Ryan took a single step forward. He was ready to rip the guy’s face off for that snarl, but Frankie was there going nose to nose with the bigger man.
“Do you think this is a game?” she snapped. “You shot the man twice, and he hasn’t killed you. And do you know why?”
A rumble started low in Brady’s chest, but Frankie cut it off with a hand to the man’s throat. Ryan couldn’t believe it. What man or wolf would let a smaller female do that to him? But Brady allowed it, though the fire in the man’s eyes said how much he hated it.
“Answer me!” Frankie snapped.
“Why?” said Brady, the word more like a low bark than spoken language.
“Because I told him not to.”
That wasn’t true. He wasn’t killing the man because they needed the guy and because he didn’t kill people unless he had to. What was true was that he wasn’tarrestingBrady. That’s what he did to men who shot him, and the only reason he was holding off was because Frankie wanted to do this her way. And for the moment, he was letting her. If she failed, then the guy would show them the serum while in handcuffs.
Meanwhile, Frankie wasn’t done. She had her hand on Brady’s throat while she asked her last question. “Who do you follow?”
His answer was gratifyingly quick. “You,” he said, and again the word came out as a bark.
Frankie eased back on his throat. “Do you know what you have to do now?” she asked.
He ducked his head, and when he lifted it, he turned to Ryan. “I’m sorry I shot you. I was under orders, but I’m not now.” He lifted his chin. “As long as Frankie’s okay with you, then I’m okay.”
Huh.Pack leadership handled with finesse. Bears didn’t mix it up often, but when they did it was big and bloody. Frankie had just established dominance over the very big werewolf without so much as sharpening a fingernail. She used logic and force of personality. And it worked. Ryan relaxed his shoulders. “Will you show us where the serum is being kept? And how it gets into the water system?”
Brady nodded. “Soon as you’re ready. It’s best if we go there. It’s hard to find on a map.”
“Anybody defending it?”
He nodded, and his gaze cut to Frankie. “Jer and Paul, but they shouldn’t be there now.”
She blew out a breath. “If they are, I’ll take care of them.”
Like hell she would. The cops would take care of them, but that was a fight for a later moment. Especially as Noelle stuck her head out of the boys’ bedroom. “All good out here?”
Frankie spun on her heel with a grin. “Yup. All good.” She headed back to the kitchen, and with her back to Brady she waggled her eyebrows at Ryan. “It’s all under control.”
He snorted. She was way too happy with how easily Brady had bowed to her wishes. Especially since the guy had come over here with his decision already made. What was she going to do with someone who wasn’t already on her side? Did she really think they’d all submit from just her tone of voice?
He opened his mouth to ask her that very question. Something to temper her cockiness, but she cut him off.
“You going to call your cop buddies in on this or not?” she asked.
“I am. Stupid to go in without backup.”
“That’s what I thought.” She glanced at Brady. “Give Ryan the details. We roll as soon as the coffeemaker finishes.”
Chapter 15
Frankie had all sorts of guesses about where the storage place would be. Abandoned warehouse, secluded self-storage pod, high-tech bunker. Never in a million years would she have guessed it was the back of a Chinese restaurant deep in bear territory. But on closer inspection, she saw the logic. The sewer access was close and in a dark alley. Two very smelly dumpsters hid the entrance and the immigrant owners of the franchise were not ones to ask questions. And most important, if the location was discovered, it could all be blamed on the bears.
“It’s just a small room with shelving units,” Brady was saying as he tugged on his Kevlar vest on the way to the alley. “We have a key to the back of the restaurant and then a code to punch into the pad that unlocks the side door.”
“And the restaurant owners?” Ryan asked.
“Never seen ’em. We go during off-hours.”
Frankie wrinkled her nose at the ripe smells coming from the dumpsters, her own vest feeling hot and tight. Ryan hadn’t wanted her here for this part, but she pulled the alpha card. It was her right to be here with her pack mate and so Ryan had given in with a tight-lipped nod.
“Where are the guards?” she asked.
