“At first, yes, but after last night, I think there’s a lot more at stake here than finding those responsible for the death of my parents.”
Tears shimmered in Miss Emma’s eyes. I started to move toward her, but she lifted her hand again, stopping me. “No, no. I’m fine. It’s just…you don’t know how long I’ve wished for someone strong enough to come and help this pack.”
“What’s happening?”
She took a shaky breath, releasing it slowly. “Darrell and his—” she paused, as if searching for a word.
“Shitheads?” Lachlan supplied.
I growled at him under my breath, but Emma laughed a little.
“That’s the best word to describe them,” she stated, her voice quavering. “They keep this pack under their thumb.”
“How so?” I asked.
She picked up a glass, poured tea into it, and handed it to me. Then she repeated the gesture for Lach and herself. Finally, she answered, “They take our money. Our things.” She sipped her tea before whispering, “Even our daughters.”
My body went rigid. “Are you saying…”
She nodded. “If one of the younger she-wolves catches the eye of Darrell or his men, well, she either goes along with what they want or they make an example out of her.”
“Are they killing pack females?” I asked, my voice vibrating with rage.
“No, though I worry that’s the next step. They will beat them until they agree. Or threaten to go after their mothers and sisters.”
“And the mated females?” Lachlan interjected.
Miss Emma shook her head. “They haven’t messed with the mated females yet, but I know it’s coming. Things are going to get much worse before they get better.”
“No, they’re not,” I stated. “Because I’m going to put a stop to this bullshit as soon as possible.” I studied her for a moment. “What about Carter?”
Emma shook her head. “He doesn’t do the…things his father and his cronies do, but he’s weak. There’s no way he can wrest control of the pack from his daddy and he knows it.”
“What about Chloe’s parents?” Lachlan asked. “Do you know what happened to them?”
A change came over Miss Emma’s face, one that caught my attention and held it. It was agony, but also guilt.
“Miss Emma?” My voice shook. I wanted to believe it was from sadness rather than fear, but I was lying to myself. Her expression made me afraid. Very afraid.
She cleared her throat before taking a sip of tea. “That’s long done,” she murmured.
“Not that long,” I argued. “Why didn’t you tell me what you knew before Darrell became the leader of the pack?”
Her eyes shimmered with tears once again. “Trina was still living at home two years ago, Chloe. Darrell knew he couldn’t trust me not to go straight to you or your grandmother. He made it very clear that he could get to her at any time. He also explained, in great d-detail, what he would do to her when he did.” Miss Emma stuttered over that single word, betraying how afraid she’d been for her youngest child.
As much as it angered me, I also understood. Miss Emma had to protect her daughter. From what she’d told me of Darrell just moments ago, I couldn’t blame her for doing whatever it took to keep the leader of the pack away from Trina.
“Can you tell us what happened now?” Lachlan prodded.
Though his tone was light and gentle, the hand he’d curved over my shoulder gripped me so tightly I knew I would bruise. Without thinking, I laid my hand on this knee and squeezed lightly. The muscles in his thigh grew hard as a rock before they gradually relaxed beneath my touch. His hold on my shoulder eased as well.
Miss Emma nodded. I knew Trina was off at school, over a thousand miles away, a distance that was likely intended to protect her from Darrell.
“If you promise me that you’ll stop him before he hurts anyone else,” she muttered.
“You know I will.”
She took a deep breath and began. “Your parents weren’t killed by rogues. They weren’t even killed with the claws and fangs of the wolves that betrayed them,” she explained. “That coward shot them in cold blood.”
