Chapter 9
C reaking, the bar door swung shut behind me and Verity. An endless crowd of bikers filled the front of the pub, so we’d had to push out way inside.
“Are you sure we should be here?” Verity muttered, arm hooked through mine. It was odd having her cling to me. In prison, she’d always looked after me, so that told me she was rattled by everything I’d told her.
I didn’t answer her, sweeping my gaze across the inside of Red Fang Pub. The hair on my arms lifted. I inhaled deeply, tasting the earthy undertone that all shifters carried. The pub crawled with our kind.
Thank Moon, I’d looked up the sheriff online. His pale hair would stand out. I’d confront him, ask my questions, and get out of here. At least this was in public, so there was a semblance of safety.
“Is that him?” Verity nudged my arm. I followed her gaze to a man sitting in the farthest corner of the pub. He sat alone, a pint of beer in front of him and a few empty ones to the side. He tossed back the one he was nursing.
“It is.” I slipped out of her grip. As I’d told her to do in the car, she stayed back, selecting a table for herself.
I wove through the busy, compact pub. The revelry was in full swing, and about seventy percent of the patrons were deeply inebriated from the looks of it.
I fanned my face to alleviate a bit of the heat.
I had my focus narrowed on Stools, but he was staring at the beer, his eyes unfocused.
Verity’s bra strap dug into my side, and I slid my finger into the fabric, fixing my boobs in the process. I reached the table and the man, older than me by two decades, lifted his red-rimmed eyes to mine.
“Hi,” I chirped with fake enthusiasm. I didn’t let him get a word in and slid into the booth, scooting next to him. Up close, it was easier to see the age lines all over his face.
“Uh,” he gasped on his drink, obviously shocked. I softened my lips before they curled into a sneer like I wanted to. As I sat in silence, he incrementally relaxed, returning to drinking with his head lowered. He scanned my face, recognition, fear, and panic flitting over his features.
I licked my lips and propped my chin on my palm. I didn’t want to waste time.
“How long did you serve as a sheriff?”
“Twenty years . . .” he answered without hesitation, his eyes widening on me.
“I would imagine being sheriff for so long offered you a certain amount of power.” I smiled. “Enough power to help murder a father and a daughter.” He stiffened, and his drink toppled from his fingers. I caught it and righted it.
“The . . .” he breathed, giving me the confirmation I needed. “You . . . remembered?”
I came to the pub on a strong hunch, but my gut had proved me right.
“Luna,” he begged, baring his neck. He was trembling, his gaze going far off. This man was pathetic. “As soon as I saw you with Lucian. I understood why she wanted to get rid of you.” He shook his head.
“So you were one of the men who caused the accident.”
“No,” he sputtered. “I didn’t hit your car?—”
“But you knew about it.”
“Yes.” He lowered his eyes. “I was only supposed to cover our tracks and doctor paperwork after we got rid of you,” he whispered. His eyes were glazed and unfocused. “But an ambulance showed up, stopping us from . . .”
“Killing me?” I bit out.
“Yes.”
“So instead, you had me thrown in prison.”
“I-it wasn’t the plan,” he croaked.
“No, your plan was to kill me and set it up to look like I caused the accident,” I hissed. “What did you inject me with?”
He jerked like I’d hit him, eyes lowering.
“Heroine.” His expression crumpled. “I’m sorry.”
I scoffed, and I wanted to lose it. To attack him. To let out this pent-up anger.
“I didn’t know what to do,” he whimpered. “I-I didn’t want to kill you myself. And you were incarcerated.” He shoved shaking hands through his hair. “I-I just told Cierra you died. I tried to get rid of you while you were there, but you didn’t fucking die,” he blurted.
It was like a faucet had been opened. Words, excuses, and explanations spilled from him.
“It’s easier to get rid of someone in jail. No questions.”
The dots didn’t just connect; they morphed into a clear line.
“You hired inmates to go after me.” I narrowed my eyes. Those attacks weren’t just prison politics. They came at me because of him.
“I had to be careful, a flag was raised, and I had to put it on pause . . . but then, I discovered your memory loss.” He chugged some beer and thumped the glass on the table.
“It was a blessing. I let you be. You didn’t remember—” He cut himself off and cupped his mouth.
A dry sob left his mouth. Guilt festered off him, but I couldn’t feel any sympathy for the pathetic shifter.
He’d admitted Cierra’s part. It wasn’t a surprise, but vindication made a smile bloom across my lips.
Suddenly, he turned into me as much as he could with the limited booth space, his knee knocking into mine.
He caught my hands, and jerked me toward him until I was a few inches from his face.
“Forgive me,” he cried. “You didn’t remember, so I thought you would be okay.
Once your sentence was done, you could have a fresh start at life.
” He sucked in a breath. “I knew it was wrong, but the Luna had too much on me. He shouldn’t have given her so much say,” he spat.
“But you’re out now, and you took back what was always yours. I watched you during the Blood Moon?—”
“You’re part of Lucian’s pack, why didn’t you ever tell him?” I hissed.
“He’d kill me.” His eyes widened until the whites took up most of the space.
“Alpha has always had a nasty temper, but his fury amplified after your death. He became cold, and I knew him capable of killing my mate and our daughter.” Everything was spilling from his mouth in a rush.
“I made sure to whisper in the appropriate ears about where you should be placed, and now everything is as it should be.”
“You set it up so I ended up at Crescent Hotel,” I deadpanned.
“Yes.” His nostrils flared. “It was all I could do. I know I can’t stay in your pack, please don’t tell Alpha Wilder.” I could almost taste the fear in his eyes. “I’ll leave. I’ll take my family to another pack. I’ve been begging Gideon Drake to take me, and he finally agreed today?—”
“Today?” I stiffened.
“Yes, I’ve been pleading my case to him,” he continued, but my mind was racing. Gideon Drake agreed today?
No that didn’t make sense . . .
This was a setup. I yanked my hand out of Stools’s grip. As soon as I was off the seat, I bumped into a wall of muscle.
Fuck.
My neck pinched from how high I had to look. Usually, my arms were wrapped around Lucian’s neck, so it made it less painful.
“Josephine Garcia.” His deep voice echoed strength and dominance. His dark hair framed his temple, and that smarmy crooked smile spread across his mouth.
He curled his arm around my shoulders and tucked me close to him.
“Let’s take a stroll,” he drawled.
I jerked my shoulders to the side, but he wasn’t fazed, jerking me back to his side forcefully. Panic made my breathing disjointed.
“Let me go.”
Drake peered down at me, his smirk making my skin crawl.
“Ah, so he told you a bit about our past, yes?”
I narrowed my eyes at his cryptic comment. He inhaled, visibly sniffing my hair.
“You smell of your pathetic mate.”
I clenched my teeth with an audible click.
His words shouldn’t piss me off. I was mad at Lucian for Moon’s sake. He’d broken my heart, but the way he sneered about Lucian made my blood boil.
“Shut up,” I hissed.
“Oh, ho,” he mocked, his hand squeezing the outside of my arm a little harder than necessary.
He guided me down a cleared path through the pub. It was like everyone sensed the power of his body and got out of the way, even the humans.
A hand wrapped around mine. I whipped my head toward Verity. Her eyes were wide and kept flicking over to him and back to me.
Drake stiffened against me, his body so tense, I could tell she’d pissed him off, but the smirk didn’t move.
This male was dangerous. It hit me across the face.
Lucian was just as dangerous. Now I understood why everyone seemed leery around him.
I just didn’t feel that way because his presence soothed me.
If everyone felt like I felt around Drake while they were near Lucian, I’d be baring my neck too if he were my Alpha.
“Where are you going?” Verity asked, her voice smaller than I’d ever heard. She was terrified.
I shook my head a slightest bit.
“I’ll see you at the house,” I said, pointedly.
“But, Joey?—”
“Stop,” I ground out between my teeth.
“She’s welcome to come along,” Gideon drawled.
“No,” I snarled. “She knows nothing,” I snapped pointedly. Gideon smirked and raised the hand that wasn’t currently tucking me against him.
“Run along then,” he shooed her.
Verity frowned at me, and I nodded.
“I shouldn’t leave you alone?—”
“Listen, Verity, get the fuck out of here.”
Her eyes widened, but she leaned closer to my ear and said, “It’s obvious I’m out of my depth here. I’ll leave, but I expect you home or I’ll call the police.” The last bit was much louder. She was saying it without saying it that she’d put in a report if I didn’t come home.
She disappeared into the crowd, thankfully. I returned my gaze to the violent-looking Alpha. The wolf tattoo on his neck strained with the stretch.
“Let’s get this little chat over with.” I tipped my chin up.
He smiled, slow and wide. It sent chills racing down my back. We kept walking, and it wasn’t lost on me that everyone avoided him, exactly how Lucian was avoided. Every species recognized the power radiating from Alphas.
Drake led me through into a hall. As soon as the door closed behind him, the music cut off.
“So, you accepted Stools into your pack,” I commented, trying to be nonchalant. “I’m assuming Lucian doesn’t know about it.”