Through the Ether (Force of Nature Book 5) - Amber Lynn Natusch Page 0,9
the situation before it could escalate. “Name a price and see how he reacts. Negotiate from there.”
Knox looked utterly shocked. “You’d pay him?”
Merc’s lip curled up on one side. “Of course not. But he doesn’t know that. And you will not tell him. Make him think that the prize will be his.” His smile fell as his eyes drifted to Kat. “Whatever that prize might be.”
Knox nodded. “We’ll be back shortly.” He looked to his boys and started off toward the fleet of vehicles in the parking area. I moved to follow, but Merc caught my arm and held me back.
“I would ask you to stay if I thought it would do any good, but I know better than that.”
“Yeah…you’re a quick learner,” I said with a sad smile.
“I don’t like that I can’t go with you.”
“I don’t like it either, but I’ll be fine.” My gaze followed the wolves climbing into the various SUVs. “We all will…”
“If something happens there, Piper, promise me you’ll get out, no matter what.”
My brow furrowed. “I can’t make that promise and you know it.”
His hand grasped my bicep. “I know,” he said, voice low and full of concern I rarely heard there, “but say it anyway, or I might do something foolish. Something we’ll both regret.”
It didn’t take much to read between the lines. He’d risk his life to go with us, and possibly burn in the process, if I didn’t assuage his fears—even if we both knew it was a lie.
“I promise,” I whispered before pushing up to my tiptoes to kiss his soft lips. He held me captive for a moment, kissing me with a hint of desperation I couldn’t escape. Even when I pulled away and said goodbye. Even as we rode through New York City on our way to confront Mack. It was a sober reminder of what was at stake in all of this.
A reminder that more casualties were likely headed our way no matter what we did.
Chapter Four
The caravan pulled up outside Mack’s illegal gambling club, and the pack strolled up to the entrance together, an army arriving on their doorstep. The bouncer looked at us with suspicion until Kat and I wandered to the front of the group.
“We’re friends of Mack,” she said, smiling brightly. “I promised him five minutes of my time the last time we were together, and I figured today was his lucky day.”
The bouncer scoffed. “What’s with the entourage?”
“Them? They’re just my muscle. A girl can never be too careful, if you know what I mean.” She leaned toward him in conspiratorial fashion. “Between you, me, and the brick wall, Mack can be a little…scary sometimes. They’re just here to make sure he doesn’t get carried away.”
She stepped back, and the bouncer stared down at her, his uncertainty plain.
“I can’t let them all in.”
Kat feigned a pout. “Then Mack can’t have the best five minutes of his life…and I don’t think he’ll be very happy about that.”
The wall of muscle pressed his finger against his earpiece and squinted. Seconds ticked by like hours, and I could feel the pack’s desire to kick down the door and ransack the place growing.
I whispered, “easy, boys,” under my breath just as the bouncer nodded at a directive I didn’t hear.
“Okay, you can go in,” he said to Kat, “but only four of your crew. The rest stay here.”
Four…
There was no way I was getting left behind, and Knox damn well knew it. If I went, Grizz would be at my side no matter what. The alpha knew that, too. That left him with only one of his wolves to join him, and it seemed he wouldn’t have to make that choice, either. Brunton pushed his way to my side and looked over me at Knox.
Kat glanced at the four of us lined up, then smiled at the bouncer. “Mack,” she chided, “spooks too easily.” Then she headed for the door without looking back. “C’mon, kids. Let’s go make the alpha’s day.”
Knox sent the others back to the fleet of vehicles before we made our way to the entrance. A serious case of déjà vu washed over me as we walked into the vast space, but this time, the crowd was distinctly different than the time before. Instead of a mixed group filling the club, only a wave of magic and the power of supernaturals greeted us. And the second we crested the threshold, they all went painfully still. Like cyborgs being controlled by a single