Brady Wade ducked into the shadows of an old brick building near the water, his hair dripping and his arm bleeding. Kind of profusely. His arm probably wasn’t the only thing bleeding, actually, but the water had been so cold he’d lost most of the feeling in his body by the time he’d dragged himself out of the harbor.
He’d lost every last bit of his gear when his boat had gone into the drink, but he was certain the safe house was here. He’d memorized the locations of all three in Baltimore, and this was definitely the only one he’d be able to reach before he lost consciousness. He’d been observing it since roughly three in the morning, and he’d seen nothing in the predawn hours. The front appeared to be a bookstore, information which hadn’t been in the files, and that was the main reason he’d held back even while losing blood. The back door was where he was supposed to make contact, and it was unobstructed . . . but was it the right fucking place?
He closed his eyes to clear his head, and long minutes later he jerked when he began to slump forward. He snapped his chin back, blinking hard. He was going to pass out in the street if he didn’t move now.
He was about to lurch to his feet when he caught movement down the street. Despite all his training, despite all the situations just like this one he’d found himself in during his career, his heart hammered faster as he watched the deadly woman slip through the shadows. She was moving deliberately; hunting. He breathed a sigh of relief when he determined she hadn’t picked up his trail yet, but the relief was temporary. She was relentless, and he wouldn’t last another minute going toe-to-toe with her.
He watched her, blinking away the darkness on the edges of his vision, trying to figure out a way to signal that safe house for help without getting himself killed. A few seconds later, she slipped into the shadows and was gone, her presence on the dark street replaced by the single headlight of a motorcycle piercing through the morning fog.
Wade watched it, pressing his fingers to his side and wincing at the cracked ribs under his body armor. Good God, that woman had kicked his ass.
The motorcycle roared to a stop behind the bookstore, and the rider took a moment to secure it before straightening to his full height. Okay, so this guy was a fucking giant, but Wade was pretty sure he could take him if he needed to. He pressed his knuckles into the cement, pushing up. A hand on his shoulder stopped him, though, shoving him back to his knees.
“Motherfu—”
“I ain’t your mama, son,” the man behind him said in a soft Appalachian drawl. A gun cocked. “Get up.”
Wade blinked at the ground. Shadows were beginning to appear on the street as sunrise threatened. He shook his head. “I can’t.”
Even as he spoke, Wade toppled over and sprawled on his back. As the darkness crept in on his vision, he saw the silhouette of the man against the dawn, shaking his head in disgust and holstering his weapon.
“I told you no more strays,” a voice was saying as Wade fought to consciousness.
“I don’t want to keep him,” another man insisted. Wade recognized that second voice as the one of the man who had sniffed out his hiding place. He’d never even seen the guy coming.
“Did you check the computer?”
“Last time I checked the computer, you told me never to touch the computer again.”
“Fine. Start the coffee and I’ll contact the home office.”
Wade’s head swam, and he went in and out of consciousness for a while. He didn’t know how long he’d been out when he woke the next time. It was still and quiet, and so Wade was too, keeping his breathing under control as he listened.
He heard what sounded like sparse foot traffic and whispered conversations. The occasional ding of a bell over a door. Steps shuffling on hardwood floors. Every now and then there was a boisterous laugh. And he knew eyes were on him, he could feel them with a sixth sense that had been honed by a life of flitting through the shadows.
And then something sharp latched onto his toe.
It took every ounce of Wade’s training to keep from reacting. He flinched, but after that he managed to remain still, biting back a pained cry. A moment later, whatever had been stuck into his toe was disengaged, and then he felt four tiny paws on his shin.
Paws?
Had he just been bitten by a kitten?
The animal crawled up his body and onto his face, sitting down on his mouth. It was long-haired, Wade knew that much from the fur going up his nose and tickling his eyelashes. He remained still, faking sleep, for as long as he possibly could. But breathing was harder with the warm, vibrating little ball of fluff blocking all his airholes, and he gave a false moan and tossed his head like he was sleeping restlessly.
The kitten slid down the side of his face, still purring as it went, until it rolled onto the mattress away from him. It mewed plaintively.
“Oh no, bubba,” a quiet voice whispered, almost causing Wade to jump. He’d been so sure he was alone in the room, and he hadn’t heard the man approach.
Who the hell were these guys?
The kitten meowed again in response to the whisper, and Wade felt the guy pluck the kitten off the bed. “Leave him alone, he’s trying to pretend to sleep.”
Wade didn’t react. He continued his steady breathing, remaining still and faking sleep. Now that he knew where the guy was, he could feel him moving around. After a few more seconds of the guy lingering in the room, he left with the kitten, murmuring to it quietly before closing the door with a click.
Wade waited. He drifted in and out some more, letting himself do it so he could sell it better, and so he could regain some strength. When he woke for the last time, he listened for movement but heard none. Every one of his senses was straining, making sure he couldn’t feel a presence near him. Finally, he cracked one eye open, his lashes masking it.
He was laid out on a single bed, his arms and legs tied to the iron bed frame. As soon as he was certain he was alone, he could easily slip these knots and be on his way.
The room was quiet, but he gave it another sixty seconds. When he still couldn’t feel another presence in the room, he opened his eye a little wider.
A man was standing over him, arms crossed against his chest, a smirk on his full lips. “Hi there, kitten,” the man said. It was the same mountain drawl Wade had heard on the street.
Wade said nothing, staring at the man.
The guy cocked his head, his brow furrowing as he looked Wade up and down. “How old are you?”
Wade gritted his teeth, staring at the wooden ceiling instead. He noticed writing in white chalk above him: a set of rules written on the dark wood slats above his bed.
1. No weapons.
2. No trying to kill us.
3. Don’t make any noise during business hours.
4. No more bleeding on the goddamned hardwood floors.
5. Don’t touch the kitties.
Wade scowled at the writing. He heard footsteps on creaky stairs, and steeled himself for whatever was coming.
“He awake?” the man asked as he came into the room. It was the giant from before, the one on the motorcycle. He had curly hair that was turning silver at the temples, black eyes that were hard and piercing, and the muscle mass of a large horse.
“We’re in luck, he’s a mute!” the guy with the hazel eyes responded. “What about the girl?”
Wade jerked at the words, his eyes darting to the guy.
“She’s not mute. But she might as well be, since she’s speaking in nothing but what I can only assume are Russian curses,” the giant answered as he moved to look down at Wade. He scowled, the laugh lines around his eyes and mouth softening his appearance and making him look almost kind. “How old are you?” he asked Wade.
Wade rolled his eyes and looked back at the rules on the ceiling. Both men stood over him, watching him.
“Listen, I’m Ty, this is Zane,” the shorter one said with a jerk of his thumb. “You have three words to convince us not to kill you.”
Wade glanced at them again, taking a deep breath. Stitches pulled on the skin of his arm, and he could feel wrappings around his ribs. These guys had patched him up. They had to be the caretakers, and even if they weren’t, Wade didn’t have much choice, did he?
“Black market orchids,” he told them quietly.
Ty and Zane shared a glance, and the one called Ty grinned triumphantly. “Told you.”
“You keep plucking lurkers off the street and dragging them to the back stoop, they’re going to change your call sign to Alley Cat,” Zane threatened. A bell rang downstairs, and Zane glanced at the door. “Untie this kid, I’ll be back.”
His steps were heavy as he left his partner standing over Wade’s bed, arms crossed, lips pursed. Wade met his eyes carefully.
Ty finally shook his head. “My call sign is stupid anyway, they can change it all they want,” he said as he pulled a knife from holster at his thigh. He cut Wade loose, and Wade rolled and kicked out at him with a grunt. He wrapped a leg around Ty’s knee and jerked, pulling him off-balance and sending them both crashing to the floor. They rolled, grappling for the knife, and slammed into the nearest wall with a rattle of glass and a thump.
Before Wade knew what had happened, his face was pressed into the hardwood floor, his hands held behind his back, and a knee pushed into his spine. He gasped for air against his cracked ribs, peering over his shoulder at the man who had easily dismantled his attack.
The guy was still grinning as he rolled Wade over to his back and cocked his head. He was handsome, with light-brown hair that was graying a little, and laugh lines that highlighted his shining hazel eyes. His arms and hands were covered in scars, and his body was hard and lean.
Wade blinked up at him. “How old are you?” Wade finally blurted.
Ty clucked his tongue, still grinning. “Older than you’ll ever be, if that was your best move.”
He grabbed Wade by both arms and hefted him to his feet, then brushed him off like he was getting him ready for a prom photo.
Steps thundered on the stairs, but by the time Zane came through the door, gun raised and dark eyes no longer kind, Ty had Wade untied and straightened up, and was presenting him like a prize.
“What?” Ty said innocently.
Zane narrowed his eyes, gun still raised. “What happened?”
“Nothing. What happened to you?” Ty asked him.
Zane holstered the gun, eyes on Wade. “Stop fucking around. Get him debriefed so we can get rid of him.”
Ty muttered unintelligibly and jammed his knife back into its sheath.
“You have the girl?” Wade asked them.
“Who is she?” Zane demanded.
Wade straightened his shoulders, shrugging Ty’s hand off him. “That’s classified.”
Ty hummed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans and glancing at Zane from under lowered brows as he strolled away a few steps. They shared a look, and they seemed to be communicating silently. It put Wade on alert, and he shifted his weight, preparing to defend himself.
“You haven’t interrogated anyone lately,” Ty finally said, his voice dropping to a teasing murmur as he moved toward Zane and the door.
Zane’s stern expression finally broke as Ty moved closer, and the smile changed the big man’s entire demeanor.
Wade suddenly feared for his life. Quite acutely. “You were checking the computer,” he blurted.
Both men turned to look at him, and their smirks told him that they were once again one step ahead of him.
He sighed. “Check it.”
“Already did,” Zane said. “Brady Wade, twenty-five. This isn’t your first rodeo, but it always hurts to get bucked, huh?”
Wade’s cheeks warmed in embarrassment. He wasn’t sure why, but part of him deep down wanted to impress these two men. They weren’t like other caretakers he’d encountered, though they were always crafty and tough. These two looked like they could still be in the field doing the job he’d nearly failed at last night.
“Twenty-five?” Ty asked. He looked Wade up and down, obviously not approving of what he saw. “I was banking late teens. Purely on skill level, though. Don’t make them like they used to, huh?”
“Maybe he looks older with his shoes on,” Zane offered. Ty hummed and pursed his lips.
Wade gave an insulted grunt as Ty left the room, and Zane stood smiling and shaking his head.
“I need the girl,” Wade insisted. “I have to take her in.”
Zane made a negative noise. “From the looks of it, she won your little game of cat and mouse. We’re calling in the big dogs to end it.”
Wade took a quick step forward, and found himself staring down the barrel of Zane’s gun before he could raise both hands. He stood still, gritting his teeth. “If you turn her over, I’m done. Please. I need this win.”
Zane cocked his head. He didn’t look very sympathetic.
Wade closed his eyes, keeping both hands up. “I’ve been chasing her for two years. Please.”
Zane considered him for several long seconds, then holstered his gun. “You drink coffee?”
Wade nodded. “Are there people who don’t drink coffee?”
Zane rolled his eyes. “Come with me.”
Wade hesitated, but he followed the man through the narrow hallway and down three winding flights of stairs. Each level below the one he’d been held on, which was locked up tight from what he saw as they passed through the doors, was a warren of bookshelves, books stacked three and four high in some places.
The main level was more organized, with heavy wooden shelving and cushy chairs scattered throughout. Ty was flipping a closed sign on the antique glass door and locking up.
“Your call, Wildcat,” Zane said to him, and Ty turned to them. “Let him talk to her or not?”
Ty narrowed his eyes as he met Wade’s. “Let me guess. You don’t bring her down, your career is over, right?”
Wade swallowed hard. He hated himself for answering, but he nodded.
Ty strolled up to him, standing a foot or two away, his eyes piercing right into Wade’s soul. Wade flashed back to his childhood and standing in the kitchen as his father asked if he’d done his homework.
“And why do you think we give a shit about saving your career?” Ty asked him, voice low and cold.
Wade blinked, swallowing hard.
But then Ty snorted and grinned, smacking Wade on the shoulder so hard that he stumbled sideways. Zane caught him and righted him with two strong hands. “Jesus kid, lighten up,” Ty said with a laugh. “Better lucky than good any day, am I right?”
“Tyler, quit playing with your food.”
Ty shrugged and walked away.
Wade watched them both uneasily. “How’d you bag her?” he found himself asking.
Ty hummed as he took a gun from under his flannel shirt and set it behind the counter along one wall of the store. “Well, you were my mark. You’ll have to ask Lone Star how he brought her in.”
Wade glanced at Zane, who was sipping at a dainty cup of cappuccino and ignoring them as he settled onto a stool behind the counter and brought out a book. Wade shook his head. He didn’t know which agent he was more wary of at this point.
“Okay, come on, you can talk to the girl,” Ty said as he pulled another hidden gun from somewhere and handed it over to Zane. Then he took Wade’s elbow and led him toward the back of the store. Wade glanced at Zane, scowling in confusion.
Behind a set of blue French doors near the stairwell, the quaint little bookstore transformed into a sleek, modern kitchen. It was a little disorienting, but Wade followed Ty to the far side of the kitchen, where a large refrigerator stood.
“You hungry?” Ty asked. He handed Wade an orange Gatorade before Wade could answer. “You lost a lot of blood, drink that.”
“Please,” he said through gritted teeth, losing his patience. He set the Gatorade down on a nearby counter. “I need information from her before they process her, and I need it now. I don’t have time for a fucking snack.”
Ty nodded and picked the Gatorade up again, shoving it into Wade’s hands. Then he opened up the fridge, gesturing inside. Wade peered in, and then Ty pushed him from behind into a small elevator car, stepping in with him and closing the cage up. The space was so small that they stood nose to nose. Or, they would have, if Wade had been about three inches taller. He stood blinking up at the man, not even breathing because he couldn’t tell that Ty was breathing, and he would be damned if he made more noise in a silent space than this fucking guy . . .
“Been doing this long?” Wade asked. When he did finally breathe, his chest touched Ty’s.
Ty cocked his head, smirking. “Long enough.”
The elevator car came to a gentle stop, and Ty was still smiling as he pushed the door open. “After you.”
Wade blinked hard, then got out, eyes still on Ty. He finally tore his eyes off Ty and looked around. The basement was lined in stone, with metal shelving full of supplies covering the walls and brand-new wooden floors that seemed at odds with the burns and pitting on the stone.
“Your girl’s in there,” Ty told Wade, pointing to a jail cell door in the corner. “Only way out of here is through that elevator, you understand?”
Wade glanced at the elevator car and nodded.
“You got five minutes to get what you need. Your ride’s incoming.” Ty turned and closed the elevator gate, waving his fingers daintily in farewell as the car rose out of sight.
Wade stood with his mouth hanging open.
“Wade?” an accented voice called from the cage behind him. “These men are insane. Wade. Wade? Don’t leave me here.”
Wade snorted, still staring at the elevator shaft. Who were these guys?
Zane sipped his coffee and watched Ty stroll back in from the kitchen. “You left him down there?”
“I’m not a babysitter, dude,” Ty grunted, pressing against Zane’s back and resting his forearm on Zane’s shoulder as they both watched the monitor built into the counter. The agent kid stood in front of the cell, discussing the terms of the female agent’s surrender.
“Do you speak any Russian when you’re not asleep?” Zane asked.
Ty rested his chin on Zane’s other shoulder, humming. “No.”
Zane turned his head, and Ty caught him with a kiss. He was grinning when he pulled back. “I’m glad he woke up, thought we were going to have to stay here through the night again.”
“Last time we did that was pretty fun,” Zane reminded him.
Ty made a sound that was something between a hum and a growl, and kissed Zane again.
“Home office is coming to pick this guy and his girlfriend up any second,” Zane told him, turning on his stool and grabbing Ty’s belt loops.
“Hope he gets what he needs before then.” Ty grinned and raised an eyebrow.
Zane snorted. “You miss being out in the field like him?”
“Like him?” Ty pointed to the video monitor. “Not one bit.”
Zane nodded. Ty grabbed his face and kissed him messily. “Out in the field like us, though?” he growled.
Zane wrapped his arms around him, smiling as Ty kissed him again.
“I miss that a little. Sometimes.” Ty looked over Zane’s shoulder wistfully. “When it’s too quiet.”
Zane stood and picked Ty up, setting him on the counter. He tilted his head one way, then the other, running his nose against Ty’s. “It’s never too quiet. Not with you around.”