Taking a seat on the top step, Steven nodded. "When I first met Stripper, the man bumped my shoulder. I had the impression of darkness and raw strength, of something lethal stirring dangerously."

Wilbur took a seat on the porch floor and crossed his legs. "What does that mean?"

All Steven did was shrug. "The guy has a lot of turmoil inside of him. I don't know why though."

Wilbur knew why. It was because of Stripper's mother. But he wasn't going to tell Steven about that. Wilbur had no one else to turn to for answers, so he hoped that Steven was truly a friend. "I just don't understand why he's shutting me out."

Steven turned and rested his back against the railing, his knees bent. Wilbur only half listened to the men working in the corral. His mind was in turmoil, and he didn't like it. Wilbur was already dealing with enough. He was scared too, but he wasn't shutting Stripper out. Wilbur knew the risks of carrying the child full term. What he needed was his mate's support, not his silence.

"Guilt. Worry. It could be a combination of a lot of things. Maybe he's afraid to let you in because he's terrified he's going to lose you," Steven said. "But mind you, it's only a guess."

"Would you be able to read my goldfish's mind?" Wilbur asked. He wanted to change the subject. Doom and gloom was not his cup of tea.

Steven gazed at him strangely for a moment and then burst out laughing. The sound was so contagious that Wilbur found himself laughing as well. He'd been serious though.

"I like you," Steven said.

"Aw, shucks." Wilbur felt himself blushing. "Thanks." And then he thought about something. "What is dry drowning?"

Steven sobered and cocked his head to the side. "You really do know how to subject jump. It's when a cloth is held over your face and water is poured into your mouth. The water doesn't really get through, but you suffocate. I think." Steven scratched at his head. "But that's the concept."

Wilbur sat there for the longest time staring at Steven. As he thought about Stripper's threat when they'd first met, his anger began to mount. He knew it had been a mix-up, that Stripper had thought Wilbur was Reno. But the thought of Stripper doing that to anyone horrified Wilbur.

Steven's expression grew serious. "Don't judge him. Think of the bad guys he's up against. Reno is the scum of the earth. That guy didn't hesitate to put a bullet in you or to kill others. He just tried to wipe out T-Rex, Sam, Shott, and Mason last night. And he nearly succeeded. Stripper's methods might be crude, but that's nothing compared to the devastation Reno is willing to leave behind."

Wilbur slammed the door on the thoughts of how Stripper operated in the field. He knew Steven was right. The logical part of his brain argued that Stripper did what he had to do in order to keep the world safe. But he knew the man intimately, and it was hard for him to wrap his mind around Stripper's methods.

"Just let it go," Steven advised. "He's still the same man you fell in love with. You have to learn to separate his work from his home life or it will drive you insane."

"I still don't know what to do about that wall."

"Go talk to him. Let him know just how scared you are and that you don't blame him."

Wilbur didn't blame Stripper. His mate hadn't known that Wilbur could get pregnant without biting. Although the doctor had said that it was extremely rare, Stripper hadn't known that it could happen. Wilbur remembered how hard Stripper had fought not to bite him. And his mate hadn't.

Wilbur stood and dusted his butt off. "I'll go find him."

"Just remember what he's already been through with losing his mom and living with a father who was torn from guilt. This can't be easy on the guy. Talk."

Chapter Thirteen.

Stripper, Shott, and T-Rex were gearing up to go meet Gator when the scent of hot summer rain and licorice filled his lungs. Stripper glanced out of the room where the weapons were kept to see Wilbur heading his way.

Guilt ate at Stripper. Guilt for shutting Wilbur out, for getting the man pregnant, for putting his very life in danger. After nearly losing Mason last night, the fact that he could lose Wilbur had hit home. Stripper was being an ass, and he knew it. He already loved the human beyond words but was trying to shut the man out because he was terrified of going through what his father had gone through.

Stripper didn't want to know that pain.

"Can I talk to my mate for a moment?" Wilbur asked T-Rex and Shott.

"We really need to get going," T-Rex said. "Can this wait?"

"Unless you want me to neuter my mate, no." Wilbur was tired of playing nice. He was finished with trying to appease everyone. Being nice was getting him nowhere, and he really did want to talk to Stripper.

Shott smirked as he stepped out of the room. "I'll be outside."

Was that admiration he saw in T-Rex's blue eyes? Wilbur wasn't sure, and right now he didn't even care. He was ready to take on the tall dinosaur if he had to.

"You got five minutes," T-Rex said before he walked out.

When T-Rex's back was to Wilbur, Wilbur flipped the man off. He turned to see Stripper smiling at him. Wilbur felt disoriented, almost dizzy at the power of standing up to someone bigger than him. He liked the feeling.

"My mate is turning into a little pit bull," Stripper said as he leaned one arm against the shelf. "But I really do have to go."

Wilbur jabbed his finger into Stripper's chest. "Not until we settle things between us."

"There's nothing to settle."

"Bullshit."

"Stop acting like this and pretending you give a fuck to what's happening all around us, Wilbur. If we don't stop Reno-"

"I actually give lots of fucks. Tons of fucks. I'm a prostitute of feelings," Wilbur said. "But if we don't settle things between us, what Reno does won't even matter. I want you to stop shutting me out."

"I have to go." Stripper tried to push past Wilbur, but Wilbur blocked the man's way.

Wilbur was ready to hit something. Namely Stripper. "No, I still have four more minutes, and you're going to listen to me." Wilbur change tactics and let go of his anger, letting the pain in his eyes show. "Don't you think I'm terrified? Has it ever occurred to you that I'm downright scared of what could happen to me?"

Stripper's jaw clenched as a mask fell over his face. His hazel eyes turned dark. "You didn't grow up in a house of mourning. You have no idea what it's like to be the survivor, to live with that loss every day of your life."

Tears gathered in Wilbur's eyes as he pulled his hand back and slapped Stripper across the face. "I'm not dead, so stop treating me like I've already died!"

The expression in Stripper's eyes turned lethal. "I've shut you out for one single night, and you're flipping out on me?"

"Hormones," Wilbur argued. "Deal with them. But what do you expect me to do, wait until this has gone on for an entire month before I say something? I don't think so, buddy. I'm not into torturing myself. Either we clear the air or I make your life hell."

Stripper seemed to deflate. "I don't want to argue with you."

"And I don't want to live with someone who's afraid to love me. I'm carrying your child, Stripper. I need someone at my side, not a shadow hiding in a corner. Be a fucking man and step up to the plate."

Stripper grabbed Wilbur and shoved him into the shelf. His canines were showing, and his eyes held a slight glow. Wilbur thought he had pushed the man too far. He'd never had a lover's spat before and wasn't sure if he should have been so aggressive.

His mate gave a low growl before their lips collided. Wilbur gasped and then wrapped his arms and legs around Stripper, clinging to the man, desperate to get closer.

Stripper reached out and slammed the door closed, locking it. Wilbur was in heaven. He sucked Stripper's tongue down his throat as he ground his erection into his lover's stomach. This must be the makeup sex Wilbur had heard about. He loved it.

"Three minutes," Stripper said, panting into Wilbur's mouth. "Get ready for quick and hard."

"But we don't have any lube," Wilbur reminded the man.

"Then spit will have to do. But you're about to get fucked." Stripper yanked Wilbur's waistband down until his ass was exposed. Wilbur still had his legs wrapped around Stripper's waist and held on for dear life as his mate unbuckled his pants.

Stripper spit into his hand and used the moisture to wet Wilbur's ass. He repeated the process two more times before he lined his cock up and drove home.

"Son of a bitch!" Wilbur shouted.

"Hold on to me, beautiful." Stripper planted his hands into the wall and drove hard and deep inside Wilbur. It wasn't soft and slow like it had been since Stripper found out that Wilbur was pregnant. This was fast and brutal, and Wilbur loved every second of it.

"I'm not going to fucking lose you," Stripper said with a low and deadly growl.

"I'm not going anywhere," Wilbur promised, although he knew that was only half true. There was no certainty, but he had to be optimistic. His eyes widened and his head fell back when Stripper bit into his shoulder. That was the first time his mate had done that, and Wilbur's cock exploded. He shouted Stripper's name as his mate pounded into him. His mate stayed locked onto him for a long moment before Stripper pulled his canines free and licked the wound at Wilbur's shoulder.

"Mine!" Stripper snarled the word as he fucked Wilbur even faster. "Who does this body belonged to? Whose ass is this?"

"Mine," Wilbur cried out.

Stripper faltered and then a wickedly sinful smile appeared on his face. "Cognitive thoughts aren't your specialty during sex, are they?"

"Shut up!" Wilbur shouted. "Just fuck me."

And Stripper did. Wilbur's back was crushed against the shelf as Stripper grabbed Wilbur's hips, thrusting hard and fast. The man's head rolled back, his lips parting, his canines showing as he growled and then shouted his release.

Wilbur was a wet noodle. He was boneless as Stripper rested their foreheads together. Wilbur gazed into his mate's eyes and could see the vulnerability there. "Don't ever shut me out again, please."

"I'll try not to," Stripper said. "But if I do, just threaten to neuter me and I'm all yours."

Wilbur hissed as Stripper eased out of him. He was going to be sore for a while. Maybe he should carry around some lube in his pocket for emergency situations.

Stripper helped Wilbur readjust his pants before his mate refastened his own. Stripper gave Wilbur a soft and gentle kiss before someone pounded on the door.

"Time's up," Shott said. "We have to roll out."

Wilbur opened the door and stumbled out of the room. He knew he looked like a hot mess. He turned and pointed a finger at his mate. "Let's not have this conversation again."

He tried to stomp off, but his legs were too wiggly, and he didn't have the energy. Instead, he stumbled away, a happy smile on his face.

He and Stripper had to argue more often. The makeup sex was fantastic.

They had met with the other team and had devised a plan. Stripper sat in the back of T-Rex's SUV, deep in thought as they drove to Junction City. This was it. All or nothing. They were either going to capture Reno or kill the man. Either way, he wasn't going to get away again.

Gator had already done the recon on this and had found where Reno was hiding. How the man had done that was a mystery that the guy wasn't sharing with them. Gator had resources that Stripper and the others could only wish for.

They pulled up a block over from the residential area where Reno was supposed to be hiding out. They were going in under the cover of darkness. Gator and his team geared up and were ready to roll as Stripper and the team did the same.

Gator gazed around at the men with him. "Total silence. Stick to the plan."

They exited their vehicles, and Gator and his team disappeared. It was eerie. One moment they were standing there, the next gone. T-Rex led Stripper and Shott to the house in question, signaling them to surround the place.

Stripper glanced to his right and could barely see one of Gator's men-dressed completely in black, face camouflaged-sitting in one of the trees, rifle aimed toward the house. The man was so still that, if Stripper hadn't known what to look for, he would have never known the man was there. The guy blended in perfectly with his surroundings.

Turning, Stripper concentrated on what he had to do. He pulled a device from the side pocket on his pants and used it to disconnect the alarm system. He gave a thumbs-up when the system went offline, dismantled. Tucking the device back into his pants, he worked the lock on the side door and then slipped inside the house.

The house was quiet. A small light glowed over the stove and Stripper saw a light coming from a room just past the living room. The sound of tapping could be heard. Someone was using a computer.

Stripper started forward and then stopped. He'd nearly hit a tripwire. He eased back and then stepped over it. He kept his back to the wall as he made his way toward the glowing light of the room.

Turning the corner, he came face-to-face with one of Reno's men. Stripper grabbed the man, pulled him into the kitchen, and put a sleeper hold on him. The man struggled and scratched at Stripper's tight hold. But Stripper wasn't going to let this man warn Reno. He held on until the guy slumped in his arms.

He eased the man to the floor and then pulled his weapon. He was determined to take Reno down. Dead or alive. He couldn't stop thinking of what Reno had done to Bill or to Wilbur. His anger was there, eating away at him now that he was this close to the guy.

Ducking low, Stripper did a quick head check to make sure no other surprises were waiting for him. T-Rex was on the other side of the room, his back to the hallway wall. When Stripper stepped into the living room, a bullet whizzed past his head.

He dropped, rolled, and returned fire. Their element of surprise was gone. Stripper was on his back, shooting the bastard who'd taken a shot at him. The guy fell to the floor as T-Rex spun, aimed, and fired at a man Stripper hadn't even seen.

All hell broke loose. Men seemed to come from everywhere, trapping Stripper and T-Rex. Stripper jumped behind the couch, shoved it over on its side, and used the sofa for cover as he aimed and fired.

Someone fell behind him. Stripper turned to see a man slumped over and Shott moving from a shadowed corner. Stripper's pulse was pounding in his ears as he shoved his back into the sofa, grabbed the extra clip that had been attached to his belt, and reloaded.

Pictures fell from the wall, glass shattered all around, and the stuffing in the sofa began to hemorrhage. He snarled, spun, dropped to the floor, and shot as many motherfuckers as he could. Something sharp and hot hit his shoulder. Stripper ignored the pain as he rolled back and then came over the top of the sofa, leaping on the closest guy. They fought hand-to-hand, something Stripper specialized in.

T-Rex moved in, slamming the butt of his gun into one man's temple. Shott moved around them and raced toward the room with the glowing light. Their objective was to capture Reno.

Stripper took his man down, and then he and T-Rex headed toward the room as well. But the only person in there was Shott. It was a small office, and Stripper could tell that a laptop had been hooked up to the monitor, but it was gone.

The window was wide open, the curtains blowing inward. Keeping his gun in a tight hold, Stripper moved to the window and did a quick head check. Gator was standing in the backyard, in the shadows, holding Reno in a headlock.

Stripper turned around and glanced at T-Rex. "Gator has him."

T-Rex moved to the window and signaled for Gator to bring Reno inside. As soon as Reno was brought through the back door, Stripper cocked his arm back and slammed his fist into the man's gut. Reno doubled over, dropping the briefcase in his hand. Stripper straightened the man and hit him again.

"Enough." T-Rex grabbed Stripper's raised arm. "We all want a piece of him, but we have work to do first."

Reno spat blood onto the floor and then grinned menacingly at Stripper. "You'll never get the codes. You'll never stop the transaction in time."

One of Gator's men grabbed the briefcase from Reno, sat at the desk, and began to punch keys. His fingers worked so fast that all Stripper could do was stand there and watch while he prayed the guy could kill the transaction. Stripper's eyes wandered back to Reno and red-hot anger once again filled him. If it hadn't been for Reno, Wilbur's life wouldn't have been jeopardy.

His claws extended as his canines emerged. Reno laughed at him. "Too bad I didn't kill that sniveling weasel. Wilbur begged for his life, you know. The man pleaded with me not to kill him."

Stripper closed the distance, grabbing Reno's hair and yanking the man's head back. "Funny, you're about to do the same before this is over."