Page 11 of Corbin (Wild Wolf Pack from the world of Gallize Shifters #2)

Wind blew into the open face of Corbin’s helmet. Dark-tinted sunglasses protected his eyes. He normally didn’t like to wear a helmet, and South Carolina didn’t require one for riders twenty-one and older, but he welcomed this one.

Anything that kept his face off traffic cams.

July weather could get hot as hell, but a motorcycle made any trip enjoyable.

Listening to the peaceful sound of his motorcycle’s engine, Corbin enjoyed his first real taste of freedom.

One of the only pleasures he’d gotten while imprisoned by the Romanians had been riding a motorcycle.

Granted, that one had been a rat bike, where this one had no more than a thousand miles on it.

Even when he rode a rusted-out bucket with two wheels, it had been a welcome break from the literal noose around his neck the Romanians used to drag him around.

He could dream of being free, but he never would be. The minute they surgically installed that electronic shock device in his back, any real hope of freedom vanished.

This BMW dual sport, built for highway or off-road use, would do anything he asked of it.

Adrian’s voice came in through the speaker in his helmet. “ You look like you’re having fun .”

“I am. I never rode a BMW. This baby rides like a two-wheel dream.”

“ Glad you like it. We’re close to the theater. I’m hoping for time to observe this group before I start interacting with them. If anyone questions your identity, use the card I gave you .”

“I will.” Corbin intended to say as little as possible and be Adrian’s right-hand man, ready to fetch anything he needed.

Adrian’s reminder of how close they were to the theater amped up Corbin’s anxiety.

One minute, he wanted to see the witch of his nightmares in person and demand to know why she ruined his life.

In the next minute, he fought the urge to jump off this bike and run in the other direction.

He had to get a grip on his emotions.

I told you female was dangerous , Ares piped up.

In all fairness, his wolf had argued with him about going to meet the young girl, but Corbin had suffered from what he believed was love. He’d been sure she would be his lifelong mate. In hindsight, it only proved males were female-stupid from a young age.

Ares had told Corbin that she’d get them killed. He’d almost been right.

Adrian flipped on his blinker and moved over to the farthest right lane. “ By the way, I’m going to take point on researching Beckham’s security team. I want you to keep an eye on the client and report to me anything suspicious or strange that she does .”

Well, hell. Jaz had told Corbin to watch Adrian’s back over everything.

When Corbin said nothing, Adrian asked, “ Problem? ”

“No, I’m good.”

Adrian frowned. “ I don’t have to be next to you to know that’s a lie. I can’t have someone on my team who is lying to me .”

At the sound of disappointment, Corbin fisted his hand. Being caught between Adrian and Jaz sucked, but he owed Adrian first. “Well, damn. I don’t want to lie to anyone, and especially you or Jaz, but I’m trying to do what everyone wants me to do.”

Leaning into the right turn, Adrian asked, “ Do you have another set of directions for this assignment? ” He didn’t sound angry. Yet.

Corbin leaned hard into the turn. He would not lie to Adrian again. “Yes.”

“ They come from Jaz? ”

“Now she’ll be pissed at me,” Corbin grumbled. “She told me your job was to do what your boss required, and mine was to make sure I watch your back. If anything happens to you, she’ll turn that giant wolf loose on me.”

Adrian chuckled. “ No, she won’t. Okay, let’s be clear.

She would never overrule my orders on a mission, so we do what I want.

My mate can’t stand any of her flock getting hurt, which includes you.

She feels she’s my best backup, which she is, meaning no insult to you. Anything else I can clear up? ”

The strain Corbin had been fighting all morning eased.

“You told me Beckham wants to find out if anything strange is happening with his security team. I’m guessing he wants you to investigate the two accidents you mentioned.

One for sure was murder.” Beckham ran a top-notch human security outfit, based on what Adrian had said, but two people on the same team had died within the last ten days.

The first had been a traffic accident when his man ran across a median into oncoming traffic.

That one had been a thirty-seven-year-old man who did not drink or do drugs.

He’d been in the military and had operated huge ten-ton vehicles with an excellent record.

The other guard died when a gas main in his house exploded, burning him to death.

That one had clearly been intentional because the man had been found with a bullet in his head.

“ I believe Beckham’s got a problem. I can understand his issue with a contract to protect a high-value target. He needs outside help, and we’re it .”

“Does Beckham suspect his client?” Corbin had to forget what he remembered about Givenchy from high school and keep an open mind to how much a person could change with enough time and motivation.

But what would the motivation be for killing her guards?

“ Well, Beckham didn’t say that outright, but he asked that I be careful while considering all possibilities ,” Adrian replied.

Corbin shook his head. Simple translation? Don’t upset the talent . Didn’t that sound like an uppity female accustomed to having anything she wanted and protected by her status?

“ Beckham is trying to determine if she’s innocent or is involved in something illegal she wants to keep hidden,” Adrian continued. “She complained the first day that she did not need a four-man team crowding her. Also, she refused any security that is not human.”

“Really? How can she think humans would be able to protect her better than shifter security?”

Adrian explained, “ She might have a point since some shifter security untrained to fight in human form or who can’t manage their animals have caused deadly outcomes. On the other hand, humans would be easier to get rid of if she doesn’t agree with having security at all.”

Would Givenchy have a man killed for the simple crime of getting in her way?

He had his own reasons for carrying a grudge against her.

The infamous night he’d gone to meet Eirene after school, her guards captured him and used titanium cuffs to control him.

Then they’d shown him the note he’d left in her locker at school.

They said she’d handed it to them with the order for them to keep him as far away as possible.

He hadn’t believed them at first.

Hours earlier, her lips had curved into the sweetest smile when she stood in front of her locker reading the note he’d left along with a wolf he’d carved from wood. She’d looked up to see him watching her from a distance and winked. His heart had done back flips.

But the next thing he knew, he was on his way to Romania.

Why did that memory still hurt so much? He was no longer a teenage boy with a broken heart.

Ares shattered his quiet moment of thought. I want out now.

That’s not going to happen , Corbin sent back.

I am strong now. I can break free , Ares bragged.

If you screw this up, we’re done, Corbin said, hoping to break through his wolf’s one-track mind.

I mean it. If you didn’t learn anything from what happened to Badger yesterday, then I can’t save us.

I’m doing my best to create a safe place for us to live, but you need to help.

There are no second chances with Adrian if you break free.

None. You think about that. I’ve got nothing to lose by letting Adrian or Jaz rip you apart except for being freed from your nonstop mental torture.

I want some peace. At some point, I thought you would too.

Corbin shoved Ares out of his mind to pay attention to the heavier traffic they were encountering on the eastern side of Spartanburg.

Adrian led them off the interstate and onto surface roads, heading toward the outer perimeter of the city.

In two turns, they were in a less crowded area and rode straight into a chaotic scene of flashing lights.

Several vehicles were parked in spots along the street.

Four police cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck were well represented by their respective uniforms, crawling all over the grassy lawn leading up to the building.

No one acted as though they had a fire to put out, but two men wheeled a gurney quickly from the ambulance and into the structure identified by a faded sign as the Libertas Theater.

What the hell was going on?

Following Adrian’s lead, Corbin backed his bike into the same angled parking spot. He dropped his side stand, then stepped off with eyes still taking in the unexpected scene.

Adrian turned to him with his helmet off. He unzipped his full-body riding suit and stepped out of it. “Grab your cap. That and the sunglasses will hide your face for now.”

Nodding that he understood, Corbin left his helmet hooked on the handlebars.

He pulled a worn-out NASCAR cap from his tank bag and slid it over his hair that he’d pulled back into a short ponytail.

His dark sunglasses made sense out here where it was bright, but he planned to keep them on inside as well.

Not much of a shield but better than showing his face.

Adrian’s faded olive-green ball cap and tactical sunglasses wouldn’t mark him as former military, but anyone who knew what they were looking for would see it in the way he carried himself.

He led the way through throngs of people until he reached the police who blocked their path.

He showed an ID to the officer who studied it with a frown, then must have read something that caused him to wave them in.