Chapter 762 Chapter 762
Devin was beside Calum and Griffin. They all stood in the shadows of the alley, watching the back door Brock was going to open for them.
“It’s probably best that Gage stayed home to watch over Noah’s place.”
Devin smiled. “Yeah, going in with a big ass shotgun in your hand might get noticed.”
“I was more worried about if Kelsey was here.”
Devin shook his head. “She’d just drive a bus through the front lobby and call it a day.”
Griffin gave them a wide-eyed look.
“Trust us, it’s better they’re not here.” Calum grinned.
“Tigers are so unpredictable.” Devin mused.
“Hey.”
He turned to see Blair and Kobie behind them and smiled. “You’re not?”
Calum looked back. “Look at Noah and that hole in the ground.”
Blair opened his mouth and then closed it.
“They’re not wrong,” Kobie said with a smile.
“You know Noah is standing behind you, right?” Noah looked over at Devin and Calum.
Calum nodded and then turned back to look at the door.
“Boss-Sir-Devin-My king-prince. Check your six.” A male babbled over the comms.
“What does that mean?” Devin scowled at the ground.
“I think he’s telling you to look behind you, Dev,” Calum whispered.
Devin turned around and almost collapsed on the pavement. Rayne was walking toward him. Her hair was piled up on her head in a beautiful mess. She was wearing a long, red, skin-tight, sparkling gown. It went right to the ground, but the slit showed off her red stiletto’s every other step. She had a long red cape wrapped around her bare shoulders.
He stumbled the first two steps as he went toward her. “You can’t be here.” He hissed. “How are you here?” He looked behind her, expecting to see his mother right there.
“Relax. Raquel and Irene are in the truck, with more bodyguards than a superstar.” She licked her lips. “I’m going in, Devin. I’m going to be there when you get Aiden.”
Devin shook his head and had to curb the urge to scoop her up and run her back to wherever the truck his mother was in. He knew—just knew his mother and sister had a hand in this. “You can’t be here. You’re not wearing a vest.” He motioned to the front of her. She was barely wearing any damn thing. “You don’t have a gun…”
She leaned closer and kissed him with those hot red lips. “I don’t need a gun. I have teeth.” She looked around at who was standing close to them and then pointed to Noah and Griffin. “Take off your vests. Hide a gun and come with me.” She smiled at Devin. “I need two bodyguards.” She winked at him and then started walking to the back door.
Devin lifted his hands and looked at Calum, silently pleading for help.
Calum looked at the two men who followed her order and then shrugged at Devin.
“You’re no help.” He almost stabbed the earbud deep into his ear to turn it on. “Rayne is going in as a guest with Noah and Griffin as her guards.” He watched her reach the door. “Priority is nothing happens to her.” He was supposed to be in charge of all the shifters everywhere, and he couldn’t even prevent his own mate from taking stupid risks.
“Relax, Devin. This is what I know I can do. Mingle, smile, and socialize.” Rayne’s voice answered him over the comms.
He turned off his mic and glared at the door. Just then, it swung open, and Brock stepped out. He had his hair slicked back and what looked like a tuft of hair on his chin that might be the start of a goatee. Devin hurried that way.
“Rawr.” Brock smiled a Rayne. “The way you look makes me wish I was straight.” He put his hand on his hips and then shook his head. “You are a masterpiece, Rayne.” He nodded and then pulled his vest open. Inside it was a large serving fork. “Mari told me it was better to be safe. A gun is–” He shuddered. “Is scary and would break the smooth line of my bartenders get up.” He huffed out a quick breath and then rolled his shoulders. “Won’t ya’ll follow me now?” His voice was deep with a very slurred drawl. “We’ll go join the festivities.” He turned and went inside.
Devin glanced at Calum, who was grinning and shaking his head.
“Oaklyn and Zain just let us in the side entrance,” Wynter announced. “We’re heading to that elevator Griffin told us about.”
Shit. Devin had wanted to go to the lower levels and find his dad, but now, with Rayne on the loose, he wasn’t going too far from her.
“We’re going to walk around the hall for a few minutes,” Rayne announced. “So, Griffin can get a good look at everyone attending. Boone, be ready.”
Devin clenched his jaw together so he wouldn’t growl into the mic.
“I’m ready. Rayne, should I expect to see my wife walk in the door?”
She laughed into the mic. Actually laughed. This was not the time to laugh. “No, Boone. She’s happy to wait in the truck.”
“My team is in,” Kenzo announced. “Heading down to give Wynter a hand.”
“Everything is clear outside,” Uri told everyone.
“A lot of hoops to jump through down here. You were right, Griffin.” Wynter said.
Devin hoped like hell they were able to get through the last hoop, it being an electronic door that only opened from the inside. He followed Calum to the stairwell and then paused and held the door open for the others following. Blaise and Pasha were taking a team of five more to check floor by floor as they made their way up to the top floor.
“Mister fucked-in-the-head Tomas just took the elevator up to his fancy digs,” Brock whispered into the comm. Devin frowned. He didn’t know who had given him one, but it was a good idea. “He’s taking two large and very unsexy men with him. Go get ‘em, sexy men.” Brock sang into the comm. “And ladies, of course. You break a gay man’s heart with your gorgeous, lethal selves.”
Devin closed his eyes for a second. It had seemed like a good plan to bring Brock into this because no one knew him. Now, he was having doubts.
“We’ll go watch the door at the back of the hall,” Oaklyn announced.
Devin liked her. As far as he was concerned, she had a spot with the Alliance if she wanted it. As for Zain, he was solid, but he couldn’t wait to speak to his father about the secrets that involved his clan. He’d tried to puzzle out why his father hadn’t told anyone and couldn’t.
He looked at the floor to focus and listened to the others stating their progress, hoping Griffin or Noah told them what Rayne was up to before he lost it and burst into the hall himself.
“Boone.” Rayne crooned over the mic. “Griffin recognizes two gentlemen that he knows are an active part of Aiden’s dealings.”
“I’ll be right there,” Boone answered. Devin glanced to see him straighten his suit coat and then give him a quick nod. “Fraser, I’ll be bringing you some new friends.”
“I’m more than ready, Boone. A little bored out here.” A man said into the mic.
“Nate will have this door open in two minutes,” Wynter reported.
Devin looked to see there was no one else coming through the door. Releasing it, he ran up the stairs, trying to catch up with Calum, Blair, and Kobie. If all was going as planned, there would be groups going up the other stairs at the East side of the building.
“Boone has his new friends,” Rayne reported. “I’m taking the elevator up.”
Devin stopped and stood there. He hit the comm link. “Griffin, Noah, you are glued to her sides.”
“Devin,” Rayne said softly. “If they walk any closer, I’m going to need a bigger dress.”
He hit the comm button and then growled so he didn’t broadcast it to everyone.
“Devin, just find your father.”
His eyes widened to hear his mother’s voice in his ear. Who gave his mom a comm?
“We’ll be in there in a minute, mam’.” Raymond Hardy’s voice was clear to recognize.
“Thank you. Irene out.”
Shaking his head, Devin took off up the stairs again. None of this was going as planned. None of it. If it were just him, he could deal with it, but there was his mother, sister, mate, and his father involved here tonight. Before he handed the task of king back to his dad, he was grounding his mother—in an official king-deemed-it-so way.