“And here I was, doing you a favor,” he grumbles.
Sabrina levels him with an unamused look. “For a reason, even if it was to gain a future favor to cash in.”
He shoots her a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re a quick study. I’ll admit, it doesn’t hurt to cast the net far and wide these days. Lord knows Maddox tested the limits of my influence to keep him out of prison, and even though he’s a part of Pack Hawthorne now, old habits die hard. I’m used to sweeping pack matters under the rug.”
Her voice is devoid of emotion as she contradicts, “Yet Maddox isn’t here. So everything you chose to involve yourself in tonight was with the full understanding that you were meddling with things that might blow up in your face.”
To Nathan’s credit, he nods in acknowledgement and sighs. “Maybe I just remember the old days. Back when people had morals, and female wolves were to be protected no matter their mate status. When they were accepted as people instead of possessions.”
Harsh silence follows his declaration before Reid of all people accuses, “It was pretty damn convenient, don’t you think? Men from your station, possibly under your command, attempting to make off with her when you just so happened to be rolling in to start your shift?” His scoff is heavy with derision as he finishes, “Almost like it was a step up to paint you in a good light so you could get into Sabrina’s good graces.”
“You done?” Nathan crosses his arms, shooting a look from Reid to Sabrina, and only getting more smug, as if he can sense the tension between them and feeds on it. “Throw barbs and accusations all you want, but the fact of the matter is that if it wasn’t for me, your girl would have been forced to run. By the looks of her, she could’ve managed a damn good jump start before your ungrateful jackasses ever even knew she was missing. So condemn me all you want, but maybe you should take a closer look at yourselves before you start hurling accusations. You allowed the perfect opportunity for someone to strike when you were in the same fucking building.” His eyes flash with rage before he adds, “Four men within shouting distance, and none of you were there when she needed you. You should be ashamed for even having to have a conversation with me when I shouldn’t have been able to get within twenty yards of her in the first place.”
Cinjin goes off on him, but I absorb each of his words like the offense they’re meant to be. He’s right. She was taken right from under our noses when we should have anticipated it, or at least had Terra at her side during negotiations with the police instead of mine.
We’re failing her left and right. Why the fuck she even marked us to begin with is beyond me; we sure as hell don’t deserve her.
“Because we’re a small station, idiot,” Nathan snaps. “Everyone in that building knows each other. Thatcher’s men could have made a case for being there on business from another station, but then they wouldn’t have been in our uniform.” He taps his breast pocket with the gold stitching of SRPD. “So that means at least one cop in there’s dirty. Making a scene would be fucking stupid. Better off letting whoever’s working with Andrei Thatcher think that they pulled it off for the time being until word gets back.” He pulls his phone out to check the time before starting towards the station. “So now that you’re all in the clear, I’ll make a mention of how pretty girls shouldn’t be running around alone at night and see who starts acting squirrely. I’ll weed out the rat and take great satisfaction in reminding him the value of ethics.”
“What's in it for you?”
Shooting me a glare over his shoulder, Nathan scoffs. “I couldn’t care less about you assholes, but I’m not about to let her get hurt out of some petty pissing contest between packs. And the little bit of time I’ve spent with her only confirms that she’s too good for you jackasses, so get your shit together already. Don’t make us regret taking sympathy on the Hawthorne kids, Slade. We kept you five alive for a reason, and it wasn’t because we thought you were pretty.”
With that ominous statement, he carries on up the steps into the station, leaving us all in uncomfortable silence and wondering if we’re even playing the same game that everyone else is.
Chapter 9
Cinjin
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Slouching on the kitchenisland beside Sabrina, exhausted as fuck, I steal a muffin off of the plate in front of us and push it her way. Head resting on my arm, I offer without looking up, “I got you a present. It’s edible, but may or may not be poisoned, so enjoy your Russian Roulette breakfast.”
Kaige huffs. “It’s not poisoned, you jackass.”
“It’s one hundred percent poisoned, I’m sure of it now, but smells like chocolate chip, so what a way to go,” I amend, jabbing my mate in the arm with it repeatedly while she’s dozing beside me.
