Eric stepped in front of him as he turned to leave and it took more patience then he had at the moment to remind himself that this was his friend and not throw his f**king ass across the room.

“Get out of my way, Eric,” he bit out calmly.

“Look,” Eric said, taking a healthy step back, smart man, “I know you want to make sure that Chris gets back safely, but you need to let us handle this, Ephraim. We’ll have them back here before nightfall.

You have my word,” Eric promised.

If it was anyone else, anyone else’s child he’d say f**k it and let them do their jobs, but this wasn’t. This was his son, his daughter-in-law and a possible grandchild. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around that one and probably wouldn’t believe it until he scented it on Izzy, but that didn’t mean he was going to sit on his ass and wait around.

“No deal. I’m going after my kids,” he said, stepping past Eric only to have the infuriating man cut him off once again.

Eric thrust his fingers through his hair, looking exhausted, which wasn’t too surprising since everyone had been busted their asses here nonstop for several days. It was another reason why he wouldn’t allow that group of Sentinels to go after his son. They were exhausted and would be in too much of a rush to get back to Boston to protect their city to keep their minds on keeping his children safe.

“I didn’t want to have to say this, but I need you here,”

Eric said, dropping his hands by his side and looking like he’d rather be doing anything else, but having this conversation.

“Why?” He knew the city was going to shit. There’d been over a hundred deaths in the last forty-eight hours. Demons, shifters and vampires were having a free-for-all when they weren’t tearing the city apart looking for Isabella and humans were scared out of their minds. Those who weren’t hiding in terror in their homes were out causing problems, looting and taking advantage of the chaos going on in the city. Hell, he’d just gotten off a twelve hour patrol in the city and he was f**king exhausted, but he had to get his children to safety.

“I don’t think I can guarantee the amount of protection your family needs. I’ve got patrols going round the clock, we’re short staffed and there’s no one to call in to help,” Eric explained.

“As long as they stay in the compound they’re fine, Eric. Madison is a Pyte and can tear the throat out of anyone who f**ks with one of her babies,” he said, grabbing a black backpack and filling it with supplies.

“Marc won’t go anywhere without her. Chris personally trained Jill so I’m not too worried about her,” he said with a wink, earning a wince from Eric.

Chris hadn’t pulled any punches or made it easy on Jill and Madison. When they tried to rebel and beg him to teach them instead of Chris he’d flat out refused. He knew he wouldn’t be able to be as firm with them as he needed to be. Then of course they begged Eric to come up and train them for a few days. Reluctantly he did, but he’d taken it too easy on the women, Jill because she was human and Madison because he was worried about hurting Madison and pissing Ephraim off.

After Eric said the hell with it and left, the women were left with Chris, who’d never stopped grinning as he pushed them to the point of going for a weapon. His son was good, really good and everyone knew it. There was already talk of him taking control of the training for this area, but he knew Chris wouldn’t go for it.

Sometimes he was too damn stubborn. He could be living anywhere in the world and enjoy his life while he did his duty and the stubborn bastard refused to leave home, because of some bullshit guilt he’d believed for far too f**king long. He had a mate now and god willing a child on the way. It was time for Chris to live his own life and allow himself some happiness for once.

“I can’t talk you out of this, can I?”

“No,” he said, throwing his pack over his shoulder.

“We’re heading out now,” he said as he headed for the door.

“We? Who are you taking?”

“Joshua.”

“You turned down ten Sentinels for a human?” Eric asked, not bothering to hide the disbelief in his tone.

“Joshua’s scent can help mask Isabella’s whereas your little group of soldiers would have drawn every f**king Alpha and demon for miles,” he explained as pressed the code to open the door.

“True, but they weren’t exactly going to drag their asses back here to give anyone a chance to lock onto their scent.”

Ephraim shrugged. “I’m also less likely to tear his throat open if he pisses me off.”

Chapter 35

“See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Chris asked in a chipper tone as he gently, but quickly pried her off of him. “As much as I’d love to cuddle, Munchkin, we have to haul ass.”

“I. Hate. You,” she bit out, wishing her damn body would stop trembling so that she could kick his ass and she was pretty damn sure that she could do it now. She felt stronger and faster now.

Okay, maybe not right now. Right now she wanted her body to stop shaking and her heart to stop trying to beat its way out of her chest. She shoved her hair out of her face and chanced a look up and almost passed out right then and there. She could not believe they dropped, no correction, jumped from that the third floor.

It had forty or fifty feet up.

They should have been killed or seriously hurt, but she didn’t have a mark on her and was pretty sure that she wouldn’t have a single bruise later. She was pretty damn sure it had nothing to do with being a Sentinel and everything to do with the way Chris took them down. He held her tightly against him as they dropped and when they landed he turned over, taking the hit and rolled them down the hill. It was the craziest and scariest thing she’d ever done in her life and she never wanted to do it again.

“Aw, thanks, Munchkin. That was really sweet, but we have to get going now,” he said, grabbing a Ziploc baggie out of his bag and tossed his cell phones and wallet in it before stuffing the baggie in his front pocket. As he walked over to her bag and picked it up she couldn’t help but notice that he was limping or that his jaw was set firmly.

“Are you okay?” she asked, wondering if maybe they weren’t so lucky with that jump after all.

He shrugged it off as he grabbed her bag and handed it to her. “Just a few aches, Munchkin. Nothing to worry about, besides the cold water will help.”

“Cold water?” she murmured in confusion as she followed his gaze to the right and felt her jaw drop. He couldn’t be serious.

Oh, but he was.

He grabbed her hand and hauled her right behind him into the frigid water. In less than a minute she was soaking wet, freezing and wondering when he’d lost his damn mind. When he didn’t cut across the river like she expected him to, but turned right and continued to drag her through the water, this time against the current she wondered if he’d hit his head during the drop.

“What the hell are we doing, Chris?” she demanded as she slipped on a slimy rock and almost went face first in the water. Thankfully Chris yanked her back to her feet before that happened.

“We’re using the water to cover our scents,” he explained, sounding a little out of breath, which was understandable she supposed since moving through the mid-thigh level water was a bit of a workout.