Web Of Lies The Hunters 1, page 2
The heat on his cheeks must have matched the redness of his cheeks. “Uh… sorry.”
Payne gave him a smile. “It’s fine. I get it. Cas and I have only been mated a week, remember? Now, go in there and talk to him. I do want to warn you, though. When Thai is tired and hungry, he tends to get pretty bitchy.”
“Who are you calling a bitch? I can make a nice hat out of you, Payne. Or, at least, a nose muff,” Thai shouted out, still not looking away from his computer.
“I’m a chinchilla shifter, not a mink,” Payne called back.
“Yeah, and that just means you’re high maintenance. Maybe I should warn Cas about that,” Thai answered back.
Payne snorted, “He wouldn’t care, even if it was true, but we both know the only diva in this place is you, so shut it. Griz is going to stay in here with you, so you don’t go all dark webbing on us again.”
“First off, it’s called the dark web, and second… well, I don’t know what second was, but it was badass,” Thai grumbled.
Payne laughed and turned to walk away. “Yes, dear brother of mine. You are badass. Now, stop hiding from Griz and talk to him. I’m almost finished with your food… which you will eat.”
“Yes, mommy dearest. I will be a good little Thai and eat my food,” Thai said in a saucy tone.
“You keep being a smartass, and I’ll tell Griz about the time you and Tony Stanley—”
“Shut it, Payne in my ass,” Thai said, turning around for the first time since Griz walked into the room.
Payne burst out laughing, “Ah, Thai, you don’t want Griz to know about how you both ended up naked on the football f—”
“I swear, Payne, if you don’t shut up, I’m going to tell Cas about the time you blew up the chemistry lab, and ended up arrested as a possible terrorist.”
“Fine. Fine. Fine. No need to be evil. I’m going to finish your meal. You two talk,” Payne said as he left the room.
The room was silent for a few minutes, before Griz cleared his throat. “Hi. I’m Grizzly Adams, but everyone calls me Griz.”
“Your parents were pranksters, I take it?” Thai said, with a smile that warmed Griz’s heart.
Snorting, Griz answered, “I don’t think they thought about the flack I’d get from the name, but it does make me memorable.”
Thai softly laughed, and it was so lyrical Griz made it his mission in life to make his mate laugh as often as he could.
When they went silent again, Griz thought, and finally said, “Payne says you are into computers.”
Thai snickered, “I’ve never thought about climbing into one, but I do love working with them.”
“I can turn one on and play those casino games on Facebook, besides that, I kind of look at a computer like a great typewriter with a great file cabinet that doesn’t take up room in the house,” Griz said with a wide smile.
Thai shook his head. “You, sir, are a neanderthal. I’m going to have to teach you the wonders of the cyber world.”
Griz snorted. “Thai, hun, I hate to tell you, but I’m still trying to figure out the one I live in, but I don’t think I can come up with a better way to spend time with you than watching you live in yours… well, I can think of another way that would be better, but that can wait… for now.”
Thai smiled, but he still seemed to be uneasy with him, and Griz didn’t want that.
“Look, Thai, we’re mates. I know it and you know it. However, as much as our animals might want us to jump into mating, we are still human, and I say we get to know each other first. When you’re ready to take it further, then we’ll think about the mating at that point. What do you say?” Griz asked.
An audible breath left Thai, and he nodded. “Thanks, and I like that idea. It’s not that I don’t want you, but mating is so… so…”
“Permanent? Committed?” Griz suggested.
Nodding, Thai said, “I don’t get it, you know? I mean, I’ve dreamed of finding my mate and bonding with him, then living a happily-ever-after life. Now I meet you… a man carved right out of my dreams, and I’m…” Thai looked down and started picking at his nails, then back up and into Griz’s eyes. “I’m scared.”
Griz went to Thai and took his hand to help him stand. Slowly Griz clasped Thai’s cheeks and lifted his face, then slowly lowered his own until their lips were mere inches away. Griz whispered, “I’ll prove to you that with me, your heart will always be safe.”
The kiss was better than any thought Griz had when first seeing his mate. He thought it couldn’t be better and then Thai wrapped his arms around Griz’s neck and pulled them closer, deepening the kiss, and Griz saw fireworks, heard angels singing, and he knew he must have died and gone to heaven.
Griz didn’t know why he was surprised at how electrifying his mate was in passion. With his Fauxhawk bleached-blond hair with green tips and copper eyes that sparked with untamed mischief… yeah, he should have known the man would set him on fire and had him damn-near coming in his pants right then and there.
Pulling back slowly, Griz licked his lips, not wanting to miss any taste of his mate he could get, then he let out a slow breath, whispering, “As fantastic as you taste and feel, we have to stop. I meant it when I said I’m okay with giving you time.”
“Wow,” Thai said breathlessly. “Thanks. I didn’t expect that.”
Griz gave Thai a quick kiss, then said, “How about you go grab a shower. By the time Payne finishes with your food, you should be ready to eat and then I’ll tuck you in, so you can grab some sleep.”
Thai snorted. “Either Payne talked to you, or I stink worse than Payne said I did.”
“To me you smell like wildflowers and sunshine, but I did promise Payne I’d have you take a shower and rest, and I always keep my promises,” Griz stated intently.
Thai slowly backed up and gave a sideways smile. “Good to know.”
Once Thai left the room, Griz looked around and shook his head. His mate was a messy one when he was on the job.
Walking to the air pump filtration button, Griz pushed it and went to cleaning his mate’s room.
By the time Griz had the computer room cleaned up and the air circulating, Thai had finished his shower and was standing there looking around. “Damn. You didn’t have to do this.”
“I wanted to. I don’t like being stationary too long. Besides, it stiffens my muscles, and I’m trying to work my way back to my job,” Griz said with a shrug.
“Coming through,” Payne said carrying two plates, and then stopping and looking around, “Damn, this place looks and smells better than when we first found it.”
Thai rolled his eyes and held out his hands. “Gimme, gimme, gimme. I’m starving.”
“For the love of… sit down, Thai. At least pretend our parents taught us a tiny number of manners,” Payne said with a shake of his head.
Thai went to the small two-seater table, grumbling, “Our moms also taught us not to be mean, but that didn’t stop you.”
Snorting, Payne placed the plates on the table, “I learned from the best.”
“Yes, young grasshopper, and you surpassed the master,” Thai said in an odd accent that Griz didn’t exactly understand whether it was supposed to be oriental or British.
Payne shook his head, “I need to get back to the house to make dinner for the others. When you finish with that, I expect you to get some rest.”
“Yes, mother,” Thai grumbled, picking up his fork.
Payne raised a brow, saying, “If you don’t start taking better care of yourself, I’ll be calling your mother.”
Thai gasped, “You wouldn’t?”
“I would. Now eat and then bed.” Payne said then looked at Griz. “Alone.”
Once Payne was gone, Thai took a bite of his food, then looked at Griz. “I think you need to have a talk with Cas. He ain’t doing something right if Payne is still being a bitch.”
Griz laughed and sat to eat his food, and do as he said… get to know his mate.
They ate and talked, and Griz learned about how Thai had grown up living next to Payne since birth. Both were raised by single parents, and they had never in their entire twenty-one years of life been without seeing each other for more than one day, and that hadn’t been good for Thai at all. Their moms were best friends and sisters of the heart, just as he and Payne were brothers from another mother. They had good lives growing up, and Thai discovered his love of computers from the age of five, and never looked back.
They were still talking, learning about their likes and dislikes, when Thai started yawning.
“Okay, it’s time for you to get some sleep, or Payne is going to kick my ass,” Griz said as he walked to the bed, and pulled the covers down.
Thai made his way to Griz and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Griz. I can’t remember having better company at a meal.”
“Me neither,” Griz softly said, and then patted the bed, “Come on. I’ll tuck you in.”
The moment Thai’s head hit the pillow, he was asleep.
Griz watched his mate sleeping for a few minutes, and only left when he felt he’d start crossing the line as being creepy, instead of in awe as he was to have been gifted such a beautiful man as his Thai.
He walked into the kitchen, and was surprised to see Silver, his second in command and friend.
“So, imagine my surprise when I go to have dinner at the house, and Payne is telling us how you found your mate. I mean, I would think if that had happened you might tell me, or…”
“I just found Thai today, Silver, so it isn’t like I’ve had time to tell anyone. Payne only knows, because he was here when I met him, and that was like three hours ago. Now keep it down, he’s sleeping, and I don’t want him woken up by your loud mouth,” Griz whispered, looking back to make sure his Thai hadn’t woken from them talking.
Holding up a six pack, Silver smiled, and said, “Well, how about we go into the other room, and you can tell me all about it. I’ve met Thai a few times and he seems… interesting.”
Griz smiled wide. “Oh, he is and he’s sexy as fuck, as well as one of the smartest men I’ve met… besides Shay.”
“That mole is scary smart. Come on,” Silver said, walking into the sitting room just off the kitchen.
Griz walked in the room and stopped… every one of his men were sitting around the room and smiling wide.
Cas lifted his beer bottle in the air. “We are here to celebrate your good fortune.”
“Just keep it down. He’s only been asleep for about an hour and he needs his rest,” Griz grumbled.
“We can be quiet,” Daylon said.
“Speak for yourself. I’ve been told I’m a screamer,” Buzz teased.
Everyone laughed, and the party began… until the alarms ripped through the air.
CHAPTER 3
Thai leaped from his bed and went straight to his computers to see what the fuck had set off the alarms.
Normally, people who were first waking up, would need time to focus, but Thai had never been that way. He always woke up ready to go, and he would be that way even if he hadn’t been woken by the sounds of hell.
“What the fuck is going on?” Cas shouted as he rushed into the computer room… well, Thai’s bedroom.
“I don’t know. Give me a second,” Thai said, looking at alarm systems board, and seeing the light from quadrant six blinking.
When they’d first discovered this room, Thai had been seriously impressed with not just the computer system as a whole, but the security system set up all around the island. It had both visual and audio… although it had been a couple of days before he realized it had audio… but still, it was really amazing… then again, when you are a man like Tim Kennedy, doing top secret work for the council, it was important to protect not just yourself, but whatever you were working on.
“Thai, talk to me. What’s going on out there?” Cas asked again, sounding as if he was yelling at him as Thai hit the cut-off button to the alarm.
“No need to yell, I’m looking,” Thai said.
Cas grunted and then was damn-near on top of him as were all the other guys on his team. However, the scent of his mate overpowered all the others, and Thai felt himself calm at both the need to figure out what was happening, and the feeling of claustrophobia he was getting from so many people surrounding him.
“Would you all back up. Damn, he isn’t going to be able to think, let alone work, with you all hovering over him like that,” Griz snapped.
Thai drew in a deep, refreshing breath when the men backed up, and within seconds he was pointing at the screen. “Is that a monkey?”
Griz leaned in, then turned to Cas. “Thai’s right. There’s a monkey on the southeast side of the island. I thought we searched and hadn’t found any other hunted shifters?”
“We did and hadn’t found signs of anyone,” Silver answered instead.
Thai had been tapping and then a picture appeared, and sure enough, there was a monkey in one of the trees.
“What the hell kind of monkey is that? I’ve never seen one like this one before,” Buzz said in confusion.
“I have, but I can’t remember where,” Thai said as he brought the picture to his search engine, and within seconds. “I knew I’d read about this guy. It’s a Masked titi monkey, and not only is it the most endangered monkey in the world, it was only discovered in 2019 in the Brazilian Amazon.”
“Fuck me, he’s small as hell,” Silver murmured.
Thai scoffed, “Well, he does only weigh like two pounds.” Thai shook his head. “I can see how you guys missed him.
“How the hell could someone that damn small set off the alarms?” Daylon asked.
Shaking his head, Thai answered, “He didn’t.” He clicked on another button that brought in a view of a boat about ten minutes out from the island.
“Who the fuck is that?” Cas snarled.
“It’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I got an e-mail from someone with The Kiss of Death, asking the Dorgers if the island was available this weekend. I told them we finished everyone off a few days ago, and the island was open for business. I know I should have gotten with you first, but I didn’t want to take the chance that they figured out I wasn’t Bruce or Jennifer Dorger. They asked if I could send the chopper to get the merchandise, and I told them you weren’t available, but they could come in by boat,” Thai explained.
“Damn it, Thai, what if the alarms hadn’t gone off? We would never have known they were here until it was too late,” Cas snapped.
Griz snarled, “Do not talk to my mate in that tone Cas. We’ve been friends for a long time, but no one disrespects my mate. Thai is a smart man. If he told them to come by boat, it’s because he knew he would know they were here before any damage could be done.”
Thai looked up at Griz and felt himself practically turn to goo. His mate believed in him… trusted him to do right by everyone… he… damn it, he was not going to cry. Nope. No crying… well, shit his eyes were already burning.
“Sorry, Thai. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.” Cas said in shame.
“It’s fine, Cas. I get it. We just got done with one fight, and we’re already going into another. The thing is I spoke with Tim when I discovered his security system. It’s fucking amazing, and he has underwater sensors set at twenty feet, and another row of them at ten. This way if they send out a smaller boat, we’ll be notified of that as well. The alarm that went off is the first set they’d come to by water. So, we still have some time, because from the look of things they’re loading the smaller one right now.” Thai explained as he pointed to the monitor.
Sure enough, there were four young men tied and gagged being put into a smaller fishing boat, and two unconscious men ready to be handed down and loaded to the other boat as well.
“The thing is, I didn’t expect them for two more days, Cas. They shouldn’t be here yet, and they didn’t send an e-mail asking to come in early,” Thai said as he nibbled his lower lip. “What if… what if one or more of those guys tied up or unconscious are like Winny?”
Winny had been brought onto the island with Thai and Payne. They had thought she was a captive like them, but discovering she was really the Dorgers’ daughter, helping them… almost killing Griz… hell, Thai was still trying to put it out of his mind that he’d killed her, and here he was thinking about the taste of her blood, all because he was afraid that the men coming their way were just like her.
Griz watched the monitor closely. “Okay, what if I go and pretend that I’m one of the new security guys for…”
“No!” Everyone said at once.
“I’m damn-near perfectly healed. I can…”
“Griz it won’t work,” Thai quickly said.
When Griz went to argue, but Thai held up his hand, stopping him. “This has nothing to do with your injury, or the fact that you’re my mate. I just need you to hear me out.”
“Fine. What does it have to do with?” Griz asked, sounding like a grumpy bear… a cute, adorable, grumpy bear. Hell, Griz was so damn adorable with that look that Thai knew he was going to have to do things to bring that look on… often.
“If those men are here two days early, it could be because they have a feeling something is up,” Shay said as he came inside the room with Payne.
“I thought you were with your uncle?” Thai asked in confusion.
Shay smiled. “I was, but he told me I was needed here not at his new location. He did, however, tell me we could get with him any time we might need anything.”
“Yeah, I do have some questions about some things I found here. Thankfully, he told me about his underwater security system,” Thai muttered.
“You really think they’re here, because they suspect something?” Daylon asked.
Shrugging, Shay said, “I’m not sure, but from what I heard Thai saying, it’s a possibility.”
Thai sighed, “Look, these people are not stupid. They’re fucktards I’ll give you that, but they are not dumb fucktards. It could be they’re here to check shit out before the hunt. I don’t see hunters, just the men on the boat with automatic rifles, but no one with crossbows or anything more the hunters use… at least, not like the ones that came for us.”
