by J Bree
“She wants to talk to you before you leave tonight.” he murmurs into my ear and I nod, meeting the Crow’s eye across the table and giving him a nod, nice and big where the whole fucking table can see it and see the lines being drawn.
“Shall we begin? I’m sure we all have better things to do than sit around here gossiping.” The Crow says, arrogant and cold, and the Jackal sneers at him.
“I think we should begin by asking the Wolf how exactly she thinks she’s going to get away with killing off my men?”
I laugh.
Fuck it, I’m so over this man’s bullshit.
“Did you ask everyone else to enter this building with only one man? Did you choose this building to piss anyone else off? Have you been sending men after any other members of the Twelve? Have you pulled a gun on any other members?”
The mood in the room sours even more. The Boar’s eyes bounce between us both and then settle on the Jackal, cold and fucking dangerous in a way I’ve rarely seen from this man.
From the corner of my eye I catch Avery watching him, shifting on her feet. The others don’t notice except for Blaise, who looks so uncomfortable and I cannot for the life of me figure it out.
Right.
I’m asking her the second we get in the car what the fuck is going on with her and the Boar. She would tell me if she knew him, I’m sure she would, so there’s something going on with her and I’m not sure how Atticus is involved but it’s clear he’s thinking the same as she is. He’s watching the Boar with more than his usual cold calculation.
Fuck it.
“If you’re going to start an inquisition over things we are and aren’t allowed to do, then I have my own topics to bring up.”
The Bear scoffs. “Yes, we all know you want him to stop chasing your pussy. We get it.”
I level him with a look too because fuck caution. “I was talking about all of the spies he has on the other members of the Twelve.”
Well, I have their full attention now.
The Jackal stares at me, unflinching, and leans back in his chair like it doesn’t matter to him and I’m sure it doesn’t. Whatever he has on the Bear and the Lynx won’t be affected by me revealing he’s got spies in their houses. The Lynx wouldn’t even kill the man watching her; her son is a spoiled fucking brat.
“Name the spy in my house, Wolf, and he’ll be dead by sunrise,” the Fox says, the quick smiles and playful winks absent.
Good. Fuck him.
“I’ll name them all. I think it’s time the Jackal toes the line. He’s gotten too big-headed. I wouldn’t want him setting a bad example for the Stag.”
The Stag stares around the table and I’m weirdly proud of the guy for being so unaffected by our squabbling. Only a few years older than me, the Stag growing up in the Bay means the people at this table would be terrifying to him.
The Jackal leans forward in his chair again, smiling at me like he’s baring his teeth. “Tell them anything you want, Wolf. It makes no difference to me, or how this is all going to end.”
Game on.
I tilt my head at him, with a little fuck-you smile on my face. “Do you think it would make a difference to everyone to know you invited the Devil to Mounts Bay?”
I think a bomb detonating under the table would have had less reaction.
“The Devil?! What the fuck is wrong with you?” snaps the Bear, and the Lynx does the sign of the cross as if that’ll fucking help her.
I stare at the Jackal across the table as the exclamations and shouting only gets louder. He watches me and there must be some serious issues in the man’s brain because he only looks more obsessed with me. Like I’m impressing him by selling him out. I need a little less psycho in my life.
The meeting is fucking pointless.
It’s supposed to be an induction of sorts for the Stag but all he learns is that the Jackal is a power-hungry psycho and the Crow isn’t up for playing his twisted games.
I don’t speak again, I keep my mouth firmly shut even when I’d love to chip in, and I watch them rest of them carefully to not only see who is siding with the Jackal, but why.
The Fox is being blackmailed. The twitchy looks make that clear. The Lynx is hungry for power and she doesn’t care who she gets it from. The Bear is harder to read, but I’m guessing he’s just thinking about what is best for his business, and the Jackal needs his services on an hourly basis. I’m not sure if the Crow has such a blood-soaked legacy.
The Tiger is hating every second of this.
I’m not sure he has much use in this war of ours, but he’s very useful to me in my plans with Senior so I’m fucking praying he lands with the Crow.
The Crow calls the meeting to an end and then stands to wait for everyone to leave. I move slowly, hoping to catch the Tiger, but he bolts like one of his twitchy clients. Fuck.
I nod at the Crow again, being so respectful is hard work, and I start to leave when the Lynx sidles up beside me. I give her a look but she just gestures for me to lead the way. Right. That’s weird. The Coyote and Viola Ayres follow us out.
Once we’re out by our cars I turn back to face her with a raised eyebrow. I don’t like this woman, and I really fucking hate the smug look.
“I could be persuaded to join your side,” she says, and the look she gives Harley says everything. Just this once, I wish he were a little less fucking gorgeous, because if I’m a magnet for fucked up killers and psycho rapists, then he’s cougar bait.
“He’s not for sale,” I reply, my tone icy enough to give Avery’s a run for its money.
She smirks at me. “I admire you, little Wolf. Forcing all of these alpha males to share you. If you’re not willing to lose a little pride and give him to me for a night or two, then why should I join your side?”
I take a deep breath and I don’t know what the hell is in the air around here but the words that come out of my mouth are almost entirely Beaumont. “What little assistance a washed up, old Mafia queen could give me isn’t worth an ounce of my pride or a second in Harley’s company. Maybe you should find some real skills or assets to offer me and then we’ll talk.”
And then I turn on my heel and slide into the Cadillac before I slit the bitch’s throat. Tonight isn’t the time for it, but I will kill her.
I’ll enjoy every second of it, too.
There’s a gentle tap on my shoulder and I glance up to find Viola Ayres.
“Slide along. I need to talk.”
I shake my head at her but I move anyway. Avery takes the front seat and the guys wait outside the car. The Coyote starts making terrible jokes and Viola shuts the door to block them out.
“When can I go home?” Viola says, staring at her chipped nails. She looks thinner than when we bundled her off to the Coyote’s safe house. I hope he’s treating her right. She doesn’t look abused but she’s clearly miserable.
I share a look with Avery. “Is there something going on with the Coy- Jackson? You don’t have to stay with him, we can find somewhere else for you to be.”
She snorts at me. “Jackson isn’t the problem. The problem is that my father is dirty, bought and paid for by a certain billionaire you may know, and now my sister is in danger, too. The Jackal is in contact with your dad, Avery, and it’s only getting worse for us all.”
I groan and slam my head back into the seat. Avery snorts at me and snaps at Viola, “You didn’t think to call a little sooner? Knowing this before we came to the meeting would have been helpful.”
Viola shrugs. “I thought you and Atticus were close? Jackson called him with the information. I assumed you both knew this.”
Fucking Atticus.
Avery turns to stone in the front seat and I’m pretty sure the Crow has just tipped her over the edge. Her phone is in her hand, switched on and with her fingers flying across the screen frantically, in seconds.
I sigh and Viola snorts. “So, Jackson told me you bashed some guy’s head in to become the Wolf. That’s pretty fucking dark. What
do you do in the Twelve?”
I roll my eyes at her. “I kill people. Ask Jackson when you can meet his mother, I’m not the only murderer you know.”
I lock myself in my bathroom when we get back to Avery’s ranch.
The mood in the car back was a little better than the way there. The guys all seem to think we’ve won something, that the information I’ve handed over has pushed the Twelve into taking our side. It’s not that easy, and only Avery seems to know that.
The guys all grab their drinks of choice, and head to the pool to drink. Avery waits for five minutes before picking the lock to the bathroom door and joins me with a smirk. Evil dictator, but she’s not the person I’m worried about hearing this conversation.
I can’t put it off for any longer. My hands shake as I hit dial on my phone, turning the speakerphone on so Avery can listen in.
“Morningstar Enterprises, may I ask who’s calling?” It’s a woman’s sultry tone so I’m pretty sure it’s not Morningstar himself.
“The Wolf of Mounts Bay.”
There’s a pause and then she replies, “Please hold.”
Avery gives me a look and I shrug. I had no idea contacting this guy would be so fucking formal but here we are.
“Wolf.”
I shiver. Ok, yep, he sounds positively fucking terrifying with one damn word. Avery’s face pales but her eyes stay fixed on the screen like she’s memorizing everything that’s going on.
“I’ve heard you were the buyer for Miss Beaumont. Her father was out of line. She’s not for sale, and I’d like to discuss rectifying this… miscommunication.” My voice is flat and steady, thank the sweet lord.
He hums under his breath, then says, “I could be persuaded to let her go. Is she yours?”
“Yes. She’s one of mine. Whatever the cost, I will pay it.”
Avery threads her fingers through mine and I squeeze her hand.
Morningstar replies, “I have some business in the Bay to attend to. I will contact you for a formal meeting then.”
He hangs up and I don’t feel any better; my stomach is heavy like I swallowed a pound of lead.
Why did that feel too easy for me?
I always trust my gut. I’ve honed my instincts for years, growing up the way I did I already could read situations other kids just couldn’t process and once I joined the Twelve it was those instincts that have kept me alive. Retrieving information and removing people from the board is only possible because my gut is always right. Even when it doesn’t make sense and, after that call, I’m sure of two things; Morningstar is planning something, and we have too much on our plates to take him on as well.
Avery clears her throat and says, “There’s something else we need to talk about, Lips. What do you know about your father?”
I startle out of my deep thought and look up at her. I don’t like the look on her face, not one freaking bit.
“Nothing. I’ve never met him. My mom told me he was locked up for drug trafficking and I’ve just… never really thought about him. I have too much other bullshit to deal with.”
Avery nods and cringes just a little. “Is there anyone who would know about him? I checked your birth certificate and the person your mom put on it… doesn’t exist.”
I frown at her. “What do you mean he doesn’t exist?”
She sighs at me and taps away on her phone before handing it to me. I find a file compiled by one of her many, many contacts, and see that every attempt to track down the man my mom listed on my birth certificate has come up with nothing.
For fuck’s sake.
“Why is this relevant? Does it matter who he is? If he’s just some drug addict I’d rather not have another one of those in my life. My mom was bad enough,” I say, but I can’t let go of the phone. Why would she lie? I can feel a headache coming on.
“I hope you’re not angry at me for looking into this, it’s just… the note in the box with Joey’s head, it said blood. The people being targeted are people who have wronged you in some way and the note sounded… protective. The person sending them is protecting you in a really disturbing way.”
Huh.
Ok, maybe my gut isn’t that great.
I’ve been so caught up on the fact that I kill people for money that it never occurred that maybe someone would kill for me. Outside of my family. I already know the guys would all kill for me, or at the very least severely maim.
“Ok. There’s a few things we could try.” I say, hating the very fucking thought of those things but dealing with the heads could be a quick and easy fix, and once less thing to think of.
Avery smiles at me and says, “I have a guess. It’s a good one, but we’ll see what your… things tell us.”
I stare at her for a second and then it falls together in my brain. I shake my head at her. “The Boar is not my father. There’s no fucking way. For starters, he only moved to the state, like, ten years ago. He’s never given a shit about me.”
Avery smirks at me and stands up, smoothing a hand down her dress and looking freaking perfect in a way I’m still green with envy over. “He said he wouldn’t join the Jackal. He said it was a blood thing. Exact same wording Lips, that’s not a coincidence.”
Fuck.
Chapter Four
The spy in the Crow’s organization had disappeared before the meeting was over. I knew there were a few of the plants that were flight risks and the Crow had called me the second he found out the guy was gone.
What a fun conversation that was.
“Avery isn’t answering my calls,” he says, his voice monotone and cold. Months ago, what felt like a freaking lifetime, that would have sent a shiver down my spine but, fuck, a lot has changed. I’m not afraid of this dick anymore, only slightly wary.
I make my voice sound as bored as freaking possible as I reply, “I’m not her keeper, if she doesn’t want to speak to you then she doesn’t have to. What do you need?”
The distinct sound of his teeth grinding together echoes over the line and I grin at myself like a smug-ass bitch. Grovel, Crawford, grovel.
“The plant knows about Avery. Knows our connection. I don’t know why he hasn’t said anything yet, but if it gets back to the Jackal—”
I cut him off. “You think I didn’t know already? You think I didn’t have a plan in place for that guy? Come on, Crow. I didn't become the Wolf because I’m some naive piece of ass, twirling my hair and hoping for the best.”
He sighs at me. “I think I liked it better when you were afraid of me.”
I snort at him. “That was before I knew you’re just like every other dick out there: arrogant and self-serving. The guy will be dead by dawn. Pleasure doing business with you.”
I hang up before he gets the chance to reply. Blaise raises an eyebrow at me from the driver’s seat of his newest toy and I shrug at him. When picking out the new car, purely for shits and giggles because the Maserati is still in perfect condition, he chose possibly the flashiest car possible. The Cadillac is white and I swear to God, it has diamonds in the dashboard. When I raise an eyebrow at him, he smirks and pets it lovingly.
“I thought the theme of our little family was diamonds? I love nothing more than matching shit.”
The snark in his tone is at a whole new high, and I settle back in my seat to ignore his bullshit. “How can you afford this now? Did you lie to Ash about what your expenses are? Avery will make you wish you were dead if she finds out.”
He shrugs and smirks at me. “After I bought out my contract, I released my new album. I thought you would have heard it by now. Ash asked me about it over dinner the other night, didn’t you hear him?”
I stare at him, then pull out my phone to look it up. I’ve been listening to the songs on repeat for over a year so it’s not like it’ll be anything new for me, but I feel like this is something I should have known. Plus I’d like to see how well it’s doing.
Blaise chuckles at the look on my face. “Star, I’m not pissy you didn’t kn
ow, you’ve been a little busy keeping us all alive. Besides, I’m taking this as proof you’re definitely not stalking me. It’s been out for weeks.”
I still feel bad but I try to joke my way out of the feeling. “I have it on tap now, I don’t need to keep up with what you’re doing.”
His chuckle turns into a laugh and he runs a colorful hand through his hair, tugging on it a little. Fuck, it looks like he’s been rolling around in his sheets for a few hours, not driving me to the middle of fucking no where with a gagged man in the back.
Yeah.
I wasn’t lying to the Crow; the plant disappeared because I made him disappear. I’ve had too many close calls involving Avery lately so there was no way I was leaving her fate in Atticus Crawford’s fumbling hands. Although now he knows I’m out of the house and dealing with his problem, I’m sure he’ll be at the ranch to try to force Avery to talk to him. Ash and Harley had happily stayed behind, having a knife throwing lesson from Illi, so if he does show up he’ll be lucky to leave with his jugular in tact.
Which is how I have the rock god to myself… well, kind of. If you ignore the grunting and groaning in the back every time Blaise hits a pothole.
“Now you’ve asked I’ll let you know; the record is doing well. I got rid of most of the band, they were all brought in by the label, so it’s just me and Finn now. You’ll have to meet him soon. Once this fucking war is over, I mean. He’s probably a little too delicate for this kind of thing.”
I hum under my breath at him, and grab his hand. He’s probably a little too delicate for this too, a little too naive and green, but he loves his family. He’s utterly unflinching when shit hits the fan. He belongs with us.
“Take the next left, then follow the road to the end,” I murmur, and Blaise pulls off of the highway. We’re a good three hours away from the ranch now, out in the backwoods of Cali, but the little cabin is well known to me and has everything I’ll need for the job ahead of me.