Crossbred Son by Brenna Lyons

in a closet, we’ll probably grab everything from that closet, just to be sure we don’t leave it behind.”
    “O-okay. I can do that.” Her heart thundered at his stark and serious nature. This wasn’t like Gabe. He was rattled.
    “In the meantime, the elders have already arranged to have deliveries for Xxanian nests accepted by the shipping department at Spice Industries , checked, and moved to the nests by shuttle.
    “If you want to shop at Spice , you can likewise go by shuttle. Gran-Seir’s shuttle will be available to transport the women and Michael at all times. But only to secure locations, like Spice Tower or SLAL.”
    “I don’t understand,” she admitted. “Your coupe has military-grade systems.” Was it that Spice Tower lacked a bunker garage? She’d thought they had one.
    “There are military-grade weapons that can destroy it. The shuttles have the advantage of maneuverability.”
    “How can you go back to work?”
    He seemed pained by the question. “On duty with the police? I can’t. Not at this point. Maybe not ever.”
    Abby placed a hand on his arm, at a loss to comfort him. All he’d ever wanted was to be a police officer, and a bunch of bigots stole it from him.
    He took a calming breath and continued. “I’ll be working with the Spice security force, overseeing the new delivery measures and the influx of shuttle traffic at the tower. I can go to work by shuttle.”
    A potent silence fell between them, and Abby wrapped her arms around him. In all the years she’d been with Gabe, all the specists spewing hate at the two of them...even after the attack on her and Michael, she’d never realized the extremes the anti-Xxan guerillas would go to.
    “Be careful,” she begged him.
    “I will. I have to. I have a son and mate to come home to.”
    There was an unspoken vow in that. No matter what Gabe had to do, he wouldn’t leave Abby alone to die when her mate was killed. She wasn’t sure whether she should take that unspoken vow as crushing her dreams of mating or making them come true.

 
     
    Chapter Nine
     
     
    Gabe sat in the back of the second transport van, watching the city streets pass by through the heavily-tinted, bullet-proof glass panels. They’d chosen their timing well. It was after work hours on a Friday evening. The streets were full of traffic, and no one would notice a couple of nondescript vans.
    Of course, someone would notice when they all filed out of those vans. Every one of the Xxanian Dominants aiding Gabe with the move wore body armor and impact helmets. The males who would be protecting the vans and doors additionally carried weapons.
    Gabe had planned this move with Abby, putting her mind as much at ease as he could with the fact that the Xxanian team he’d assembled could strip down the most important things from her apartment and get them away in less than twenty minutes. Abby had been incredibly picky about what she wanted them to bring first. If there couldn’t be a second trip—for whatever reason—they would be sure to get the things she considered most important.
    Sirens screamed in the distance, moving the same direction they were. Gabe listened, endeavoring to separate the overlapping sounds.
    Police. Fire. Ambulance. It’s a trifecta. He itched to help, but he was still officially on leave and was unlikely to go back at all.
    “Behind us,” one of the other males decided.
    “And ahead,” Gabe corrected him. It must be something big.
    “We’re blocked ahead,” Jaee Vhheaa, the driver of the first van, announced over their headsets.
    Gabe launched to his feet and scanned the road blocked by emergency vehicles over Marcus Raash’s shoulder. He pressed the transmit button. “Turn right here, Jaee. Two blocks down, turn left. We’ll work our way down the backstreets to her apartment.” He released the button.
    “On our way,” Jaee responded.
    Jaee made the right, and Marcus followed in his wake.
    “Blocked,” Jaee reported when he