Esmerelda: A Rogue Enforcers Novel by Darlene Tallman (phonics books TXT) 📕

pretty much all day every day, it’s still not enough. While I wait to place our order, my mind drifts to the phone conversation I had with Colton earlier.

“He didn’t want to give any information over the phone. In fact, he texted me the address,” Colton said.

“Does he know that it’ll be someone from the team meeting him?” I questioned.

“He knows,” Colton advised. “I texted him to let him know it would be you and Esmerelda. Step carefully, my friend. He was really spooked.”

“What about the lead you have Leigh and Ice chasing?” I asked.

“Rumbles have been coming in that a few shifters have been snatched. We knew Geralynn wasn’t working alone and based on which ones that were reported to have been taken, I think what you guys originally determined was going on is still in play,” he stated.

“Fuck,” I growled out.

“My sentiments exactly. We’ve got to find them and stop this before it explodes and the humans become aware of who we are.”

“We’re going to do the best we can.”

“I know. That’s why I’m giving this to you two. I figure Esmerelda will be able to use her abilities if necessary to compel them to tell us what they know. Just keep me in the loop.”

“Will do.”

My woman’s hand squeezes mine, causing me to look at her. “You okay?” I inquire.

“I could ask you the same thing. It’s our turn to order.” I can tell she’s concerned and I’ll fill her in once we’re back on the road. I place our order and pull around to pay. Once it’s ready, we pull off as Esmerelda stirs something into her tea that she pulled from her purse. “Mmm,” she says after taking her first sip. I shake my head; I’m a coffee drinker as a rule so I don’t get the attraction to tea. Although, when I managed to pick up a slight ‘thing’ as she called it, the one she prepared for me was pretty good. Typically, shifters don’t get sick, don’t catch any of the normal things that afflict humans; but on one of our assignments, Ice and I were submerged in our human forms for nearly ten hours as we worked to rescue a shifter who ran away. If the press hadn’t been there, we could’ve shifted. The elements were also not in our favor so for about twenty-four hours, I felt like absolute shit. My Esme fixed me right up even though I gave her hell about making me drink tea.

“Good, baby?” I ask, glancing over at her. The smile she gives me sends frissons of longing in me but duty calls.

“Wonderful, my sugar bear.” I grin, shaking my head. As a self-proclaimed badass, the fact that she’s given me a nickname that elicits visions of a cute, cuddly toy bemuses me. She waits until I’m back on the road then asks, “So what did Colton say?”

“He said that there’s a guy in Arizona that has information on who the leader is over the shitstorm that Geralynn and many others are trying to stir up.”

“Why didn’t he just give Colton the name?”

“Colton said he was freaked out big time, sweetheart. Not only that, but he feels that us going may encourage him to provide all the information he has.”

“I’ll compel him if I need to.” And… that’s why she makes a good mate to me.

“Colton said that very thing.” She giggles then grows serious once again. “What’s making you frown?”

“Could it really be that easy, Beast? I mean, we’ve been hunting high and low for six months now with nothing to show for it except the fact we’ve put supernaturals on high alert. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if they begin getting antsy, mistakes can happen, and we could end up outing ourselves.”

“I don’t know about easy, but maybe word has traveled enough that those who were scared to say anything are now willing to speak up since they’re beginning to realize that our very way of life is threatened. None of us want to be hauled into a laboratory and experimented on; that’s not what our primary purpose is here.”

She reaches over and pats my thigh, then leaves it there, the warmth seeping through my jeans. Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate I’d find my true mate. I had almost settled with someone from my former den, but then Ice called and I hit the road. “Well, hopefully, we can get what we need and put this threat down once and for all,” she emphatically states.

“From your mouth to the gods’ ears,” I grumble. It’s frustrating as fuck being someone who is conditioned to seek and destroy to feel as though I’ve been hamstringed. Each of my fellow enforcers are feeling the same way. We train daily, go out on fruitless expeditions, then return with nothing to show for our efforts.

I’m so lost in my own thoughts as I drive that it takes a minute for me to realize that she has answered my phone through the Bluetooth. “Hello?” My brother’s voice rings through the truck cabin, causing me to grin.

“Hey, what’s up, Baldwin?” I ask. “You have my mate looking at me all squirrelly, brother.”

He chuckles then says, “I probably have the same look on my face at your words. Since when?”

“Six months ago.” I suddenly realize that he and I haven’t spoken in at least that long, and regret swamps me. “Sorry, man, it’s been a bit crazy since I got here. I should’ve called a lot sooner.”

“No worries, Beast. So, a mate, huh?” he teases.

Esmerelda giggles beside me while trying to peel the wrapper from her muffin. I glance in her direction with my brow raised but she shakes her head at me. Beautiful temptress; even something as simple as her lifting a bite of the sweet to her lips has my mind wandering to how my dick feels sliding between her lips.

“Yes, a mate. Trust me, I think it took the two of us by surprise