The man who’d placed his palm on Rodrigo’s arm earlier quirked a dark-blond eyebrow. “Maybe Lucy knows what her son is upto.”
Jeb made a deep keening sound that was more animal thanhuman.
Eric leaned his forearms on the table. “I interrogated Lucy again this morning, James. She said she didn’tknow.”
“Then why was she helping him in the first place?” someoneasked.
My uncle’s Adam’s apple jostled repeatedly in his unshaven throat, and his puffy eyes misted over as he shook his head from side toside.
Eric’s gaze glided over to me. “Everest told her”—he rubbed his bald head—“that Ness killed Heath but was trying to frame him forit.”
“He did what?” My claws came out so suddenly that I scraped the table, leaving curls of wood. No wonder my aunt hatedme.
Shh.Liam’s voice bounced around in myskull.
I dragged air that felt like fire into my lungs until my wolf relinquished her hold on me. Once I felt calmer, I said, “Someone had eyes on me at thewarehouse.”
“Lucy was monitoring you remotely,” Eric said. “Everest planted a cell phone on one of the shelves and linked it to hers. We recovered the phone inquestion.”
“SheclaimsEverest put it there, and I hope she isn’t lying. I hope no one else was involved in the con.” Liam leaned back into his chair. “I’m feeling merciful tonight, but my mercy will be off the table come morning. So if anyone has something to confess, I strongly suggest you do itnow.”
No onespoke.
I highly doubted anyone would come forward, but maybe Liam wasn’t seeking verbal responses . . . Maybe he was checking his pack’s body language, looking fortells.
After scrutinizing his men, Liam said, “Okaythen. . . ”
“Do we have any leads on Everest’s whereabouts?” Little J asked, his voice sounding almostsqueaky.
Liam’s gaze surfed over the heads of his pack members without ever settling, as though still on the lookout for a conspirator. “We do,” he said slowly without offering any furtherdetails.
“Can we join the search party?” Little Jasked.
Frank smoothed a hand over his thick white hair. “Your enthusiasm is commendable, Joseph, but Liam has everything undercontrol.”
“Oh, come on,Grandpa. . . ”
So Little J, i.e. Joseph, was Frank’s grandson? I felt a twinge more sympathy toward the boy, because like me, he’d lost his father. And I likedFrank.
“No, Joseph,” Frank said. “You’re tooyoung.”
Joseph crossed his freckled arms andpouted.
“The most important thing right now is that we stay united and alert. Open your own bottles and prepare your own food, and if anyone has trouble shifting, report to me immediately.” Liam squared his broad shoulders, pushed away from the table, and stood. “Thank you all forcoming.”
Chairs rolled back, and men rose, chattering in low tones. I didn’t get up. At least, not right away. Liam hadn’t mentioned the bike, nor his meeting with Aidan Michaels. I wondered if it was because he didn’t want to cause more alarm or because he thought there might be a mole in the pack. I glanced around me. Only August stared back, lips alternatively parting a little and pressing tightly, as though he wanted to saysomething.
A hand settled on my shoulder, kneaded it. “Are you ready?” Liamasked.
I craned my neck. “Ready? To go findEverest?”
Liam shook his head as he kept massaging my shoulder. “I’m taking you home.” I almost purred from how good his fingers felt against my knotted muscles. “I think you could use a full-bodyrubdown.”
I wasn’t a blusher, yet heat scalded my cheeks. I wished he hadn’t said that last bit quite as loud. He could’ve used his Alphalink—
It hit me then. Like earlier, he was making a statement, because he felt threatened by August. I sighed and let Liam make his statement, let him claim me. When I looked around the room, only Matt and Lucas remained. I rolled my chair back, clasped Liam’s fingers, androse.
On the way out of the room, I stopped next to Lucas. Setting my annoyance aside, I asked, “Did they call youback?”
