On this, at least, he and the griffin were in one hundred percent agreement.
Rhys yanked Trent’s hands off of his shoulders – surprised, Trent let him.
“She’s not a spy!” he yelled, sprinting toward the helicopter. “You don’t fucking understand – she’s mymate.”
He faintly heard Trent’soh, shitsomewhere behind him, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was getting to Maisie – even as he knew that it would be impossible. The helicopter was ready for take-off, and he was too far away.
Maisie looked over her shoulder as they bundled her into the helicopter, and for a split second, the two of them locked eyes even as he ran.
I will find you,he thought desperately.I will find you, and I will make anyone who even thinks about hurting you pay.
She nodded, as if she’d heard his words – and perhaps she had. From everything he’d heard about the mate bond, it wouldn’t surprise him at all.
The helicopter lifted off, and Rhys skidded to a stop, lungs heaving, even as his griffin howled in fury.
Maisie. My mate. Maisie.
Shift! Shift and chase after her!his griffin howled, but Rhys knew it would be hopeless – the blades on a helicopter would rip his wings to shreds, and he’d do nothing but condemn them both to falling to a very messy death.
But still, I have to try –
He barely registered the sound of Trent and Euan catching up to him.
“Shit, mate, I’m sorry,” said Trent. “She’s your mate? Are yousure?”
“Of course I’m fucking sure!” Rhys bellowed at him, fury carving its way through his chest. “Wereyousure Zina was your mate? Even though she shot at you first time you met?”
“Okay… point,” Trent said, before his expression darkened. “There’s something really fuckin’ weird going on here, and I don’t like it.”
Next to him, Euan nodded. He was a man of few words, but Rhys was used to that, and knew that it didn’t reflect on the depth of his feelings.
Usually, Rhys would be relieved to see them both after the day he’d had, but right now, all he could think was that they’d stopped him from going after Maisie, and now they seemed to want to stand around andchat.
“If you haven’t got anything useful to say, then I’m going after my mate,” he growled. “Whyareyou even here?”
“The boss sent us to come and collect you once the threat was dealt with. We can take the Agency boat back to the mainland,” Euan said, gesturing toward the dock. “And hold your horses – we just got here. Maybe you could try explaining things instead of standing here yelling and screaming. Come on – we can’t beat the helicopter, but we have enough equipment on board to try to alert someone that this is a mistake. She’ll be waiting for you –”
“I can’t just get on a boat and trust everything will be okay!” Rhys exploded, fury tearing through him. “If that was Delilah on that helicopter, wouldyoujust be getting on some fucking boat and –”
“No, I probably wouldn’t,” Euan said, voice level. “But Iwouldlisten to my friends when they tried to tell me that fighting a helicopter isn’t going to work out well for anyone. Not her, and definitely not you.”
Rhys snarled, but he had to admit he’d had the same thought. “I could follow her though – I could make sure she knows –”
“Mate, you’re already suspended,” Trent cut in. “You’re not doing yourself any favors, and you won’t be doing her any either.” He frowned. “That’s your mate. We know she wouldn’t betray you. Trust me – we’ll head right there and get this sorted, one way or another.”
The words sounded ominous – but Rhys didn’t doubt that Trent meant it. Their team was tight-knit, and loyal to a fault. Any one of them would lay down their lives for the others if they had to.
“First things first,” Trent said. “Let’s get off this island. It’s a nice island, but I think it’s time to split.”
The resort security guards appeared to have left the scene, which was probably for the best – Rhys wasn’t sure he could be trusted to hold back if someone tried to stop him from getting to Maisie.
A few Agency agents remained at the dock, and Rhys barged past them, climbing into the boat without a second thought, Trent and Euan right behind him.
“Hey!” yelled one of the agents. “You can’t just take that!”
“Can and will, sorry,” said Trent with a cheerful wave. “We’re Agency, you’re Agency – what’s yours is ours, you know?”
“Son of a bitch,” one of them muttered, climbing up the side – and Euan sent him right back down to the ground with a well-aimed foot to the chest.
