Chapter 63
Chapter Sixty-Three
Falcon
The trail of footprints I found aren’t that hard to see when I shine my phone’s flashlight on them, but I had to quit doing that once I found out where they trailed off to. It’s gotten dark since I followed them back to a house I was able to identify as being owned by Warren Corvina.
The house looked empty, but that doesn’t mean someone isn’t inside.
The footprints got hard to follow once I got to the house.
It was too hard to tell if they made it to the front door, the back, or one of the windows.
It’s also possible that this is just where they parked a car.
There’s room for a few vehicles to park out front of the house, and there’s a dirt path that leads out to the road.
I know Lana isn’t going to like this information, even before I take my phone back out of my pocket to make the call to the academy.
There’s not a person alive who doesn’t know who Warren Corvina is.
The Alpha Alliance guys I spoke to before I went out with them mentioned him a few times.
He was known as a rich innovative therapist and a great philanthropist before he was known as a dangerous criminal who tried to brainwash Omegas to make them slaves to Alphas.
It can’t be a coincidence that there’s a trail leading from his home to the academy where he had access to Omegas in the past as one of the academy’s donators.
I walk out toward the road until I get enough of a signal to make some calls.
My first call is to Shayne, because whatever Lana says to me, I’m not going back to the hotel tonight. Not now that I know whoever cut that hole in the fence has some sort of tie to Corvina.
I let Shayne know what’s happening, and I tell him I’ll call him back tomorrow.
Then, after sighing deeply, I make the call to Lana.
It rings for enough time that I’m wondering if she knows it’s my number calling.
Wouldn’t surprise me if she was screening her calls.
Then, when I’m about to hang up and try again, she picks up.
“Goldcrest, Lana speaking.”
She talks like she’s firing bullets out of her mouth.
I press my lips together before I finally make myself start to talk.
“Hey, it’s Falcon …”
“I don’t have time to make appointments right now, Mr. Falcone. We have a serious security breach …”
“I know. It’s about the breach,” I explain, waiting to make sure she’s listening.
“If you cut that hole in the fence …”
“I didn’t. But I did walk around the exterior of the fence when I left.”
She blows out a breath. “You realize I could take that as a threat?”
“I know. I had to do it anyway. And I found a trail.”
“You found a trail?” she asks, sounding confused. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I walked around the fence until I got close to where the hole was, and I found a trail of footprints in the mud. Men’s work boots, probably. Around a size twelve. The thing is, when I followed them, they led me out to a house. Warren Corvina’s house.”
When the line goes quiet, I check my signal.
Still working. I put the phone back to my ear.
“Warren Corvina’s house?” She sounds angry.
“That’s the one,” I admit. “I mean, it could be the other house that’s out here, but if I remember the news reports correctly, he owned both of them anyway so they’re both his houses.”
She sighs. “Send me your location. Use what3words.”
“Have your guys sealed the hole yet?” I ask.
“They’re ordering a new panel but Pete’s about to go block it with some wood for now.”
“I would hold off on that if you want to catch whoever made that hole.”
She goes quiet again, and I can hear her cursing under her breath before she says, “Fine. I’ll have Owen come out there and talk to you about the plan to catch this guy. Send me the location so I know which house you’re at.”
“Doing it now. Thanks.”
I hang up before she can get any madder and decide not to include me in the plan.
Lurking around the outside of the jailed rich man’s old house, I try to find an accessible entry point, but all the doors and windows are locked.
I’m leaning by the side of the front door when I notice some random rocks at the bottom of the porch.
It seems unlikely that a rich guy living out in the forest would hide a key under a rock, but you never know.
I move across the porch and down the steps to where the rocks sit by the sides of the stairs.
Turning them over, one by one, I find regular rock after regular rock.
In the end, I pick one of those rocks up, feeling the heft of it in my hand and knowing it would shatter one of these windows pretty easily.
I couldn’t find an entry point, but I could make one.
The sound of a car getting closer makes me drop it.
I turn around to see an SUV with tinted windows swinging into a space that’s a little closer to where I’m standing than I would have preferred.
I wipe dirt off my hands onto my jeans, and I crack my knuckles, ready for a fight.
The Alpha who steps out of the driver’s seat gives me a wry smile.
“Did you have a rock in your hand?”
I let out a breath when I see him. “I didn’t expect you to arrive this quickly.”
Owen shrugs. “I was headed out to pick up lunch when Lana asked me to come speak to you instead. The threat level was pretty low considering our coverage is complete. We checked all our cameras, and no one is on the academy property who shouldn’t be.
Literally the only thing that made this a big deal was you linking a would-be intruder to the Corvina estate. ”
“Well, then it’s a good thing I decided to take a walk around the perimeter of the academy.”
He doesn’t look convinced. “It was on our list. We would have gotten to it. There was no rush.”
I shake off the first sparks of anger his response lights inside me.
Being around other Alphas isn’t exactly a fun time.
It’s been a while since I had to converse with any Alpha other than Shayne.
“So?” Owen asks, looking around.
“So, what?” I snap back, before I can stop myself.
He raises an eyebrow, and I take a few seconds to calm myself down while he looks me over.
“You know it’s weird that you’re out here, right? And it wasn’t exactly smart to take your future mate into the woods earlier today.”
Shit. He saw that.
Of course he did!
They have cameras all over the fucking academy!
I nod slowly. “I know. I should have reported it immediately.”
“But you wanted time alone with her.”
“She’s my true mate.”
“I get it. Believe me, I do. I won’t tell Lana about your detour. You brought Robin back safe and sound. That’s what matters. For now. As long as you don’t intend to break another rule.”
“It was spur of the moment. Robin wanted to go for a walk. The gardens you have here … They’re too small. It’s not good enough. She needs more outdoor space to walk around in.”
Owen sighs. “Then I’m sure you’ll make sure you buy a house with a big garden whenever you’ve been approved to claim her and become her guardian. Until then …”
He doesn’t need to finish. I know what he’s saying.
We both know I’ll never be allowed back if I break one more rule.
They take Robin’s security seriously, and I don’t have an issue with that.
“There’s a trail of footprints that make a rough path from the hole that was cut in the fence to the area around this house. They get too hard to follow once you get within a few feet of the house.”
I look around until I can see the closest set, and then I move toward them, being careful not to obscure their imprints.
“Over here,” I start, looking up to find Owen already at my side.
He crouches down and takes out his phone, taking a picture of the clearest print.
“I assume you’ve already tried to get into the house?” Owen asks.
“All the doors and windows are locked.”
“Hence the rock,” he murmurs.
All I can do is shrug in response.
He moves up the steps to the porch, heading straight for the front door.
Knocking and stepping back, he waits.
I don’t hold my breath.
He moves back to the door and leans in.
A few seconds later, the door opens a crack.
Turning back to me, Owen nods toward the door.
“Get up here. If someone’s inside, we’re going to find him.”