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The one that set his mind most at ease, though, was the Lion clothed in armor, claws tipped in steel, blue eyes savage and filled with death.
That creature would always be contained, always controlled, until, as Rule said, the world went to hell where the Breeds were concerned.
It was the first time Jonas had sensed that part of this Breed, and he suspected it was that part of him that had convinced Rule to betray a decade of loyalty to Jonas, for one Breed’s mirage of freedom.
Gideon had realized what lurked inside Rule.
The trigger, Jonas thought wearily. All it took was the right trigger, and that “something in between”—that part that Rule had identified that all Breeds had inside them—was the something Jonas feared the most.
Because he had a feeling the triggers were far more sensitive in many Breeds than anyone knew.
• • •
Reporters. They were camped at the front gate like vultures perched and waiting for prey to die. Or to catch a glimpse of her.
She should have expected it—the minute news broke of Raymond’s arrest and the charges being filed against him, one of which would have been attempted murder of the woman everyone believed was his daughter, Claire Martinez.
Would the truth come out that she wasn’t Claire?
There weren’t many who knew. Those who did wouldn’t want the truth told any more than she wanted it told right now.
By the time she slipped back into the house and moved upstairs to check the property outside the walls, there were vans on each side of the grounds just outside the eight-foot walls.
Standing in the guest room and peeping through the lace curtains, she realized more than just reporters were out there. Across the narrow two-lane county road sat a familiar Dragoon. As she watched, a pretty, blond head popped up on the other side and Ashley was waving her hand madly, a
teasing smile on her lips. No doubt she knew Cat was watching.
A second later the journalists had turned and were snapping pictures by the dozens as Ashley seemed to be actually posing for them. Until someone jerked her rather rudely back into the Dragoon.
What the hell . . .
Not even a heartbeat later, the encrypted sat phone Jonas had given her months before vibrated demandingly. Somehow, she pretty much knew who it was.
“Ashley, why didn’t you just call me to begin with?” Cat answered the summons in amazement. “You didn’t have to wait to catch my attention.”
“Oh, I was waving at the paparazzi.” The Russian drawl was pure lazy charm. “I bet they put my picture on the front pages again, Cat. See what a wonderful friend I make? Never fear, I’ll save you from them.”
Ashley was a nut.
For a while Cat had wondered if the Coyote female would ever bounce back from the bullet she’d taken to the chest and the near death experience that resulted. She’d died twice on the operating table. The second time the surgeons had nearly given up hope of bringing her back.
“I’m sure I appreciate it,” Cat assured her. “But does your alpha?”
“Oh, Del Rey was called back to the hotel. He left Brim Stone to babysit. He’s still spoiling me and allowing me to be a bad girl.” Ashley drew the words out, her accent heavier, and Cat could practically see her winking before blowing Brim a kiss while she twirled her artificially highlighted blond tresses.
One of these days, Del Rey was going to lock her up for the sanity of the free world. She spread laughter and craziness wherever she went, if the potential for it existed.
“So, would you like my company for a minute?” Ashley asked brightly. “I thought I would saunter over to the very charming reporters, flash a little teeth—you know, my incisors were sharpened and polished to a wonderful sheen yesterday—then I could just hop over that little wall of yours and make them all feel like lazy little bums because they can’t quite make that jump.”
Oh, she so wanted to see that.
“Go ahead,” Ashley suggested. “You want to dare me so bad, don’t you, Cat?”
Never dare a Coyote. Cat almost laughed at the saying. Ashley begged to be dared. It was one of her favorite hobbies.
“Okay, Ashley, I dare you. But you can’t hurt the reporters. Knee another one in the groin and you forfeit the hot chocolate I’m making.”
“Ooh, I get hot chocolate, Brim,” she told the alpha’s second in command teasingly. “And she did dare me.”
