Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 120031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Derren nodded. “The rest of us gathered around the pups and Ally as we walked.”
“Yet, the shooter didn’t open fire until the pups were exposed,” said Cain, his voice carefully controlled. “I can see why you doubt Ignacio’s guilt. He targets people’s loved ones. The pups are technically Casey’s nieces, but I’m not sure he’d consider that good enough. Then again, this whole thing could have been an attempt to strike at Eli through Cassidy. After all, he’s no doubt pissed Ignacio off purely by protecting Casey.”
Shaya’s brows lifted. “That’s true. I never thought of that.”
“We need to have a little talk with Ignacio,” said Cain, and Eli sensed that there would be nothing civil about that “talk.”
“I already have.” Nick told him about the phone call, adding, “Not that I believed he’d admit to any involvement even if he was responsible for it. I can only tell you what he told me.”
Eli wasn’t in the least bit surprised that his brother didn’t mention Donovan’s contact. Cain would demand to know the name of the source so that he could go question him—which he wouldn’t do calmly or cleanly, since torturous interrogations were more Cain’s style—and there was no way that Donovan would reveal the source’s name anyway.
“We need to arrange a face-to-face chat with Ignacio.” Cain licked his front teeth. “I want to look into his eyes when he says that he has no connection to the shooting.”
Nick gave a slow shake of the head. “You can’t, Cain. You’re known as a person who only gives a shit about The Movement. If you confront Ignacio about what happened to Cassidy, he’ll suspect that she’s someone to you. If that somehow becomes common knowledge, your enemies will target her. We can’t risk that.”
Nostrils flaring, Cain spat a curse. “You can’t ask me to sit back and do nothing.”
“I don’t like it any more than you do. But we have no proof that he’s behind the shooting. I have plenty of enemies, Cain. You know that.”
“You don’t want to start a war with someone unless you’re positive they bear guilt in the situation. Understandable,” said Cain, though he didn’t sound as though it would particularly bother him if he accidentally targeted the wrong person. “But I won’t stand back and do nothing.”
“Neither will I, which is why Derren and I made a list of potential suspects. We’ll have Donovan help us look into each of them and see where they are and what’s going on in their lives. It might help, it might not, but at least we’d be doing something. Focusing too much on Ignacio would be a mistake when we have no proof that he’s the culprit.”
“But like I said, it would make sense that it’s Ignacio if the whole thing was a bid to get at Eli.”
“There is another angle to consider,” said Casey. “The loss of a pup impacts everyone. You would all have been an emotional mess if you lost Cassidy, and you’d have been looking for someone to blame. You might have pointed the finger at me. Might have wanted me gone from your pack and your lives. That could have been what Ignacio had hoped for.”
Frowning, Shaya shook her head vigorously. “We would never have blamed you.”
“Damn fucking straight,” rumbled Eli.
Casey gave a wan smile. “You can’t know that. Not for sure. People aren’t always rational when they’re grieving. They say things they don’t mean, and they look for someone to blame so that they have an outlet for all the anger and grief. As someone who brought Ignacio into your lives, I’d have been the most obvious target.”
Madisyn sighed. “Casey’s right. I’m not saying I would have felt that way,” she hurried to add. “But I’ve seen a lot of grieving people at the shelter. They’re not always in their right mind. Their grief clouds the situation, stopping them from seeing it clearly.”
Jaw clenched, Eli shook his head. “I would never have turned on you, Casey. Never. You have to know that. You have to know you come first to me.”
“I do know that,” Casey assured him. “But Ignacio isn’t properly mated to Dahlia. He’s never experienced the depth of loyalty that mated pairs have toward each other. He can’t conceive of the kind of bond you and I have or how firmly it connects us. It would be easy for him to misjudge how you would react in such a situation.”
“It’s a good point,” said Cain. He turned to Nick. “You need to up your security ten-fold and close the motel until this is over. I’ll stay here—no, don’t tell me to leave. I have a right to be here to protect my mate. You won’t stop me, so let’s not waste time with bullshit. Besides which, I promised her I’d stay—I won’t break that promise.”