Page 2 of The Alpha's Mystery

To his credit, the guy’s lip twitches as he holds back a laugh. I’m not sure whether that’s for my sister’s sake or because he’s got some broken ribs behind that stiff stance. Leah pales but tries to stay light-hearted and laughs off my rant with a wave of her hand.

“Chase, stop it. You’re being paranoid. Stay for dinner. We’ll get you a room, you can hang out for a while, get to know everyone, and see for yourself.”

Oh, I’ll be hanging out for a while. In fact, I have a feeling I’ll be out-staying my welcome.

Glancing at the two men who’ve attached themselves to my sisters, I let my fury shine through. Let them see who they’re fucking with. Nobody puts my family in danger and gets away with it. I am going to find evidence that these guys are dirty and prove to Hayley and Leah that they’re better off alone.

“Fine. But I’m not staying in this place, nice and all as it is. I’ve got a room in town.” Their relief is short-lived. “And, I’ll be sticking around until I work out what you two keep lying to me about.”

No way am I staying here. I’d have to sleep with one eye open. If these guys are criminals, they’re going to try to get rid of me one way or another before I get to the bottom of what they’re up to.

Leah grins and rushes me, wrapping her arms around my waist and burying her face in my chest. “I missed you.”

Softening, I rub her on the back, giving her a big squeeze - all while maintaining a go-fuck-yourself expression for the benefit of her soon-to-be ex-husband.

As Leah drags me inside, determined to give me the tour, the three men close ranks, keen to have a chat as soon as I’m out of earshot. Except, they don’t know that incredible hearing is one of my unusual talents, so I hear every word they say.

“What the hell are we going to do about him?” Rex mumbles. “If we thought Leah was persistent, imagine what a pain in the ass this guy is going to be. He won’t stop till he finds out.”

Rex doesn’t realise just how right he is. Smiling and happy for the first time in months at the thought of already being under their skin, I leave the men to their fretting.

They have a secret.

And the more panicked they are that I’ll find out what it is, the easier it’ll be to uncover.

CHAPTER 2

CHASE

In a way, I’m almost enjoying sitting back and listening to the endless lies my sisters spout at me, trying to explain their seemingly endless strings of bad fortune. They don’t know that I can feel their lies.

Hayley makes lunch, rambling on about her ex, James, and how he was the source of most of her problems. We’re drinking hot tea around a large oak dining table in the communal kitchen. I’ve done my recon, found drawings of this place registered online and have been grilling my mother about the unusual living situation my sisters have adopted.

It’s nicer than I expected.

I pictured some kind of dark mafia stronghold hidden in the wilderness. Instead, the decor is cosy and the atmosphere welcoming.

Except for my sisters, who are tense and formal. Leah sits ramrod straight in the chair opposite me. That’s a first. She’s definitely hiding something.

Hayley’s waffling continues. Her ex was just a bad guy. Nothing more to it than that. She should have told me about it, but she didn’t want me to worry. Maybe he sent someone after her who set the fire, she supposes. I nod along to that one, because from what I can tell after pouring over the police reports and interview transcripts, this started back when she was living in the city.

James seems to have been a few spanners short of a full set.

It’s when she met Cooper Jones at the scene of a car accident that it all seems to have gone off the rails.

I catch myself drumming my fingers on the table and stop myself, not wanting to give away my impatience.

“Explain to me again about the fire. Why is the sheriff not investigating this further? In a small town with no crime, surely, he has nothing better to do. Is he dirty or just lazy?”

In a town like Grey Ridge, this has to have been a massive deal. Why are they not pulling out all the stops to solve this crime? The only answer I can come up with is that they already know who did it, and either can’t pin it on the culprit, or they don’t want to.

“Marcus definitely wasn’t in on it. He almost died trying to get everyone out. If he hadn’t gone in, Sam would never have gotten out…” Hayley’s horrified reaction is genuine and when her lip wobbles, I reach out to grip her hand.

“Okay, okay. But then he knows who did it.”

My statement is met by deafening silence. Leah fidgets and avoids looking at Hayley so studiously that I know they both have information they’re not sharing. Pushing my chair back from the table, I stand and clasp my hands, rubbing them together. I’m really starting to enjoy myself. “I think I might pay the sheriff a visit while I’m in town.”

Hayley and Leah both jump to their feet, sharing a panicked look. “No!” they blurt out in unison, eyes wide. Leah’s hand grips Hayley’s forearm, and she spins to face her.

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