3

He nodded and slid his tongue across his lips. “Bet on it.”

One of the reasons for the in-person meeting was to get a DNA sample. The plan was to have Carter slip in as soon as we left the restaurant and snatch Leon’s drinking glass before the server cleared it. That, along with the human testimony, should be enough to take him down. Unfortunately, I’d have to live through this awful act for at least another hour. Stroking this guy’s ego was nauseating.

The conversation continued for another five minutes before the server brought our wine. Leon had already commented on my breasts twice and had even asked if I shaved or waxed my vagina. It was hard for me to keep a straight face at his sheer gall and arrogance. We’d only met each other in person less than ten minutes before.

For my part, I was a good actress. It was another reason I usually went on undercover operations like these. The act I was putting on in the restaurant was worthy of an Oscar. I did my best to ask him about past relationships or girls he’d been with before, anything to get a little more incriminating evidence. The conversation invariably veered back to my body, his body, and various sexual positions.

“Can I try your dish?” Leon eyed the steak that the waiter had just brought me.

I grinned. “Absolutely.”

Leon leaned across the table and cut a piece of the steak. When he pulled back, he bumped my wine glass, and it wobbled precariously. With lion reflexes, he snatched it and righted the glass with both hands before handing it to me. I took it with a nod of thanks.

“What the hell was that?” Wyatt barked in my ear. “Did anyone else see that? On the feed? Kira, don’t drink that wine.”

But the warning came too late. I’d already sipped the liquid. Something was off. The smell and taste were different, the flavor on my tongue a little bitter. The fucker had slipped something into my drink. I couldn’t figure out what, though. My shifter senses were powerful, but the substance was too subtle for me to place. If I had to guess, it was probably a roofie or another human drug. It wouldn’t work on me, but the fact he'd even tried to use it meant my ruse was working.

I blinked as a warm, fuzzy sensation settled over my eyes. Even though it had been years since I’d felt it, I knew my brown irises had turned a faint shimmery yellow. Leon’s smile vanished in an instant, almost like it had been turned off with a light switch. With his eyes locked on mine, his lips turned up in a sneer of disgust and anger.

“Lying cunt,” he hissed and leaped from his chair, flipping the table toward me as he did.

He sprinted for the door. Pushing the table off me, I jumped to follow him.

“Target is on the loose! Repeat, target is on the loose!” I yelled into the microphone.

Chaos erupted around me. The other diners were yelling, running, or pointing. I tugged a small pistol from my thigh holster and ran after Leon. I couldn’t let him get away. We’d probably never find him again. The chatter in my ear was almost indecipherable, with the entire team going back and forth. I ripped the earpiece out and tossed it to the ground.

Outside, I saw Leon sprinting to the restaurant’s back parking lot. Gritting my teeth, I ran after him. I shouldn’t have, but I was enjoying the chase. It was much more enjoyable than it should have been. I wasn’t sure why, but I had no time to think about it. He was right there, and I knew I could catch him.

As I rounded the corner of the building, I had a single instant to realize my mistake. I was in trouble. Leon had run around the corner but then stopped, lying in wait for me. He knew I was too fast, and he wouldn’t get away. So, he decided to take me out.

A knife blade lashed out, slashing across the air less than an inch from my eyes. I could feel the wind off his hand, hear the faint hiss as the weapon cut the air in front of me.

Instinctively, I jerked my head back, away from the blade. That gave Leon an opening. His reflexes were almost as fast as mine. His foot shot out, kicking my gun out of my hand. The metal clattered against the ground as the gun bounced and spun far out of reach.

He snarled at me, his face contorted with rage as he surged forward and jammed the tip of the knife toward my stomach. He was fast and strong, but the council trained its operatives well, and I was one of the best. I whirled away from the knife and snapped my fist, punching Leon with a backhand. The momentum from the stab propelled him toward the brick wall. I kicked him in his back, and he slammed face-first into it. I could hear the muffled crack as his nose broke.

Instead of slowing down, he spun away from the wall, screaming in anger, and dived at me. He was still clutching the knife—the familiar and noxious scent of silver was like a slap in the face. I twisted sideways and caught his foot with my own, sending him sprawling onto the pavement. When he rolled over, I straddled him and gripped the wrist holding the knife. He was honestly making this too easy. He was used to holding women down who had never learned to defend themselves. Well, I was about to show him what a woman was capable of.

Holding his knife hand away, I raised my free hand, ready to slam my elbow into his pretty face. A sudden flush of heat radiated through me. The surge was powerful enough that I forgot all about Leon. Fire—lava—coursed through my veins. My vision went blurry as my head spun.