Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 113944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
Fisting his hand in the papers, Colt growled, “Your neighbors said they heard fighting!”
Gwen arched a brow. “Do we look like we’ve been fighting?” Thanks to Ally, the answer was no. And as they’d moved the cars so that they covered the bloodstains on the ground from Zander’s and Rory’s duel, there was no way to tell that there had been a battle without taking a stroll around the marsh.
The bodies of the dead shifters and humans had all been lumped together deep in the marsh near two of Ezra’s cars. According to Zander, Cain would be sending some people from The Movement to collect them all. Collecting and disposing of bodies was apparently something they’d done for the Phoenix Pack before.
“The deeds,” said Derren, holding out his hand.
Colt handed them back with a petulant frown. “Ezra and Moira wouldn’t have just . . . left.”
“They might have if they were worried that shifters would come hunting Brandt for what he had done to Andie,” said Harley. “We’ve all heard of The Movement.”
The sheriff shook his head. “Ezra would have told me if he was leaving. And he wouldn’t run from shifters.”
“But he might run from Kenny Cogman,” Gwen mused. “Ezra said some pretty mean shit about me at that hearing. Told some lies about me too. Kenny wasn’t too happy to hear that.”
Colt’s frown turned thoughtful. “If you have nothing to hide, prove it and let me inside.”
Yvonne raised a mocking brow. “You sure you want to come inside, Sheriff? You never did like this house.”
Zander folded his arms. Like hell was he letting this bastard enter. “This is shifter territory now. You have no right being here. And we sure as shit don’t want you here.”
“Even if the Moores did come here last night, it would be no business of yours,” said Bracken. “We all know that if someone takes their chances trespassing on shifter territory, they can’t expect to walk away unharmed. As you yourself said, shifter business is shifter business.”
“They’re my friends,” said Colt.
Gwen shook her head. “Not friends, Colt. Not really. People like the Moores aren’t friends with anyone. They’re all about themselves. You lost the respect of a lot of people around here because of them. There had to have been times when you did want to arrest Brandt for one thing or another. After all, he was making your job harder for you. But you always had to let it go, didn’t you? They didn’t respect your authority, and soon other people stopped respecting it. At least you won’t have that problem until they come back from wherever they’ve gone.”
The sheriff sighed. “Just give me a straight answer. Did they come here last night or not?”
“If they did, I didn’t see them,” said Marlon, which was true as he’d been at Dylan’s. “And I doubt they’d have come here just to hide in the trees. Besides, I think the noises this lot made on their pack run would have scared them off.”
For a long moment, no one spoke. Colt pointed a finger at Gwen. “If I find any evidence to suggest they came here—”
“There’ll be nothing you can do about it,” Zander stated. The pack would never admit to anything. Explaining or justifying themselves to humans would be the same as answering to them. “And me, well, I’m not eager to talk to a person who didn’t protect my mate or one of my kind when they were being harassed and persecuted. Now drop your fucking finger, get back in your car, and don’t come back.”
Looking strangely tired all of a sudden, Colt muttered to himself as he slowly returned to his car. Watching him drive off, Gwen said, “It really was smart of you to ask Nick to buy the house and land so that Colt couldn’t insist on coming inside.”
“I’m always full of smart ideas,” said Zander.
As the others retreated into the house, Gwen slid her arms around him. “What does Nick intend to do with the place?”
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask him.” Zander brushed his mouth over hers. “You can do that tomorrow, when you come home with me.”
She raised her brows. “Tomorrow?” That was a lot sooner than she’d expected, and she could admit, if only to herself, that it made her panic a little. But then, she supposed it was important to him to get back to his pack.
“Tomorrow,” he stated.
She saw the dare in his eyes, knew he was expecting her to object and claim it was too soon. Instead, she sighed and agreed, “Tomorrow.”
Mouth curving, Zander wrapped his arms tight around her, lifted her off her feet, and kissed the breath out of her.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Two months later
Gwen nodded along as the beautiful little girl talked around a mouthful of cake, swinging her arms.
Lounging in the chair beside Gwen’s, Zander leaned in and whispered, “Did you understand what she just said?”