When I get back into the garage, Dad has backed his truck insideand closed the door. The stranger’s face is now inches from the end of the tailgate.
“And this is where Valor gets his unhinged from.” I sigh as the engine cuts off.
Walking behind the guy in the chair, I roll it back out of the way, leaving it still on a corner of the tarp.
“Damn, I missed him,” Dad grumbles. “Well, hurry up and get into it then. I don’t have all day. Your mother wants to go antiquing.”
“No, she wants to tortureyouby taking you to antique stores because you said her potatoes were a little bland last night.” I correct him before setting my tools on the tailgate and scaling up alongside them.
“She’s not that upset over one comment.” Dad furrows his brow. “Is she?”
“Yeah. How is it in forty years of marriage you haven’t figured that out yet?” I turn to look at him, cocking my head, but Dad stays his stony self, and I turn back to the safe.
Silly alpha.My wolf giggles.
“I’ve never seen that safe before,” the guy stammers.
It takes only a couple minutes to set up the safe-cracking software and hook up the mechanical spinner on the safe door itself. All the while, Dad tries to press the guy strapped to the chair for more information about what’s in the safe.
Within five minutes, the safe is open, Dad knows no new information, and I’m packing up my equipment.
“Well, that was easy,” Dad huffs, and I hear that very distinctive gurgle of blood like someone’s throat was just slit.
I clench my eyes shut but take a quick peek to find dark red pooling on the floor under the chair.
At least he didn’t get tortured for something so stupid. Not that bleeding out is a short process.I pinch the bridge of my nose and step back. It’s not like there isn’t a time to torture people for information, and maybe the guy was a bad person, but this seems a little too... trivial for that sort of bloodshed.
I look at the contents of the safe. It’s stuffed with cash, guns, and files of paper. I reach for one of the folders. “What is this?”
“Don’t touch it!” Dad barks, and I snap my hand back. “It’sevidence we’ll be planting on a competitor.” His words become calmer and more well-mannered.
“Oh.” I take a healthy step back from the safe. “Well, alright then. Did you need anything else?”
“I don’t have anything for you. I won’t make you deal with this.” Dad gestures to the chair with a bloody screwdriver.
My stomach lurches under the hefty realization that he slit a guy’s throat with the same screwdriver he uses to fix practically everything.
I close the door to the garage and rest my weight against it. The bag of equipment in my hands feels like the anchor holding me to the floor.
You have no problem killing rabbits but other prey?My wolf sighs.
I let him have more space in my brain, and he helps ease the discomfort of my stomach.
I’m halfway down the stairs when a flurry of text messages hits my phone.
Valor:
Can you text me the dumbed-down version of what happened while I was gone?
Easy enough.He was only gone for a week, and sure, our whole world changed, but the events are pretty straightforward.
Valor:
Why didn’t you catch that Antonella was a D’Medici?
Rude much?I hate that not catching a single personnel file — in an elementary school full of staff — makes me look incompetent, but it’s not like he caught it either.
Valor:
