Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 129756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 649(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 649(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Tart? Mila snarled. “God, I think the guy could twist just about anything.” Her gaze cut to Dominic. “Not that he’s done a good job of it. People aren’t likely to buy that your pack would go to that trouble just so you could sleep around. Reporters will want my side of the story now. And if I don’t give it, it’s as good as saying that his account is true.” Dominic had warned her that the media would latch on to it, but she hadn’t been so sure.
He smoothed his hand up her arm. “We can post a written statement on the pack’s blog, but it won’t be a response to this interview. That load of bullshit doesn’t deserve the credit of a response. It will just be your account of what happened, but we’ll craft it in a way that pokes holes at Pierson’s story. We’ll also mention Rosemary’s history of instability again as a gentle reminder that she’s fucking nuts.” He guided her to a seat, but she shook her head.
“I’ve kind of lost my appetite.”
“You need to eat. Sit, I’ll make the sandwiches.”
Grace stood. “I’ll make them. You two sit down.”
Mila genuinely didn’t think she’d be able to eat, but the smells of fresh bread, tuna, and mayonnaise made her stomach rumble. She scarfed it down without really tasting it, her mind elsewhere. Done with her sandwich, she pushed the empty plate aside. Instead of feeling energized by the food, she felt even more tired than before.
She was midway through a yawn when her phone rang. She dug it out of her pocket, and her pulse spiked when she saw that it was Vinnie calling. She answered with, “Tell me you have him.”
“Well, I spoke with him,” said Vinnie. “But the Dean Simmons I just talked to in his Alpha’s office is not the bobcat who was at the barbershop earlier.”
Her lips parting in surprise, Mila rubbed at her temple. “The guy you just met could still be the person who put out the hit, though, right?”
“He swears he didn’t, and I believe him. Plus, he does not have a nephew called Finley. That means the bobcat you know did in fact lie to you.”
Mila swore and shoved a hand through her hair. Only Dominic’s fingers massaging her nape kept her from shooting to her feet and pacing up and down.
“My guess is that he picked a random bobcat and used his identity while at your barbershop,” said Vinnie. “Did he ever tell you anything that might hint at who he really is?”
Many of her clients gossiped or talked about their lives, but Dean hadn’t been one of them. “No, nothing. We just chatted about general things.”
“Hmm. If he notices that the website has collapsed, he’ll suspect we’re onto him. He’ll keep his distance from you.”
“That all depends on why he put out the hit.” Mila sighed. “I really don’t get why he would want me dead, Vinnie. I never picked up even the slightest hint of animosity from him.”
“Some people are good at acting.”
True enough. Ending the call, Mila looked at Dominic. “Did you hear all that?”
He nodded. “I heard.”
“I don’t understand any of this.” She twisted slightly in her seat to face him better. “You said he watched me. Watched me how?”
“It wasn’t ogling. He didn’t display any sexual interest in you, so I didn’t pay as much attention to it as I should have.”
Mila hadn’t picked up any sexual attraction either. He’d never flirted with her, but he’d been friendly and polite. “He only ever complimented me once, and that was to say I had a nice voice. He said he saw me perform when he took his girlfriend to the Velvet Lounge.”
Dominic’s brow furrowed. “You saw him there?”
“No. He just told me about it. But then, it could have been yet another lie, right? I never saw him anywhere but the barb—” Noticing that Dominic had gone stiff as a board and that his eyes were glittering with something very, very dark, Mila asked, “What? What is it?”
“He might have lied to you about having a girlfriend, but he didn’t lie about going to the Velvet Lounge. I saw him there. He was alone, sitting at the bar in the VIP section. The only reason I paid him any attention was that he was talking to someone I know well.”
Mila narrowed her eyes. “Who?”
A short while later, Dominic was leaning against the security shack when a familiar car drove through the tall gates. She’d gotten here faster than he thought she would. But then, he’d been sure to sound a little lost and forlorn over the phone, not wanting her to suspect the real reason he’d invited her here. He’d told her he needed to talk to someone he could trust, which was true. He hadn’t said that she was someone he could trust, but he’d known she’d take his comment to mean exactly that.