by Lori Drake
Joey cleared her throat. “Uncle.”
Her arrival clearly surprised Elijah, but failed to intimidate. He flicked his fingers in a shooing gesture that might as well have said, “Not right now, girl, the men are speaking.”
“This isn’t the time or the place to get into it,” Chris said, quietly but firmly. “If you have concerns, all three of us can talk about it once the police have finished taking statements.” He offered Joey his hand.
Joey took it and stepped up to his side. “Agreed.”
Elijah flicked his beady eyes between the two of them, scoffed, and walked away.
Chris lifted Joey’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “What an ass,” he muttered, his breath whispering across her skin.
Joey bit back the first reply that came to mind, not trusting herself to be discreet enough around so many sharp-eared shapeshifters once she got going. “At least you’re technically not related to him.”
Chris snorted softly and escorted her in the direction of the interview table. As they drew closer, Joey began to pick up the conversation between the detectives and her distant cousin, Bradley. Bradley was already on her shit list on account of his behavior the previous night, but she couldn’t fault his performance with the cops. He slouched in his chair, answering their questions politely but with a troubled air appropriate for someone who’d just lost a family member.
“Wesley was a good guy,” he said. “But he was subject to horrible bouts of depression. I always feared something like this might happen.”
As Joey and Chris approached, a uniformed officer waved them back. “You’ll need to wait your turn, folks. The detectives will be with you shortly.”
“No problem, officer. I just wanted to ask, how much longer do you think this is going to take?” Joey didn’t have to fake tiredness; she’d barely gotten any sleep before the rude awakening this morning.
The cop glanced over his shoulder at the detectives, then across the room at the guests. “Another half-hour or so, I imagine.”
“Thank you,” Joey said, catching a glimpse of Sam and Lucas slipping into the ballroom out of the corner of her eye. She tugged Chris in their direction and motioned Sam away from the door with her head. Lucas lingered, as if he ought to be part of the conversation, but Joey flashed him a smile. “Give us a minute?”
Lucas glanced between them, hesitating, then nodded and walked back to join the guests across the room.
“Something’s not right about that one,” Chris whispered, following Lucas’s progress with his eyes.
“Lucas?” Joey blinked, eyes darting toward the man in question. “He seems fine to me. Helpful, even.”
“Too helpful,” Sam said.
Chris nodded. “Exactly.”
Joey thought they were both a little too suspicious. She darted another glance at her cousin, who was by then engaged in conversation with another of the relatives. “Well, on the totem pole of our problems at the moment, I’d say he’s pretty low.”
“Yeah,” Chris agreed, squeezing her hand. “Do you think this is related to Gina’s death?”
“We have to assume so,” Joey said. “For everyone’s sake.”
Sam nodded, and Joey was both pleased he agreed and annoyed that she wanted his approval on some level.
“Okay, what’s our next step?” Chris asked.
Joey bit her lip. If the hotel was so easily compromised, it wasn’t a safe location for their guests. And if they did their job of convincing the police that Wesley’s death was an accident, there’d be no reason for security to be beefed up. “I think we have to move them.”
“Another hotel?”
Joey shook her head. “Somewhere more secure.”
Chris tilted his head, studying her for a moment. “You’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking, are you?”
“Well, I did just upgrade security at the house… It’s locked down like Fort Knox.”
“You want to cram thirty-five guests into your house?”
“Our house.” She squeezed his hand.
Chris pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s, like, five to a room. They’re not going to like it.”
“I wasn’t planning on giving them a choice.”
“They’re family, but not pack. Do you think we can just order them around?”
“Family or not, they’re in our town and they’ll get in line or go the fuck home—which might even be preferable at this point.”
Chris grimaced but nodded, glancing distractedly in the direction of the aforementioned guests. “We’ll need cots…”
“I’ll take care of it,” Sam said, already reaching for his phone.
“Thanks, Sam.” Joey nudged Chris and waited for him to meet her eyes. “Can you and Sam handle the logistics of getting everyone moved? I want to talk to Abby about the, uh, evolving situation.”
“I can handle the logistics. Sam should go with you.”
If not for the naked concern in his eyes, Joey might have been annoyed by the thought that she needed an escort. But he was right. With an unknown threat out there, and her stomach still not fully healed, she was better off going with backup. “Okay.”
Chris bent and kissed her, briefly but tenderly. “Be careful, okay?”
“Always.”
“Liar.”
Joey couldn’t help but smile. He knew her too well.
6
It took Chris less than five minutes to get both of the local packs on a conference call. The hotel lobby had these nifty private stalls for making calls, and one of them faced the hallway the ballroom branched off, so he could keep an eye out for any activity in that direction. Joey’d probably be upset that he’d gone off on his own to make the call, but he didn’t want a room full of wolves listening in and figured it was unlikely he’d be attacked in the lobby of a busy downtown hotel.
“What do we know, boss?” Jessica asked, once everyone was on the line.
“It looks like a drowning, but according to Wesley’s mother, he was a strong swimmer. She suspects foul play, and the guests are antsy.” They’d be even antsier if they knew Wesley wasn’t the first wolf to die in Seattle in the last forty-eight hours. Chris knew they were going to have to talk to them about that, but it was important to get them moved first.
“Do you want to get a look at the body before it goes to the medical examiner?” Ben asked. “I can find out which rig was called to the scene and see if I know anyone on it.”
“I’m not sure if there’s time, but that’d be great. See what you can do, Ben. Nice for your EMT status to be useful for something besides patching us up, eh?”
Ben grunted, and someone else snickered. Chris couldn’t tell whom, but it sounded feminine. Lucy, maybe.
“Is there anything you want the rest of us to do?” Jessica asked.
“Yeah, actually. We’re going to be relocating the guests and need some help with logistics. I need someone to arrange for transport—private cars—to transfer everyone from the hotel to the Grant house.”
“On it,” Justin said.
“My folks, I want you to head over to the house and help Jon and Sara get it ready. Stop by a drugstore and pick up a bunch of those travel-size toiletries. Toothpaste, soap, shampoo, whatever they’ve got. Pack a bag before you go. Plan to be away for a few days. We’re closing ranks for now. Joey and I want everyone together.”
“I know I’ve seen a few cots around the house somewhere,” Lucy said. “Will those help?”
“If you’re talking about Kate’s, I know where they are,” Colt said. “I’ll bring them.”
For the briefest of moments, Chris flashed back to the night Kate died. He’d been possessing Kate when it happened, trying to save her. He’d never forget the feeling of helplessness as Colt’s viselike grip tightened around his throat, much less the hatred that had twisted Colt’s amicable features into a sneer as the ghost possessing him strangled his lover to death. It’d taken Colt some time to bounce back from that. Chris still w
asn’t sure he fully had.
“Do you want us to pack a bag for you?” Jessica asked.
“Yeah, that’d be great. Thanks, Jess.”
“No problem. Anything else?”
Chris could almost hear them all itching to get started. “Just one thing. No one goes out alone. Buddy system from here on out, okay? Even you, Itsuo.”
“Yes, Christopher-san.”
Chris breathed out a sigh of relief he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He hadn’t worried about pushback from anyone else, just Itsuo. The old wolf did enjoy his solitude, but he also had a vested interest in keeping Jenny—his biological granddaughter—safe.
As they were wrapping up the call, Chris spotted the detectives walking out of the hallway he’d been keeping an eye on. If they were done, the guests wouldn’t be far behind. “I’ve got to go. If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to call. Ben, let me know if you can set anything up with the ambulance.”
Even as he spoke, Chris was already in motion. He stepped out of the booth and headed across the lobby, hanging up on the way. The first guests were starting to file out of the ballroom when he drew near, and he lengthened his stride to reach them before they could get far.
“Hold up. I want to talk to everyone real quick.” Chris ushered them toward the open doorway, and they backtracked until everyone was back inside the room. Chris closed the door, then turned to face a sea of curious faces. “We’re all shocked and concerned about what happened this morning. Joey and I are taking the matter very seriously, and we don’t want you to be concerned for your safety. To that end, we’d like you to be our guests at the Grant family home.”
A murmur of surprise flowed through the crowd. Elijah pushed his way to the front. “Is there some kind of threat we should be aware of?”
“Right now, we don’t know. But if we’re going to err, we’d rather do it on the side of caution.”
“What makes it safer there?” someone called from the back.
“The Grant house has a state-of-the-art security system, and both my pack and Joey’s will be on hand to keep an eye on things and provide additional security. It’s also fairly remote, so any activity in the immediate area will be obvious.” Chris looked out over the crowd as he spoke, meeting the eyes of various guests along the way. There was a fair bit of worry there, but also frustration, annoyance, and even anger.
“There can’t possibly be enough room for everyone there,” Elijah said.
“I won’t sugarcoat it. It’s going to be close quarters. Everyone’s going to have to share a room, but we’ll do our best to make it as comfortable as we can.” Chris’s words sparked another current of quiet conversation as the guests murmured amongst—and to—themselves. He gave them a few seconds, then went on, “Head upstairs and get packed. We’re arranging for transportation, so don’t worry about it.”
“I have a rental car,” Lucas said.
“Me too,” someone else added.
“You can drive yourself if you prefer, but you absolutely must take someone with you. Two people per car, minimum.”
Elijah’s bushy gray brows drew together, and he eyed Chris with escalating disdain. “So, you want us to run away with our tails between our legs. Is this an invitation or a demand?”
Chris had expected to face some resistance. It was no surprise that it came from Elijah. “Whatever it needs to be.”
Elijah lifted his chin and met Chris’s eyes. “And if we refuse?”
Not about to be intimidated by the buffoon, Chris held Elijah’s eyes for a ten count before answering, “If you stay here, I can’t guarantee your safety.”
Elijah scoffed. “Why should we believe you can do that anywhere? A killer is on the loose in your territory. You’ve already failed.”
Chris stepped closer to Elijah, staring him down even as his wolf yanked at its chain. He kept his voice carefully neutral, but firm. “You said it yourself. This is my territory. Mine and Joey’s. You are a guest, here by our invitation, but you’re welcome to leave.”
Elijah held his ground for a few more seconds, then looked away. It wasn’t quite submission, but it was close enough. The old fool kept his mouth shut after that.
Chris stepped back and looked around. “You have thirty minutes. Make them count.” He had no idea when the transportation would be ready, but he was riding a bit of a dominance high, and his wolf felt like barking orders. The group flowed around him and filed out of the room. Chris followed the last person out, but lingered in the lobby while they went upstairs. Dropping into an armchair, he took out his phone and sent Joey a text message.
Everyone’s on board. Had to get bossy with Elijah.
Her quick response told him Sam was probably driving.
Elijah’s an ass.
Yes, yes he was. Before Chris could respond, his phone rang. It was Ben.
“Any luck?” Chris said, in lieu of a greeting.
“Yeah. I’ll text you the location, but you need to be there ASAP. They can only delay so long.”
“You’ll meet me there?”
“Not enough time. Call me when you get there. I’ll tell you what to look for.”
Grimacing, Chris rubbed his face. “Great. Okay. Any idea how Justin is doing on the car service?”
“Hang on, let me check.”
Chris went over the logistics in his head while he waited. Even if he did leave the hotel before the guests, he had no car. Maybe he could borrow one of the rentals? But if he went on his own, he’d be breaking his own rules—and Joey would kill him, if no one beat her to it.
“Justin says they should be there by the top of the hour.”
Chris twisted to consult the clock over the front desk. The top of the hour was still forty minutes away. Chris rubbed his temples. “Okay, I’ll figure something out. Thanks, bro.”
“No problem. See you soon.”
Chris hung up and tucked his phone away, debating his options, well aware of the time ticking away while he sat there. Restless, he rose and walked around the lobby, doing his best not to pace outright, but movement helped him think. Once the body got to the hospital, the odds of them being able to examine it plummeted. Ben might be able to pull some strings at the hospital, but it was far from a given. Chris drummed his fingers against his leg while he walked. Maybe he could slip out of his body in the car, go check out the body astrally? He discarded the notion quickly. It’d be impossible to conduct a thorough examination from the astral realm, and there was no way he was going to possess one of the EMTs.
No, he was going to have to go in the flesh. The question was, with whom?
The motel that Abby Walker and her pack had holed up in was a far cry from the luxurious accommodations of the downtown hotel where the well-to-do guests had been staying. Joey felt a twinge of regret as they pulled into the parking lot. The decaying buildings sat like squat islands in a sea of cracked and patched asphalt. Should she have offered to let them stay at the house sooner, or offered to put them up somewhere nicer? The thought hadn’t even occurred to her. Joey consoled herself with the notion—perhaps ill-conceived—that Abby wouldn’t have accepted her charity anyway.
Sam parked alongside the row of motorcycles outside building three. Joey looked up in time to see the curtains in one of the upstairs windows twitch aside and fall back into place again. Room 321. That was the room number Abby had given her the day before.
Sam must’ve seen it too. “At least they’re on their toes.”
Joey snorted and climbed out of the car, stretching a bit before heading for the stairs with Sam at her side. The door opened as they approached, and the quiet, submissive wolf with the golden eyes stepped out. Joey offered a smile even as she floundered for a name.
“Hey, Laura,” Sam said. “Nice to see you again.”
Chafing with inadequacy, Joey swallowed a sigh and made a mental note to add Abby’s pack to her deck of flashcards.
I’ll bet Sam doesn’t even need flashcards. Fucker.
&
nbsp; “Hi,” Laura said, barely looking up. “Abby says she’ll be with you in a minute. You, uh, want a soda or something? There’s a machine downstairs.” A second later, she added, “I can go get it for you, I mean. Ma’am.”
“We’re fine, thanks.” Joey leaned casually against the wall. “How’s it going? Any more trouble since the other night?”
Laura shook her head. “It’s been quiet. No trouble.”
“Wish I could say the same.”
Laura did glance up at that, albeit briefly. “Something happened?”
Joey nodded. “In town. It might be related… or it might not. Hard to say. But I thought I should come talk to Abby.”
“I’m sure she’ll—she’ll appreciate it.” Laura started as the door behind her opened and Abby stepped into the doorway.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in. Joey, Sam, what brings you by?”
“Bearers of bad news, I’m afraid,” Joey said. “Can we come in?”
Abby stepped out onto the balcony and motioned into the open door. “Sure. Laura, why don’t you go next door for a spell and give us a minute.”
The younger wolf glanced between the three alphas, then nodded and knocked on the next door down. Joey headed inside, but noted Abby kept an eye on Laura until said door opened and closed, presumably admitting Laura.
Inside, the motel room was pretty much as Joey expected. A little cleaner than anticipated, which she considered a blessing. She wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to keep her inner neat freak contained, and the unmade beds were bad enough. Joey folded her hands under her arms to keep them still and waited while Abby closed the door and sauntered over to flop on one of the beds, propped up against the wall-mounted headboard.
“Okay, hit me,” Abby said.
“We’ve got another dead wolf on our hands. An out-of-towner.”
Abby lifted a brow. “Same manner of death?”
Joey shook her head. “Drowning, as far as we know so far. We’re trying to get eyes on the body so we can get a better idea of what we’re dealing with.”
“Who was it?”
