“I hope you all enjoyed this afternoon’s events and found it to be both informative and entertaining. The reason you’re all here has finally arrived. Tomorrow evening we’ll get to the business portion of our retreat, so ready your wallets.” Vaughan winked at them. “Now enjoy your dinner and prepare to make history.” He walked off, and the roof buzzed with excitement.

  The time had come.

  CHAPTER TEN

  This was it.

  Dex straightened his tuxedo bow tie and took a steadying breath. The whole purpose of them accepting this mission had finally arrived. After tonight, everything would change. They had to be ready, prepared for anything. Keane, Seb, and Ro had an extraction plan in place with TIN tactical agents waiting for word to move in. Everyone had their objectives. By late tonight, they’d be gone.

  “Are you ready?” Sloane asked, bringing Dex into his arms.

  Dex nodded. “Let’s do this.” He lifted his gaze to Sloane’s. “What about you? Are you ready?”

  Sloane kissed Dex like it was their last breath. Fuck, Dex hoped it wasn’t. As much as this mission meant to him, he couldn’t bear the thought of losing Sloane. The two of them had been working as a team for so long, it was easy to forget the risk they faced every time they went on a mission, but getting complacent was something they couldn’t afford.

  “Let’s bury him.”

  “I love you,” Dex murmured, his eyes closed and his brow resting against Sloane’s.

  “I love you too, baby. Forever yours.”

  “Faithfully,” Dex whispered. He smiled softly. How had he ended up with such an incredible guy? He once again reminded himself not to take his husband for granted. Not in the world they lived in, not with so much unpredictability. With a determined nod, Dex left Sloane’s arms and headed for the door. He tapped the clear patch behind his ear. “Ready?”

  “Affirmative,” Seb replied. “Funds are ready, reinforcements are on standby, and extraction is a go on your signal.”

  “Copy that.” Dex took another steadying breath, rolled his shoulders, then opened the door. Sloane trailed behind him as they made their way to the front of the resort, where a bus waited. The auction was taking place off-property, most likely somewhere in Vaughan’s underground facility. Therian companions had been asked to dress in formal attire, so Sloane had dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and black tie. They looked like they were dressed for a glitzy night out rather than an illegal Therian auction.

  They were taken to the villa hiding the underground Therian fighting ring, only this time they were led to a different door inside the villa. There was a hell of a lot more security present this time around. Therian armed guards took them underground through a long corridor with several doors that looked like what Sloane had described to Dex when he’d been taken to get medical attention by Vaughan’s people. Instead of continuing to the lab, the security guards stopped at a steel door on the right. One of the Therians opened it and ushered everyone in.

  The mudbrick room was as spacious as the arena, but with fewer seating. Dex swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat at the square black stage in the middle, the center of which had a square area sectioned off by eight-foot red velvet curtains, a gold rope dangling off one corner. What other horrors had Vaughan carried out in the name of Human evolution?

  The hairs on the back of Dex’s neck stood on end, and he had to fight the sick feeling in his gut. Years as a homicide detective, then his time at the THIRDS, four years of TIN fieldwork, and he thought he’d seen it all. Fuck, how wrong he’d been. Never had he been faced with this level of evil. He could pretend to be void of emotion, but in the end, that’s all it was, pretend. His skin was too tight for his body; his fingers itched to make a fist. He needed this mission to be over.

  Dex took his seat, and Sloane sat beside him. They had to remain vigilant. Tonight wasn’t just about getting Cory. At some point soon, Vaughan would make his move on Sloane. Whatever it was, Vaughan was keeping it close to his chest. There’d been no chatter, not a hint of what the asshole had planned. If that wasn’t bad enough, there was a sense of off-ness, as Sloane had said. Dex trusted Sloane’s instincts. Something was wrong, but what? Neither Vaughan nor his people had given any indication they suspected deception.

  As everyone settled into their seats, Vaughan entered the room dressed in a tailored white tuxedo. He walked onto the stage and faced the two rows of guests, a wide smile on his tanned face. So this was what monsters looked like these days—well-groomed, expensively tailored, wealthy Humans filled with entitlement, power, and the money to get their way.

  “Welcome, everyone, to the highlight of our retreat!”

  Everyone clapped and cheered. Dex gritted his teeth as he went along with it. The air in the room had changed, filled with anticipation and something else. An almost wild fervor of excitement. And they called his husband an animal. Dex took solace in the knowledge that soon they would all be facing the consequences of their actions.

  “As you know, this is our first step into the future of Human evolution, the first of many. One of you will be the first to receive the traits of this magnificent specimen. You will go down in history as the very first of your kind. Once the reveal is made, I will take questions, then start the bidding. So, without further ado, I give you…” Vaughan pulled on the rope, and Dex couldn’t help his flinch when the curtain parted, revealing a naked young cheetah Therian.

  Cory shivered from head to toe, his hands covering his groin as he stood hunched over. His big silver eyes were bloodshot and red, his light brown hair falling over his heart-shaped face. His gaze was empty, glazed over. They’d clearly drugged him, but not enough to squash the fear.

  It took everything Dex had, every skill he’d honed over the years, every ounce of will, not to let his disgust and anger show. Not to fly out of his seat and take Vaughan out where he stood. Dex had known this job would test him, push him to his limits, but no matter how prepared he believed he was, he’d been kidding himself. Vaughan had kidnapped an innocent Therian, stolen him from his family to sell him, and then most likely kill him. Vaughan wasn’t going to let these poor Therians live after he’d taken their DNA. The asshole was far too egotistical. Not to mention leaving a witness would be a stupid risk on his part. No, Vaughan planned on killing Cory when he was done with him. No loose ends. How many others had Vaughan taken? How many Therians did the world not know were dead and gone?

  Vaughan went over Cory’s stats like he was discussing a car for sale. His height, weight, age, and muscle mass. He lifted Cory’s face, his arm, turned him this way and that. Dex felt sick to his stomach, but he did his job, feigning interest. He had to keep his cool, not only for himself but for his husband. Dex could feel Sloane’s rage, his desire to tear Vaughan apart.

  “I will now take questions,” Vaughan said.

  Ramos was the first to raise a finger. “Aren’t cheetahs the weakest of the felid Therians? What was the decision process behind the selection? Other than the ease of capturing the specimen.”

  The ease of capturing the specimen. Dex didn’t so much as flinch at the pain from his claws pressing into his palms. It offered a much-needed distraction. He couldn’t think about how that could very well have been Cael up there. How these Humans wouldn’t care he had a family who loved him. How they’d refer to him as a specimen easily caught.

  Breathe.

  Steady.

  The annoyance was clear on Vaughan’s face, but to his credit, he simply smiled tolerantly at Ramos.

  “As far as strength, you’re correct. However, cheetah Therians are the fastest land animals on Earth. They are masters of camouflage, exceptionally smart and quick thinking. They’re highly efficient hunters, possessing sophisticated hunting techniques that are unique to their prey. Why simply catch your prey when you can anticipate its movements? Cheetah Therians can also go longer without water than other felids. They are the only felid Therian capable of turning in midair. This here, ladies and gentlemen, is a Therian built for speed both in body and mind. They can also eat anything and everything and not gain a pound. Who wouldn’t want that?”

  The audience laughed, and Vaughan took a few more questions before holding a hand up.

  “Shall we start the bidding at five million dollars?”

  Almost every paddle went up, including Dex’s. Keane was standing by to make sure Dash Delacruz had the funds needed to win this auction.

  After several rounds of bidding, the figure continued to climb through the double digits.

  “Do I have twenty million dollars?”

  Most paddles remained down, but Dex, Ramos, and half a dozen others were still bidding until only Ramos and Dex remained.

  “Two bidders left,” Vaughan said. “How very exciting.”

  Ramos narrowed his eyes at Dex. He lifted his paddle. “Seventy million.”

  “Seventy-five,” Dex said, lifting his paddle and looking bored.

  “Eighty,” Ramos replied through gritted teeth.

  It was time for this to be over. Dex held up his paddle. “A hundred million dollars.”

  Everyone in the audience gasped, and Ramos glared at Dex. He shook his head in defeat.

  “Sold to Mr. Delacruz for a hundred million dollars! Congratulations, sir!”

  Dex nodded his thanks. Several of the guests congratulated him, and he did his best to ignore the loathing in Ramos’s eyes.

  “Why don’t we all have some lovely champagne to celebrate while we prepare your prize, Mr. Delacruz. The Therian will be delivered to your room tonight for your… inspection. We’ll collect him when you’re done with him.”

  “Perfect,” Dex replied, under no illusion what Vaughan was referring to. “I want him lucid.”

  Vaughan smiled knowingly. “Of course. I’ll see to it.”

  A couple of huge tiger Therians came and took Cory away, leaving with him through the door at the end of the room. Dex and Sloane sipped champagne, and Dex conversed with some of the others while Ramos continued to give him the evil eye. The entire time, Kenley snuck glances at Dex, his eyes pleading. As much as Dex wanted to help, he had to be cautious. He’d find a way to free Kenley and the others as soon as they had Cory.

  When the schmoozing was over, everyone headed back up to the villa, then outside, where they got on the busses. It was late in the evening by the time they arrived at the resort. Dex and Sloane headed to their room. Neither of them spoke. They showered and changed, Sloane dressed in a pair of black tactical pants, a black henley, and black tactical boots while Dex dressed in charcoal-gray slacks and a white three-quarter-length sleeve button-down shirt. As soon as they had Cory, they’d have to move quickly, but until then, Dex had to keep up the charade.

  They hurried around the room getting only what they’d need. Dex opened their laptop and placed in his credentials. He initiated the self-destruct protocol. It was far less dramatic than it sounded. The laptop eroded itself from the inside, becoming useless. Sloane shoved items they might need into his pockets and removed the weapons they’d hidden in the lining of their suitcases while Dex removed and disposed of the contacts he’d been wearing. If everything went according to plan, Vaughan wouldn’t even know they were gone or that they’d taken Cory and his scientist with them. The TIN tactical team would take care of Vaughan and the others.

  A couple of hours later, a knock sounded on the door. Sloane nodded and hurried into the bathroom while Dex opened the door.

  “Vaughan sends his regards,” a lion Therian guard growled as he pushed Cory through the door into the room. “Call the front desk when you’re done with him.”

  Dex nodded. He closed the door behind Cory, who stood dressed in a robe and probably not much else. Cory had his head down and his arms wrapped around himself. When Sloane walked out of the bathroom, Cory’s head shot up. His eyes widened, and he retreated a step until his back hit the door. He looked so scared.

  “Please…” Cory whimpered, big silver eyes filling fast.

  Dex approached slowly, his hands up in front of him. “I’m not going to hurt you.” A tear rolled down Cory’s cheek, and he reached for the robe’s sash around his waist. Dex quickly stopped him. “Don’t.”

  “He said…” Cory’s voice was almost a whisper. “He said if I didn’t make you happy… that he would kill my family.”

  Dex cursed under his breath. He’d never wanted to kill someone so badly in all his life. “Are you wired?”

  “What?” Cory stared at him, then looked down at himself as if wondering where they could have wired him if they had. He shook his head vigorously. “No.”

  “Okay.” Glancing at Sloane, Dex made sure his husband was okay with what he was about to do. Knowing Dex’s thoughts, Sloane nodded.

  “I’ll get him some clothes,” Sloane said, walking over to the bed and Dex’s suitcase.

  Dex’s clothes would likely be too big for Cory, but at least he wouldn’t be naked.

  “Cory, listen to me very carefully. We’re undercover TIN operatives, and we’re here to rescue you.”

  Cory blinked, his gaze moving from Dex to Sloane and back. “What?”

  “We’re TIN operatives. We have an extraction team in place to get us out of here.”

  Realization sank in, and Cory’s eyes filled with tears again. He launched himself at Dex. “Thank you. Oh God, thank you so much!” He repeated the words over and over as he sobbed against Dex’s chest.

  Dex held Cory close and ran a hand over his hair, offering what comfort he could. God, he was so much like Cael when he’d been younger. From the day their adoptive dad had brought Cael home all those years ago, Dex had been protecting his little brother, and although Dex hadn’t always succeeded, he’d done his damned best and always came through for Cael. Now Cory needed him, and he was going to do everything in his power to get Cory back home to his family.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Dex murmured. He pulled back and met Cory’s gaze. “But I’m going to need you to trust us. No one can know what’s going on. When the time comes, we’re going to have to move fast. Got it?”

  Cory nodded fervently. “I can do that.”

  “Okay. Get dressed. The fit is not going to be great, but it’ll have to do.” Dex dropped his gaze to Cory’s feet. “At least we look to be around the same shoe size.” He motioned toward Sloane. “Go on.”

  Cory hurried over to the bed, where Sloane handed him a gray henley and a pair of black sweatpants. He pulled on a pair of socks and slipped into Dex’s all-black Chucks.

  A knock sounded on the door, and everyone froze. They weren’t expecting anyone else. Fuck. Dex turned to Sloane, who nodded, took hold of Cory’s arm, and gently pulled him into the bathroom. Dex schooled his expression and opened the door.

  “Kenley?”

  What the hell was he doing here? Dex did a quick scan of the area but didn’t see Ramos or anyone else. Shit. This was the last thing they needed. Kenley wouldn’t have made it here without someone seeing him or at the very least getting picked up by security cameras.

  “Please, Mr. Delacruz.” Kenley slipped into the room, and Dex closed the door with a sigh. He turned and Kenley grabbed Dex’s arms. “You have to take me away from him. I can’t… I can’t take it anymore.”

  “Who saw you come here?” Dex growled. He reminded himself he wasn’t mad at Kenley. The poor kid was clearly desperate to get away from Ramos, but as much as Dex wanted to tell Kenley the truth, Kenley was putting their whole mission in jeopardy. He could still cover their asses, but he had to get Kenley out of here.

  “No one saw me, I swear. I avoided the cameras and made sure none of the guards or Humans saw me. Ramos thinks I’m still in the room. He… he’s still punishing me for the fight and…” His gaze darted around the room. Was he looking for Sloane? “For the embarrassment he faced at your hands. I know you were trying to protect me.” Kenley’s eyes were impossibly wide as he gazed at Dex as if he were some kind of hero. “Please. I know you can take me away from them.”

  “What are you talking about? What the hell is going on?” Dex didn’t let his persona slip. He couldn’t. There was too much at stake. Cory wasn’t the only young Therian in danger. If they wanted to save all of them, Dex had to be careful, as much as it killed him.

  Kenley took hold of Dex’s hand. “I don’t know how to explain it, but there’s something about you. I can feel it, something inside you calls to my Therian half.”

  Fuck, it was worse than he thought. If it wasn’t Dex’s bond to Sloane, what the hell was reaching out to Kenley and the others? Was that why they’d reacted the way they had? “I never chose to be here,” Kenley added, tears in his eyes. “I don’t think any of the others did either. Please, help me.”

  Dex paced the room and ran a hand through his hair. Never blow your cover. That was the number one rule on any mission. Dex paused and eyed Kenley.

  “What exactly is it you think I can do? I’m not a hero.”

  Kenley stopped in front of Dex and put a hand to his chest. “You’re not like them. Tell me I’m not better off with you than with Ramos. With Vaughan. I’m not stupid. Vaughan didn’t have the Humans bring us here for research. The Humans are terrified of him, which means we should be too.”

  Dex opened his mouth to reply that Kenley had to go, but Kenley spoke up. “I have a family. A big brother who’s probably losing his mind with worry trying to find me. We lost our parents when we were young, and since then it’s just been us. He’s all alone. He needs me. Please. I want to go home.” Tears rolled down his pink cheeks, and he quickly swiped at them.

  Sloane walked out of the bathroom and sighed. “It’s okay, Kenley. Dash and I work for TIN. We’re here undercover to stop Vaughan.”

  Kenley’s face lit up. “I knew it!” He threw his arms around Dex, hugging him tight as he gazed up at him with wide hopeful eyes. “I knew you were different.”