Without Regret

Are you going to kick my ass?” he asked, fighting back a chuckle when she glared up at him.

“No, I think a simple race would more than prove that I can do whatever the hell it is that I’m supposed to do,”

she explained, taking a cautious step towards the door, probably unsure if he would go through with it or not.

He wouldn’t.

He wasn’t a f**king idiot after all.

“A race?” he asked, pretending to think it over.

“Yes, I think a race is a good idea,” she said, inching closer to him and the door.

“Hmm, perhaps a race along the road?” he asked, trying not to roll his eyes when her lips actually tugged up into a coy little smile before she was able to bite it back.

“That sounds like a good idea,” she said, sounding really hopeful.

“Huh, you know what sounds better?” he asked, wondering if she really thought he was going to fall for this race bullshit. Did she really think he was going to give her a chance to involve humans into this by giving her a chance to flag them down for help?

That was just f**king sad.

“No, what?” she asked, eying him warily as he leaned back against the door, blocking her only exit.

“I think the best way to see if you have what it takes is to see if you can get past me.”

Chapter 20

“Where the hell are you?”

“Why? Do you miss me?” Kale asked, chuckling as he pictured Logan’s face when the man let out a rather vicious growl.

“Where. Are. You?” Logan bit out, completely killing his good mood, which he’d admit were very rare for him.

His life was full of so much bullshit and responsibility that it was sometimes hard to believe that there was a time when he allowed himself the luxury of relaxing.

But that life was over, he reminded himself as focused back on the job at hand.

“Currently?” he asked as he looked out the small window of the commercial jet that was taken him across the country, knowing he was pissing the man off, but not really caring. Just because he was stupid enough to take a job knowing it would only bite him in the ass in end didn’t mean he was anyone’s bitch, especially Logan’s.

“Yes,” Logan bit out through what sounded like clenched teeth.

“Sorry, can’t help you with that, but what I can tell you is that I am currently on my way to Isabella McGuire’s location,” he said, signaling for the flight attendant that he pissed off about a half an hour ago by turning down her rather unappealing offer to show him around Boston, starting with her hotel room of course, to refill his glass. She did, but with a glare that would probably make a human male nervous. It didn’t even faze him.

“Get over it, sweetheart. You just don’t do anything for me,” he said, earning a killing glare, but by the time she slammed a Coke on his tray and stormed off he’d already forgotten about her.

Even if he didn’t have a strict rule about no sex during a job he wouldn’t have taken her up on her offer. She wasn’t ten feet away from him before he could smell another man and disease upon her. Best thing about being an Alpha as far as he was concerned was the control over his beast in human form, control that he never relinquished.

“You know where she is?” Logan demanded.

“Yes.”

“How?”

“A little birdie told me,” he said, leaning back and getting comfortable. Normally he didn’t waste money on a first class ticket, but Logan was picking up the bill and was most likely going to try and torture his ass after this job so he decided he’d let himself enjoy a few perks along the way.

“Cut the shit, Kale, and tell me where she is!” Logan snapped, surprising the hell out of him. The man was emotionless, cold and never reacted to anything. The fact that the man was losing his cool made him even more curious about Ms. McGuire and the real reason behind Logan’s interest in the young woman.

He knew why all the other Masters wanted her and knew it wouldn’t be long before Demons and shifters caught wind of what was going down and joined the hunt for the same damn reason. They hoped to infiltrate the infamous Sentinel network and take down every Sentinel. It would require an elaborately organized one day assault that he didn’t think they’d manage to pull off since that meant trusting each other enough to work together.

Never going to happen.

In his long life he’d lived through more than a hundred vampire wars and more uprisings against the Sentinels than he could remember and not once had they ever managed to do anything more than piss of the Sentinels. They were great loses on each side, but the Sentinels always won and for one very important reason.

The Masters were too f**king stupid and greedy to make it work.

Except for Logan of course. If anyone could make it work and take control of the situation it would probably be Logan and if Kale had thought for one minute that was Logan’s intent, he wouldn’t be here right now. On an individual level he could care less if a Sentinel lived or died, but on a massive scale they were a necessary evil. They kept a lot of sick bastards in control and for that reason alone Kale would not help bring them down. Logan’s reasoning for keeping out of this asinine plan was simple; he liked having the Sentinels around to bring down his competition.

He didn’t bother asking what the man’s plans were for the girl simply because he didn’t care. As long as he got paid and there was even a small chance that Logan would forgive him he would do his job.

“Where is she?” Logan demanded yet again.

“Sorry, can’t tell you,” he said, not just because he didn’t have an exact location on her, but because he didn’t want any interference.

“You realize I could just have you tracked, right?”

“Don’t f**king insult me. We both know that if I wanted to I could grab Isabella McGuire and you would never find us,” he reminded the man, who really should have known better that to bullshit him. He’d been doing this a long time and knew how to cover his tracks.

After a pause, Logan said, “Just don’t f**k this up, Kale. I need her.”

“Why?” he found himself asking, even though he really knew better.

“Never mind. Just bring her to me, alive. If she’s found her mate and he gives you any trouble kill him, but if you can manage it bring them both to me.”

“Not a problem,” he said, knowing he wasn’t about to add any bullshit onto an already f**ked up contract. If Isabella McGuire found her mate then the bastard was good as dead.

**********

“Just say the word and I’ll let you go,” Isabella said, tightening her hold around Chris’ neck as she prepared to take him down to the ground where she would up her attack by kicking his ass.

When he first threw down his little challenge she’d admit that she’d been a little reluctant about it, but once she realized that this may be her only chance of escape she threw everything she had into it. After a few mishaps that were more embarrassing than painful she was sure she was in the zone now. Another minute, two tops and he’d be crying uncle and she’d have her chance at a reprieve so that she could buy herself a little more time to plan an escape.

As she tightened her hold around his neck and continued her kicking assault on his legs she actually started to feel a little bad. Then she remembered that he’d stolen her chocolate and all the other hell he’d put her through and kicked harder.