Chapter Twenty-Six
The car stunk. Even with all the windows rolled down, death drowned me in its stench. No amount of showering was going to get this reek out of my nostrils. The plastic bag crackled and flapped in the wind as I followed Aren and Jason toward a remote destination. A condemned casino sat just outside of the city limits. We’d leave the car parked in the lot and one of the other Pack boys would meet us and rig the engine to blow.
I could hardly wait to meet the next member of Aren’s Pack.
After spending years as a female detective in the police department, I was somewhat numb to being judged, often unjustly so. Playing it tough and proving their impressions wrong was hardwired in me now. Jason’s reaction got under my skin because his judgments weren’t unfounded. Aren’s Pack had every right to hate me. When he blamed me for getting their previous Alpha, Aren’s father, killed, he was right.
There were days after that blood bath when I wished I’d been the one shot at the lake that night. Other than a few bumps and bruises, I was unharmed. A green-eyed werewolf favoring his back leg had pulled me to safety away from the fight. A few days later, Sebastian brought me up to speed on what had happened.
Aren dropped Jason off at his house before we made our final stop. Another Pack member, Gareth, would be meeting us to finish the job. We’d return Jason’s car when the deed was done. Lucky for us, the doctor had more than one vehicle, and Fonthill wouldn’t be looking for an ivory-colored Lexus.
The brake lights lit up in front of me, and I followed Aren on another right turn. The abandoned casino sat up ahead on the left. I pulled around the back of the building and got out of the car, grateful to be free of the blood-soaked driver’s seat. Even with the plastic barrier, the death seemed to seep right through my clothes.
“You all right?” Aren walked toward me. The car keys jangled as he put them in his pocket.
I nodded. “Yeah.” His arm slid around my waist, drawing me in closer, and I let my head rest against his warm chest. He smelled like heaven after the hell I’d been trapped in on the drive over. I closed my eyes and whispered, knowing he’d hear me just fine. “I’m so sorry about your father, about Barry, everything.”
His grip tightened, pulling me even closer. I wrapped my arms around his waist, grateful for his comfort and his silence. I didn’t want him to lie to me and tell me none of this was my fault. We both knew the score, and he was still at my side.
In that moment something shifted inside. I knew I didn’t deserve him, but I was damned well going to do all I could to change that.
A roar ripped through the silence. I scanned the street. About a block away a motorcycle rolled toward us. Aren straightened beside me, the muscles in his arms contracting.
“It’s Gareth.” He met my eyes. “I almost thought he wouldn’t show. You better get in the car.”
I raised a brow. “What? Why?”
“I’ll explain later.” He checked the progress of the Harley and then gave me his keys. “Just do it. Please.”
I snatched the keys and jogged to the car. Once I was inside, I adjusted the rearview mirror and watched. I did my best not to acknowledge the hurt twisting up inside of me. He’d sent me away so he wouldn’t have to introduce me again. Not that I could blame him.
But it didn’t make it hurt any less.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I watched Sasha head for the car, feeling like a complete prick. Sending her away when I saw Gareth coming was really low, but after Adam warned me how close Gareth was to leaving the Pack, I couldn’t jeopardize this. My brother hadn’t told the Pack about Sasha’s involvement in this mess, and it was probably the right move.
Now Jason knew, but he tended to be level-headed and most likely he’d take it up with Adam directly. He wouldn’t rile the entire Pack. It was still going to be tough for my brother to keep a lid on it for much longer.
Gareth was another matter altogether. If anyone could make this car fire look unintentional, it was him. He was a master with engines. But the chances of him helping me with Sasha nearby dwindled drastically.
Even with that knowledge, I couldn’t rationalize away that I’d been an asshole.
Gareth gave the Harley a final pump of the throttle and pulled up beside me. My ears were still ringing after he’d killed the engine. He yanked his leather gloves free, tossing them on the flat top of the gas tank before pulling off his helmet. His black hair fell down just past his shoulders, and his dark eyes scanned the lot as he reached back to release the stand.
“Where is she?”
“Who?” I crossed my arms.
“Jason called me.” His brow furrowed. “I knew a jaguar was behind all this shit.”
So much for Jason taking it up with Adam directly. Dammit.
“She’s waiting in the car.” No sense lying to him. He’d probably catch her scent eventually anyway.
He kicked his leg over the bike and stood up. We were about the same height, but that didn’t stop me from straightening up a little. I could sense his aggression, almost smell it, and I wanted him to know I was ready to take his ass out if it came to that.
Gareth’s eyes narrowed as he turned toward the car. “Don’t want to introduce me?” He glared at me next. “I never thought you’d be the one to betray your Pack for a woman.”
“Don’t say something we’re both going to regret,” I said through gritted teeth. “Let’s just get this done.”
“I’m not going to regret anything.” He walked around the back of his motorcycle, unfastening one of the black saddlebags. “My conscious is clear. I’m not fucking the woman who got my father killed.”
I was on top of him before he could say another word. My right fist slammed into his mouth as he rolled us over, planting a solid punch to my eye. Stars lit up the edges of my vision, and the scent of fresh blood invaded my senses. I kept hitting him and taking hits as I lost myself in the pain and adrenaline. All my frustrations and fear and rage poured into our struggle across the pavement.
Until something yanked me back. Hard.
“Enough!” It took a second for the haze of aggression to clear before I recognized Sasha’s voice. “You’re both wasting time we don’t have.”
Gareth was on his feet, blood dripping down his chin. Before I got a chance to gloat about it, I wiped the sweat off my forehead and saw it was blood too. Sasha stepped up beside me, facing Gareth.
He glared at her and spat on the ground. “Fuck you both. I don’t need this shit.” He reached for his helmet.
“So you just start shit and leave?” Sasha cocked her head toward Gareth. “Is that how you roll?”
“I came here to help clean up a mess I had nothing to do with.” He slammed his helmet back onto the handlebars and got up in Sasha’s face. “You’d already be dead if I had anything to say about it.”
“Shut the fuck up.” I shoved him. “Get out of here. We don’t need your goddamn help.”
“Yes, we do.” Sasha glared at me, then at Gareth. “Look, I get that this isn’t your problem, but if the police find this car and pull DNA samples from the upholstery, werewolves in Reno won’t be a secret anymore.” Gareth clenched his jaw and did his best not to make eye contact as Sasha went on. “If you want to ride off and wrap yourself up in your self-righteous bullshit, you go right ahead, but when a crime lab gets finished examining the samples from this car, you won’t be able to blame
Without another word, Sasha turned and walked back to the Lexus. Gareth wiped his mouth, watching her. I waited, but he didn’t get on the Harley. Instead, he pulled a couple of tools out of the saddlebag. He tipped his head toward Barry’s car.
“You gonna pop the hood, or what?”
I started to nod, and my split lip stung when I tried to smile. “Yeah, I got it.”
