by Anya Byrne
"Parker only told me bits and pieces," Jensen said. "He's very respectful of the privacy of his friends."
"Ah, yes. That's true. Well, Gavin and I were estranged, but I wanted him to care for my other two children when I was injured. That's why Parker dropped by to visit you to begin with. And then, I'm told there was an attack on your establishment and it had some sort of connection to Parker's new boyfriend?"
"Quite." Jensen scowled, remembering the possessive way Finn Simmons had treated Parker. "I tried to ask Parker what he was involved in, but he insisted he could handle it. To be honest, I'm not sure if that's the case."
He paused as he skimmed over the new information on his screen. His tracking program gave him some extra details on Alicia Cook, including her employment, marital status, and information on her children. She seemed harmless enough, and if she could give him a nudge in the right direction, Jensen knew better than to waste the opportunity. "I've been attempting to find them. Do you have any sort of information that might help, things your son might have told you?"
It was insanely difficult to find any sort of relevant data on the Simmons family. Every time he thought he was on to something, it turned out to be a fake trail. It had unsettled him a great deal, since no one covered their tracks like that if they didn't have anything really suspicious to hide. Even the doctor who'd helped Jensen through his concussion—William Orwell—had disappeared into the ether.
Mercifully, Alicia could indeed help. "Well... I remember they said they were going to Wisconsin. I believe the property was owned by Finn's brother, Saul."
"Any other names you can remember? Dates, locations?"
He was already typing, making lists, his mind working furiously as he took in the data. Alicia might never know just how much she helped, but with every single detail she gave him, he was closer to finding Parker and his companions.
Finally, Alicia was out of things to say. "Well? What do you think? Can you find him?"
Jensen skimmed his list with far more detailed information and grinned. "Yes. Definitely."
****
Erdi didn't know how much time had passed between his last beating and Baqir's next visit. For the most part, his wounds had healed, but he had received medical attention for it, so that didn't provide him with an adequate frame of reference.
When the door opened, he sat up, or at least tried to, insofar as the chains allowed him. Baqir gestured to the guards who obediently reached for the bindings and undid them.
"It's time to meet with your new Alpha," Baqir said. "Come on."
Erdi struggled to his feet, eyeing the other silencers in the room warily. He was almost expecting a trap, but he knew Baqir well. There was no reason his Malik would have gone through this elaborate deception just to kill Erdi. If Baqir had wanted Erdi dead, it would have happened already.
Despite this knowledge, Erdi couldn't help but be surprised when Baqir led him to his former room. "Wash up and get dressed," he instructed. "Quickly now. We don't want to leave your new Alpha waiting."
Erdi silently complied. He washed as quickly and efficiently as possible, even if the water felt heavenly after so much time spent in the filthy cell. The faster he got out of here the less chances there were that he'd lose this opportunity to become something other than a silencer.
He wasn't given privacy to pull on his clothes, not that he expected it, or even minded. Baqir tapped his foot impatiently, looking more and more irritated with every second that passed.
The moment Erdi was ready, Baqir grabbed his arm and forcibly dragged him out of the room. His claws dug into Erdi's arm slightly, but the pain was only a reminder of what he stood to lose and what he could gain. Freedom from the guild. It almost seemed too good to be true.
Outside the safe house, Baqir shoved him in an already waiting black van. Some of the other silencers got in with him, while Baqir slid into the seat next to the driver.
As they departed, Erdi leaned against the wall of the van and schooled his features into complete neutrality. He knew they all considered him a traitor, and rightly so. The scourging mark on his face would forever remain a reminder of what he'd done. But he couldn't bring himself to regret it. He never would.
He didn't know what Saul Simmons had been thinking when he'd pressed Baqir to free Erdi. After all, gratitude only went so far, and Saul's tiny pack could hardly withstand the pressure of a silencer guild, especially now, with so many problems plaguing the rest of the Simmons family.
Erdi wondered what had happened to Dean Simmons and Andreas. He hoped at least Andreas had survived. He liked the enforcer. The man was competent and had made sure Erdi didn't have to step in a large number of times. Erdi was grateful to him for that. As for Dean... Erdi didn't have much hope with regard to the older Alpha wolf. It was too bad, really. Now that he'd met his human mate, and knew how hard it was to accept the impossibility of their relationship, he had new appreciation for Dean.
Silence fell over the van, no one really in the mood for much conversation. After all, their kind were called silencers for a reason. They attacked from the shadows. Quiet was their friend. Words weren't needed in their line of work. It was for the best, since Erdi had nothing to say to any of them—at least, nothing that he could utter without risking both his life, and that of many others.
The trip lasted quite some time, and Erdi was beginning to doubt Baqir's goodwill when the van finally slowed down and stopped. One of the guards opened the car doors, while the other grabbed Erdi's arm and unceremoniously shoved him outside. It was only due to his extensive training that Erdi didn't fall flat on his face.
Baqir didn't even acknowledge their behavior. He was already talking to another werewolf—to Saul Simmons.
Saul looked exactly like he had the day Erdi had left for the Gathering. It felt strange, because to Erdi, it seemed so distant, the memory coming to him through a veil. He'd focused on preserving his recollections of his mate, but the rest of it had stopped being so important. To see him now, like this, made Erdi realize that his stay had probably not been as long as he'd originally believed.
Finn was with him, his arms crossed over his massive chest. His jaw clenched when he first caught sight of Erdi, and Saul must have sensed something was wrong too, because he turned away from the conversation and focused on Erdi.
A heartbeat later, he was glowering furiously at Baqir. "This wasn't what I had in mind when I asked you to hand him over to me."
"I care little of what you had in mind. The guilds have rules, and Erdi broke them. Now take him and go, before I change my mind."
On cue, the guards shoved Erdi toward Saul and Finn. Erdi ended up more or less in Finn's arms, while Saul bared sharp fangs at Baqir. "You will pay for this."
Erdi caught Saul's arm and shook his head. "He's right, Alpha. We should go."
Saul might not have been so easy to persuade, but Erdi's use of the word Alpha seemed to snap him out of his angry trance. "Very well. I trust we'll never see each other again, Malik."
"For your own good, I hope you're right," Baqir replied.
Finn directed Erdi toward a waiting Jeep. They entered the car, with Finn taking the wheel, while Saul and Erdi slid in the back.
"They hurt you," Saul murmured as Finn started the car.
"It was unavoidable." Erdi ran his fingers over the scar on his cheek. "This is a reminder of what happens to traitors, Alpha. Truly, I was lucky to get away with just this."
He didn't explain the fact that luck had very little to do with it. He didn't say that Baqir had been in his right to kill Erdi. The scourging might have left him scarred, but he hadn't even lost his eye.
All things considered, the permanent damage Erdi had received was limited, maybe even negligible. Saul obviously didn't realize it, or maybe he didn't want to. Erdi could have explained all of it, but he didn't want to point out Baqir's intervention. It could easily cause his brother to be questioned within the guild, which could prove to be disastrous for both of th
em.
After a few seconds, Saul seemed to understand, a knowing glint appearing in his gray eyes. "I see. Well, at least it's over. Now... Do you want to join my pack?"
It was an official and necessary request. Saul might have pushed for Erdi's release with this excuse, but he couldn't actually force Erdi into joining his pack. Maybe it was exactly the look in Saul's eyes that caused Erdi to hesitate.
Saul and his family deserved better. The man had a child now, and was trying so hard to keep his son and his mate safe. How could Erdi endanger that? Even he wasn't so selfish.
"Saul... Do you know what you're doing here? Do you realize who you're extending this offer to?"
Saul's expression softened and he squeezed Erdi's shoulder. "Of course. To a friend."
Erdi shook his head. "I'm not who you think I am, Saul. I'm not a good man."
If not for Jensen, he would have probably gone ahead and killed both Parker and Finn. The thought nauseated him now. He'd tried so hard not to think about it, but after spending some time with the couple, he'd also learned Parker was pregnant. The knowledge that he'd come so close to murdering an innocent unborn almost made him wish he'd died in Baqir's clutches. It clicked with something in Erdi's brain as he automatically wondered just how many of the men and women he'd killed had been in similar situations.
He tried to push back his emotions, to shove them to the back of his mind like he'd done in the past. This time, the voices refused to be silenced. Suddenly, Erdi couldn't see Saul anymore. All he could see was the faces of the people he'd taken out, all coalescing into one single image—that of Jensen, dead eyes staring at him accusingly.
He distantly heard Saul shouting, but he couldn't understand it, could barely understand what he was doing here. He was choking. Blood was in his mouth, in his lungs, flowing over him, flooding him. He could see himself pushing the trigger or wielding a blade, and he tried to stop it, clawing at the illusionary image.
And then, a wave of power pushed its way through all of it, reaching out to Erdi. A part of Erdi didn't want to take the offered hand, not when his own were stained with so much blood. But the steadiness of that presence encouraged the other side of Erdi, the one that still craved acceptance. He reached back.
The next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes, blinking dazedly and focusing on the concerned faces of Saul and Finn. At one point, they must have stopped the car, because they were on the side of the road, watching Erdi carefully.
Erdi opened his mouth to apologize for his unexpected fit, but nothing came out. Thankfully, Saul didn't require him to speak. "It's okay now, Erdi. You're okay. You're not alone anymore."
Feeling as weak as a pup, Erdi slumped against the shoulder of his new Alpha. He might have been embarrassed about the show of weakness, but he couldn't bring himself to care.
His new pack didn't know who they'd let in. Erdi would do his best to keep it from them. Somehow, he'd repay them for accepting him without question. It was what Jensen would have wanted—and it was the right thing to do.
Chapter Two
"I'm not sure this is a very good idea."
Jensen watched warily as Alicia threw another bag in the trunk of his car. "Of course it's a good idea," she replied cheerfully. "We all want to see Gavin. Don't we, boys?"
From the backseat of Jensen's car, Jack and Kyle nodded enthusiastically. Jack grinned. "We miss Gavin very much."
"Besides, we're uncles, Mr. Moore," Kyle said in a serious tone that somehow managed to be cute. "We have to be there for Shannon."
Jensen rubbed his eyes tiredly. He had no idea what Alicia was thinking. He'd warned her this might be dangerous, but she'd insisted she couldn't leave Gavin to his fate. Since she didn't have anyone she could entrust her younger children to, they were coming along.
Alicia pulled him aside, her decided expression turning haggard, pleading. "Look, Mr. Moore. I know you think this is a bad call, but... I can't abandon Gavin again, even if he isn't actively at risk. My heart tells me Gavin wouldn't allow his son to be raised in a dangerous environment, and would have never agreed to having Jack and Kyle with him if it put them in jeopardy. We have to do this. For all of us."
Something in her tone told Jensen that, for all their youth, the kids were just as concerned for their brother. Jensen sighed, but he knew when he was beaten. "Fine. We should go then. If we leave now, we should be there by nightfall."
After quite a lot of work, Jensen had managed to dig up some files on the properties of one Saul Simmons. He might not have known what to look for if not for Alicia, but armed with the information she'd provided, he'd pinpointed their most possible location—a small town near the Great Lakes called Willow Cove.
The property itself didn't have an unusual history, but it was pretty reclusive, reminding Jensen of a safe house. The fact that Jensen had managed to find the files at all—without having to resort to riskier hacking—suggested the police or WITSEC weren't involved. Most of Jensen's theories were pretty wild, but then, he'd had a few close calls in the past. He was entitled to some paranoia.
Jensen locked up the bed and breakfast and got in the car. Alicia slid in the seat next to him, while the children cheered in enthusiasm. Their sheer optimism was contagious, and Jensen found himself smiling despite his general tendency to see the empty half of the glass.
For the most part, it was the children who kept his spirits up throughout the drive. Having grown up in an orphanage and then with adoptive parents, he'd always wanted a real family. His less than stellar past made that unlikely, but still, it was nice to see the genuine love between Alicia and her boys, and the affection they obviously had toward Alicia's other son, Gavin.
They stopped for lunch and the children cheered when Jensen treated them to chocolate cake afterward. Alicia looked a little embarrassed, but Jensen smiled at her, careful not to acknowledge the source of her insecurity. "They're lovely kids. You know, I'm kind of glad you brought them along. I'm sure Parker will be thrilled to see them."
The diversionary tactic worked, because Alicia's parental pride took over. "Thank you. Parker is indeed very fond of them, and it goes both ways. I owe him a lot. He helped me through a very difficult time in my life, and I won't ever forget that."
From story to story, the journey continued. Jensen was careful to only reveal bits and pieces about himself, and Alicia didn't prod in exactly what methods Jensen had used to find out her son's location. The conversation finally died out when they approached Willow Cove. The children began to fidget in the back, and Alicia stared out the window, tapping her fingers against the glove compartment and practically vibrating with anxiousness.
For his part, Jensen focused on the road. He would prefer not to have to stop for directions, so he had to be careful, especially since evening had already fallen. Thankfully, he had his trusty GPS to rely on, but even Google Maps—which had always struck Jensen as scarily accurate—couldn't quite give him enough information on where he was headed.
"We might be better off finding someplace to sleep and going tomorrow," he said with a sigh.
Alicia's face fell, but she nodded. She probably realized Jensen was right, because she didn't protest when Jensen pulled over. "You're right, of course. Jackie and Kyle need to rest. Did you look up a hotel here?"
Actually, Jensen had, since he always liked to be prepared, and he'd anticipated the chance that they might have to stay overnight. He'd decided against reservations since he preferred not to broadcast his intentions anywhere, but Willow Cove wasn't exactly a tourist attraction, so they shouldn't have any trouble finding rooms.
Dinner was necessary first, if not for him and Alicia, for the children. He parked in front of a diner and was about to slide out of his seat when Jack let out a noise from the back of the car. "Look, Mommie. It's Dr. Orwell."
Jensen followed Jack's gaze, half-thinking this was too good to be true. But no, there he was—William Orwell, the doctor who'd helped Jensen through his concussion. The man was wa
lking on the sidewalk with a muscular stranger by his side. They were both carrying bags and talking with serious expressions.
William's companion suddenly froze, and his gaze zeroed in straight on Jensen. A shiver went over Jensen's spine. Their car was far enough that it shouldn't have drawn attention, and Jensen might have missed William Orwell's shopping spree if not for Jack. But the distance didn't seem to be a problem for the doctor's friend. Jensen might not have been able to see him very well, but he had an uncomfortable feeling that the stranger had no such issues.
Jensen found himself in a peculiar situation. Whoever the stranger was, one thing seemed clear. He was dangerous. Jensen usually handled such matters with great discretion—that is, through a wise retreat and wiping all traces of his presence. His advantage was always in staying hidden and watching from the shadows, but obviously that wouldn't work now.
At the same time, Jensen couldn't really make himself leave. After all, he'd come here for a reason. Besides, it was far too soon to make decisions when he didn't have any information to go on.
"Hey, kids, do you know who that is—the man with Dr. Orwell?"
Kyle nodded. "That's Mr. Simmons. He's Saul's dad. He's nice."
Nice. Jensen could have described his impression of the elder Simmons in many ways, but nice wasn't one of them. He remembered Alicia mentioning the man—Dean Simmons—in their previous conversations, and to some extent, that calmed his nerves.
Dean Simmons whispered something in William's ear, and the doctor visibly tensed. He passed the bag to Simmons, and then headed toward Jensen's car, now looking for all the world like nothing out of ordinary was happening. His companion had already disappeared down the street, possibly in another car.
In no time, William reached Jensen's vehicle and knocked on the window. The action finally snapped Jensen out of his trance. He opened the door and slid out of the car, smiling widely even if he didn't feel anything remotely resembling amusement. "Well, fancy meeting you here, Dr. Orwell. We were just actually coming to visit."