"I hope you're not suggesting using my brother against me."
The ice in Wolf's quiet, polite tone was unlike anything Dex had ever heard, and it reminded him that despite Wolf's interest in Dex, the guy would drop Dex where he stood if he dared do what he implied he could do.
Dex's gaze never wavered. "If
I was a different type of agent, if I was like you, I would. Lucky for you, I'm not."
Wolf's smile sent an icy shiver through Dex. "Lucky for you you're not."
"I won't let them use him. Not even to get to you."
The warmth returned to Wolf's eyes like it had never left. "And that's why I find you so fascinating. You have the means to bring in one of the world's most wanted men, but your heart forbids it."
For a moment, the guy actually looked... sad. What the hell?
Wolf put his finger to Dex's chest where his heart was. "This right here, Dexter," Wolf said softly as he tapped his finger lightly against Dex's heart, "is going to cause you an extensive amount of pain. It would be an awful shame if the world lost a man such as you, and I'm not speaking of death." He dropped his hand and shoved it in his trouser pocket. "Who knows? You might surprise us all."
Dex didn't know what to say to that. This whole encounter was just too weird. With a sigh, he nodded toward one of the empty booths. "Come on. Let's get this over with." He headed for the booth, unable to believe he was doing this. For all he knew, Wolf was playing him. Would Wolf risk exposure, his life, just to annoy the shit out of Dex? Possibly. But he would never be so cavalier with Hudson's safety, and Wolf's presence alone was putting Hudson in danger.
Making sure none of his friends could see him, Dex slid into one of the darkened booths. Seeing as how the whole point of the booths was privacy, and Therians could see into the shadows, the deep purple curtain provided the extra discretion needed. He waited until Wolf was seated beside him before pulling the curtain closed. At least none of his friends would be able to spot him. Dex sat as far away from Wolf as the two-seater allowed.
"Relax. Is this really so bad?"
Dex gaped at him. "Is it--I'm huddled in a dark booth with some dude who is not my fiance, and happens to be an ex-spy turned assassin/mercenary for hire, who tortured me for days! Yes. Yes, it is so bad."
Wolf pouted. "Well, when you put it like that, of course it sounds awful."
"Can we get on with it?"
"Anything for you, darling."
Dex peered at him. "Your face makes me want to punch you."
"And yours makes me want to do terribly naughty things to you."
"Fuck this." Dex got up, only to be jerked back down against Wolf, his chin caught in Wolf's gloved hand, their faces inches apart. Dex narrowed his eyes and released a hiss.
"What a shame. You would have made a much better wolf."
Dex flinched, his claws piercing the tips of his fingers.
"Easy there, kitten." Wolf turned Dex's head toward the curtain and parted it so they could see out to the dance floor straight ahead. "What do you see?"
Dex frowned. "My brother, Austen, and West."
"And what do they have in common?"
"They're cheetah Therians?"
"Good boy. Let's pretend I'm a coldhearted killer." Wolf put his finger to Dex's lips before he could remark on that genius observation. "Now let's say my goon squad and I have been hired to grab Sparks's little spotted pet, and I happen to know for a fact that he's here tonight for a certain sexy THIRDS agent's bachelor party, but I don't know what the kitty looks like. I arrive, and I find not one spotted little feline, I find three. What's a lowly thug to do?"
Dex sucked in a sharp breath. Oh God. No.
Wolf pressed his lips to Dex's cheek for a kiss before whispering in his ear, "In the next half hour, your brother and his friends will be subdued, bound, gagged, and tossed inside an unmarked vehicle, which will deliver them to a very grisly death. Hurry, Dexter."
Dex pushed away from Wolf and bolted toward the dance floor where Cael, Austen, and West were talking and laughing. He caught a change in scent, one caused by a spike in adrenaline. It was quickly followed by sharp movement in his peripheral vision. He spun around, but there was no one there. Shit. Turning back, he saw Cael, Austen, and West hadn't moved.
Pushing through the crowd, Dex glanced at the bar and thankfully happened to catch Ash's eye. Dex's expression must have said it all, because Ash straightened and sobered up like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over his head. Ash frowned, and Dex nodded in Cael's direction. Ash looked at Cael, then back to Dex, who discreetly twirled his finger. He tapped his neck on the left side with two fingers right where a Therian classification tattoo would be. He had no idea if the hired thugs were Human or Therian, but Dex wasn't taking any chances. They needed to protect Cael, Austen, and West without causing a panic. That would just make it easier for the assholes to grab them. Ash, Seb, Hobbs, Hudson, Dom, and Zach reached Cael and the others just as Dex did.