This time, Peyton gripped his throat. “I declare you Targhee. And fair warning—if you betray us, I’ll be your worst enemy if I don’t kill you first.” He offered Hamish a hand up.
“I’m done running from the fight,” Hamish told him. “I now have fur in the game, and I suspect there’s a lot more behind the scenes that I don’t know. But will stand with you.”
Peyton nodded. “There is a lot more.”
On the drive to Dewi’s, Peyton rode in the front seat while Badger drove, and Aisling and Hamish sat in the backseat. That’s when Peyton caught Hamish up as much as he dared. Mostly the basics—Faegan had somehow located Tamsin, Maisie, and Rupert, and Faegan’s men murdered Maisie and Rupert. The suspicion that a person or persons unknown was helping him stay hidden.
That they suspected someone was capturing shifters for biomedical research.
That they might also have trouble brewing with relatives of the Mexican drug lord they’d taken out, but they didn’t know if those troubles intersected in some way with their other troubles, or if the timing was sheer coincidence.
Peyton felt Aisling’s intense gaze on him but she remained silent. She already knew almost as much as Peyton did, but not quite as much as Ken, regarding certain things. Even letting Ken know as much as he already had was a risky maneuver, being that Ken was human and Dewi’s mate. But Peyton wanted Ken, along with Aisling, in place as secret weapons in his stead to move and position other pieces on the board in case something happened to him and he was no longer around.
And Ken didn’t even know the full extent of the knowledge he now held, thanks to Peyton taking the precaution of using his Prime powers to silo that knowledge within his brother-in-law’s mind.
Peyton didn’t like doing that but, hopefully, it would never be needed.
If they were very damned lucky.
Aisling knew all of that, too. Peyton took the precaution of giving her the trigger word to use on Ken under certain parameters, which would help unlock the knowledge in Ken’s brain that Peyton had carefully hidden.
Not even Badger and Duncan knew that.
Dewi damned sure didn’t.
Badger glanced over at Peyton. “I’m not even sure which fire to point the bloody hose at first,” he groused.
None of what Peyton had just said was news to Badger.
Unfortunately, Peyton had further updates to reveal to the man only after they were alone at Dewi’s.
Grimly, Peyton nodded. “Some things will have to wait until after Gillian has the baby. I will not miss my first child’s birth.”
Badger snorted. “Like as not she’d rip yer throat out if ye did.”
“Exactly.” Not to mention his guilt would eat him alive.
Peyton also hated to admit that, had he known then what he knew now, he likely wouldn’t have agreed to have a baby at this time. A baby was one more vulnerability for him.
When they arrived at the house, Peyton held back with Aisling while Badger took Hamish inside.
Peyton held out his hand, his meaning clear.
As always, Aisling looked like she had to gird herself for the contact before finally reaching out and letting him touch her so he could speak to her silently.
“I trust all of our people. And yes, I have verified they are trustworthy with my Prime powers. But I meant what I said—if you ever discover any of our people, and I don’t care who they are, working with the others, eliminate them immediately. Even if they’re a mate or offspring. You have full authority to take blood, and I will protect you. If for some reason I’m not around, Trevor knows, and it is locked inside Ken as well.”
Sighing, she nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Dewi will not like me bringing you in like this, but please don’t take her reaction personally. I can’t even blame pregnancy hormones because she’d respond like that even if she wasn’t pregnant. But when the introduction happens, no matter what I say to her, what I’ve told you still applies: you ultimately answer only to me. And she needs to believe what we tell her. Should something happen to me and you find out before Ken does, you need to activate him immediately.”
“This is some Manchurian Candidate shite.”
“I know, but it can’t be helped.”
“And if she’s head of the expanded Pack Council, why aren’t ye loopin’ her in?”
“Because you have the experience and contacts she doesn’t. She’s about to become a mom. And I need her focused on events here, not in Europe.”
