Brock's Punishment(6)

Ranger seemed to change tactics then, circling…circling…closing in.

The moment he was within striking distance, he threw a fist. Shaw caught his hand and twisted. That move pissed Ranger off. The two went to the ground, punching, kicking, and rolling around.

“Shaw.” Abram’s voice boomed through the gym.

“Hey, boss.” He jumped up off the ground immediately.

“I need to speak with you. Ranger, hit the showers,” Abram said.

Ranger jogged off the mat and headed toward the locker room. Shaw strode toward their leader. He grabbed his water bottle and took a sip, waiting for Abram’s orders. He knew it was another mission and he was ready to go.

“I need you in New Orleans,” he ordered and Shaw nodded without question. “I just received a report that a human body was found in the bayou. His neck was broken and he had teeth marks around his throat. The authorities think it’s a shifter.”

“Are we sure it’s a shifter?” Shaw asked, raising a brow.

He hated being called in for a false alarm when the human authorities didn’t want to investigate. It had happened before.

He shrugged his big shoulders. “You check it out and tell me.”

“Do you think I should take Ranger, since he knows the pack Alpha, Gideon Channing, and the other members?” Shaw asked.

Ranger was still in the probationary stage and this could be a good training opportunity. Although he wasn’t sure taking the other wolf was necessarily a good idea, especially since one of the men he called friend could be guilty of a crime. Now that Ranger Caber had joined their ranks, the other man was starting to fit in. Training, living, and hunting together could do that, though.

“If you think he can handle it. We’re not pointing fingers at his pack, but this could be a shifter he knows. There aren’t any other wolf packs in the area.”

“I’ll pack a bag and head out.”

“The plane is already fueled and on the tarmac. And a rental car is waiting in New Orleans. If you need a hotel…” he started, and Shaw started shaking his head.

“This won’t take that long,” Shaw guaranteed.

Abram chuckled lightly. “If you need to stay, two rooms will be reserved for you and Ranger.”

“Hell no.” Again Shaw shook his head. “We’re not staying overnight in New Orleans. This won’t take long. We’ll be back by tonight. It’s probably a false alarm.”

“Okay,” Abram simply said before leaving the gym.

Shaw finished his water and dropped the empty bottle into the recycle bin on his way into the locker room.

As he walked in, he surveyed the place. The locker room was immaculate and only used by the paranormals in the FPA. There were lockers set up against the length of one wall, giving each member of the team space to sit and change. Making his way to his own locker, Shaw toed off his tennis shoes, stretching out his toes. Shaw pulled his sweaty T-shirt off over his head and pushed his shorts off, down his hips. He strode toward the bathroom, pulling the rubber band out of his hair as he went. His long locks spread out, falling freely down the length of his back.

He dropped the clothes into the laundry basket before striding into the shower room. Each stall was private and stocked with shampoo, body wash, shaving cream, and razors—anything a man could need. Turning on the water, Shaw waited for it to warm before climbing in under the heavy spray.

Shaw closed his eyes and tilted his face up, into the stream. He moaned as the water ran down his body, relaxing his muscles.

“Did sparring turn you on, Shaw?” Ranger laughed from a different shower stall. “I hear it’s bad manners to jack off in the showers.”

“Fuck you.”

“Now who’s dreaming?” Ranger teased, and Shaw rolled his eyes heavenward.

“We’re going to New Orleans today,” Shaw announced.

“Uh…why?” Ranger asked.

He didn’t sound enthusiastic about seeing his pack and Shaw wondered what had happened, but didn’t bother to ask.

“Dead human.” Shaw pumped out a handful of shampoo and started washing his hair. “The authorities think it was a shifter kill. Do you think you can handle going back to New Orleans and seeing your old pack?”

His shower door crashed open and Shaw turned around quickly, almost slipping on the soapy surface. He barely had a moment to right himself, preventing himself from falling to the ground.

“A dead human? In New Orleans?”

“Shut the damn door!” Shaw shouted and Ranger looked at him as if he were crazy. “Yes, in New Orleans. Shut the door.” He growled, and Ranger finally did as he was told. “Finish showering and go pack. The plane’s already on the tarmac. We need to head out ASAP.”