“Don’t worry,” he tells me. “You and I both know that Jordan is a narcissist, and apparently, the same can be said about Harry. You are going to do well, Martin.”
I sigh. “I just don’t want to fuck this up.”
“You won’t,” he reassures me.
“What if things go wrong?”
“Then you still did all you could.” Rory looks at me, his expression surprisingly gentle. I wonder if this was how he used to look before everything happened, when he was still happy and hopeful. It strikes me once again how much was taken from him. “Okay, yes, things still can go wrong, awfully wrong, but you truly gave it your all. We all know you did. You went above and beyond to prove yourself to your alpha and luna, and they know it. So, even if things do go wrong, no one will hold it against you. It won’t be because of a mistake you made, but because of something none of us saw coming. You gave your best, Martin.”He pauses. “If it helps, I don’t think Jordan or Harry suspect anything. This is your show tonight, and you are the main actor.”
“I want to see that smug grin leave Jordan’s face… and Harry’s,” I say. “I hate them with a passion. And if I hate them, I don’t even want to know how you, Rose or Forest feel.” I straighten my back. “I guess I will try to enjoy the show.” I turn to Rory. “How do I look?”
“Good,” he says. “Like you are dressed for a formal event.”
“Exactly what Jordan wanted.”
“What’s your plan for tonight?” he asks.
“To play along,” I say. “Or rather to tag along. I am there to get intel. The less they notice me, the better.”
“Good thing Jordan loves to hear himself talk,” Rory mutters.
“For real. Jonah is the same, and Harry. They all share the same arrogance. I just hope I can manage to stand idly by, once again, even when I see these innocent girls suffer.”
“One more evening, Martin, one more evening. You are notwatchingthem suffer; you are there to actively help them. What you are doing will bring a change for them.”
“You are right.” I take a deep breath. “Time to end this.”
I made sure Harry’s cottage isn’t guarded tonight. On tonight’s schedule, there are only the elite warriors, and Forest gave them instructions to look the other way if something suspicious happens. With all that, it’s going to look like Harry and I are using a security gap in our guard schedule to our advantage. Other than that, I’ll trust his senses and his knowledge of the pack. He is not dumb, which is why he got away with all of this for so long.
On my note to Harry, I scribbled down a place I knew he would instantly connect the dots to. During my beta training,he sometimes brought me there to have me do some training; in general, it was to punch me around. I guess he always had a sadistic streak. He just covered it well. It’s funny how he looked down on Forest, yet seemed to like me. I am weaker than Forest and less resilient, but maybe I seemed to be much more obedient and likely the lesser risk.
I hate that that’s the image I gave off to the outside.
The rustling of some leaves startles me slightly, until my eyes pick up the frame of the middle-aged man. “Harry.”
Harry steps through the shadows, his expression a bit guarded as he looks around, but once he realizes it is just me and my car, he relaxes, that look on his face smug now. “Part of me was convinced this was a trap.”
“And the other part?” I ask.
“The other part knew you wouldn’t betray me. You were always like a son to me after all.”
I force a smile on my lips. “After all this, you still have faith in me? I honestly feel so relieved.”
“Well… it looks like you are playing 4D chess, aren’t you?” Harry chuckles. “Tonight is a special night at Jordan’s club. I figured it can’t be a coincidence that you are making it possible for me to be out on that specific date.”
A specific date. From what I heard, it’s a special evening he holds monthly for his regulars and most important customers. Part of me doesn’t even want to know what they are doing there, whereas the other part wants to getallthe intel.
“I might have been in contact with Jordan,” I say. “For a while now.”
Harry raises his brows. “I am impressed.”
“Well, I just tried to cover my bases here,” I explain. “I couldn’t risk Forest getting suspicious. I am sorry, Harry, I had to throw Donna under the bus.”
Harry laughs. “Like I care. You kept me out of it.”
“Of course I did,” I say, now feeling even luckier that Harry snuck away during the altercation with Donna, before Forest and Rose could question him as well. “You need to be patient for a little longer,” I add. “I am working on getting you out of there for good, in a way that no one will be onto you.”
“I figured Jordan wouldn’t leave me hanging,” he says. “And it’s good to know you are aware of your place. Don’t worry, I don’t mind waiting for a bit longer, but don’t make me wait too long.”
