Page 25 of Revenge of the Blood Pack

Joining our team. What the fuck?“Another Enforcer?”

Max nods but doesn’t meet my gaze, and I realize there’s more going on here than I can figure out. Not that I’m going to say that and show them my hand. Instead, I tell them I’m going to go take a shower. Max is already in motion, packing and getting dressed, and it’s the first time it occurred to me that these two were asleep at seven at night.

Something is definitely off.

I grab a change of clothes then head into the bathroom. But when I’m stripping off my clothes, I realize I’m bandaged in a hell of a lot of places. My stomach. My arm. My leg. I start to unwind the bandages while flashes of what caused the injuries enter my mind. Claws. Teeth. The three assholes who had shifted into wolves trying to treat me like a chew toy. These injuries were bad. And now… they’re light pink scars. Scars that will eventually completely disappear.

Which is probably why the guys were asleep so early. Were they up during the night resetting my bones and cleaning me up? Helping me heal from injuries that should have taken a long time to heal? Actually, a lot longer than one night and a day.

Unless…

My knees are shaking. I collapse onto the bathroom floor, my breath coming in and out in a rush. Max had… he’d let mefeed on him. I remember it now so clearly, like a strange dream. He’d pressed my mouth to his throat. He’d tasted… rich and perfect and overwhelming, flooding my mouth with sensations that make every hair on my body stand on end just thinking about them.

And, was it… hot? Fuck, I think it was.

That’s not good. None of this is good. Max seeing me injured and weak is not at all what I need. I need him to see me as strong and untouchable. I need our relationship, filled with lies and secrets, to remain superficial. A professional relationship and nothing more. But this complicates things.

Then, I clench my hands. No, it doesn’t matter. I’ve been through worse than some awkwardness. I’m not here to make friends, form relationships, or give two shits about any of the Enforcers, I’m here to save what’s left my pack, no matter what it costs me.

And now I have another lead to one of my pack members.

It’s time to shower, dress, and be ready for the next challenge. Because if I’m going to keep up my lies to Max and this new Enforcer, Braxton, I’m going to need to have my wits about me.

Because once the bodies start falling, I can’t have anyone looking my way.

EIGHT

Max

I’m staring at the bathroom door feeling so upset that I don’t know what to do. Suddenly, I feel something brush my hand, and I look down to see Trouble. He tries to push a green cloth into my hand, but I take a step away, confused by what he’s trying to do.

“He’s trying to comfort you with his favorite blankie.” Braxton sounds amused.

What?“I don’t need to be comforted.”

Braxton chuckles. “You sure? Because Trouble is rarely wrong.”

I don’t even know what to say to that. Then, my phone rings, and I glance between the bathroom door, where Asha is still showering, and my brother. I give him a look, and he salutes me as if to say he's got it. That he'll be keeping an eye out for her, and so, I answer my phone as I slip outside. "Hello."

"We're going to send another car if yours is still having issues. This lead is too damn important to lose over car trouble." He doesn't introduce himself. He doesn't have to. Carl is my direct supervisor. Someone I would almost call a friend after all our time together.Almost. Except for the fact that if push cameto shove, he'd let me burn if it saved his own ass, because that's just how the Enforcers are. Still, I like him well enough. Even when he's irritated with me, like he is now.

"No worries with the other car, we got ours running," I lie. Car trouble was the only thing I could come up with to explain why we hadn't immediately taken off after our latest lead. Even though before Asha I never lied to Carl. I didn't want to think too much about why I'm sticking my neck out on the line for her.

"Fuck." Carl sounds relieved. "Good. Now, just get your ass in that car."

"Yes, sir!" But before he can hang up, I keep talking. "Any new information?"

"Unfortunately, yes." He sounds grim. "This new scheme by the Blood Mages is different from the others. Less pointless blood and gore and more clever criminal."

Huh?That hasn't been the case with past reports. Honestly, the Blood Mages’ behaviors seem like the actions of creatures who can't control their powers rather than carefully planned out criminal activity. Almost like if we had a supernatural who exploded when they got mad. They kill, destroy things, and generally create havoc, but there never seems to be a rhyme or reason as to why. Which almost makes me feel sorry for them. Actually, it does a little.

Not that my feelings on the matter are important.

"What's changed?"

Carl sighs. "Blood Mages, apparently, have the ability to 'mark' their victims with a symbol. If the mark isn't removed, the victim dies. So, one of them has been marking wealthy people in Fairmore, having them drain their accounts, taking the money, and then doing it all over again."

I stand a little taller.This, we can work with. Greed. Desperation. These are the kinds of criminals that makesense to me."So, we could have video footage of the culprit? Descriptions?"

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