Eye of the Tiger by Crissy Smith Read Free Book Online Page A

and knew no one could see them either.
    Zak was a little surprised that Luca was as calm as he was acting. Scenting the air, he could smell only a slight hint of fear. Logan’s increasing unease was stronger, making Zak even more nervous.
    “This is far enough,” Logan barked suddenly.
    Luca turned to face the two of them while Zak braced himself for the confirmation.
    “What now?” Luca asked, looking at Zak this time.
    “Now we make sure you don’t make your next check-in, Agent Perez,” Logan taunted.
    Luca closed his eyes for an instant. When he lifted his lids and peered at Zak, his gaze was peaceful. He nodded. “How did you find out?”
    “Let’s just say you’re not the only one who can get people into places they need to be. As soon as your partner showed up and started working with the sheriff’s office, we knew we had a rat,” Logan told him.
    “So you’re just going to shoot me?” Luca asked.
    Zak noted the way his legs were braced while he kept his arms loose at his sides.
    “Actually I’m not,” Logan said, glancing in Zak’s direction.
    Luca followed Logan’s eyes to Zak.
    “I get to take out the trash,” Zak confirmed, as he pulled out the gun from the small of his back. “Now walk.”
    Luca glared at him. “Really?”
    Zak stalked forward. “Yeah, you didn’t just betray the group. You played me like a fool!” he yelled. Grabbing Luca’s arm, he pushed the agent ahead of him.
    Maybe if Zak could get Luca far enough away, they could get a few words in. If they worked together, they should be able to take Logan easily. Zak was pretty certain that Logan would give him a fight in either human or shifter form.
    He tried not to shift—ever. As a tiger shifter, he was solitary like most of the large cat shifters. Zak hadn’t been taught to control his animal side like other shifters he knew. Since Zak was more afraid of his animal than he was of anything else, he did his best not to let the shift overtake him unless he was certain no one could get killed. When he was younger, he’d only made the mistake once to shift in front of someone else. It was a fatal mistake he wouldn’t repeat unless his life was on the line and he was out of options.
    Luca stumbled ahead of him before whirling around. His hands were fisted by his side.
    Shoving the small handgun back in his pants, Zak glowered at Luca. “You son of a bitch!” he yelled before punching Luca in the chin.
    His friend went down, and Zak followed him to the ground. Grabbing the front of Luca’s shirt while continuing to pummel him, Zak finally had a plan. He held back his strength to not injure him too bad but still make it look good for Logan.
    “Play along,” Zak whispered. “I’ll get you out of here.”
    “You need to shoot me,” Luca said quietly.
    Zak jerked back. He brought his fist down harder than he’d meant to, and Luca grunted at the blow.
    Logan was laughing from his position away from them.
    “Finish him off, Zak,” Logan called.
    “They won’t just let me go. Shoot me. I can handle it and they’ll think I’m dead.”
    Zak wasn’t sure that was a good idea. Luca might be a shifter but too much could go wrong. He shook his head before dropping Luca down against the dirt and grass.
    “Do it!” Luca ordered.
    Zak stood and pointed the weapon at Luca’s head.
    “Finish it,” Logan demanded.
    Closing his eyes, Zak took a deep breath before lifting his eyelids and staring at the man who’d had his back for the last several months.
    “The shifter Coalition,” Zak mouthed before firing at Luca’s arm. He pulled the trigger three more times but aimed just to the side of Luca.
    Luca’s body jumped at the sound and the impact beside him.
    Bending over, Zak brushed his hand over the wound, collecting some of Luca’s blood, acting like he was checking his pulse. If Logan didn’t believe their display, they both would die.
    With Luca’s blood coating his fingers, he leaned close. “You better be