Chapter Nine
Reese hadn’t been this livid in years, if ever. The kind of rage that made his bear claw at his insides, demanding blood. The hyena had followed them. Had nearly forced them off the road. Had put Sonny and the dogs in danger just to prove a point.
Next time they might not survive an attack.
Pushing to his feet, Reese moved with purpose. Sonny’s eyes tracked him immediately as the dogs lifted their heads from their nest of blankets, watching him as well.
“Where’re you going?” Sonny’s voice was quiet, still strained from the panic that had gripped him during the chase.
“To handle this.” Reese pulled his phone from his pocket, already typing out a message to Grayson. The words were simple, direct. Tonight. We end it.
The response came within seconds. Agreed.
Sonny scrambled to his feet. “Handle what? Reese, what’re you planning?”
“The hyenas made their move. Now we make ours.” He kept his voice level despite the fury burning through his veins. His bear wanted to shift, wanted to hunt, wanted blood. But they needed the cover of darkness.
“You’re going after them.” It wasn’t a question. Sonny’s hazel eyes had gone wide, his body positioned between Reese and the door like he could physically stop what was coming. “You’re going to their territory to fight them.”
“Yes.”
“That’s insane! Complete lunacy!” Sonny was gesturing wildly, like his arms ad a mind of their own.
“They’ll be expecting retaliation. They’ll have numbers on their side.
You could get hurt or worse, and then where would that leave me?
I’ll have to explain to our kids that their daddy purposely walked into danger and got himself killed! ”
Reese furrowed his brows. Had he just called the dogs their children? Stepping closer, he rested his hands on Sonny’s upper arms, feeling the fine tremor racing through his mate’s body. Which only made him want to kill the hyena even more.
“They threatened you, Sonny.” Reese kept his voice controlled. “They followed us. They almost forced us off the road. They won’t stop until they get what they want or until we make them stop.”
“So we run. We take the dogs, and we leave Crimson Hollow. We go somewhere they can’t find us.” Sonny gripped Reese’s forearms. “I’m good at running. I did it for two days straight. I can keep doing it.”
The suggestion made something cold settle inside Reese. His mate was offering to give up the safety they’d found here, offering to go back to running and hiding and fear. All to keep Reese safe. The gesture was brave and selfless and completely unacceptable.
“No.” His hands tightened on Sonny’s arms, holding his mate in place. “No more running. This ends tonight.”
Footsteps sounded on the porch. Grayson entered first. Colton and Malik followed. Ryan brought up the rear, staring between Sonny and the dogs.
“Learned an hour ago the hyenas have a warehouse on the east side,” Grayson said. “That’s where they’re now running the fights. Where they’ll be tonight.”
“They must’ve moved locations,” Sonny said. “When I ran with Hercules and Delilah, they were three towns over.”
Reese absorbed the information, his brain already mapping routes and entry points. The east side was industrial, full of abandoned buildings and limited street lighting. Perfect for illegal activities. Also perfect for an ambush.
“How many?” Reese asked..
“At least six, maybe more.” Grayson’s gaze flicked to the dogs before refocusing on Reese.. “We go in fast, eliminate the threat, then leave. Only exception is rescuing any dogs we find.”
Sonny was still gripping Reese’s forearms, nails digging deeper after hearing the plan. “You’re actually going to go through with this.”
“Yes.” Reese looked down at his mate, staring into hazel eyes. His responsibility. His to protect. “You’ll stay here with Ryan and the dogs. Do not leave the house until we return.”
“And if you don’t come back?” Sonny’s voice was small. “What then?”
Cupping Sonny’s smooth jaw, Reese wondered how he’d gotten so lucky. “Babe, I’m coming back. This is the only way to permanently eliminate the threat.”
“You better come back.” Sonny yanked him down, surprising Reese, then kissed him so fiercely Reese actually blushed.
The men whistled, but he ignored them, growling softly before taking over the kiss. Sonny pulled away first, looking dazed but smiling.