Page 97 of Ruthless Moon

“Was any of it truthful? Any of it at all?” I move closer to Liam’s strong solid chest before making eye contact with Dave again. Then I go tense as words register in my mind that hadn’t yet.The files are encrypted?Fuck.

“Every word of it, Imogen. You are my daughter. Finn and Lucas are my sons. Celia was my fated mate and Oliver killed her. I couldn’t act directly against Oliver without putting you in danger.” Uncle Dave scrubs his hands through his hair. “It doesn’t make any of it right. I can never make right what was done to you, Imogen, but I do want you to know that you are safe in my home should you ever need it.”

My heart is racing and I feel sick. But I play it off. I reach for my familiar armor, my boss-bitch facade, and I let my gaze trail back to my brother and ask him another question like the sky isn’t falling.But the sky is falling. And we need to get the fuck out of here.“You just want the business, don’t you?”

Lucas shrugs and gives a half frown. “I don’t care about being an alpha. Dave can have it. I just want what the old bastard built.”

“Gen?” Liam whispers into my ear. He can feel all my tension. Probably halfway taste my anger. He knows I know something.

“Liam, we gotta go now!” Bast is shouting in the lobby. “Liam!”

Liam’s hand tightens around mine. “We’re leaving.”

“Gen, wait,” Lucas snarls.

I look back at my brother with my best take-no-shit face. “Good luck taking the business from dear old dad since he’s still alive.”

Liam tugs my arm and I run beside him out of the inn. We follow Bast across the parking lot to the truck. Liam puts me inside and I move to the middle seat so he can climb up next to me. Bast has the truck running and pulling out of the parking lot in less than five seconds.

“What’s going on?” Liam asks.

“Fire at Dave’s. His whole side of the mountain is in flames.” He points out the window and I see the orange glow in the night sky. “We don’t know what started it, but we need to get back to our side of the river and out of this town.”

Liam puts a hand on my leg and squeezes reassuringly. “Gen, would you like to explain to me that last fucking fabulous jab at your brother? How do you know your father is alive?”

I don’t smile at the compliment. But it makes me feel good to know that maybe a little of my kick-ass-take-no-names attitude can be used for my own benefit without hurting innocents. “The only way those files get encrypted is through a remote control on his phone. And if MatthewisMIA, he’s with my father—with Oliver.”

Bast shakes his head. “We saw the house explode, Gen. There were witches or warlocks or whatever. The whole house went off like a bomb.”

“He’s got a safe room in his office.” The words come out like a whisper.

“We went through the rubble. He wasn’t there.”

“It drops deep into the mountain. I’ve seen the blueprints. There are multiple escape tunnels.”

“Fuck. Wait. You’re saying he’sprobablyalive. That he survived that crazy explosion.” Bast breathes out a slow loud dramatic breath.

I shake my head and swallow down the bile in my throat. “I’m saying heisalive. And the fire at Dave’s is only the beginning.”

Liam leans into my shoulder. “And whatever comes next, we’re going to do it together, Gen. Always.”

I kiss his cheek and nod my agreement.

Then Liam leans forward between the two bucket seats and points to the right. “Take the long way around in case either of them has people trailing us. We can’t lead anyone back to the court.”

Bast takes the turn, and we drive back and forth along the river for ten miles before circling back to the small road that leads to the forest of ash trees—back to Banfield Court.

The packs in this valley are going to war for real now, and I’m finally on the right side. I snuggle into Liam’s side and breathe in his grounding scent. I look down at the beautiful tattoos wrapped around our wrists. They represent my commitment to him and his to me.

Fate and family forever. No matter what.

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