“He parked here and went after Benny who was inside.” Diego surmised.

  "Somehow, he was tempted outside and then the man grabbed him over there where it is more secluded. It's where their scents become mixed and then brought him to his car that he parked here." Kingston looked down at the empty asphalt, and his heart dropped at the thought of Benny being in the hands of this man.

  "It's Kaizen." Diego put the name to their horror. Kingston nodded and together they headed back to their car. Kaizen was nothing more than a bloodthirsty killer. He was a rogue vampire that would kill anything for the right price.

  He valued nothing and no one, there wasn’t a being upon the earth whose life could not be bought as far as Kaizen was concerned. What was even more disturbing was the fact that Kaizen enjoyed what he did. He got a thrill and a high from taking a life especially a life that held promise and was cherished by others. If he was aware that Benny was a beloved, it would sweeten the kill for him. Kaizen was a nasty piece of work.

  Benny held little chance of survival if he was not located soon. That was the thought that drove them hard to work fast and effective. They would not lose the piece of their heart they’d waited so long to find. They wouldn’t lose their beloved little wolf.

  Diego reported their findings to Josef with Benny being a member of the Hadden Coven they had to be kept in the loop. When on a job, he and Kingston rarely reported their work to anyone until the job was finished and then it was simply a basic status report to their handler. It was odd working with more than just each other. They were finding that having a team of varied professionals such as what was available at the Hadden Coven was helpful in many ways.

  Kaizen liked to work in the wild, often taking his victims to wooded areas where he could torture and traumatize them for a while before killing them. They could feel Benny’s life force, so they knew Kaizen hadn’t taken him too far away. Diego gave all the intel he had on the man to the investigators at the Coven and they gave him two possible sites that Kaizen may have taken Benny.

  “Which do you feel is the correct?” Diego gave the stats to Kingston. He had a sixth sense when it came to decisions such as this.

  “We’ll take the site North of town.” Kingston set his GPS and floored it. Diego informed Josef who was taking Kristof and heading to the site South of town. They would cover both areas and one of them would save Benny because Diego refused to believe anything else. Their baby was alive and soon he would be back in their arms.

  …

  "Time to finish this, kid." The man walked towards him and Benny began to wonder if this was the last he'd see in this life, just an old shed, a pile of junk and a man with no heart or soul. He thought of his handsome mates and held their images in his mind wanting to hold them close in this his moment of departure.

  Were they looking for him? He knew they were, he could feel them, the intensity of Kingston and the lightness of Diego. They were so alike in what they did and so different in who they were. There was no more room for doubt or conflict in his heart. They were his mates and he would love them always even into the next world. He closed his eyes and waited for the end.

  "I'm going to give you a chance." The man spoke and Benny instantly opened his eyes and stared waiting for more. He put his gun back in its holster and stood with his hands on his hips looking down at Benny dismissively. Grabbing Benny by the upper arm, he hauled him to his feet pushing him towards the door. He tossed him out and Benny stumbled and fell to his knees just outside the door.

  “I’ll give you a ten minutes head start before I hunt you down and kill you.” It was said so matter of fact you’d have thought he was discussing the weather. He then turned around and went back inside the shed and shut the door.

  Benny had no clue what the guy was really going to do, and he was well aware that he was presently being played. But a head start was better than where he was a minute ago, so he took off and started to run. If nothing else, this could buy him enough time for his mates to find him.

  Heading South seemed like a good idea since the man had told him that they were South of the city when he asked. It was the only information he’d shared, and Benny doubted that he was being honest. It was all part of this run and hunt game he had going. If he headed North, it would probably get him deeper into the forest and an easier mark for this guy.

  He'd left the cuffs on so Benny couldn't shift, and it was making running awkward. He was moving as fast as he could hoping to put as much distance between them as possible in the short ten-minute time frame he was given.

  Hiding was of no use the vampire would scent him when he was close enough. He couldn't scent him from a distance, he would have to follow tracks and his own instinct. Hopefully, he headed North believing that Benny had fallen for his bullshit.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before Benny heard the sounds of someone coming from behind. He’d managed to get a few miles ahead, but the vampire was closing in on him. Vampires had the ability to move crazy fast. Benny accepted that he wasn’t going to get away, but he wasn’t going to stop either.

  Kingston entered the shed with Diego close on his heels their beloved had been there and not long ago as well as Kaizen. There was no trace of blood in the small enclosure which was a small relief.

  He looked at Diego, and they clasped hands and centered their combined energy to tap into the location of their beloved. They could continue to follow his scent, but it was going too slow they needed a vision. It was imperative that they get to him now because there was not even a second to waste.

  Benny was still moving, but his legs were becoming tired and the sound of his pursuer was ever present. The vampire could have overtaken him by now, but for some reason he wanted Benny to keep running and to keep thinking that he had a chance. It was the moment that Benny saw the busy highway through the trees and a spike of hope shot through him that perhaps he would survive that the vampire struck.

  The wind was knocked out of him as he flew forward and landed on his face in the brush. He was then grabbed by his ankles and drug backward to a clearer surface of dirt and grass. He was bleeding profusely, and he could see the vampire's excitement building as his teeth lengthened and his face took on an even more severe and angled appearance.

  The eyes were what scared him though. The vampire’s eyes had turned a dark shade of fiery red, the man was preparing to either feed or kill or both. This was not casual or sexual as Benny had often inadvertently observed while working and living at the Coven. This was the sheer consuming desire to destroy and more for the thrill than the money Benny suspected.

  “Who hired you? Who hates me this much?” Benny asked not sure if the man would even answer him. He couldn’t imagine a person who would dislike him this much or maybe it was for another reason. He wanted to know before he died.

  “You don’t know them, and they don’t know you. It’s a case of you getting in the way of something they want. Your death makes their life easier, it’s as simple as that.” He stepped closer and crouched down before removing the long knife from inside his jacket.

  "This is going to hurt, a lot." He smiled and leaned closer. "I wish I had more time. I'd love to open you up and explore. I've never had a wolf shifter under my knife before. But I have another job waiting for me in Harrisburg, so I can't linger." He slid the blade of the knife down Benny's chest laying open his t-shirt but not drawing any blood.

  Benny held his breath and waited, he wanted to fight but to do so would just bring his death a few minutes faster. This man could not be beaten, and he could not be reasoned with so again, Benny waited for the inevitable and again he held the images of his mates in his mind. The comfort of that vision was powerful.

  “You’re surprisingly calm for someone about to die, horribly.” He commented and ran the blade through his fingers glorying in its hard steel and deadly edge. He set the knife aside and raised his right-hand showing Benny his long sharp nails. Benny watched as they grew much like his claws grew when he shifted.

  “I’m going to reach into your chest and pull out your heart. You can scream if you like.” He reached back ready to thrust his fist inside Benny’s chest and tear him apart when suddenly they weren’t alone. A familiar presence, powerful and determined appeared.

  The words, “After you.” Came through loud and clear and the look of utter shock on this man’s face told Benny his mates had found him. Kingston leaned close to the man’s ear and stated. “You can scream if you like.” Just before he punched his fist through the man’s chest and ripped out his heart. The scene was a brutal and bloody relief. Kingston dropped the thing on the ground like it offended him and tossed the now lifeless body to the side, worthless and inconsequential.

  Diego was at Benny’s side immediately taking off the cuffs and rubbing his wrists and touching him everywhere making sure there were no obvious injuries. “Are you well?” He asked clearly worried. Kingston joined him and together they helped Benny to his feet. He stumbled once and he was swept up into Kingston’s arms.

  “I’m okay, exhausted and scared but okay.” He pressed his face into Kingston’s shoulder and breathed deeply of his comforting aroma. “I love you both so much.” He whispered and Kingston’s grip tightened, and he felt Diego rub his back and place a warm kiss to the back of his neck. “Don’t ever leave me again.” He came close to crying but held it off. He was so happy to have his mates there.

  “We love you too.” They both answered while holding him sheltered between them.

  “I’m sorry we didn’t handle our departure as we should have. We will never leave you like that again.” Diego explained further while rubbing his face against Benny’s soft curls.

  Kingston kissed the top of his head and then they began to move, heading out of the woods and back towards where the shed stood. He heard Diego on the phone talking to who he assumed to be one of Master Hadden's men.

  “I informed Josef that we found Benny and they will halt their search and send a clean-up crew here to deal with the car and the remains.” Diego was speaking to Kingston, but Benny was listening closely.

  When they walked by the man's car, Benny couldn't help but shiver at the memory of being trapped in the back seat with all those disturbing odors. "He killed a lot of people," Benny commented softly.

  "Yes, he has, he was a rogue and a criminal and someone you never need to think about again." Kingston tone was certain and resolved. They walked further down the narrow roadway or rather a rough path to where their car was parked. Diego got in and Kingston carefully handed Benny off to him before getting in the driver's side and quickly pulling away from the scene.

  Diego cuddled him close and once again Benny buried his nose against his shoulder and took in the erotic scent of earth and flowers that was Diego. Benny noticed that Kingston kept his hand on Diego's knee throughout the drive. The connection between the three of them was so necessary right now for their collective peace of mind. The power and affection he felt through their touch made him wonder why he ever doubted them.

  “When Josef finishes with his car and possessions, we may find out who hired him. If not, the Coven’s tech department will surely figure it out.” Kingston spoke to Diego, but Benny was listening.

  “I asked who hired him and he said it was someone I didn’t know and who didn’t know me. I was just in the way of something they wanted.” Benny recalled the words spoken so casually by a man who was preparing to gut him and once again a shiver ran up his spine. Diego drew him up closer and spoke words of comfort and assurance into his ear. The words combined with his scent and touch soon had Benny falling into a deep slumber. He was safe and the adrenalin had finally worn off and his mind and body were shutting down for a rest.

  …

  Kingston and Diego sat silent for a moment as they digested Benny's last statement. Both were running through everyone they knew to find a connection to the hit man. "It could be someone who knows Benny is our beloved and sought to make us pay for a perceived slight or injustice." Diego theorized. They spoke softly, so as not to wake Benny.

  "Benny had no enemies until we came on the scene, so the client has to be tied to us in some way, but we are too careful to leave injured parties littered around looking for revenge," Kingston added reflectively. “No one is aware of our assignments and targets apart from Ismael, Master DuCane and until recently and to a lesser degree Steven.”

  "Steven was lax on our last assignment he may have been lax in other ways too," Diego suggested. "I'll submit a report requesting an investigation."

  “That could take a week or more and we don’t know who might be involved.” Kingston glanced over at Diego and then down at Benny sleeping in his arms. “We find out who did this without informing Coven DuCane. We can’t take the risk of alerting them whoever they are.”

  “Ismael will not be pleased.” Diego reminded.

  "Ismael is the least of our worries right now. If we fail to find out who ordered this hit, our lives will always be lived looking over one shoulder. Always in a state of fear in regard to the welfare of our beautiful little beloved." Kingston reached up and brushed the curls back from Benny's face and smiled. "Ours to love and ours to protect." He said and Diego repeated the sentiment.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Kingston and Diego took Benny up to their room as soon as they returned to the Imperial eager to get him checked by a doctor and to let him rest. Benny's first request was a shower he felt the need to get the touch and the smell of that car and that man off him. So once Dr. Langley gave him a clean bill of health apart from exhaustion and minor scrapes, they left him in the bathroom while they went to the main room of the suite to meet with Master Hadden, Josef, and their tech specialist Easton Sans.

  Kingston shared what Benny had told them on the ride back and their own concerns regarding a leak or someone with an agenda working out of Coven DuCane. “We haven’t imparted any of this to our commander Ismael.”

  “Do you suspect he’s involved?” Master Hadden asked.

  “No, but someone may be gleaning information. We thought it wise to stay silent for the time being.” Kingston responded clear and concise.

  “But you’re trusting us?” Josef seemed skeptical.

  “No one here would harm Benny. If you had a problem with this union, you would have killed us not him.” Diego stated with a half smirk.

  "Very true," Josef answered with a nod.

  "Nothing was found in the car or on the corps that would indicate who hired him," Easton spoke up. "And if he had a phone it wasn't in the car, on his person or anywhere in the area."

  “What about the job you were called out on yesterday, who gave you the orders? I would assume that the work of an assassin would be calculated down to the second and given every particular of information before being carried out." Master Hadden was searching for something, but Kingston doubted he'd discover anything more than he and Diego. The only connection was Steven, unless someone deliberately gave Steven bogus information.

  "It seems they wanted you two out of the way so getting to Benny would be easier." He began and both Kingston and Diego nodded and waited. "If Benny hadn't decided to visit his brother, which made the abduction even easier, they probably had a plan on luring him out with a message of sorts supposedly from you. They would be able to get him outside and alone." Everyone stopped and looked towards the bedroom door when Benny stepped out. Kingston hurried over and helped him over to the sofa and had him take a seat between him and Diego.

  "I got a text I thought was from you." He looked at Diego. "It said you two were outside by the main entrance waiting for me. So naturally, I ran like hell for the main entrance and waited. But no one was there, and when I started down the path to the parking lot, I was grabbed from behind." Benny shook his head.

  "Not your fault sweetheart," Diego assured. "If we'd given you our numbers you would have known the text was bogus." Both Kingston and Diego kept their arms around Benny holding him safe and protected between them. Everyone froze as the realization hit them. Kingston pulled out his phone as did Diego.

  “How did Kaizen know Benny didn’t have our numbers and wouldn’t be able to identify a wrong number?” Kingston directed his question to the tech specialist Easton.

  “Let me have your phones. Someone tapped your phones. Kaizen’s phone connected to Benny’s through text, so I’ll be able to trace his to a common number and find out who they all lead back to.” He took the phones and then asked to be excused. “Give me some time and I’ll have an answer for you.” He said and left the room.

  Master Hadden got up then as did Josef. "We'll let you rest now and get reacquainted with your beloved. When Easton comes up with something, I'll let you know." At the door, he stopped and turned back around to face them. "I'll put a couple guards on your door. Humor me, I know you can take care of yourselves but allow me to extend this courtesy to you."

  "Thank you, sir," Diego said.

  "Yes, thank you," Kingston added. The support was appreciated and with guards at the door, they could put their entire focus on their lovely little wolf.

  Kingston was the first slip off his jacket and tie and opened the buttons of his shirt. Shortly he was joined by Diego, and within a few minutes, they were both naked to the waist. Benny was so enraptured that he just sat there and watched the erotic display of hard muscular flesh. His mates were stunning.

  The memory of their tryst the other night came to mind and the heat of those thoughts went straight to his cock. The want of these men was clear on Benny’s face and he knew that they knew just how smitten he was.

  "I shouldn't have left you that night," Benny said. His eyes ate up the vision of his two mates standing before him half naked and both hard. He wanted no misunderstandings between them. He wanted them to know he was not the scared little mouse; he was that first evening.