He waited, letting Mack overtake them, and then he swung hard, clipping the back quarter panel. Mack’s truck fishtailed. Logan used the opening to speed ahead.
Up on the next ridge, three SUVs blocked the lane. Pack wolves, all of them. Logan’s own people. Mack must have seen it, too, because instead of playing chicken, he spun his truck onto a side road, showering the pavement with dust.
Logan kept the pace high, putting distance between Nick and danger.
His mate sat frozen, white-knuckled, breathing hard.
Logan slowed just enough to pull over in front of the pack house.
Sloane rolled up behind them, followed by five more wolves in battered pickups and a minivan that definitely had not left the factory with run-flat tires.
Logan cut the engine and climbed out, anger buzzing under his skin.
Sloane met him in two strides. “He gone?”
“For now.” Logan jerked a thumb at Nick, who still sat frozen in the truck. “You mind helping me get him inside? He’s a little shook.”
Sloane’s gaze softened. “Yeah, I got you.”
Logan opened the passenger door. “Come on, sweetheart. Time to get out.”
Nick blinked, dazed. “I thought we were dead.”
Logan helped him out, his arms steady and warm. “Takes more than Mack to finish us.”
Nick mumbled something but sagged into Logan’s grip, letting himself be steered up the walk.
Chapter Ten
He waited a moment longer, just to be sure. Nick had bundled up on the bed with his back to the door, his feet tucked in tight. The little vampire looked peaceful for once, no crease to his brow, no tremor in his jaw. Logan listened to the sound of Nick’s breathing, the rise and fall of it. Then he left.
He made it to the stair landing to find three wolves were waiting for him. Sloane blocked the way, his fist flexing at his side. Wade and Quinn stood just behind, both of them nearly vibrating with the urge for violence. No questions, not even a polite hello.
Sloane didn’t waste time. “Truck’s waiting. Everyone’s ready.”
Logan nodded. He didn’t need to ask if they had backup. Sloane wouldn’t have shown up unless the pack was on their side.
They went out through the side door, where headlights cut across the gravel lot and the smell of diesel hovered in the air. Wade drove. Sloane and Quinn let Logan take the front seat with no argument. The moment the doors slammed, Wade peeled out, heading toward the highway.
Sloane rolled down his window, letting the night air fill the cab. “Last we saw, Mack was using the rental on Alder Street. Backyard’s all overgrown, and neighbors said he’s been coming and going at all hours.”
Quinn spat out the window. “He’s got a habit of keeping low.”
Logan wanted to say that Mack wouldn’t have the option tonight, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he jacked a round into the pistol on his thigh, just in case. The others did the same.
Wade didn’t speak. He just drove, knuckles white on the wheel.
The world outside got tighter, darker. Crimson Hollow shrank in the rearview, replaced by streetlights and empty houses. At the edge of town, they pulled into a lot behind a shuttered pizza joint, stashed the truck, then went the last few blocks on foot.
Alder wasn’t much to look at. Houses packed tight together, half the porches sagging, grass on every lawn knee-high. Mack’s place was the only one with two cars out front. One was his usual ride. The other wasn’t familiar.
They slipped around the side, sticking to shadows. Wade took the back. Sloane led the way up the porch. No noise, not even an accidental scuff of boots. Logan followed. Quinn watched the street, ready to signal if Mack tried to run.
Sloane put a palm against the door. “Deadbolt,” he whispered. “Quinn?”
Quinn produced a slim jim. Thirty seconds later, the lock gave. Sloane eased inside, Logan and Quinn at his back. They shut the door softly, each man scanning for threats. Wade waited in the rear, guarding the only escape.
Inside, the house smelled like stale cigarettes and cheap takeout. Every light was off, but voices echoed from the living room. Logan caught the shape of two bodies, Mack and someone else, hunched over a table. A loaded shotgun sat between them.
