DOUBLE TROUBLE WITH THE TWIN WOVES 15

C H A P T E R F I F T E E N - - - T I M

When Maddison was tucked in between him and Tom when he got out of bed, it was agony. Her regular breathing was soothing to him as his arm was draping over her tummy. By the time the next guy awoke, Tom this time, he had been awake for at least 30 minutes.

Tim yawned, but held his tongue as Tom rolled onto his elbows and began to blink the sleep from his eyes. As his twin smiled broadly and pointed to Maddison's stretched-out body on their little bed—all three of them packed closely together like contented sardines in a can—Tim couldn't help but smirk and shake his head a bit. It's amazing how well they slept all night.

Tim chuckled as he cautiously got out of bed as Tom did the same. "The things the love of a beautiful lady can do," he thought.

Maddison was tucked in after receiving a kiss on each cheek from both of them. While Tom was looking for his, Tim scooped his pants off the floor and put them on. His phone abruptly rang as he was closing the zipper.

He struggled with it and snarled, "Shit."

Tim muttered angrily as he counted over fifteen missed calls and texts from Blake.

"Are you okay?"  Tim placed the phone to his ear and pressed the call button, silencing Tom's question.

“Yeah?" ” he asked, the number being unrecognized.

He assumed it wasn't his employers because The Firm only contacted from certain numbers or directly. Tim's blood began to boil in his veins as he heard Ace's voice on the other end of the line.

Shit. What we require, exactly. The mind-ops getting involved, crap.

"Who's that?" Tom inquired gently as he padded up to Tim and tucked his belt into the pockets of his pants.

Tim mumbled incoherently, "Ace."

Tom raked his fingers through his hair and said, "Shit."

"I believe both of you and I have much to offer one another. In 20 minutes, meet me at the bakery on Sixth Street. Hemingway will find you if you don't show up.”

After then, the caller hung up and the phone went dead. When their eyes met, Tom's expression mirrored Tim's since he had been close enough to hear the call. Annoyance. Irritation. total and complete conformity Ace was not someone to trifle with. Tim surmised that he managed intelligence for the entire Firm rather than being a member of any one unit. Bypassing everyone and exerting authority over anyone he liked from outside the chain of command. Tim had never heard of a handler for him, so he must have had one of his own. All he knew was that Ace didn't mess around when he threatened.

We're leaving, then. As Tim threw his phone on the bed, Tom inquired, taking out his own. Madison stirred just enough for her to tuck her phone beneath the blankets.

“Yeah. I need my fucking shirt, please. You making a squad member call? ”

"On it already.” While Shaun's number flashed on the screen, Tom added, pulling his black T-shirt off a chair, "I won't have her being here alone. Hey dude. No, the task hasn't yet been completed. Please let Jerome know that we need to see our girl as soon as possible. We must move quickly. Yes, it's crucial. Thanks.”

Tom put on a shoulder holster and put one of his sidearms in it after checking it for ammo before hanging up the phone. He then ended the conversation and put on his jacket. In twenty minutes, Jerome will arrive, or he'll send Jordan or Shaun. We're all right. I'll remind Barry to keep an eye on her and the kids till then as we go. Good? ”

Tim zipped up his own jacket and declared, "Works for me."

He searched the bed for his phone but was unable to locate it without displacing Maddison. The very last thing he desired was for her to awaken and expose herself to a period of time when one of Squad Six wasn't with her. Gritting his teeth, he put the phone away under the blankets and tenderly kissed Maddison's forehead. Tom did the same. They both sprang up after that and virtually raced out of the room.

Each of them took one of Barry's motorcycles, and they rode through noon Laguna in relative secrecy with their identities concealed by helmets. Tim's realization that he was a parent changed everything in a bizarre way. Every crossroads he passed through seemed to be out to get him, and he felt his heart expand at the sight of every child strolling with their parents. He became gentler as a result. They arrived at the bakery with two minutes to spare and parked quickly. They had feared he wouldn't like it, but he liked it. Tim didn't remove his helmet until after he had entered and was looking around for Ace in his disgusting but recognizable state. He was enjoying an aromatic beverage that might be roughly referred to be coffee while seated in one of the rear booths. Across from him were two hot glasses of black tar. Tom followed Tim into the booth when he slipped in first.

Ace replied with a pout that was absurd on his chiseled, sharp features, "I was starting to worry you'd stand me up on our little date."

He was the definition of a merciless dirtbag, with slicked-back jet-black hair, piercing emerald eyes, and high cheekbones that begged to be smashed into the ground. He carried himself with a posture that Tim could only view as abhorrently arrogant, standing roughly half an inch higher than the wolves.

Ace and Jerome had a sort of uncomfortable ceasefire between them, which Tim was aware of even though they didn't have much personal contact. Despite how much of an idiot Ace was, his predictions were always accurate. That made Tim uncomfortable. Unable to get a good read on a man, he couldn't trust him.

"Man, stop with the bullshit. What is going on? The first to inquire was Tom, who pushed the coffee away from himself as if it were poisonous.

Ace leaned back in his seat like a large cat stretching out and added, "I hear we may be mutually advantageous to each other, lads."

Tim recognized for the first time that he had no idea what type of shifter the intel officer was. He took a short smell, but it was confusing even then. For all he knew, he might be a wolf or a fucking tiger. If Tim had to guess, he looked like a snake. One of those that sinks its fangs into you and then slithers away to watch you perish.

“How?”

"I hear your pups' mother is getting some unwelcome attention," Ace stated nonchalantly, twisting a spoon in his espresso. "It's a shame if she is killed."

“Is that a threat?" Tom hissed, Tim's shoulders tensing at the same time.

"No, just an observation. I see no cause to murder her. Though I find it fascinating how you Squad Six lads continue to outperform yourself. Did someone place a wager? " Ace inquired, his face furrowed.

"Be careful, Ace. We're not in the mood to play. I don't believe you could fit both of us in this fucking booth," Tim threatened, grasping the table so tightly that his knuckles became white.

Before Ace realized what hit him, he could reach out and rip the man's throat out. Or he was quite certain he could. Ace was taken aback by the wicked sneer that grew across his lips. Intel officers did not get to where they were by sneaking about. The majority of them were worse hard-asses than the spec-ops lads who were so full of themselves. Ace, on the other hand, was cruising for a bruise, and the previous few days had not left Tim in a forgiving mood.

"OK, OK. Mutts, calm down. I'm assuming you're aware that The Arctics are chasing your girl. ”

Tim shifted his weight slightly back. Figured. "I wasn't sure, but the guy we capped on the train was a wolf, so it was a safe bet."

The Arctics were one of the most outspoken, as well as one of the most equipped and funded werewolf terrorist groups operating in the globe today. They had training, strength, and the type of half-witted, self-righteous conviction that made them as deadly as hell. The Arctics were persuaded that the only way the earth could continue to revolve and evolve was if werewolves were granted complete control over, well, everything. And they weren't hesitant in attempting to seize that authority.

"All right, I'll confirm it. They want to launch an attack against Ellia Technologies Limited. But we don't know when."

"So that's why this place is packed with fucking commandos," Tom snarled, his fist clenched. "And why do they allow rodents like you run about Laguna?" "I thought you were the warmer-weather kind," Tom said, clearly not given up on the possibility of fighting Ace.

Ace smiled, running his fingers over his hair. He was dressed in a suit and looked like he was about to shake hands with the mayor. If Tim were to inquire, he was always a sleaze.

"If necessary, I come and slum up in the north. Yes, this is why your team was summoned in the first place. Everything is a happy little coincidence. Given that she works there, your daughter would have been discovered whenever they got around to spying out the staff. But I'll take it as good fortune that you two made such a mess of removing her. After all, that is what led us to this table.""

"Just spit it out, Ace. We  don't have all day," Tim grumbled, his teeth clenched. He was starting to understand why Jerome despised dealing with Ace.

"I've got a task for you two. I'm not going to tell Hemingway where you're hiding your woman, and I'll grease the wheels for you when you and the rest of your little buddies stop The Arctics from blowing up Ellia headquarters. Keep your girlfriend and your puppies from being sent to South Africa or anything. They plan to target the major research building and the cancer clinic on the eastern outskirts of town.” Ace raised his hand to check the time on his expensive-looking watch. "Actually, in a few hours. I'm not going to tell you when. Keep the mystery and everything."

Tom looked to Tim, and they both scowled as they stared at Ace. That sounded like a fantastic offer unless the dude was fucking with them. So, what was the snag?

"And what do you desire?"

"I only want the weaponry," Ace said flatly.

"The explosives they stole from the train?" How in the world are we going to obtain those? " Tom yelled, halting himself mid-sentence and dropping his voice.

"I heard they're preparing to blow up the hospital with them.  The weapons they took were designed specifically for Marine usage. Nobody else has those puppies yet. Ellia also conducts a lot of shifter research. Viruses, cures, Shauntic upgrades... my opinion is they want something from the research laboratories, and they want the explosion that wipes out the hospital to appear like some huge government plot against shifters. You know how it goes. A little drama makes the world go round."

Ace rolled his eyes as he twisted his finger around lazily.

Tim took a breather. Shifters were no longer concealed in the world, not by a long margin. They were not, however, greeted with open arms. Many civilizations and faiths saw them as either harbingers of hell or just abnormal. There was a lot of debate about controlling shifters, as well as labeling and tracking them. It wouldn't have been a leap to imagine some government scheme against a corporation that was well-known for doing a lot of good for the shifting community.

“Wait. You want the explosives, right? You're referring to The Firm, right? " Tim pondered the question.

“No. I'm after the bombs. The Firm will never find out. You may argue that they were not present at all, or that they were lost in the brawl. I don't mind. You'll convey the entire load to me and only me at a place I'll specify."

"What if we don't?" Tim questioned, grabbing Tom's arm just as he was ready to rise up and yell something about how they'd never work with a scumbag like Ace.

"Then I'll press this button," Ace continued, holding his phone so both Tim and Tom could see it, "and let Hemingway know where Maddison and your pets are." I guarantee he'll have guys there before you two get back, and I also guarantee you'll never see them again. I keep my word. Just ask Jerome."

"You're a jerk," Tom grumbled through his teeth.

"I've been called worse," Ace remarked, taking another drink of his coffee. "So, do we have a deal?"

Tim and Tom exchanged looks as they engaged in one of their private discussions. Tim could very much picture any point Tom was thinking about, along with his response to it, and vice versa. Maddison, Ryker, and Reidan came first now at the end. Ace may have been mentally unstable, but unlike The Arctics, he was not a terrorist. Finally, Tom's face relaxed a little and he nodded grimly unhappily.

Finally, Tom's face relaxed a little and he nodded grimly unhappily.

"We'll get it done, then."  Tim resigned, standing up, and said, "text Tom the specifics. That's all? ", he inquired as Tom got to his feet.

Ace shook hands with each of them and said, "That's it," with an icy grin on his face.

Tim and Tom had snuck out of the booth and were making their way out of the bakery when Ace, who was still there, yelled after them.

"One more thing." You have ten hours to solve this problem. Otherwise, I'll see you at that bunker you guys hiding your woman and kids."

Tim stiffened up again as he put on his helmet and slammed the door shut behind him. Fucking intelligence spies. There was always going to be a catch.