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)
“Because you don’t want it to. Think about it, baby. Ignacio is very well-known for dishing out some real ugly punishments. He never once hurt you as a message to Miles. Never once punished you for any of the things you did or said to him. That has never made sense to me.”
“He didn’t harm me because my pack would have decimated his pride.”
“I think it suited him to let you assume that. But I don’t think it’s truly why he never hurt you. He could have harmed you in a way that never implicated him; could have hired loners to do it for him. But you’ve never once been randomly attacked, have you?”
Casey’s lips thinned. “Well, no, but—”
“Do you have a reason whatsoever that would explain why he never went after you, other than your belief that he feared how your pack would react?”
“He said I remind him of his sister; that he admires the loyalty I show to Miles.”
“I’m sure he does admire your loyalty—it’s not exactly something that his family or old pride members showed him much of. But that wouldn’t be enough for him to ignore the need to punish Miles through you.”
“Okay then, how about this? Miles said that he paid his recent debts, and I think he was telling the truth. If that’s the case, it stands to reason that Ignacio wouldn’t really feel a huge need to punish him.”
“And yet, he went back to you again and again. Why would he do that?”
“Because he’s an asshole? Because it amuses him? Because he’s bored shitless and gets a kick out of manipulating someone as dominant as me? As Cain said, he’s all about power.”
“Yes, he is. And since I came along and blocked his access to you, he lost whatever power he thought he had over you. He wants me gone.” Eli swept his gaze across the room as he went on, “I think he sent the falcons after me. I think he sent the hired gun after me. But I don’t think Cassidy’s bullet was meant for me. I think me, Nick, Shaya, and the pups were all targets.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time that Ignacio wiped out a family as a punishment,” said Cain. “I can tell you of at least three families he slaughtered.”
“I think he also sent someone after Sherryl,” said Eli. “I think he was punishing her for threatening Casey.”
“But there’s no way he could even know about the trouble I’m having with her,” Casey told him.
“Unless he has a mole on your territory,” said Eli. He felt her denial slam into their bond. “If he believes he’s your mate, he’ll want to know what’s happening in your life—knowledge is power, baby. The mole might not be someone from your pack. It could be one of the people who work in the stores that your pack own. They’d hear plenty about what goes on.”
Nick straightened in his seat. “It might be a good idea to run that theory by Adrian.”
“I intend to,” said Eli.
Shaya sighed. “I really do hate to say this, but your theory has weight, Eli. There were some things that didn’t add up for me. But now, looking at it all from this angle, they come together.”
Casey shook her head. “After seeing us tonight, he’ll know he was wrong because our scents have mixed, Eli.”
“That sometimes happens with imprinted couples,” said Jesse, setting his mug on the table beside the lamp. “Usually, they just wear each other’s scent. But mine and Harley’s have started to mix ever so slightly. Ignacio might just think you two have imprinted on each other.”
Roni nodded. “Originally, he probably just thought you lied about being her mate to protect her, Eli. That will have pissed him off, because he’ll think protecting her is his job. Now he’ll see you as someone who’s stealing what’s his from right under his nose. It won’t matter to him that he has no intention of claiming her. He won’t want you to have her.”
“No, he won’t.” Eli shifted his gaze to Nick. “I’ll call Adrian and suggest he talk to his employees. If one of them is leaking info to Ignacio, it’s something Adrian needs to know.”
“I don’t think any of them would do that,” said Casey.
Eli looked back at her, hating the pain he saw in her eyes. “I hope you’re right.” But he didn’t believe that she was.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Opening the front door of his lodge the next morning, Eli found Bracken standing on the porch, his mouth set into a thin slash. “What’s with the scowl?”
Bracken’s nostrils flared. “Your mink has corrupted my mate!”
“Corrupted? What are you talking about?”
The enforcer held up his phone. “Look!”
Peering at the photograph on the screen of the cell, Eli felt his lips twitch. Jesus Christ.
“My cat now has her own little collection of corpses, all neatly piled on top of each other behind her rockery.”