CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
I lifted a fist covered in dried blood and banged on the door. “I know you can hear me!”
My teeth ground together in anger. Rune had planned this and hadn’t told me.
I pounded on the door again and jumped from foot to foot to release energy.
The front door finally swung open to Poppy’s house.
Alaric stood in the doorway in just his boxer briefs, scratching his chest, and yawning. “I wondered when you would show up.”
I barged inside, pushing against his solid frame. I grabbed the door and slammed it shut behind me, my eyes swinging to his. I growled, “Do you know where Rune is right now?”
He tilted his wrist and glanced down at his bracelet. “By now? He should be in processing for lock-up.”
I threw my hands in the air. “What the hell happened tonight?”
“Is there a certain place you want me to start?”
“The beginning.” I snarled.
He scratched at his chest again and rested his shoulder against the front door. “In the beginning, God created—”
I kicked him squarely in the shin. “Don’t mess with me right now.”
His mouth curved up. “You’re protective of him already. That’s excellent.”
A sharp finger point. “I’m about to lose it.”
He sighed heavily, and began, “After Rune had met you at the bar, he had the CA dig a file up on you. Since you enlisted in the CA recently, they had it readily on hand. Rune had Wolfe hack into your father’s bracelet immediately. Your father’s been watching you and bugging your apartment. While Rune was over there, he got rid of the bug. He knew it would tip off your father—especially because your father received a picture of the two of you together.
“We planned something a little different, but then Mr. Valentine kidnapped us and shot that plan to hell. So we went with the boxing idea, planting fake stats in the system. Again, Rune knew this would tip your father off even more. Since we were watching his transmissions, we knew his plans tonight.”
I gradually shut my mouth, my thoughts swirling with all this information. “Why didn’t he tell me?”
“Because he wanted you to act natural tonight.” His head cocked. “Did you?”
“Um…yes.” A blush formed on my cheeks, heating my skin. I had been thoroughly frightened for Rune. “I still don’t understand why he would let himself get arrested.”
“Three reasons there.” He yawned while eyeing my flushed cheeks. “One: Your father has recently come up on our radar. He’s starting to snoop around shifters. We wanted him to see, and believe, we could be taken down easily—and tell his associates that. Nothing out of the ordinary. And, two: We wanted to know who the CA soldiers were on his payroll. And last, three: Rune will be released in the morning, no charges filed. We want your father to see that although we may be physically normal, we have power—and tell his associates that. The corporate heads aren’t to be fucked with in the judicial system.”
I swallowed, my eyes wide. “You planned this to perfection.”
Alaric smirked. “Runereallywants to take that bastard down.”
My brows lifted. “So what’s his actual strategy now?”
He chewed on the inside of his lip, hesitating and eyeing me. “I’m not supposed to tell you.”
“Alaric!”
“What? He wants to tell you.” He shrugged. “He’s very pleased with himself.”
“He came up with this all on his own?” I blinked in amazement.
“That would be correct. He just needed the leg work done by Wolfe.”
“Goddamn,” I breathed. “How did he manage that?”
