CHAPTER 10 ARCH #3
I didn’t have anything to add to that. We walked down the hallway, which ended at one secret door into the hallway to the loading docks, and another that led to a set of stairs going down underneath the loading docks.
A small hatch provided an escape route outside and into the cover of a thick stand of tall shrubs.
“This explains how he and the other guards got out. If he was in the building when we raided it, he left this way. We didn’t check under here at all. We wouldn’t have known to.”
I took photos of everything as we went back in through the hidden doors and hallway. “Thanks, you two. You’ve more than earned your lunch.”
As it was midafternoon, we were able to get into the restaurant, Goode Company BBQ, without a wait.
I’d let the wolves choose where we ate, since I wasn’t picky.
Though Oz’s breakfast this morning had been delicious, and I couldn’t help imagining having it again, but this time with all of us in our sleep clothes.
Which was not a thought I should be having.
It was disrespectful to Manny and Oz and what they were building together.
If my mind strayed briefly to what it might be like to be in a three-way relationship like Ellis had, well, I was only human, magical or not.
After we started eating, I decided to indulge my curiosity.
“Not sure if you know this, but I’m friends with Manuel Moreno.
” Okay friends was pushing it, but whatever.
I’d been dwelling on that thought instead of Cassandra and Harrison, so I almost missed their reactions to my statement.
They’d frozen in place. Both of them. Like they had a secret and weren’t sure if I was in on it.
I had to jerk my gaze down to my plate in case my eyes were signaling how close I was to going into Hunter mode. When I had it under control, I looked up again. “You know him, right? He said he’s been to your pack house several times.”
Cassandra took a long swallow of her iced tea. “Sure, we’ve both met him. He’s nice.” Harrison shoved a huge bite of brisket in his mouth and nodded emphatically.
I took a bite of my own food to buy some time. I could ask about the “nursing stuff” Manny had mentioned, but based on his behavior this morning and now the wolves’ reactions, he had to be doing something else entirely with the wolf pack.
I leaned back in my chair and sipped my own iced tea, giving each of them an evaluating look. “So does that mean y’all are”—I glanced around—“involved in...?” I waved my hand in a vague gesture.
Both of them almost collapsed with relief. Harrison recovered first. “Yes. And can I just say, I’m so glad Mr. Moreno has finally told the Hunters about... you know.” He glanced around like I’d done. Fuck, he’d almost said it, whatever it was.
I gave a visible wince. “Well, not so much the Hunters as me. I’m friends with him personally, and I had breakfast with him and Oz this morning.
” See, you can believe Manny trusts me. “I don’t have permission to let anyone else in on it, so you should still keep things quiet.
” My heart was pounding, and I hoped they couldn’t hear it in the noisy restaurant. Come on, come on, tell me.
They both nodded again. Harrison smiled. “I haven’t seen him do it myself, but I admire him so much for helping people, even though it puts him at risk.”
Risk. My insides turned to ice, and I swallowed. “Yeah, well, I have mixed feelings on the risk part.”
Cassandra patted my arm. “I’m glad you’re in town now.
He needs more people to care about him. And even though we’ve got protection detail on him twenty-four seven, we all know it’s only a matter of time,”—her voice dropped to a whisper—“before the traffickers catch wind that there’s a healer here. ”
I clamped my hands on the edge of the table, closing my eyes and trying to avoid going into Hunter mode in front of fifty or so non-magical humans.
A healer. Manny was a fucking healer, and he hadn’t told me.
Not that I could blame him, because we weren’t close.
But I’d bet everything I owned he hadn’t told his best friend Rory, not to mention Ellis or Shane.
Protection detail, Cassandra had said. Oz must’ve been his detail today, though since they were involved, he might be on duty only because we Hunters had borrowed a significant portion of the pack’s security forces.
When I had myself under control, I opened my eyes and smiled sheepishly at Cassandra and Harrison. “Sorry. The thought of Manny in so much danger...” I shook my head.
Cassandra gave me a teasing grin. “Looks to me like Oz has some competition for Mr. Moreno.”
Harrison hooted and heat washed over my chest and face.
Fuck me. When was the last time I’d blushed?
I managed to mutter, “No comment,” before I busied myself taking another sip of iced tea.
My head whirled with what I’d just learned, but I needed to put it aside to worry about later.
Cassandra and Harrison couldn’t find out they’d revealed the secret.
We switched to less fraught topics for the rest of the meal, and I thought I did a decent job acting relaxed. I even managed to finish my food. My entire being wanted to bolt out of the restaurant and post myself on Manny’s front porch with every weapon I had access to.
He and I would be having a conversation very soon.
I just had to figure out what to say.