Page 45 of The Enforcers: NOAH

Now what the heck was that supposed to mean? It was like everybody was talking in code.

Mina was getting more and more nervous about this whole situation. “Mr. Flynn,” she said, “I really appreciate what you’ve done for us. But I need to get my son home. Do you have any transportation, or—”

Flynn shot her a glance. “She really doesn’t have any idea what she’s dealing with, does she?” he said to Noah.

“Nope,” Noah replied.

Flynn shook his head. “Shit.”

That was it. Mina stood stock-still in the middle of the forest.

“I’m done with this,” she said. “Whatever you two and this Jesse Travis are mixed up in, you have no right bringing me and my son into it. I appreciate what you did tonight, but my first priority is keeping Brock safe. So if you don’t have a way to get us back to town, I’ll have to find my own way. I can’t put him in danger.”

Noah put his hand on her arm, and she shook him off. “Don’t you touch me. I don’t know who you really are, but I do know you targeted me because of Robbie. Everything you told me is a lie. You never cared about me at all.”

She tried to keep her voice from shaking, but she couldn’t stop it. She’d been right to fight her attraction to him. She hated how he’d played her, making her think he really cared, winning her over with his calculated charm. She’d thought he understood what it was like to be alone and scared and stigmatized forever as mentally unstable.

And all he’d been doing was telling her what she wanted to hear.

“You give me my son now,” she said. “We’re going home, and I don’t ever want to see you again.”

Noah ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “We can’t do this here, Mina,” he said. “We have to get Brock to a safe place. And you’re exhausted. You can barely walk yourself, let alone carry him.”

“Don’t you tell me what I can and can’t do, you freaking liar,” she said. “Give. Me. My. Son.”

Noah opened his mouth, and the big man sighed. “You suck at this, dude,” he said to Noah.

He turned to Mina. “Look, I get that you’re tired and scared and you don’t know what the fuck is going on,” he began.

“Don’t swear in front of my son,” Mina said automatically.

Flynn rolled his eyes. “Good luck with that. The wolf’s right. Those guys are dangerous as shit, and they won’t stop looking for you. Like it or not, your son’s a wolf shifter, and that means life as you knew it is over. I’m offering you a safe place for the time being, and me and my crew are taking a big risk to do it. So fucking shut up and say ‘thank you.’”

Before she could answer, he went on, “And let me carry the kid so Wolf Man can take you on his back. You’re slowing us down.”

Mina looked into his eyes, which were hard as flint and wild as an untamed river. Could she trust him? Could she trust any of them?

Brock said softly, “He’s not a woof, but he’s good. And he helps woofs. Like you do, Mommy.”

She faced the giant, trying to ignore the huge dong swinging in the breeze. “Why are you doing this?” she asked.

He shrugged the white wolf into a more comfortable position. “The kid’s a shifter,” he said again.

Mina opened her mouth to deny it, then closed it again. It couldn’t be possible, but she’d seen it happen.

“And that matters to you?” she said instead.

Flynn said, “People like those guys, they lock up shifters. Do things to them.” He gave her a flat, dark look. “I’m opposed.” He flicked his eyes to Brock. “And you have to be a special brand of evil to do it to a kid.”

“Let us help you,” Noah said. “Please.” Just that one word, but she could see the plea in his eyes.

Finally she nodded. If it was to keep Brock safe, she’d do anything. Noah handed Brock to Flynn, and the big man took him as if he weighed no more than a feather, holding Brock in one arm and steadying the wolf with the other. Brock sat in the crook of Flynn’s arm and leaned his cheek against the white wolf’s flank with a contented sigh.

Noah turned his back to Mina and she put her arms around his neck. He hoisted her up on his back and began walking silently through the woods.