Page 21 of Targeted By Love

The whole situation was a mess.

I was a mess.

My brother and his new husband were a mess.

Everything was a freaking mess.

Finally, the waitress asked if we needed anything else and my mom said no. I was relieved beyond measure. I was about to suggest leaving when the building shook. Like an earthquake, only this wasn’t a place that experienced them.

A sound filled the air—a cross between a crash and a cannon blast. It was for sure not an earthquake.

The server came running back into the room. “A car—it blew up!” she cried, shaking.

In a flash, Maynard was out the door.

I followed him, my heart pounding.

When I got outside, I saw it. My brother’s car—or at least, the car that was the same color as his—was in pieces.

“That’s my brother’s, I think,” I whispered, grabbing onto Maynard’s arm.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ve got you.”

I believed him.

“Please, take me out of here. Please.”

“Absolutely. Let’s go.”

12

MAYNARD

“Twice in two days.” Lake sat cross-legged on an armchair munching corn chips. “Needs salsa. Got any?”

I rolled my eyes because my mate’s life was at stake, and his family’s and maybe everyone in this room, while Lake was thinking with his stomach.

“Time for some truth-telling.” I shoved both hands in my pockets.

“Okay, you got me.” Boaz put up his hand, his usual snarky expression wiped off his face and replaced by an impish one. Weird, cause my brother didn’t do impish. “I had some afternoon delight earlier.”

“Ewww!” Thiago tossed a cushion at Boaz and told him to shut it. “We don’t want to picture you having sex with an unsuspecting human omega who thinks you want to date.”

Gods, just once I’d like everyone to pay attention.

“My mate almost got blown up at brunch.”

“Was it the shrimp?” Riggs made a face. “Never touch the stuff.”

“When do you go to brunch?” Boaz shot back at him.

“In an explosion,” I clarified. Thinking of Rhodes in teeny-tiny pieces should get some sympathy, even though they didn’t think we should mate.

“Explosive diarrhea? The worst.” Riggs had gone pale, and my remaining brothers gagged.

“Will you stop that? It was a freaking bomb, and no, not the intestinal kind. The kaboom kind.”

“Someone doesn’t like him.” Riggs studied his nails.