Broderick, on the other hand, came right for them. “Bree!” he bellowed. “And my favorite ass-kicker, Remy.” Broderick stopped in front of them. Addie sensed he wanted to embrace them, Shifter-style, then realized he was naked and sweaty. Shifters wouldn’t mind but humans might. He pinned his gray stare on Addie. “Who’s this?”
“Her name’s Addie,” Bree said quickly. “She’s a friend of mine. She’s new.”
“Great. You bring her in just in time to see me get my ass handed to me.” For a defeated Shifter, he was full of energy and fire. “Did you see that crazy polar bear heal me? Gives me the creeps, but hell, I can walk five minutes after I break my ankle. Hey, we should pit him against Tiger, see what happens.”
“Tiger doesn’t fight in the fight clubs,” Bree said. “Everyone knows that.”
“Yeah, well, maybe he could make an exception. I could win a pile of cash knowing Tiger could wipe the floor with him.”
Zander got to his feet and limped away, at the moment not looking as though he could wipe the floor with anyone.
Broderick let him go. “Where’s Seamus?”
Bree shrugged. “Around. I wanted to show my friend some fun. My brother decided to tag along and keep us safe.”
Broderick gave Remy a sympathetic look. “Good luck with that. Shifters here are wild tonight. Some vibe in the air I can’t place. But that’s East Texas Shifters for you.”
Broderick didn’t stay to exchange more pleasantries. He clapped Remy on the shoulder, then walked away, calling a challenge to another Shifter. His body was tight, and most female heads turned as he went by.
“Who exactly are we looking for?” Bree whispered to Addie. “And how are we supposed to find them?”
Addie wasn’t certain. Ben had described the Shifters he’d spied on, but the description could apply to any number here. Shifters fit a certain body type, and tatts and buzz-cut hair seemed to be popular.
Addie had never tried spying before, but being a waitress had been good training. People didn’t pay attention to a server—they’d natter on about family secrets, real estate deals, bank deposits, their own extramarital affairs, their struggles to get a brother out of prison, without ever noticing that Addie heard every word as she refilled their glasses. The listeners of the world, she’d realized, could amass an amazing amount of knowledge.
Bree and Addie, with Remy, moved through the crowd, Addie trying not to obviously watch anyone specific. Another match started between the tatt-covered Shifter Addie had seen in the San Antonio parking lot and another, more rangy Shifter.
The crowd loved it, their frenzied screams heightening every time one of the Shifters landed a blow.
“Spike,” Bree said into Addie’s ear over the noise. “The one with the tatts. He’s a favorite—a champion.”
Addie couldn’t see much of the fight through the mass of bodies around the ring, but the surge and ebb of the crowd’s roar told her when Spike got in a good hit and when he took one.
She also knew when Kendrick arrived.
Addie didn’t see him, not even a glimpse, but she knew with her whole being that Kendrick was there. Her body flushed, her need to turn around and search for him strong.
She knew that if she looked, she’d betray herself and him, but not looking was tough. She had no idea what the hell Kendrick was doing there when they were supposed to be practicing stealth, but she suddenly felt much better.
With the focus of the crowds on the fight, any covert activity would happen around the edges, where no one was looking, Addie reasoned. She slipped through the mass of Shifters and humans, walking nonchalantly toward the end of the arena as though doing nothing more covert than looking for the bathroom.