No one had heard from Dylan or Sean about the search for Connor, and none of the Shifters dared make a call in case a stray cell phone ring endangered the Morrisseys. Maria’s heart was cold with fear for them, but she knew they would call if they had news. They must be searching, planning what to do—or in the middle of a fight for their lives. Not knowing was hard.

Pablo had said that Bradley had a house east of Bastrop on the river, an estate that encompassed about a hundred acres, surrounded by a fence and a large electronic gate. Bradley didn’t do his business there, Pablo said—he conducted business in offices and warehouses around the city. He didn’t piss in his own sandbox.

Maria found the phrase strange but apt. If police raided Bradley’s house, they’d likely find nothing. Pablo’s information, though, meant that Connor probably wouldn’t be at the house either.

Ellison drove with one hand, while Maria held Pablo’s smart phone with its map of the area. Before they reached the gates of Bradley’s house, Ellison pulled onto a side road that had once run off to someone’s ranch and now led to a housing development.

Bradley’s estate had escaped the fire, but many of the houses in the development had not. New buildings were going up again, workers in large pickups and work trucks swarming the neighborhood.

Good camouflage, Ellison said, parking at the end of the line of work trucks. He slid out of the driver’s seat, and Ronan, Tiger, and Broderick crawled out from where they’d been lying low under a tarp in the back.

“Goddess,” Broderick snarled as he shook himself out. “I smell like bear and . . . whatever he is.” He gave Tiger a dark look. “I said I’d help, but don’t put me with the crazy again.”

Tiger growled at him, but Maria swore there was humor behind it.

“Fine by me,” Ellison said to Broderick. “You can scout to the north with Ronan. Tiger and I will cover the south. Take out guards, but quietly. Ronan, you’ll teach Broderick how to do that, right?”

Ronan grinned, and Broderick made a noise of disgust. “Like I can’t be more stealthy than a giant bear,” Broderick muttered.

“Take out the guards, make your way to the house, and we’ll disable the alarm system.” Ellison studied a piece of paper before tucking it into his pocket. Pablo’s girlfriend had given them instructions about how to go about bypassing the alarm without triggering it.

More trust on Ellison’s part. Pablo could have instructed her to give Ellison bad guidance so he’d trip the alarm instead. Bradley might then reward Pablo. The Shifters were gambling on Pablo being more afraid of them than of Bradley.

Ellison didn’t say what they’d do after they got inside. Maria knew, though. They’d corner Bradley, find out where the cubs were, then kill him.

Ellison slid back into the truck. Maria looked at him in surprise, then let out a breath when he enfolded her in his arms. He didn’t squeeze, he didn’t kiss her; Ellison just held her, his embrace strong.

He’d never let her fall, the hug said. Never let her falter, never let anything hurt her. Maria had been drifting, rudderless, and now, Ellison was her anchor.

He kissed Maria’s cheek then her lips, his warm. “Goddess go with you,” he said, his voice low. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He transferred his gaze to Pablo, and the loving look turned to ice. “You take care of her. If Maria’s hurt in any way, or scared, or pissed off . . . You won’t live to regret it.”

“I know how to do this,” Pablo said, with no sign of anger. “Wipe out Bradley for me, and life will be good. That’s worth sitting a couple of hours in a pickup with a nice young woman.”

Ellison growled. With his arms still around Maria, feeling him rumble against her was like being held by a giant, purring cat.

Ellison kissed Maria one more time, took and pocketed Pablo’s cell phone, and exited the truck. Tiger waited for him with his usual stoic patience, his assessing eyes taking in everything.

Broderick and Ronan walked up the street one way, and Tiger departed with Ellison the other.

Maria turned around to watch Ellison go. His backside in the tight jeans swayed in a fine way as he walked, sun gleaming on his hatless hair. He’d left the cowboy hat in the car, but his boots clicked on the asphalt.

Ellison didn’t turn back, but Maria felt a tether between her and him, a line connecting them. She was with him, and he with her.

Pablo pulled a magazine out of his pocket, leaned back, stuck his elbow out the open window, and proceeded to read. Maria glanced over and saw that it was a home decorating magazine, open to a page on makeover ideas.

“Francesca’s redoing the kitchen,” Pablo said without embarrassment. “She wants me to find ideas I like.”

“I’ve never had a new kitchen,” Maria said, before she thought about it.

“No?” Pablo shrugged. “Well, that’s why I do what I do, sweetie. So I can live a little better than my parents did, which was in the gutter.”

“You’re a smart man. You could make a lot of money perfectly legally.”

“Most of my business is legal. I even pay taxes on it. But I was stupid when I was younger, and did some time. Prison gave me the opportunity to think about how I wanted my life to go, but prison closes a lot of doors for you.”

“So does being Shifter.”

Pablo lowered his magazine. “Don’t let them fool you. Those Shifters might wear Collars and be bound by rules, but I’m here to tell you, they do anything they want.”

“So I’ve seen.”

Maria turned around to look after Ellison again and found him gone. He and Tiger had vanished. Though open country rolled from behind the one street of houses, she saw no sign of anyone moving through the tall grasses.

Maria had promised herself she wouldn’t worry, but that was a silly promise. Of course she’d worry. Ellison was walking into a well-defended fort, with nothing but his teeth and claws and Pablo’s phone—though she felt a little better that he was with Tiger.

But if anything happened to any of the Shifters, she’d have to face Liam and Dylan and tell them. Explain why she hadn’t helped, why Pablo hadn’t.

They’d blame Pablo for not keeping them safe, and they might kill him. From the way Pablo’s fingers shook the slightest bit when he turned the pages of the magazine, he knew it too.