Chapter 26
GRAYSON
“Take it!” I shove the hot coffee from the vending machine at Ethan as we travel down the hospital hallway. “You’ll need every drop of it.”
He grabs it, stumbling alongside me, his eyes red, hair and clothes a mess, but he’s sticking to his word about making it up to Lucy and Eve after his major fuckup. “Thanks,” he croaks and sips at it slowly.
Lucy’s at my other side, staying closer. It’s clear she’s barely keeping it together after her ordeal, and her delicious scent is wafting strongly. But right now, we have no choice. I have to deal with this situation first.
Wolf takes Bryan to the ER and will explain that he must have fallen and hit his head. He’ll also stay with him for a bit to ensure he doesn’t leave, seeing as the bastard’s awake. And behind me, Roman’s on the phone with our parole officer.
My ears perk up at their conversation, worry sinking its fangs into my chest because this could end terribly for us, but fuck, I’d do it again to protect Lucy.
“Right,” Roman states. “Thanks, and we’ll see you soon.”
Great, the prick’s coming here, I guess. The more the merrier.
I’m steering us toward Eve’s room to check that she’s okay and, more importantly, track down the fucking mayor.
“Lucy,” Ethan begins, glancing over at her, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.
“I fucked up so badly going behind your back and Eve’s, and I don’t expect either of you to ever forgive me, but I want you to know that I love the Crimson Pine Lodge.
It’s the only place I’ve truly called home.
My parents weren’t exactly the most affectionate toward me, but Eve accepted me without question.
And when she told me she was giving you the place, I assumed the worst—that I’d be let go.
And I was an idiot. I’m so sorry for everything I did. You both deserve so much better.”
“Yeah, they fucking do,” I butt in.
“And,” Ethan says, “I told the mayor to end this, to stop it when he went too far.”
“God, Ethan, we both trusted you as if you were family,” Lucy shoots back, head high, and fuck, but my chest burns with how damn proud I am of her. She’s been to hell and back today and isn’t collapsing into a ball.
“I’m sorry,” he repeats. “I’ll do anything to make it up to you. Testify against the mayor, reveal everything even if it incriminates me, because I’ll be forever in your debt. Please, Lucy.” His words are slurred, but he’s holding it together, surprisingly. He was completely wasted back at the bar.
But she shakes her head and glances away from him. We fall into silence, passing nurses as we head down the long hallway. We round a corner toward Eve’s room. And ten feet away, the mayor’s sitting on a chair against the wall, reading something on his cell phone.
Anger rises through me at seeing him, every hair on my body standing on end. The fury to smash his face into the ground for everything he’s done to Lucy and her grandmother burns inside me.
He’s in a tailored suit, hair perfectly brushed off his face, an expensive watch on his wrist, and there’s a leather bag under his seat. If I weren’t attempting to cool my ire, I’d shove him through the nearest window.
Behind me, Roman growls, “That asshole.”
The mayor lifts his gaze, spots us, and instantly shoves himself to his feet, eyes huge, pushing his phone into his pocket. He makes a groaning sound as though he can’t find his words. He clears his throat. “You’re all in a rush to go someplace.”
We’ve stopped near him, the four of us crowding close, so he’s not going anywhere. “We know everything,” Lucy states, stepping forward. “You piece of shit, you thought you could scare us into selling the lodge? You’re a fucking monster!”
His face reddens, then he straightens his posture, that fake politician mask slipping over his expression. “I have no idea what I’m being accused of. My interest is only for the town, for everyone here.”
I grunt out loud. “Too late for that.”
“You can stop pretending,” Roman adds. “Ethan told us everything. And we have Bryan confessing that you hired him to terrify Lucy and Eve into selling.”
I grin, saying nothing about him stretching the truth.
The mayor exhales loudly, his nostrils flaring, and the longer I stare at him, the more I want to beat him up.
“These are serious accusations, and you’re looking at the wrong man.
Ethan here set up the whole thing, threatened me…
” His hand presses to his chest dramatically.
“Said he needed the lodge for himself and if I didn’t help, he’d kill my wife. ”
Ethan chokes on his breath. “Like fuck I did!” He lunges at the mayor, bellowing, “You fucking liar!”
Roman and I launch after him, dragging him off the mayor, who collapses into the chair, feigning terror. “You see that? I’m so thankful the truth can finally come out, and he’ll be put behind bars.”
We pry Ethan back, who’s heaving for breath, glaring at the mayor. “You asshole. I told you already that I wanted nothing to do with your plan or hurting anyone. Don’t you fucking stand there and try to hang this on me.”
The mayor’s lips thin as he straightens in the chair before rising to his feet, suddenly calm. “You will hear from my lawyer, because for all I know, you three convicts were in on it with Ethan!”
“Oh, shut up,” Lucy snaps, then marches closer, hand raised, and slaps him right across the face.
“Ouch,” Roman calls out, laughing.
“You absolute liar,” she says as the mayor glares at her, rubbing the side of his face. “Be a decent human and own your actions.”
“This is absurd.” He darts his gaze past us, clearly looking for a way out. “I won’t be slandered by criminals and an overdramatic Omega.” He glances at the nurse and other staff watching us, who are doing nothing to aid him.
He keeps on ranting about lawyers, hands flapping about, so I slide around to his far side, quickly snatching his bag from under the chair.
“That’s private property,” he growls, reaching for it, but I spin away from it, opening it. Roman drags him off me. I slip out the only document in there, and quickly scan it, then twist back around to everyone.
“So why does an innocent man have condemning evidence in his bag? This is the contract to sign over the lodge, already signed by you, and you just needed Eve’s autograph, right? That’s why you’re here—waiting for Lucy to call her, saying she’s too scared to remain at the lodge and to sell it.”
He just stands there, staring at me, not saying a word.
“The police are on their way,” Roman explains. “Until then, you’re not leaving.”
“Fuck that. You have no authority over me.” He moves, shoving a swinging arm at Ethan, sending him crashing into a wall, but Roman’s right there in his face, bigger, taller, terrifying.
“Sit the fuck down,” Roman snarls in his face. “Or I’ll make you do it. And I’m pretty certain one of these lovely hospital staff will supply me with something to tie you up with if you don’t cooperate.”
I glance around to a young nurse who’s already holding rope, smiling my way, and I have no idea where she got it from, but I’m laughing. Roman shoves the mayor back into his seat, and I hand the contract to Roman to review. I grab Lucy and draw her against me, eager for this shit to be over.
She’s shaking against me, and her scent grows stronger. Her fear, dread, and arousal are crashing through me, and all I crave is to be the Alpha who makes her forget the world and have no reason to ever be afraid again.
“Let’s check on Eve,” I whisper just as I spot Wolf strolling up the hallway to join us. Good, he can hold down the fort with Roman. With a hand around her waist, I draw her away. Once we’re at Eve’s doorway, Lucy breaks free from me and runs to her side.
I stand there, trying not to listen to them. Lucy’s sitting on the bed, holding Eve’s hand, telling her everything that’s happened.
The more I see her, the deeper my love for her becomes. I never expected to fall this hard, but I’m not exactly fighting it either.
I step back into the hallway, giving them space, as Eve’s rather upset.
The corridor has become a full house. Two police officers have arrived, along with the parole officer, Mr. Colby.
I groan under my breath at seeing him. Roman’s in a conversation with him already, several feet away from the others.
Wolf’s dealing with the cops, the mayor, and Ethan.
Roman and Mr. Colby are suddenly striding toward me, Roman saying, “Ethan’s returned as our supervisor on-site. He can commence immediately, so there’s no need for us to leave town.”
“That’s not how things work with our program,” Mr. Colby says dryly. “Plus, you three took off when we trusted you. Our leniency ends now.”
My gut twists. Fuck! It’s not as if he’s wrong, and he’s got every right to bury us.
“I came here to collect you three, and to speak with Eve Rose out of courtesy.”
I curl my hands into fists as he pushes past us and strolls right into Eve’s room, giving a small knock on the door.
Roman and I exchange worried looks. “Let me try to handle this,” I state, following Mr. Colby.
Lucy’s still on the bed, both she and Eve staring at the new arrival.
“Mrs. Rose, I wish our meeting was under better circumstances,” he begins, while Eve huffs, clearly disgruntled from hearing about the chaos surrounding her lodge.
“And what’s that?” she asks.
“Given the recent events of the three convicts under your supervision, who have just been classified as attempted escapees, they will be returned to prison immediately. I’ll be honest and say that your position as an approved program is now also in jeopardy of being canceled.”
Eve’s gaze narrows on him as Lucy climbs off the bed but remains close to her grandmother. “Well, since we’re being so candid,” Eve answers, “we should talk about a matter from five years ago, back when Jerry Yon tragically died on my land.”
I glance at Lucy, who says nothing, shows no emotion, but she’s shaking.
“It was a horrible accident, and the police have dealt with it,” Mr. Colby states all matter-of-factly.