I let the thought linger while giving a dramatic roll of my eyes to temper the volcanic look on Wheeler’s face. Delgado needed incentive.
Delgado recited an address, and I committed to being there no later than tomorrow afternoon. He said he had somewhere important to be and that my little diversion was stalling his evening. I graciously apologized and ended the call on a good note. Humans were so gullible. Shrewd businessman or not, every man had a weak spot, and it was usually between his legs. Delgado liked to be in control, but I could also sense he preferred fealty over fear. He was a man who wanted to feel like a king in our world, and having a panther at his side would bring him one step closer to that fantasy.
Wheeler drove around while Reno continued typing on his computer.
“Got it,” Reno finally said.
Wheeler stopped at a light and glanced at the bright screen on Reno’s laptop.
I leaned forward and tapped Reno on the shoulder. “He was on the move, so it looks like we’re on a rescue mission, not seek and destroy.”
Reno looked around when Wheeler pulled his car into a parking place in front of a fast-food restaurant. “What are you doing?”
Wheeler unlatched his seat belt. “Five seconds.”
“Now? You better get it in check, brother.”
Wheeler popped him the middle finger and shoved his door open. When it slammed, I leaned close to Reno, picking up the subtle scent of his cologne. Funny how I hadn’t given it much thought before, but now that I was near Reno, I realized how much I preferred Wheeler’s natural smell to something out of a bottle.
“So what’s the plan?” I asked.
“If Delgado took off, we’ll just stick to the original plan of getting the girl out. The location he was calling from isn’t where I thought it would be. See that?” He pointed at the screen. “Not the area of town where you would keep Shifters caged. I think he moved her to a different location for your benefit.”
“To his house?”
“Could be, or just one of his many homes. Rich bastards like to wipe their feet all over the place. I don’t know about this. Usually they keep them caged and lightly guarded. But in the city? He’s probably got a handful of men on the property. If this doesn’t go down as planned, one of them could make a call and tip him off.”
“So? Let them,” I said flippantly. “I’d love nothing more than to meet the man himself. The legendary human who walks among us like some kind of untouchable titan. That’s a man I want to knock on his ass.”
Reno’s lips eased into a grin. “My kind of girl.”
Wheeler reappeared, and the moment he slammed the door, a heavy scent filled the car. He turned around and handed me a paper bag. I peered in at two hamburgers wrapped in thin paper. Maybe I should have raised a complaint that I wasn’t hungry or scolded him for taking a detour for burgers, but a wolf had brought me food. My panther stirred with approval, recognizing a male was providing for her.
“Guns blazing?” Wheeler asked.
“No, but I’m packing.” Reno shifted in his seat to look at both of us. “We’ll drive around and scope the property first. I’m curious if he has Breed or human guards. I ain’t gonna church it up for you: if they’re Vampires, we’re up shit creek. They’ll hear us coming before we even ring the doorbell.”
“What makes you think Skye is in there?” I asked. “If you lock a person in a bedroom, they’re going to try to escape, even if it means burning the house down.”
“They might have her tied up,” Wheeler suggested. “Handcuffs, in the basement… Chains can wrap around pipes nice and tight.”
Reno shot him a hard glare. “Park at the end of the street. I brought some equipment that’ll pick up any shortwave communication devices. You two sit tight in the car while I scope out the property. Once I have the information I need, I’ll tell you the plan.”
“Then why don’t you drive?” Wheeler suddenly pivoted around and crawled between the seats.
I scooted all the way to the right and ducked when he pulled his legs into the backseat. Meanwhile, Reno simply got out of the car and walked around. The car only had two doors, so I was stuck in the back.
“Comfy?” I asked.
“Damn,” he grunted, situating himself. “I didn’t realize how snug it was back here.”
“Never tested out the backseat of your own car?”
“That’s such a human thing to do,” he quickly said, rolling his head to the side to look at me. “Nothing could turn me on in this cramped space.”
Reno got in and moved his seat back for more legroom.
“You’re an ass,” Wheeler barked out, shoving at the seat in protest.
I smiled playfully, wondering why Wheeler had switched seats. “Miss me already?”
“I can’t drive and twist my neck around to hear you talking. What did he say?”