Chapter Six
Ten minutes into their ride, Cesar took a back road, enjoying the tranquility. Jamie had sobered up enough to know who Cesar was but still snickered every time they hit a bump. The road curved through dense woods, moonlight filtering through the trees in scattered silver patches.
A flicker of movement caught Cesar’s eye. Checking his side mirror, he spotted headlights several car lengths back. At first, he thought nothing of it. Just another vehicle on the back road. But when the car maintained the exact same distance through three turns, his instincts flared.
Whoever was following them wasn’t being subtle about it.
“Shit,”
he muttered, accelerating slightly. Jamie’s body swayed forward then back against his chest. The headlights stayed with them, matching their speed. Cesar scanned the surroundings. Empty fields on either side of the narrow road. No streetlights out here, just darkness and the pale glow of stars overhead. Perfect place for an ambush.
“Jamie, I need you to hold on tight,”
he said, voice steady despite the adrenaline beginning to pump through his system.
His mate twisted slightly, looking up at him.
“What’s wrong, honey bunny?”
“Someone’s following us.”
Cesar opened the throttle, the bike surging forward with a throaty growl.
“Grab the handlebars. Not too tight.”
The road ahead stretched dark and empty, wind whipping harder against them as the speedometer climbed. Cesar took another turn, hoping to lose their tail, but a quick glance in the mirror confirmed his suspicions. The headlights swung around the bend right behind them, keeping pace.
“Is it—is it Grant?”
“Don’t know yet.”
Cesar kept his tone calm even though rage was building in his chest. He leaned closer to his mate’s ear so he could hear over the roar of the engine and wind.
“Need you to do something for me, colibrí. Very carefully, reach into my jacket pocket and get my phone.”
Jamie nodded, his body tensing as he slowly worked one hand between them, fingers slipping inside Cesar’s leather jacket. The warmth of those fingertips against his chest momentarily distracted him before his mate pulled back with the phone clutched in his hand. Then nearly dropped it before gripping it tightly.
“Text Matias for me.”
Cesar took another turn, faster this time, eyes flicking between the road ahead and the mirror.
“Tell him: Little lamb and big bad wolf huffing and puffing. Need some oxygen. Pronto.”
“What does that even mean?”
Jamie asked, typing with one hand while holding onto Cesar with the other.
Cesar guided the bike around a tight curve, feeling Jamie’s body tense against him.
“It’s code. He’ll understand.”
He glanced back again. The headlights were gaining.
“After you send it, share our location.”
Jamie nodded, his hair tickling Cesar’s chin as he worked the phone.
“Sent both.”
“Good boy,”
Cesar murmured.
The car behind them suddenly accelerated, closing the gap. Headlights flooded the mirrors, momentarily blinding him.
A crack split the night air, followed by a metallic ping as something ricocheted off the guardrail beside them.
“What was—”
“Get down!”
Cesar hunched forward, forcing Jamie to curl against the tank. Another shot pinged off the pavement.
“Holy cow!”
his mate yelped.
“They’re shooting at us! With bullets.”
He started to count backward from twelve but was botching it, either from fear or the fact he was still drunk.
“I’ve got you,”
Cesar promised, voice fierce as he pushed the bike faster.
More shots cracked through the night. One zipped past his ear close enough that he felt the air displacement.
Panic for Jamie’s safety mixed with rage at whoever was behind them. His beasts clawed at his insides, demanding to be released, to turn and tear apart whoever dared threaten his elegido.
But Jamie came first.
Always first.
“Don’t let go!”
Cesar ordered as he leaned into another sharp curve, the bike tilting at a dangerous angle. His thigh nearly scraped the pavement as they cornered, putting precious seconds between them and their pursuers.
Up ahead, trees gave way to open farmland. In the distance, the dark silhouette of an old barn stood stark against the night sky. Perfect. Cesar aimed straight for it, praying the structure was abandoned and not locked up tight.
“Hang on!”
He cut the headlight and veered off the road. Jamie let out a startled cry as they bounced violently over the uneven ground, Cesar’s arm tightening around his mate to keep him secure.
With a controlled skid, he brought the bike to a stop behind the barn, hidden from the road. Killing the engine, he listened intently. The pursuing vehicle had slowed, probably trying to figure out where they’d gone.
“Inside, now,”
he ordered, helping Jamie off the bike.
They slipped through a gap in the wooden slats, darkness enveloping them. The barn smelled of old hay and dust, moonlight streaming through holes in the roof. Rotting farm equipment created twisted shadows across the dirt floor.
He guided his swaying mate behind a stack of moldy hay bales then pulled his gun from his waistband.
“Are you okay?”
he asked, quickly checking Jamie for injuries.
“I was shot at!”
his mate whispered, eyes wide but a lot clearer than before. The danger had burned away most of the alcohol fog.
“I’ve never had bullets aimed at me. It’s a scary feeling, pookie. Why are they shooting at us? Did you cut them off at a stop sign?”
“No clue. Stay here.”
Cesar checked his ammunition then moved to a broken window before peering cautiously outside. The vehicle—an SUV, he could see now—stopped about fifty yards from the barn. Doors opened and closed, voices murmuring too low to make out words. Two figures were approaching, a third remaining by the front bumper.
Who in the hell were these guys? The hyenas from the alley? Grant, Rowan, and maybe another friend? Cesar really had no idea who those men were. Or they could be enemies of the Salvador pack, which wasn’t a great thought since that would narrow down the list to about one hundred or so people.
But as soon as he had the chance, he was eviscerating them.
“How many out there?”
Jamie asked, crouching beside him. He rubbed his eyes, as if willing himself to finish sobering up.
“Three, maybe four.”
Cesar positioned himself between Jamie and the barn entrance since his mate couldn’t stay put.
A bullet splintered the wood beside his head, sending fragments flying. Cesar returned fire immediately, two precise shots that had their attackers diving for cover.
“I hate this,”
Jamie hissed.
“I hate feeling helpless.”
“You’re not helpless,”
he assured him, squeezing off another round when a shadow twitched.
“You got the message out. That’s what matters.”
“How many rounds you got, jellybean?”
Jamie asked, his voice growing steadier despite everything.
Cesar glanced back, surprised.
“Fifteen in the mag, one in the chamber.”
His eyes were bloodshot, his breath straight-up rum, but he wasn’t swaying as much anymore. Jamie nodded, face scrunched like he was doing math.
“Three guys outside. That’s five bullets each, with one to spare.”
A smile tugged at Cesar’s lips.
“That’s assuming I don’t miss, sexy.”
“You won’t.”
The confidence in his voice warmed something in Cesar’s chest.
More shots rang out. Glass shattered—probably the windows high in the barn walls. Cesar popped up and fired three times, rewarded by a pained yelp from outside.
“Got one,”
he muttered, ducking back down as bullets whizzed overhead. One down, maybe. Two to go.
Whoever they were, he would make damn sure he and Jamie walked out of here alive. Cesar tried to scent the air, to figure out if they were shifters or humans, but the smell of the barn and gunfire made it impossible to tell.
Movement behind him made him spin around. Jamie was crawling across the dirty floor toward an old workbench. The fuck?
“What are you doing?”
Cesar hissed.
“Get your drunk ass back here!”
But his mate had already reached the bench, his hands frantically searching through tools and debris.
“Jamie!”
His elegido crawled back to him, clutching something in his hands.
“Found these.”
He held up a rusty crowbar and what looked like an old hammer with a triumphant smile.
“I’m not just gonna sit here while you protect me. I can help.”
The fierce determination in those gray eyes hit Cesar square in the chest. Here was his colibrí—drunk and terrified of his own brother—now determined to stand and fight alongside him with ancient farm tools. Not hiding. Not begging to be saved. But actively looking for ways to defend them both.
“I’m not helpless,”
Jamie added, misinterpreting the silence.
“I know I’m not as strong as you, but I can—”
“I know you’re not helpless,”
Cesar cut him off, eyeing the tree line where the strangers were regrouping.
Jamie’s surprised smile was brighter than the moonlight.
“Stay behind me,”
Cesar instructed, repositioning himself.
“If anyone gets past me—”
“I’ll beat ’em like they owe me money,”
Jamie finished, hefting the crowbar with both hands, swaying slightly like the weight would topple him.
“Nobody messes with us, jellybean.”
Us. The word echoed in Cesar’s mind as he focused on the shadows moving outside. In the midst of gunfire and danger, with death potentially minutes away, all he could think was how right it was coming from Jamie’s lips.
His wolf howled inside him, a primal sound of possession and protection. He’d never felt this way about anyone before, this overwhelming need to shield and cherish, to fight and kill for.
“You’re incredible,”
Cesar said, unable to keep the admiration from his voice.
Jamie grinned, crowbar clutched to his chest like a treasured possession.
“I know, right? I’m even shocking myself. Who knew?”
He blinked several times.
“Now let’s kick some butt.”
A barrage of gunfire interrupted the moment, bullets punching through the old wood. Cesar returned fire but conserved his ammunition. Where the hell was Matias? The pack should have been here by now.
As if answering his thoughts, the distant roar of motorcycles cut through the night. Multiple engines, growing louder by the second.
“Sounds like our backup is almost here,”
Cesar muttered, relief flooding through him.
The men heard it too. The gunfire stopped abruptly, followed by shouted curses and the sound of retreating footsteps. Car doors slammed, an engine revved, and tires spun on grass before gaining traction.
Jamie sagged against him, the crowbar still clutched in his hand.
“Are they gone?”
“For now.”
Cesar wrapped an arm around him, pressing a kiss to his temple.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
Jamie looked up at him, a smudge of dirt across one cheek, eyes bloodshot but determined.
“Next time I’ll be better prepared.”
Cesar laughed, the sound echoing in the empty barn.
“Next time? You planning on making this a regular thing?”
“If I’m with you?”
He shrugged, giving Cesar a goofy grin.
“Seems like I should expect some excitement when you’re around, cupcake.”
The roar of motorcycles grew deafening as Matias and the others pulled up outside. Cesar tucked his gun away, keeping Jamie against his side as they moved toward the barn entrance.
“You know,”
Cesar said quietly, “most people would be running away screaming after something like this.”
Jamie looked up at him, those gray eyes reflecting moonlight.
“I just proved I’m not most people, right?”
He made an explosions sound.
“Blew my mind.”
Looking at him—this small, brave human willing to fight at his side—Cesar felt something he struggled to name. His wolf recognized it immediately. A deepening of their bond, an expansion of what had begun as simple attraction.
This wasn’t just lust or protectiveness anymore. This was something far more dangerous.
This was love taking root.
The male was his, and if another threat dared to come anywhere near his elegido again, Cesar’s beast would ensure their demise.