7. Deacon
Chapter 7
Deacon
It’s clear Nathan isn’t used to being prey. He has no sense of awareness that a better predator is stalking him. But the girl he’s with, the third one this week, senses my eyes on them. She looks around again, and I divert my gaze, digging into the empty center console of the rental car.
Since he interrupted my shopping trip with Henri two weeks ago, I’ve been lightly stalking Nathan. Mostly only when I can get away from Henri’s lessons in dealing with the media. Or if she doesn’t have a meeting for me to attend. In other words, all my other hobbies are gone.
I’ve learned so much.
The illegal activities I suspected Nathan was involved in were all correct. He has a gambling problem and owes, from what I could track down, at least four bookies a total of thirty grand. Plus, he’s buying some sort of hormone therapy from a black-market pharmacy, which, from my understanding, is literally just ephedrine and vitamin D. Weird because I suspected testosterone. The rage must be a placebo effect, maybe, or someone else is getting it for him. A little more time and I’m sure I’ll figure it out.
Morally, I already knew he was shit. Cheating on Henri is reprehensible. But in the time I’ve stalked him, I’ve found zero redeeming qualities. Every opportunity on his walk through life, Nathan chooses the road less traveled and the self-absorbed, what’s-in-it-for-me quest instead. Parking like an asshole, not holding open doors, embezzling money from ‘take a penny, leave a penny’ jars.
But what did I truly expect from him? He’s the epitome of the kind of person who would believe the birds are government spies and the earth is flat or some shit.
Feeling like I’ve given them enough time, I look back up at Nathan. The woman he’s with looks uncomfortable. She’s shifting her weight back and forth, and when she goes to leave, he grabs her forearm. My hand goes to the car door handle, but she rips her arm away from him, and he laughs but lets her go.
Like the two times before, the woman walks away and gets in her car, and Nathan takes off on foot. When he’s sufficiently down the block, I start the car and follow him back to the dingy, rundown gym he’s calling ‘work.’
Nathan had a job opportunity with this ‘weight lifting consulting company’ a couple years ago, and he uprooted himself and Henri from their apartment in Ohio during her third year of college. But what the IRS and bank statements don’t tell you is that he left behind a large sum of gambling debts.
The darkness inside me knows that culling him would be a blessing to this earth. It cries out for bloodshed in the same way that I’m thirsting for justice for Henri.
I’m parking around the corner from the gym when my phone rings.
“Hello?” I answer, not looking at the caller ID .
“Hey. Where are you?” Henri hisses.
“Where am I?” Pushing the question back, I try to remember if she had plans for me today.
I could have sworn I had the day off. Where am I?
“Deacon,” Henri groans. “You have a meeting with the library to discuss a book reading with the children for next week. Please tell me you’re close by.”
Fuck. I close my eyes. “Stall. I’ll be there in ten.”
“What are you wearing?” Henri’s question strikes me as odd.
Nothing if you’re... Not what she’s asking. I answer truthfully. “Dark wash jeans and a plain black T-shirt.”
“Good enough. Just get here,” she practically snarls.
It’s adorable, and I’d tell her so if she wasn’t angry.
“I’m on my way. I promise.” I hang up and take one last look at Nathan.
He’s talking with a couple of his gym bros. Should I dig into them too?
It doesn’t make sense to. I don’t need to go around killing people associated with Nathan. It’s not like Isabel LeFleur’s friends. Sure, Cade took his justice where he felt it was necessary. But I’m the one who hunted down literally every person she came into contact in her attempt to throw a coup.
Nathan’s friends probably aren’t squeaky clean, but that’s someone else’s problem. Without Nathan, they won’t be a threat to Henri. What do humans need with one wolf? And really, she’s all I care about.
She’s mine. Even if I can’t have her. I’ll protect her until I’m not here on this earth anymore.