by Erin R Flynn
“What about a preowned one?” Sands suggested. “Maybe you don’t have to go to the farthest extreme?”
I frowned. “They don’t have those few million dollar limited cars for collectors and whoever. I mean, we could. If they lease it. I don’t know all of this. Dain does. I was just going to buy Brian the new Ferrari because he’s always wanted one. The others said that’s not something you just surprise someone with.” I took my phone from Brian’s lap and called Dain.
“Did you get my texts?” he greeted.
“No, I was calling because Sands suggested maybe Brian get a preowned car, and I didn’t know if that still worked. What’s wrong?” I sighed, rubbing my forehead. “I’m not sure I can handle much more being wrong, Dain. The Russians owned a self-storage place under a dummy corp and it’s full of freezers. They were disposing of bodies that way and getting paid by others.”
Dain didn’t say anything for a minute. “What was the long term plan with that? That’s incredibly stupid because if anyone figured it out, they had everything all in one spot. Were they just going to fill it up and hope no one ever looked there?”
I chuckled when he went to ramp back up. “Criminals aren’t as smart as authors and movies make them out to be, Dain. Most serial killers bury bodies in their backyard or somewhere they own, thinking they’re so much smarter than everyone. The Russian mob assumed they were untouchable because of their lawyers and the lengths they go to. The guy told me to turn right around when I showed up with the warrant or I’d get a bullet in the head.”
“Remind me to call Haton and make sure he gets dropped down the stairs a lot,” he grumbled.
“I’m sure Axel and Eugene have asked that and did it when transporting everyone.” I sighed when he didn’t say anything. “What’s the bad news?”
“It’s not bad news. Most people would love to receive this news,” he muttered.
“But?”
“But you aren’t going to like it because you’re FBI.”
“Yeah, I figured something like that. So what’s going on?”
“The New York pack was broke because eighty percent of them are out of work. Alpha Mario was rather rich though.”
“Family money like Milwaukee?” I tried, hoping it wasn’t bad news.
“No, Sera. He was a born wolf but born of no one.”
“I’m so going to end up indicted for something, aren’t I?” I whispered, rubbing my head again. “Fuck! I never wanted to be Alpha, and each one I add just brings me more shit. Milwaukee wasn’t as bad as Grand Rapids who were buying weapons from New York, so we knew that was going on and all kinds of shit. But now you’re going to tell me it’s…” I covered my face with my hands. “This might have to wait. I needed some happy, Dain.”
“My love, I will get you out of all the messes, I promise,” he said gently.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to answer, but Brian took the phone from me.
“She’s rubbing her head furiously and shaking,” he told Dain. “And her stomach keeps growling so loud even I hear it. We’ve had a lot of crazy here, so can this wait?”
“It can’t,” Dain assured him. “The Shifter Council is very nervous about how she’ll handle this. Alpha Mario wasn’t as stupid as most, and to most he seemed just as broke as the pack, but he wasn’t and it’s all in off shore banks. She’s not actually required to declare that if she doesn’t accept it as income. There is a way around this, as we did with much of what she received from Igor.”
“You want to grant it to Alena,” Brian surmised.
“It’s within Sera’s purview especially with Melicent running the pack,” he explained.
I met Brian’s gaze, unsure of what to do, letting him see I didn’t know what to do. That was dirty money and I should report it. Granted, not to say Igor’s wasn’t, but he wasn’t a US citizen. That was different.
“How did Alpha Mario amass this wealth?” Brian asked.
“I believe you have already figured that out,” Dain said quietly as if knowing I was sitting right there and didn’t want me to hear it. “From what he’s confessed, a lot of it was from filling that storage unit.”
Great, he was a hitman. Awesome. That had been where my mind had gone too, and I really hadn’t wanted to be right.
“There’s no way if he was practically broke to the IRS and she reports getting a lot from him, people won’t raise questions,” Brian worried. “And it’s not stolen, so she can’t hand it back.”
“They could try and seize it,” Sands added. “Brian, they could try and seize it and her because it’s a shot at her. I know you’re a boy scout most days of the year, man, but if they get any chance to really grab her—you weren’t in Memphis. They were insanely interested in getting their hands on her. I didn’t hear how he got the money, and honestly, I’m not sure I care because he got his. Don’t give them a chance to get her.”
“Your friend is right, and that is our main concern,” Dain said firmly. “She will worry about the reaction the Shifter Council will have if she reports it. They will close ranks and never offer to work with any office they don’t have to. If word got out an Alpha was doing hits for the mob… I don’t even know the backlash of that. It would be bad in this climate, and they will not be happy, and all the progress will be gone.”
“And I can’t just donate it. Someone would trace it back to me or follow a trail to ask questions,” I worried. “Anonymous isn’t really anonymous. We know that.”
“How much are we talking here?” Brian asked. “Are we getting all worked up over like a low six figure wealth? I mean, he wasn’t an international badass. He was a thug who did shit for the mob.”
“He did a lot of ‘shit’ for them,” Dain drawled. “We’ve uncovered eight figures already, and we’re sure there’s more.”
“We do good with it,” I muttered, undoing my hair and fidgeting with it. “He was doing bad shit instead of protecting people like he should, so we do good with it. He made the shifters suffer and didn’t even help them when some are basically homeless. Give it to Alena, and she works with Melicent on this idea of making a super cool building for New York to brag about and a place for paranormals to be safe.
“He should have been using his power to get his people construction jobs. Let them work with some awesome architect or find us a paranormal architect and make it some energy friendly something that also cleans New York’s air or whatever. Use it to get more paranormals out of danger instead of hurt the perception of us like he was. Do whatever you have to, Dain.”
“I agree with you, but I’m sort of shocked that’s your answer,” Sands admitted, giving me a quick glance in the rearview mirror.
I shrugged. “I absolutely agree with you that if I ever give the government a chance to get me, they’ll take it. Playing this by the book could end up with me somewhere bad even though they are legally bound to turn me over to the Shifter Council if I break the law. I might be a bit flippant about certain dangers, but this is a very real one, and if I’m not there to protect my pack, they’re all in trouble. Hell, the boys are enough reason to do it.”
“I agree,” Brian murmured, reaching over and taking my hand. “Do whatever you have to so Sera’s protected, Dain. She’s pissing off enough people doing the right thing here and helping. Let the government get some glow from her kicking ass here, and they’ll be less inclined to snag her. Let’s not give them more reason to pull something.”
“I will see it done. I will need a copy of his death certificate and to take a trip to meet Alena at the banks, but it is nothing major. If I come across any other problems, I will let her know.”
“You can—”
“You are not her mate, Brian,” Dain cut in. “I can’t actually tell you of these matters without her permission. And after hearing from Jonik that you ‘flipped shits’ over her wealth today, I would refrain from telling you much until you settle with it.”
The look on Brian’s face as Dain basically told him to
step off was pretty fucking hysterical. He just handed the phone back to me, shaking his head.
“Thanks for handling all of this. I know you’re busy with training,” I muttered. “Everything else going okay there?”
“Yes, and good news that with the surprising warm weather this week here, Hagan and Reagan organized a large group to help dig the foundations of the next two greenhouses. They will be poured and set before the next cold front comes in middle of next week. If it comes earlier, well, they won’t be poured, but getting them dug will still be a huge step.”
“Cool. Yeah, I didn’t realize I was half owner of all of that or like the flower greenhouses.”
“Of course you didn’t,” he chuckled deeply, his voice making me shiver. “To answer the question you called for, yes, you can buy the vehicle outright and still claim it but only so much a year as it depreciates. It will be less of a tax write off than a lease.”
“Dain says you have to lease a brand new one,” I told Brian.
“Liar. Do not misquote me,” he growled playfully.
“Fine, you tell him it’s just not as good as a tax whatever with the thing and the thing and I won’t be the only one whose eyes start glazing over.”
“Brat. You’re an absolutely delicious and sexy brat.”
“Not sure how that works but thanks,” I chuckled.
“Jonik gave me details,” he explained. “I keep picturing how beautiful you must have looked. He keeps speaking of your hair, and I know how wonderful it feels against my skin.”
“Full moon, Dain,” I reminded him, my hormones ramping up.
“Yes, I know,” he purred. “Better than you being upset. Go have fun with the test drives and know I have everything else handled.”
“You always do on that stuff. Thanks.” I cleared my throat nervously. “I’ll bring you back a cronut or something. I think we ate them all, but we can get more.”
“Just come back to me safely, and that’s the best thing I could get.”
Damn, he really was good when he didn’t have his head up his ass.
14
The place was pretentious, and from the minute we met the sales guy, he was basically looking down his nose at us like we weren’t classy enough to be there. It took everything I had to remind him he wasn’t the fucking owner of the place or cars, he was the damn salesman. Fine, he probably made good money off commissions or whatever, but he still didn’t own the place.
And even if he did, what a douche. Who looks down their nose at people for something like that?
“Everything was approved for you to take a test drive, Ms. Thomas,” he informed me, gesturing to go ahead and pick whichever vehicle.
I frowned. “I’m leasing it or whatever for him. They’re taking the test drives.” I thumbed over my shoulder to Brian and Sands.
He glanced at them and then back at me. “I was told you were only in the market for one vehicle. You understand that I cannot risk such fine automobiles to be driven just for kicks. It devalues them.”
Brian cut in when he saw I was about to jump all over the guy. “The mileage, Sera. The more miles on the cars there are, it can drive down the price. He’s not saying the values go down because we sat in them.”
I nodded I heard him but focused on the salesman. “He should choose his words more wisely. It’s a buyer’s market, and we’re from Chicago where there are nice luxury dealerships too. I thought you could use a road trip in your new car after the crazy here, but we can just take a trip together if this place is going to be snooty. Hell, would you guys like to take a flight on my private plane and go see all the factories and test drive them there?”
“You are so fun, Thomas,” Sands chuckled.
“It’s the last day of the lunar cycle. He’s lucky I’ve not threatened to shoot him,” I grumbled, knowing the salesman could hear me. “Sands is helping Brian pick since we don’t have all day. We might need one here since we’re opening another club and Sands can drive that one. I don’t care. I have an armor plated tank basically.”
“I can’t believe you’re not going to at least test drive one,” Brian chuckled, eyeing over a pretty blue… Something. I had no idea.
I shrugged. “It would be fun to drive it on a race track and really open it up, but you’re just going to drive it in New York traffic.” I shrugged again. “Drive and get what you want, and we’ll take it on a track and play and then have hot sex all over it.”
“Jesus, Sera,” he groaned, leaning his forehead down to mine. “Mean.”
“Full moon, Bri. I’m hungry, and that makes me extra cranky.” I saw the guy still wasn’t going to let them both play, so I got bitchy and draped my influence all over him. “Whatever they want, right?”
“Of course, Ms. Thomas. You’re looking into possibly more than one vehicle, so of course you would need two people to test drive and give opinions.”
“Thank you for understanding,” I purred, giving Brian a wink. “I’ll pick up lunch down the street while you guys are having fun. Sands, you don’t have any allergies, right?”
“Nope, what are we having?”
“Ramen. We passed a ramen shop that looks authentic and nummy.”
“It is,” one of the other sales guys said with a nod. “The mega bowl is the best, and you have to get the pork buns.” He smiled when I thanked him. “I could walk you over there if you want.”
“She’s good, thanks,” Brian drawled, rolling his eyes.
“There could be a lot for me to carry back,” I said innocently, laughing when he gave me a look like he might spank me. “I won’t play with the human, I promise. I’ll go all by my lonesome.”
“I love you,” Brian murmured, giving me a soft kiss.
“I love you too,” Sands teased, kissing my cheek.
“I said I will pound you,” Brian grumbled, shoving his friend. “Stop hitting on her.”
Sands shoved him back. “I didn’t do it when we were working or all the time she was in Memphis because you weren’t there and said you’d pound me. You’re standing right here, and I’m only half teasing.”
“Yeah, it’s the other half I’m annoyed about.”
I laughed all the way to the door. Sands was an attractive man, for sure, but he was pushing forty and looked it. Which was really funny that it ruled him out for me because Dain was several hundred years old.
So was Noah.
Carter and all the ancients were thousands of years old.
Really it was because Sands was human and Brian’s friend. That was off limits.
I hurried down the block to get to the ramen shop, thrilled at the smells and my stomach rumbling again. I ordered a bunch of appetizers, ignoring the funny looks they gave me when I said for whichever two could be ready first to give me to eat there while I waited for the full order. Then I added three huge bowls with extra toppings just for myself along with what I knew Brian would like and the same for Sands.
I sat down and inhaled some pork buns and kimchee, glad it wasn’t spicy and feeling a little less bitchy now that something was in my stomach. Someone sat next to me at the counter, and I felt something press into my side.
“Be cool, Alpha,” the wolf said to me. I wanted to roll my eyes at letting my stomach rule me and dropping my guard. It was so, so hard to balance it all during the lunar cycle, and when I was stressed it took over something. “We’re going to walk out of here and take a ride.”
“Sure, as soon as I get my food, as we don’t want to raise any eyebrows or cause worry,” I told him as I finished off the pork buns, acting like there wasn’t a gun pressing against my ribs. I thanked the guy who brought my first bag, moving it to block the wolf as he was doing a horrible job of being discrete. “Use your jacket more or someone will see from the window.”
“Oh, um, okay,” he muttered, sounding confused.
“So you’re not from around here,” I said as I turned my head to get a good look at him and slipped off my ring so I could get anything from
him. “We have all the New York pack accounted for.” He didn’t want to answer, so I put a bit of power into my voice as I made it a question so he wanted to answer.
“Newark. We’re from the Newark pack.”
“So you have friends here,” I muttered, using the mirror on the far wall of the restaurant to check out the street. “A party’s always nice.” The guy came with another bag saying that was the complete order. “Extra chop sticks? Someone always drops them.”
He smiled, nodding as if he knew that was true too. “We put in several extras. Thank you for your order.”
I complimented the pork buns and then leaned into the wolf. “Pocket the gun and don’t make a scene. We both know that won’t do much good against me.”
“Gold bullets, idiot,” he hissed.
I leaned back and gave him a look that clearly said so what? “Right, yeah, I figured.” I rolled my eyes and slid off the chair, picking up my bags and heading to the door. I thanked a woman who opened it for me since I was carrying the large bags. The wolf guided me to a waiting van, and the moment we were closer, I draped my influence over it and anyone inside.
Which was five of them. Well, at least they weren’t that stupid.
They had double lined the bags since I’d ordered so much, so once I was inside and we were out of sight from people, I took one of the extra bags and put it in the center of the van. “All weapons and electronics in there. Who’s boss here? I want ID.”
My day got exceedingly worse when he handed me a NYPD badge.
“Oh for the love of fuck me,” I grumbled, groaning when they all had them. “So you’re Jersey pack working for NYPD? How the fuck did that happen?”
My mood completely went into the shitter when they told me.
Mother.
