Steal the Night (Thieves #5)(77)

“Yup.” Daniel laughed as he jumped off the boat onto the dock and turned to help me. “She’s got us translated.”

“Where are we supposed to meet Nim and Stewart?” Lee asked, leaping to the pier behind his brother.

Neil pointed in the distance. “There they are.”

There, past the small village, stood Nim and Stewart. They didn’t move, just stood there waiting. The fog from the channel made them look like ghosts peeking in and out of the early morning light.

“Shit,” I heard Lee curse as he looked back and the boat suddenly pulled away. He had a hand on my arm, and I could tell he was thinking about making a jump for the boat, but it was too far away now. “We’re not alone.”

“How many?” Dev pulled his gun, his eyes looking for the threat.

Zack was at Daniel’s back, and Neil and Lee stuck close to me.

Lee opened his senses. “Too many.”

“Very good, Mr. Owens,” a familiar voice said as he walked from behind a small building. There weren’t many buildings on this island, but the roofs were suddenly full of men with high-caliber rifles. Snipers. Ronald walked out in his flak jacket. He wasn’t taking chances this time. I had to give the old guy some credit. It was less than twenty-four hours since Dev shot him and he was standing tall. “It’s true. There are far too many of us. Surrender, Mr. Quinn, if you want to live to see the inside of our prison cells.”





Chapter Nineteen





“This is the same group we dealt with earlier with the exception of a male of unknown species,” Ronald said into his headset. The Order of Galahad was very up-to-date, technology-wise. They each had a small Bluetooth device in their ears. “The faery is in charge and should be considered very dangerous. The three males in the back are werewolves and the female is a companion. Assume they’re all on vampire blood. Head shots only for a kill.”

Daniel had snorted when the leader of the Order said Dev was in charge. “He thinks you’re the dangerous one, Devinshea.”

Dev lifted one shoulder negligently. “I did shoot him. You haven’t shot him yet. Besides, I don’t think he has any idea who you are.”

My husbands stood together, presenting a united front against the Order. Dev handled his gun like it was an old friend, but Danny’s hands were still empty because he didn’t need anything yet. Daniel was in his day clothes. After feeding off the magic of Bris’s reintegration, Daniel probably didn’t need the mirrored aviators to protect his eyes or the hoodie under his leather jacket to protect his head. He wore them out of habit. He was dressed in head to toe black with the exception of his favorite pair of Levi’s. While the clothes Daniel wore protected his skin from the sunlight, they had the added bonus of concealing his identity.

Lee held my arm with his non-gun-toting hand. He never took his eyes off the men on the rooftops. “You obey me, Zoey. This is one of those times, you understand? When Donovan and Quinn pull whatever crazy-ass stunt they’re gonna pull, you obey me.”

Lee and I had an understanding. We’d made an agreement the day he became my formal bodyguard. He let me go crazy most of the time. He’d followed me into some wild shit, including several illegal ventures. But when he decided the situation was too hot, he put his foot down and I let him do what he did best—keep me alive. I nodded, letting him know I wasn’t going to fight him.

“Should I change?” Neil asked because he followed Lee’s lead. Zack had moved to stand by his master, who was his primary responsibility. Zack stood at Daniel’s side, ready to obey his command or take a bullet for Devinshea if he had to.

“Not yet,” Lee said out of the side of his mouth. His eyes darted around, looking for a potential escape route. Unfortunately the Order had blocked us off. They surrounded us on four sides and I didn’t think we would be swimming in that cold channel any time soon. We were well and truly stuck. “I think it might start them shooting, and I want to put that off as long as possible.”

I looked into the distance and saw what had been hidden before. A group of soldiers had been hiding in the background, but they were on their feet now and had started slowly escorting Nim and Stewart toward us. I wondered how they managed to catch the two powerful creatures unaware.

Ronald walked down the small road with his escort of five well-armed men. The lanky Brit was more like his soldiers today. Gone was the expensive suit. He was dressed in fatigues and combat boots. “So, Mr. Quinn, I underestimated you the first time. I think you will find I have not made the same mistake twice.”

Dev looked around at the troops, and his eyes showed that he wasn’t particularly impressed. Dev had some major issues with authority figures. “Is that a fact, Ronnie? I think you’ll find you’ve f*cked up again. Once we’ve mopped the floor with your ass, I’ll explain some realities of our world to you.”

Ronald’s eyes narrowed. “Mr. Quinn, I suggest you have your men relinquish their firearms. I’m offering your werewolves the chance to live if they submit. If they do not, I’ll order my men to kill them on the spot. Our bullets are silver and these men are highly trained. They won’t miss.”

“Tell me, Ronald,” Daniel said, his voice commanding attention. “How many of your men are you willing to lose?”