Chapter 10 #2
Standing, Malik walked around his desk and slumped into the office chair, lacing his fingers together over his stomach. He raised his eyebrows. “And what do the cops want with dead wolves? They made it clear they thought we got what we deserved.”
“Nate’s case got passed over to Paranormal Crimes along with the other wolf killed in Five Dragons’ territory.”
“Tanya,” Malik said. “She was Five Dragons. Why did the Gang Squad give it up?”
“Something to do with the magical signature,” I hedged. “It wasn’t right. Anyway, I’m consulting on the case. I could feed you information. I bet Five Dragons might back off if you were giving them cop intel.”
Malik pursed his lips and gave a slow nod. “They’ve been testing the waters. They want the head of whoever killed Tanya, and they think they’ll find it in our pack. I know they won’t, but it’s made things tense.”
“So, if you let me go,” I said. “I can give you any info the cops have.”
“The name,” Malik said. “I want the name of whoever killed Nate.”
“Pack justice? Him getting arrested isn’t enough for you?”
Shaking his head, Malik said, “Your head for his head.”
"Okay,” I said. “I’ll get you a name.”
This was going to be a mess. I needed Nick to arrest the guy so I could pay my rent. But if I didn’t give Malik someone, then I’d end up on the wrong side of a car battery again.
“Be smart about this, Parker,” Malik said, like he was reading my mind. “I’m offering you a good deal. Dieter’s going to make a lot of noise about me not killing you.”
“It’d be easier to kill me and say you’d taken care of business?”
“Yeah, it really would be simpler,” Malik said. “As it is, you’re handing me an enormous mess to clean up. You had to know he was going to come after you. Why the hell did you get caught?”
“I was following a lead,” I muttered. I examined my damaged hand and it was looking worse, the fingers turning a gruesome purple.
Rolling his head, Malik rubbed at his eyebrows. “You were following a lead right through SoPa territory? Take a cab next time.”
“Yeah, well, hindsight is 20/20.”
“Don’t take too long with the information,” Malik said. “Because I know where to find you and I know how you hide.”
“Thanks,” I said. His words pricked my pride. “I could hide from you.”
His eyes squinted in an invisible smile, and Malik tapped his nose. “We can smell you, Parker. You don’t smell human. Even if you hadn’t been dumb enough to be seen on a bus in our territory, he would have sniffed you out. We sniff all you out.”
“Gross.” I could feel my heart pounding.
Most wolves didn’t have their abilities when they weren’t shifted.
But for wolves like Malik, talented ones, or ones who practiced a lot, they could shift piecemeal.
Sniffing me out without going full canine would be easy.
“What’s to keep him from killing me now that you’re letting me go? ”
“Let me worry about cleaning my own house. You just get me the guy who killed Nate.”
I saluted Malik with my good hand. “Yes, sir, alpha, sir.”
Standing, Malik went to the door and opened it. “Celia.”
The wolf wearing flannel appeared. She looked at me, then her eyes flicked back to Malik.
“Drop Parker off at home and make sure he doesn’t have any unwanted visitors. He’s going to find Nate’s killer for us,” Malik said, handing me my camera. “Apparently, he’s got an in with the cops.”
My eyes widened as I accepted the camera from Malik. He hadn’t deleted the photos. Was he testing me? Was he trying to make sure I would delete them or was something else going on? Did he want me to keep them so he had some evidence of Dieter’s dirty little secret?
This was why I hated dealing with wolf politics.
“Sure,” Celia said. She bent down to offer me her shoulder, but I waved her off and stood myself. I held my satchel awkwardly. There was no way I was going to get it back around my shoulder.
She led the way to a Jeep out in front of the shop, and I accepted her help into it. Neither one of us talked on our way to my apartment, which suited me just fine. She pulled up out front and stopped the car, but left the engine running.
“I’ll do a check of the neighborhood before I leave,” she said.
“Thanks?” I said, unable to help the question in it. Was it really likely Dieter would show up here now that Malik knew about me?
“If you have any security, I’d put it in place,” she said. “But Dieter’s going to wait a few days before coming after you again.”
Awkwardly, I opened the door with my good hand, juggling my bag as I slid out of the Jeep. I landed on the sidewalk and caught myself before falling on my ass. Celia glanced at me out of the corner of her eyes.
“Work quickly. I don’t want to have to come back here.” She pulled out before I could close the door, the movement of the car slamming it shut.
I sighed heavily and rolled my eyes up to the sky. With the city lights, you could only see a few pinpricks of stars. The cool evening breeze made me shiver, which caused every single one of my injuries to hurt again.
Staring at the door to my apartment building, I began shuffling towards it. Behind me, I heard a car door slam and someone yelled my name. My breath caught in my throat and I spun, trying to think of any way to defend myself.