Page 150 of Wild Card

I read the report on the screen again, ready to rip someone apart. Rage boils in my blood, racing through my veins with every beat of my heart. The words blur as red takes over my vision and I chuck the laptop across the room, hitting the wall with a crash.

“It was fucking peanut butter. The vet tested his stomach contents and reported the poison was likely in the peanut butter.”

“Goddamn,” Major hisses. “Didn’t see that coming.”

“Peanut butter supposed to mean something?” Finn asks

“Not long ago, Willow was in the hospital. They suspected allergic reaction.” Ace explains what happened, and with every word, my fury magnifies.

I swing around, scrubbing my hands through my hair. “I’m trained to identify threats and smoke them out. How the fuck did I miss this?”

We had no idea what happened to Wolf to put him in the condition he was in. There was still the possibility he got into something outside after the pest control service left.

Now that I know the cause, I’m not sure my control can last.

“Man, you gotta hold it together.” Robbie eyes me cautiously.

“Ember and Blaze were poisoned, and her house ransacked, then you talk to me about holding it together.”

“That woman in the kitchen has had enough for one day. The girls will only keep her occupied for so long before she’ll need you.”

I blow out a breath and drop my head back, knowing he’s right.

Not to mention, Bex and Chase will be here soon. After Major arrived and took Wolf to the vet clinic, we answered questions for over an hour.

Willow went through her house, reporting what was missing and describing the damage.

I made her leave to visit Wolf and let my guys do the rest of the sweep.

Then, I called Chase and explained she wasn’t going back anytime soon, if ever.

Once the vet confirmed Wolf would be fine and he’d need to stay overnight, I got her here. Jewls, Jay, and Rowan were waiting.

But the distraction won’t last long.

“Breaking it down, Willow gets sick, speculation it’s an allergic reaction to possibly peanut butter, but all tests prove negative. She’s had no other reactions. Then today her house is robbed and her dog found in the same state as Willow. Only this time, they identify the reasonisactually peanut butter that was contaminated. This just got a hell of a lot messier than a run-of-the-mill break-in.”

The calmness in Finn’s tone ratchets up my already destructive irritation.

“You fucking think? There’s nothing run-of-the-mill about this.”

“Playing devil’s advocate here—let me throw out a setup. Perp breaks in, Wolf goes crazy, and the intruder lures him out of the room with the temptation of peanut butter, not knowing it’s tainted. Shuts the dog in the room, finishes the job, and leaves.”

“Don’t tell me you believe that shit you spouted.”

“Not what I believe, but thinking on the side of the law.”

“There are no coincidences here. It was personal. And my money is on the fucking sister.”

“You got anything to back that up?”

“She’s jobless, drowning in debt, and as of recently, single. That’s why the dickhead was at Willow’s today.”

“Joseph Wynn came over to tell her he broke off his engagement with her sister? Did he think she’d care?”

“He’s a sack of shit with an ego issue. One second with the guy and you know he regrets his decision. You also know he deserves what he got.”

“Back to the sister. You really take her for this?”

---