Page 45 of Fastlander Fealty

“So?”

“So Rook did that on his own. He messaged her relentlessly with no response to encourage that behavior. Like Hallie’s ex used to do. And Silver talked about the way you kissed her. I saw your text about how it meant something to you, and she said you kissed her in the bedroom and Owen, if you saw her face…” Her voice broke on the last part. She repeated in a whisper, “If you saw her face.”

Owen buried his face in his hands just to escape the turmoil wafting off Corey. She was making the entire singlewide trailer heavy.

“She isn’t mine.”

“Fine. Say that to yourself as much as you want. But she isn’t Rook’s either.”

“Yes, she is.”

“No. No she isn’t, Owen. I asked her the right questions and she answered truthfully in some place, and not truthfully in others. She does not belong to him. She hasn’t realized it yet, but she belongs to herself.” Corey chewed the corner of her lip and rested her hands on her hips. “You kissed her.”

“It was a mistake.”

Corey pursed her lips and offered him a sad smile. “Lie.”

Owen pointed angrily at the television, where they were replaying the cell-phone footage of the fight. This was the part where Silver was launching at him. “If she was mine, why did she attack me?”

“Because you were the most dangerous. Her animal goes for the biggest threat. I could feel it. You were going to kill Captain, and her lion slowed it, and bought everyone time to come to. And what happened when she touched you?”

Owen cracked his knuckles and didn’t want to answer.

“What happened?”

“Fuck, Corey, what do you want? You hated her the most. You trusted her the least, and now what? You’re her biggest fan? What do you want from me?”

“I want you to answer the question. What happened when she touched you in that fight?”

“She put my animal to sleep.”

Corey pointed to his chest. “Your burns look better. Mine still look like shit, but yours look better. Why?”

He shook his head, hating the way she waited for an explanation.

“Why, Owen?” she whispered.

“Because I kissed her.”

“If you don’t think that means something, you’re crazy.”

Owen squeezed his fists closed and refused to lift his gaze from the floor as Corey made her way to the door. She stopped before she left and turned to him. “When Hallie was on the run from her ex, I saw the fear. I felt it. I recognize it in Silver. I really don’t think she knows what she’s doing.” She turned to go, but hesitated. “Oh, and just so you know, she changed phones.”

With a frown, he lifted his gaze to Ace’s mate. “What?”

“Bash has been tracking what she’s doing for Lucia. Apparently, Silver got a burner phone and attached her tracking app to it, dropped it in one of the Fuller brother’s trucks. He left it in there. Rook is watching a Fuller bar-hop through downtown Laramie currently.”

“Where’s Silver then?”

Corey shrugged up one shoulder. “My guess? She’s running from Rook.”

Chills electrified the fine hairs on his body.

Corey let the door close behind her, but Owen lurched to his feet. “Corey!”

“Yeah?” she asked, peeking her head back in.

He swallowed hard. “Can Bash find her?”

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