Page 15 of Second Chance By Fate

Pity for him floods me as I catch his pack members eying him. It doesn’t take me long to understand the look they’re giving him.

They’re questioning his leadership. They’ve been questioning his leadership for a long time, even before I left.

I reach out to touch Enzo’s arm, expecting him to shake me off, but he doesn’t. Instead, he offers me a helpless look, and I steer him away from the horrible scene, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“You should let them do their job and collect evidence,” I suggest. “You’re too close to all this to see clearly.”

“And they aren’t?” he scoffs.

“Maybe they are, too,” I agree. “But someone has to collect what they can, and you’re far too mad about it.”

He studies me suspiciously. “Do you know something about this? About who did this?”

Lowering my eyes, I shake my head. It’s partially true. I can’t be sure, but I have my list of suspects rolling around in the back of my head. “No. I don’t.”

“Another Apex group looking to infringe would want to stake their claim,” Steele growls, interrupting. I tense at his nearness, but I have to agree with his assessment. I cast him a sidelong look. He always was the best at deducing what was going on. “This is the work of something else, isn’t it, Violet?”

I don’t meet his eyes. He doesn’t understand, but I can’t tell him anything. If I do, we’re all screwed.

“Violet!”

“I don’t know for sure!” I yell. “I don’t!”

“Leave her alone,” Jax growls, pulling me away from his brothers. “This isn’t helping.” He half-drags me back toward the car and plops me down in the backseat. “You know you’re only antagonizing them both by being here and not saying anything if you know something.”

I drop my head back against the seat and stare up at the roof. “I can’t tell you what I don’t know, Jax. I wasn’t here, and I don’t know the kinds of issues you have with the packs under your control and the packs from other states.”

“You know full well that our powers have been suffering for years. Maybe I don’t believe you’re directly involved, but I do believe you know more than you’re letting on.”

I press my lips together so hard, I’m sure they’re going to bruise.

“You know why!” Jax barks.

“You’re cursed!” I blurt out. Instantly, blood drains out of my face, and my head whips around, as if I expect lightning to strike me dead.

“What?”

“Never mind,” I mutter, pushing him out of the car. “Go and deal with this. I… I don’t know anything about it.”

“No!” Jax hisses, climbing in behind me and closing the door. “What do you mean, we’re cursed? You cursed us?!”

“No! Not me! I would never—you know me better than that!”

“I thought I did.” He glances out the window, his golden eyes darkening as his brothers stalk by the SUV, their upset palpable. “But we’re dealing with a war here, Violet, one that only seems to get worse when you’re around.”

“I didn’t do anything to you, and I’m getting a little tired of defending myself.”

“Then how do you know we’re cursed?” he presses.

I hang my head. “I’ve already said more than I should, Jax, and I will end up cursed, too, if I say any more than I have.”

He scowls, his anger matching Steele’s. “That sounds like a copout to me.”

“You have to trust that I’m here to help you,” I plead as he reaches for the door, but he doesn’t look at me.

“I don’t,” he retorts. “I’m starting to understand why my brothers see you as a problem.”

The door slams, and I gulp back, the stone forming in my throat.

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