Betrayed: Book Two - The Road to Redemption

by Nicky Charles

  “Harper’s issued a challenge. Haven’t you heard yet?”

  Kane swore. “I’ve been out of touch all day, up in the mountains. Lots of dead zones.” He checked his rearview mirror and then moved to pass the slow moving vehicle he’d been following for the past few miles. “A challenge from old man Harper, you say?”

  “Not him. Sam. The granddaughter.”

  “That bit of girl?” He let a chuckle slip out. “I’d have to fly to Chicago—”

  Damien interrupted again, his tone hard, determined, almost eager. “I could act as your proxy.”

  Something about Damien’s response caught his attention. He answered slowly, trying to gauge his friend. “A proxy is allowed under the Law, but rarely used.”

  “It’s still legal.”

  Yeah, something was definitely up. “What gives, Damien? It sounds like you’re spoiling for a fight.”

  A bitter laugh came over the phone. “Let’s just say I don’t like games. Harper’s pack is pretending to be something it’s not. And you know how I feel about Purists.”

  “That I do.” Kane paused, weighing the facts. He wanted Chicago, but Harper had been wiggling like the proverbial worm on a hook trying to get away. A challenge would solve things once and for all. Damien wanted to fight. Fighting against Purists was right up his friend’s alley. And Samantha Harper wouldn’t be much of an opponent. “All right. I’ll send a message to Lycan Link as soon as I get home. Is tomorrow soon enough for you?”

  “Yeah. It’s good.”

  “We pick the time, they pick the place. That’s what the rules state.”

  “I’m fine with that. I know the area.”

  Kane nodded. “All right then. I’ll call you with the confirmation.”

  The doorbell rang, but Sam didn’t look up from the computer screen. She was researching Sinclair, trying to find out everything she knew about the man. Know your enemy, wasn’t that what they always told you to do? With Damien walking out on them, she was feeling the need for every extra edge she could find. If Lycan Link found out she’d lost another member…

  “Excuse me, Sam.”

  She growled in acknowledgement of the words that followed a faint tap on her door. “What do you need, Andrea?”

  “Someone’s here to see you. Says he’s a friend of Damien’s. I didn’t know if you’d want to talk to him or not.” Andrea’s voice was hesitant and at another time Sam might have smiled. They all knew to tiptoe around her when she was in a mood, and that’s definitely what she was in right now. Several members had commented on Damien’s absence at dinner and her reply had been abrupt in the extreme, ending the usual round the table chatter.

  “A friend of Damien’s?” Her first instinct was to tell whoever it was to get the hell out of her house. Curiosity got the better of her. Maybe this ‘friend’ could shed some light on her Beta’s sudden departure.

  “Send him in.” Sam leaned back in her chair wondering who would come through the door. It was an older man with a limp, vaguely familiar. Ah, the man she’d seen at Club Mystique!

  “Good evening, Ms. Harper.” His tones were smooth and cultured, clearly at odds with his appearance. Greying hair, lined face. Good quality clothes that were showing some wear and didn’t quite fit his frame. “My name is Dante. Dante Esparza.”

  Slowly, she sat up straight. “Excuse me?” That was Damien’s name! Or at least the name he’d used when applying for the position of Beta.

  He laughed, a raspy sound that made her skin crawl. “Your reaction does not surprise me.”

  Sam compressed her lips. She didn’t like being taken for a fool. “Explain.”

  “May I? I recently re-injured my leg.” He gestured towards a chair and then sat without waiting for her to agree. “It’s come to my attention that a…friend…has been playing a rather nasty trick on you.”

  “So it would seem.” She studied the man. There was something about him she didn’t like, but her curiosity was piqued enough that she’d suffer his presence.

  “I was the rogue you’d been in contact with and were planning to hire. Unfortunately, I was delayed and asked Damien to give you my regrets. I’ve recently learned that he took it upon himself to assume my identity.” Dante shook his head, his mouth forming a moue. “He’s always been opportunistic in that way.”

  “Yet it took you all this time to realize what he was up to?” Something didn’t ring true.

  Dante shook his head. “I knew within a few days, but it seemed harmless enough so I let it slide. I’m not one to cause trouble.”

  Yes he is, her wolf growled, having also taken an automatic dislike to the man.

  “What changed your mind?”

  “I’ve come into some disturbing information about Damien, information I think you need to know.” He steepled his fingers and looked at her over top them.

  “Really.”

  “Yes. Normally, I’d ask for payment for such information—I’m a poor man and have to eat after all….” He looked at her expectantly. “But as a gesture of goodwill, because my name was used to deceive you, I’ll provide it gratis.”

  She inclined her head, not taking the bait he was dangling. No way would she offer him money.

  “Damien works for Kane Sinclair.” A grin slowly spread over his face as he delivered the news, obviously pleased at the reaction she hadn’t quite been able to control. “You’re shocked, and well you should be. It isn’t a secret within the Lycan world that Sinclair hopes to take over your territory. Damien has been feeding him information, aiding in your downfall for financial gain.”

  Pure white hot rage filled Sam, causing her vision to blur at the edges. She clenched the arms of her chair, a growl emitting from her throat.

  “I met with Damien on several occasions, trying to tell him what he was doing wasn’t fair, but he wouldn’t listen. Money always has ruled his head.”

  Sam forced her temper under control. “How…interesting.”

  “Is Damien about?” He raised a brow and looked around. “If you need assistance to remove him, I’d be only too happy to help.”

  “No. He actually left earlier today.”

  “Really? Now that’s interesting.” The look of polite inquiry left Dante’s face, replaced by narrowed eyes. “He didn’t say why? Didn’t mention the name Deirdre or Stone?”

  “No.” Sam shook her head, not really interested in Dante’s questions. Damien had been working for Sinclair the whole time. When they’d shared a meal, swam in the pond, kissed, had sex… He must have been laughing the entire time! The bastard! What had Tina said once? That the wolf had two faces. Well that prophecy had certainly been right. She shot a look at Dante. “You say you’re a friend of his?”

  “A friend? No, neither of us would call the other friend. We’ve moved in the same circles out of necessity, nothing else.”

  Sam nodded and got to her feet. “Thank you for the information, Mr. Esparza.”

  Dante rose slowly. “I’m happy to have been of service. Er…now that Damien has left, if you’re still in need of a Beta…?”

  “I’ll keep you in mind.”

  “Thank you.” He gave what was likely supposed to be an ingratiating smile. “Oh, and your grandfather, is he still well?”

  “My grandfather? You know him?”

  “Acquaintances from long ago. I haven’t heard from him in a while and had originally thought to surprise him by showing up here as Beta. Since that didn’t work out, tell him I’m looking forward to hearing from him again. Use the name Salazar. He’ll know who you mean.”

  “I will.” Sam ushered the man out, feeling she needed to disinfect the house to rid it of any remnant of his presence. He knew her grandfather? Hmm…

  Sam headed upstairs to her grandfather’s room. She hadn’t broken the news of Damien’s departure to him yet. No time like the present.

  “Grandfather?” She knocked before pushing the door open, then shook her head at the sight before her. “You’re still sortin
g through your old records?”

  He had papers spread about him and looked up with a scowl. “Have you been looking at these?”

  “No. You said they were your personal papers. I’m only going through the official pack files.” She stepped into the room and moved closer.

  “Someone has been. I can tell. Some of the pages are dog-eared. I never do that.”

  Sam shook her head. “Maybe you forgot—”

  “I don’t forget important details like that.” He growled the words and Sam rolled her eyes, praying for patience.

  Changing the subject seemed a good idea, even if it was to deliver bad news. She pulled up a chair. “I have something to tell you.”

  “What’s wrong?” Something in her tone must have given her away for her grandfather looked at her sharply.

  “Damien has left.”

  He nodded. “It’s to be expected. Rogues can’t be counted on.”

  “And…” She paused. There was no easy way to say this. “Damien was working for Sinclair.”

  “Sinclair?”

  “Yes. It’s all my fault.” She sat up straight willing to take the blame. “I’d checked his background as best as I could before hiring him. He seemed suitable, but I’ve just learned he was using an assumed name.”

  “Sinclair planted a mole!” He seemed to be stuck on that point. “How did you find out?”

  “The real rogue—the one I’d been corresponding with—showed up and told me.”

  “And this rogue would be…?”

  “Dante Esparza. He said you knew him by the name of Salazar.”

  Her grandfather stilled. “Salazar? He was here?”

  “A few minutes ago. He said you were acquaintances from long ago and he’d love to hear from you again. Apparently, he knows Damien—”

  “He wants to hear from me?”

  “Yes. He’d hoped to surprise you by taking on the Beta role—”

  “Sneaky bastard. How dare he come around here!”

  Sam frowned wondering why her grandfather seemed more concerned with Dante than he did with the fact that Damien had been spying for Sinclair.

  “He was warning me about Damien—”

  “Did he ask for money?” He interrupted once again.

  She gave a huff of laughter. “You have him pegged. He hinted as much, but I didn’t offer.”

  “Sneaky, thieving cur.”

  “I can see why you wouldn’t keep close contact with him.”

  Her grandfather made a noncommittal sound, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully.

  “Grandfather? What’s between you and Esparza...er…Salazar?”

  “Old business. Not your concern.”

  Sam raised her brows but let it pass. She had more immediate concerns. “So, what do you think about Damien being a spy for Sinclair?”

  “I was gone today and my papers were disturbed. Right after that your rogue leaves.” He shifted his gaze to her. “I’d say he’s run tattling to Sinclair.”

  “Tattling?” That meant there was something to tell. “What did he find out?”

  He shook his head and Sam surged to her feet, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

  “Listen, you won’t tell me about you and Esparza. You won’t tell me what’s so damned important in your personal files. Do you really want me finding out the truth from someone else? Because if Damien found damning information he’s sure as hell told Sinclair, and it will only be a matter of time before Lycan Link is breathing down our necks about it!”

  A growl erupted from her grandfather and he glared at her. At one time, his growl would have had her backing down, but not now. There was too much at stake.

  “You can’t intimidate me like that.” She planted her hands on her hips and raised her chin.

  Their eyes locked in a silent battle until her grandfather finally shook his head. “I trained you well.”

  “Yes, you did. Now spit it out.”

  He sighed heavily, looking older and more tired than usual. “I’d hoped to keep this from you. Hoped you’d never discover the truth.” He gave a bitter laugh. “I should have died sooner and then you’d never have found out.”

  “Cut the dramatics.”

  “It’s true. These papers would have been destroyed upon my death – it’s in my will. Hell, I’ve even started to do it on my own, but I wanted to read them one more time. I shouldn’t have. Reliving the past does no one any good.”

  “Neither does regret. Now what’s so bad that you have to hide it from me?”

  “Our past isn’t as illustrious as you might believe.”

  “The liquor smuggling? Ancient history and no one cares anymore.”

  “No. Not that.” He hesitated before speaking. “Your father’s death. It wasn’t an accident. It was my fault.”

  “Yours?” She looked at him, stunned.

  He nodded. “I made some bad decisions. Put too much emphasis on blood purity. Drove my son away when he wouldn’t follow my beliefs. Chose a Beta that wasn’t trustworthy—

  “You drove my father away?”

  “When he was about your age, we argued. He left and went west. Met your mother, had you.” He gave a sad smile. “He came back at my insistence. It’s my fault.”

  “I don’t follow you.”

  “If your father had stayed away, Gary wouldn’t have known you weren’t pure blooded. He wouldn’t have tried to kill my heirs because they were no longer suitable.”

  “Gary? Your Beta? He killed my father?” Sam sank down onto the edge of the bed, her legs feeling wobbly.

  “He planned to kill you, too, but, I’ve been told, at the last minute you let go of your father’s hand. That’s all that saved you from being pushed onto the tracks with him.”

  “I…see.” Sam didn’t know what to say, her brain was trying to process what she’d learned. It had all happened so long ago that it didn’t actually seem real, but to know that someone actually murdered your parent… “I can recall bits and pieces of that day. I let go of his hand for some reason. He turned and called my name and then…” She shivered, the screams, the sight of her father being struck barely dimmed by the passage of the years.

  “I didn’t find out Gary’s part until several years later. It was when I decided to train you to take over that it came to light.”

  “He wasn’t happy with your choice.”

  “He wanted the job. You were a female and…not purebred.”

  “My eyes.” She twisted her mouth in disgust. While some might marvel at the colour, she’d always hated them, knowing they were a visible reminder that she was different from the others in the pack.

  “There’s no denying it.” He gave a quick nod. “You were a shock to all of us when we first saw you, I won’t lie.”

  Sam gave a one shouldered shrug. It was old news.

  He cleared his throat. “For years I’d embraced the belief that keeping the Lycan bloodline clean was of utmost importance. When I was presented with the problem in my own family, I didn’t react well at first. I didn’t welcome you or your mother with open arms.”

  As a child she’d always known on some level she was a source of disappointment to him. Because she was female. Because she didn’t train hard enough. Because of her eyes. “All my life I’ve worked hard to please you, to be what you wanted me to be.”

  “And you’ve done well.”

  “As well as a female, non-purebred can do.” She qualified.

  “As well as anyone could have done.” A muscle twitched in his jaw. “I’m…er…proud of you, Sam.” Their eyes met briefly and then both looked away.

  “Uh…thanks.” It seemed awkward to hear him say that and she didn’t know quite how to respond. She coughed to fill the silence that fell between them. “So that’s what you didn’t want me to know?”

  “I killed Gary when I found out what he’d done.” He lifted his chin and faced her straight on, no cowering in shame for him. “And I take my share of the blame as well. I was the one that brou
ght Gary into the pack. I knew his leanings, that he valued the purity of our race. I never suspected he was that extreme, but as Alpha it was my responsibility to control the members of the pack, and to discipline them as needed.”

  She wasn’t totally shocked by his admission, having always sensed the ruthlessness within him. Her grandfather had followed many of the old ways. “Do I have to worry about a cold-case file at the local precinct? Will the cops be knocking on the door one day?”

  “No. They wrote Gary’s death off as a wild dog attack.”

  She raised her brows but said nothing, waiting for the other shoe to drop. It did.

  “Years ago, I was young and idealistic.” He steepled his fingers and stared at them. “I thought I knew what was wrong with the Lycan way of life, that if we returned to the old ways and closed out the rest of the world, we could return to the days of former glory.”

  “Former glory? What the hell does that mean?”

  He shook his head, a sad smile on his face. “I don’t even recall. When you’re young, you have dreams.” He sighed and looked up at her. “I joined The Cause.”

  “The Cause?”

  “Some call them the Purists.”

  “Shit.” She jumped to her feet. So that’s what Damien had meant when he left. It wasn’t a random slur. “Shit.” She repeated the phrase as she ran her hands through her hair while looking blindly about the room. He’d kept mentioning the purity of Lycan blood yet for some reason she hadn’t made the connection. The way he’d always been so selective about who joined the pack… The evidence had been right in front of her and yet… Stupid, stupid, stupid. Was this how the family of a serial killer felt when they finally learned what he did on the weekends? If the news got out they had a Purist background, who knew how much trouble it could spell for them?

  “I broke off my formal association with them when I became an Alpha, though I never completely severed my ties, or my belief in some of their ideology. At the time, it didn’t seem to matter. It was only when I came to accept you as my heir that the break became official.”

  “That was good of you.” She shot a bitter look at her grandfather. “Might have been awkward otherwise, given that you were harbouring a mixed-blooded Lycan like me.”