Page 7 of Broken Wolf

He knew better than to ask questions and instead just took the folder and opened it. His eyebrows shot up. “Private racetrack and driving course?”

I nodded. “We can add a circle one for fun even if it’s going to cost a fuck ton to level and pave, but—too many people are too interested in anywhere we try to do the training with the pack. We have the instructor I’m fucking paying on the side who’s working with the supe FBI trainees, but then I can’t train the pack or our supes there without getting flak—I’m over it.”

“You always cut through the shit,” Noah praised with a chuckle.

“It’s not like we don’t have the money to fucking do it,” I drawled. “Screw it. I’ll talk to the council too. You could get a ton more people to be trained and sent out on assignments to help vamps or coven security for smaller ones like Vlad used to do but with their blessing. Not his backhanded shit.”

“Yeah, but that’s a way for them to have their noses in here too,” he worried.

“Not all of them. Just our friends which I don’t care about. Apollo could audit our fucking books and I don’t care.” I kissed his cheek and stepped outside to make the call.

“Apollo is indisposed,” Enzo answered.

“How come I always get you when he is?” I asked, trying to curb what else I might say.

“It’s standard for us to cover each other’s phones,” he explained. “I leave mine with two other councilmen if there is something immediate and pressing that I cannot allow interruptions for. Nor risk my right hand to be involved in playing middleman for. You just don’t call me as often as Apollo.”

“Fair enough. Smart.”

“What can I help you with, Seraphine?” he asked when I didn’t say more.

I winced. And he would take it as helping me. “I’m calling off the record and not asking for help. We would just ignore the situation.” I let out a slow breath and leaned against the building, meeting Emilio’s worried gaze. “There’s something fishy that came up, and I thought I’d pass it along in case you guys wanted to do some sneaky, sneaky checking it out.”

“But not officially report anything and make waves,” he surmised. “Yes, you are a cautious one and hesitant to point the finger. For as much as people like to criticize you, that is always what people praise even if not your fan.”

“Some bells you can’t unring, and even if I’m powerful and a big boss now, I’m too new to go around pointing fingers and ringing bells with much confidence.” I told him what I knew which wasn’t much.

“I’m not sure I’ve even heard of Lansing, Michigan,” Enzo muttered. That made sense. Especially someone thousands of years old from France.

“I don’t think it’s even a hundred thousand people. It’s like Rockford to Chicago, but to Detroit, Michigan.”

“Yes, I know Detroit. That master is a problem now and again,” he grumbled.

I nodded. “Laila said the same. He wanted pomp and circumstance to do the business association and then didn’t even have a damn business for his coven.”

“And what does your sirened say?” he asked, his tone amused.

“Honestly? Noah doesn’t want to piss you guys off or give some of the ones itching to come at me a reason to stick their nose in Chicago. But he just turns them down flat, and he’s going to look bad and whispers he can’t handle anyone transferring in, not saying it’s a hundred and a whole damn coven. So he might be fucked either way and a trap.”

“Yes, a city that small wouldn’t logically have a coven of a hundred,” he agreed. “Thank you for slipping us this information. I will investigate and let you know the result when I come see you to collect—”

“Don’t do that with me, Enzo,” I sighed, nodding when Emilio looked near panic. “We’re past those games and payment for things I shouldn’t be paying for, aren’t we?”

He was quiet a moment. “It’s in my nature.”

“Well, you’re not a scorpion and I’m not a damn turtle,” I snapped, clearing my throat when I practically felt the tension through the phone. “Right now is also not the time for us to have fun or even see each other. It’s not.”

“Are you going to tell me why?” His tone was tight and deadly.

“I thought our fun was over?” I asked instead, my tone confused.

“We’re still investigating the administration and swaying things our way. I thought we were still exploring as time allowed.”

I rolled my eyes and swallowed a sigh. Vampires really were too fucking greedy and turned everything to their benefit. “Well, we can discuss exploring other times when things aren’t so volatile here.”

He was quiet for several moments. “Something more happened with seeing your birth mother, didn’t it?” He sighed when I didn’t respond. “Off the record. I do not wish you harmed or to risk you. I think I have proven that.”

“I learned what my new power is from when I matured. It’s nothing bad, but Alena warned me that it’s another reason people will target me. Eva is coming to help work with me. But also—my birth mother wanted me dead, pushed for me to have an accident. Probably more than once from the way Zeno is behaving after speaking with her privately under a siren’s influence.”

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