Page 21 of The Reluctant Mate (Shifters of the Three Rivers #5)
Chapter twenty-one
Derek
A s the car hummed along the empty stretch of road, my thoughts kept flicking between the USB in my pocket and the look on Sofia’s face when I’d tied her to that fucking bed.
What the hell was on this thing that Torres wanted it so badly? What had Sam gotten himself messed up in? The tightness gnawing at my chest refused to ease. She’s safe , I told myself for the hundredth time. She’ll hate me for it, sure. But she’ll be alive to do it. That thought would have to keep me moving forward.
My wolf paced restlessly against my skin. He hated being separated from her.
It won’t be for long , I promised.
I didn’t know what I was going to do when I got back. Hand the USB over? Try to warn Sam? Find Waylen and see if he could hack into it? I had no fucking idea right now. For once, I had no plan.
I crossed into Three Rivers territory, and despite everything, my bonds with the Pack and the land hummed with joy. No matter how long I was away, coming back always felt like stepping into a warm embrace.
I’d gone twenty miles past our border, when the flash of headlights ahead yanked me from my thoughts. A BMW X1. Angled across the road, blocking my path.
Sam.
A quick glance in my rearview mirror showed me Ryan’s truck rolling up behind me, cutting off any retreat. He must have felt it in the Pack bonds as soon as I crossed into Three Rivers territory.
Fucking perfect.
I rolled to a stop a dozen feet short of Sam’s cruiser. My wolf bristled at being trapped between them, but I kept my movements deliberate and controlled as I stepped out of the car.
Sam got out of the cruiser with his usual fluid grace. His jaw was set, anger radiating off him. I guess he’d worked out who took his USB.
Behind me, Ryan jumped out of his truck. Alpha authority rolled off him in waves, heavy and oppressive. His blue eyes locked onto mine, and I didn’t need the Pack bond to feel the frustration thrumming beneath his calm exterior.
“You!” Sam pointed his finger at me as he strode forward. “Where the fuck is my USB?”
Ryan came to a stop in front of me. “More importantly, Derek, where is Sofia?”
I looked at my big brother and sighed. “She’s safe.”
“Safe? Half the Pack’s out looking for her. You think hiding a member of my Pack without my knowledge counts as safe? Don’t fucking test me. I haven’t told Mai yet—she’d be out of bed searching for Sofia no matter what the Doc or I ordered and wouldn’t hesitate to torture you to get answers. So you’re gonna tell me right the fuck now where Sofia is so I can bring her home, and my mate and my pups aren’t put at risk from whatever clusterfuck you’re caught up in.”
“And once you’ve done that,” Sam growled, stepping closer, “you can hand over my USB. You know, the one you stole.”
I looked at Sam and knew I had to know what was on that stick. Whatever Sam was into, it was not good, and it was past time he stopped handling shit like this on his own.
“I’m not giving it back.”
I felt a warning tug along my twin bond with Sam, and then he snapped. He slammed me against the SUV, his arm on my neck.
“The fuck you are! You don’t trust anyone except yourself these days—that’s your problem, Derek. But in case you forgot, I’m your brother. We both are. Or doesn’t that mean anything anymore?”
“Trust goes both ways, bro. I don’t see you opening up about what the Council has got you doing.”
Before I could respond, Ryan grabbed Sam’s shoulder and hauled him back.
“Enough. What the hell is going on, Derek? You got two minutes to explain or I’m throwing you in one of the cages until I sort this out.”
“Someone’s after Sofia. They said I had to get Sam’s USB, or they’d take her out. I did what I had to do.”
Ryan’s lip curled in a snarl. “Why didn’t you come to me?”
“There wasn’t time. They were tracking Sofia, had photos of her. New photos, taken in the last couple of days. I took Sofia and the USB somewhere safe, but this morning, I got another text and another photo. This time, it was of Sam. I know these guys; they’re serious. One of them, Torres, was in my unit. They want that USB and don’t give a fuck who they hurt to get it.”
“Torres Stappen?”
I frowned. “Yeah.”
“You think you’re one step ahead?” Sam glared at me. “Well, congratulations, Derek—you just walked right into their trap.”
A trap? “What are you talking about?”
“Evelyn got your text. The enforcers have been scouting out any unknowns in our territory and escorting them out. They followed two of them back to a warehouse in Jacksonville. Came back, got a team together. When they hit it, whoever was there cleared out, but they left something behind.” Sam’s eyes hardened. “A body. Your old army buddy Torres.”
The world tilted sharply as pieces clicked into place.
“Someone’s still using Torres’s phone. Setting me up.”
It was Kane. It had to be.
“No shit.” Sam’s face looked grim. “What was their last message?”
“To bring the USB to the Bottley, or they’d take you out.”
Sam looked at me for a beat. “And? Were you gonna give it to them?”
I gave him a flat stare. “I hadn’t decided. I was gonna improvise.”
“If they’d done any research on you at all, they had to know you don’t work well with threats. You’d be looking at ways to get round it. No. They know they need to force you into a corner. They’ll need something concrete to make you turn over the USB,” Ryan said. “They’re baiting you. Either to attack you when you get there…”
“Or to lure you away from wherever you’ve stashed Sofia,” Sam finished.
Sofia.
My heart slammed against my ribs. “I left her alone.”
I spun toward my car. Ryan stepped into my path.
“Try to stop me leaving, and I’ll—”
“Sam will go with you,” Ryan cut me off sharply. “I’ll head back to Three Rivers in case there is an attack there.”
I moved to go around him, but Ryan blocked me again.
“Move,” I growled.
“When you get there, keep your head. I know she’s your mate, but you’re no good to her dead.”
My wolf bristled, but I forced myself to nod. He was right. I had to stay focused.
We peeled out onto the road, Sam and I heading one way, Ryan the other.
Please let her be safe. Please let me not be too late.