“Yes.” She nodded. “And usually an O-T-H is an automatic disqualification for the NYPD, but he had an in. I remember during his review after he’d attacked Nancy, the mayor and a general of some sort were sitting in on the proceeding. Someone must’ve pulled strings to get him the job.”
“And he let them down.” I glanced back at the notepad and frowned. “After he lost his badge, he went to jail?”
“He got nailed for assault with a deadly weapon, but after he was paroled, he disappeared.”
“So he’s been living under the radar for the past five years?”
“Looks that way,” she replied. “There’s nothing on him. No bank accounts, phone numbers, nothing. It’s like he dropped off the face of the earth.”
“I’m guessing Nero had a way to reach him.” I set the notepad aside.
She traced her fingertip across the leather band she always wore on her left wrist. “I’m sure they did. Once Severino has you in his database of ‘paranormals’ he never forgets, and you can never really get away. He regards jaguars as the top of the paranormal food chain, but he keeps a record of every paranormal he comes across.”
My brow furrowed. “Does he keep our Pack in his database too?”
“He does now.” She sighed and shook her head. “You weren’t on his radar until he started hunting for Lana. When Sebastian didn’t complete the mission, he sent me to finish the job…and I reported back.”
“Sounds like Sebastian is lucky he’s related to the head honcho after the major clusterfuck at Lake Tahoe.”
She sat down beside me. “Sebastian is
“Or that he was helping Adam stop you.”
Sasha’s hand slid into mine, and our fingers twined together. “I wish I could go back and do things differently. The moment Severino promised me an antidote to stop being a jaguar, I was blind to everything else. I played right into his hand.”
I gave her a squeeze. “I wasn’t trying to nail you all over again. I was just pointing out that for some reason Sebastian
“Nothing about Sebastian is simple.” She pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. “I have no idea why he’d risk so much to help your brother. At the time, I figured he just wanted to continue fucking up my chances for a normal life. If he kept me a jaguar shifter, then he’d still have me in his pathetic excuse for a life. But after Lake Tahoe, when he started helping me stay a jump ahead of Nero from the inside, my theory didn’t really hold water anymore.”
Truth be told, I didn’t really give a flying fuck about Sebastian, but discovering Nero was keeping tabs on my Pack changed the dynamics of the situation. We weren’t going to be pawns in Severino’s game.
If Sebastian had reasons for helping us, whatever they were, we’d take all the insider information we could get.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Aren managed to pull me away from my Internet research long enough to grab sandwiches for lunch in the hotel cafe. We even laughed a couple of times. If a hired killer hadn’t been lurking in the shadows somewhere waiting for me, it might’ve felt like an actual date.
My phone buzzed just as Aren was paying the bill. I pulled it out and a chill shot down my spine. The text message had no return number listed, and it read simply:
What the hell did that mean?
“What’s wrong?” Aren asked as he slid his wallet in his pocket.
“I’m not sure.” I handed him my phone and watched his jaw tighten as he read.
“Shit.” He gave the phone back to me.
I followed him out of the restaurant into the noisy chaos of the casino. “Are you going to clue me in?”
Aren stopped and turned to face me. “Barry works for me. I’m guessing Fonthill has him, or he’s already dead. Think I’m close?” He rubbed his forehead shaking his head. “Damn it. I should’ve done something. I didn’t realize he’d go after my employees. What could it possibly gain?”
“Hindsight isn’t going to solve anything at this point.” The police detective in me kicked into high gear. “We need to think this through. Fonthill must’ve backtracked to your company, probably looking for the twin he saw yesterday. When your office didn’t lead to a relative he could use for leverage, he took the next best thing.”
He mulled over what I said, but in the end, he groaned. “I can’t think in this place.” Looping his arm around my waist, he ushered me forward. “Let’s get out of here.”
Weaving through the bright flashing lights and dodging scantily clad cocktail waitresses, we made our way toward the exit doors. I couldn’t stand cigarette smoke when I was human, but with my heightened jaguar senses, the odor was stifling, not to mention it stung my eyes. By the time we got back outside my mouth tasted like I’d just licked a dirty ashtray.
I took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air for a moment before we settled back into the shit storm that was brewing. Aren was quiet as we walked toward a cab outside the hotel lobby. I didn’t prod him. At this point, I was pretty sure Barry was dead. There was no reason for Fonthill to ransom him. He wasn’t a relative, and kidnapping wasn’t his mission anyway.
He wanted us out in the open. And we were obliging.
“What’s your plan?”
Aren stared straight ahead. “I have to go to my office.”
“That’s what he wants, Aren.”
His expression darkened as he turned. “What if Barry’s still alive? I can’t leave him in the hands of that asshole. He could be torturing him right now.” He rubbed his forehead, his tone softening. “He has a family, Sash. I left him in charge of the office when I took off to help you in Los Angeles. This is my fault.”
Guilt was something I could relate to. I took his hand. “It didn’t occur to me that your employees might be in danger either. It’s not your fault.”
“I can’t just assume he’s dead and not do something.” He stared into the distance. “He’s not a werewolf. He doesn’t stand a chance. How can I leave him to die?”
I didn’t answer. What could I say? Could I walk away if it were an officer being held hostage?
“I get that there’s no reason for him to send that text other than to find us. I get it.” He shook his head. “But if there’s even a sliver of a chance Barry’s still alive, I have to try.”
Every muscle in Aren’s arms tightened. It was obvious he had no intention of leaving his second-in- command at the office behind as a casualty of this battle.
This was the Aren I’d met in that alley behind the library in San Antonio. At the time, I’d thought I was attacking Adam, not knowing he had a twin brother. He’d been cold and calculating, a fierce opponent.
And he’d been willing to die to keep his brother safe.
He let me go on believing I had found my mark. When Adam showed up in that alley and I realized my mistake, I couldn’t take them both at once and fled the scene. I remembered being haunted by the focus and determination in Aren’s green eyes.
I didn’t think I’d ever see him again, and never in a million years did I dream I might see those same eyes sparkle when he smiled at me. Life had definitely tossed me a curveball I’d never seen coming when we ended up on the same team.
Aren hopped into the back of the cab and give the driver the address and an extra twenty.
