Smiling, Val shook her head.

  “Did you take care of your mission already? I was surprised Vaughn came out to join us. Well, not entirely surprised.” Howard hoped they had terminated the guy.

  “Yeah. It turned out to be a lot easier than we thought. The hardest part was locating Redding, but once we did, we eliminated him, and he had no backup. The opposite situation has occurred with you, so we need to regroup. We were just making sure everything was taken care of out here before we joined you.”

  “You have no other mission at hand?” Howard was glad they’d get reinforcements from their own team.

  “Hell no, not when you’re up to your ass in jaguars. We told Martin if he had any other assignments pending to put them on hold. He said he planned to send us right out to your location anyway. How are you all faring?”

  “Jillian suffered a concussion. She seems to be doing much better today. All of us had some stitches to close bite and claw wounds.” Howard normally wouldn’t have mentioned that, but he wanted to be honest with the Andersons so they’d know the difficulty he and his team had had. Especially when they were going to be up against those same people themselves. “We’ll be glad to see you. When are you getting in?”

  “We’ll be at the airport this evening at five. Can you pick us up?”

  “Yeah, unless we’re in a fight or a chase, we’ll be there.”

  “Okay, if we can’t get ahold of you when we arrive, we’ll get a rental car and drive out to your resort. Jillian said she and Vaughn want to vacation out there when this is all done.”

  “If we don’t have another mission right after this, I don’t see why not. Maybe we all can.”

  “Val too?”

  “Yeah, Val too, if she agrees. That would be the only way I’d want to stay.”

  She raised her brows and smiled at him.

  Was that a yes? Howard sure hoped so. “About the rental vehicle: just get a taxi. We’ve got to return a car to the airport today, and we still have an extra rental car. We’re escorting Rowdy and Emmie to the airport now.” Howard didn’t bother to explain who Emmie was, figuring Jillian or Vaughn had probably told them some, if not all, of the story. “We’ll see you tonight.”

  “See you tonight. Don’t terminate all the bad guys before we get there.”

  Howard chuckled. If they could, they would. And he knew Everett and Demetria wouldn’t mind if they did. Then they could all enjoy a vacation. He just wished they knew how many they still had to deal with. He was truly glad they’d have some additional jaguar power to tip the scales in their favor. He didn’t want to see anyone else get injured in the fight to finish taking the rest of these men out.

  After they ended the call, they decided to use Vaughn’s rental car so the vehicle wouldn’t be recognized, since they’d driven Val’s and Jillian’s when they had gone to the other drug house. Now, they drove two of the rental vehicles to the airport: Rowdy’s and Vaughn’s. After dropping off the other rental car and parking Vaughn’s car, they all walked inside the airport with Rowdy and Emmie. As additional protection, they stayed with them until they were checked in. They wished them both luck. Emmie and Rowdy went through security, and once they were out of sight, the Greystokes and Val and Howard returned to Vaughn’s car.

  Then they were on their way to the next drug house.

  “I’m glad Demetria and Everett are joining us,” Vaughn said. “We could use some more cats on this adventure.”

  “Me too,” Jillian said. “And I’m glad the civilians are all safely away.”

  Howard knew the wolves didn’t feel they couldn’t be useful on the mission. That was what was great about their team. They knew their strengths and weaknesses—even if the guys didn’t like to admit they had any weaknesses—and they complemented each other.

  “I don’t imagine these guys are going to be at the second drug house,” Val said. “If Eric believes Emmie told us about the other drug house, he’ll know she told us about this one too.”

  “I even had the thought that we could return to the first drug house to see if they showed up there to clean up the bodies,” Jillian said. “But that could be a different sort of trouble.”

  “I agree with you there,” Howard said. “No telling what we could run into.”

  “The dead bodies and maybe the police,” Jillian said. “Before you joined us for the meal, I was watching the news. They only talked about the one dead body found in the alley where you had to break the guy’s neck. No mention of the guy you had to kill in the rain forest. Or the one you had to feed to the crocs nearer our resort.”

  “Good. Hopefully no one will find them,” Howard said. “There was no mention of the drug house and the three bodies we left there?”

  “All quiet on that front. I did think about going to that house Eric owned, but the police might know there was some connection between the broken-necked guy and Eric’s place,” Jillian said. “They don’t have an ID on the dead guy yet either. And no mention of all the blood spilled in the rental house where Val’s parents were staying.”

  “At least we’ve probably put a crimp in Eric’s drug dealings. He’s too busy keeping one step ahead of us.”

  “Serves them right for Benny turning Izzie and everything else they’ve done.” Val’s phone began ringing, and she pulled it out. “Speaking of that…” She answered her cell and put it on speaker. “We’re all here listening. How are you doing, Izzie?”

  “I just had to call you and tell you I’m settling in and had my first OB check at a jaguar clinic. I actually shifted at the clinic, which terrified me. Can you imagine me being in the waiting room, yanking off my clothes as fast as I could? They took me into the exam room calmly, no one reacting like I was a crazed woman, like this happened all the time, when I’m sure it doesn’t. The doctor and nursing staff were so patient with me. They showed me the ultrasound of the jaguar cub while I was lying on the exam table as a jaguar. Before they were through, I shifted again, and they showed me what the baby looked like in human form. It was a miracle. They said they couldn’t be one hundred percent sure at twelve weeks, but by the angle of the dangle, the baby looks to be a boy.”

  Val swiped at her face, and Howard looked over to see her brushing away tears. “I’m so glad for you, Izzie. See? What did I say? Everything would work out for you.” She gave Howard a dark look as if saying he’d better not comment on her tears.

  He worried about Val though. Was she just sentimental about the woman’s baby being fine? Or was it something that went deeper?

  “I’m thrilled. And I wanted to thank you all for saving my life. I realize you could easily have terminated me for the way I had behaved.”

  “We knew you were going through a tough time and only wanted to do what we could to help you cope with it,” Val said, sounding a little choked up.

  “They have me in counseling to deal with all of it: what I went through with Benny, having a baby, and having a jaguar cub, and of course the changes in my senses. Sometimes, they’re useful. But I haven’t been sleeping well. Too many sounds and smells to deal with when I need to sleep. And everything distracts me.”

  “It’ll get better. It might take some time, but you’ll learn to live with your enhanced senses.”

  “That’s what they keep telling me. Just like the shifting. Part of my counseling program was to let you know how I’m feeling and to thank you for all that you did. But I keep worrying Benny will come after me. My counselor said I should call you to get an update on him and maybe that would help settle my concern.”

  Since they hadn’t gotten anywhere with the bastard, Howard was certain their news wouldn’t be good news.

  “We’re still working on getting ahold of him,” Val admitted. “We’ve taken down more of his henchmen, but he still has eluded us.”

  “I’m glad you’ve gotten rid of some of the others. Will you remember to tell me when you’ve taken care of him?”

  “Absolutely, Izzie. As soon as we can.”

  “Thanks. I think that’s another reason why I can’t sleep very well. And well, because I keep shifting into a cat in the middle of the night. It always wakes me. I’ll let you go, but I just wanted to say thank you.”

  “You’re so welcome, Izzie, and congratulations again on your baby. We’re thrilled for you.”

  When they finished the call, Howard said, “We’re coming up on the location.”

  “That same blue pickup is sitting out front,” Val warned.

  “No other vehicles,” Vaughn said. “Which could mean they’ve set a trap for us and are hiding the other vehicles so we’ll think only Eric is here.”

  Howard drove past the house. “What does everyone want to do?” They worked as a team. He wasn’t about to decide this for everyone.

  “Someone moved a curtain at the window,” Val said.

  “Okay, so someone is in the house. Not necessarily Eric or Benny,” Howard said. “I’m thinking we should wait for reinforcements.” He was only thinking of the Greystokes and Val’s welfare. Normally, he would be eager to finish the mission, no matter what the stakes. After the last clash with the rogue jaguars and the injuries his fellow team members had sustained, he was thinking they needed to be more cautious. Everyone was still suffering from bite and claw wounds. Vaughn had been especially worried about Jillian this morning, though she appeared to be feeling all right.

  “I vote for waiting. It won’t be much longer until the Andersons join us,” Vaughn said. “I thought we could do this, but I agree that it looks like a trap. If it is, they’ll be prepared for us, and we won’t know what we’re going up against.”

  “I want to get this over with and get on with vacation plans,” Jillian said, snuggling against Vaughn in the back seat. “But if any of us get killed over this when we could have waited and had much better odds, I would never forgive myself.”

  “I agree,” Howard said. Waiting would benefit them all.

  Emmie called Howard on her cell, and he put it on speaker. “Yeah, Emmie?”

  “Rowdy and I haven’t boarded our flight yet, but Eric texted me. He said I was the only woman he’d ever trusted, and I’d pay for abusing his trust.”

  “We’ll get him, Emmie. As soon as we can,” Howard said, feeling all growly. The bastard didn’t deserve to have anyone special in his life, not while he was conducting the kind of business that he was.

  “I…I didn’t want to tell you this, because I really think Eric said it so I’d overhear him and relay the message to you. Rowdy told me to let you know what’s going on though. Just in case the information was for real and you could use it to take him and Benny down. He said Benny was going to be at the beach near the resort making some heroin sales in about three hours. My gut instinct tells me it’s a setup,” Emmie said.

  “Okay, we’ll discuss it. Thanks for giving us the information. Have a safe flight, and just know we’ll get them,” Howard said.

  “Thanks. Let me know what happens,” Emmie said.

  “Will do.”

  They ended the call, and Howard asked, “So what do we do?”

  “It’s lunchtime,” Val said. “Why don’t we grab some lunch at a local place? We could pick up some swimsuits and go swimming at the beach and see what happens. We could explore the area first, make sure they’re not there. If no one shows up, we return to the cabins and wait for the Andersons to get in, have dinner, then take care of this business. If we see Benny, we move to shore to take him out. Or a couple of us could be sitting somewhere in the trees—hidden, possibly—while two of us are swimming, so it looks like we’re just taking a break.”

  “Val, you have got to join our team. Seriously,” Jillian said. “The job isn’t about taking the bad guys down 24/7, but about knowing how to be a team and play when we can relax and be ready for the next conflict—or look like we’re playing—and prepared to take the bad guys down.”

  Howard smiled at Val as he drove them to a fast-food restaurant. “I keep saying the same—that she needs to join our team.”

  Vaughn shook his head. “Are you sure you want to hook up with Howard? You know that’s his whole intention.”

  “Maybe he’s not ready for it,” Val said, glancing at Howard as if waiting to see if he was.

  “Oh hell, I’m ready. Past ready,” Howard said. Jillian was right. It wasn’t just about the mission but all the time spent around the mission. It was about the little things too: sharing a funny moment, letting down their guard, talking about their futures, sharing secrets, being there for each other—before, after, and during the mission.

  Vaughn had gotten Jillian a coloring book when she’d been injured on their first mission together, and they’d all ended up coloring pages from it. Little gestures like that made them a cohesive team, a family of shifters who were protective and loyal and could still have fun. Admittedly, he had been a little envious when the mated shifters retired to their rooms for the night. They had each other to complete the night and share intimate moments with during the day. Not that he’d met any woman up to that point in his life who would complete that need. He hadn’t thought he’d ever find a jaguar who would make him feel that way. Val was that woman for him.

  “Hmm, Val, you’re not saying anything,” Howard said.

  Val opened her mouth to speak, but then she got a call. “Hold that thought.” She answered her phone and raised a brow at Howard. “Yes, sir. What? A transfer?”

  “Yes!” Howard said, loud enough so her boss, as he figured that’s who it was, could hear.

  She chuckled. “No, it wasn’t my idea. Not right away… Of course, I love being an Enforcer. No, my mom and dad won’t mind. They’ll be happy for me…” She let out her breath. “How about I try it out? Just for a time, and you keep my old job in case it doesn’t work out.” She smiled at Howard. “Okay, that’s a deal… We’re still hunting them down, but you probably know we’ll have more jaguars here in a few hours to help us out.” She paused. “Yes, sir.” She smiled. “Okay, thanks. I’ll keep you…yes, better informed.” She chuckled and ended the call.

  “You said yes! You’re transferring? To join us? Me?” Howard couldn’t help how excited he was.

  Val and Jillian laughed.

  Vaughn chuckled. “Hey, old man, I didn’t know a woman could bowl you over like that.”

  “She’s the only one who has taken me down to the mat in training exercises. I definitely need a mate like that.”

  “I have to admit he’s the first guy I did that to that didn’t want to get even. Wait, don’t tell me that’s a proposal.”

  “Uh, well, if it works?” Howard smiled again at her.

  “It didn’t.”

  He sighed. “Okay, next time, I’ll do better.”

  She smiled at him, and he was glad she still seemed…somewhat agreeable concerning the idea, if he did it right. Which was his next mission, until they had to take care of the bad guys again.

  “I’ve enjoyed working with all of you. It’s definitely not the same as doing this on my own as an Enforcer. There’s never any enjoyable downtime during a mission.” Val sighed. “I didn’t expect Martin to tell my boss I was transferring per the team members’ request though. I haven’t even met the Andersons yet. What if they’re opposed to me being part of the team?”

  “Sorry,” Jillian said, “if I jumped the gun a bit. But we need you to join us!”

  Val smiled at Jillian over the seat.

  “We discussed it last night with the Andersons,” Vaughn said. “Demetria said make it happen. Everett was in full agreement.”

  Val laughed. “Thanks. I don’t think I’ve ever met a group of people who wanted to work with me that badly.”

  “Me more than anyone,” Howard said.

  Everyone laughed.

  “We need to go to a beach shop,” Jillian said. “I need to pick up a swimsuit. I didn’t think my mate would be here with me, or that we might have a minute to enjoy aqua waters and white sand beaches.”

  “I’ve got board shorts with me,” Vaughn said. “I always take them with me on trips to hot places in the summer.”

  Howard was reminded of the time they went swimming in the hotel pool and couldn’t wait to be with Val again in the water.

  Val looked up stores for swimsuits on her phone. “I’m with Jillian. I need something to swim in.” She gave him directions.

  “Since it’s daytime, we’ll have to have two of us armed with guns and badges, hidden in the foliage, waiting to ambush our prey. If Benny does show up to sell drugs, we can arrest him and take him somewhere else to eliminate him,” Vaughn said. “We won’t be able to shift and take care of this. He probably won’t want to scream bloody murder and get the police involved. Jillian and I can remain in the bushes, armed and ready, while the two of you swim. Then we can switch off if no one shows up for a while.”

  “I imagine this is a setup, but they can’t take us out very well either in broad daylight,” Jillian said.

  Then they drove to a beach shop and picked up souvenir beach towels to use and take home with them. Howard had to get one with a jaguar prowling through the jungle. He was a jaguar all the way. Being a SEAL wolf, Vaughn immediately grabbed the only seal towel he could find—two harbor seals on the rocks sunning and swimming. Jillian smiled at him. Before Val could pick out her own towel, Howard found just the one for her. Two black howler monkeys, just like the ones that had seized her oranges, in memory of her first day at her cabin in Belize.

  “Just missing the oranges and jaguar to make it complete,” Val said.

  Vaughn waited to hear an explanation. Jillian smiled at him. “Val had visitors in her kitchen, nibbling on her oranges, when we first showed up at the resort. Howard chased them off.”

  “As a jaguar?” Vaughn was grinning. “Hell, man, I knew you were the best man for this job.”