Page 10

Chapter

Ten

Draco left breakfast and headed to the hotel to meet with his team with his head swimming after the news his father told them. It didn’t change his mind about claiming Athena either way.

Once he’d managed to get all of his team together, minus Leo who was headed to Athena’s house with his dad and brothers, he managed to relax back into the zone. Work was his comfort zone.

This is what he knew. Control and command.

He had to be in control at all times. He didn’t think Athena could handle his dark side.

The side that had no problems taking a life when the need was called for. The side that enjoyed the hunt before the kill just as much.

The darkness in him would swallow her light and leave her a shell of who she was now. His family would wind up hating him.

“How is she this morning, bossman?” Case asked as he came into the room followed by the rest of his team.

“When I left the house this morning, she was resting.”

“What happened last night? Thought we didn’t have to be anywhere until later this evening,” Jasper “Hawk” Hawkins pointed out.

Draco rubbed the back of his neck in a clear sign of frustration. They were hitting the ground running in no time.

“Change of plans, Hawk. Shades, you and Arrow will be on protection detail. The rest of you will be on perimeter. Leo and I will be dealing with the ring leaders personally.”

“Whatcha need me to grab boss?” Case pulled out his notepad that he always had on him.

“Motion sensors, cameras, audio, the works. I want cameras on her doorways, garage, and around the perimeter. I want them invisible, too,” Draco ordered, pacing the room.

“Who are we protecting?” Jessica “Shades” Shade asked, pulling out her notepad.

“Athena Chapman. She’s my sister’s best friend and a human. Her home was vandalized last night after an incident at The Hen. It’s looking like her brother and the fucker he sold her to, which is also a rival pack, the Maplewoods.”

“Does her brother know they are shifters?” Case asked looking up from his notes.

“I believe he does know the Maplewoods are wolf shifters. I also believe the fuckers are sadistic to string the SOB along, thinking they can make him one of us, hence why he sold her to be used and abused. Athena publicly rejected Maplewood and his claim on her before attempting to feed him his teeth.” Draco couldn’t help chuckle at that memory.

“While she felt the pain, her rejecting him, then punching him his face was a beautiful sight to see.” Case chuckled along with Draco.

“So, we’re babysitting a human with close ties to your sister.”

Draco’s sharp, angry eyes met Shades, daring her to comment further. Daring her to make a snide remark about Athena.

He knew that Shades harbored feelings for him. Hoping that he’d one day lower his iron clad shields for her.

But that was never going to happen. While she lusted after him, she bed hopped between Case, Townie, Tuck, or whatever guy she picked up at a local bar.

Draco has never touched the woman, despite her attempts. She wasn’t his type.

She was a damn good operative, which is why she was on his team. He had no problems firing her if she became a problem.

“If you have a problem, then you know where the door is. This is no different than any other human we’ve protected because of a shifter targeting them,” Draco warned, putting more ice than usual in his voice.

“No problem. Just trying to understand the dynamics since the whole team is on her protection detail, which is not something that normally is done,” Shades fired back, staring him down.

“She is important to my family, therefore important for me to protect. That is all you need to know. Our job descriptions have not changed. Just our location,” Draco told his group, staring Shades down again.

“On it, boss.” Hawk clapped his hands together before rubbing them in eagerness. “When do we get started?”

“Now. Shades and Arrow will be introduced to Athena at the family event this afternoon. Before the event, it will be all hands on deck at her place, making it livable again. Apparently, after the incident at the bar, they gathered a group that went to wreck her house just shy of demolishing it completely. While we are fixing things, I want cameras and audio put in, that way if I need to pull someone, she’s still protected.

Case, you and Hawk reach out to Leo, he’s there now and he’ll tell you exactly what all is needed for outside. I’ll deal with inside personally.”

Draco and his team loaded up everything they needed and headed to Athena’s house. On the way there, he made a phone call to an old friend and made a request that made him think fate was on his side at least once.

While his team worked on everything with the garage, and the perimeter, he and Leo worked with his father and brothers on the house. After an hour, everyone had their shirts off due to sweating like crazy.

Three hours in, they nearly had every hole patched in, walls repainted, and an order in for all the new appliances she would need. He was debating about her furniture when his father walked over wiping sweat from his forehead.

“Only thing left is her furniture. We’ve ordered the appliances, which will be delivered here tomorrow. Your mother and Deidra are taking her shopping today for that and other necessities.”

“Good. I have something coming in for her that will be here during the festivities. Knew the guy during my time at Fort Bragg. Damn good at what he does.”

Draco turned to assist Ray and Tony with the gutters in front of the house when he heard a car pull into the driveway. When he turned to see who it was, his cock went steel hard at the sight of her eyes going dark staring at him.