Devin's Mercy [Shifters of Mystery 4] (10 page)

the basement that the doctor had his lab set up in.

“I know that look,” Kell said.

“Do you have anything that will make Mr. Tightlips talk?”

“I may.” Kell began to look around, shoving bottles aside in the

mini-fridge. “Ah, here we are.”

“Don’t do it, Doc!” the man in the cage warned.

“Shut the fuck up!” Sage yelled. His patience was coming to an

end. If the serum in Kell’s hands didn’t work, Sage was going to beat

the information out of the guy.

Kell prepared a syringe and then walked over to the cage. “You’ll

have to hold him down.”

With pleasure.

Sage opened the cage and had the man subdued before the guy

could even blink. He wasn’t taking any chances and was too damn

pissed to go gentle. Kell approached them and shoved the needle into

the man’s vein.

Damn, that was cold as fuck. And Sage thought he was ruthless.

The guy stopped struggling and began to make a weird gurgling

sound. Sage was no doctor, but he knew something wasn’t right.

“Oh, dear,” Kell said, his expression one of surprise. “He’s having

an allergic reaction.”

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Lynn Hagen

Sage watched in detached horror as the man began to spasm in his

arms and then go limp. He checked the guy’s pulse and felt nothing,

not one single beat.

The intruder was dead.

Devin’s Mercy

67

Monterey surveyed the building, knowing that York was dying to

open a barbershop. He wasn’t sure why, but the man seemed adamant

about cutting hair. “You’ll have to start from scratch. There aren’t any

chairs or mirrors in here.”

“Just think of the possibilities.” York wandered around the small

building, counting outlets and writing something in his notepad. “If

we get this town up and running, trust me, people will need their hair

cut.”

“Do you even know how to cut hair?” Monterey had never seen

York with a pair of scissors before.

“No, but I’ll use you as my guinea pig.” York continued to write.

The man was serious!

“I don’t think so. I happen to like looking halfway decent.”

York chuckled. “I’m joking. I used to cut my brother and father’s

hair. I may not have a license, but I know what I’m doing.” York

quickly glanced at Monterey and then looked away, his cheeks

turning an odd shade of pink. “And you look more than halfway

decent.”

“Stop messing with me.” Monterey walked over to York, ignoring

the tiny twinge in his gut. York was teasing, that was all. “You have

everything written down? It’s getting dark, and I don’t want to be

over here for too much longer.”

“Scared?” York asked teasingly.

“Cautious.” York was over here in Mystery. Monterey would kill

anyone that threatened the smaller man. “You’re my buddy, and I

protect my friends.”

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Lynn Hagen

“Speaking of,” York said as he shoved the notebook in his back

pocket. “When are we going to rescue those boys?”

“You’re staying behind.”

“I’m what? But I’m a damn good tracker, Monterey. Why would

Sage leave me behind?”

“Because you, Patrick, and Jeremiah are going to protect the

mates while we’re gone. We leave tonight.” Monterey didn’t want to

leave his buddy behind, but someone had to stay here and keep the

mates safe. He wasn’t sure three people would be enough, but Sage

seemed pretty confident that York, Pat, and Jeremiah could handle

things.

“Well, since you put it that way,” York said solemnly.

“You have the most important job.” Monterey was trying to erase

the pout on York’s face. Although it was adorable, he didn’t like

when York wasn’t happy.

Oh, who in the hell was he kidding? Monterey had the hots for the

guy but was too damn shy to tell him. He could fight with the best of

them, kill, hunt, and take care of business, but Monterey had always

been shy when it came to dating.

And he wanted to date York.

“Come on, big guy. We need to get back then.” York grabbed

Monterey’s hand, pulling him along. Monterey willingly went. He

was enjoying the contact. As soon as they cleared the doorway of the

building, Monterey’s protective instincts kicked in. He surveyed the

area before he allowed York to step outside.

“You know, I can study the lay of the land just as well as you

can.” York pushed past him, heading toward the truck, not waiting on

a response.

Monterey liked York’s feistiness. “I just bet you can,” he

muttered.

* * * *

Devin’s Mercy

69

Devin stood there stunned. “He’s dead?” It wasn’t that he was

mourning the man’s loss. That was the farthest thing from the truth.

He just wasn’t sure if Mercy was responsible for killing the guy.

“Sage said he had an allergic reaction to something Kell gave

him.”

Devin just bet he did. He wouldn’t put it past Kell to have staged

the whole thing so the bastard didn’t rat the doctor out. But then

again, it could have been an accident. He wasn’t sure what to believe.

“Do you think I did it?” Mercy asked as he closed the bedroom

door. “Do you fear me now, Devin?”

Raw protectiveness slammed into Devin. He didn’t like the

hesitation in Mercy’s dark-grey eyes. The man had never done

anything to Devin that made him feel unsafe in Mercy’s presence.

What he was going through was his issue, not Mercy’s. He realized

this, even though he wanted to hate the world.

“Do you think of me as a monster because I’m glad he’s gone?”

Devin countered.

Mercy stepped in front of Devin, raised his hand, but stopped

midway when Devin flinched. Mercy waited, his eyes intent on

Devin, and then brushed Devin’s hair from his eyes. “I don’t think

you’re a monster. Your abuser is dead. Why should you mourn him?”

“No,” Devin said as he wrapped his arms around his stomach. “He

wasn’t my abuser. He only held me down so—” Devin looked up at

Mercy in horror when a secret he swore he would take to the grave

slipped past his lips. He was getting too comfortable with Mercy,

trusting him with things better left buried.

The grey in Mercy’s eyes brewed until they looked like storm

clouds, clashing, whipping around in madness. “He. Did. What?”

He hated that look with a viciousness. He didn’t want Mercy’s

pity. He didn’t want to talk about this. Devin only wanted to forget.

“So, you guys are leaving tonight?”

“Are you?”

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Lynn Hagen

Devin knew that Mercy wanted to know if he was running as soon

as the house was mostly clear of men who could stop him. “No.” It

was the honest truth. “Where would I go?” He couldn’t go back

home. There was no way he was chancing running into Martin or his

men. Devin had no one.

Except Mercy. That fact was becoming very clear to him. It

seemed no matter what Devin said, or how hard he pushed at Mercy

to leave him alone, the man wasn’t budging. He still didn’t trust him,

though. Devin had survived too many horrors to believe any man was

wholly good.

“Then I’ll see you when I get back.” Mercy pulled a black hoodie

from his dresser drawer and slid it on over his head. Devin wanted to

tell the guy to be careful, but he kept the concern trapped behind this

lips.

“Okay.”

Mercy walked from the room without looking back, making

Devin feel so damn cold. He would be alone tonight. What if he had

another nightmare? Who was going to wake him? Devin berated

himself for relying on Mercy. He had survived on his own. He didn’t

need anyone to help him.

So then why did he miss the man already?

Growling to himself, Devin headed out of the room, stopping at

the top of the landing when he saw the men gathered around the door.

As they filed out, Mercy shot Devin a look before he, too, was gone.

“Don’t worry. They’ll be back.”

Devin knew William was just as scared as he was. He could hear

it in the man’s voice. “Who says I’m worried?” He walked down the

steps, trying his best not to look at the door Mercy just walked out of.

“And I’m the poster boy for muscles and strength,” William said

conversationally. “Which I am not, by the way.”

Devin could tell. William was a scrap of a man. But who was he

to talk? He was only five three. But at least he had a tiny build to him.

Well, he used to, before Martin had starved him as a form of

Devin’s Mercy

71

punishment. But William was so slim that he looked like he had no

definition whatsoever. He could scent that William was werewolf. But

Devin could also tell William was converted, not born a lycan like

him.

He never thought Sage would fall for someone like William.

Devin would have bet that the alpha’s son would want a warrior, not a

wuss. But, it wasn’t his mate.

“Okay,” York said as he walked down the hallway. “I figure since

I’m stuck babysitting, we could have a weenie roast.”

Was the man serious? “Aren’t you afraid I’ll run?”

York gave an undignified snort. “Honey, you have Mercy stamped

all over you. If I had a man like that, there would be no way I’d leave

him alone for a second.”

Devin found himself growling at York’s assessment of Mercy. No

one was getting near the ex-enforcer but… Devin sighed. Like he was

going to let Mercy near him. But the thought of anyone else trying to

put the moves on the man sent Devin’s anger to an all-new high. He

tried to seem like bloody possessiveness didn’t have a chokehold on

him, but knew he was failing miserably.

“See, I knew you liked him.” York smirked. “Don’t worry, the

brooding type isn’t my kink. So who wants to roast their wiener?”

Devin shook his head. He had known York for years, and the man

had been nutty since first meeting him. It was good to see some things

hadn’t changed. York’s familiar personality put Devin at ease.

“If you keep saying it like that, I’m out,” William complained.

“I’m in,” Santana said as he tromped down the stairs. “Just as

soon as you tell me what I’m about to do.”

“York wants us to roast our dicks,” William supplied.

For the first time in a very long time, laughter burst from Devin’s

lips.

“I said wieners, not dicks,” York corrected. “Besides, I have

marshmallows as well.”

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Lynn Hagen

Just then Devin’s stomach growled. Mercy had brought him

something light to eat, but that hadn’t been enough. Devin was ready

to eat the entire kitchen. “I’m in.”

He wasn’t sure why he was willing to spend time around these

men. All Devin wanted to do was hide in his room, but he knew that

sooner or later he had to come back to the land of the living. It didn’t

mean he had to let go of his hate, though, but he could pretend for just

a few hours that he was normal. That life hadn’t beaten him down to a

bloody pulp.

He was viscerally aware of how vulnerable he was right now, but

Devin pushed that thought aside. He was going to have a good time

tonight if it killed him.

“It’ll be okay,” Sylvester said as he walked next to Devin. “One

day at a time.”

“How—”

“I know that look. I know that feeling. It may not seem like it, but

things do get better.”

Devin wasn’t sure if he could believe that. His world seemed out

of control, and he wasn’t sure how to right it. Nothing seemed like it

would ever be okay again.

Sylvester stopped Devin from following everyone outside,

keeping him inside the kitchen until they were the last two. “I’m not

asking you to tell me what happened to you. That’s none of my

business. But if you ever need anyone to talk to, I’m here. I’ve seen

things in my life that would make your nose hairs curl. Trust me,

there is nothing you can tell me that would shock me.”

Devin wanted to believe the guy. He honestly did. But he wasn’t

ready to share his pain and humiliation.

Sylvester smiled. “Enough of the heavy shit. Let’s go roast our

wieners.”

Devin softly chuckled, which surprised him. “That sounds painful

as hell.”

“I highly doubt the marshmallows will help, either.”

Devin’s Mercy

73

Devin grinned as he walked outside, seeing a small fire going in

the backyard. He took a seat on one of the small logs, and then York

handed him a hot dog on a stick, giving him a warm smile.

Devin placed the hot dog end of the stick into the fire and then

gazed up at the stars, wondering if Mercy was okay. It was a