“Can you tell them I’m going to be late, Chris?” Jayna asked.
The blond guy gave her a nod and a wave as he and the rest of Jayna’s pack left.
“Okay, back to McDonald,” Becker said. “He’s from a filthy rich family, but he seems to have made most of his fortune on his own. He’s a board-certified surgical doctor and has made a name for himself in the field of organ transplant. He’s played a major role in the creation of half a dozen new transplant techniques and drugs that have saved thousands of lives. He’s on the board of a buttload of research firms, mostly related to transplant drugs and artificial organ development. He also mentors younger doctors, and he’s on the committee for a bewildering number of transplant organ procurement organizations, both at the state and federal levels.”
“Shit, the man sounds like a damn saint,” Alex muttered. “How does he have the time to do all that and his job on the city council too? Why the hell would he bother?”
Becker couldn’t answer that question, though he pointed out that the man almost certainly had political aspirations far beyond the local level. “He already has an organization in place to start planning for mayoral and gubernatorial offices.”
“It’s hard to believe a man like him is involved in kidnapping and murder,” Remy commented. “Not to mention drugs.”
“So, how the hell are all these things connected?” Brooks asked.
Everyone was quiet as they considered that. Finally, Max spoke.
“Do you think maybe they’re using the girls as test subjects for new versions of fireball? Like human guinea pigs?”
“Dude,” Remy said sharply.
He jerked his head in Lacey’s direction, but it was too late. She already had the visual, and there was no way she could forget it now.
“Sorry, Lacey,” Max mumbled, a flush creeping into his handsome face.
Lacey could only nod. She prayed he was wrong.
Alex reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. “Max was just thinking out loud. I’ll call the ME in a little while to see if there was any heroin in Nicole Arend’s blood workup. That should tell us if we’re onto something.”
Lacey listened with trembling hands as Alex and his SWAT teammates bounced from topic to topic, in some cases faster than she could follow. One second they were scouring the different properties McDonald owned, the next they were looking for a connection between the councilman and the doctor who’d written the birth-control prescriptions.
“Keep an eye out for the guy I smelled at the body dump and the research facility,” Alex said. “A man with connections to both drugs and dogfighting can’t be that hard to find in McDonald’s world.”
Lacey was just thinking she really didn’t want to hear any more, when Jayna caught her eye and jerked her head toward the kitchen. She slipped out as the guys continued batting different ideas around. She wanted to help, but she had no idea what she could add to the discussion, and some of the stuff they were talking about—like using Kelsey and the other girls for drug testing—scared the hell out of her.
Telling Alex she’d be right back, Lacey followed Jayna into the kitchen. Jayna took two mugs out of the cabinet and filled them, then handed one to Lacey.
“Here. It looks like you could use this,” Jayna said with a small smile.
Lacey took the mug and nodded. “Thanks.”
Jayna opened the fridge and came out with a carton of creamer, then took the top off a plain white canister filled with yellow packets of sweetener.
“It’s going to be okay,” she told Lacey. “They’ll find your sister.”
Lacey didn’t say anything as she added sweetener and creamer to her coffee.
“How’s everything working out between you and Alex?” Jayna asked as she poured creamer into her own coffee.
Lacey winced. “Is there anyone associated with the SWAT pack who doesn’t know how badly I handled the situation with finding out Alex is a werewolf?”
Jayna gave her a small smile. “Not really. A pack is like a family—only closer. There aren’t any secrets.”
“Wonderful,” she said with a groan. “I felt stupid before. Now I feel even worse.”
“Don’t worry about what any of us think. This is about you and Alex. You’ll get it straightened out. It’s just a matter of time.” Jayna sipped her coffee. “Besides, it’s not like either of you guys have a whole lot of say in the matter.”
Lacey frowned over the rim of her mug. “What do you mean?”
“I thought Everly told you, but I guess not.” Jayna sighed and set down her mug. “Have you had the crazy sensation since walking away from Alex that you were making the dumbest mistake of your life? Or felt sick when you think about not being with him?”
