Rogue: Bay Harbor Wolves Vol. 1

by B. A. Stretke

  “Okay, why?” Leo sat up and put the phone on speaker.

  “Raymond may try to make trouble for you. I wanted you to be aware and to be careful.” Max rushed with the information.

  “What kind of trouble?” Leo wasn’t on good terms with his uncle. He left Chicago because he refused to be a part of the way Raymond was running their late father’s hotels. The man was a brute and a fraud and Leo knew for a fact that he cheated anyone who got within a few yards of him. “I left; I didn’t blow the whistle on what I found out. What’s his problem?”

  “He’s got people covering up for him and he’s planning to take the hotels. The way father wrote his will states as long as the businesses need guidance Raymond remains in control, so he’s making it look as if you and I are unwilling, unable to take control, whatever he can make fly with the courts. We’re being forced out but at this point, these hotels no longer even resemble what father built. They’re just fronts and falling apart, literally and figuratively.” Max took several deep breaths and got himself under control. The emotion was bubbling up and the pain of watching the loss and deterioration of everything their father built was crushing him.

  “I’m sorry I left you, Max. It was a coward’s way out. I should have stayed and fought with you.” Leo was taking on the guilt in waves.

  “You had no choice, Leo. He was going to pull you into things that could have ruined you. Running was your best option.” Leo remembered someone else who told him that and wondered if a runner was all he was destined to be in life.

  “Is he threatening you?” Leo demanded.

  “He threatens everyone.”

  “Why don’t you just chuck it all and come here. We could rent a little larger apartment and it would be fine. This is a pretty good town and I have a decent job at the Indigo Hotel. I know there would be a place for someone as smart and organized as you.” Leo wanted Max to get out before it was too late.

  “I can’t leave yet. I have to try and save this before it’s all gone. There’s a meeting with the lawyers on Tuesday and I’m going to try to make my case against him. If I walk away now the hotels will be forfeit to Raymond.” Max sounded tired.

  “Our lawyers haven’t been able to stop him so far, what makes you think they will be able to do anything now at this late stage?” Leo was beginning to worry about Max. Their Uncle Raymond was not above violence when he wanted to get his own way.

  “I have proof of some of the illegalities happening at the hotel here in town. I hope it’s enough to slow down his takeover.” Max took another deep breath and suddenly lowered his voice. “He’s worried about you and what you know, Leo. Until I and the lawyers have a chance to try and figure this out please be careful.”

  “I will and please, Max take your own warnings. Raymond is a beast so watch your back.” Leo implored his brother and wished beyond words that he would just let it all go. Let Raymond have the hotels and come and make a new life with him in Eastport. But Max was a fighter, not the physical type of fighter but the legal, ethical, moral type of fighter. He had to try his damned awful best to save father’s businesses, he couldn’t just give up, like Leo.

  “Love you and take care,” Max told him.

  “Love you too, man,” Leo responded in kind before closing the call.

  Leo grabbed his jacket and headed out to the café a little more observant of his surroundings than he had been before and more attentive to the people near. Raymond must be getting damned desperate if he thought Leo was a threat. The information he had was minor and easily refuted if you had good lawyers which Raymond had, so why worry about him? Unless what he knew along with whatever Max had could effectively stymie his plans with the hotels.

  He tucked his head down against the sharp chill of the wind and headed inside the café for lunch and their Wi-Fi. He wanted to do a little online research of his father’s properties and see what was being posted. Since leaving nearly a month ago he’d ignored the urge to follow the business but now with this new information following the business seemed imperative.

  …

  Derek stood with Zayn behind the two traitors and Henrik stood before them. They acted cocky for some strange reason as if they thought they had a chance of surviving this day. Nothing was said for a solid ten minutes long enough for the two of them to begin to squirm.

  “State your names,” Henrik ordered. No lower-order wolf was able to ignore a command from an Alpha. The men hurriedly gave their names.

  “Frank Lester.”

  “Jim Osborn.”

  Silence fell once again for a few minutes until suddenly and with fierce authority that had them trembling, Henrik went into a ruthless interrogation mode. He fired questions and tore apart their responses until he had a clear understanding of what Kent Wisner and his group were intending and how they planned to achieve their goals. He then centered upon their personal crime against the Pack.

  “You planted a bomb under my porch causing considerable damage but thankfully no injuries or loss of life. You consider that a failure, don’t you? Because your intent was to kill. You wanted to kill me, one of my enforcers, perhaps my Beta Zayn or my brother Derek, you didn’t care because you just wanted to kill.” Henrik walked up to each of them looking down into their pitiful eyes and pushing onto them his hatred and disdain.

  “Children often play on this porch in the evenings and early mornings before school. They do so because they know that it is a safe place and it is the Alpha’s residence and the Pack is always welcome here. Did you care that a child, an innocent could have been caught in the midst of the violence you perpetrated?” Henrik’s voice got louder and deeper with each word and the two wolves began to cower and tried to step back, but Derek and Zayn kept them in place.

  Derek noted that their cockiness was well and truly gone. His brother was a force that no wolf could bear or endure, and these men were going to learn too late that challenging him had been a very bad idea.

  “Answer me, did you fucking care?!” Henrik roared down at them.

  Frank seemed to find the courage to answer and answer honestly but it didn’t save him. “No.” He said, and Henrik tore out his throat. In the same instant, he punched his fist through Jim’s chest and gripped his heart holding it in his hand and squeezing until Jim’s eyes went dark and death took him.

  Derek had not seen his brother this enraged in many years and it was a lesson to everyone not to piss him off. Henrik tossed Jim’s body aside and Derek handed him a handkerchief to wipe his hands.

  “These traitors have been dealt with,” Henrik stated. “But they are not alone in their treachery. I will find each and every conspirator. They won’t live to see the sunset.” Henrik walked past the bodies and out to the main road that connected all the homes within the Pack in a circular pattern.

  Both Derek and Zayn followed closely behind as Henrik went to each household. It was a Sunday, so most everyone was at hand. He scrutinized and assessed every wolf and those that were found to have had direct links to the traitors were killed on the spot. Henrik was not playing games or giving quarter. Those with a less than direct link but still presented as a threat to the wellbeing of the Pack were taken to the Mansion and held by his enforcers.

  Derek knew that these men would be labeled dishonorable and cast out of the Pack. They would finish their days on this earth alone because no other Pack would ever take them in with such a branding. Thankfully they had no children and were not bonded. They were single wolves who thought they could just take what didn’t belong to them.

  This was a purge and it was something the Pack hadn’t seen before so naturally, they were anxious and worried, but Henrik was gentle with the innocent and merciless with the guilty. It took most of the day to visit each home and flush out the guilty. Derek’s mind wandered to his mate many times, but the current events prohibited leaving or even reaching out. His mind and full focus needed to be on the safety and protection of the Pack as they set it back to right.

 
Leo was scheduled to work this evening so he would see him there and try to explain his absence. The bond between them was building and even now he could sense his mate’s presence in town so many miles away from him. The purge was necessary and way overdue as far as Derek was concerned, he just wished it had taken place before he had found and bonded with his mate.

  The timing was terrible, but Henrik was amazing and a terrible force to be reckoned with. His strength, control, and leadership were on full display. Anyone who thought he’d grown weak or detached was getting a rude and ruthless awakening. It was beautiful.

  …

  Leo returned to his apartment just before four leaving him time to change and get to work at five. He thought that Derek would have returned by now or at least called but he’d heard nothing since Derek had left his bed at around five that morning.

  The distance was something that he could actually feel. He reached up and touched the healed scar at the base of his neck. It was where Derek and bitten him. It was already healed and the sensations coursing through it were astonishing.

  He must have damaged a nerve or something, but it didn’t hurt it felt exhilarating. Leo found himself touching it often just to get the stirring sensation it elicited. The sensations brought back last night and the sizzling sex they’d shared. Leo wasn’t a slut, so he didn’t have a lot of others to compare Derek to, but in his mind, the man was a boss.

  He brought out in Leo a craven lust that was unquenchable. Even now just thinking about it was making him hard so Leo put his mind on getting ready for work and controlling his raging desire for a man he’d only known for a couple of days. When he finally pushed Derek to the back of his thoughts, his brother Max took center stage almost immediately.

  Thoughts of Max were not half as exciting as thoughts of Derek, no they were more chilling. The call he received had conveyed volumes in the way Max spoke, chose his words and showed his fear. Max was the strongest and most levelheaded of the two of them and if he was alarmed, then there was truly something to fear.

  Raymond had been running their father's three hotels located in the Chicago suburb of Napierville for the past five years. When their father died of a heart attack it was discovered that he’d put his brother in charge of things until his sons were deemed capable of the task. Raymond had made it his duty over the last few years to make sure they were never deemed capable.

  It was a known secret that Raymond was using the businesses as shells and covering for criminal enterprises but there was never any proof. Without proof, he and Max were just sour grapes wanting to wrench back the control of the hotels from a beloved uncle who was only looking out for their best interests. It had become a sickening spectacle the one time they tried to confront him on the issue.

  Leo wondered what Max was going to use to try and win this time around. The information Leo had was weak at best and Max wouldn’t use it for fear of putting a target on Leo’s back. At the time Raymond tried to pay him off but instead of getting involved in his filth, Leo had run. Now it looked as if Raymond was wanting to secure his silence through threats and intimidation, as usual.

  As he walked out the door on his way to work, Leo pondered whether Derek would come to the bar or if he would, in fact, ever see him again. Sex like what they’d had warranted a follow-up call at the very least. For Derek to disappear and not reach out was a testament to the fact that Leo was just one more notch and that nothing meaningful had actually happened.

  He was a big boy with more on his plate right now than he could handle. So, taking on a relationship was probably a bad idea anyway. He had no time or headspace to spare for Derek Vaughn. The pep talk helped heal his wounded emotions just a little bit, but his heart was still sore and wanting.

  …

  Back at the Mansion, Henrik confronted the men held there. Each man, in turn, was taken to task and eviscerated mentally and emotionally. Henrik sounded like the doorman in hell painting a painful picture of your crimes and elucidating your lack of a future.

  “If I ever lay eyes on you again, I will kill you. Stay away from my Pack, off my land and out of my State.” Henrik turned his back on them and shut down the Alpha link that exists between Alpha’s and their pack members. These men have never felt the bereft emptiness of having no Alpha connection and it was obvious by the stricken looks on their faces.

  They were taken out the back way of the Mansion making sure they passed by the dead bodies of their two friends, Frank and Jim and led off and away from the property. They were then gathered together and driven out of the state of Michigan.

  Henrik walked up to Derek and pulled him in for a full-body hug, not a shoulder squeeze or pat but a full embrace indicating how much he meant to Henrik. “I’m so sorry I interrupted your private time with your new mate. We have everything in hand so go give him my apologies and bring him home as soon as you can.” Henrik stepped back and Derek discovered he was quite moved by his brother’s words and desire to meet his mate.

  “Thanks.” Derek was more than ready to get back to town and check on Leo. He’d been at work now for a couple of hours so he should be ready for a break. As he was leaving, he heard Zayn and Javier questioning Henrik about his mate. They sounded surprised but no less than he was when he found out. The gift of a mate was an incredible happening and not to be treated lightly. When one mate was found, as a rule, others followed. The men were probably getting excited about the possibilities that one of them could be next. But that wasn’t Derek’s concern all he desired was to be at his mate’s side and to get this relationship on track.

  With the budding rebellion squashed and Henrik back in rare form, he was confident that the fixer would not be called upon for a while. He needed this time to acclimate his mate to pack life and introduce him to the realities that surrounded him. They were already bonded so all that remained was working out the details.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Leo brushed his hair back with his hand when he walked through the door. The day was cold and windy, but the hotel and bar were warm and welcoming as always. Sundays tended to be a bit slower, but a lot of the regulars were already there. He ducked into the back room and hung up his coat before grabbing an apron and heading out to the bar. He hadn’t given himself enough time to be able to sit and collect himself before starting his shift.

  Sam was just walking in as Leo slid behind the bar. “I’m not the only one running a little late today.” He commented and Sam gave him a smile and a salute before hitting the back room. Sam was a good guy; helpful, ambitious, and low drama, a perfect co-worker in Leo’s opinion. He hoped everything was okay with his uncle, but Leo didn’t know him well enough to ask.

  Work had just nicely gotten started when Mike made his appearance looking just as angry and bothered as he had last evening. Leo really had no desire to deal with the guy right now, but he was walking very determinedly in his general direction.

  “Don’t look now but I think Mike is going to give you grief,” Sam whispered and then turned to take a couple of orders.

  “You’re taking a break.” Mike snapped.

  “I just got here,” Leo stated.

  “Take your break.” He enunciated each syllable for effect and pointed to the backroom. Leo removed his apron and followed Mike to the back room. Mike stood there leaning one hand on the small table in the center of the room while silently staring daggers at Leo.

  Leo wasn’t sure if he was supposed to talk or stand there and wait for Mike to get to the point of this dramatic performance.

  “I’m not your mother and I’m not your priest as you pointed out yesterday, but I can’t in all good conscience allow you to pursue a relationship with Derek Vaughn.” He laid out his demands and then crossed his arms over his chest as he continued to stare at Leo.

  Leo refused to respond. This was bullshit and he was not going to stand here and discuss his private life with Mike the manager for fuck sake. At twenty-three he could pick his own damn dates and pursue anyone he fucking wan
ted to pursue without permission from Mike the manager. He wished he’d said that out loud instead of in his head.

  “Do you even have the faintest of ideas who that man really is?” He snapped again obviously growing impatient. Again, Leo stayed silent letting his resentment show clearly in his darkening gaze.

  “That man is a monster, he’ll chew you up and spit you out without a thought or a care. His heart is made of pure ice just like his eyes. He has no limit, no mercy, and no compassion, you are not prepared to take on a man like Derek Vaughn.” Mike moved closer as his tirade got more heated.

  “You will stay out of my private life.” Leo finally spoke firm and clear; his anger was barely in check. Mike was crossing boundaries and Leo was not happy.

  “If you want to continue working here, then you will end whatever it is that you have going on with Derek Vaughn.” Mike made the ultimatum. It wasn’t a surprise; Leo was used to people throughout his life threatening him in order to make him conform. First his father and then his uncle but he didn’t play that game anymore and especially not with a worm like Mike.

  “Good enough. I quit.” Leo barked and turned to leave the room. He was not staying but Mike was not ready to let him leave. As he brushed past him to go out the door, Mike grabbed him by the upper arm in a grip that was surprisingly firm. Leo tried to shake him off, but he couldn’t get free.

  Mike pulled him up close and looked to be ready to barrage him with more demands when he suddenly looked stunned and immediately let him go and took a step back. “He bit you?” He asked referencing the scar on Leo’s neck. His tone was less aggressive and more troubled, but Leo was done playing this game.

  “You can fuck right off,” Leo said while pointing his finger in Mike’s face. “I’m outa here.” Leo flew past him and out the door. Mike did not pursue him. Leo noticed Sam looking after him confused and concerned, but he didn’t have the time or composure to stop and talk to him. His job here was over and now he had to find a new one.