Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 107670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Shaya frowned. “No, he did. He once said, ‘My Harley plays the electric violin.’ I thought he was talking about a relative.”
Kathy brushed her hands down her long skirt. “Well, I’m not convinced you’ll fit in here, Harley. We’re not like your haughty, high and mighty human relatives or your reckless, free-spirited, criminal pack. We’re good, steady, mature—”
The front door swung open. “Roni, where are you?” Eli bellowed.
Ally turned to Roni with a sigh. “What did you do now?”
A furious-looking Eli stormed into the room and stopped in front of his sister, hands on hips. “It’s not bad enough that you put bang snap firecrackers under my toilet seat? I shit myself—literally—when I sat on it this morning and the damn things went off!”
Kathy gasped. “Roni!”
“You had to also sign me up for gay porn?” continued Eli, his voice rising.
Hands fisted, Roni leaned forward. “You gave me an exploding sponge cake!”
Shaya bit her bottom lip to hide a smile. “Oh, Eli, you didn’t. You know how much she loves cake.”
Roni said to Shaya, “It was chocolate sponge with buttercream, and I was so happy and so looking forward to eating it.” She glowered at her brother. “And then it exploded.” She shook her index finger at him. “Too far, Eli. Too far.”
“So all the things you’ve done to me were tame, were they?”
“I never made it personal!”
Harley looked at Jesse and said quietly, “They do this a lot? Play pranks, I mean.”
“Yeah,” he replied. “Always have, apparently—even when they were kids.”
Harley turned to Kathy, brow raised. “You were saying something about you all being mature people?”
Kathy rounded on Harley with a growl, but she stilled as the pups walked in with Nick behind them, his expression grim.
Shaya frowned at her mate. “What’s wrong?”
“Hector called,” replied Nick. “He wants me to meet him at the closest part of the border that separates our territory from his.”
Jesse stiffened. “Why?”
“I don’t know,” said Nick, voice flat.
“Probably to repeat his offer,” hedged Derren. “Maybe even up his price. I’m coming with you, Nick.”
“Me too,” said Eli.
Nick nodded in agreement. “Ally, I want you to come too. I want to get a feel for his emotional state. Jesse, Marcus, Roni—I want you three to come along but linger out of sight. I want him to sense you’re there, but I don’t want him to know where you are.”
Jesse nodded, adrenaline coursing through him. His wolf stretched within him, ready.
“The rest of you stay here and be alert,” said Nick. “I don’t think Hector’s trying to divide the pack and leave us vulnerable to attack or he would have asked to meet me far from the main lodge. But we know from past experience that taking chances puts people in danger.”
Shaya nodded. “Kathy, take the pups upstairs. Zander, get me my shotgun.”
Jesse massaged Harley’s palm with his thumb as he spoke to her. “I’ll be back soon. Wait here for me.” He braced himself for her to insist on returning to their lodge. After all, she wouldn’t find it much fun being here without his support, especially given the drivel she’d had to listen to from Nat and Kathy.
Harley saluted him. “Be careful.”
“Good girl,” he whispered, wondering if he’d ever be able to anticipate her reactions.
The picture of menace, Nick said, “Let’s get this done.”
As they left the lodge, the Beta pair flanked Nick while the others stayed at the rear. No one said a word as they headed for the border. When they came close, Jesse, Roni, and Marcus melted away to guard the others without being seen.
Jesse took a position beside a thick oak; he had a perfect view of Hector, standing not far from a blue BMW. With his navy, tailored suit, analog watch, and confident posture, the tall male was the epitome of a professional businessman. Two hefty males flanked him. Jesse guessed they were shifters but couldn’t be sure. Apparently Hector had brought some muscle for protection.
When the four Mercury wolves finally came to a halt just a few feet short of the border, Hector gave them a winning smile. “Nick, how are you this morning?”
“What do you want?”
Hector’s affable smile faltered at Nick’s curtness. “Should I conclude that you still don’t wish to sell?”
“Yes, you should.”
“Come now,” said Hector. “You don’t want a hotel next door. Having a pack living right next to my hotel would attract the sort of guests I do not want—particularly humans who like to study the way of shifters, comparing them to animals and making documentaries about their findings. They would watch you like hawks.”
Well, they knew that—it was just one of the reasons they were so opposed to the hotel.
“It would be inconvenient for all of us,” added Hector.
“You should have thought of that before you bought the land.”
“I did consider it, but this is such a perfect location for a holiday resort,” said Hector. “Your land was once owned by humans who rented the lodge.”