Opening it, his eyes scanned the first page, inhaling quietly as the scope of Cain’s criminal history became clear. Both his wife and Frank were right to be worried. Reaching the end, Maximus slowly closed the file, absently tapping it with his finger while deep in thought. Examining the situation from all sides, he came to the conclusion that the biggest danger Cain’s presence posed was to the pups and the mates who had no special powers. Protecting them would be a full-time job for the others, judging by Cain’s past behavior.
~/~/~/~/~
Frowning, Jackson set his phone down on his desk after ending his talk with Reeve Nicolet. He was no closer to an answer regarding the reparations owed to them than he was before his call. But his anger flared after hearing about the sorry state of the members of Josiah’s pack who’d suffered due to his uncle’s greed. They were victims just as much as his family, and that made his decision just that much harder.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” asked Steel, entering his mate’s study before shutting the door behind him.
“Who said anything was wrong?” Jackson asked with a forced smile.
Snorting, Steel headed over to Jackson, pulling him up into his arms. “Oh, I don’t know…maybe it’s your anger flooding our bond.”
“Oh shit, I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t be.” Scooping up his mate, Steel walked them over to the love seat, sitting down with Jackson still in his arms. “Now, tell me what has you so upset?”
“Josiah!” Jackson spat out.
“So what else is new?” Steel smirked.
“I just got off the phone with Nicolet and you know what he told me?” Not waiting for an answer, Jackson continued, “Josiah filled his home with tons of golden statues of himself along with other expensive stuff while his people were literally starving. What kind of Alpha does that shit? He also said all of the pack members, including the pups, were very thin and basically dressed in rags.”
“That doesn’t make sense. You told me Josiah’s pack was just as well off as your father’s.”
“They are…were. But when I told Nicolet that, he said there wasn’t any evidence they’d found so far. It appeared Josiah was using the pack’s funds to enrich himself.”
“Have they completed their investigation into the pack’s finances?” asked Steel.
“I don’t think so…at least Nicolet didn’t say he did, but from what I gathered, he doesn’t expect to find much more than what they have so far. I just don’t get it…if his pack was so poor, why didn’t he ask my father for help.”
“My guess is your father would have seen through Josiah’s bullshit. Remember, according to his application for help to Dire Enterprises, he needed the money to mine gold to buy food for his pack.”
“Fuck, that’s right. I’d forgotten that.”
“I’m sure your father had been in Josiah’s home…”
“And he would’ve seen the gold statues.”
“And I agree with Reeve’s initial hunch that the fucker spent most of the pack money on himself instead of making sure the members had food, shelter, and clothing.”
“I feel so sorry for them, especially for the pups,” Jackson sighed, his gaze shifting to the window, staring once again at the forest. “You know…when I filed the complaint with the High Council, my only goal was to get Josiah to back off and leave me and my brothers alone. I never even considered there would be any financial compensation.”
“That’s what this is all about, hmm?” asked Steel.
“Yeah…my brothers will look to me to take the lead and make a recommendation. But how can I put a price tag on what Josiah did to them? They each suffered in their own way and still are. I know I am. Even though I have you and Daniel, not a day goes by when I’m not reminded of what Josiah took from me. And what about Mom? She suffered the most and paid the highest price.”
“Babe, you’re right…no amount of money can ever make up for the family you lost, but maybe you should try looking at it through a different lens. Instead of being paid for you and your family’s suffering, maybe look for a way to remember your younger siblings so good can come out of this horrible tragedy.”
Jackson was taken aback. Turning to Steel, he said, “I never thought about it that way, but that’s something for the future. Right now, Nicolet wants an answer about what I want. And all I do know is I won’t add to their misery by demanding a payment from Silver Point that will cause future suffering to their pack, especially for something their greedy Alpha inflicted on them.”
“I never expected that you would. It’s one of the things I love about you,” Steel replied quietly. “But maybe thereisa way tohonor the memory of your younger siblings that could also serve as your response to Nicolet.”
“I don’t see how…he wants a number from me.”
“So…that doesn’t mean you have to give him one. I think he’s only pushing for it because it would settle this matter quickly, but just remember, it’s your decision as to what you’ll accept as a settlement…and there’s no law that says it has to be money.”
Chapter 9
After checking with each of the men guarding the safe house to make sure everything was in order, Heath headed down to the basement’s sound proof room. He looked around to make sure he was alone before entering and locking the door behind him. Slipping his phone from his pocket, he sat down heavily on one of the chairs before dialing Reeve’s number. He wasn’t looking forward to the discussion but it couldn’t be put off any longer. After his call connected, Heath skipped the formalities and asked, “Hey, you got a minute?”
