Page 63 of Broken Wolf Heart
“I’m not asking for nothing,” I reply carefully. “I’m asking you to trust me. We’ll handle it together. Smart. Precise. Controlled.”
The tension stretches, brittle and electric. Crow’s eyes flicker with indecision, pain written plainly across his face. Finally, he exhales, a ragged, defeated sound. “Fine. But when the time comes, that fucker is mine.”
“Agreed,” I say firmly.
Crow gives a sharp nod, retreating into silence. The hurt etched deep into his features lingers like smoke after a fire, raw and choking.
Dutch clears his throat. “We need to track Ramsey down. Whatever he stole—it matters enough to risk coming back here. And if I had to guess, I’d say it involves the experiments on Lexi since I don’t see anything about her in the files we have.”
“A lot of my mom’s records are missing too,” Crow adds.
“Do you think he plans to sell the info to Vincenzo in exchange for his place at the table?” Dutch asks.
“Fuck,” I say because, yeah, I do think that.
“It’s all he cared about when Franco shot his old man,” Dutch adds.
“I know.”
It all comes back to my father—the puppet master pulling strings from the shadows, determined to control the pack through Lexi. Through Ramsey. Through me. Anger boils beneath my skin, a familiar burn.
Before I can speak, my phone buzzes loudly. Mia’s name flashes on the screen.
“What is it?” I ask immediately.
“Do you know anything about a meeting between Lexi and your old man?” Mia’s voice is clipped.
Alarm bells go off at the urgency in her tone.
“No. Why?”
“Because he just arrived, and Lexi allowed him through the gate.”
The idea of my father alone with Lexi right now sends ice rushing through my veins. Lexi’s powerful, but her wolf is unstable. If anything happens to her?—
Dutch stands immediately. Crow tosses the binder down and heads for the door.
“We’re coming,” I tell Mia, voice raw with restrained rage. “Don’t let her out of your sight.”
“Wasn’t planning on it,” Mia mutters darkly. “But hurry.”
She hangs up.
Crow meets my gaze, his own pain momentarily set aside. “I’ll drive.”
I nod tightly, forgetting about the research and Ramsey and everything else. All that matters now is getting to Lexi.
We rush from the warehouse, the heat of the afternoon sun leaving a layer of sweat on my brow. The streets blur past in a haze as Crow drives, my heart hammering relentlessly. Lexi’s face fills my mind, her haunted eyes and stubborn pride. I promised to keep her safe. It’s why I claimed her, married her, moved in with her at Franco’s fucking house of all places.
Yet, despite everything, she’s still vulnerable.
Still at the mercy of my father. A man I can’t seem to protect the women I love from, no matter how hard I try.
“Grey?” Crow glances at me from the driver’s seat, his eyes dark with worry.
I look down to see my veins practically glowing beneath my skin. My wolf is writhing inside me, and the voice—the one that sounds a lot like Franco—whispers at me that I’ll never make it in time to save her.
My jaw clenches, my voice scraping out harshly. “Drive faster.”
