“He’s heading for the roof!” someone yelled from the window below.

  A bullet hit the brick wall to Austen’s right, and he cursed under his breath. He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth, his breath visible in the cold night air. Upon reaching the top, he pulled himself over, gathered up his shit at breakneck speed, and shoved it through the side zip in his bag. He took a few seconds to assess the area around him. Several of the rooftops were connected. Thank you, New York City. Austen bolted for the end of the roof, hearing a door slam open somewhere behind him. Gunfire erupted, and Austen dove behind a cooling unit.

  “Come out with your hands up!”

  “Sure,” Austen yelled, snatching a flashbang from his pocket. He pulled the pin, rolled out, and chucked it at the group of armed men before making a break for it. The bang was accompanied by a flash of blinding light and plenty of cursing, shouting, and grunting. Austen’s boot hit the roof’s ledge, and he leaped across to the other building, hitting the floor in a roll and carrying on as if he’d never stopped. Two roofs ahead, he spotted an iron ladder hanging off the side. He sped onward, ignoring the shouts, threats, and gunfire behind him. Approaching the ladder, he jumped on the ledge, turned, and hurried down, the armed men fast on his heels. Reaching the end of the line, he hopped down and landed on the roof of a car parked between the buildings.

  “Stop!”

  Why did they always say that? Like Austen was going to decide, “You know what? I think I’ll do that.” Bunch of idiots. Taking off at full speed, he knew there was no hope the Human guards would catch him. The Therian ones might catch up, but from the quick glance he’d managed, they were all large classifications. Austen grinned as he sped through a congested parking lot filled with truck trailers and shipment containers. Everything was packed together, allowing him plenty of darkness to play in. The Humans would never hear him or see him. It was the Therian gunmen he had to be careful of. Austen paused and sniffed the air. They were getting closer. Across the lot was a large wooded area. The trees were mostly dried up, but it was dense enough to provide cover, especially at this time of night.

  Listening for the sounds of approaching guards, Austen stealthily used the containers to conceal himself as he made his way closer to the exit. Someone quietly gave orders, but Austen heard them fine. They were spreading out. He pulled his black beanie from his pocket, secured it on his head, and readied himself. Here we go. He picked up a couple of rocks, edged toward the end of the container, and hurled them over the next container. The rocks hit, and orders were given. Austen made a break for the woods.

  “Over there!”

  By the time the order was given, Austen was running at his full cheetah Therian speed. Although he wasn’t as fast in his Human form, he was still damn fast, and thanks to his Therian vision, he maneuvered through the trees easily. Making it out onto the other side, he came across an underpass. He jumped the fence, crossed the underpass, and kept running. Using the darkness as cover, he slipped in and out between buildings, climbing fire escapes, crawling through windows, and using the New York City landscape as his personal playground. He stayed high, knowing those goons would stay low, trying to follow his scent through the streets and alleys.

  A block away, there was an old abandoned school. He tore at one of the boarded-up windows and climbed through. Heading upstairs past debris-filled classrooms, he picked the crumbling auditorium. If anyone tried to get the drop on him, it would give him several escape options. Jumping onto the stage, he tapped his earpiece. “I’m coming in with the package.”

  “Agent Payne, this is unacceptable!” Sparks stated angrily.

  “I’m being hunted down. Do you really think I give two shits if it’s acceptable to you?” He was getting real tired of being dicked around. “I’m coming in, so if you want your goddamn package, you better have someone there to receive it!”

  “It’s too soon.”

  “Too fucking bad! This shit just blew up in our faces. We need to make this disappear, and we need to do it now!” He wanted to offload this thing as quickly as possible.

  “Where’s Boyle?” she asked.

  “Boyle’s dead. Or captured. Who the fuck knows. Point is, he’s gone.”

  There was a long pause before she spoke again. “Get the package to the drop-off point. I’ll arrange a transport.”

  Austen froze. “The usual suspects?”

  “There’s no one I trust more to get the job done without question.”

  “Without question? All those guys do is ask fucking questions!” He paused. “If word gets out….” And there was no doubt in his mind it would. Destructive Delta would have a target painted on their backs.

  “They can handle it.”

  “Cut them a break, man. They’ve had buildings falling on them, been exploded, shot, kidnapped, beaten, and now you’re throwing them into a fucking volcano?” This was fucked-up.

  “Don’t worry about them. I’ll make sure they have backup.”

  Great. More marshmallows to roast. “I don’t like this.”

  “Perhaps I need to remind you who you work for.”

  Austen narrowed his eyes, his voice clipped. “How do you sleep at night?”

  “Extremely well.”

  “They’re your agents.” Austen paced. “At least bench Sloane. The guy’s only just recovered.”

  “Your concern is sweet but invalid. He’s their Team Leader. Besides, benching him would arouse suspicion.”

  “You—”

  “Get the package to the drop-off point. You have half an hour.”

  The line went dead, and Austen kicked the wall behind him. Motherfuck son of a bitch! He was so pissed off he wanted to punch something. Getting himself together, he did what he always did. His job. He couldn’t let emotions cloud his judgment. Right now the package was what mattered. He wished more than anything he could inform Sloane. His friend had left several massages for him, and there was only so long he could ignore Sloane, but the less he and the rest of the team knew, the better it was for everyone. Especially Dex. The guy was in possession of a terrible conscience. Austen headed for the streets. Whatever Sparks said, Austen knew this was bad. He hoped Destructive Delta would make it out of this.

  IT WAS time to see what his students had learned.

  Ash had been training Dex and Cael every day for two weeks. He’d shown no mercy to either of them, no special treatment. They’d both bitched and moaned, but Ash didn’t care. He could hardly teach them in a few months what he’d learned over the course of twenty years, but he could prepare them. A good deal of experience would come while they were out in the field facing real-life situations. So far, he’d lost count of how many times he’d taken them down. They were getting up in what they believed were their weaknesses. Dex being Human, Cael being a small Felid. He needed them to see their so-called weaknesses were actually their strengths.

  “All right. We’re going to go with the assumption the threat you’re facing will be at least my height, size, weight, and strength. Despite being smaller, you can use a Therian’s size and strength against them. You’ll be lighter on your feet, faster, more agile and flexible. Let’s say you’ve assessed the threat. You’re faced with Hogan.”

  Cael flinched, but Ash continued. Hogan was a sore point for the brothers, which was why he used him. They’d both come up against the tiger Therian, had both sustained injuries and felt true fear. Now they knew what they were facing.

  “I’m Hogan. I’m standing in front of you. I have every intention of killing you. You’re unarmed. How are you going to take me down before I snap your neck?”

  “Find a weapon?” Cael suggested.

  Ash shrugged. “Sure. In this kind of situation, anything and everything becomes a weapon. Except there’s nothing you can use.”

  “Well, then,” Dex said, hands planted on his hips, “I’m kind of fucked, aren’t I?”

  “That’s why you’re here. The answer is, you fight dirty. You use whatever means necessary to stay alive. You need to be able to perform under impaired visibility and extreme fatigue, both mentally and physically. When in our Therian forms, our Human side may be neurologically present, but our feral instincts are at their most animalistic. We fight to survive. When in our Human form, or for those who are Human, you rely on your training to do what needs to be done. Remember, go for vulnerable areas. Neck, liver, kidney, groin, eyes. Use your elbows. Go for the face.” He took a stance and motioned for them to advance. “All right. Come on.”

  “Which one?” Cael asked.

  “Both.”

  Dex arched an eyebrow at him. “My, my. Aren’t we full of ourselves.”

  Ash shrugged. “If I’m wrong, I’m the one who ends up bruised.” Which he wouldn’t. Now Dex on the other hand…. Ash was looking forward to this. There was nothing that put a smile on his face like slamming Dexter Justice Daley into the mat. It was almost therapeutic.

  “I don’t know,” Dex teased. “Can your ego take it?”

  “Don’t worry about my ego,” Ash replied smugly. “Worry about your face when it hits the mat.”

  Dex flipped him the finger, and Ash chuckled. He held back a smile, watching the brothers murmur to each other. Finally. They were getting it. He tightened his fists and readied himself. He took a deep breath and released it slowly. Combined, the brothers only weighed fifty-five pounds more than he did. Ash could bench eight times that. If his lessons took, Dex and Cael would use his size against him.

  This just might hurt.

  The brothers bumped fists, and both took off at a run toward him. Ash readied himself, studying them both in an attempt to anticipate who would strike first and how. As expected, Dex moved in first, pulling back a fist as he neared. Ash went for a left hook, smiling when he realized he’d made his first mistake. Dex tended to go high, looking to land a punch to the face. This time he chose the unexpected route.

  Dex dropped to his knees—missing Ash’s fist—and used the momentum to slide on his knees. Not wasting his own momentum, Ash twisted his torso to catch Cael coming at him from his right. His little cheetah Therian showed no hesitation or mercy, using Ash’s bulky frame as leverage. He grabbed hold of Ash’s arm and used Ash’s bent knee as a springboard to jump and swing a leg around Ash’s neck. With a growl, Ash had snatched a fistful of Cael’s uniform to throw him off when he felt the blow to the back of his leg.

  Ash came crashing down onto one knee and was propelled forward by Cael using all his weight to bring Ash down with the help of Dex, who punched the back of his other knee before slamming into him from behind.

  Fuck! Ash hit the floor hard, teeth gritted as Cael’s legs wrapped tightly around his neck, his hand grabbing a fistful of Ash’s hair. A zip tie tugged at his now bound wrists. Cael petted his hair and leaned in with a breathless whisper.

  “Tied up looks good on you, Keeler.”

  “Oh shit.” Ash laughed as he was released.

  He rolled onto his side and sat up, shaking his head at the “woops” from their fellow agents who’d gathered around. Dex and Cael gave each other a high five before Dex crouched down beside him.

  “How’s that ego doing? Want me to get you an ice pack?”

  “Fuck off.” He looked from one smug brother to the other. “You boys forgot the most important part of the lesson.”

  “And what’s that?” Dex said, standing and folding his arms over his chest.

  “When you take down your opponent, make sure they stay down.”

  He twisted his body, spun on his side, and swiped his leg under them, knocking them both off their feet and onto their asses. The two groaned, and Ash couldn’t help his grin as he got to his feet.

  “Other than that, nicely done.”

  The two cheered, and Ash shook his head at them. He bent forward and thrust his wrists down over his ass. Nothing happened. Feeling the ties with his fingers, he glowered at Dex.

  “You’re supposed to be using regular zip ties for training. These are Therian-strength zip ties.”

  Dex blinked innocently at him. “Are those Therian-strength? Must have gotten them mixed up.”

  “Right.” Ash didn’t buy it for a second. “Get them off.”

  Dex patted his tac pants. “I think I might…. Aw, damn. Sorry. I must have left my knife in my other pants.”

  “You little bastard,” Ash growled, taking a step toward him.

  Dex bolted for the bay doors, calling out behind him. “I’m going to grab it now! Wait here for me!”

  “He’s not coming back,” Ash sighed and turned to Cael, who patted his arm.

  “I’m still here.”

  Ash smiled sweetly. “Then that’s all I need.”

  Cael wasn’t fooled. He returned Ash’s smile.

  “You want me to untie you.”

  “Gee, that would be real swell.”

  Cael seemed to think about it. A wicked gleam came into his eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe I need to hear you say it first.”

  Cael headed for the doors, and Ash quickly followed with a frown on his face.

  “Hear what?”

  “How badass we were.”

  Ash peered at him. “That depends. Do I have to include your brother?”

  “Yep.” Cael made his way through Sparta toward the elevators with Ash close behind. He ignored all the amused looks and snickers from his fellow agents as he walked past them with his wrists bound behind his back.

  “Damn.” Ash stepped into the elevator next to Cael. There were a couple of other agents in there, both desperately trying to hold back their laughter.

  “What? You ain’t never seen a zip tie before?” He cursed under his breath.

  The elevator pinged, and Ash followed Cael out, turning to walk backward so he could glare at the agents, who burst into laughter as the doors closed.

  “I know who you are!” He spun around and caught up to Cael in Unit Alpha’s bullpen. “Aw, come on, Cael. Seriously? You’re gonna parade me around like this?”

  “All you have to do is say it.”

  “Hey, Keeler,” Taylor called out. “That’s a good look for you.”

  “You know what’s a good look for you, Taylor? My fist in your face. Shut the fuck up.” Ash turned and ran in front of Cael, cutting him off, his words quiet. “Come on, darling.”

  Cael’s smile never left his face. “Aw, listen to you. Sweet talker. Of course I’ll get them off. When you say it.”

  “I can’t,” Ash whined. He actually fucking whined. “It’ll kill me. I really think it might make me keel over. I can’t.” Compliment Dex? Unthinkable.

  Cael stopped outside his and Rosa’s office. “I guess you’ll have to get out of it yourself.”

  He patted Ash’s arm, ready to step around him. Ash let his head hang. He mumbled the words, gritting his teeth when Cael put a hand to his ear.

  “I didn’t quite catch that.”

  “Fine,” Ash ground out. “That was badass. You and Dex were a couple of badasses. Okay?” He looked over Cael’s head at their fellow agents pretending not to eavesdrop on what was going on. Bunch of nosy bastards. “You can all stop pretending. Cael and Dex floored me, okay? Probably because that’s what I’m fucking training them to do, so you can all get those stupid smiles off your faces.”

  There was a snicker, and Ash’s brows rose. “You wanna get in the ring with me, Herrera?”

  Herrera looked like he was about to shit himself. “What? No.”

  “Good. Then shut the fuck up and go find a fern to piss on.”

  The room erupted into laughter, and Ash turned his attention back to Cael. “You and Dex were badass. There. I said it.”

  “Wooh!” Dex popped out from who the fuck knew where, arms thrown up in the air. He did a victory dance and motioned around the floor. “You all heard that. Ash Keeler said I was a badass.”

  “What the fuck?” Ash gaped at him. “Where the fuck did you come from?”

  His jaw all but hit the floor when Dex casually put a hand up and Cael high-fived him.

  “I was getting some Cheesy Doodles when I heard your little announcement.”

  “Unbelievable.” Ash shook his head, his frown aimed at Cael. “Are you happy now?”

  “I am.” He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out his utility knife.

  In one swipe, Ash’s wrists were free. He rubbed them and ignored Dex dancing around as he popped cheese snacks into his mouth. Where was Zach when you needed him? That would put a stop to Dex’s crunching.

  “Come on, big guy. Let’s hit the showers.”

  Cael patted Ash’s chest and walked off. Ash followed, but not before shoving Dex. He grinned when Dex fell into Taylor, his cheese snacks soaring through the air and hitting the carpet.

  “My Cheesy Doodles!” Dex dropped to his hands and knees. “Noooooo! They were so young. So delicious.”

  Cael shook his head in amusement. “You couldn’t help yourself, could you?” he told Ash.

  “I need balance in my life.” Ash grinned and walked into the empty locker room. They opened their lockers and started undressing. It occurred to Ash this was the first time the locker room was empty during their shower. He removed his T-shirt and chucked it into the laundry bin. Sitting on the bench, he undid his boot laces and glanced up to ask Cael what he wanted to do for dinner when he found Cael naked, his back to Ash and those plump round asscheeks at eye level. Fuck.

  Getting himself together, he unlaced his boots and cleared his throat. “So, uh, what do you want to do for dinner?”

  “I was thinking of ordering takeout. Tonight’s the premiere of that new comic book TV show I told you about. Want to crash at mine?”

  “Sure.” Ash smiled and placed his boots inside his locker. He loved cozy nights in with Cael. There was never any pressure to go out clubbing or to a bar. Most wouldn’t believe him if he told them, but he was actually kind of a homebody. A little TV, good food, and the company of his sweetheart, and he was content. Chucking his socks into the laundry bin and putting his pants away, he grabbed his toiletry bag and closed his locker door. He followed Cael into the showers, picking up a large towel along the way. Inside it was nice and quiet. Since they weren’t on call, they got to shower before the evening rush.