Killian’s senses screamed a warning; bullets slammed into the side of the car.
“Ah, fuck,” Crush said.
4
THE SECRET AGENT GADGET BAG
Crush had beenin many dangerous situations in his thirty-two years, but none of them had played out quite like this.
Terrified omega almost crashing into him? Rare, but it happened on rescues sometimes.
An omega asking if he had a gun? Unusual, but understandable since Crush was a wolf shifter and he had no innate long-range abilities.
But an omega asking toborrow his gun?
An omega asking for ammo and a spare mag? And upon seeing the gun, calmly disassembling it and checking it for neglect?
Crush would’ve been half-hard, if it weren’t for Killian’s wide eyes, the pallor of his cheeks. The sour hint of fear layered over his amazing scent.
Who was Killian McCarthy?
“I guess you’re not just a teacher’s assistant and bar server,” Crush said with his gas pedal flattened against the car floor. The car accelerated with a loud purr.
Killian startled and jerked his gaze over. “Uh. How did you know that?”
“When Pinks asked for help rescuing his friends, he gave us a file on each of you. Most of your page was blank. All I know is your name, age, species, physical description, and your two previous jobs.”
Not that ‘brown hair and brown eyes’ had prepared Crush for Killian’s exquisite beauty. There was something fine-boned about the rabbit omega, and silvery, almost invisible scars on his hands that were so old, they had almost faded completely. He had too many scars for a normal 23-year-old.
Killian looked away skittishly. “I, um. I didn’t want anyone to know about my old life.”
“Why not?”
The omega looked at him incredulously, gesturing at the gun sitting in his lap. He was holding it loosely, not because he was afraid of it, but because he was just that comfortable with its presence.
Two bullets hit the back of the car. Killian twitched instead of panicking more.
Which meant he had been shot atbefore.
Enough that he had become desensitized to it.
Something hot and angry coiled in Crush’s stomach. Who the hell shot at a prey shifter? Who had made Killian this unconcerned about danger?
It means he had a higher chance of surviving before I came along,a small voice said in his chest.
Not that Crush could be logical about this.
From the moment Killian had peered up at him and cried,Help,something had shifted in Crush’s chest.
Something that said,Mine.
Maybe it had happened even before that. On a dark night in front of several burning buildings, with Killian huddled around his baby, his scent grassy-sweet in Crush’s snout.
Crush had stayed by his side for hours, until Killian had fallen asleep against his furry back. Then Killian had woken up and bolted upright, sleep-rumpled with shadows under his eyes.
Starving and stressed, he had looked and smelled perfect even then. But he looked better now. Less starved, more rested. Healthier.
And he had Crush’s favorite gun in his hands.
