“He tried to recruit me for his escort agency.” She made a grimace that contorted her heart-shapedface.
“Hisescortagency?”
“He said I wouldn’t have to sleep with anyone, just gatherinformation.”
I must not have blinked in a while, because my eyes started toprickle.
She kept backing away. “Was he killed?” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Wouldn’t surprise me if hewas.”
I couldn’t get my mouth to close or open. It just gaped like that striped bass Derek had beenogling.
“Anyway, leave me alone. I was serious about calling the cops.” When she reached the end of the street, she spun on her heels and took offrunning.
“Well, that was weird,” Sarah said after abeat.
A car honked so shrilly Ijumped.
“Chill out,dude!”
At first I thought Sarah was saying this to me, but she was staring daggers at the driver in the car behindhers.
She grabbed my arm to unglue me from the pavement. “Comeon.”
The driver honked twice more. Sarah flipped him thefinger.
Once inside the car, she drove out of the small street and pulled onto a delivery parking spot. “What the hell was thatabout?”
I told her everything. Every sordiddetail.
“Your cousin was a pimp who used girls to spy? Fuckin’ a. No wonder he’sdead.”
I realized then that perhaps it wasn’t the Sillin that had gotten him killed. Perhaps it was theespionage.
“What was he up to?” Sarahasked.
“I don’t know, but at least I understandwhyhe’s dead.” Or I assumed I’d come a little closer tounderstanding.
He must’ve spied on the wrongCreek.
“But what about the Sillin? How does that fit into the equation?” sheasked.
I squeezed my bare knees with my clammy hands. “Maybe it was a security measure. Maybe he needed some to give to the girls he hired.” I’d used my own stock onHeath.
“Why would he drug human girls withit?”
“No. He gave it to them to use on the customers.” The same way he’d told me to dose Heath’sdrink.
“So he was spying exclusively on the shiftercommunity?”
Sarah and I stared at each other a long moment. And then she whispered, “Fuck,” which pretty much summed up thesituation.
“Sarah, I think I need to talk to my Alpha. And I think you need to talk toJulian.”
32
Two cars,besides Liam’s black SUV, were parked in front of the sleek cabin: Matt’s Dodge silver sedan and a little blue BMW. I was sort of relieved Matt would be here. Even though I’d come to discuss a serious matter, a buffer waswelcomed.
As I got out of the Mini, I tugged on the hem of my white dress. “I’m sorry about the way tonight turned out,” I toldSarah.
