“But you can’t.”
“No, I can’t. Not until I find out where he is. My uncle is a bastard who doesn’t like to lose, so I can’t see him turning himself in and accepting the consequences for his actions.”
“What about his son? Did Josiah leave him in charge? Would he know?”
Running his hand through his hair in aggravation, Jackson replied, “Kahn? Maybe…but according to Zane, my cousin lives in San Francisco and makes his living as an artist. I already had Zane check Kahn out and he hasn’t lived in the pack since around the time Jimmy found you on the side of the road.”
“How close is Kahn to his father? Would he help him flee the High Council?”
Sighing, Jackson tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair, trying to figure out how to answer Dylon’s question. “I’m not sure. Kahn and I were close growing up but when he went East to art school, we grew apart. What I do know is his silence about the massacre. Was he involved? Did he know what Josiah was planning? I don’t know. I’d like to think the boy I knew growing up wasn’t involved, but that may be wishful thinking on my part. What were your impressions of my cousin?”
“Don’t have any. Never met or saw him. My only dealings were with Rudy and the other enforcers.”
Jackson’s eyes widened. “Never? What about when they were hunting me and my brothers?”
“I don’t know what went on before I was hired, but he was never in any of the groups assigned to search for you guys.”
“I wonder why not…after all, he’s in line to become the next Alpha.”
“Maybe…but I always got the impression Rudy was going to be the next one. Don’t ask me why… he never said so in words…it was more the way he acted.”
Jackson snorted. “I’d bet my bottom dollar that was never going to happen.”
Shrugging, Dylon said, “Considering everything I now know about Josiah, I would have to agree. However, Rudy’s knowledge about the massacre does give him an edge.”
“You mean blackmail? But that’s a two-edged sword. According to Zane, Rudy is the only enforcer left who was there when it happened so Josiah can play that card against him. I think it’s more a case of détente.”
“On the surface, I’d agree but from my experience there is no honor among thieves. While Rudy plays the game of being loyal to your uncle, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up becoming a witness for the prosecution in order to save his own hide.”
Tapping his desk, Jackson mulled over Dylon’s point, finally coming to the same conclusion. Then, smiling mischievously, he said, “So, how about we help Rudy along that path?”
“Whaddya have in mind?”
~/~/~/~/~
Putting the finishing touches on the cookies he’d made; Theo plated them before arranging them on the morning tea tray he prepared for Mrs. Beasley and her charges. Smiling to himself, he pictured the day when his and pooh bear’s cubs would be begging him for cookies. That day couldn’t come soon enough as far as he was concerned, but whether his pooh bear felt that way still worried him. Even though his fiancé had agreed in Scotland to have children, Fionn’s outburst about Norm’s acquiescing to Theo’s every desire still resonated in his mind.
“Hey, why the frown?” Cody asked, standing in the kitchen’s doorway.
Jumping at the unexpected voice, Theo looked up at the man who saved him and his pooh bear, causing his mouth to morph into a smile. “It’s nothing. How are Galen and Eamon? Who found the treasure?”
Walking over to the kitchen island, Cody snagged a cookie before answering. “Well, it seems there’s a dispute as to who saw it first. Galen is claiming he was the one who figured out the last clue so it belongs to him, but Eamon claims it doesn’t matter because as every pirate knows the treasure belongs to the first one who actually finds it.”
“Oh, no…they aren’t fighting are they?”
Taking a bite of the cookie, Cody chewed it slowly, before responding. “Damn, Theo, these are freakin’ amazing.” Finishing the cookie, he brushed the crumbs off his shirt, before continuing. “As to the boys, Carson stepped in before they could come to blows, so I volunteered to see about their morning snack.”
Picking up the tray, Theo hefted it over his shoulder. “All ready…just finished decorating the cookies. You really like them?”
Taking the tray from him, Cody replied, “Love ’em and so will the boys. I can’t wait to see how Carson mediates cookie selection.”
Giggling, Theo followed him out of the kitchen. “He won’t have to because I made several of each.”
Glancing over his shoulder, Cody grinned. “Not a bad idea but let’s just hope one of the boys doesn’t decide they want both wolves instead of a wolf and a dragon.”
Stopping abruptly, Theo’s mouth opened and shut several times as the full impact of Cody’s words hit him. “Oh my gods, I never thought of that! Do you really think they might do that?”
Crossing the great room, Cody replied, “No idea but it’s a good probability…that’s what brothers do, at least that’s what happened with me and my brothers. We were always squabbling about who got what.”
