Chapter 16
Chapter
Sixteen
Hunter traced the curve of Brie’s shoulder with his fingertips, following the path of morning light that filtered through the heavy curtains. Her skin was warm silk under his touch, marked here and there with the evidence of their passion. His wolf preened, satisfaction alive inside him.
She stirred against his chest, making a soft sound that went straight to his groin.
After years of waking alone in empty apartments, having her weight against him felt surreal.
Her red hair spilled across his chest like fire, catching the light.
He could feel each of her breaths in the rise and fall of her ribs against his side.
“You awake?” Her voice was rough with sleep.
“Been awake for a while.” He couldn’t stop touching her, his hand moving from her shoulder to trail down her spine. “I’ve been watching you sleep.”
“That’s either romantic or creepy.” She tilted her head to look at him, honey eyes soft in the morning light.
“Probably both.” His hand settled at the small of her back, thumb stroking the dimple there.
She giggled, her fingers tracing idle patterns on his chest while his hand stroked her skin. The morning felt suspended in time.
“I should probably shower,” she said eventually, though she made no move to get up. “I smell like sex and massage oil.”
“You smell perfect.” He pressed his nose to her hair, inhaling deeply. “You smell like my mate.”
She shifted against him, finding a more comfortable position with her head on his chest, his arm around her shoulders. His heartbeat was steady under her ear. It made her feel safe.
“I slept so well last night. I haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep since… Since the morning of the execution.”
His hand stilled on her back. “Are you having nightmares?” he asked. He’d experienced them himself.
“Sometimes. But mostly just... replaying it.” She rolled onto her back beside him, staring at the ceiling.
Hunter turned on his side, propping his head on his hand to watch her. Every instinct screamed to protect her.
She took a shaky breath. “The man who died. I can still see him sometimes when I close my eyes.”
Hunter’s jaw clenched, but he kept his touch gentle on her hand.
“He had on a dark suit,” she continued, her voice distant. “I remember thinking he looked like a businessman, not a criminal. The briefcase fell when he... when it happened.”
She paused, her brow furrowing as if something was surfacing from deep in her memory.
“I was so focused on hiding. But now, for the first time since it happened, I’m remembering other things.” Her hand tightened on his.
“Like what?” he asked gently.
She turned to face him, and he could see tears gathering in her eyes. “There was a smell. Sharp and chemical, like...”
She paused, searching for the right description. Hunter waited.
“Like cat piss mixed with ether.” She shuddered.
Hunter’s entire body went rigid. His hand tightened involuntarily on hers as pieces clicked into place.
“Hunter?” Her voice pitched higher with concern. “What is it?”
“That smell.” His voice came out rough. “It’s P2P. Phenyl-2-propanone. The precursor chemical for methamphetamine production.”
She stared at him. “Meth?”
“Not just any meth. That specific smell combination means they were using the P2P method. It requires real chemistry knowledge.” He sat up, his mind racing. “Brennan. The man I was tracking. Before he went rogue, he published papers on P2P synthesis at Bright Institute.”
“The man you lost that morning?”
“The same morning you witnessed the execution.” Hunter ran his hand through his hair. “This wasn’t random, Brie. You stumbled into Brennan’s cartel connection. Either he was there himself or that was his product being moved.”
Her face had gone pale. She sat up, pulling the sheet around herself. “The same cartel that’s hunting me...”
“Is the one Brennan’s working for. The Sinaloa Pacific Northwest branch.”
Brie’s whole body had started trembling. Hunter immediately pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her from behind.
“I can’t stop seeing it,” she whispered. “His eyes. The blood spreading on the concrete.”
“I know.” He tightened his hold. “They’re not going to touch you. Ever.”
Hunter held the door as Brie stepped into Steel Protection for the first time.
The open concept office space stretched before her.
Desks with multiple monitors occupied the center area, tactical boards lined the wall to the right, displaying maps and suspect photos.
A glass-walled conference room dominated the back corner, and filing cabinets and weapons lockers stood against the left wall.
Dominic Steel sat at a large desk near the tactical boards, and even from across the room, Brie could feel the alpha power rolling off him. She’d met Valeria’s mate multiple times at the farmers’ market and at the bakery. He looked up as they approached, his assessing gaze landing on her.
“Dom, we have some news,” Hunter said, his hand warm on her back.
“It’s good to see you, Brie.” Dom smiled at her and then turned his attention back to Hunter. “What’s your news?”
“Brie remembered something important about that morning at the warehouse.”
Hunter glanced at Brie, encouraging her to speak, but she nodded for him to continue. Her throat felt too tight.
“She remembered a smell at the murder scene. Sharp, chemical. Like cat piss mixed with ether.” Hunter’s jaw tightened. “That’s P2P. Phenyl-2-propanone. It’s the precursor chemical for meth production, specifically the method Brennan published papers on at Bright Institute.”
Understanding dawned in Dom’s eyes. “Brennan was there.”
“Or his product was. Either way, it connects him to the murder.” Hunter’s hands flexed at his sides. “I want to investigate the scene. See what else we can find.”
Dom leaned back in his chair. “The police searched the industrial district for three weeks. They never found the crime scene.”
The words hung heavily in the air, and Brie watched Hunter’s frustration build. No crime scene meant no evidence meant no trail.
“I could help,” Brie said quietly. Both men turned to her. “I could try to find it.” Her voice gained strength. “I was there. I saw it happen.”
“Absolutely not.” Hunter’s response was immediate, sharp enough to cut.
“I’m the only one who was there,” she pressed.
“You were traumatized. Lost. Fleeing for your life.” Each word came out clipped.
She met his eyes. “Yes. But I’d know it if I saw it.”
Dom watched them silently for a moment, then spoke. “She might be our only shot at finding it.”
Hunter started pacing. “You’re asking me to take my mate back to where she witnessed a murder.”
“I’m asking you to let her help us end the threat against her,” Dom said calmly.
The pacing stopped. Hunter stood perfectly still. Finally, his shoulders dropped slightly. He turned to her, and the intensity in his eyes made her breath catch.
“The second you want out, we leave. No questions, no arguments. You say the word, and I get you out of there.”
“I understand.”
Dom was already shifting into tactical mode, his whole demeanor changing. “Then we go in force. Full pack.” He pulled out his phone. “Conference room. Now.”
Within minutes, the pack had assembled. Axel leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. Siren’s sharp eyes focused on Dom.
Ryder bounced slightly on his feet, energy barely contained.
Blaze entered last with Valeria, his scarred hands gentle as he helped her into a chair despite her eight-months-pregnant waddle.
“Situation update,” Dom began. “Brie witnessed a cartel execution four weeks ago but was unable to provide the exact location to law enforcement. The police never found the crime scene.” He paused, letting that sink in. “She’s volunteered to help us locate it.”
“About time we got a real lead,” Axel said.
Dom pulled up a map of the industrial district on his tablet, projecting it onto the wall. “We go in with two vehicles. Hunter, Brie, and I in the lead truck. Axel, Siren and Ryder in vehicle two.”
“What’s our ROE?” Siren asked.
“Reconnaissance primary, but we go in ready for contact. If Brennan’s people are there, we handle it.” Dom’s gaze swept the room. “Blaze, you’re staying behind with Val.”
Blaze nodded immediately, shifting closer to Valeria. “Got it, boss.”
“I’ll monitor comms and coordinate from here,” Valeria added, her ex-cop instincts already working. “Keep the channel open, and I’ll track your positions.”
“Gear up,” Dom commanded. “We roll in fifteen.”
The room erupted into controlled chaos. Brie found herself swept into the preparation, Hunter’s hands sure and steady as he helped her into a tactical vest.
“This feels heavy,” she said, adjusting the weight across her shoulders.
“It’s supposed to.” He checked every strap, every buckle, his fingers lingering over each connection point. “Level III armor. It’ll stop most rounds.”
Most. Not all. She pushed the thought away.
Siren checked magazines. Axel tested radio frequencies. Ryder loaded cases of electronic equipment into the vehicles.
“Comm check,” Valeria’s voice came through the earpiece Hunter had given Brie.
“Lead vehicle, clear,” Dom responded.
“Vehicle two, clear,” Siren’s cool voice followed.
Hunter’s hands came to rest on Brie’s shoulders, turning her to face him. This close, she could see the fear he was trying to hide.
“You don’t leave my side,” he said, voice low enough that only she could hear. “Not for a second.”
Moments later, the SUVs pulled out from the parking lot and moved through Fate Mountain’s morning traffic. Brie sat between Hunter and Dom, her heart rate already elevated.
The landscape changed as they entered the industrial district. Warehouses sprawled in every direction, some active with morning deliveries, others standing empty with boarded windows. The November sky hung gray and heavy above them, threatening rain.
“The lumber mill,” Brie said, recognizing the building ahead. “I remember passing that. Then there was a food processing plant.”
“Brennan would need isolation,” Hunter said, scanning the buildings. “But not so remote that chemical deliveries would stand out.”
They drove deeper into the district, Brie’s bear stirring restlessly as familiar scents began to filter through the vehicle’s ventilation. Diesel exhaust. Rust. Industrial decay.
“Turn right at the next intersection,” Brie said, but her voice carried uncertainty now.
They’d been driving for twenty minutes through the industrial district, each warehouse looking identical to the last. Gray metal buildings stretched in every direction, some with faded company names, others completely unmarked.
Hunter watched Brie’s growing frustration as she tried to match her panicked memory to the maze of structures.
“I think... no, wait.” She pressed her fingers to her temples. “There was a yellow building. Or maybe tan? Everything looked different that day.”
Dom drove slowly, letting her process. The second car followed patiently behind them.
“This doesn’t look right,” she said for the third time. “But I was so lost that day. The GPS had failed, I was just taking random turns...”
They took another turn, then another.