Page 37 of To Hunt A Wolf
“I’ll take it. Biggest plate you’ve got.”
His smile widens. “Coming right up.”
He disappears through a narrow door along the back wall.
I refocus on my mother.
Franco is regaling her with some bull shit story about a high-stakes poker game he won. According to him, the pot involved a lot of money and a man they both knew who was wanted for embezzlement by some pack northeast of here. Franco took the man’s money and made sure he was arrested by the end of the game. It’s supposed to be funny, I guess.
She laughs when he laughs.
It’s weird.
The guard brings me a plate of spaghetti that I have to admitisthe best I’ve ever had. I stifle a groan of pleasure and honestly debate kissing him on the mouth in gratitude. Unfortunately, my mouth is only interested in kissing one person, and it’s not this guy. Because that would be too easy; wanting someone who wants me back.
Ugh.
I wash the food down with water because, even though I’m pretty sure they won’t poison me—I’m already poisoned, technically—I’m not stupid enough to lose my wits in a place like this.
The fact that it’s empty at lunchtime speaks volumes about what these men are and what sort of business goes on in here.
“Franco, listen,” my mom says as I polish off the last of my food. Finally, we’re getting down to business. “I need to know what you’ve heard about a tracker hired for a contract liquidation.”
“Hm. Was the liquidation successful?” Franco asks.
My mother’s gaze flicks to me. “No.”
“I see.”
And I can tell by the sharpness in Franco’s gaze that he does see.
“Now that you mention it, I did hear something about an inside hire.”
I straighten in my seat.
My mother doesn’t react.
“Inside hire?” she repeats with a practiced sort of curiosity.
“Your new alpha. What’s his name?” Franco snaps his finger. “Theo?”
“Thiago.” My voice rings out clearly across the room. The men all turn to look at me, and my mother glares.
I told you to stay quiet, her eyes scream.
I ignore her.
My stomach churns with rage. Thiago spared my life only to exile me and try to kill me once I’d left his borders. It doesn’t make sense. But then, I think of Kari, and, actually, it makes perfect sense.
He only spared me as an excuse to get to her.
With me gone, he has no reason to release her.
Ever.
This was never about Crigger’s killer, this was about Thiago eliminating his own competition.
My mother’s anger is a frequency screeching in my head. But I don’t let her rules keep me from getting my own answers. This is my fight just as much as hers. More, actually.
