He meant the humans.
Austin lifted his icy blue eyes to Denver. “Where we go, they go. That’s just the way it is. I can’t protect them if they’re down the street at a motel. Got it? And when Fox moves in, we’re going to position ourselves in the club. Lynn, Maizy, and April will stay in here.”
“No way,” April said. “Give me a gun and I’m going in with you.”
I expected Reno to argue with her, but he didn’t. He tapped a few keys on the laptop, changing perspective. A sedan pulled onto the main road with two cars following behind.
“Keep dreaming, babe,” Trevor said.
She sat forward and glared up at him defiantly. They exchanged words through glances. Trevor looked out for April as her best friend, but he had no rank over her mate. It was out of love, and I could see the concern in his eyes before he looked away.
“How many was that?” Trevor asked. “I saw five.”
Reno changed views again. “Two in the bar and six on the way, plus Fox. You didn’t see the guy who’s been guarding the turnoff to the property, but I’m going to go ahead and add him to the guest list.”
“There could be more if he had any men guarding the road that didn’t show up on our cameras. Expect a full house,” Austin said. “Fox is coming in here with his entire pack for protection. The only way he can get that house is to take me down, so I think it’s safe to assume his intention is to strike. I’m willing to bet his master plan is to take Ivy and then sit outside, waiting for us to leave. Let’s catch him off guard.”
“Should we warn the staff?” Ben asked.
Austin shifted his eyes around the room. “Hell no. We can’t afford to tip him off. Wheeler, I want you to guard the front door. Do a head count when they come in. If we’re a couple of men short, then fuck it. Lock and block the door to keep anyone from leaving. We’re not going to worry about any of his men left outside; a pack is nothing without their leader.”
“I need a gun,” Izzy said.
“Yeah, like you need a hole in the head,” Jericho replied. “You’re staying in here, Isabelle. You can’t shift and I’m not putting you and the baby at risk.”
Izzy swept her hair back and paced the room. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Yeah,” Reno said. “Monitor the property. When this is over, we’re going home, and I need to know if we’ll have anyone waiting for us. Keep a close eye on the cameras; I’ll show you how to switch views. Have you ever worked on a computer?”
“It’s gravy. I used to borrow one from a friend to look up drink mixes on the Internet.”
Trevor held out his hand to April. “Babe, why don’t you and Lynn help me move some of this furniture. We’ll create a barricade.”
Lynn looked relieved to be doing something productive, so she walked to the center of the room and put her hands on her hips, examining the placement of every piece of furniture. She had on a pair of dark slacks and a blue blouse with a V-neck. Not the sort of woman one would imagine living with wolves and preparing for an attack.
“Chairs in a semicircle around the door,” she said. “Then a second row of chairs. If they come in, they’re going to face an obstacle course that’ll slow them down long enough for me to shoot.”
Denver snorted with laughter and turned around. “Come here, Peanut.”
Little Maizy looked at Denver with the prettiest blue eyes. Her hair was much brighter than Denver’s but had a sunny glow like early-morning sunshine. Such an angelic face for a human child. Maizy had changed from her nightgown into a pair of black tights, jean skirt, and a pink shirt that matched her sneakers. There were little sparkly patterns on her skirt, faux diamonds forming butterflies. After a second, she ambled toward Denver.
He bent down and lifted her up. “You’re getting too heavy,” he said, giving her a pensive stare. “Someday Denny won’t be able to pick you up anymore.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her cheek on his shoulder. “Yes you will. You’ll always be able to carry me, Denny. Can I go with you?”
“And miss out on all the fun?” He sat her down on the bar and retied one of her shoelaces. “You don’t want to hang out in that old stinky bar with me. I have a very special assignment, but it’s top secret. We can’t let the spies know.”
“What spies?”
“The ones out there,” he said matter-of-factly, pointing his thumb toward the door. “This is base camp and you have to protect the castle. Our house is the castle. You’re going to help Miss Izzy watch the cameras and look for spies. Think you can do that? It’s a very important job.”
“I can do it,” she said. “I promise. I’m good at watching things.”
Denver threw a brief glance at Austin, his expression filled with trepidation. There was a possibility that some of us wouldn’t walk out of here alive.