Page 50 of Deadly Wolf Bite

“Good.” He doesn’t let me go or look away.

Not even when Franco starts talking again. “This is what happens to those who forget their place.”

His words make me flinch, but I don’t look away from Grey. I grip his wrists, hoping that means he’ll hold on to me too. It’s a connection I desperately need right now.

“Don’t forget this,” Franco warns in a booming voice. “Betray me, and this is how it will end. This meeting’s adjourned.”

He drops the mic, the thud echoing harshly. He’s speaking again, but the words don’t carry this far without the microphone.

Clothes rustle as people rise and begin to move. The hum of voices fills my ears.

“We’re leaving now,” Grey says to me. “Okay?”

“Okay,” I manage.

He finally releases my face and wraps his hand around mine, holding tight. “Stand up.”

I do as he says, glad for the instruction and even more relieved my body knows to obey. I’m not sure it would listen to me right now.

When I stand and turn for the aisle, I find Mia waiting for me there. Dom is gone. I don’t look for him.

“Come here,” Mia says, holding out her hand.

I grasp her hand with my free one and let her lead me down the center aisle steps. My heart thuds as we get closer to the ground level—to the dead man lying there—but Mia turns left halfway there and slips out a side door.

A few others with the same idea are just ahead of us in a dark hallway. No one speaks to us. I keep a tight hold of Mia’s hand with my left while still squeezing Grey’s hand with my right.

We descend a musty stairwell then push out into bright sunshine that’s jarring to my panicked senses. It’s too bright. Too warm. And entirely too cheerful for what I just witnessed.

My stomach rolls with nausea.

“Here.” Mia pulls me over to where Grey’s driver holds the car door open. Before I slip inside, she grabs me by the shoulders and turns me to face her. “Deep breaths. Count to ten. You’ll be fine.”

I nod, taking her word for it. Then I reluctantly release both their hands and climb into the car.

16

GREY

My wolf’s caught between wanting to drive Lexi as far as this car will take us and tearing chunks out of Franco until he’s nothing more than blood and bones beside Anthony’s body.

Mia must sense my dilemma because she grabs my arm the moment Lexi’s ducked inside the car.

“She’s the priority,” she says firmly. “Do you hear me?”

I don’t answer. Adrenaline and rage clog my throat. Vengeance and despair course through me like they’re strands of my DNA.

“Grey,” Mia snaps.

I scowl at her. “What?”

“Take her to my house. I’ll be there soon.”

“No.” She should go home where I can hold her. Where I can convince her not to run away screaming from this life—from me and everything I am.

“I can call the others,” she says. “We’ll debrief together so we can figure out what this means for us. And Lexi will do better with company right now.”

I sigh. She’s right. We need to get in front of this before my father can organize some kind of rash response. I’m not going to let this city get caught in a war. “Fine. But I need to make a stop first.”

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