Chapter 3
C liff had been worried that Ronan was still after them, so they needed to find somewhere to lay low. They decided to go to Stella’s adoptive parents’ house, which was in a small town a few hours from Las Vegas. After a few days and there was no indication that Ronan knew where they were located, Cliff determined it was safe enough for her brother to come.
Sloane wanted Jacob to be a liar, if only to prove she should have left Nevada that first night. The secrecy around his identity had been frustrating, and she’d been annoyed that Stella wouldn’t tell her who their brother was, not even a hint. Though Jacob managed to rouse her curiosity enough to stop her from taking off, she had already decided that she would be on her way once she found out who he was. But, apparently, he had been too busy to drop everything and come to Las Vegas because he only appeared a few days later.
And now she knew why.
“Holy fucking fuck, Devon Hale is our brother!” Sloane exclaimed. “Devon Fucking Hale!”
Devon. Fucking. Hale. The world’s biggest rock star whose concerts filled arenas around the world and sold bajillions of albums. No wonder Jacob said Ronan wouldn’t be able to get to him. Not even the Alpha of Boston would dare try to harm such a famous superstar, knowing it would draw a lot of attention to the clan.
“Sloane, you’ve said it like twenty times already.” Stella rolled her eyes. “We’ve been sitting here for an hour. I got over it after, like, five minutes.”
“I know, but Devon Fucking Hale is our brother.”
“And he’s also right here.” Stella sent Devon an apologetic look from across the living room and mouthed a “sorry.”
“But he’s … he’s just … it’s mind boggling to think about.” Sloane waved her hands between herself and Devon. “But you know what, it makes sense.”
“Really? How?” Devon asked.
“I always thought your music sucked and you were unsexy as hell.”
The woman next to Devon Hale— her brother! —Charley, burst out laughing. “I think I like you.” She turned to Stella. “Speaking of mind-boggling things … I can’t believe you’re Cliff’s True Mate.”
While she had heard of the concept, Sloane didn’t really know much about True Mates, but in the past few days, Cliff had been educating her and Stella about it.
Stella put a hand on her stomach as she shot Cliff a love-sick grin. While Lycans had difficulty conceiving, True Mates always conceived on the first try. The pregnant female also became invulnerable to any harm, which is why Stella’s wounds healed instantly after their scuffle. That filled Sloane with relief because, for at least the next nine months, her twin would be safe from harm. After all, her mission was not done. Ronan was still out there, alive. If she didn’t get to him first, he would keep coming after her and everyone around her would just be collateral damage.
A hand landed on top of hers. Stella sent her tight smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Sloane could feel the tension coming from her twin, as if she could read her mind and her intentions. Which was silly, because there was no such thing as telepathy between twins.
She let out a dramatic sigh, if only to deflect her sister’s questioning glance. “It’s too bad, though, I was looking forward to being on the lam with you, Stel, getting into trouble together, having adventures.”
“Me, get into trouble? I don’t think so,” Stella laughed. “Besides, I’m glad you stayed.”
“Meh, it’s not too bad.”
She kinda liked Stella’s parents’ house, as well as the Reverend and Mrs. Lennon themselves. It all felt normal, in that TV family sitcom kind of way where every episode started with some kind of crisis that resolved by the end.
As if on cue, Mrs. Lennon’s head popped into the living room from the kitchen. “Does anyone else need more tea? Coffee? How about more food?”
“We’re good, Momma, thanks,” Stella said.
Sloane got up and picked up the tray of empty cups and plates. “Let me get these for you, ma’am.”
“Thank you, Sloane. And please, I told you to call me Alice.” She smiled warmly at Sloane.
She followed Mrs. Lennon—Alice—into the kitchen. “Where should I set these? Or do you want me to wash them for you?”
She laughed, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “No need, dear, just set them down on the table, and I’ll take care of them.”
“It’s really no problem, I swear.” Placing the tray by the sink, she reached for the tap. “This won’t take long at all.”
“Sloane, dear, there’s no need to bother yourself. And you don’t have to worry about making yourself useful. You’re a guest, and it’s our pleasure to host you.”
She took a deep breath and dropped her hands to her sides. Turning back, she gave Alice a tight smile. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I appreciate you letting us stay here, Mrs.—Alice,” she said.
“Of course, dear.” She gave Sloane’s shoulder a pat, which made her flinch. Alice must have sensed her discomfort and stepped away. Guilt crept into her, but it wasn’t like she could help it. She wasn’t exactly the touchy-feely type.
“I have to admit, it was a shock seeing you.”
They had given her and Reverend Lennon a short version of what happened, though excluded the part where Stella tried to kidnap Sloane and take her on the run.
“I’m just glad you and Stella found each other.”
“Yeah.”
“So, was I lying or not?”
The familiar male voice caused a different type of emotion coursing through her. Ignoring it, she turned back to the sink, turned the tap on, and reached for the sponge. “It’s really no trouble to clean five mugs, Alice.”
“There you are, Jacob,” Alice greeted. “Everything okay?”
“Sure, Mrs. Lennon. I was just outside, chatting with the guys.” Devon and Charley had brought their own bodyguards, who were apparently employed by the same company Cliff and Jacob worked for. “So, how was the reunion?”
Huffing, she said nothing and began to scrub the used mugs with the soapy sponge.
“What’s the matter?” Jacob was now a few inches behind her. “Cat got your tongue, Sweet Stuff?”
“I am not sweet, don’t call me that,” Sloane bristled.
“Hey, if you can call me Hot Stuff, I can call you Sweet Stuff.”
To her mortification, her cheeks turned warm at the memory of that first night when she asked him to fuck.
God, I can’t believe I said that.
She really must have been horny or her brain got knocked around when Cliff’s wolf sent her crashing into that wall, because she’d never been that forward with anyone.
“Aren’t you glad you stayed?”
She snorted. “I would have found out anyway.” After putting away the last mug into the dryer rack, she turned to face him. God, she wanted to wipe that smug look off his face.
“You’re not going to try to leave again, are you?”
“Leave?” Alice piped in. “But you just reunited with Stella and now Devon. Where would you go? Wouldn’t it be safer for you here? You’re very welcome to stay as long as you need.”
She shot Jacob a dirty look. “Haven’t decided yet.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t mean leave forever, Mrs. Lennon.” He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Right, Sloane?”
“Right,” she said through gritted teeth. “I should get back to Stella and Devon.”
“Of course, dear, go ahead. I’m going to start dinner.”
Sidestepping Jacob, she headed to the living room. He trailed after her, much to her annoyance, though she was determined to ignore him. When she entered, a strange vibe permeated the atmosphere, and both Devon and Stella’s gazes immediately trained on her.
“What did I miss?” She plopped down on the couch next to Stella.
“I guess I should have waited until you were around to make my announcement, but I’ve decided on something,” Stella said. “I’m going to West Virginia, to Cliff’s uncle’s ranch, so I can learn how to control my wolf.”
“She’ll be safe there,” Cliff added before Sloane could say anything else. “And I’ll be there to protect her.”
“That’s actually not a bad idea,” she said.
“Really?” Stella asked.
“Yeah. Training will help you control your Lycan side. Most, if not all pups need to go through it.” She herself had been taught by the adult wolves from her clan at a type of training camp during the summer she turned fourteen. Of course, Ronan didn’t do this out of the kindness of his own heart—he actually used the camp to find out who could be useful to him. It was there that the handlers had seen Sloane’s “potential” and where she learned how to hone her criminal skills that could benefit the clan.
Pushing the memories away, she let out a laugh. “Besides, if the rest of your family is as huge as you are, Cliff, then at least I know Stella will be safe.”
“Bigger,” Devon said, flashing Charley a grin. “Especially his cousin, Austin. You don’t want to get on his bad side.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Whatever keeps Ronan away from Stella.”
“Speaking of whom,” Stella piped in. “Cliff says that his father and uncle have spoken to their Alpha about Ronan.”
Sloane clenched her hands into fists. “Talking will get you nowhere with Ronan. We have to strike now.”
“Sloane, I know you’re angry, but we can’t just make a move without a plan,” Cliff said.
“You know what he did right?” She looked at Devon. “Stella told you?” There hadn’t been time to talk about their parents, and nor were they mentioned for the last hour or so since Devon arrived. “We can’t let him get away with murdering our parents.”
“He won’t,” Devon said, an edge in his tone. “Either through the Lycan or human courts. There’s no statute of limitations for murder. When Stella told me about what happened, I contacted the best lawyers and private investigators in the country. We’ll get justice for them.”
“But that could take years.” Her fury grew every day knowing that Ronan Forte was still alive.
“Sloane, please.” Stella took her hand into hers. “We’re all angry, but Cliff and Devon are right. We can’t just act on our own.”
“He’s never going to stop coming after me. Besides, I tried to kill him. What if he presses charges against me?”
“You were defending yourself,” Devon said. “My lawyers will make sure you never spend even one night in jail.”
Must be nice having money. Still, no one here could truly understand what she had gone through and why she needed Ronan dead.
“Sloane.” Stella’s hand gripped hers tighter. “Promise me you won’t try to do anything stupid, like try to go after Ronan on your own.”
“We’ll get him,” Devon said.
There was no way to win this argument, but she didn’t have to. For now, she would say what they wanted to hear, if only to placate them.
She would still get her revenge.
“All right.” She gave Stella’s hand a squeeze back. “I won’t do anything stupid.”
Devon and Charley stayed for dinner, but unfortunately they had to leave because Devon was still on tour, though they promised to stay in touch and perhaps even visit them in West Virginia.
Like Stella, Devon had been raised as a human. When he discovered he was a Lycan, the Alpha of West Virginia had taken him in and taught him everything he needed about shifting and his wolf side. That made Sloane feel even more assured that Stella would be in good hands, no matter what happened to her.
For most of dinner, Sloane contemplated her next steps, because there was no way she was going to just sit on her ass and do nothing. For one thing, the longer she stayed put, the more likely Ronan would find her and come after her, if only to prove a point.
Everyone in the Boston clan found out how close she came to killing the Alpha, which only enraged Ronan further. He ruled the clan with an iron fist, and any sign of weakness could put his position of power in peril. There were some who were already unhappy with his leadership, but they had no choice because he had inherited the position from his father. It was the dissenters who fed Sloane insider information so she remained one step ahead of Ronan.
“I told you not to bother with the dishes, Sloane,” Alice admonished. After they had said their goodbyes to Devon and Charley, Sloane had snuck back into the kitchen and starting putting the dirty plates and glasses into the sink.
“And I said, I don’t mind, Alice.” Truly, doing small things like dishes helped her think, and it made her feel almost normal. “You made all that food; we should be the one cleaning up.”
The older woman tsked. “But you’re a guest. Now, shoo.” Alice gently nudged her away from the sink. “Why don’t you get something to drink and sit outside on the porch? It’s a lovely evening.”
“Drink” of course, meant a soda or a juice, as the Lennons kept a dry house.
God, could I use a vodka or five right now .
“Er, all right, thank you.” Grabbing a can from the fridge, she made her way to the front porch and sat down on the lone divan on the porch.
“You’re not sneaking out again, are you?”
She stiffened at the sound of the voice. “What are you doing here?”
Jacob jogged up the porch steps. “Whaddaya mean?”
“I thought you left with Devon and Charley.”
“Oh?” He flashed her a lopsided grin, then leaned against the post. “Why would I do that? Did I say I was leaving?”
Popping the top of the can open, she took a swig. “Stay. Go. Doesn’t matter to me.”
“Uh-huh. Danger’s not over yet, you know. We’re assigning at least two more guards to stay here until we deal with Forte.”
“Good. Because Ronan doesn’t play fair, and he’s not above using a nice old couple to get what he wants.”
“Our agents are the best, and they’ll make sure nothing happens to Reverend and Mrs. Lennon. Plus, they’ll be safe with you around.”
“Me? What—hold on now.” She shot to her feet and marched over to him. “If you think I’m going to stay here and do nothing while Ronan is still out there breathing, then you’ve seriously got some brain damage. Are you sure that kick to the face didn’t crack your head or something?”
“It’s the safest place for you, Sloane.” The edge in his voice made her shiver. “Besides, you promised Stella you wouldn’t try to go after Forte yourself.”
“I promised her I wouldn’t do anything stupid.” Like hesitate once I get the chance . The belladonna was still safely in her bag, ready to be used. “And by the way, I wasn’t born yesterday. Don’t use Stella’s parents as an excuse to keep me here under guard.”
“That wasn’t?—”
She put a hand up. “Don’t treat me like I’m a child.”
A muscle in his jaw ticked. “You’d really do it, wouldn’t you?”
“I already did, it just didn’t work out the first time.”
He muttered something under his breath, something that sounded like “stubborn” and “killed” before he ran his palm down his face impatiently. “All right, how about this—why don’t you go to New York and talk to my Alpha?”
“And why would I do that? I thought he was already talking to uncles?” she sneered. “What would he need me for?” She paused, searching his face. “Wait a minute. You know something, don’t you?” she accused. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”
He blew out an exasperated sigh. “I just spoke to my uncle. While my Alpha is willing to go to the High Council, he feels we’re not ready right this moment.”
“And why not?”
“You can’t just accuse a ruling Alpha of murder. We need evidence to convince the High Council to open a case. And currently the only evidence we have is that you were abandoned and split up, but that’s circumstantial at best. But, if you tell my Alpha what you know, that might help the case against Forte. The High Council will investigate, and once they find out what he did, they’ll strip him of his powers and send him to the Lycan prison facility in Siberia.”
Prison was not good enough for that bastard. “Since we’re playing law and order here, wouldn’t my evidence be heresy, counselor?” she retorted. “I only know Forte killed my parents because of my Aunt Ella and she’s dead.” Her hands curled into fists. “Besides, a trial will take too long. My way is quicker.”
“Yeah, a quicker death for you.” His nostrils flared.
“It would be worth it. I don’t care about?—”
“The hell you don’t!” His hands seized her arms, sending a strange thrill through her. “You can’t die.”
Blazing green eyes bore into her, and her mouth turned dry. “You don’t know me, so it shouldn’t matter to you if I live or die.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed audibly. “It matters to Stella. And to Devon. And because they’re now part of my family, I care about them.” His grip loosened, but he didn’t let go. “What’s wrong, Sloane? I get it, you’re mad at Forte. I would want him dead, too, if he killed anyone I loved. But why do you have this death wish? Why does nothing else matter except killing him?” A strange expression passed across his face. “What happened?” His hands dropped to his sides. “Did he … do anything to you?”
“What—” She sucked in a breath. “Oh my God, did you think he …?” She shook her head. “No, no. Ronan never shit where he ate. He cared only about himself, and if he committed any crime it was only to keep himself in power or to fatten his bank account.” He was a cruel bastard to his people, but he was smart. His style was to conquer and divide those under his power to make sure they didn’t band together to overthrow him. “He didn’t touch me, but what he did was worse.”
“How?”
His gaze softened, and for a moment, she found herself entranced by those green orbs. “When Ronan realized how good I was at stealing shit, he put me to work. I started boosting electronics from the local big box store, and eventually, they had me hot wiring luxury sports cars and breaking into vaults and safes to steal cash and valuables. I was only fourteen when I did my first job.”
He gritted his teeth. “He stole your family. And your childhood.”
She shrugged. “My Aunt Ella was nice to me, did the best she could, and I was never hungry.”
His eyebrows drew together into a frown. “But she let Ronan use you.”
“You don’t understand,” she said defensively, “Aunt Ella was old, and she didn’t have family to take care of her. Only the clan. She couldn’t get me away from them without losing her only support system. And, well … at first, it was fun, you know? Getting away with shit, feeling invincible, like?—”
“Nothing was ever gonna go wrong.”
“Yeah.”
“You were a kid; you didn’t know any better. No one taught you better.”
She shrugged. “I can’t change the past.”
“Which is why you should come to New York and make your case with the Alpha.”
“And what if it doesn’t work?” A sense of foreboding washed over her. “What if he gets away with it? Y-you don’t know what he’s like.” She hated the way her voice cracked. “He won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”
“Then we’ll go after him.” His eyes burned like twin green flames. “You’ll get justice, one way or another. I promise.”
She wanted to believe him so bad, that he could keep such a promise. “I …”
“Come on, what have you got to lose?”
She chomped down on her lower lip, contemplating his words. “All right. I’ll go to New York.”
His face lit up as his mouth spread into a smile. “Lucas Anderson—our Alpha—is fair and wields a lot of power. If anyone can make a case against Forte, he can do it.”
I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.
God, she must be going out of her mind, letting this pretty boy convince her to trust another Alpha. “If you say so.”
“Good. I’ll take care of it. I’ll arrange a meeting and then we can fly to New York.”
“Wait—we? What do you mean, we? I thought you said he was fair and would listen to me. Why can’t I just walk into his office by myself and make my case if he already knows what’s going on?”
“Because … because you just can’t, okay? Do you think you can just walk into an important Alpha’s office like some schmuck off the street?”
“Fine. But I want to see him as soon as possible.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Tomorrow.” She figured he was talking out of his ass and would never be able to get a meeting with his Alpha anyway, so she thought why not ask something impossible? “Or I’m gone.”
“Your wish is my command, Sweet Stuff. Now, I’m gonna go patrol.” He flashed her a grin, then stripped his shirt and pants off, sending heat flaring through her lower belly. “See you in the morning.”
She could only stare as he shifted into his wolf form—a gorgeous wolf with ruddy fur and green eyes—and trotted off the porch. The curl of heat in her remained, the image of his naked body burned into her mind.
Was he deliberately teasing her? She snorted, banishing his six-pack abs, firm ass, and other parts of him from her brain.
Even if she wanted to sleep with him—which she didn’t—he would just be a distraction from her goal.
However, she would try things his way for now. And as he said, she had nothing to lose.