Chapter 34
Maverick
“You sure this is the right place?” Brennan frowns as we pull up to a ramshackle house in a rough neighborhood.
“Yep,” I nod, my jaw clenching. “Freida told me the Messinas blacklisted her son from working so he would need to rely on her income. He tries doing odd jobs, but nobody will hire him legitimately.”
“Welp,” Brennan sighs, pushing his door open. “Here’s to hoping the Messinas aren’t waiting to kill us on the other side of the door.”
“I verified the information she gave me,” I join him in getting out of the car, “the only way they would help the Messinas is at gunpoint, and maybe not even then.”
We knock on the door, immediately setting off the bark of a dog.
Brennan runs a hand over his face. It sounds like one of the yappy ones.
A moment later, the door opens a crack. “Who are you?” the woman’s hushed voice asks, her leg keeping a small dog from poking its head out the door.”
“I’m Maverick, ma’am. We spoke on the phone?”
“Right, right,” she nods, bending over to pick up the dog before opening the door further. “Come in.” She turns her head. “Christoph!”
We step into the house, which despite its outside appearance, looks taken care of.
“You’re the guys?” A male voice calls out, coming out of what looks to be the kitchen. “The guys who are going to take down the Messina family?”
“That’s the goal.” I nod, appraising the man. He looks to be a beta, in his mid-twenties.
“Good.” He grunts, motioning for us to follow him as he walks into the living room and plops down on the couch. “Those bastards have ruined our lives. What do you need from us?”
“Hold on, Christoph,” Freida tuts, joining us in the living room.
She eyes us suspiciously. I debate the merits of telling her that she’s already invited us into her home—it’s too late for suspicion—but hold my tongue.
“How do I know she’s really safe?” she asks, her voice wavering slightly. “I won’t work with you if you’re just as bad as all of them.”
“She’s our true scent match,” Brennan says gently, pulling out his phone. “Here, scroll through the photos, we have nothing to hide.”
I know what she’s going to see as she takes the phone with shaky hands. Wren painting. Wren snuggled on the couch with Ethan and Teddy. Her posing with her plate of lasagna after she took the first bite and couldn’t contain her excitement. Laughing while we played Uno that very first night.
“We’re the ones who broke down the door to Pack Caruso’s home and carried her out of there.
” My voice is deadly calm as she scrolls through the photos.
“We walked in, and one of them was choking her after they had injected her with a heat-inducing drug. We are going to make the Messina Family pay for what they’ve done to our mate, just like we’re making Pack Caruso pay. ”
Freida swallows roughly, nodding once. “I…I don’t even recognize her anymore.” Tears well in her eyes. “She looks so…so happy.”
“Good,” Cristoph says gruffly. “I used to go to work with my mom sometimes when I was a kid, and even though I wasn’t ever allowed to talk to her, I saw how sad she was all the time. How her parents treated her. She deserves some happiness.”
“So,” I look between the two of them, “you’ll testify in court if it comes to that?”
“If you can guarantee our safety, then yes.” Freida nods, a determined glint in her eyes.
“Alright.” I nod once, standing. “Get your bags packed. My contact is a man named Marco Santino. He’ll get you set up with your new IDs and out of the country.
In the car, we’ll record your statement.
You’ll have to appear in court if it goes that far, but at least the initial statement can be in our blackmail folder. ”
“What about Percy?” Freida sniffs.
“Percy?” Brennan wrinkles his nose.
The little puffball on the ground yaps.
Right. Percy.
I sigh, running a hand over my face. “Fine. Bring him. But hurry up, because I’ve got an omega to get back to.”