Automatic gunfire peppered her truck as the men in the van, four in all now, fired back, their plan to attack a single defenseless woman suddenly backfiring.
They’d planned for Draeger and Tobias, but not Cullen. They would have separated her from the two Wolf Breeds trailing her with the deliberate chaos, taken her and been gone before the two Breeds could get to her.
At least, that had been their plan.
Within seconds, though, Draeger and Tobias joined Cullen, and heartbeats later six other Breeds from surrounding vehicles were spreading out, armed and going after the four men in the van.
“Clear the streets.” Chelsea pushed at Tobias as he tried to hem her in between himself and Draeger. “Stop worrying about me, dammit, and secure the civilians.”
Bullets sprayed the street as frightened cries echoed around him. Cullen worked with the Breeds to contain the shooters, whose plans had suddenly exploded around them. His plan was to stay at Chelsea’s side, to cover her while the others contained the shooters. Instead, she stayed at his side as he covered the others, keeping the shooters pinned down while the six enforcers moved on the van and her security team pushed those too frightened to run toward safety.
It took no more than mere minutes before the sound of exploding ammunition and enraged curses from the men facing defeat was over. Three were dead, but there was still one left to question.
And through the entire attack, Chelsea’s calm flowed through him, shocking him with his knowledge of it, with her composure and ability to handle the danger.
“Contained,” a Coyote Breed Enforcer who’d joined the melee shouted out after a quick look inside the van.
“Nation Police are heading in,” another enforcer called out as Cullen strode to the area. “Round them up.”
He stared down at the three dead men, their hardened, scarred faces not unknown to him. These weren’t Genetics Council soldiers. They weren’t Breeds who followed their deranged trainers or known associates. They were hardened criminals and part of a group Cullen and his agents had been tracking for more than a year.
What the hell were they doing here?
“Those are Cerves gang members,” Chelsea said softly at his shoulder as she tucked her weapon at the small of her back. “This could be really bad.”
“Really bad” didn’t even begin to define it. Especially if the Blood Queen was looking to punish Chelsea for not getting her daughter to her in time. “Two of them are Cerves’s top lieutenants,” he agreed, staring down at her with narrowed eyes. “Did you tell anyone about that night?”
“No way, no how.” Chelsea shook her head, keeping her voice low. And he hadn’t told anyone, even Graeme. Especially Graeme.
“The surviving attacker likes to talk,” Draeger stated as he moved to them, his gaze flashing with savage fury. “The cartel received a contract to kill Chelsea. They were going to kidnap her and ransom her for money to the Genetics Council when they were told she was a Breed mate.” His eyes flashed dangerously. “She was considered an easy mark.”
An easy mark?
She wasn’t an easy mark, and Cerves would learn that one fast enough.
“Let’s go.” Gripping Chelsea’s arm, he tugged her after him, heading for the Dragoon.
“Go where?” The strength in her voice, the demand in her tone drew him to a stop.
He stared down at her, feeling the brutal lust; the adrenaline-laced mating hormone racing through his system had the glands beneath his tongue swelling instantly, the cinnamon taste of it slamming against his tongue and into his system with a wild, furious need nearly painful in its intensity.
Graeme had warned him of this. Warned him that any hard surge of adrenaline would overcome the injection Cullen had taken the night before. That adrenaline was still rushing through him, building despite the fact that the danger was all but over now.
She’d been endangered. If he hadn’t been right on her ass those gang members would have taken her and turned her over to the Council, and she would have died.
He would have never gotten to her in time.
“Somewhere else,” he snarled, pushing her into the passenger side of the Dragoon. “Anywhere but here.”
Anywhere but out in the open, surrounded by other Breeds, by unknown dangers.
He had to get her someplace he knew would be completely secure.
Someplace where danger had no chance of touching her.
CHAPTER 12
From Graeme’s Journal