Page 108 of Broken Wolf Heart
I tell Andy where we’re going and then slip away from the guests, heart pounding at the thought of what kind of attack we’ll face. At the door, Grey pauses to nod at Mia and Dutch, who stand chatting with Claire. They take one look at their alpha and break away from Claire to follow us outside.
“Where’s Razor and Crow?” Grey asks them.
“Patrol,” Dutch says.
“I’m texting them now,” Mia adds.
After that, we’re all silent as we round the curve and get our first look at the visitors standing just beyond the checkpoint.
I stop dead.
Charlie Reyes stands front and center. His red hair gives him away even from this distance.
And behind him stand a dozen other Diavolo wolves. Noneof them wear colors or family insignia. They’ve shed their uniforms, their armor. But I know enough of the faces.
Elio. Cruz. Darius. One of them guarded my suite when Vincenzo held me hostage at his home. Another drove Grey and me to our engagement party.
What are they doing here?
“What the hell,” Dutch mutters.
“Dad,” Mia says, increasing her pace.
The surprise in her voice tells me she didn’t know he was coming. Dutch says something to her, and she hangs back rather than closing the distance to where her father stands.
Charlie’s eyes find mine. He steps forward, hands visible, no weapons, no challenge in his posture. “Alpha Giovanni,” he says, “we’ve come to pledge our loyalty.”
“What do you want to do?” Grey asks.
“Let’s hear him out,” I say.
Grey nods and motions at the guards to let Charlie through. They open the gate far enough to allow him entry then shut it again, their weapons still aimed at the rest of the Diavolo pack members. Charlie approaches us warily, but he doesn’t seem hostile. Just unsure.
Grey glances at Dutch, who takes Mia by the elbow and steers her out of range. She doesn’t look happy about it, but she lets him. I turn to Charlie, arms crossed.
“Why are you here?” I ask him, keeping my voice low.
Charlie inclines his head toward the gate. “Because it’s not safe for me out there anymore.”
“Does my father know you helped us?” Grey asks.
“He’s close to figuring it out. He’s ordered interrogations for me and Rocco, which means he knows it was someone close to him.”
“Word will reach him that you’ve come here, and then he’ll know for sure,” Grey warns.
But Charlie’s expression doesn’t waver. “Yes.”
He’s clearly already made his decision.
I study him. “Are you sure about this? I can’t guarantee your safety here either,” I tell him honestly. “Not with so many here who will only remember you as Vincenzo’s general.”
“I’ve got a little money saved up,” he admits quietly. His gaze flicks to Mia. “I think it might be best if I leave the city. I’m just asking for a safe place to stay until I can get through the wards.”
The wards. Another thing I haven’t had time to think about since becoming High Alpha. Grey said only the alphas had access to them, but I have no idea how it works. And now Charlie wants to get through them. To leave.
“Have you talked to Mia about this?” I ask.
“Not yet.”
