That’s it. Annoy the living hell out of him!

  Calvin reached the top and swiped the suitcase. The only problem was Ash was waiting for him at the bottom, pacing with fangs bared as he hissed. Ethan was on edge as he watched Calvin doing his best to hang onto the rope with both hands while holding onto the case. Ethan could read Calvin clearly. He was considering all his options. Then a familiar look Ethan knew all too well came onto his partner’s face. He’d found the solution. Calvin tugged a Therian-strength zip tie from his belt and secured the case to his belt. Then he swiped up his Glock and fired two rounds in their direction. Right into Cael’s vest.

  The force of the bullets hitting Cael knocked him off his feet, and chaos quickly followed. Ash roared and took off toward Cael while Dex and Sloane rushed to Cael’s side. Ethan watched, stunned, as Calvin dropped to the ground and broke into a run, reaching Sparks just as Ash reached Cael. Calvin handed her the case as Cael was pulled to his feet.

  “What the fuck, Cal?” Dex glared at Calvin. “You fucking shot him.”

  “He’s wearing a vest,” Calvin replied calmly. “I wouldn’t have shot him otherwise.”

  Dex stared at him. “What if you’d missed? Jesus Christ, do you realize—”

  “Are you saying I can’t hit a fucking inanimate object?” Calvin challenged Dex. “Shooting is what I do. If he’d been running I still would have been able to hit him. Had I wanted to shoot him somewhere else I would have aimed there.”

  “Now I’m inanimate? Thanks, man.” Cael groaned, removing his vest and tossing it to one side. He rubbed at his chest. “Fuck. That hurt.” He was going to have a couple of nasty bruises.

  “Sorry. It was my only option.”

  Ash turned with a hiss. He bounded toward Calvin, only to have Sparks step between them.

  “Stand down, Agent Keeler! That’s an order.”

  Ash growled and hissed, but he sat back on his haunches. Sparks pointed to the privacy screen. “Change. Now. Agent Guerrera, you’ll find supplies in the duffel bag by the screen. Help your partner.”

  Letty silently did as ordered, and they all resumed formation, waiting as Ash shifted back into his Human form and Letty administered Post-shift Trauma Care. Ethan stood beside Calvin, and he couldn’t help but sneak a glance at him. He refrained from smiling at the pleased look on his partner’s face. He’d beaten Ash and had done so by thinking outside the box. As Ethan studied Sparks, he had a feeling she knew what might happen. Why else would she have issued them vests? As if reading his mind, Sloane spoke up.

  “You knew this might happen. That’s why we’re wearing vests, even though we’re not involved in the training.”

  “An exceptional agent makes do with what he has and always has an escape route.”

  A loud clatter caught their attention, and Ethan braced himself as the privacy screen skidded across the floor. Ash thundered toward Calvin, his amber eyes burning with anger. He ignored Letty’s pleas to finish drinking the Gatorade. He wasn’t fully recovered, and it was clear in his unsteady march. Letty ran to his side and threw an arm around his waist as he reached Calvin and jabbed a finger at him.

  “You fucking cheated.”

  “Agent Summers did exceptionally well,” Sparks declared.

  “What?” Ash rounded on her, a mistake he realized too late. His knees gave out, but thankfully Sloane and Dex were there to catch him before he hit the floor. They helped Letty hold him up. Why was their friend so damned stubborn? He knew full well what would happen if he didn’t receive the proper care.

  “This test wasn’t just about him, Agent Keeler. Your objective was to stop Agent Summers. You allowed yourself to not only become distracted, you allowed an enemy operative to escape with the package to check on your boyfriend. Your performance was commendable, until that point. Agent Summers discovered your weakness and exploited it. Then on top of that, you don’t allow yourself to recover from post-shift properly. You’re no use to your boyfriend or anyone else in this state.”

  Ash frowned at her. “Wait, you didn’t say anything about me being judged on my performance.”

  “I shouldn’t have to. You had your mission, Agent Keeler. You failed to follow through and allowed an enemy operative to expose your weakness. I expect better results next time. You’re all dismissed. Go home and rest. Agent Keeler, get something to eat and finish your PSTC, before I have the medical team drag you away.”

  There was no doubt in Ethan’s mind that Sparks would follow through with her threat. They removed their vests and left them by the table where they’d picked them up earlier. Ethan followed Calvin to Sparta’s male locker room while Cael and Letty headed for the canteen. Ethan could all but feel Ash’s laser-beam stare boring into him and Calvin. It was probably best for all of them if they showered quickly and went home to give everyone time to cool down. Well, to give Ash time to cool down.

  Of course, they had no such luck. Calvin seemed determined to take his sweet time. They had showered and dressed, when Ash stomped into the locker room fully recovered and fully pissed. Whatever agents had been lingering around darted out like the place was on fire. Sometimes Ethan felt bad for their fellow agents. Destructive Delta had a habit of running everyone off with their drama.

  “Summers,” Ash growled, marching over to Calvin. Ethan subtly stepped up behind his partner. He wouldn’t get involved, but he’d be there if his best friend needed him.

  “Hey, you wanna lay one on me,” Calvin said, opening his arms wide, “go ahead. You won’t always be able to protect him, Ash.”

  “Fuck you!” Ash stepped forward, only to have Cael put a hand to his chest, stopping him in his tracks.

  “He’s right, Ash.”

  Ash’s expression softened. “Cael…”

  “We should have both been paying better attention to Calvin and not each other. I was worried about you. That’s exactly what Sparks was talking about. I know it might be different out in the field, but we can’t take that chance. I thought because I was on the sidelines that I was safe, and how well did that go with Hogan? He caught me by surprise. What if I hadn’t gotten out from under him?”

  “Wait, what do you mean out from under him?” Ash’s amber eyes clouded over.

  Cael’s eyes widened, and it was clear he hadn’t meant for Ash to find out about whatever had happened inside the surveillance van that day.

  “What did Hogan do?” Ash growled, his fists balled at his sides.

  Ethan and Calvin backed up.

  “Cael?” Dex dropped his duffel bag on the floor and turned to face his brother. “What happened in the van?”

  Cael folded his arms over his chest. “What does it matter? Hogan’s dead.”

  “It matters!” Ash snapped, making Cael flinch.

  Ethan had no idea what was happening, but one minute Ash was about to go feral, the next he had Cael in his arms, his voice soft.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay, Ash.” Cael hugged Ash close and buried his face against Ash’s T-shirt. After a few seconds of being in each other’s arms, Cael pulled back, but he wouldn’t meet anyone’s gaze. “Before Hogan knocked me out, he managed to pin me on my stomach. He…” Cael shook his head and closed his eyes. “He felt me up, said maybe he should fuck me right there, that we should make a video for you. He said he would’ve loved to see your face when he defiled me. Then I head-butted him.”

  “That motherfucking son of a bitch!” Ash turned away from Cael, his fingers flexing at his sides. Sloane was going to say something, when Ash slammed a fist into his locker, the force behind his punch denting the metal.

  “Ash, please.” Cael took hold of Ash’s arm, turning him so he could cup Ash’s face. “I’m okay. Hogan’s dead.”

  “He’s damn lucky he’s dead, because if he wasn’t, I’d beat the ever-living shit out of him until he joined Collins in hell for putting his fucking hands on you.”

  “Stop. Why do you think Sparks is so concerned about our training? We’re not as prepared as we think we are. None of us are. We rely on our weapons, our partners, our proficiencies and Therian forms, everything that can quickly be used against us. What good is all our training if we let our emotions get the better of us?” Cael lowered his voice. “I’m willing to bet the kind of assholes TIN operatives face know how to discover and use those weaknesses.”

  “But we’re not TIN operatives,” Ash argued. “We have to be careful.”

  “The way we were a few minutes ago?” Cael shook his head. “I’m glad Sparks is training us. I don’t want to ever feel helpless like I did in that van. I can’t rely on you to protect me.”

  “I’d do anything to protect you.”

  “And when you don’t have that choice? We’ve all got each other’s backs, but we have to learn to be strong on our own.” Cael took Ash’s hand in his. “I love that you’re always there for me, but that leaves you vulnerable. You’ve already taken a bullet for me once. I don’t want you to be placed in that position again. Not if I can do something about it. If I lost you because I wasn’t equipped to handle the situation, I’d never forgive myself.”

  Ash swallowed hard. He let out a resigned sigh and nodded. “I understand.”

  “Cael’s right,” Dex said, grabbing his bag off the floor. “We need to step up our game. If Sparks can help us do that, then I’m all for it. Pearce, the Coalition, Hogan. We’re dealing with a whole new type of criminal. They’re strong, smart, and will do whatever is necessary to take anyone down. We can’t give them the means to do that.”

  “The only question is, what’s Sparks’s training going to cost us?” Sloane put his arm around Dex, taking the duffel bag from him. “We don’t know what the end game is with Sparks. She’s not putting in all this time and effort for nothing. At some point, she’s going to want something in return. On a lighter note, see you all at my apartment tomorrow morning.”

  Cael groaned before turning to glare at Calvin. “Thanks for shooting me the day before moving day.”

  Ash gave Cael’s head a kiss. “That’s okay, sweetheart, it means Calvin will have to do twice the lifting.”

  Calvin flipped Ash off before grabbing his jacket. The rest of their team said their good-byes and headed off, leaving Ethan and Calvin alone. Knowing there was no one in there for the time being, Ethan turned to Calvin and drew him close to plant a soft kiss on his lips.

  “You did great,” he said quietly. His partner had been quick thinking, using whatever was available at the time to help him survive, because that’s what Calvin did. Survive.

  Calvin smiled up at him, his blue eyes filled with warmth. “Thank you. Now let’s get out of here. I’m starving. Mom’s invited us over for dinner.”

  Ethan’s eyes lit up, and his stomach rumbled. “Did she…?”

  “Of course she did. She made chicken-and-dumpling casserole, cornbread, fried green tomatoes, and her famous pecan pie. Like she doesn’t know you,” Calvin said with a chuckle.

  A mew escaped Ethan, and his mouth watered. Calvin’s mom made the best Southern food ever. Usually he ate so much he wouldn’t be able to move for hours. She knew all his favorites and always cooked up Therian-sized portions, plus leftovers because she knew neither he nor her son liked to cook. Ethan could eat Darla’s cooking every day, though it was probably a good thing he didn’t, or he’d never fit into his uniform. He grabbed Calvin’s hand and pulled him along to hurry him up, making him laugh.

  “I’m driving,” Ethan declared before hurrying out of the locker room with Calvin in tow.

  “Yeah, all right. Just don’t get us pulled over. Again. I have a feeling the next cop might not see jambalaya as a good enough reason not to give you a speeding ticket.”

  They were headed for the elevator when Dex and Sloane showed up. Both were out of breath and flushed. Dex’s uniform shirt was half hanging out, and Sloane’s collar was a mess.

  “I don’t even want to know,” Calvin muttered.

  “Hey, we’re getting some dinner,” Dex said as he tucked in his shirt. “You guys wanna come?”

  Ethan shook his head and pointed to Calvin before patting his belly.

  “Sorry, Mom’s homemade chicken-and-dumpling casserole wins out over air itself. Seriously. There’s no keeping Ethan from my mom’s cooking.”

  Dex’s eyes sparkled. “That’s right. Your mom cooks real Southern food. Old-school recipes made from scratch, passed down for generations. Fried green tomatoes?”

  Calvin sighed and took his phone out of his pocket. He tapped the screen before placing it to his ear. “Hey, Mom. We got enough for two more? One’s a Therian, the other eats like one. Great. Thanks. Love you too. See you soon.” Calvin hung up and grinned as the elevator pinged. He motioned to the open doors. “After you.”

  Dex and Ethan all but fell over each other trying to get into the elevator. Inside, Ethan gave Dex a shove. Calvin stepped in after Sloane.

  “Yeah, a word of warning. Don’t get between Ethan and my mom’s dumplings.”

  Ethan narrowed his eyes at Dex. I will bust your shit up.

  Dex held his hands up. “I apologize for any disrespect caused while hungry. It’s not me. It’s my stomach.”

  Ethan patted Dex’s shoulder, perhaps a little harder than necessary. Dex shook his head and chuckled. Good food and good company. Today was turning out to be a pretty good day after all.

  When they reached Darla’s house, it went from a good day to a great day. Ethan could smell the food from the moment he stepped out of his SUV. His stomach rumbled, demanding it be filled with tasty dumplings immediately. He ran up the front steps of Darla’s house, grinning widely when she opened the door.

  “Hello, angel.” Darla pulled Ethan in for a hug, and Ethan squeezed her in return, mindful of his strength. For him, Darla Summers was like a second mother. Despite working long hours to support herself and her son, she hadn’t thought twice about helping Ethan and his family. It had been hard for Ethan’s mom, taking care of a husband in constant excruciating pain, and a small son with crippling anxiety and selective mutism. Darla had stepped in like she’d always been there. Ethan had never known anyone as strong as his mom until he’d met Darla Summers. She was a slip of a woman compared to his bulky near-three-hundred-pound frame, yet she could make the toughest Therian quake in their boots with one raised eyebrow. She had the same sparkling blue eyes as Calvin, and the same golden blonde hair.

  Ethan stepped inside so she could hug Calvin. She gave his head a kiss. “Hey, baby.”

  “Hi, Mom.” Calvin gave her cheek a kiss before moving to one side. “You remember Sloane.”

  “Sloane.” Darla smiled warmly, ignoring Sloane’s outstretched hand to pull him in for a hug. Ethan did his best not to laugh. Their team leader wasn’t accustomed to mom hugs. Sloane stiffened for a heartbeat before returning Darla’s hug with a smile.

  “It’s been too long.” She gave him a pointed look, and Sloane cleared his throat.

  “It has. I’m sorry.”

  Ethan couldn’t help but snicker at Sloane’s abashed expression. Yep. Quake in their boots.

  Next came Dex. Ethan braced himself. Knowing Darla, he wasn’t surprised by her expression when Calvin made the introductions.

  “Mom, this is Dex.”

  Darla gasped. “Oh heavens! There really is a Dex?”

  Dex gave her that big cheeky boyish grin of his and winked. “Yes, ma’am.” He opened his mouth to speak again when Darla threw her arms around him and squeezed him so tight it made Dex laugh.

  “Thank you, Dex.”

  “You’re welcome.” Dex pulled back, his expression bemused. “Though I’m not sure what I did. I’m going to assume it was a good thing.”

  Darla’s eyes grew glassy, and she took hold of Dex’s hand. “You saved my boys.”

  It seemed to dawn on Dex then. He shrugged, looking embarrassed. “I was just doing my job.”

  “No, darling. You were doing more than your job.” Darla shook her head, her intense blue eyes on Dex. “You risked your life to save them. I know all about how you pulled Cal to safety in Greenpoint, and when you dragged Ethan to safety after the explosion at the Therian Youth Center.” She looped her arm through his to escort him inside the house. “You’re a hero.”

  Calvin closed the door behind them, shaking his head at his mom. “You really shouldn’t encourage him. His ego’s big enough.”

  “Hush now,” Darla scolded lightly. “This boy saved your life. He deserves to have his ego fed.”

  Dex nodded. “Listen to your mother. She’s obviously an incredibly perceptive lady.”

  “I hope you realize there’s no getting rid of him now,” Calvin said with a sigh. “You compliment him, and then feed him? I’m pretty sure whoever came up with ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’ was talking about him.”

  “He’s right, Darla.” Dex put a hand to his chest over his heart. “Good food pretty much guarantees an unofficial adoption in my book. You feed me, you gotta keep me.”

  Darla threw her head back and laughed. She gave Sloane a wink. “He’s adorable. I can see why you fell for him.”

  Calvin stared at his mom. “I never told you they were together.”

  Darla waved her hand at him in dismissal. “Oh, honey. Anyone with half a mind can see these two are crazy about each other. Now help me get the table set.”

  Ethan and Calvin exchanged glances. It was like when they were kids and they’d sneak under the covers with a flashlight to read comic books. Somehow she always knew they were awake despite them not making a sound or shining the flashlight near the door. Sometimes Ethan suspected she had Therian hearing.

  Calvin headed for the kitchen, and Ethan eagerly followed until Calvin stopped and turned to arch an eyebrow at him. “And where do you think you’re going?”

  Ethan pointed over Calvin’s head to the kitchen where all the tasty food was. He smiled innocently. I’m just going to help you.

  “You’re going to help me, is that it?”

  Ethan nodded, and grinned. Yep. I’m thoughtful that way.

  “Of course you are. Ain’t you cute,” Calvin drawled, his accent always thicker when he was around his mom. “You seem to forget how long I’ve known you. If I let you in there, half the food will be gone before it reaches the table. Sit your butt down.”