No, I’ll be with Jade.” Noah statement wasn’t questioned.
Ghost nodded. “Jade and Noah, sweep toward the left, taking out anyone you encounter. Kai and Reaper, take the right. The rest of us, we are backup. Xander and Drew, you will be standing guard at the north entrance to make sure no one escapes. This is a ‘kill-only’ mission. The government is tired of the possible threat to Dark Company and wants everyone eliminated. If they manage to escape, we hunt them down until there is no longer a threat. Understood?”
Thirteen voices confirmed Ghost’s orders.
“Dismissed.”
Drew immediately jumped toward Jade, almost wrapping his arms around his sister, when Noah wrapped an arm around Jade’s waist and pulled her out of the way. Noah growled at Drew and Drew smiled at him. Jade was happy Noah and Drew were getting along.
“Not in the house.” Kai’s demand brooked no argument.
They piled out of the house and everyone made a loose circle around the middle, where she stood with her brother and mate. “How do you want to do this?”
“First one to land a strike wins?”
Jade nodded and Drew immediately leapt forward. His hand came close to catching her on the shoulder, but she ducked in time and swept his feet out from under him, sending him sprawling onto his back.
She surged to her feet as his leg kicked out and with a little push, she jumped and backflipped away from him.
Kai flashed from her left and this time, she was able to reach for his forearm. With a quick twist, she flung him toward Drew, who flinched when he spotted Kai barreling toward him. Kai tucked at the last minute and landed on his feet a few inches from Drew.
Without taking her eyes off him, Jade flipped over Axel, pushing off his head and vaulted into the nearest tree. She made sure Noah was safe before she turned to Ara. She felt more than saw the branch underneath her break off, with her ricocheting from branch to branch as Ara snapped them cleanly from the tree. Jade laughed when Ara danced out of the way as she threw a large stick like a javelin.
Drew, thinking it would be a good idea to go after Noah, learned that going after mates was a big no. Knowing Noah could handle himself didn’t prevent the low but deadly growl from escaping her throat.
“Don’t…touch…him.”
Drew backed away with his hands up in a placating manner, but it was only when Noah spoke to her did she calm down.
He didn’t mean anything by it, baby. I’m okay.
The red haze dissipated as she blinked at Noah’s calming words. “Sorry.”
“Since I’ve never had a mate, I didn’t fully understand. It’s okay, I’ll remember from now on.”
She shook her head and cleared the rest of her anger away, but she’d been too distracted and felt the impact of Reaper tackling her from the trees. She managed to push him off and land on her feet, just in time for Hunter to jump on her in panther form and try to lick the skin off her face. She rolled over before he could get a hold on her and pinned him to the ground.
“Ah, ah, watch the claws.”
The panther growled, but Jade laughed and pushed off.
Then Kane managed to sneak up on her, but she spotted him at the last minute and flipped over his head, tagging him along his carotid with her finger, indicating he would be dead.
As she landed, Ghost cleared his throat to get their attention.
“We’re leaving here in a few hours so we can strike during the early morning hours. Meet here at eleven tonight. We’ll take Kai’s two Suburbans and Xander’s SUV.”
“Where should I crash until we leave?” Drew asked.
Xander spoke up before Jade could. “Why don’t you come over and get to know Silas? He wants to ask you what you’ve been doing since you transitioned and probably what you remember about Jade when she was younger.”
“Sounds good. I can’t believe he’s already growing on me.”
Xander laughed, along with the rest of them. “Yeah, he pretty much has us all wrapped around his fingers. He’s a special baby who is getting stronger as he ages. I’m partially excited to see what is to come, but the other half is completely terrified.”
The group separated, some going to get food, and as Jade watched Drew, already deep in conversation with Xander, she felt Noah’s arms wrap around her waist.
“Ready to head home?”
“Yes, I’ve missed you.”
Noah turned her around and kissed her. When he broke the kiss, they were breathless. He pulled away and soon shifted into his tiger form. Jade’s mouth popped open as she gazed over Noah’s beautiful tiger form. His coat was bright orange surrounded by black and white swirls. There were concentric-looking black circles around both eyes, drawing your eyes to his face. She sucked in a breath when his dark-blue eyes glittered as he looked at her.
Jade stepped forward and without thinking about her actions, she reached and threaded her fingers through his fur. He felt downy soft and when he growled and butted his head against her stomach, she felt a shiver a desire wash through her.
Ready to go home?
Fuck, yes.
Jade quickly shifted and led the way home. She needed Noah, more than she could express aloud. But they had hours to spare, and she would spend every moment showing Noah how much she loved him.