Page 78 of What a Wolf Wants

They needed to take these guys down one way or another. Hopefully nonlethally, but no matter what, they had to stop these guys.

“Could you join us for breakfast?” Charlene asked.

“No, we really need to get to your place. We can park in the garage, right? We don’t want Kroner or his associates to know you’ve got more company,” Brad said.

“Yeah. My car is here at the hotel. Ethan’s Bronco is in the garage, but you’ll have room to park your vehicle.”

“Okay, then we’re off,” Brad said, and the men left.

Then Noah, Charlene, and Ethan went into the restaurant to have breakfast. “What are we going to do now that the guys are house-sitting?” Noah asked.

“We’re going to stay here for the day. And then tonight, we can do surveillance,” Ethan said.

“When you do surveillance, I’m going to the house,” Charlene said. “I’ll join the guys there. If Kroner or his cronies come to the house after me, they’ll never know what hit them.”

Noah and Ethan exchanged glances.

Ethan took a settling breath. “All right. Sounds like a good plan.” It was better, he figured, than leaving Charlene on her own at the hotel when he and Noah left to do surveillance.

He leaned over and kissed her and then they ordered their breakfasts. The server soon brought them coffee and tea.

Noah drank some of his black coffee. “Now I can really see what this is all about as far as belonging to a good wolf pack.”

“Absolutely. When we were doing just our mission, it was up to us to do it.” Ethan added cream and sugar to his coffee. “But when Charlene became a civilian target for these ruthless criminals, all bets were off as far as the pack is concerned.”

“See, I told you they were a great group to join,” Charlene said.

“I agree. Though how will we explain this to Grainger if they capture one of the guys?” Noah asked.

“They are friends of mine who are law-enforcement trained and who can protect Charlene while you and I are on stakeouts. Grainger will understand. It will be like hiring bodyguards for her. Woe to anyone who might break into the house and try to harm her.” Ethan drank some of his coffee.

“Yeah, I like these odds better,” Charlene said. “Then the two of you won’t have to worry about me.”

“We’ll worry about you, but we’ll feel better about you having protection,” Ethan said.

They finished their breakfast and then they had to figure out the car situation.

“If I drive home, I’ll have to park in the driveway,” she said.

“And if one of the men is watching your place, they’ll know your vehicle,” Ethan warned.

“So I’ll get a taxi to drop me off.”

“All right. We’ll follow the taxi to make sure you get home all right,” Ethan said.

“That sounds good.”

“But for now?” Ethan asked.

“Let’s take a walk on the beach. Do you want to come with us, Noah?” Charlene asked.

“I hate to bow out but since Ethan and I are going to do surveillance tonight, I need to get some more sleep.”

They would need to also, but walking with his mate on the beach first? That totally appealed to Ethan.

They headed to the beach while Noah returned to his room to sleep. Ethan strolled with Charlene along the beach on the chilly, foggy morning. It was beautiful as the sun was coming up and pinks, purples, and yellows were bathing the rocks and water in a wash of brilliant light.

“I love you,” Ethan said, leaning down to kiss Charlene, so glad that he was the one saying that to her and not Noah.