Desert Heat (Complete)

{Mikey’s P.O.V.}

“So, Giz, how do you like the new car?” I asked while we were all sitting around the fireplace in the living room. All of the pups were in bed, so it was just us adults and our parents. Allie wanted family and friends bonding time.

“I love it. I loved all of the gifts you all gave me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” she said on the verge of crying.

“I swear, that girl cries over everything,” Sin said.

“Screw you, skank!” Allie shouted.

“ALLISON!” Eleanor shouted, and we all laughed. The only time we had filters is when the pups are around.

“Hey, so where in the Maldives are we staying?” Dani asked.

“We are going to be staying at the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, and we booked the three-bedroom landaa estate,” Allie said.

“How many people does that fit?” Sam asked

“It said nine adults, including up to eight children,”

“You said it was an estate, how big exactly?” Aries asked.

“Uhhh…Let me check,” Allie pulled out her phone. “It’s two stories and is over eight thousand square feet. It comes with two king beds, two twin beds, three full bathrooms, one half-bath, and two outdoor showers. It also comes with first and second-floor pools, waterfall feature, stargazing loft, full kitchen, sprawling sundeck, and personal attendant staff,”

“DAMN!” we all exclaimed.

“According to the floor plans, we also get our own private beach,”

“YES!” the girls shouted.

“We will figure out who gets what room when we get there, but for sure Dorian and I will be in the master bedroom,”

“There doesn’t seem to be enough beds though,” Leah said.

“We’re going to pack three air mattresses,” Dorian said.

“There’s also plenty of couches,” Allie replied.

“What are we going to do when we get there?” Lacie asked. “I’ve never been before, so I’m super anxious,”

“I know we set up scuba diving for Dorian and me on his birthday, but we are going to go to the water sports center and recreation center to check out other excursions that we can do as a group. Nothing is really set in stone because there is so much to do,”

“Is the resort okay with having that many adults in one place?” Lucas asked.

“We told them that we had twelve adults and that we would pay extra if we needed, and they said that it was fine since we’re staying so long,” Allie replied. Everyone just nodded. I was going to ask something when I got a notification on my phone, I looked at it, and saw it was an email to my old bounty hunter address.

“What the hell?” I said out loud and opened the email.

Good evening Razor,

I hope this email finds you well. I work for a wealthy benefactor who is requesting your services. I understand that you are retired; however, we are in need of your expertise. The benefactor I work for is needing to extinguish a target who seems to be untouchable. Other hunters and hitters are refusing to go after the target, and now my operator is desperate. We will offer you five million dollars to take her out.

Please see the attachment for details and let us know if you are interested.

Kind regards.

“What the f**k?”

“What is it, honey?” Sin asked me.

“I just got an email to my old bounty hunter address,”

“Son, you’ve been retired for years, why is that still active?” my dad said to me.

“I still take a contract here and there, but it’s been over two years since I’ve gotten one, or at least accepted one,”

“How much is it for?” Dorian asked.

“Five million,”

“What the did email say?” Aries asked.

“Something about a wealthy benefactor needing to get rid of a female target, but no one else wants to take it,”

“Wait, what?” Aries looked at me and c****d his head. He looks directly at Lacie and then back at me. I quickly open the attachment, and sure enough, it was Lacie’s bounty.

“f**k! Whoever this guy wants me to go after Lacie,” I tell the room.

“That doesn’t make sense, I thought you said you were telling other hunters that she was protected by you and Aries, and the others!” Allie yelled.

“We did, but hunters won’t tell details because they’re not allowed to. Think of it as some kind of code of conduct amongst bounty hunters and hitters,” Aries replied.

“So, whoever this person knows that I’m protected, but not by who?” Lacie asked, and Aries nodded.

“Hunters and hitters don’t have to accept contracts if they don’t want to either, it’s at their discretion. So, even if this benefactor reached out to individuals and personally requested they take you out, Lace, if they know who Aries is, or the others, they won’t even try,” I tell her.

“But why would they request you, son?” my dad asked.

“They probably don’t know that I’m part of Desert Moon pack,” I tell him. “Lacie’s file shows that she’s part of our pack, that’s why Fury hesitated when he first saw it online, but my identity is a secret to most external sources. Only those that work for Dorian’s company and those who have been given membership to the pack know that I’m the Gamma, and that information stays a secret,” everyone was speechless. This s**t was getting out of control. “f**k this, I’m going to reject this,”

“Mikey don’t!” Allie shouted.

“What?”

“Do pack members know your bounty hunter identity?” she asked.

“No, I keep those two worlds separate. Bounty hunter world knows me by my hunter name, and our pack only knows me as Mikey the Gamma. They know I was a hunter, but not my hunter name,”

“If that’s the case, this could work in our favor then,” she said. We all looked at her. Allie had something going on in that big brain of hers. “Everyone, conference room now!” she shot up from her seat and ran to the conference room. We all followed her. Once we were all there, we closed the door and locked it. Since this room was soundproofed, we didn’t have to worry about people accidentally hearing something they weren’t supposed to.

“Gizmo, talk to us, what are you thinking?” I asked her.

“Let’s kill Lacie,” she said.

“WHAT!?!?” the entire room roared.

“ALLIE!!!” Aries roared.

“Not for real!!” she shouted. “Pretend,” she calmly said and everyone backed off.

“Why?” Lacie asked.

“You’re the target,” Allie replied.

“I get that, Allie, but why pretend to kill me,”

“Because if you’re dead, no one will come after you anymore, and we may be able to get Maya and Heather to come out of hiding, and if we get lucky enough, we can get whoever is behind your bounty to show themselves to Mikey,” We all sat there a minute in complete silence. I thought about it, and Allie was right.

“Gizmo, you’re a f*****g genius,” I tell her.

“I still don’t get it,” Lacie said.

“Lace, high priority bounties like this require an in-person confirmation of capture or death,” I tell her, and she just shakes her head in confusion. “It’s normally with the person who set the bounty,”

“Oh,” she replied, finally understanding. “But what about Maya and my sister?”

“Well, if you’re dead, Maya will more than likely come out of hiding because she may attempt to get back together with Aries, and she may also contact Heather and tell her,” Allie replied.

“Or we can get Cianna to post about it on social media,” Aries said. “Remember how quickly Heather saw Cianna’s post about the gender reveal party?”

“Aries, that’s brilliant! We can have Cianna post about Lacie’s death on Instagram, and then post about a memorial service we’re going to have at Snell Island,” Allie said.

“Why my dad’s pack?” Lacie asked.

“Because Heather is banned from our territory, and she knows that,” Dorian said. “If we have it at your dad’s packhouse, then there is nothing stopping Heather from coming,”

“And since Aries is your mate, he will also be there, so that will get Maya to show herself, possibly,” Allie added.

“Dad, what do you think?” I turn to him and ask. Other than Aries, and myself, my dad was one of the best in the world.

“Son, it sounds like a good plan, my concern, however, is how you’re going to show proof of death without actually killing her?”

“s**t,”

“We don’t have to actually kill her. We just have to make it look like it,” Allie said.

“Baby, do you have an idea?” Dorian asked.

“Yeah, I do, and their names are Maxine and Claudia,”

“Maxine and Claudia!?” Sin exclaimed. “What could Max and Claudia do?”

“They’re good witches, Sin. They used good magic to conceal my pregnancy. What if they can use good magic to help us fake Lacie’s death?”

“Will the Elders allow us to use magic in a situation like this?” I ask.

“The Elders gave us permission to use good magic any time when it comes to protecting the pack, and Lacie is a pack member,” Dorian replied. “Plus, our top three ranked females are magical wolves, so, essentially, we use good magic in our pack on a regular basis,”

“Max and Claudia are also welcome on pack grounds anytime, since they visit on a regular basis,” Brandon replied

“Also, when we had dinner with Max and Stuart last week, I told her about the poisoning situation, she said she would help any way she could to catch Heather and Maya,” Allie said.

“Can we call and ask if it’s possible?” Lacie asked.

“Not right now, it’s late, and they’re probably asleep, but I will call in the morning,” Allie replied. “But first thing is first, regardless if Max and Claudia can help us, we have to plan this accordingly,”

“What do you have in mind?” I asked her.

“Mikey, let’s see if we can milk this benefactor,” she replied.

“How?”

“Email them back, and ask for double the price,”

“You want me to ask for ten million dollars?”

“Yeah, you said it yourself Lacie is a high priority target. She’s the daughter of an Alpha, and she’s protected by Desert Moon. Use those key factors to milk this benefactor for his money,”

“That is a smart idea Allison,” My dad said. I looked at him. “Son, your reputation is unmatched, and if this benefactor went out of his way to ask you to come out of retirement, he is desperate,”

“Okay, I can do that,” I pulled out my phone to respond to the email.

“Not yet, son,” my dad said stopping me. “Wait 24 hours before you respond, and don’t negotiate just yet either. When you respond tomorrow, say you need to think about it, then wait another 72 hours before negotiating,”

“Why?”

“This will give Allison time to reach out to Maxine and Claudia to see if they can help. Plus, since this benefactor does not know that you’re part of Desert Moon, it will give you time to ‘travel’ to build a dossier on Lacie,”

“Also, you can use the excuse that you’re out of practice to drag this on for a little longer than you normally would,” Aries said. “I’m here, the guys are here, and of course, Dorian’s reputation as an Alpha can be a road-block,”

“This is insane,” Lacie said holding her head. “The fact that we are actually discussing a plan to fake my death is insane!” she pouted, and Aries just held her close. Lacie was right, this was insane, but if it in end it meant keeping her safe, and catching those responsible for almost killing us, then I was all for the plan.

“Lacie, I need to let you know something,” I get her attention. “Your bounty is now closed, it will only belong to me, so no one else can come after you, but the problem is that I will have to follow you everywhere to build this fake dossier. Wherever you go, I’m going to be there, and you cannot acknowledge me if you sense me,”

“I understand,”

“Also, since Lacie is a protected target, I’m going to have to follow all of you ladies around, and I mean all of you,” I look at Sin. “That includes you, honey,” I grab her hand and k**s it. “If any of you sense me, you can’t react to it, do you all understand,”

“Yes,” they all answered.

“There’s one more thing,” I look at Sin again. “When we put this plan into motion, I have to move out of the packhouse,”

“What? Why?” she asked.

“Because, I have to maintain my cover as a bounty hunter, and not the Gamma of this pack. I know it’s not ideal, but it’s the only way to keep you and Allen safe. I cannot let anyone know that Razor the bounty hunter has a family. That will put you and our son in danger,”

“But, what if this plan flows over into the trip dates?” she asks

“I can use that as an excuse to leave the country and follow you guys for more recon. I will have to take a separate flight though,”

“I don’t like this plan anymore,” she said with tears in her eyes.

“I know, honey, but I have to do it. Lacie is family now, and we protect our family,” Sin nodded. I just hugged her and held her close. “Dad, I’m guessing this what you felt when you had to leave mom and me,” I say to him.

“It is, son. That’s why I was glad you retired before you found her. You didn’t have to hide her, the way I had to hide you and your mother,”

“Well, I have to do it now, and it’s already killing me inside,” I tell him.

“Cynthia, look at me sweetheart,” my dad turned her around gently. “When Michael channels his bounty hunter side, he will not be your husband or Allen’s father. If you see him or sense him, you have to ignore him. You’re going to see things you don’t like and things that may make you question who he is, and you cannot let that happen. Do you understand what I am saying?”

“Yes, Ethan, I understand,”

“Sin,” my mother came up to us. “I’ve been in your shoes. I had to experience this many times when Ethan and I first met, and even when we had Michael. If you ever find yourself lonely or questioning him, you come straight to us, okay?”

“Yes, Helena,”

“Son, do not lose track of who you are during this contract. You have a wife and a son who need you to come back to them,” my dad said to me.

“I won’t dad, I promise,”

“Alright, it’s getting late, and we all need our rest. It’s been a crazy night for all of us,” Dorian said. “Everything that has been said in this room stays in this room, mother that especially goes for you, Aunt Helena, and Aunt Bridget,”

“Dorian Anthony Shaw, we know better than to meddle with something like this,” Aunt Nor defended.

“Dorian, I lived this life for many years when you boys were just pups and toddlers, I know what I am doing,” my mom sneered at him.

“I personally still don’t understand this kind of lifestyle, and wasn’t paying much attention anyway, so you don’t have to worry about me,” Aunt Bridget said.

“Alright then, everyone, go to bed,” one by one we all left the conference room. Our parents went to their respective townhomes, and we all went upstairs to our rooms. When Sin and I got to our room, I pulled her into a hug and just held her. I rested my face in the crook of her neck, and just inhaled her sweet coconut scent.

“Sin, you know I love you, right?”

“Of course, mi Amor,”

“Honey, please don’t hate me,”

“What? Mikey, why would you say that?” she said and pulled away.

“Razor is dangerous, honey, and I have to fully channel him to make this plan work. It’s like my dad said, you’re going to see s**t you’re not going to like, and I do not want that change how you feel about me, about us,”

“Mikey, that won’t happen. I promise. You are not just my mate, you are my husband, you’re the father to our son, OUR son,” she said while cupping my face. “I love you, and I always will. I know that all of this is necessary to save Lacie, and to get justice for her and Allie, and for all of you,”

“Sin, I will come back to you,”

“I trust you, mi Amor,” she pulled me to a k**s and wrapped her arms around my neck. I reached down and picked her up by the underside of her legs and carried her to our bed. I laid her down and started to k**s her neck. I grazed her mark with my teeth making her m**n in approval. I stood up, removed my shirt, and kissed her again.

“I love you, Sin, I love you so much,”

“Ah, I love you too,” she m****d as I rubbed my hardened member between her legs. I kept kissing her and I don’t know what it was, but Sin tasted better than ever. “Make love to me, please,” she whispered and pleaded. Sin and I normally didn’t make love, because we both enjoyed hardcore f*****g and rough s*x. But tonight, we both needed it. Once I got both of us naked, I spent the entire night making hot and passionate love to my wife, because soon, I would be without her and my son.

{Lacie’s P.O.V.}

“I cannot believe that my life has come down to this,” I mutter while lying awake in bed snuggling with Aries. “Planning to fake my own death,”

“I don’t like it either, Precious, but honestly, it is a blessing in disguise,”

“Because Mikey is the one that they contacted?”

“That’s exactly why,” he said and brushed the side of my head with his fingertips. “I told you, I’ve known Mikey for years. I knew him when he was a bounty hunter and not the Gamma of his pack. It’s like he said, no one knew his real identity or real name,”

“So, you didn’t know either?” I asked him.

“No, I didn’t. I didn’t find out until I made a b***d oath as a contractor for Dorian’s company. Mikey was already retired and working as the VP of the company,”

“How did you react when you found out he was a Gamma?”

“I was shocked. Everyone thought Mikey was a rogue wolf,”

“But, he doesn’t smell like one,”

“He did back then. You see, when a wolf is away from their pack for long enough, they start to smell like a loner, a rogue. It’s why no one ever knew he belonged to a pack. When Razor retired, no one knew what happened to him. He just disappeared off the face of the planet. Then, there he was, working as the VP for Shaw’s company, and leading a team of hunters. Then, he passed that job on, and was in charge of finding thirty party contractors like myself, Fury, Warlord, and Carter,”

“What about Poseidon?”

“He came during the war, but when he saw how good we had it working for Dorian, he decided to join, He was eventually given membership into the pack, and then he found out who Mikey was after,”

“How did he react?”

“Oh, he nearly s**t his pants. Not only was he in the presence of the mighty Razor, world-renown bounty hunter, but his new Gamma,”

“Hahaha, I can just imagine their facial expressions,”

“It was crazy, for all us, that’s for damn sure. But that’s why I think it’s a blessing that this benefactor who is after you, doesn’t know that the Gamma of our pack, and Razor the bounty hunter are the same person. This is works very much in our favor. And if Allie is right, which I haven’t seen her be wrong about much yet, Maya and Heather may come out of hiding, and this benefactor will show himself to Razor when it comes time to confirm your death,”

“When I die, you better be sad,” I tell him and poke his bare chest.

“Precious, the night you and Allie were poisoned, and I thought you were going to die, I didn’t change, shower, or eat for four days. I cried like a baby,”

“What?” I sat up and looked at him in shock.

“Ask Cianna, I cried like a baby. Dorian was tearing apart the hospital, and I curled up in a little ball and cried,”

“You never told me this,” I replied, and he sat up with me.

“Precious, I never wanted to tell you because I hate thinking about it. Every day you spent in a coma, I cried. I held your hand and cried because I felt that I had failed in protecting you. I didn’t keep my promise to you,” I looked down at my promise ring. “Whenever I see this ring on your hand, Lacie, I use it as a reminder, and I do whatever it takes to keep you safe and happy. You are my entire world, Precious,”

“Aww, Aries,” I hugged his chest and we laid down again just holding each other close.

“I don’t have to pretend to be sad, when you fake die, I will be sad because all I will have to do is remember the day that you almost did die. If I’m not sad, I’ll be mad, and that will be even more convincing,” I looked up and saw him just staring at me with so much love in his eyes. “I love you, so much, Precious. I’m so in love with you,”

“I love you too,”

“Do you? Do you really?” he asked.

“What? Of course, I do. Why would you ask that?”

“Lacie, are you in love with me?” he asked.

“Aries, what the hell?” I said sitting up again, and he followed. “I have told you over a million times how much I love you, and how in love I am with you. If I wasn’t in love with you, I wouldn’t be lying in bed naked with you every night or let you f**k me in Victoria’s Secret dressing room,” we both laughed. “I love you, Aries Nathanial Callaghan, more than I could ever put into words,”

“Oh god, why did you same my full name like that!?”

“Hahaha, because I need to emphasize how much I love you, so stop questioning it!” I tell him and grab his face. Although there no doubt in his eyes, there was still something off about him. “Baby, what’s wrong?” he scrunched his face and let out a big sigh. Without saying a word, he got out of bed and went to the dresser. When he came back to the bed, I saw that he was clenching something in his fist.

“Lacie Amanda Hamilton,” he addressed me using my full name. He opened his hand, and my jaw dropped. “Will you marry me?”