Page 55 of Vanessa’s Bravery

Patrick cast a sideways glance at his friend and colleague. “Ahh, the famous protector instinct of a man who’s found his mate.”

“Yep. Looks that way.” Ethan pointed to the next intersection. “Turn right here.”

Patrick followed the instruction. “So, is he a satyr like you? Or just a regular human?”

“According to Dad, he’s a satyr. Envious?”

“Of two cocks? What guy wouldn’t be envious?” Ever since he’d found out that satyrs existed and what their physical attributes were, he’d been just a little bit envious of Ryder, Ethan, and Gabriel.

Ethan laughed. “Sure, once you actually have the two cocks, but until then it’s not exactly ideal when you wanna get a girl to sleep with you. That growth isn’t particularly attractive.”

Patrick had seen Ethan’s growth before—they’d both been young boys, and just like all young boys they’d been curious about their bodies. “You don’t seem to have any problems getting laid.”

“I get a fair amount of rejections.” Ethan shrugged. “But I don’t let that bother me. It’s a numbers game. Besides, I’ve learned how to hide what I don’t want the women to see.”

“Mind control?”

“On occasion. Though I prefer not to use that skill if it’s not absolutely necessary. I often don’t undress fully. A dark room works wonders, and if I fuck them from behind, they’ll never know.”

Patrick shook his head, laughing. “Lucky you!”

“As if you don’t get your share of pretty women. I’ve seen how the girls check you out when we go clubbing.”

“Don’t you get tired of going clubbing and picking up girls for mindless sex?”

“Uh, oh.” Ethan gave him a sideways look. “Don’t tell me you’re ready to settle down.”

“No, of course not!” Patrick protested quickly. Perhaps a little too quickly, because in his own mind, he didn’t believe his own words. “Just saying, I need a little more than just mindless one-night stands. I wanna meet a woman who doesn’t throw herself at me the minute she sees me. You know, a little challenge.”

“It’s a curse to be handsome and rich,” Ethan said, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Patrick slapped him playfully over the back of his head. “Idiot!” He concentrated on the traffic again. “Besides, I’m not rich. My father is.”

“Same thing. And with Grayson running the show in New Orleans, and Isabelle more interested in her mate and baby than in the company, you’re next in line at Scanguards.”

“You know as well as I do that I’m not interested in running the company. I told Dad the other night.”

“And what did he say?”

“That I might change my mind one day.”

“Will you?”

“Doubt it. I don’t wanna be stuck in an office.” He made a gesture toward the street. “This is what I live for: taking down bad guys, getting in on the action, protecting people.”

“Well, you’ll have your chance tonight.” Ethan pointed out the window. “Last house on the right. Park right in front of it.”

Patrick looked at the clock on his dashboard, noting that they had almost five minutes to spare until the prearranged time to strike the rogues simultaneously. He tapped on the SUV’s communication system that was connected directly with the control center at Scanguards.

“Unit 12, Patrick and Ethan. We’re in place.”

“Understood, unit 12,” Benjamin replied. “Mission is a go. Repeat: all units are in place. Execute mission in 4 minutes.”

“Roger that,” Patrick replied and muted the communication system.

“Let’s do this,” Ethan said.

Patrick killed the engine and got out of the car. Ethan was already standing on the sidewalk, looking at the house.