Chapter Thirty-Four
Ken
Ken and the other men watched Dewi leave the office. Duncan peered through the doorway for a moment. He finally closed it and turned back to them. “She went into Gillian’s bedroom.”
Trent looked at Ken. “You think she meant it? About not running off?”
“Yeah,” Ken said, sinking into the chair she’d just occupied. “I mean, I hope she did. In that moment, she did. But I don’t know how long that mindset will hold. If Peyton turns up d—” He snipped that thought off because he didn’t want to think like that. “Should we be confronted with different circumstances, I don’t know if anything will keep her here.”
Badger solemnly nodded. “Yer right, lad.” He heavily dropped into the other chair in front of the desk. “We have our orders. Like it or not—an’ I don’t—it’s what we have to do.”
“What happens now?” Ken asked.
“We hold everything until tonight when we break the news to the Enforcers,” Trent said. “And we pray to the Goddess Peyton turns up safe and sound before then.”
“We have to bring Lyssa and Adair over here from Asia’s,” Ken said. “One or both of them will need to nurse soon, but I know I sure as shit can’t hide the fact there’s something wrong right now.”
“Badger and I will get them,” Duncan said. “We’ll tell them you, Trent, Gillian, and Dewi are talking pack business and ask them to not interrupt you.”
“Thanks, Da,” Trent said.
The two men headed out.
Ken slumped in his chair and stared across the desk at Trent, who occupied the chair behind it. “Worst case?” Ken asked.
“I don’t know.” Trent rocked back in his chair. “Trevor doesn’t have any new info, last I heard.”
“What about that father? Geir Haugen? Any chance he’s behind it?”
“Extremely doubtful,” Trent said. “He’s been checked out by Primes in the past to help with operations. He’s loyal to the pack. Besides, he wasn’t anywhere near there when it happened. And he wouldn’t have killed his children and mate—they had a mate bond. Even the shittiest people can deeply love their mates and children.”
Ken snorted. “Faegan Lewis sure as fuck wasn’t one of them.”
“Yeah. I know. But I feel reasonably certain he didn’t have a mate bond with his wife.”
Ken leaned forward and mouthed the next words, knowing the older shifter could understand him but not wanting any chance of Dewi or Gillian overhearing. “If they find Peyton dead, or if there’s an actionable lead to rescue him, I doubt we’ll be able to contain Dewi. You should be prepared for that.”
Trent grimly nodded. “I know.”
Ken tried not to focus on all the new knowledge swimming around in his brain because he knew if he did, he’d be sick.
Like, literally hurl everything he’d ever eaten ever kind of sick.
“Will there be other Primes here tonight?” Ken asked in his normal voice.
Trent nodded. “A couple of the Enforcers. Carbry Deverelle from Los Angeles, and Bob Axelrod from Seattle.”
“Well, that’s one thing, at least,” Ken said. “Maybe they can help Da and Badger sit on Dewi. Might want to ask them to change their travel plans to stay here longer.”
“Not a bad idea,” Trent said. “We’ll play that by ear, but once we tell them I’ll privately give them a heads-up.”
“Do we need to worry about either of them?” Ken knew he didn’t need to explain what he meant.
“No. They’re loyal to our pack. Neither of them has any desire to be Pack Alpha. They’ve said as much in the past. They’re happy being the lead Enforcers in their regions. Every Enforcer who’s a Prime has been talked to about that in the past.”
“Peyton didn’t want any competition?”
“Like Dad, Peyton didn’t want resentment to build. That’s what’s so goddamned pointless about Endquist. Had he simply been a team player, Duncan would have given him a stake and let him run a region on his own. But Endquist didn’t want to put in the work. Peyton’s made a point of talking to every Prime in person since last year and told them if they ever want to be in charge of a pack, he’ll be happy to set them up, but there’s no room for petty territorial bullshit when lives are at stake.”
