“Yeah, well, it was a little embarrassing…” He shrugged. “But, I’ve learned my lesson. No tattoos.”
“I can understand. It is pretty painful.” The burn was intense, but luckily when the ink was complete, the tattoo was vibrant, almost lifelike.
“You’ve a got tattoo?” Michael looked him up and down, checking him out.
“It’s in a secret spot.” Brock winked.
“Well, maybe one day,” the polar murmured and Brock smiled, wondering if Michael was flirting with him.
“Well, I’d better get to work. I hope you have a good day. If you need anything, let me know,” Brock told him before walking into the Silver Bullet.
“I will. Have a good one,” Michael said behind him and Brock waved.
Tossing his bag over his shoulder, Brock walked through the club.
He waved and nodded to patrons and other employees as he maneuvered through the crowd. Jogging up the stairs, he strode down the hallway and into Gideon’s office. Brock dropped his bag and sat in the office chair. He leaned back and looked up at the television monitors, watching everyone.
Chapter 3
Three Days Later…
Shaw Iza moved to the beat of the music as it pounded loud through his ear buds. Training inside the world-class gym located inside the compound where he lived was a daily ritual. He danced on the balls of his feet, moving around a series of punching bags. He threw punch after punch, ducking, hitting, and maneuvering.
Sweat dripped down his face and back, but he didn’t stop. If anything, he moved faster. He only had a few more minutes before moving to the treadmill and running his usual ten miles.
Being a member of the Federal Paranormal Agency wasn’t easy. Their motto—you have to be the best to go to war with the worst—always played through his mind. He needed to be stronger, faster, smarter, and better than any other paranormal out there. Each and every mission could easily turn into a kill-or-be-killed scenario, and Shaw made sure he was ready.
He’d been a member of the organization for years, ever since his own wolf pack was hunted down and slaughtered by rogues. At the time, he’d only been a teenager, but he’d trained every day until he was old enough to join the military. After serving his country, he was officially invited to join the Federal Paranormal Agency.
Shaw wore a scar on his forehead, a constant reminder of his past and how close he came to death. He normally kept it covered, strategically styling his long blue-black hair so that others wouldn’t notice, but that didn’t stop the other members from speculating as to what happened. He didn’t talk about the past. He kept himself at a reasonable distance from those around him, refusing to get emotionally attached to anyone.
After the loss of his family and a few members in the agency, Shaw had become distant.
With his experience, training, and brutality, the leader of the FPA, Abram Jackman, trusted him to be his second. Shaw took his position within the agency seriously.
A tap on his shoulder made him jerk around. He pulled out his ear buds and walked over to where his water bottle was sitting. Grabbing the bottle, he shot a stream of cold water into his mouth, quickly swallowing the liquid. He did it a few times, trying to rehydrate his body before wiping the sweat off his face and neck with a clean towel.
“Are you ready to spar?” Ranger grinned.
“Are you sure you want to get your ass kicked again?” Shaw arched a brow.
“In your dreams, wolf,” he practically growled.
“Dreams?” Shaw chuckled. “I’m sorry to ruin your day, Ranger, but you aren’t in any of my dreams.”
“I’m a catch, Shaw, you’d be lucky to have me.”
Shaw let out a snort. “You think so, huh?”
“Are we just going to sit here and chat all day? Should I break out the nail polish and braid your hair?” Ranger teased.
“If you want to bleed…” Shaw motioned to the mats. “Let’s do this.”
“You caught me unaware last time, it won’t happen again,” Ranger said as he marched toward the mates.
Shaking his head, he grinned at Ranger’s back.
This is going to be easy.
On silent feet, Shaw rushed Ranger from behind and tackled him to the ground. Ranger growled.
“You fucker!” Ranger shouted, trying to roll over.
“What have I told you about watching your ass?” Using his weight to his advantage, Shaw kept Ranger underneath him. “Don’t ever assume your opponent is going to fight with integrity. It’s kill or be killed. Don’t turn your back on anyone, ever.”
Shaw stood up. He kept his eyes on Ranger as he moved onto the thick sparring mat. Revenge glittered in Ranger’s eyes. But the wolf didn’t say anything, just started circling the mat. Instead of following the training, he dove for Shaw, ready to take him out, but Shaw merely stepped to the side, and Ranger soared past him.