Chapter 7

• A slamming door had him jolt and spin around. Jesse walked around to the front of his van and popped the hood on it. He stood there looking in it now. “Think about it, Devin, how else did they know when I’d hit that stretch of road?” He stared at the motor like the answer was going to jump out at him. Webb went over and looked in it with him, he moved the phone from his mouth and looked at him, “Webb, go look and see if you can see anything obvious done to hers that would cause it to stop running.”
• Webb gave him a skeptical look and then nodded before walking around to the front of Gia’s van.
• Gia popped the release lever for the hood and went around the front. “You think something was done to it?”
• Webb lifted his big hand and shrugged, “the boss says look, I look.” He opened the hood and leaned over it, moving his head to peer down in between things.
• “That’s,” she spun around and looked at her brother and then back to Webb, “How? When?”
• Nox, now scowling with a look of focus on his face went over and watched Webb. “Did you stop anywhere along the way?”
• Gia’s expression soured, “a few times, just to stretch my legs. I wasn’t away from it for more than a couple of minutes though.”
• Deacon grabbed the tote and carried it to Jesse’s van, opening the back door, he slid it in. His animal was pissed, to the point that he was having to keep his jaw clenched to focus on keeping him on the inside. His skin was hurting, muscles clenching. Someone went after their mate. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a second and tried to convey that at this point they both needed Deacon on the outside to keep her safe. The creature didn’t like it, but it settled just enough that he could function again.
• Opening his eyes, he saw Jesse looking at him, but he made no comment as he started talking again and walk to the other side of the road to stand there.
• He went back and grabbed the supplies tucked under the one bench seat.
• “Jesse,” Webb growled out, his voice not so light and easy-going now.
• Deacon walked around the van to see him under the front of it, his body from the waist up almost wedged underneath.
• Jesse came over and squatted down, the phone still to his ear.
• Deacon leaned over the side of the motor and looked down at the other man
• “This wire,” Webb moved around, “it’s been cut, not corroded.”
• “What is it to?” Jesse knelt on the road and leaned down to try and look
• “Alternator.” Nox said, almost in Deacon’s ear as he leaned over and looked in the motor as well.
• “Did you hear that?” Jesse got to his feet and nodded to whatever was said on the phone, “this was intentional.” Jesse nodded, “let me know.” He hung up and glared at the van. “Devin’s calling back in a minute with a new plan.” Jesse squeezed his eyes shut for a second and then opened them. “We have a lot of vehicles out there right now.”
• Webb worked his way back out from under the bumper. “So,” he got to his feet, “I’m guessing they have a way to track our vehicles.”
• Nox stood there with his hands on his hips and glanced from one to the other.
• Jesse rubbed his hand along his jaw. He turned to Deacon, “how’s your fund pouch?”
• Deacon shrugged, “fine, we haven’t used it since the last op.”
• Jesse nodded slowly, then rolled his shoulders, “we’re going to have to ditch the vans and get new rides.”
• Gia had been busying herself moving things to the other vehicle up to this point, she came over and stood too close to Deacon, he could taste her scent again, “you think they’re somehow tracking the vans?” She looked from Jesse to Nox, “all of them?”
• Deacon stepped back and looked up and down the road, just to put more distance between them.
• “We can’t take the chance until we have them all checked,” Jesse frowned, “by someone other than the shop we use.”
• “Isn’t the shop run by our kind?” Deacon’s brows drew together, not from the conversation, but because he wanted to lean over and lick Giana’s exposed throat. He had to get away from her.
• Jesse nodded, “most of them, yeah.” His tone was low. Blowing out a breath he put his hands on his hips and shook his head slowly, “I don’t trust the safe house now either.” He swore venomously and lifted his phone again. “I have to get a hold of Calum before they reach it.” He stomped to the other side of the road.
• Webb cleared his throat, then slammed the hood down, “his mate is with them.” He said quietly.
• Deacon stomped to the back of his own van and stood there. Every muscle in his body was tight, uncomfortably so. Shit. He was going to have to make sure he was assigned to the team that Giana was working with. If someone was after his mate, they’d have to survive him before ever touching her—and their odds of surviving that were less than zero with the way he was feeling right now.