by Ciara Graves
“Why don’t you go and scare it out of him?”
“We might need his cooperation later.”
She rubbed her forehead as she set her coffee mug down. “You do remember the law that we can’t just use our power whenever we want to get whatever we want?”
“It’s a murder investigation. We’re trying to catch a killer.”
“And if Henry gives me anything during that conversation, we have to find proof on our own. Else, his words count for nothing, because I would’ve been influencing him. This is dangerous.”
“Being here is dangerous,” I pointed out. “A turf war between the packs is dangerous.”
She sank onto the couch, holding her face in her hands, muttering under her breath.
I caught a few curse words along with my name tossed in the mix. She’d agreed to be my partner again. Hell, she’d been drooling to be my partner again. She should be used to me asking her to do crazy stunts like this.
“Alright,” she finally said. “I’ll do it, but I can’t guarantee he’ll give us anything.”
“Good. Now we just need a way for you to be with him alone.”
She cringed. “I think I already have that covered. When we were at dinner last night, he was there, watching me from across the room. Won’t take much to get him to go out with me.”
“I’ll have Todd watch over you,” I assured her.
“Why him and not you?” she asked suspiciously. “You have something better to do this evening?”
“I might.”
“What are you up to?”
“I’m going to be following up on the only lead we have so far,” I said since it wasn’t a complete lie. “Jenella is hiding something. I’m going to go poke around her pack and see what I can dig up.”
“And you’re doing this alone? You really think that’s a good idea?”
“The full moon is less than two weeks away. We don’t have time to waste being overcautious. I can handle myself,” I assured her. “Text me tonight if you get any information from Henry.”
I left her, so she could get ready and returned to my room.
Jenella probably wouldn’t be willing to speak to me again, but it wasn’t her I wanted to talk to. The guards in her house would know quite a few secrets about their alpha. The problem would be getting them to talk about what occurred prior to Jaxton’s murder. And find out if they had any inkling whether Jenella could be behind it.
It wasn’t unheard of, a beta offing the alpha, but usually it was done through a challenge. Unless of course, the person doing the murdering had a special vendetta against the victim.
Jaxton Sawyer had a secret he took to the grave. I was going to find out what it was and if it was worth being killed for.
Chapter 9
Rafael
As I sat in the café, I gingerly touched my sore face, a steaming cup of coffee and nothing else in front of me. My jaw was too painful to try and eat yet.
All day yesterday, after leaving Iris to her devices and assignment, I went from one pack member to the next, asking simple questions to see who would trip up first. Most of the pack seemed to have no hint if there was any sort of tension between Jaxton and Jenella.
When I returned to Jenella’s house, however, the guards put off a completely different vibe. Jenella had not been at home, but seeing as it wasn’t her I wanted to speak to, that hadn’t chased me off as the guards had clearly expected. I’d been questioning a few who stood on the porch when the door opened, and a very large werewolf emerged.
It was Jenella’s head guard, Thomas.
His face had been pinched in fury, and he seethed, ordering me to get away from his house.
I’d perked up at his choice of words and merely asked if he would mind speaking with me for just a few minutes. He agreed, but only if it would send me away faster.
I started with a few simple questions about Jaxton and Jenella. How they treated the pack and so on.
When I broached the topic of Jaxton hiding something from Jenella, Thomas’ eyes flared bright yellow and his hands fisted at his sides. He refused to answer the question, so I asked another one. About how maybe Jenella was keeping secrets of her own from Jaxton.
The werewolf’s fist came out of nowhere.
In seconds, I’d been on the ground with him, punching and kicking as he snarled in my face.
It took six guards to yank him off me. We both walked away with black eyes, cut lips, swollen faces, and an understanding I’d walked into a damned hornet’s nest of trouble.
“You should ice your face.” Mercy.
Didn’t even see her. And now, here she was, sitting down at my corner table.
“Who did you piss off today?” She waved over the waiter
“Thomas.”
“Jenella’s head guard? And what were you doing back there?” She ordered a coffee, but no food.
I waited for the wolf to walk away before I shrugged.
She cocked a brow, but not on the side of her face that held the scar. “Thought you wanted us to work together again and here you are, already being difficult.”
“I gave you intel first the last time,” I said simply. “Your turn. What do you know?”
The way she looked at me said she was having as much trouble keeping her emotions under control as I was. “Colton disappeared. But you heard that part, so I’ll tell you what I do know. He traffics in illegal items.”
“Brings them in?”
“No. Takes them out. And trust me,” she whispered, her face paling even more. “You don’t want to know what they are. I thought I wanted to know. I didn’t. Let’s just say if anyone found out what he was into, they would have reason to not only challenge him, but also to take him out.”
“And yet Jaxton is the one who ended up dead.”
The waiter returned with Mercy’s coffee, and I watched her add sugar and cream, then drink it down, not even waiting for it to cool. Her eyes fluttered as if she was struggling to stay awake.
“Are you sure you’re up for this?”
She set her mug down hard. “Don’t. I don’t need three of you on my case right now.”
“Who else is? Bowen?”
“Drop it. I told you what I’ve got so far. Now, why don’t you share with me why your face looks like someone got a little too happy with a mace.”
“Jenella is hiding something,” I started.
Mercy laughed harshly.
“What?”
“You expect her not to be? Or any of them? They’re alphas. Their first duty is to the pack, not us. No matter who gets killed or what’s on the line.”
“Even if what she refuses to tell me could lead to the murderer?”
“Even if,” she confirmed. “But what do you think it is she’s keeping from you?”
“I was going to assume it only had to do with whatever Jaxton might’ve gotten himself tangled up in,” I said, being certain to keep my voice low. The café was fairly empty, but those who were present were definitely wolves, and I had no way to know who belonged to which pack from a simple glance. “After hearing what Rubella confessed yesterday and seeing as I set Thomas off today, I feel there’s a bit more going on.”
“So you believe Jenella is behind it?”
“Or Rubella. Maybe both? And then there’s Colton and his trafficking.”
She shook her head, catching the waiter’s attention, so he brought over the pot of coffee to top her mug off. The light caught her dark blue eyes.
I paused. There was a swirl of green in them I never noticed before. It was dark and eerie, almost. Sickly.
Mercy’s hand shook as she dumped sugar in her coffee and she seemed to steel herself then picked up the mug and drained that cup, too.
“My gut tells me Colton’s not involved.” Her voice was weaker than it had been just minutes ago. “Sure, he’s an asshole and should be locked up, but killing Jaxton brought the Feds here, which would be the last thing he would want.”
“Then it�
��s Jenella or Rubella?”
“That would be my guess, but we’ll have to get more intel first. Rubella could’ve agreed with Colton about hiring me just to save her own ass. Or she could be innocent. Or I could be completely wrong, and it does have to do with Colton. Too many secrets right now to be certain where to turn. I have more poking around to do. As I’m sure, you do too.”
I said nothing, busy watching her grit her teeth while her face scrunched as though she was in pain.
My job told me I had to ask her what I was about to, but after all we’d been through together, it was a struggle to get the words out. “Is there anything you’re not telling me about Liam?”
“Liam?” she asked, looking confused. “Why are you asking about him?”
“Just answer me, please.”
Every inch of her body suddenly went on alert, and her hand slipped inside her jacket where I knew her sword was. “You’re honestly going to sit there and question me about him after I nearly died trying to bring him in? I saved your life that night. Yours and the girl’s. And I—” She stopped, giving her head a hard shake. “I don’t owe you anything. You, on the other hand, owe me your life.”
The intensity of her words made me lean back in my chair. What she said was true, all of it, and I wanted to deck myself for pushing. “I know, but I need to understand your connection to the mage. Rot’s been repeating your name over and over since we brought him in. My boss thinks you’re involved somehow.”
“And what about you?” she shot back. “You think I’m involved?” Then she looked at me as a dark laugh escaped her lips. “That’s why you wanted to meet with me, isn’t it? To see if I’d what? Slip up? You think I killed Jaxton. Admit it.”
“Mercy—”
“Don’t,” she snapped as she got to her feet. “Just don’t even try. I’m not sure why I even thought—never mind.” She tossed some cash on the table.
I mentally yelled at myself to tell her I wanted to see her and that was the real reason I asked her here. That I wanted to ensure she was doing alright and apologize for being an idiot and for not checking on her sooner. But none of those words came out. I sat there like the bastard demon I was.
“Business then? That’s what we’ll stick to?”
“Business,” I repeated.
Her lip twitched in disgust, but whether it was at me or herself, it was hard to tell. “You have my number then. This time when you call, try not to hang up before I can answer.” She turned on her heel and stormed out of the café.
I was halfway out of my seat to go after her, but what was I going to say?
Nor was breathing down my neck to bring her in and if I was going to be completely honest, a small bit of me had no trouble believing that even in her weakened state she could be behind Sawyer’s murder.
With Liam, I understood her anger with what he did to her. But he was dead. She should’ve been happy in some regard. When I mentioned his name, there was no sense of emotion whatsoever. Only her anger over her overuse of magic.
Just when I’d talked myself into going after her and getting her to talk before it was too late, Iris dropped down in Mercy’s vacated seat, arms crossed, and glaring at me like she was ready to strangle me.
“You lying asshole.”
“What?” I snapped.
Then she was ranting over me. “Her? That’s the bounty hunter. And you’re just what, sitting here having coffee with her? Why didn’t you arrest her?”
“Because at the moment she’s an asset,” I said, knowing it was the truth.
“Sure she is.”
“She has information that we don’t because the alphas put a bounty on the murderer’s head which means she’s looking for the same person we are.”
“We don’t need her.”
“She’s the one that helped us with Liam,” I confessed. “So yes we do.”
“I don’t believe you. There’s something else going on with you two.” Her body stiffened, and her jaw dropped. “She’s the reason you’ve been acting strange, isn’t she? You and—are you dating her?”
“No,” I said so loudly several patrons looked at us. “No, I’m not. It’s strictly business.”
“If that’s the case then bring her in. Those are our orders from Nor.”
“And I’m saying we wait. Besides, she didn’t have anything to do with Liam’s operation or Jaxton Sawyer’s murder.”
“And you believe her?”
I got up from the table and left cash for the bill. “She saved my life when she didn’t have to. Yeah, I believe her. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll wait for you back at the hotel, so you can give me a rundown on your conversation with Henry.”
“Rafael.”
I ignored Iris and marched to my room back at the hotel, slammed the door so hard, one of the over-charming pictures of the countryside crashed to the floor, breaking the glass. Not bothering to clean it up, I dumped my keys on the coffee table and then took my rage out on it and kicked it after another few seconds.
A few weeks ago, my life made sense. Now… now, I was slowly spiraling out of control with no idea why or how to make it stop.
Snow was falling again.
I watched it from my window, searching the street for any sign of Mercy. My cell was in my hand, and I was about to call her and figure out where she was staying so I could go over and talk to her again, but it rang first.
Nor.
Iris called him. She had to have. I debated not picking up, but he’d keep calling until I finally answered, or he showed up here himself.
“Good evening, sir,” I answered.
“Why is Iris telling me you’ve found the bounty hunter and have not arrested her?” Nor bellowed.
“I don’t know, sir.”
“I gave you plenty of chances, Rafael, but now in the midst of a murder investigation, I find out you’re protecting her. She is to be arrested and brought back to the Fed building for questioning immediately. Do I make myself clear?”
Gripping my cell hard, I muttered, “I can’t do that, sir.”
“What was that?”
“I said I can’t do that. She can help us find the murderer and stop this turf war from breaking out. If no one else has told you lately, tensions are high here.”
“And how do you know she isn’t the one who caused this mess in the first place?”
“Because I trust her,” I said, not sure if I was being truthful or not, at this point. “Sir, please. I understand that Rot is calling her out, but I do not believe she is involved with Liam. If there was no bounty put out on Jaxton’s head, then she would not have just up and killed him.”
Nor was silent on the other end of the line, all except heavy breathing.
“Give me time to see if she can help me track down the murderer and stop a war and then… then if you want me to bring her in, I will.”
“Has she twisted you around this easily?” Nor replied.
“No, sir. I’m clear-headed as ever.”
“Then what is it that’s taken one of my best agents and turned him into a blind fool?”
“She saved my life,” I told him, though not as loudly as I told Iris. “She could’ve left me to die, but she didn’t.”
“So the mystery woman and the bounty hunter are the same.”
I hung my head, but it was too late to take back now. “She is, sir.”
“I am going to say this one time, and I want you to listen closely.” Nor sounded right on the edge of his rage. “The bounty hunter is a person of interest, and she will be brought into our office by you within twenty-four hours so she can answer questions relating to Liam Manchester and Jaxton Sawyer. If you do not produce her within that timeframe, I will issue a warrant for her arrest. Do I make myself clear?”
“But sir, she can help us, like she did before,” I argued.
“Liam ended up dead,” he argued. “And the goblins in our care are too messed up from whatever magic was used on them to be of any use. She is the only one w
ho might have the answers we need. Not to mention all the laws she’s broken over the course of time under the guise of doing her job. You will do this, or it’ll be your ass in a sling. Do not make me come out there and drag you back in cuffs, alongside her. Do not make me do that.”
“Sir… Nor. Look, she’s not who you think.”
“Then she’s not the woman who’s impeded countless investigations?” he yelled. “This is not up for discussion. It’s on you now. I suggest you think very carefully about your next move.”
“Sir, I just—” I started, but Nor hung up on me. “Shit.”
I chucked my cell into the couch, glaring across the room.
A day.
I had one day to bring Mercy in, or the entire agency would be after her. I might not trust her completely, but there was no evidence proving she was directly involved with Liam’s dealings or Sawyer’s murder.
And all I had was a day to prove that was the case.
If I couldn’t, I’d either be bringing her in or running right along with her.
I owed her my life. She was right about that.
I might be paying up on that debt far sooner than I imagined.
Chapter 10
Mercy
Talking with Rafael had been a bad idea. I should’ve stayed away from him. I wasn’t even sure what I expected to happen, but knowing he thought I had something to do with Liam because of that damned gob and his mouth. Or this murder. I wasn’t a killer. I rarely killed those I hunted down for the bounties since most were wanted alive. He should’ve known me better than that.
I stopped short, scowling at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. No, actually, he shouldn’t, because I didn’t let him get to know me. I didn’t let him know anything about me. That was the original deal.
“Why do you even care?” I asked my reflection. “You can’t get close to anyone, especially now.”
The coffee took the edge off long enough for me to get through our short meeting, then hightail it back to my room. Once inside, I sank to the floor, fighting to find the energy to get up and keep moving.
