Page 56 of Hunted

“You threatened my mate,” he said. “That’s unacceptable to me. I have no intention of letting you either use her, or harm her. Ever. In light of that—and in light of the new information we’ve received on the diplomat’s daughter—Mikey and I are willing to cut a deal with you.”

He could hear Thanatos breathing on the other end—an angry, slightly raspy sound. As if he were trying to keep his temper down.

After a moment Thanatos said, “Make your proposal.”

Gunn said, “Mikey and I lead the rescue effort. She already has a relationship with McIntyre under an old identity, and we’ve gotten me an ID as a trafficker out of Switzerland. Mikey talked to McIntyre earlier tonight, vouching for me as a client—and we both have an invitation to the charity ball. I have one for the auction itself. You know how much the chance of success rises with people on the inside, especially since McIntyre is now on the alert for trouble.”

There was silence, and then Thanatos said, “I’m listening.”

Gunn saw Mikey let out a silent sigh of relief, that they’d gotten this far. He felt his chest loosen a bit as well, but they were nowhere near home free.

He said, “Mikey and I go in, using our cover IDs. I have a contact who’s managed to get me blueprints of McIntyre’s house, so we can map it out. He’ll likely have a live feed from where he’s keeping the girl, into the auction room. We can hack the security system and track that back to her location.

“We figure I’m better off not winning the auction. McIntyre will want a secure funds transfer before delivering anything, which will be a waste of cash, and then we’d be stuck with his security people all around while the girl changes hands. Instead, I stall the proceedings as long as I can, while Mikey finds the girl and delivers her to the team for extraction.”

Thanatos said, “What if the girl is in the room during the auction?”

Gunn said, “We’ll have to plan for that eventuality, but I think it’s unlikely. A young shifter’s behavior is too unpredictable. He’ll want buyers to think she’s docile and trainable, so he’ll want to be able to cut off the feed if she gets too wild.”

Mikey winced at the ‘trainable’ comment, and he made a ‘sorry’ face at her. He hated thinking about it too.

Thanatos was silent again, but this time his breathing was less pissed off. “It might succeed,” he conceded. “And what is it you were hoping to get from me in return?”

Gunn said, “Mikey goes free as soon as we’re done. And you leave her alone. Forever.”

Mikey was staring at him, eyes narrowed. This was what they’d talked about, but she clearly sensed there was more coming. He didn’t care. Her safety was all that mattered to him. Even more than the mission.

Thanatos said, “She knows too much about us.”

“She can keep a secret.” Apparently she’d been keeping a few secrets. Like her mind powers, Remy McCall, the Bad Bloods, and Uncle Vinnie.

Thanatos said, “The question is not ‘can she,’ but ‘will she.’ I have no intention of allowing her to hold her knowledge over my head—over all our heads—like a guillotine blade.”

“It’s my deal. Take it, or take your chances that we’ll all blow this mission by trying to do two different things at the same time. Your call.”

“And what do I get?” Thanatos asked him.

“Besides all our intel and two experienced operatives inside the target zone, ready to bring the target out with zero risk for your team?”

“Our team,” Thanatos said.

That stopped the conversation for a moment. Gunn said, “What do you want?”

But he knew.

“I want what I always wanted,” Thanatos said. “For you to do your duty as alpha of the Outlaw Ridge pack.”

Gunn said, “You want me to leave my mate.”

“You would really leave behind your responsibilities, your men, your family, for a woman?”

“You don’t understand.”

Thanatos ignored that. “Here is my bargain. If you successfully lead this mission, and if you come back to Outlaw Ridge and resume your responsibilities, then I agree that if Ms. Connors agrees to keep our secret and never return to Outlaw Ridge, she may go free.”

Mikey was shaking her head and mouthing hell no again.

Gunn hesitated, and then turned away from her. “Done,” he said.