My plan to have a calm and relaxed conversation with June fell apart as I spiraled into a pit of sadness and despair. The rest of the drive went by in relative silence, with only the music on the radio filling in the quiet. At one point, I lost track of myself and put my hand over hers where it rested on the gear shift, tracing her knuckles with my fingertip.
I was finally brought out of my reverie by the sound of June’s breathing. I glanced over to find her glancing from the road to my hand. Snapping out of my daze, I yanked my hand away.
“Shit,” I hissed. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have touched you. I apologize.”
“It’s…” She cleared her throat as she focused back on the road, a pink tinge creeping into her cheeks. “It’s okay. It… it felt good. That’s why I didn’t pull away. But don’t do it again. Okay?”
I nodded once, that old sadness welling up within me again. “Yeah. Sure. Got it.”
When we arrived at the Meyers house a little before six, June approached the door first.
“I managed to get the guy’s phone number,” June explained as she rang the doorbell. “I let him know we wanted to come by and talk. I figured that was better than showing up unannounced.”
“Good idea,” I said, stepping back a bit so June was in front. There was no reason for the guy to open the door to a hulking alpha. We weren’t here to intimidate.
The door opened, and the guy inside bore a strikingresemblance to Elmer Meyers. I had to blink a few times to be sure it wasn’t actually Elmer himself. The man was in his late sixties and had a deeply lined face.
“You that lady who called me?” he asked, his voice deep and scratchy.
“I am, yes,” June said. “You’re Keenan Meyers, correct? May we come inside?”
“No.” The man stared at her.
June fidgeted with the hem of her shirt and bit her lip as she glanced at me. Taking the lead, I stepped forward.
“Good evening, Mr. Meyers. My name is Leviathan Cross, and I’d like to?—”
“The goddamnedDemon Wolf?” The man said, taking a step back, eyes going wide. “You stay back. I don’t want no trouble.”
I gave him a predatory grin. If this man was anything like his grandfather, he’d be hard-pressed to give us anything we need without a little persuasion. If people had turned me into some legendary monster, why not play that up?
“Listen, Keenan,” I said, my voice low and menacing. “We aren’t here to cause any trouble, unless…” I narrowed my eyes and put one foot on the threshold to ensure he couldn’t slam the door shut. “You actuallydowant trouble?”
Kennan was already shaking his head before I’d finished talking. “No. No, man. No trouble. What do you need?”
“Thank you for your willingness to help,” I said, and behind me, June tried to muffle a laugh. “All we’re looking for is something that belonged to your grandfather, Elmer Meyers. Do you have anything like that?”
Keenan swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing visibly, then licked his lips. “If I get you something, will you leave me alone?”
“Depends on how fast we get what we came for, Keenan,” I said. “Clock’s ticking.”
The man nodded, eyes still wide with fear. “Hang on, I’ll be right back.” He tried to close the door, but my boot was in the way.
“Nah, leave it open,” I said. “We’ll wait.”
Without another word, the man hurried away.
“You came on a little strong,” June whispered, but her lips were twitching, and there was a gleam in her eye.
“I’m a monster,” I said with a shrug. “At least, that guy thinks so. They say you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, but you know what?”
“What?”
“Flies also really like shit, and sometimes that works too.” I winked at her.
This time she wasn’t able to stifle the laugh. She managed to bring herself under control by the time Keenan’s returning footsteps echoed from inside the house. He appeared with a battered shoebox that looked like it was being held together with duct tape and hope.
“This is all that’s left,” he said, holding the box out with shaking hands. “What do you want?”
