Kyle was gripping his phone so tightly he almost crushed the damn thing in his fist.
“What’s wrong, Kyle?” Shane asked, frowning at him.
Ian popped his head up from under the hood of a car and wiped his greasy hands on a rag. He took one look at Kyle’s face and immediately put his tools away. “Whatever it is, we’re coming with you,” Ian said.
Kyle looked at his two friends. They were both staring at him expectantly, waiting for him to tell them what the fuck was going on with him. He had been pacing up and down, jabbing and growling at his phone.
“Hollie’s not picking up her phone,” Kyle said at last. “I know she might be busy, but...this just doesn’t feel right. I’ve called the diner as well. Nobody picked up the phone.”
Shane glanced at the clock. “Well, the diner should be about to open in a few minutes. We came in to the garage extra early today because we have to rush the job for Mr Khatib. But...it’s still early morning, so most people are just getting to work right now,” he pointed out.
Kyle scowled. “Joe and Maria would have picked up the phone at the diner. They were already pottering around the diner when Hollie arrived this morning.”
Kyle strode to his car. “I need to find out what’s going on.”
“Me too!” Ian said, jogging after him.
“Wait for me,” Shane called out as he locked up the garage in a hurry. He jumped into the car just as Kyle peeled away from the curb.
“Is Hollie in trouble?” Ian asked, gripping the edge of his seat. Kyle was driving like a maniac, hurtling down the street and rounding the corner on screeching tires.
Kyle gave a terse nod. “Something feels terribly wrong. My bear is warning me to get to Hollie right now.”
The three men were out of the car as soon as Joe’s Diner came into sight. The lights in the diner were off, and everything was just too still and silent.
At the end of the street, he saw Lucy strolling towards the diner. She was just coming in to work.
Kyle tried the front door and an alarm bell went off in his head when the door swung open easily.
He stepped into the diner and smelled blood at once.
Blood. And wolves.
He followed the scent of human blood and found Joe and Maria knocked out cold on the floor. There were small drops of blood on the floor.
“Go find her,” Shane said urgently, as he crouched down beside Joe and Maria. Ian was already on the phone, calling for an ambulance.
Kyle rushed into the kitchen and saw the chopping board and some ingredients neatly laid out on the counter. Hollie had been working here.
He went back out to the diner and sniffed the air. The lingering scent of Hollie’s fear and distress made his bear rise to the surface.
His bear roared in his head.
“The Black Blade pack took Hollie,” he snarled.
Kyle was about to charge out the door when Lucy walked into the diner. The petite waitress let out a startled cry when she nearly collided into Kyle.
“What’s going on?” Lucy gasped.
“Stay with Joe and Maria,” Kyle said quickly. He could hear the wail of the ambulance siren in the distance. “An ambulance should be arriving soon.”
“Ambulance? What…?”
“The Black Blade wolves knocked Joe and Maria out and took Hollie,” Kyle answered, striding to the door.
Lucy’s eyes widened but she gave a jerky nod. “Go,” she said. “Go get Hollie. I’ll make sure Joe and Maria get to the hospital safely.”
As Kyle ran to his car, he heard Ian’s angry shout behind him.
His friends were coming after him.
“You’re not thinking of leaving us behind, are you?” Ian yelled.
“They’ve taken Hollie back to the pack house,” Kyle said grimly.
“And you’re thinking of facing a pack of wolves all by yourself?” Shane said. “Are you insane?”
“He just wants to have all the fun,” Ian huffed.
Kyle turned to face them. “Those wolves are dangerous. There’s no telling what they would do. I don’t want to drag you guys into this...”
Ian gasped and slapped a hand over his heart. “I can’t believe you just said that!”
“Yeah.” Shane glared at Kyle. “You just insulted us, and our friendship.”
“He thinks we can’t handle a bunch of whiny wolves,” Ian said, looking disgusted. “And he thinks that we’ll let him do this on his own.”
“Fucking insane,” Shane agreed.
Kyle blew out a breath and yanked his car door open. “Get in,” he growled.
He knew he wouldn’t be able to get rid of his two very stubborn buddies. And he could use their help. They were lethal in a fight.
Kyle, Ian and Shane were a force to be reckoned with.
The Maverick Mechanics led humble lives, kept a low profile and conducted their business honestly, but they weren’t pushovers. They never looked for trouble, but when trouble came a-calling, they pushed back and fought hard to protect their own.
Kyle knew he could depend on his two best friends.
But…this wasn’t just a streetside brawl.
Shane and Ian were risking their lives here.
The Black Blade pack was led by a highly psychotic wolf with delusions of power and grandeur. Jake Carven was a sly, savage wolf who had no morals or ethics. His son, Jasper, was just as power-hungry and brutal. They were driving straight into the territory of the Black Blade wolves and they would be grossly outnumbered.
“Guys...” Kyle began quietly.
Ian held up a hand.
“Don’t.”
Kyle raised a brow as he threw his friend a sidelong glance.
“I’m working my bear up to a psychotic rage right now,” Ian said as he gnashed his teeth. “Don’t distract my beast. I’m going to unleash my berserker rage on those wolves!”