Chapter 67 - Ty #2
Tina gasped and covered her mouth. Robert jumped up, anger flashing in his eyes.
“Preposterous! Why would you come into our home after our daughter has just died and make these accusations?” He scoffed, his voice laced with bitterness.
“You think your so-called evidence could justify tarnishing our daughter’s memory?
You have no right! Our daughter is gone, and nothing can bring her back!
Your allegations only serve to add to our misery.
You’re no alpha, you’re just a jumped-up nobody. ”
Well, shit, that went well.
I clenched my jaw, ignoring the sarcastic voice in my head. Luckily, I’d come prepared. I opened the folder I’d brought—the one that was filled with printed pages containing the damning text messages and emails between Cecily and Castro—and handed it over to her parents.
Robert sat back down next to his wife, and the air grew heavy as they scanned the damning pages, their expressions shifting from disbelief to shock.
The pages shook in Tina’s trembling hands as tears streamed down her face. “Wh-what is this?” she stammered.
Robert tightened his grip on the paper.
“This is the evidence we’ve uncovered during the current course of our investigation. Unfortunately, the evidence is irrefutable,” I said softly. “Cecily was working with Castro. While we don’t have any answers yet about why she did this, we’re still investigating.”
Tina sobbed and collapsed against her husband, who wrapped an arm around her protectively.
I had always heard about the stages of grief, how some days were spent in deep sadness while others were filled with anger and resentment. I never imagined I’d witness all stages in the course of five minutes. Like a switch was flipped, their sadness turned to denial, turned to fury.
“This is all your fault,” Tina hissed, pointing a shaking finger at Liza. “If it wasn’t for you and your fucking omega powers, none of this would have happened. By marrying Ty, you put yourself in the spotlight and drew Castro to our town like a moth to a flame. Shame on you.”
“Mrs. Banks, please,” Liza implored, her hands outstretched.
“Liza lured Castro to Presley Acres,” Tina spat. “And poor Cecily got caught in the crosshairs. She is… was an extremely intelligent woman. She’d never willingly choose evil over good.”
Robert’s face turned a deep shade of red, his voice shaking with rage.
“Cecily loved you. She waited for you for years. She was so heartbroken when you cast her aside to mate with this… this… mongrel. Castro used her. She probably welcomed attention from another man, making her blind to Castro’s intentions.
” His breath hitched. “My poor baby girl.”
I clenched my fists, struggling to keep my temper in check. This was exactly what I’d feared when Liza insisted to come with me. Beside me, I felt her tense up, but outwardly she gave no reaction and remained silent.
“How dare you do this to Cecily? First you steal her mate, now you trash her reputation. I won’t let this happen!” Robert roared as his face contorted with rage.
My alpha instincts kicked in the moment he lunged toward Liza.
With lightning-fast reflexes, I stepped in front of her, blocking him from reaching her.
Our eyes locked, and for a moment, all I saw was the burning anger in his gaze.
But then, something shifted, a flicker of recognition.
Who I was, perhaps? His place in the pack?
I showed leniency, understanding that his grief had pushed him to the edge, and stopped myself from doing something I’d regret.
“Enough!” I growled, asserting my dominance. My eyes were locked onto Robert’s, conveying my authority. Although it sucked having to put a grieving father in his place, I had to remind him who was in charge.
Liza sat back on the couch, dazed at Robert’s near-attack.
She was shaken but maintained her composure admirably.
I hated that Liza had been put into such a position when she had volunteered to come and support me, and had put her issues with Cecily aside to offer her condolences.
The way she handled herself in such a high-stress situation impressed and awed me.
“Listen to me.” My alpha had risen to the surface, making my tone low and dangerous as I narrowed my gaze on Robert.
“I understand you’re grieving, but if you ever attack my mate again, the consequences will be severe.
I won’t tolerate the same mistake twice, nor will I hesitate to put you in your place. ”
Anger burned in Robert’s eyes as he stared at me, his chest heaving with ragged breaths. I feared he wouldn’t back down, but after a tense moment, he lowered his head in submission. I released him, allowing him to slump back down on the sofa beside a sobbing Tina.
I returned to my seat next to Liza. “Consider this a warning for any future actions. Under no circumstances will I allow anyone to attack my mate. We are here to provide you with support, not to serve as targets for your anger.”
Liza straightened, her gaze steady as she spoke to Cecily’s parents. “I cannot begin to understand your grief, but I do understand your need to place blame on someone. The person we need to be pointing our fingers at, the real enemy, is Castro. He’s the one behind all the suffering and heartache.”
My chest swelled at her words. Even in the face of a grieving father’s wrath, in the midst of a highly stressful situation, she’d stayed calm and collected.
Her wisdom and grace shone through. She truly was the alpha’s mate and continued to prove to me she’d be able to handle anything thrown at her.
I’d never wanted her more.
“Why? I don’t understand. Why would Cecily do this?” Robert’s voice shook with equal measures of anger and sadness. “Why did this play out like it did, ending in our daughter’s murder? It just doesn’t make any sense.”
The anguish etched on his face showed me a broken man, genuinely distressed over the loss of his daughter.
At that moment, I decided I’d made my point.
He was grieving and had acted out of pain.
It was obvious from his reaction that he had received the message loud and clear, and I doubted he would go up against his alpha in any way in the future.
“Like Ty said, we’re still trying to piece everything together,” Dad said. “But we thought it was important for you to know as soon as possible, so you were aware before the rest of the pack.”
“Thank you.” Tina sniffled and wiped her tears away. “We just can’t believe our sweet girl would ever get involved with someone like that.”
“People are capable of things we never expect,” Liza added gently, her empathy for them emanating from her. “The heart can lead us down paths we never would’ve chosen for ourselves.”
“Indeed,” I said, remembering my own tumultuous journey to Liza. “Our priority is to find Castro and bring him to justice for all his transgressions.”
“Tell us,” Tina asked in a small, shaky voice, “what sort of relationship did Cecily and Castro have?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” I said. “I know they went on at least one date when he was posing as Stone Black, but beyond that… I promise you, though, we won’t leave any stone unturned. We will continue our investigation until we’ve got all the answers.”
In the end, Cecily’s parents accepted the truth, albeit reluctantly.
Robert apologized for his outburst and thanked us for our understanding and patience.
I wouldn’t condemn him for his actions—not when he was struggling to come to terms with his daughter’s death and betrayal—but I’d not forget about them, either.
As we left their home and climbed back into the SUV, I heaved out a sigh, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
Dad clapped me on the back, pride shining in his eyes. “Both of you handled that situation well. I know it wasn’t easy, but I couldn’t be any prouder of you. Both of you. It was difficult for everyone involved, but you did right by them. We needed to be honest.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Speaking of handling things… you still need to choose an informant.”
“Nico left me with a few of his recommendations. I have interviews lined up this afternoon.” I glanced at Liza. “And I would really appreciate it if you would sit in on them with me.”
“You would?” Her eyes widened in surprise. “Are you sure you want me there and not your dad?”
“Absolutely.” I gave her hand a squeeze.
“We both understand the importance of trust when it comes to choosing an informant. After the shit we’ve been through, I need to know that you trust them, too.
Whoever we choose will be working for us both, possibly for a long time. Nico was with Dad for decades.”
Liza beamed, visibly touched. “Thank you for including me.”
“Of course,” I murmured, leaning over to press a soft kiss to her forehead. “We’re in this together.”
The journey home was a quiet one, each of us lost in our own thoughts.
Once I stopped the car in front of the estate, I turned to Liza.
“I’m going up to my office to talk with Dad about what to look for in an informant.
Could you check with the chef about arranging some kind of refreshments for our guests? ”
“I have a better idea. I have a new cookie recipe I’ve been wanting to try.” She glanced at her watch. “How much time do I have?”
“The first interview is in two hours.”
Liza nodded and gave me a quick peck on the lips. “Perfect. I’ll bring a tray of cookies to the office as soon as they’re ready.”
I watched her exit the car and go into the house, finding it hard to take my eyes off her fine ass. Just as I was about to catcall after her, I remembered my dad’s presence and thought better of it.
We walked to the office. “Okay.” I took a seat behind the desk as Dad pulled up a chair across from me. I still couldn’t get used to us being on opposite sides of the executive desk. “So, what qualities should I be looking for in an informant, besides them being a sneaky motherfucker like Nico?”
“Yeah, he sure knew how to sneak up on the enemy and errant teenagers.” He leaned back in his chair and gave a deep laugh. “You will want someone who is loyal, first and foremost. Someone who has the pack’s best interests at heart.”
I nodded. “Right.”
“Trust is essential,” he continued. “You have to believe that they’ll be honest with you, even when it’s difficult or news they know you won’t want to hear.”
“Like Nico was with you?” I couldn’t keep the snark out of my tone. My father’s informant had kept certain secrets from him about the Wylde pack.
“Exactly,” Dad confirmed, surprising me with his honesty.
“I was hurt when I found out he’d kept things from me, but it wasn’t done out of malice.
Nico was not just my informant, he was also my friend, and that made him so much better in his role.
He always tried to make decisions that would benefit the pack and make me look good as alpha.
You want someone who’ll be comfortable making split-second decisions that are most beneficial for the pack. ”
“Friendship,” I mused. “That’s important, too, then.”
“Yes.” Dad held up a finger. “Just realize that the friendship part takes time. Whoever you hire will have to earn your trust, but after all the years Nico and I worked side by side, it was inevitable that our friendship would grow strong. Remember, Ty, this person will be your eyes and ears within the pack. They need to be observant and discreet. The last thing you want is an informant who’s running his mouth around town. ”
“Discreet,” I repeated, making a mental note.
“You’ll also need to gauge their experience in the field. Ask them about past missions or assignments they’ve completed, successes and failures they’ve had. You’ll want someone who’s honest about their mistakes but can show they learned from them.”
“Okay, I can do that.” I cracked a walnut using one of the wedding gifts Liza and I had received.
I’d never considered myself a nut guy but often found myself popping pecans or walnuts in my mouth when I was deep in thought.
Better than chewing my lip to shreds. “Any other nuggets of knowledge, oh wise one?”
Dad rolled his eyes. “You should consider their motivations. Why do they want to be your informant? What are they hoping to gain from this position? What are their expectations? Make sure their goals align with yours and the pack’s.
Lastly, you want someone who can think quickly on their feet, and not just quickly but creatively—someone who can think outside the box.
Situations can change instantaneously, and your informant needs to be adaptable.
Just look at how much shit has gone down in the past few weeks.
Not just anyone could handle the physical and mental requirements of the job. ”
“Adaptable,” I echoed, filing the information away. “Got it.”
“Good,” Dad said, and there was the pride in his eyes again. “Remember to trust your instincts when you’re conducting these interviews. Nico’s suggestions are likely all top-tier candidates, but you need to find the right informant for you and Liza. Trust is vital.”
“Thanks, Dad.” It was true. The right informant could make or break a pack’s success, and I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes during the hiring process.
“No pressure, though,” Dad added with a wry smile.
I let out a dry chuckle at his attempt to ease the tension.
No pressure? What a fucking joke.