“Give him Isaiah,” Mica said. “I have a feeling Bradley’s the one with the most cards.”
“Bradley’s the one who killed his sister, but if we get rid of Isaiah, we force Bradley to work more closely with the other partner. Maybe tip his hand a little, giving us something we can use,” Mallory commented.
“Let’s do it,” Sam said. “While we’re getting those videos ready, I think the Coalition members should each get a copy. If one or two of them is involved in this, they’ll realize what a liability Isaiah is.”
“And to protect their own asses they’ll throw him under the bus,” Mica said. “He won’t last one night in jail.”
“His problem,” Sam said. “But Rowel might be able to find out who kills him. That person is our thread to pull to unravel the others.”
****
“Things will probably only get rough from here on out,” Kamari said as she put a plate on the table in the dining nook.
“I don’t understand what Jenner is thinking,” Adalyn murmured, rubbing her stomach. “Why would he approve an ambush he knew would start a conflict?”
“He lost his sister,” Cordelia commented quietly as she turned off the stove. “He’s got to be hurting.”
“He’s a dick, but he struck me as a man of reason,” Adalyn said. “This move couldn’t have been his idea.”
“Pain makes people do things they wouldn’t normally, but I agree with you,” Cordelia said. “Maybe his second engineered this.”
“Either way, this is going to escalate unless someone takes a chance and makes contact,” Kamari said.
“And with the problems from Bradley and the Coalition, Sam and Mallory are going to be well out-numbered,” Adalyn commented. “That worries me because they’ll be stretched too thin to win this.”
“It’ll be a hard fight, but with me and Cordelia, I think we might be able to keep a little balance.”
“If we each take a front, we’d provide enough distraction,” Cordelia said.
“I’m not as powerful as you guys, but I’ll fight, too,” Adalyn insisted.
“Sam’s not going to allow it,” Kamari said with a shake of her head. “So, you’ll have to work behind the scenes in healing or sending power to us.”
“I’ve been working on shielding and channels with Cambrie,” Adalyn admitted.
“And she says you’re good at it, that’s something you can do without being in public,” Kamari told her.
“I can give you a charm for your personal protection, so all your power can be sent out to whoever needs it,” Cordelia said. “That will make you even more valuable to us.”
“Do you seriously think Mallory will allow you to fight?” Adalyn asked Cordelia.
“I already made it clear I’m not staying behind closed doors while she’s out there risking her life,” Cordelia replied with a shrug.
“That’s all settled,” Kamari said. “I’ll arrange for us all to meet when the time comes.”
Cordelia thought about Black Velvet. She had power, too, and would be a good fit for their group. She’d ask if the other dancer could give them any help.
“Smells like dinner is on,” Mica said. “You girls work well together.” She winked at Kamari and strolled over to give her a kiss.
“We weren’t coordinating an orchestra, Mica,” Adalyn said in a teasing tone. “Plus, Kamari and I aren’t territorial about someone else’s kitchen.”
“You girls seem to get along pretty well,” Sam said, glancing around the room.
“Why wouldn’t we?” Adalyn asked with a frown.
“Just saying,” Sam replied. “It’s a good thing. You might all be forced to stay in the same place before this is all over.”
Kamari cleared her throat. “I’m not being stashed like an omega.”
“If we have to evacuate, I’ll want you with Adalyn and Cambrie,” Sam informed her.
“Cambrie can handle things without me,” Kamari retorted. “I’ll be more valuable out in the fight.”
“So will I,” Cordelia said.
Mallory gave Cordelia a look. “I won’t send you away. The young and weak will be in good hands,” she said.
“Thanks.” It wasn’t like she’d go.
Over dinner, they talked about the possibility of the coming battle, and how things would be handled. When their company was gone, Mallory left her alone to meet with some of her soldiers and Cordelia settled down with her tablet.
Delaney had messaged her a file, and she went through it, realizing what she wanted her to do. Look for the money trail.
That was something she could do. After working with her parents on Yamamoto’s books and for the IRS, tracking money was something she did as well as hiding it. Like her parents, she had a head for numbers and a nose for sniffing out the hidden.
Cordelia started her trace on Bradley and Isaiah using the tricks she’d learned from her parents. She knew it would be easier if she knew more about the men, but she’d take what she had.
She traced their private holdings and companies they were affiliated with in any form. Once Cordelia found that, she sniffed out their charitable contributions. With the lists before her, she made notes that would be more or less a road map.
“You’re still awake,” Mallory murmured when she arrived.
“How’d your meeting go?”
“I just wish I didn’t have to be so careful,” she said. “Tomorrow I’ll meet with all the soldiers and lay my plans for a possible defense. Part of that plan will be a lie to see if anything leaks.”
“Good idea, but do you think it work?” Cordelia asked with a frown. “Some Whoever is tipping him off is probably being even more careful.”
“I’m not looking for a confession just a slip. Something tiny yet big enough to let me know who the Judas is,” Mallory said. “It just kills me that I can’t rip Bradley apart right now.”
“You’ll get your chance, honey,” Cordelia told her. “Delaney said you guys couldn’t find anything to tie him to any other packs.”
“She hasn’t been able—when did she tell you this?”
“She sent me a message and a file. She asked if I could help with a little research on Bradley.”
“Have you found anything?”
“Not yet, but I will,” Cordelia assured her. “My parents weren’t the only ones with a head for numbers. They both taught me a lot.”
“Just be careful,” Mallory warned as she climbed into bed.
“I will.” Cordelia put the tablet aside and Mallory kissed her.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Mallory said as she sank beneath the covers.
Cordelia turned off her lamp and snuggled into Mallory’s arms. “Neither of us has to be alone anymore.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
The move had been the wrong one, and now more of his family and friends were dead.
Jenner pushed out a rough sigh as he sat on the edge of the bed in the pack’s infirmary. This should have been a well-played chess match with him holding all the cards. Instead, his cousin had gone against his orders to bring more bloodshed.
“I’m sorry,” the soft feminine voice said. “I hated to be the one to tell you.”
He didn’t meet her gaze, he merely slid to his feet. “Is my cousin okay?”
“He’s not conscious,” she said. “The hypothermia might still kill him, and he lost a lot of blood. He suffered broken bones, too. It’s as if a hyena got a hold of him.”
He nodded. “Is Reid here?”
“Yes. He’s been waiting to see you,” she said. “Should I send him in?”
“Please do.” Reid was the A.D.A and part of the reason Jerry would never have gotten indicted. He was also the man who’d help him get a conviction against Mallory Blacklaw.
The door opened behind him and closed and then repeated a few short minutes later.
“I’m glad you’re awake,” Reid said. “This was a disaster. Only five men walked away.”
“What?” Jenner turned aroun
d, wincing at the pain in his leg. “Five?”
He shrugged. “It’s probably going to be four. The hypothermia is like a virus and it’s killing him.” Reid sighed grimly. “The others are already recovering.”
“What can cause that?” Jenner asked anger blooming in his stomach.
“The healers don’t know. They’ve both said they’ve never seen anything like it,” Reid said. “Before he was completely taken over by it, he told me, he saw something out in the woods and it wasn’t back-up for Sam and Mallory.”
“Have you had someone look into it?”
“I sent a few people out, but there was nothing to connect them to any group from around here let alone Sam or Mallory. I’m thinking the other night was a set-up.”
“Reid—”
“Hear me out,” he said raising a hand.
Jenner nodded. He was tired and angry and hurting. Some good advice or sound supposition from someone he trusted wouldn’t hurt.
“Sam isn’t the kind of woman who launches sneak attacks. Never was. Remember that girl she and I fought over?”
“Vaguely.”
“She got in my face, she didn’t send an emissary,” Reid said and rubbed his jaw absently.
No doubt he was remembering the fight that resulted.
“Mallory’s not like Sam, but she’s strong in her own way. She fights her own battles, too,” Reid said. “They’ve never been ones to throw stones and hide their hands like Jericho and his buddies.”
“Jerr—”
“He was alpha, but he wasn’t an alpha, man,” Reid said. “He was just cleverer than anyone else.”
“You’re saying Carleigh might have been on to something that got her killed,” Jenner commented grimly as part of him struggled, torn between loyalty to his family, to his alpha’s memory, and duty. “She talked to Kamari. Sam and Mallory would have known.”
“The agent has a good record, cousin,” Reid went on. “I think someone played us to ensure Mallory was taken out of the picture and Sam was left on her own.”
“The problem is even without Mallory, Sam’s deadly. She’s one of three alpha bitches I know who could hold two packs.”
“And what do you think she’d do if Mallory was locked up?” Reid asked.
“Take over her pack and use the full might of both packs to beat back the threats knocking at her door.”
Reid nodded. “She wouldn’t have to kill your sister, and I doubt Mallory would bother. In fact, she just had her thrown out of the club that night she was there.”
“How do you know?”
“Carleigh told me.” He shrugged. “She wasn’t afraid of Mallory, and she didn’t talk to Sam at all. She said Kamari wanted to help prove Jerry and his friends were corrupt. Why kill the only person who might get you to see reason?”
Jenner wanted to argue with the logic, but he couldn’t.
“I believe if Sam and Mallory were behind the attack on us, you and I would both be dead.”
“9-1-1 said a woman called in,” Jenner murmured. “My sister didn’t have her phone. I haven’t been able to locate it. And someone was in her office the next morning. What if she’s a witness, not the killer?”
“She might not want to get involved,” Reid agreed. “And she might have removed something from Carleigh’s office that Carleigh told her about.”
“But why? And why hold onto it?”
“To use it as leverage?” Reid suggested. “Suppose she knows you and Sam and Mallory? It might be a bargaining chip.
“I need to call Kamari and Mallory,” he said. “Do you have my phone?”
“It was damaged in the attack,” Reid said. “Here, I have Mallory’s number already in there in case you realized I was right.”
“If not?”
“Then I was going to call her myself and ask her about this,” Reid confessed. “Go ahead.” He held his phone out and Jenner took it.
He found Mallory’s number and dialed it.
“Who’s this?” Mallory demanded groggily.
“It’s Jenner,” he said coolly. “Can you give me a minute or two?”
“Why would I do that? You set us up to be killed and like a sissy you weren’t even there.”
“I was recovering, and I didn’t authorize that attack. My cousin took matters into his own hands,” he said lamely. He hadn’t authorized it, but he hadn’t vetoed it either.
“What do you want?”
“I want some truths,” he said on a sigh. “My sister, did you talk to her at your club that night and did you know what she’d found?”
“Damn you, Jen,” Mallory muttered.
He heard a rustle as if she’d put the phone on speaker. “Are you in the middle of—something?”
“Sleeping. I was injured today. I’m trying to—I talked to Carleigh, and I threw her out. I didn’t want her wandering around the club even though you had a cop in there already.”
“Did you see or talk to her the night she was killed? Someone called 9-1-1. The EMT said she died before they reached her. Maybe this person didn’t kill her, but was with her, so she wouldn’t have to die alone.”
“I wasn’t there and neither was Sam. We didn’t have anything against her.”
“Do you know who was?”
“Yes,” Mallory said tightly. “Someone else has dibs on her killer and that’s why I’m not going to tell you who it is.”
“One of your people was with her when she died?” he demanded, rage building in his gut.
“She said she loved you and her death wasn’t your fault,” Mallory said. “Her killer had planned to kill her anyway, but that night she accidently stumbled upon him killing April.”
The breath went out of him. His heart clenched. He had known this story was trouble. He’d just thought she would find out Jerry was innocent.
“The witness has something for you from your sister. You can believe it or don’t,” Mallory told him. “It was taken from her office. I don’t know who her source was, but she did list a few people she’d talked to.”
“I want it,” he said tightly.
“I can send you a copy today and get you the original at the club tomorrow, but if you pull another bullshit attack like you did today, you won’t have to wonder if I can go toe-to-toe with you.”
“I’ll be there with Reid and Rowel. Bring the witness and Sam only.”
“It’s my club, asshole, but you’ve got safe passage and so do up to four others not counting Rowel because he’s mine,” she said. “I’ll call Sam and set it up and let Rowel know what time.”
“I’ll see you then,” he said. “Send the file to my personal email not my police one.” He rattled it off and ended the call.
“Are you sure you want to risk the meet?” Reid asked.
He snorted. As long as they weren’t in heat, he was fine. None of them had actually ever tried to kill him, though Mica had gone after him.
“I think you were right,” Jenner said. “I’ve been played.”
“What are we going to do?” Reid quizzed.
“Even the score.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Cordelia wasn’t nervous about the meeting. She was worried though. This could go wrong in so many ways if Jenner was playing them again. As it was, things were already going down a path neither pack could come back from which could leave the town vulnerable to outside attack with them divided.
“It’ll be fine,” Mallory told her as she glanced across the bar at her. “If he attacks, I’ll take care of him.”
“I’m just worried about him looking into my past.”
“Don’t.” Mallory reached across the bar. “There’s no real reason for him to even know you were there. Just sit and let us do all the talking no matter how tempted you are by his sorrow.”
“Okay.” She nodded.
“Good morning, Mallory, Cordelia,” Sam said as she joined them at the bar with Mica trailing behind her.
“Hey.”
“Morning,”
Cordelia replied, squeezing Mallory’s hand.
Mallory lifted a brow, but turned her attention to Sam. “I’m not sure this wasn’t a mistake, but if he comes in here all guns blazing I’m going to kill him.”
“I’ll clear a path,” Mica assured her. “I don’t even know how that jackass got the gall to ask for this meeting after yesterday.”
“Rowel said it was all Reid,” Mallory said with a shake of her head. “I still say if this is a trick he’s done.”
“Agreed.” Sam growled.
“He’s here with five, including Rowel,” Camden called from the door. “Delaney and I will hold our positions unless you want us to come in.”
“No. We’ve got it,” Mallory said. “If he makes a move, head to the security room, Cordi, the girls will look after you.”
“Okay.”
“She shouldn’t be here, Mal,” Sam said. “If you’re worried about her protection. In fact, get one of the girls to come up here.”
“I’ll be fine,” Cordelia said.
“I wasn’t talking to you, so keep it zipped,” Sam said. “Mal?”
Cordelia opened her mouth, and Mallory squeezed her hand.
“Not now, Cordi,” she said. “Tone it down, Sam. I’d never talk to Adalyn like that.”
“Because I’d bitch slap you,” she snapped. “She’s my mate and deserves that respect, but Cordelia is just—”
“She’s important to me,” Mallory growled, leaning toward Sam.
The aggression was high as the two women snarled each other down.
Mica pulled her from the stool and led her to the end of the bar as company came in. “If shit goes down, stay put. Rowel will have Mallory’s back, and Delaney and Camden will be in here before blood can be spilled, got it?”
“Got it.” She knew the hierarchy well enough to respect what Mica was trying to do.
“Mallory,” Jenner said. “Sam.”
Mica took up position in front of her. “Kamari likes you, that’s the only reason I’m even bothering to get in this,” Mica told her.
Cordelia had a feeling if more agents like Kamari had been assigned to her, Yamamoto and his son would both be on death row.
“Since when did you let your girlfriends sit in on a meeting?” Reid asked.
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