The guy held up both hands. “Hey, I wasn’t even here.” He climbed aboard the chopper.
Roadkill was speaking with another man beside the car, who then ran to join the chopper pilot. Roadkill got into the car after dumping his bag in the trunk. “First stop is half an hour from here, guys. You know the route. Let’s haul ass.”
Crank climbed into the driver’s side of the motor home, and Horvan, Rael, and Hashtag got on board, once Dellan had stepped almost delicately inside. Rael led him through to the rear, where there was a queen-size bed. He covered it with a heap of blankets. Dellan jumped up, pawed at the covers for a moment, then curled up on them while Rael went looking for a bowl to fill with water.
Hashtag strapped himself into a seat, then got on his phone, his fingers flying over the keys. After a minute or so, he looked up with a grin. “That’s it. Eight simultaneous posts, all claiming responsibility for snatching Dellan. Wagons roll, boys. We’ve got a long way to go.”
Dellan raised his head from his task of lapping up water. Where we go?
Rael stroked his ears. Somewhere safe.
“Hey, Hashtag. This is some swanky RV Roadkill got us. I know I should probably have asked this before now, but where’d he get it?” Horvan asked. Rael had barely glanced at the interior; he’d been too concerned about getting Dellan settled. But now that he looked, he was impressed. It seemed well equipped, perfect for their needs.
“Found it online,” Hashtag replied. “We offered cash to the seller, who was more than happy to pass it on to us. Then we wired the money to Danno, who collected it and took it into the shop. They made sure everything was in running order, then stripped off the license plates and replaced them with… borrowed ones.”
Rael narrowed his gaze. “Borrowed? Why?”
Horvan joined him. “Misdirection and obfuscation. If somehow we have a picture taken, the plates will lead them back to a different vehicle. We usually have two other sets so we can change them out.”
“But borrowed from where?” Rael wanted to know.
“Danno keeps up the registration on a few junkers back at the shop. That’s where the plates come from. The police are less likely to keep looking if the plates don’t show up in a stolen vehicle database.” Horvan cupped Rael’s cheek. “I know it seems like overkill, but—”
“Can’t take chances. I get it.” And he did. This was Dellan’s life they were talking about. Even if everything around him was like living in some kind of TV show, he had absolute trust in Horvan.
Horvan gazed at Dellan in obvious wonder, and Rael smiled. “Well, now you know he doesn’t bite—he just licks you to death—why don’t the two of you get acquainted?” He got onto the bed beside Dellan, then beckoned Horvan closer. “Crank is driving, and we’ve got half an hour before the first stop, so let’s spend some time with him.”
Horvan returned his smile. “That sounds good.” He lay on Dellan’s other side, and both of them snuggled closer to Dellan, who relaxed visibly beneath their touch.
Mates.
A sigh shuddered through Rael. That’s right. Mates. Now all they had to do was pray Dellan remembered how to shift back.
Chapter Fourteen
“UH, HORVAN?” Crank regarded him with a quizzical look. “Why are you growling?”
“What are you talking about?” Horvan brought his attention back to the road ahead. They were in southern Minnesota and making good time. Behind them, Hashtag was driving the car, and Roadkill was keeping him company. Rael had taken a nap, curled up on the bed next to Dellan. Horvan had been sorely tempted to join them, until he considered their continued combined weight might be more than the bed could stand. Besides, it was his turn to relieve Crank with the driving.
Crank chuckled. “You don’t even know you’re doing it, do ya? You’ve been making the same noise for the last hour. Is this a bear thing? You need to go find a tree to get rid of your back itch, is that it?” He snorted. “Why am I suddenly thinking of The Jungle Book?”
“Call me Baloo and you’re dead.” He focused on his driving. Crank was talking out of his ass.
“Horvan?” Rael stood beside Crank, holding on to the back of the seat. “What’s wrong?”
“I thought you were sleeping.”
“Yeah, well, I was until you started growling.”
What the fuck? Horvan snorted. “You guys are hearing things.”
Except I heard you in my head. Explain that.
Why the fuck would I be growling? The mission so far was a success, and his mates were with him.
His mates. Fuck. Horvan breathed in the scent pervading the RV and scowled.
“I can smell it too. My lion isn’t happy, but what can we do?” Rael squeezed Horvan’s shoulder.
Yeah, Rael had nailed it.
“Smell what? What the fuck are you two talking about?”
Horvan gave Crank a weary glance. “The other shifters Dellan has been with. We can smell them on him, and it’s angering our beasts.”
“Why? It’s not like either of you is a virgin.” Crank’s breathing hitched. “Jesus. You’re not, are you?”
Rael sighed. “No, but now the three of us know what we are to one another, it’s a struggle. My lion wants to find those women and… do bad things to them.”
“And by bad things, we’re not talking naughty, I take it?”
Horvan admired Rael’s understated rage. Horvan wanted to tear them to shreds.
Before he could respond to Crank’s question, Dellan intruded.
Dellan out now. Now.
“I’ll go see what’s wrong.” Rael left them and headed toward the rear.
“What’s up?” Crank asked.
“Dellan wants to get out of the RV.” Had he awoken and panicked?
Crank snickered. “Well, sure he does. When a tiger’s gotta go, he’s gotta go. And he sure isn’t gonna use the bathroom, right?”
Shit.
Yeah, shit. Exactly. Get Roadkill to find us someplace to stop. And how come neither of us thought of this?
Rael had a point.
“Get Roadkill on the phone,” he instructed Crank. “Tell him we need to get off the road someplace isolated enough to let Dellan out of the RV. And soon, otherwise it’s going to get messy in here.” He snuck a glance at Crank. “And then get some sleep. Which is what you’re supposed to be doing right now.”
“Pfft. I’m rested enough. I’ll be ready to swap with Hashtag at the next stop.”
“What about me?” Rael called from the back. “When do I get to drive?”
“You don’t,” Crank retorted. “And before you start griping about it, you have an important job to do. Your task is to take care of Dellan, to keep him calm. There are four of us to share the driving. That’s plenty.”
I get what he’s saying, but I’m not happy about it.
Horvan was about to remind Rael that Dellan’s well-being was the focus of their mission, when Crank’s phone buzzed.
“Okay, he’s found us a stop, but it’ll be another twenty minutes or so. Think Dellan can hold on that long?” When a low roar came from the rear of the RV, Horvan glanced at Crank, who shivered. “Christ. I’ll tell Roadkill to step on it.”