Page 72 of Broken Wolf Heart
Andy sits at the breakfast bar across from me, sipping her coffee. She hasn’t said much this morning, but it’s a comfortable silence. I’m beginning to feel myself wanting to trust her. I can only hope that trust won’t prove misplaced—like it did with Ramsey.
The thought of him sends a wave of anxiety through me. Grey didn’t leave my side after his father left, and after he’d patched up all the cuts left behind by the fight, he filled me in on seeing Ramsey on the video feed at the lab. Then he told me about the creepy phone call Ramsey made to Grey the day of the pack vote. Ramsey’s up to something, and I doubt it’s going to be good for any of us when he reveals what it is.
I’ve stopped worrying that he’s going to out me to Vincenzo for spying. Even if he did, Vincenzo’s determination to come for us is already absolute. And Ramsey doesn’t do anything that won’t serve himself first.
I asked Grey what he thought about all of the lab findings. Not just Ramsey but Crow’s mom’s files. The experiments. Maybe shutting it down wasn’t enough. Maybe we should have burned the fucking place to the ground. But Grey assured me we’d stopped them from hurting anyone else. Now, all we can do is move forward. Starting with apprehending Vincenzo so we can stop the bloodshed before it starts.
Every day he remains free is another threat to the people I love.
This might all be so much easier if I could make peace with my wolf. Not shifting yesterday could have killed me. But deep down, I’m still constantly fighting her for control. I haven’t admitted it to Grey since that moment in the driveway, and he hasn’t asked.
I’m just downing my last bite when Dutch comes in, phone in hand, eyes stormy.
“They’ve got him.”
My pulse skips. “Alvaro?”
Grey told me what Crow asked for. The order he gave to let them loose on the general, who consented to allow Severin to experiment on Crow’s mother. And how she eventually took her own life. My heart aches for Crow—and for Razor. Having a father like that is just as bad as not havingone at all. But now that Crow and Razor have unleashed their rage on the man, I’m not sure he’ll live much longer anyway.
Dutch nods at my question. “Razor said they have him at the warehouse. Told us to come soon if we want to try to get our own questions answered.”
I straighten. My ribs hate me for it. “So, he’s alive.?”
Dutch’s smile is grim. “For now.”
I nod, grabbing the hoodie I left slung over the back of a chair.
Grey walks in just as I’m pulling it over my head. There’s something different about him today. He hasn’t touched me since he rolled out of bed alone this morning when he thought I was still sleeping. Hasn’t looked at anyone too long.
Something’s off with him. Worse than the expected Daddy issues, which no one would even blame him for anyway. But there’s no time to unravel him now.
Mia would probably know, but she’s gone to look for a way to check on Charlie. He wasn’t with the other generals yesterday, and I can tell she’s not sure whether to deem that a good thing or a cause for worry. I can’t quite give him the benefit of the doubt, but I understand needing to know he’s safe.
“I’m going with you,” I tell Grey defiantly, bracing myself for a fight, but he just nods.
“Okay.”
“I’ll hold down the fort,” Andy says.
“Actually,” I hesitate, hating that it’s come to this. “I need you to call a meeting with the lieutenants we decided to keep.”
“What do you want me to tell them?” she asks.
“They can each handpick a team and start running patrols of the city. Vincenzo Diavolo should be arrested on sight.”
Andy nods. “Understood.”
“And for the funeral arrangements for the guards,” I say haltingly, but Andy waves me off.
“I’m taking care of it. Along with Franco’s and the generals,” she adds a bit quieter.
“You don’t have to do it alone,” I say, but she snorts.
“Believe me, Elena wouldn’t allow that for a second.”
I exhale. “Thank you.”
“Go take care of business,” she says.
