Axel Wulf: A Romance Crime Action Thriller

Chapter 30

In the darkest of nights, the wolf”s howl echoes with hope. ~The Big Bad Wolf

Axel

While Gwen makes dinner, I check my work emails. Suddenly, she steps behind me, so I snap the laptop shut.

The snoopy woman drops onto my legs, tilts her head, and raises the lid. “What are you hiding?”

“This.” I let her read the secret I’ve kept from her since arriving back from Iran and hope she won’t be too angry.

When finished, her eyes widen. “Whoa. All this time, you’ve been with the FBI?”

My arms wrap around her waist, and I whoosh out my breath. “All play and no work makes Axel a dull boy.”

“You”re a riot. Now ’fess up and don’t leave anything out.” Pursing her lips, she jumps up, pulls out her phone, and points the lens at me. “My lie detector app will beep if you fib even a little.”

“There’s no such thing.”

“Is too.” She laughs, steps on a chair, and holds it high, beyond my reach. “It’s Dr. Jones’ AI prototype, and you can’t have it.”

“I”m hungry.” A sleepy-eyed Abbie walks into the room and crawls into my lap.

Saved by the kid, I kiss her cheek, and do the same to her pink stuffed bunny. “Did you two have a pleasant nap?”

“Yes. Are you two mad?” When she glances back and forth between us, I hug her.

“No, not at all. Your mom is playing keep-away from me. Hey, guess who missed you? C’mere Bear.” My pal’s ears twitch, he stretches, and he nuzzles her tummy.

Jumping off me, she gives man and girl”s best friend a toothless grin and skips to the living room. “You be Arthur. You cross the whole jungle to find me. Bun-bun will be…”

As the little girl elaborates on her imaginative theme, Gwen says, “Dinner will be ready in a sec.”

“Don’t think she heard you, sweetheart.” Hoping to make a quick escape, I rise. “Soooo, anyhoo, I should take a shower and-”

She points her wooden spoon at me. “Not so fast, buster. Sit down and spill.”

I lower down into the chair to share the bare minimum. “It’s nothing. Congressman Rhinesmith has been under surveillance and your name came up in his conversations.”

“Honestly, I hope he doesn’t want his bitcoin back.” After staring at my poker face, she clunks me on the head with her weapon of choice.

“Wulf, tell me.”

“Fine, but you did not hear it from me. The Iranians gave Mr. Representative millions of dollars. They want him to deliver what they paid for.”

“Wait a second. The government has the info locked up tight.” She thinks for a moment, and then her jaw drops. “Oh, shit. If they”re unable to get the data, they”ll need me or Callie. Am I right?”

Swallowing hard, I nod.

“So, all this time, you’ve been undercover, guarding me?”

“Under the covers, on the couch, in the outside shower…” I nibble her neck. “Are you mad?”

“Well, I’m a bit disappointed you didn’t tell me the truth.”

“You knowI couldn’t, Gwen.” Actually, I’d like to tell her how high up this operation goes, but I’m sworn to secrecy.

She drags my laptop in front of her, squints at the screen, and frowns. “It says here, he’s going to make a move. What does that mean? Is Abigail in danger?”

“No, babe. I’ve upped security all around the house. I love you, and I’d never let anything happen to you, Abbie, or Bun-bun, I promise.” I pull her into my arms and squeeze.

After a heated kiss, she lifts her head from my chest and frowns. “We told Lucky and Callie we’d meet them for dinner. Should we cancel?”

Pinching her chin, I use my most serious tone so there’s no mistaking my intent. “Tonight, we end this. Agreed?”

Biting her lower lip, she nods. “Bring it on.”

Much later, we put my soon-to-be daughter to bed. Bear sits at her door, and a young FBI agent acts as her babysitter. Two other undercover agents guard the street, along with three Patten Security men sprinkled on the perimeter.

On the boardwalk, I slip an arm around her waist and hurry to the more crowded, better-lit area. I wish like hell I didn’t need her here, but the man in charge of this operation insisted.

“I’ll be so glad when this is over.” Gwen glances toward the water and shivers.

Tugging her closer, I lower my head and mutter into the mic taped to my chest. “Lucky, you there?”

“Oi. Nothin” yet, mate.” With him and the team close by, I chill out but stay vigilant.

“Heads up. We’re almost there.” As I walk my fiancé over the uneven boards, the scents of French fries and coconut oil waft on the ocean breeze.

Soon, we enter a more carnival-like atmosphere. We pass a young couple pushing a stroller, an elderly woman eating an ice cream cone, kids on skateboards, and bikini-clad teens. Everything appears normal until I open the heavy restaurant door.

When a brain-shattering headache drops me to my knees, I catch my woman as she’s about to faceplant on the floor. All around us, patrons drop, scream, and curl into a ball.

Through gritted teeth, rolling on the tiles, I spit out, “Lochlan, we’re under attack.”

McGee reaches into her purse and hands me a small hand-held EMF device. “Take this.”

Outside, in the middle of the street in front of the bandstand, Lucky fires a hi-tech rifle toward the sky, and the pain stops.

The Patten man throws the weapon into the back seat, jumps behind the wheel, and tosses me his phone. “What’re you waitin’ for? I need a navigator.”

“Gwen and Callie?” Torn, I glance back at the restaurant and am about to run back when I hear Slate in my ears.

“Ladies are with me. Go.”

As I sit, my pal blares the siren. Lights flashing, he parts the sea of traffic while I watch the red dot on the electronic device’s black screen. “Mind telling me what we’re following?”

“RF Drone. I disabled it, so it should return home.”

“Where’s it headed?” I stick my head out the window but can’t see shit.

Lucky races around a traffic circle and tires squeal as he pulls onto the main drag. “Henlopen State Park.”

“Fuck, was the bird one of ours?”

“Yeah. Rhinesmith must be getting desperate.”