As for Rafe, his rough appearance was as deliberate as his presence in the bar tonight.
All part of the plan. Just like his removal from his team’s patrols after he returned from Montreal, and the more recent, carefully constructed rumor that had been allowed to spread like wildfire through both human and Breed law enforcement communities that he had been dishonorably ousted from service.
Only a few in the Order who knew the truth. Namely, the architects of Rafe’s current deep undercover mission: Lucan Thorne at the D.C. headquarters; Gideon, the Order’s technology genius; and Sterling Chase, the commander of the Boston operations center.
Lucan had agreed on one concession at Rafe’s insistence—his parents, Dante and Tess. Although Dante commanded the Seattle operations center for the Order, there would be no keeping him away from Boston if he truly believed his son had strayed so far off the path.
Allowing his parents to think the worst of him would have been hard, but it damn near killed Rafe to be required to keep the truth from his teammates and friends Nathan, Elijah, and Jax. He could only imagine what they thought of him now.
Letting Aric Chase believe he was a washout and a failure was even worse. Especially when he owed his life to his best friend. Fortunately, the male was still in Montreal with his new mate, Kaya. The pair were busy recruiting a new team for the Order, one comprised of daywalkers, those few and rarest of the Breed like Aric and his twin sister, Carys, and their mother, Tavia.
Rafe only hoped that once the dust settled after the solo operation he was launching tonight, he’d be able to redeem himself in everyone’s eyes.
Not just for his covertly orchestrated fall from grace with the Order, but for the very real one that had preceded it.
Ironically, it was the shame he brought down on himself in Montreal that made him the only suitable candidate for this mission now.
And he would not fail.
Not this time.
Even if it meant staking his last breath on that vow.
Behind him, Big Mouth from the Darkhaven only seemed emboldened by the fact he wasn’t getting more of a rise out of Rafe. “I don’t know, boys, he doesn’t seem like such a hardass to me. Guess he ain’t so tough without the other Order thugs around to back him up.”
Rafe exhaled a heavy sigh, if only to mask his satisfaction at the predictability of his target tonight.
Calmly, he moved the clinging woman off his lap and onto the stool beside him. Then he tossed a sneer at the table of civilian vampires. “You know the best thing about getting axed from the Order? Not having to treat entitled Darkhaven fucks like you as if you matter.”
A couple of them scoffed at the insult. Rafe heard the abrupt scrape of a chair in the instant he turned his attention away from them. He knew the attack was coming even before he felt the shift in the air as one of the Breed males launched himself at him from behind.
No surprise, it was Big Mouth. And shit—the asshole had a knife. It would have been buried in Rafe’s back if he hadn’t dodged the strike in the same moment his attacker lunged. Rafe grabbed the male’s wrist in the vise of his fist and twisted hard.
The male screamed and let go of his weapon.
Rafe caught the blade in his free hand, using the other to wrench his assailant’s arm around to his back. He could have snapped the limb with a flex of his wrist or turned the knife on its owner, but he wasn’t looking to do real harm to the Darkhaven punk or his friends, no matter how satisfying it might be.
He had escalated the situation for an audience of one.
And he had the guy’s full attention too.
While half of the bar cleared out in a hurry, a few panicked tourists shrieking as they fled to the street outside, the gangbangers remained. From Rafe’s peripheral, he saw their goateed leader watching as he calmly continued his game at the pool table.
Rafe increased the pressure on Big Mouth’s elbow joint, making him squawk for good measure. And yeah, because the bastard deserved a little pain.
He was just about to toss the male back at his companions when the bar’s front door opened. Another pair of Breed males strode inside, no doubt alerted to the trouble by the crowd pouring out of the place moments ago.
Rafe groaned inwardly.
Ah, fuck. Just what he didn’t need.
Jax and Elijah.
His two teammates—formerteammates, as far as they knew—were suited up in patrol gear and armed to the teeth. Whatever they thought of him now, they were clearly shocked to find Rafe standing in the middle of Asylum holding a whimpering Breed civilian in one hand and a dagger in the other.
“What the fuck’s going on in here?” Eli’s low, Texas-tinged drawl was practically a snarl.
Jax’s ebony brows were drawn together over his dark, almond-shaped eyes. “This is the last place we expected to see you, Rafe.”
