~/~/~/~/~
Zane’s hair was in danger of being pulled out in frustration. He was so close to finding the identity of the person who paid Pablo yet the name was elusive. Whoever it was had evasive capabilities found only on the dark web. Sighing, Zane sat back and closed his eyes. He did this whenever he met a stone wall in software design. Clearing his mind, he let his subconscious work on the problem and dozed off, only to be jolted awake when the door opened and Steel and Jackson walked in.
After rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he opened them again and saw them sitting on the couch he used for his naps. “Wow, you’re up and about. What about your condition? Are you sure you should be doing anything?” Then Zane frowned. “Has Colton cleared you to be walking around?”
Jackson laughed at his brother’s burst of comments. “It’s okay, and yes I’ve been cleared. So, tell me, little brother, did you stay up all night again?”
“Wait, before I answer your question, how about you answer mine. Are you sick?”
“I was, but Colton used his natural healing voodoo on me and now I’m cured.”
“And the pup? Is he all right?”
“Yes, he’s fine.”
“That’s great. And what’s his name?”
“Sorry, that’s still confidential.”
“Crap, I thought you might spill the beans seeing how relaxed you are.”
“Nope, the only thing I will say is wehavedecided on a name.”
“That’s okay. I wrote a program that will give me the name you decided on. It takes in all the variables and will give me the name I’ll use in our betting pool,” Zane said, smirking at Jackson and Steel.
Jackson smiled at his brother’s ingenuity. “We’ll see if your computer is right. Okay, what did you find on Pablo’s phone?”
“First, the number Pablo called went to a cell tower located near the Fox River and Silver Point Pack lands. I can’t give an exact location because the number is nolonger in service. Next the phone was bought at a supermarket in Northern Pass.”
“That’s where we saw our cousin Kahn,” Jackson said to Steel.
“Do you know who bought it?” Steel asked.
“No. They probably paid for it in cash.”
“Hmm, circumstantial evidence but not what I was hoping for,” Steel muttered, thinking how Zane’s information could be useful.
“I have more. I found the call records for the phone number Pablo called and I tracked the calls from that phone. Other than calls to Pablo, only three other numbers were called and all belong to different offshore banks. Searching the bank records I was able to track the wire transfers to Pablo’s account,” Zane said. “Once I identified the bank accounts used to pay Pablo I was able to find out who they belong to…three companies.”
Steel growled, “And who owns those companies?”
“That’s the 64,000 dollar question. Whoever they are, they have extensive knowledge of the dark web and the names are very well hidden; it’ll take time to find them. That’s what I was working on when you came in. I might have to write a small software program that will help me search for the owner. But before I do that, I was sorting through the possibilities of finding the owner without my program.”
“How long will it take to write the program…if you have to go that route?” Jackson asked.
“Not long.”
Steel stood and pulled Jackson to his feet. “Keep us informed and let me know if you need anything. In themeantime, Jackson owes me something,” he smirked, guiding his mate out of the room.
Chapter 30
Colton received many appreciative back slaps from his brothers as everyone gathered in the great room before dinner. Ian stayed by his side, telling his brothers how amazing it was to see a natural healer in action. Colton knew Ian was proud of him, but all he could think of was the secret he was keeping from his mate.
Everyone enjoyed the celebration feast Dakota had made but Colton was on edge. Throughout dinner, he plastered a smile on his face when Zane teased Jackson, and he laughed when Carson cracked jokes about being pregnant, but Colton knew his responses were phony; a secret was weighing heavily on his mind. It had to do with a talk he and Ian had earlier in the day after Jackson and Steel left them.
The exchange started out innocently enough but soon grew into what Colton felt would be his certain doom. Tonight, Ian would fuck and bite him to establish the mind link fated mates have. Ian’s request caught him by surprise because it appeared out of the blue. But in thinking back to the topic of conversation—the bond and connection between his brother and Steel—he should have seen it coming. But he hadn’t and now found himself between the proverbial rock and a hard place.
He knew Ian had sensed his tension and was probably blaming it on Colton’s inexperience as a bottom. But his mate was wrong. In college, he did both. While he preferred to be the top, there were a number of occasions on which he bottomed and enjoyed it. But his mate didn’t know that nor was he going to enlighten him about it.No…his unease came from the knowledge of the mind link he and his mate already shared—the one he’d been blocking and hiding.
