Hidden Passions (Hidden, #7)(40)

"You're calling me a joke!"

"No." Adam put his other hand on him too. "I'm placing what I love most under your protection. The last thing that could be is a joke."

Tony dropped his head, unable to continue challenging Adam's gaze. This was his wolf's reaction to Adam's dominance. The man in him knew they couldn't afford to waste time arguing. Rick was probably tearing off already to rescue Cass's father from Sword Guy's torture.

"Okay," he said. "You can count on me."

Adam startled him by leaning forward to kiss his brow, the way a father would a son.

"You're stronger than you know," he said. "That's what I'm counting on."

~

Chris was with Evina at the station when she got the news that Rick had contacted Tony's pack. She didn't object to Nate's request that her tigers defend his wolves.

"Of course we'll do it," she said. "Station 12 can cover our calls. I'll tell them our truck was cursed or something."

Nate and she didn't speak for long. Chris assumed the squad was leaving ASAP to go to Rick's aid. Despite a twinge of concern, he was glad for Tony. Doing something was better than waiting.

"Wow," Evina said, setting the phone back down. "Where am I going to put everyone? Our place is big but . . ." She trailed off, fingers pressed together before her mouth as she mulled over the conundrum.

Chris was perched on one side of her cluttered desk, watching her rock slightly in the chair. Nate hadn't French braided her hair for work like he usually did. As a result, her curls were as unruly as her kids'. Chris wanted to smile but didn't. How pleased he was by her readiness to help surprised him. Actually, he was pleased by the prospect of helping people Tony cared about. That seemed . . . right. He and Tony should always be on the same side.

He pushed the pleasure aside so he could think clearly. As he did, he realized he had a solution. It meant risking a long-held secret, but that hardly mattered when weighed against these stakes.

"If these fae are watching Rick's pack, they must know where they live," he said. "I have a place. It's big enough, and it's not common knowledge that I own it."

Evina looked at him with her eyebrows up. "You have a place besides your townhouse?"

"Yes," he said, ignoring the discomfort of admitting it. "We can organize a couple cars. Pick up everyone Nate wants protected."

"All right," said his alpha. "I guess we're going to the mattresses."

~

Chris collected Tony's sister Maria and her son. She was girlier than he expected, greeting him in a flowered dress and a light sweater. She seemed like a normal mom: slightly frazzled but organized. Though it was the crack of dawn, she quickly packed the storage space in his Explorer with ready-to-eat food.

"You never know how long we'll be," she said. "Shifters with full stomachs are more pleasant to be around."

Ethan was a cute kid but sleepy. The five-year-old curled up in the back and dozed as Chris drove. He clutched a Met's jacket of his dad's like it was a teddy bear.

"You were at the wedding," Maria said, glancing at him from the front passenger seat. "You were the other best man."

"That's right. I'm Evina's beta."

"You tigers certainly grow up big."

Chris wasn't sure how to respond to that, especially since the comment sounded vaguely suspicious. Probably it was just a kneejerk cats-and-dogs reaction. "You warm enough in that sweater? I can turn on the heat."

Maria folded her arms. "I'm a shifter too," she said.

"Right. Radio?"

She shook her head tightly. "Where are we going?"

"Elfyunk. I have a place there that should be safe."

Elfyunk was neither the worst nor the best part of town. The 1930s had been its heyday. Today it was worn down and gritty. Some of Resurrections' less law-abiding citizens based operations here, but they were mostly old school and not violent. The saying went that there were as many strip joints in Elfyunk as there were Star's Brews downtown.

Tony's older sister didn't comment on the choice. When Chris checked on her from the corner of his eye, she was biting her lower lip. Her eyes were a different color than Tony's--golden brown rather than soft green. Even so, the gesture made her resemble him.


"Sorry," she said, shooting a glance his way. "I shouldn't be snippy. I'm worried about my husband. Adam called him in on this."

"Sure," Chris said. "I understand."

"You really are nice to be helping us."

"Nate is clan now. It feels right to pitch in."

"Nate always was a charmer." Maria's tone was dry. "Your alpha broke a lot of hearts when she snagged him."

Chris didn't want to dwell on Nate's charms. "He and Tony seem to get along," he said perversely.

"Tony used to be as big of a flirt as him."

This was said wistfully. Chris deduced she meant as big of a flirt with women. He hesitated, then decided to speak again. "The pack seems to have adjusted to him being gay."

Maria sighed gustily. "Yes."

Chris merged into the light early morning traffic on the freeway. "Do you wish they hadn't adjusted?"