The man hadn’t seen them coming—couldn’t have. The other guards remained in place, not on alert, not altering their pace. Bradley could be heading down to the nearest convenience store for beer and cigarettes for all Ellison knew.

The limousine turned in the direction of Austin, which meant in the direction of the housing development a couple miles away. No reason Bradley should enter the development, but just in case . . .

“Tiger, run back to Maria and tell her Bradley’s out, and to be careful. We’ll get inside and wait for him.”

“What if he’s gone all day?” Broderick asked.

Ronan answered. “Then we wait all day. We’ll give him a little welcome-home party.” He grinned, his eyes flashing the red of an enraged bear.

Tiger said nothing. He acknowledged Ellison’s order by turning around and fading back into the grasses. In a second or two, Ellison could no longer see him.

He’d sent Tiger, because the man was faster than any Shifter he knew, and the guards would never spot him. Tiger would be there and back in five minutes, and not even breathe hard.

“Let’s go,” Ellison said.

“Now it’s three against four,” Broderick said. “Four with automatic weapons.”

“Four against three Shifters with built-in weapons,” Ronan said, never losing his feral smile. He brought up his hand and curled it like claws. “They won’t know what hit them.”

“We should wait for the crazy,” Broderick said, jerking his chin the direction Tiger had disappeared.

“No, because I want this quiet, with limited bloodshed,” Ellison countered. He’d save the bloodiness for Bradley. “We don’t need every cop in the county bearing down on us when someone reports Shifters rampaging at the big house. I want to get Bradley first.”

Broderick let out a breath. “I see your point. Fine. We’ll hit them fast and hard, knock them out, take their weapons. If we’re quiet enough, the fourth one won’t realize what’s happened until too late.”

Ellison gave him a nod. “You got it. Ready?”

“More than ready,” Ronan growled. “They’ll see what happens when they try to take my cub.”

“Try not to kill anyone,” Ellison said.

“Me?” Ronan touched his chest, brown eyes going wide. “I’m a big teddy bear. With a Collar that keeps me tame. I wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“I know.” Ellison grinned at him. “I’ve seen you catch them in your house and release them outside. Just put these guys down, and we’ll go from there.”

Without further word, the three separated, slinking through the tall grasses toward the house. More bluebonnets, Ellison noted as they went. The Texas state flower, its lupine-like stalks thrusting up toward the sunlight, made the meadow almost shimmer blue. The blossoms weren’t as thick here as they’d been on the banks of the pond, but they were still plentiful.

Maria was like these flowers, which could lie dormant for long stretches of time, then burst out with amazing, passionate color. Ellison’s thoughts flashed to Maria clinging to him in the pond, her legs wrapping him, the feeling of being inside her, watching the water bead on her skin as her head went back in pleasure.

Once they finished with Bradley, Ellison was carrying her to his bed. Period. They’d talk about mate-claims, and forever, later—after he satisfied himself and her with a long night of sweet, hot lovemaking. Ellison would have to go slow with her, he knew that. Slow goodness would be a fine thing.

The guard on his side of the house passed two steps away, never seeing Ellison crouching in the grass. Ellison rose silently behind him, letting his hands change to his Shifter-beast’s. Those hands went around the guard’s neck, one jerk cutting off his air, rendering him unconscious.

Ellison lowered the man to the ground, plucked up the frightening-looking automatic sidearm, and hoped he could figure out if the thing had a safety.

He never heard a footstep, but suddenly Tiger was beside him, appearing in the grasses where Ellison had stood only a moment before.

“He has Maria,” Tiger said.

Ellison had opened his mouth to swear, but he sucked in a breath. “What? You mean Bradley?”

“He took her inside the long car and drove her to the house.”

Ellison’s entire body went cold. He’d never been so cold. Numbness spread from his heart down his spine, paralyzing him.

He has Maria.

“Pablo was supposed to protect her,” he said, lips stiff.

Tiger didn’t answer. He never did when he knew it was useless. At least he didn’t offer any meaningless platitudes.

“He’s a dead man.” Ellison said. He started forward, ready to stride down the little slope to the house, but Tiger put a hand on his arm.

Ellison registered that Tiger rarely offered his touch, so this was unusual, but the thought was dim. Ellison’s body was tight, the feral in him ready to kill.

“Your plan is good,” Tiger said. “We stay with your plan.”

Ellison struggled to breathe. At that moment, he couldn’t remember what the damn plan was. Bradley had his mate.

No, Tiger was right. Sneak up on the house, disable the alarm, slip inside, find Bradley, and choke off his empire at the source. They had the guards’ guns. No one needed to know that Shifters had been here at all.

Ellison nodded. “Yes,” he managed to say. “We stay with the plan.”