Technical Threat (Westin Force #4) - Julie Trettel Page 0,60

a house in town. He didn’t want to go far, but his mate, Emma worked in town watching Ben and Shelby’s triplets, so they were looking to split the difference between commutes.

Silas was the last of us that hadn’t mated now. He liked his space and kept to himself, so I doubted he really cared. He had never hung out much with the rest of us, at least not after. He was close with Painter and even they didn’t really spend much time together. I just assumed it was a gorilla thing. Painter often kept to himself too.

“Hey, are you okay?” Susan asked.

I jolted and looked around. The girls were gone. I frowned. I was the observant one. My team counted on me for surveillance and security. How had I missed the girls leaving? That was the sort of thing that got people killed in my profession.

“You sort of zoned out for a minute.”

“Sorry, just had a lot on my mind.”

“This is too much, isn’t it? I mean with my sisters moving with us. It’s not going to work, is it?”

I kissed my mate. “Of course it’s going to work out. I have a couple phone calls to make while they pack, and I need to check in on Nonna too.”

“Is it okay if I stay and help them?”

“Of course. I won’t be long.”

She stood up and then pulled me up beside her. There was no hesitation when she wrapped her arms around me. “I never dreamed a mate could be so kind and supportive.”

It hurt my heart to know that came from years of being told otherwise. Why would anyone do that? But especially a mother?

We stood there kissing, but when our kisses started to heat up, I pulled away. It wasn’t that I didn’t want my mate, but it was a little awkward with her sisters just down the hall, and knowing we were standing in the open area of her living room.

“I better go.”

She looked at her watch. It was nearly four. “Want to meet in a few hours and have dinner at the café? I’d like to say goodbye to everyone tonight.”

“Yeah, sounds great. Say six?”

“Can we make it seven? The worst of the dinner crowd should have passed by then.”

“Whatever you want.” I kissed her one last time and turned to leave. “See you at seven.”

There was an empty place in my heart walking away from her even knowing it was only going to be for a few hours. The guys were going to have a field day with this. I was turning into a sap. I was already whipped; I could feel it. It was exactly the sort of thing I’d pointed out and teased each of the others for when it had happened to them. I hadn’t understood. I doubted anyone really understood until they were going through it. I felt like an ass for giving them a hard time. But I knew they were going to dish it back to me the second they heard my news.

I pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and then took out my phone. I called Patrick O’Connell. I still needed to tell Silas, but Patrick would help me get approval for all three girls to move into Westin Pack territory and that had to be my number one priority.

He picked up on the second ring.

“Tarron? Is everything okay?”

I snorted. “Is that how you always answer the phone?”

“I’m just surprised to hear from you. Silas just finished briefing me and said your mission was successful. Did something go wrong?”

“No not at all.”

“Are you bringing the culprit back here for further interrogations?”

He was guessing. He knew I would only call if I needed something above Silas’s approval level.

“Uh, sort of.”

“What does that mean?”

“Okay, here’s the thing. The uh, culprit.”

“Susan Duncan. She’s on the hunt for her sister Sonnet Dubois assumed to have been taken by the Raglan.”

“Yes, but there’s a little more to it that I haven’t shared with Silas yet.”

“Go on.”

I didn’t know how to say without just blurting it out. “Susan’s also my true mate.”

There was silence on the line and then he burst out laughing. “Bloody hell. What the feck is going on with Bravo team? You boys are dropping like flies in the field. Well, congratulations. I assume that’s what you’re really calling about? You aren’t bringing her back for interrogation but seeking permission for her to move here?”

“And her two sisters, Sapphire and Sage. I think they both carry the name