Chapter 29
CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE
LYLE
Rage. Murder. Destruction.
These are the things I think of as my eyes snap open, despite the early hour. My head is throbbing with a headache and my pack is passed out in our bed. I’m restless and know I won’t be able to sleep anymore and carefully pick my way out of the cuddle pile I’m in the middle of.
Troy moves closer to Easton with a small moan, and wraps his arm and hip over him before blowing out a small huff as he’s pulled back to sleep.
He didn’t have a single nightmare last night, though this may have had more to do with the fact that we didn’t sleep much. Mitch overestimated the half life of his concoction, because we barely made it home before running back inside to tear each other’s clothes off.
I cleaned Alisa up with my suit jacket the best I could before dressing her once our knots softened, and can only imagine what my dry cleaner is going to think when I drop our clothes off to her.
I’m sorry, we were drugged and had to fuck it out is likely not an excuse she’s ever heard before.
Rolling my eyes, I walk stiffly to the bathroom and quietly close the door before using the toilet. Glaring at my face in the darkness lit up only by the night light we have in here to keep from needing to use the “big light,” I grimace as I wash my hands before pumping face wash into my palm.
I may as well do a little self care before getting dressed for a run. There’s no goddamned way I’ll be able to relax until I work this energy out. I feel twitchy and out of sorts.
Scrubbing my face only helps me feel slightly more awake, and I follow my efforts with brushing my teeth as well before stalking out of the bathroom.
I walk on silent feet as I drag on a pair of joggers and a moisture wicking long sleeved shirt before glancing at the time.
It’s five thirty in the morning and it’ll be cold out.
Snagging socks, I grab my phone and tiptoe out of the room.
I’m not a complete idiot as I jog downstairs, and remember to tuck my gun into the holster underneath the waistband of my joggers and fill up my water bottle.
If I’m going to be running around town alone, I want to be safe about it.
As an afterthought, I grab a stun gun too and pop in one ear bud to still stay aware of my surroundings.
I reset the alarm as I leave the house and lock up and begin to stretch slowly outside, taking deep breaths in the cool air to attempt to dispel my bad mood.
I fucking hate everything today. We walked into a trap last night and put our omega in a terrible position.
It’s all I can think about as my feet pound the pavement and the world passes by me.
I ignore the world and slit my eyes against the cool breeze as the Angelic Demons sing about burning the world down.
Fuck yes. I can definitely get down with that.
“Lyle!”
I slow my feet down as I turn around to face the voice calling my name. Abbott and Cassidy are jogging toward me and I sigh heavily. I haven’t seen them since Silas chewed Cass a new asshole. Her baby bump is more pronounced today and I raise my hand, despite not wanting company.
The last thing I need is for my pack to end up on the outs with them.
“Why do you look so sour?” Abbott asks, frowning.
“Running off a mood,” I grunt. “I’m going to be shit company.”
“Can we help?” Cassidy asks hesitantly. I don’t blame her because I’m walking in place and shaking out my hands anxiously.
“I need dirt on someone so I can bury him,” I growl. “Don’t fucking care how you get it either.”
“Yeah, done,” Abbott says with a nod. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this before. What’s the name?”
“Mitch Ancherson. The bastard gets his kicks drugging his players and their guests. I need to go over Troy’s contract, but I have a feeling he’s got him by the knot.”
“He what?” Cassidy growls. “Are you alright?”
“No,” I grunt. “Hence the run.”
“Lyle,” Abbott warns.
“Like I said, I’m going to take myself and my shit mood away from people,” I shrug.
“He didn’t do anything, Abbott,” Cassidy grumbles. “Why are you rubbing your head?”
“Headache,” I mutter. “I should have taken something for it but I didn’t want to wake anyone up.”
Cassidy unzips a bag around her waist and hands me a travel sized bottle of acetaminophen.
“You’re an angel,” I sigh, twisting the bottle open and shaking two into my mouth.
A squirt or two of water washes it down and I hand her back the closed bottle.
“Thanks. Sorry, we had a rough night. I need to know what kind of drug can be sprayed at people to increase sex drive at an accelerated rate until they can’t control themselves. ”
Abbott’s aggression deflates so quickly it would be amusing if I could feel the emotion right now.
“Jesus Christ. The better question would be who the fuck would be selling something like this?” he asks.
“There’s only one person I can think of,” I state.
“God, I can’t fucking wait to kill that bitch,” Cassidy says, rubbing her stomach in slow movements.
“I absolutely think it’s her. She’s got her sticky little hands in everything, Lyle.
Shit. Abbott, can we go home? I don’t want to be out anymore.
I need Shi to get on this. We have him working on finding all the places Alisa has been based on your descriptions of them as well.
Do you think you’d be able to give us any more details? ”
“I don’t have them,” I say, running my hand through my hair and tugging on it. I may lose it all if I can’t stop pulling. “She hates talking about it, and I don’t enjoy forcing her to relive her past. Alisa does want to help though. We’re talking eleven fucking years of being sold, Cass.”
“I know,” she whispers. “How does she function?”
“No idea. Except that she’s tired of living in hell,” I say honestly. “Alisa wants to enjoy her life as it stands now. She’s seeing a therapist, but I don’t know what she’ll be willing to tell him. Silas said he was drinking from a fucking flask while he spoke to her.”
“Ah, professional much?” Abbott scoffs.
“Look, she got through that party like a damn champ, right up until we all got drugged.”
“Which leads us to the multiple layers of why Lyle Mayor is pissed off,” Cassidy replies. “Got it. How did you all fall into such a shit storm?”
“That’s not even the half of it,” I snort. “The hits just fucking keep coming. Let me know when you find something.”
Turning away, I turn my music back up and begin jogging to warm my body up. I hate starting and stopping because it causes my muscles to complain.
Life is definitely complicated, and I can’t find it in me to complain.
This is all an intricate puzzle I need to work through.
Ella, Troy’s ex-wife, recently sold her house and moved to Nashville with her pack.
I dislike that she’s closer to Troy now, and her demands are no less insistent than they were before.
She’s threatening to sue Troy for money, stating he owes her not only more alimony, but also child support for a pack child he didn’t sire.
Children born into a pack can be considered to belong to all the alphas present within it.
The largest issue is proving Troy believed himself to be a father to the child, and the pack as a whole edged him out.
I don’t think this argument is going to hold water, especially not with me as his lawyer. God, she’s such a fucking cunt.
My feet hit the pavement for far longer than usual as my list of shit to deal with extends ahead of me as I run. I have a few ideas on how to tackle things by the time I reach home, groaning as I drag myself up the steps.
Silas is waiting for me inside, leaning against the wall as he stares disapprovingly at me.
My location is left on at all times, which means he followed my little dot on the screen while I ran for the past couple of hours.
My body hurts and the sun is out now, warming the air.
Sweat drips down my back, a clear sign of how quickly the weather can change in Savannah, especially when you’re already hot.
“I’d ask if you feel better but I sincerely doubt that,” he says, shoving a bottle at me. I finished my own water ages ago. “Drink your electrolytes and come have some breakfast before your shower.”
If I do it now, my body will be pissed off. It never fucking fails and he knows it.
“How is everyone doing?” I ask, walking toward the kitchen with both bottles as I drink my electrolyte-laced beverage.
“Trying to process,” Silas grunts. “Your shirt is drenched and it’s supposed to be a moisture wicking material. You broke your shirt.”
Snorting in derision, I hand over what’s in my hands and grab the offending topic near the back of my neck and pull it off.
“Happy now?”
“All those pretty muscles are on display now. I’m sure we’ll all be happy now,” Silas replies.
Stepping into the kitchen, I walk over to everyone and lean over on the island to listen as Troy speaks to his agent, my lips twitching in mild amusement at Silas.
No matter what, he can always turn my mood around.
“Excuse me. Who wants to speak to me?” he asks.
His agent explains that an athletic clothing line wants to sign him for a brand deal and that a kids organization wants him to do a commercial for them. There are also several other deals on the table and I suck down more water to keep from saying anything.
It seems that Mitch is bribing his players to keep quiet this morning.
“This is coming out of the blue, Lora,” Troy drawls, also seeing this for what it is.
“It is and I’m kind of surprised by it as well,” she admits. “What should I tell them?”
Troy’s eyes slide toward me with a raised brow, and I incline my head in his direction. All I need is his nod of approval for me to take over.
As soon as I get it, I say, “Can you tell them to call his lawyer? I’ll go through the offers and then help Troy decide what aligns with his needs.
Can you also send over his contract with the Furies, please?
I’d like to go over it. Ella is still being a pain and I want to be sure it won’t affect his ability to continue to play for them. ”
“I was just thinking about her,” she sighs. “I’ll send it over now and get the brands in touch with you. I’m glad Troy has someone in his corner. I’m getting an odd feeling about this.”
“We are too,” I admit. “Thanks for watching out for him.”
I know she’s been with him through some of the darkest times in his career and she never bailed.
Troy sits back as he says goodbye to his agent and blows out a breath.
“What do you want to do about Mitch?” I ask.
“I really am thinking about retiring. It’s not fair for me to drag you through all of this.”
“We weren’t the only ones affected by this,” Alisa says softly.
She’s wearing Silas’ hoodie and nothing else and her hair is wet.
In fact, everyone appears to have taken a shower except for me at this point.
“What I mean is none of this is your fault. I don’t want you to give up something you love, Troy. ”
“But I love you all more,” he grumbles adorably.
“Finish out the season and then let’s go from there. We’re in the home stretch,” I suggest. “He’d be insane to attempt to pull something like this again.”
“It does seem like a one trick situation,” Troy mutters. “I’m worried about where he got the drugs from.”
“I have a feeling I know,” Alisa whispers.
“Me too, baby,” I say. “Fucking Avery.”
Alisa shudders at her name, and I wince as I take her seat with my girl now in my lap.
“We all hate that bitch.” Alisa relaxes against my chest as Silas speaks, and Easton makes a face of agreement.
“She’s a damn menace. We keep trying to kill her and she slips away,” I add.
“One day, her luck will run out,” Alisa mutters. “I don’t want to talk about her anymore. Who needs to work today? Because I don’t wanna.”
“I don’t either,” I admit. “Why don’t we all walk down to the river together to see what I’m trying to protect by running for mayor. I still can’t believe I’m doing this when we have so many other things pulling at us.”
“You’re the perfect person for this,” she mumbles, kissing my bare chest. “If you don’t do it, who will?”
Yep. Story of my pack’s fucking lives.