Page 30 of Hunted

“Will do.” He patted the side of the truck and headed back to his SUV, leaving Michelangela’s mind buzzing with unanswered questions.

Chapter 14

Mikey sat silently as they drove back up the mountain.

Hawk had compared her and Gunn to himself and his mate. What the hell had Gunn said to him about her, and when had he said it?

It didn’t make sense. Mates—true mates—did whatever they had to do, to be together. Gunn had walked away.

But he’d done it for his pack. Had he somehow become alpha after he’d left her? How had that happened? And why the hell hadn’t he at least told her?

And what would she have done if he had? He was right about one thing. Even if the Outlaw Ridge pack was on the side of the angels—kind of—how could she have gone to live at an unsanctioned black ops site, and not dragged her family into it?

Especially one run by some shadowy figure in the background, who could, it seemed, make Gunn do whatever he wanted.

“This work you claim to do,” she said. “Who’s funding it? Who picks the jobs? You said earlier that you’re not the one who ultimately makes the policy decisions, so who is?”

There was a short silence, and he deliberately kept his eyes on the road, not looking at her.

That was a bad sign.

Gunn said, “His name is Thanatos.”

The Greek god of death? He worked for a man who called himself after a death god? Mikey said, “Hit the brakes. Now!”

Gunn took one look at her face—and the knife that was now back in her hand—and hit the brakes.

She grabbed Gunn by the front of his shirt, pulled him around to face her, and said, “Are you seriously telling me you’re working for a guy you know only by the moniker of a death god? Who is he? What’s his agenda? How much power does he have? Is he really the decision-maker, or is he working for someone else?”

Silence.

She let go of him and flung herself back in her seat. “You don’t even know. Fuck on a stick, Gunn. I—” She broke off, shaking her head. “This is so messed up, I can’t even yell at you. I got nothin’.”

Gunn said, “Look, I know how it sounds. But he took me in when I was a teenager with nowhere to go. Brought me here; had me trained. I owe him.”

“And yet you claim you were going to leave, a year ago.”

“I was. For you.”

She ruthlessly shoved away the warmth that spread through her, hearing him say that. The hope.

Maybe it had been for her. Or maybe he’d just told himself that. Maybe he knew something wasn’t right with this Thanatos guy, and she was the excuse.

Either way, it hadn’t lasted. He’d come back.

She shook her head. “You are a fucking idiot. I can’t believe I’m even helping you.”

“Are you?” he asked. “Even now?”

“I’m helping Dobe,” she said finally. “Killing you still isn’t off the table.”

Gunn cautiously put the truck in gear again. She waved her hand at the road. “Fucking drive. I can always escape again later.”

As the road wound its way up the mountain, Mikey rolled down the window, breathing in the fresh air. It smelled good—wild and pristine and full of the scent of pines. Different from home, but in a lot of ways the same.

Her wolf whined inside her. She missed having a home territory, missed the companionship of other wolves.

I would like to run here, her wolf said.