"Thanks, Cash. I knew you wouldn't let me down. Okay, everyone, you have your orders let's. .h.i.t it," Jacks said.

When everyone went to leave the table, Ryleigh spoke up. "Wait a minute, guys, I had an idea regarding the odor of the corrosive. Is there a way to mix in methyl salicylate, wintergreen oil, or menthol in your compound? That smell can be a.s.sociated with topical pain relievers that I can use on Mrs. Franklin. Everyone from athletes to grandchildren will a.s.sociate that smell with sore muscles, or physical therapy in this case. When I am working Mrs. Franklin out, I can use a lot or possibly spill some. And I can guarantee the smell will be lingering throughout the house. That way, even if they smell it in the office, there won't be any questions on how it got there."

Jacks was impressed. Ryleigh was always thinking and coming up with solutions that he hadn't even thought about yet. He wondered how it would feel to spend a day in her mind, then decided he probably wouldn't like it. From what she had explained before, she needed to be constantly stimulated to function. He could think of a few ways to stimulate her that didn't involve the mission or getting more knowledge, and he couldn't wait to try them out. Adjusting his perpetual hard on for the millionth time since meeting her, he was glad Cash responded to Ryleigh. He couldn't get his mind off her luscious body or the things he wanted to do to that body.

"Actually, Ryleigh that is an excellent idea. I could use a synthetic form that will not mess with the properties of the corrosive, kind of like putting perfume in it." Cash said.

Ryleigh smiled at Cash, silently thanking him for his acknowledgment.

Jacks wanted one of those smiles for himself. "Good thinking, baby, that solves one of our problems before we have even gotten started. Anything else?" Jacks questioned.

Ryleigh liked the praise; she didn't need it but enjoyed it.

"Yeah, actually, if someone could make a dummy of sorts, sand would work best, I need to teach Jacks proper lifting techniques," Ryleigh requested. "From the medical reports, I have already received, Mrs. Franklin is about 5"4' and weighs about 250 pounds. She will be a deadlift patient. I realize that Jacks and all of you have the ability to lift that kind of weight, but we need this to look like the real thing; no manhandling the patient or showing your extreme strength."

Ryleigh didn't want to raise any red flags while in the Franklin household, and having Jacks lift the women without even breaking a sweat would be a big red flag. She continued.

"There are lifting and positioning protocols that I need Jacks to know like they are second nature to him. I also want to know more about this tracking device you are planning to use, Eli. I'm not thrilled by the aspect that anyone could track me for any reason. The Holly Group and I have acquired quite a few enemies over the years, and I would feel better about it if I knew all the detail."

Eli responded immediately, "Roger that, ma'am, and I will make the test dummy. I can also help Jacks with the positioning and lifts since we are closer to the same size."

"Thanks, Eli, that sounds great. I don't have anything else, so I guess it is you and me, Ethan," said Ryleigh.

Jacks dismissed the group much like her Dad had at the meeting prior.

Chapter 26.

Ryleigh asked Ethan on the way, "Do you think it's wrong of me to be a little excited to go shopping in your secret store?"

Ryleigh was happy for the reprieve from Jacks. She needed to think about everything that had happened so far and get her head on straight. Ethan and his secret store were the perfect escape.

Ethan giggled, "No, honey, all the girls like to shop in my secret store, but this time you only get to see the tech stuff. Next time I will show you the real secret store," he said with a wink.

Ryleigh looked at him in a confused fashion but decided to just go with it. That was until she heard the snarled growl coming from Jacks. Ryleigh noticed that his eyes had a certain light behind them, just like her Dad's did when he was really p.i.s.sed.

"You are messing with what is mine. Think f.u.c.king hard about what the next words out of your mouth should be," Jacks snarled.

The air was thick with his dominance and all the guys showed their necks in varying degrees. Ethan caught himself quickly backing away from his Alpha and Ryleigh. His head was tilted to the side in submission and he was holding his hands up.

"Sorry, Honey. Guess that secret store is just going to have to remain a secret. Come on let's play, 'I have a feeling you are going to like what Jacks has in mind for you'," said Ethan.

Everyone splintered off to complete their a.s.signments leaving Jacks and Cash alone.

"Hey, Jacks, did you mean it?" Cash probed. "Is Ryleigh yours? Has your bear bonded to her?" Cash didn't want to have this conversation; they were men. Men didn't do the whole talk about your feelings thing. They grunted and drank beer, occasionally scratching their a.s.ses or b.a.l.l.s. They did not talk about feels, but if Ryleigh was his Alpha's mate, then Cash would plead his protection and loyalty to her just as he had to Jacks years ago.

Jacks looked uncomfortable but answered, "Yeah, man, she is mine. My bear has been itching to mark her since the first moment I saw her. I thought all this true mate stuff was a bunch of bunk that parents and grandparents told their kids. I mean, come on man, how plausible is it to meet someone and just know they are the person for you? Not to mention the person, your bear wants to connect to over everyone else. Everything just feels right, and it is f.u.c.king freaking me out. I have met women and knew I was going to f.u.c.k them. That is l.u.s.t, but this thing with Ryleigh; I want to wrap her in cotton so that I know she is safe. At the same time, I want to tie her to my bed so that I can have her anytime I want, but also know where she is at all time. What the f.u.c.k is wrong with me?"

"I was going to wait until after this op was over to talk with my Dad and Grandfather to find out if all the stuff I am feeling is a true mating, but after what you said about Jessie I am pretty sure I no longer need to have that conversation," Jacks said, looking kind of sick.

He did not talk about his feelings and he just spilled a lifetime's worth. It was embarra.s.sing, but he knew that if he had to have a breakdown in front of anyone he wanted that person to be Cash, his second and most importantly, his best friend. He had no doubt that he would pay later by endless taunting and ribbing, but he really didn't care. He was in over his head with Ryleigh. He also felt bad for never knowing about the bond Jessie and Cash had.

"Sorry, man, I know this has got to be hard, but how did you know at ten years old that Jessie was your mate? s.h.i.t, man, at ten we were still playing cops and robbers in the woods," Jacks said.

Cash didn't want to do this. He was all for helping Jacks, but his feelings for Jessie were his own. He also knew that once he opened the can in the parking lot Jacks wouldn't let him close it without and explanation.

Wiping his hand down his face, Cash brought his elbows to his knees. Head down the big man slumped right before Jacks' eyes; a hard feat for such a large man.

"I don't know. I mean, I was ten and there weren't any l.u.s.tful thoughts; just a feeling of lasting peace and connection," Cash confessed. "I wanted her safe and protected, and I had an overwhelming need to be around her at all times. Do you remember how mad Lance used to get when I insisted that Jessie play with us?"

Jacks let himself think about their childhood for a little bit. It had been pretty great; there was a bunch of them that would play every day. Doing the things kids typically did; make forts, camp out, and play cops and robbers. But there was only one little girl, Jessie. When she was taken, everything changed for all of them. The fun and games stopped.

"Yeah, man, we made so many 'No Girls Allowed' signs and you destroyed every one of them. It was hilarious. We couldn't make the signs fast enough and Lance would get so mad every time you tore up another one," Jacks laughed, thinking of better times.

"You know, after the trial Lance and I went out for drinks and he said he was grateful for the time we all got to spend together." Jacks said.

After her abduction, the time they spent together playing in the woods became even more special to him, to all of them really.

"We made some good memories back then, didn't we?" Jacks reminisced. "We didn't have a care in the world; evil didn't exist to us. That is, until Jessie was gone and reality broke into our world."

Cash remembered those times too. He got p.i.s.sed every time Jessie's brother tried to exclude her, but he was still a kid that wanted to play with his friends. He just wanted Jessie to be there too, so he tore up those signs and took the ribbing the guys gave him and he wouldn't change that time for the world.

"Cash, did you guys ever, you know, complete the bond?" Jacks inquired as delicately as possible. "Jessie was only 14 years old, but you were 16 by that time and you guys pretty much spent every available moment together. That last year you and Jessie spent more time alone than with any of us. No judgment. We all knew that you two were together, even Lance and his family thought you were going to get married right out of high school."

Cash didn't want to think about those times. He had wanted Jessie so bad, but she was too young and he wasn't going to make her choose him before she was ready. He had to admit that he wasn't ready either. He was sixteen and knew that if they had had s.e.x, the bond would have been complete; that was a lot to taken on as a teenager. Bonding, or claiming, was the same thing as marriage in the Shifter world, and he just wasn't ready for that responsibility at sixteen. He did have plans, though, and even without Jessie being there he completed those plans. He bought a house in their hometown that currently sat empty, he had a nice nest egg waiting in the bank that would never be spent, and he dreamed of the life they could have had every day. Those were things he would never tell anyone else, even Jacks.

Cash wiped is eyes and said, "No, man, we never took it further. I wanted to wait until she was older. I wanted to make sure she knew what she was getting involved with; our world is not the norm. s.h.i.t, she didn't even know about my bear. I knew that if we had s.e.x, my bear would have bonded to her even closer, and I couldn't take the chance of her rejecting what I am. There was just something in the back of my mind that told me it would be better if we waited because she needed more time to grow up. For me, I was caught hook line and sinker at ten, and we both know that is not normal, at least in human terms.

Cash cradled his head in his hands and said, "I regret it, though. That might have made a difference. Jessie could have been found if the legends are true. My bear would have been able to track her better, but as it is I'll never know for sure."

s.h.i.t. Cash needed this conversation to end, but he also needed to warn his best friend.

"I can tell you that I felt the bond," revealed Cash. "We did have a break when she died, and I wouldn't wish that feeling on my worst enemy. I felt like someone had stabbed me through the heart. You remember all that drinking and getting into trouble I did right before we joined up? s.h.i.t, man, I was just trying not to feel anything after the bond severed and the initial pain was gone. I wanted to just be numb, still, do."

He wasn't sugar coating his feeling, but there was no way someone would understand unless they had been through it.

"Just promise me to keep Ryleigh safe," Cash requested. "It has got to be eating you alive that you are going to put her in harm's way with this mission. I can tell you that if Jessie was here and I was in your position, I would be doing everything in my power to keep her out of danger. s.h.i.t, man, I would even leave the team if it meant keeping her safe."

Jacks was seeing red at the thought of Ryleigh being in danger. He had no idea how to handle the feeling he was having, let alone knowing he was going to be escorting her right to the door where she might get hurt, or worse. But he also couldn't deny the strong women that she was. He also felt like s.h.i.t because he remembered what he and the guys put Cash through after Jessie kidnapping and he was feeling guilty.

"f.u.c.k. I wish I would have known all of this then," said Jacks. "It couldn't have helped with the guys pushing girls at you all the time. I did it myself for f.u.c.k sakes. I just thought that if we could get you over Jessie, it would help, you know. Now knowing all this, I just feel like s.h.i.t for not seeing beyond my own nose. As far as Ryleigh and this mission, I would like nothing more to bring in someone else in instead of putting her in that house. She has suffered enough, but I have to let her be who she is, and that is one strong woman. She has saved countless people and has been through things that would break even one of our lesser men. The woman is amazing and if I stifle that part of her, how could I live with it? I would be taking a part of what makes her amazing and throwing it away."

Cash wanted out of the past. He knew that the guys were just trying to help back then. He also knew that none of them had a clue, but it seemed his best friend was about to get a crash course.

"Don't sweat it, man," replied Cash. "I know the guys were only trying to help me back then, and it did help some. I am here, and I am relatively functioning. Got to keep you on your toes, you know. After all, I get to sit back and watch the best show on earth now; the Great Alpha Bear Jackson Thorp being taken down by a mere slip of a woman, and Seniors daughter to boot. You are a lucky man, or a very unlucky man. I can't wait to see the fireworks," Cash laughed.

Jacks turned white, and Cash knew there was only one man on the planet that could make that happen. That's why he just had to rub it in. His best friend, Alpha, and Team leader, was going to get his b.a.l.l.s feed to him by a dragon. He didn't think Senior would kill Jacks, but he would definitely make it hurt.

Chapter 27.

"Thanks a lot, a.s.shole," Jacks said while clapping Cash on the shoulder. "So, any idea how I am going to break it to the Great Alpha Dragon that I am going to mate his daughter? Or how about how I am going to break it to Ryleigh? She knows so little about our world."

"No man" Cash said, laughing again more uncontrollably, "but I do just so happen to have a fire-resistant suit in my locker at home if you need it. Now let's get to work, Alpha, we have some safes to crack in less than 50 minutes."

Ryleigh was practically jumping in place and clapping her hands when she and Ethan entered the room with his hidden boxes of tech.

"Show me, show me! Oh, I can't wait. I never get to play with the fun stuff anymore," Ryleigh said excitedly.

It had been years since she got to play with lethal toys and she was jonesing for a fix.

"Come on, Ethan, give it to me," Ryleigh pleaded.

"Okay, little one, prepare to be amazed," Ethan replied.

Just then Ethan opened up the box sitting on the table and what was inside was anything but amazing. To say she was disappointed was an understatement. It contained a simple gold chain with a fancy closure and a gorgeous abstract pendant. Also, there was an equally simple bracelet with some kind of beads on it and then some regular hoop earrings with the same beads as the bracelet. Ryleigh couldn't help but think, pretty, but boring.

Ethan was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes.

"Oh, come on, Rye, all women like jewelry and this stuff is not all that bad," he said. "What were you expecting, an AK that you could hide on your body or something? You're a smart girl and you know that's not possible."

Dejected, Ryleigh said, "Yeah, I guess you are right, but you could have at least included some diamonds. I mean, they are a girl's best friend. And best of all, they cut through just about anything. At least then it would be considered functional jewelry. What you just showed me is just plain old jewelry."

Just then, quicker than her eyes could track Ethan, he had the necklace pulled apart and put into a garrote tied around her neck.

He spoke slowly, "Now, darling, this is anything but simple. You see, this little beauty can bring down a man three times your size."

Stunned, all she could say was, "Show me more."

For the next hour, Ethan and Ryleigh went over how best to use the garrote necklace and those beautiful little beads weren't beads at all; one was a video camera, one had the ability to dissolve into a sedative, one was an explosive, and the earrings twisted into a lock pick. The beautiful pendant was a bug detector. The man was an evil genius and if it wasn't for Jacks, well and maybe Cash, she could make him into her new dream man. She just wouldn't say it out loud, this time, no need to get Jacks' panties in a twist. Gosh, I wonder if he wears underwear or does he go commando, Ryleigh thought to herself. Just then she realized that Ethan had been talking to her.

"And I lost her," Ethan declared. "Here I thought my toys were the answer to every girl's dream, and you go off to la-la-land. Time to visit Dalton. If my secret store full of cool tech and weapons can't keep your attention, maybe he can."

"Sorry, Ethan. I just got caught in thought," Ryleigh admitted. "It happens sometimes, but so that you know, I love your toys and anytime you want to show me more I am more than willing to play."

"Careful, honey. Those are fighting words, and I value my nuts," Ethan said. "Just make sure that you never, and I mean never, tell Jacks that you want to play with my toys; with him that is a different story, but not with me or anybody else, okay."

"But, Ethan, I like your toys. Why can't I play with them with anybody but Jacks? That is not fair; he doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would like to play with stuff you just showed me," Ryleigh declared. "I like the guy. Why would I want to garrote him? Although the sedative could make things interesting, especially when he is being really arrogant and annoying. But even then, I kind I like the way he is."

"Oh honey. You are trouble with a capital T," Ethan joked. "Just remember what I said. Now let's find Dalton. Time to show us what you got, little sister."

Following Ethan, Ryleigh couldn't help but wonder how these men set this temporary base up so fast with a complete kitchen, offices, and a fully equipped gym. It was pretty amazing. Dalton was already stretching out and getting ready for their session. He didn't seem to be all that happy about having to a.s.sess her hand-to-hand skills.

"Okay, Ryleigh, can you tell me about some of the techniques you already know?" Dalton asked. "It would also be helpful if you explained the techniques you have mastered and the ones that you still need some help building. That way I will know where to start and how far to go. Do you want to warm up?"

"No, I don't need a warm up," Ryleigh affirmed. "I am ready to go whenever you are. As for my training, just channel my Dad and what he would teach his daughter. I am pretty good, but I am always willing to learn new things."

"You know, it is not good to train without warming up. You could cause yourself more harm than good," Dalton countered. "You will be leaving tomorrow and you need to be in top physical condition. I plan on going pretty hard so I can gauge your skill level. If you can't walk tomorrow how are you going to complete your mission? We don't want to risk an injury."

"Okay, Dalton, if you want," Ryleigh replied. "If someone is going to attack me, I honestly doubt they are going to give me the time to warm up beforehand. But you are the teacher, and I am your willing student. So, whatever you say goes."

Ryleigh then proceeded to do a warm up in front of Ethan and Dalton. She was tired, and she knew she was half-a.s.sing the warm up, but she had been going for over 72 hours without any sleep and her body and mind were dragging. She didn't want to make a bad impression and knew it was critical to the mission that she follow Jacks orders. He and his men had a right to know her skill level. She just wished she had more energy. But then she caught wind of the men's conversation, and it p.i.s.sed her off.

"f.u.c.k, man. She doesn't even know how to warm up properly," Dalton said. "She is probably a desk jockey wanting a little excitement, no way is that women an active operative."

"I don't know, man, give her a chance," Ethan refuted. "Ryleigh may surprise you. She is acting totally different now. I think she might have just hit her wall. Maybe we should wait and do the a.s.sessment in the morning. I garroted her and she had her hand up before I could make contact; it was instinctual," Ethan said.

"Whatever. Time to put the princess through her paces," Dalton said unenthusiastically. "Maybe she will have realized that she is playing with the big dogs now, and she should stay behind a desk. If this mate c.r.a.p is real and she is Jacks', then at least she would be safe where he could protect her, behind that desk of hers."

Dalton walked over to Ryleigh on the training floor, leaving Ethan to spectate.

"Okay, Ryleigh, I am going to take you through some of the easier hold positions. Show me what you got," Dalton insisted.

For the next half hour, Ryleigh let Dalton take her through the paces. She wanted to a.s.sess her opponent as much as he wanted to a.s.sess her, but the man just put off a bad vibe. Well, not precisely a bad vibe, but 'little woman you need to stay out of big boy games' vibe. She couldn't help but think, if he didn't like women, why the h.e.l.l was he working with NAC? The b.a.s.t.a.r.d was condescending and rude most of the time, pretty rough as well. He wasn't taking her size or strength into consideration, and he was working her like she was one of the guys. No way could she stand up to their speed and strength. Christ, the man had to outweigh her by a hundred pounds and was at least a foot taller.

"No, Ryleigh, you just aren't getting this and they are simple moves," Dalton a.s.serted. "Maybe you should just stay behind your safe little desk and opt out of this. We have several operatives that could take your place that have at least gotten through basic self-defense. As it stands you are not only putting yourself in danger, but Jacks as well. Now again, break my f.u.c.king hold."

Ryleigh was beyond p.i.s.sed. Dalton wasn't a.s.sessing her; he was trying to break her down. When she noticed that Ethan had left the room she decided to cut loose. If Dalton was going to play dirty, she could too. It was time to teach the teacher; time to teach him a lesson, game on.

Chapter 28.

Cash and Jacks had just completed their best run at the safes yet when Ethan busted through the door, "Guys you have to come to the gym. I f.u.c.ked, man. I truthfully think Dalton might hurt her. She can't even break his basic holds, and he is getting more p.i.s.sed by the second. You have to stop them."

All three took off at a run to the gym. What they saw when they got there left them dumbfounded with their mouths hanging open. Ryleigh was kicking Dalton's a.s.s.

All the air left Dalton's lungs when he hit the floor. Ryleigh had just taken him down with a well-placed kick to his knee. Then, as if she had done it a hundred times, she climbed on top of him with a quick, biting hit to his sternum. She did something odd and with a quick strike of her finger, she hit a nerve that left him all but paralyzed. After that, she placed her tiny hands around his neck in the perfect placement with just the right amount of pressure to cut off his airflow.