“So what changed? You and Samantha seem quite friendly; she says you’re an old friend of her grandfather’s.”
“It was quite some time before Samuel came to visit again. If he noticed I was cool towards him, he didn’t mention it. By then he had custody of Samantha and spoke mostly of the challenges of raising her.” Marcello gave a reminiscent smile. “She was a lovely girl, so curious and full of life. Always asking questions about my collections, dressing up in the jewels, skipping about the store and playing pranks.”
Damien said nothing. Sam had certainly changed over the years. He’d seen glimpses of her mischievous side, but mostly she was all about business. Strange how life could affect a person. It made him think of himself in his younger years, always joking, not a care in the world. That, of course, had all changed since Beth…
“We eventually fell back into our old friendship, and I tried to put what I’d seen that day out of my mind. It worked for the most part until Samuel began talking about his decision to have Samantha take over the family. She was still so young, but he said she needed to start training for the job.” Marcello sat down in the chair opposite Damien. “I began to worry. It came to me that Gary was hoping to take over, perhaps that was why he’d killed her father. Would he do the same again? Try to eliminate Miss Samantha? I knew I had to speak then, tell Samuel what I had seen.”
Marcello pulled out an old fashioned handkerchief and mopped his brow. “Samuel was enraged, at me for assuming he’d kill his own flesh, for not speaking sooner, and at Gary for the murder. At himself, as well. He seemed to feel it was his fault somehow. Gary left the family and a week later his body was found in a wooded area. The police report said he’d been attacked by a wild dog while camping.”
Silence hung between them, the truth unspoken. Damien knew how such a betrayal of pack loyalty might have been dealt with. Marcello obviously knew, too, but had chosen to not delve too deeply into the truth. Funny how humans managed to arrange their memories so conveniently.
Clearing his throat, Marcello continued, seeming relieved to have made it through the tale. “After that, Samuel changed. He’d injured his back somehow and moved more slowly. He still led the family, but I could see the difference in him. He was less prone to laughter, quieter, harder. He made me swear to never tell Miss Samantha, and I did. There was no point in telling a child about such a messy business, was there?” Marcello shrugged. “To this day, she doesn’t know. She focused on being what Samuel wanted her to be. It was difficult for her at times, but she never complained, only wanted to please him.”
Damien nodded in understanding. Living up to the Alpha’s expectations was central to being part of a pack. It was one of the reasons he’d never truly fit in; he didn’t give a rat’s ass what any Alpha wanted. He was his own boss.
Picking up the journal, Damien turned it over in his hands. “What you’ve said explains the background, but how did Dante find out? Did he gain access to the pages you had locked up? Did you tell someone?”
“No and no.” Marcello shook his head. “I destroyed the pages after Gary’s death—protection from him was my only reason for keeping them. And I never spoke of this to anyone except Samuel.”
Rubbing his neck, Damien considered the situation. “I guess the ‘how’ doesn’t really matter; the fact is he knows and is threatening to tell Sam.”
“Correct, and I can’t let that happen. Samuel was adamant about it.”
There had to be more to the story than Marcello knew; something between Sam Harper, senior, and the Beta. “Your loyalty is commendable, Mr. Marcello.”
“Samuel saved my life once, many years ago. This is the least I could do.”
“Has Dante been around since?”
“Just once. I gave him his payment and he said he’d be back for more next week.” The man got to his feet and walked to the corner, picking up a baseball bat. “When he returns, I am ready for him this time. I’ve worked too hard all my life to give it away to the likes of that man.”
“With any luck, I’ll have this taken care of by then.” Damien rose to his feet. “If you hear from Dante before then, contact me right away.” He scribbled his number down on a scrap of paper and pushed it across the table.
Marcello pocketed the paper. “Thank you. I care for Miss Samantha and don’t want to see her hurt.”
“Neither do I, Mr. Marcello. Neither do I.”
Chapter 25
Sam sat in her office surrounded by boxes of paper. The pack’s records were extensive, but in the attic, they hadn’t seemed to be quite this numerous. At least the pack members had managed to get through most of the files during the afternoon. They’d found bits and pieces that would help her create a paper trail to establish her grandfather’s role as Alpha back several years.
She checked the piles of paper she had arranged on her desk, one for each year. Unfortunately, the most recent three were the smallest, only the monthly reports to Lycan Link bore his initials. It would be enough, wouldn’t it?
Damn Sinclair, the greedy ass! Why couldn’t he be satisfied with his own territory? She muttered under her breath as she counted the reports in the pile designated for the current year. For some reason, there were only seven reports and there should be nine…
Her office door opened and she looked up to find Damien.
“Decided to finally return, did you?” She scowled. He’d been gone much longer than the simple errand required, and being surrounded by paperwork had put her in a bad mood.
“It’s nice to see you, too, Sugar.” He leaned against the doorjamb, his thumbs hooked in his belt loops.
She bit back her retort over his use of the name ‘Sugar’. He wanted to get a rise out of her and she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. “How was Mr. Marcello?”
“Fine.” Damien straightened and stepped into the room, glancing over the stacks of boxes. “Did you get through all of these?”
“Yeah. I’m sure I have enough evidence to convince Lycan Link that Sinclair’s claim is as insane as he is.” She counted the slips once more and frowned, then checked the neighbouring pile.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m missing copies of the last two reports to Lycan Link. I always have Grandfather initial them—it makes him feel like he’s still involved—and they’re part of my ‘proof’ that he’s still our Alpha.”
“Did you wait while he signed them or did you leave them with him? Maybe you forgot to pick them up?”
“I might have.” She stood up. “I’ll check his room. He has quite a few files in there right now—going through old records and journals keeps him busy—so they might have become mixed up.”
“I can help you look.” Damien fell in beside her as she made her way upstairs.
“You’ll have to be quiet,” she warned. “He always has a nap at this time of the day.”
Sam eased open the door and peered inside. The room was in semi-darkness, the curtains pulled. From the bedroom, the faint sound of snoring could be heard. Years ago she’d never have been able to sneak into his quarters, but age and medication had made him less alert.
As quietly as possible, they gathered up as many files as they could and then left the room.
Sam chuckled softly. “That reminded me of how I’d try to sneak into his room to get my allowance money when he confiscated it.”
Damien gave a crooked smile. “Sounds like a stunt I would have tried. Did you ever manage to pull it off?”
“Only once and he noticed right away. I was on latrine duty for a month after that.”
Back in her office, Sam took the evidence she’d already collected and slid it into a folder, clearing a spot for them to work.
Damien set the files down and they began to read the headings.
“Some of these are really old,” he commented looking at the dates. “The pages are even discoloured.”
“Hmm… A lot of these are my grandfather’s old records. Flip through them and see if you notice any newer look
ing pages. We don’t have time to be reading them.”
They worked companionably, side by side, for some time. Sam found one of the missing reports but not the other.
The clock in the hall chimed and she sighed. “I’ve got to go fix dinner.”
“Wieners and beans again?”
“No. Frozen lasagna—and don’t you dare say anything.” She glared at him when he would have commented. “I know I’m a pathetic cook.”
“I wasn’t going to say a word about it.” He blinked at her innocently. “I was only going to ask if you wanted me to keep looking through the papers.”
“You’re a liar, Masterson, but yeah, keep looking through the papers.”
Sam headed to the kitchen pleased that she and Damien seemed to have fallen back into their usual banter. They still had to work together, regardless of the fact that they’d had sex. And while she still hadn’t given up all hope of having some kind of relationship with him, for the moment saving the pack had to take priority.
Dinner came and went. The lasagna had been a bit cool in the middle and crunchy on the edges–who knew that cranking the oven up an extra seventy-five degrees wouldn’t compensate for shortening the baking time? At least the garlic bread and salad had been good, and ice cream for dessert was a no brainer.
Damien hadn’t had any luck finding the missing report so as soon as the dishes were done, she planned on returning the files to her grandfather’s room and taking another look around. With any luck he wouldn’t have too big a fit over her sneaking into his room earlier. The needs of the pack overrode personal privacy…or at least that’s what her defence was going to be! She rinsed the last pan, dried her hands then went back to her office.
The door was ajar and she could see a pair of booted feet resting on her desk. Damien was settled in her chair reading.
“Make yourself at home.” She folded her arms and gave him a hard stare.
“I did, thanks.” He gave her a cheeky grin before gesturing with the file in his hand. “This makes for some interesting reading.”
“I’ve been going through some really old ones, trying to familiarize myself with the pack’s history. Grandfather was always pretty tight-lipped about it.” She shoved his feet off her desk.
“Hey! I just got comfortable.”
“Your feet on the floor or my foot on your ass; make your decision.”
“Fine.” Damien set down the file and moved from her desk. “You’re a cruel woman, Sugar.”
She curled her lip and gave him a territorial growl before laughing. Glancing at the date on the file he’d been reading, she frowned. “That was a bad year. My grandfather and the Beta had a falling out over something. Grandfather never replaced him.”
“Do you know what they disagreed about?”
“No. I wasn’t that old. I remember them arguing loudly. It scared me, and Florence took me to see a movie. When we came back, the Beta had left.
“Hmm…” Damien seemed about to ask another question then changed his mind. “Are you going to return these files to your grandfather or put them in storage?”
“I’d better give them back. I don’t know how many he’s read over.”
“Okay, I’ll carry them.” Damien scooped up the files and gestured for her to lead the way.
“Good. He’s going to be pissed when he realizes we were in his room. If you’re carrying the files, you can take most of the blame.” The look on Damien’s face made her chuckle. It was one of the things she liked about him; he made her laugh. There hadn’t been a lot of laughter in her life, mostly only training and work. Being an Alpha was no walk in the park.
Her grandfather’s door was ajar when they arrived and she gave the obligatory tap before pushing it open. “Grandfather, we… What are you doing?”
A wave of heat hit them as soon as they stepped into the room. Despite it being summer, he had the fireplace lit and was sitting in front of it, feeding papers into the blaze.
“Purging my old notes.” He didn’t look up from his task, but Sam gasped and hurried towards him.
“Don’t do that!” She snatched the papers from his hand.
“Give me those back. Those are my personal files!” He tried to grab them back, but she moved them out of reach.
“No. I’m missing one of the monthly reports and it might have become mixed up in your papers.”
“Samantha!” He shouted her name and tried to stand but lost his balance and tipped sideways. Sam dropped the papers and caught him, struggling to support his weight and keep him from crashing to the floor.
Damien rushed over to help ease him into his chair just as Florence appeared at the door, a tray of food in her hands.
“What’s going on here?”
Everyone started to talk at once until Damien finally put his fingers to his mouth and let out a loud whistle that caused everyone to stop and look his way.
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed loudly. “Can everyone calm down, please.”
Sam scowled but knew he was right. “Yeah. Everyone calm down.” She turned to look at her grandfather. “First of all, you know better than to stand up without your cane or something to hang on to. If you fall and break a hip, you’ll really be in trouble.” When he would have spoken, she raised her hand and continued. “And yes, you can burn all the papers you want, as long as they’re yours and not recent pack files. Once I’ve checked that the missing report isn’t in there, you can do whatever you want with them.”
“You are not going through my papers. I’ll look myself!”
“Grandfather, I don’t have time—”
“And why the hell not?” He glared at her.
“Because of fucking Sinclair!” She ran her hands through her hair, exasperated and overtired from too many hours of sorting through papers. God, she needed to go for a run or a ride on her Harley. Taking a deep breath, she explained. “Sinclair says you’re no longer Alpha because you’ve been absent too long and we’re operating under false pretences. I’m trying to build a paper trail of things you’ve signed to prove you’re still in charge.”
“Of all the idiotic—” Her grandfather began to bluster, his face flushing with temper.
“I know, but Lycan Link is listening to him and somehow I’ve misplaced that report and we need it.”
Her grandfather flattened his lips then jerked his head towards Damien. “Let him look for the paper. The rest of you, get out.”
“You want Damien to…?” She threw her hands up in exasperation. “Fine.”
“Samuel, you haven’t eaten.” Florence held up the tray of food.
“Set it on the table. I’m not hungry.”
Florence looked as if she’d argue, but a growl emitted from the old man’s throat and she gave in. Setting the tray down, she left the room with Sam.
They walked to the bottom of the stairs and then paused to talk.
“Any idea what’s going on with him?” Sam leaned against the newel post, rubbing her forehead as it throbbed dully. If anyone knew what was going on with her grandfather, it would be Florence. The woman had taken care of him for as long as Sam could remember.
“He’s been in a stir all evening.” She hesitated, seeming to be weighing how much to say. “Someone called just before dinner. Samuel asked me to leave the room while they talked.” Her lips pursed in disapproval. “Whoever it was on the phone upset him. When I came back, he wasn’t himself at all.”
“Any idea who it was?”
“No. The person has called before—I recognized the voice—but Samuel’s never used a name.”
Sam nodded. “Okay. Thanks for the information.”
Florence turned to go and then paused. “Oh, and Sam? Whoever it is that calls, I don’t believe it’s a friend. Your grandfather is always in a mood afterwards, but never as bad as this.”
Chapter 26
Damien stood in Samuel Harper’s room waiting until the door closed and the sound of Sam and Flo’s footsteps faded. He then co
cked an inquiring brow at Harper.
“Why me?”
“You’re a rogue. You’ve seen the grimmer side of life, know we all do things we aren’t proud of but have to do anyway.”
“And that’s what’s in your papers? Things you aren’t proud of?”
Harper snorted. “Perhaps. But would I do them again? In a heartbeat.”
Damien nodded, understanding where the man was coming from. He’d been in those positions himself more than a time or two. He gestured towards the papers. “May I?”
“Go ahead. I’ll tell you part of the story while you pick them up. Save you trying to snoop.” The old man chuckled darkly and Damien quirked his lips in a surreptitious smile. It was easy to tell that Sam and the old man were related. “Don’t tell my granddaughter any of this. She doesn’t need to know and it would only upset her.”
“Understood.” That made two people now trying to shield Sam from the truth. Damien didn’t see her as being that delicate, but said nothing as he continued to sift through the pages looking for the elusive missing report.
“My Beta killed Sam’s father and I killed my Beta. That’s the crux of it.”
Damien froze and turned his head to look at Harper. At least the abruptness of the old man’s statement helped him to give the appearance of being shocked. It wouldn’t do to let on that Marcello had basically told him the whole tale earlier on in the day.
Harper nodded, studying his reaction. “I don’t believe in beating around the bush. Those are the facts.”
“I’m sure you had your reasons.” The heat from the fireplace was searing his skin and he concentrated on the papers he was gathering, eager to move away from the crackling flames.
“Damned right. Gary was my Beta for almost ten years. I knew he was ambitious, but I trusted him. When my son came home from out West with his family in tow, I expected Gary to be pleased that the heir to the Chicago dynasty had finally seen the light and was ready to take his rightful place.”
“But he wasn’t.”
“Hell no, though Gary was careful not to show it. Thing is, my son never wanted to be Alpha; too much like his mother, rest her soul. We had words over it more than once.” Samuel grew silent for a moment then cleared his throat. “Apparently Gary had it in his head to take over once I stepped down. But with my son home, he saw me urging the boy to fill the position. He must have felt his chance was slipping away so he took matters into his own hands. Pushed the boy into the path of a train.”
Betrayed: Book Two - The Road to Redemption Page 24