Page 123 of Her Wolf

Neo shook his head, spraying Lars and Milo with droplets of water. “I don’t know! He never said—”

Milo kicked him in the kidneys.

“He’s gonna piss blood for a week,” Kane remarked idly, his words tainted with cigarette smoke.

“C-can I have one?” Ana asked, pointed at his cigarette with a trembling hand.

“Sure thing, beautiful,” Kane said around his smoke as he fumbled in his pocket. He lit one for the woman, and held it out for her to take.

She closed her eyes, dragging hard, and then swiped at a tear with her thumb. “Thanks,” she whispered.

“He must have told you something,” Lars said cheerily, again bending down like he was addressing a pre-schooler. “I know it’s hard for someone like you to think, Neo, but do try. It might just save your fucking life.”

“Doubt it,” Milo said as he laid another brutal kick to the man’s kidneys.

“Fuck you!”

“That all you got?” Lars wore a wide smile now, but it was too frigid to be true. “Fuck you. Fuck you. Even your father was more original than that.”

Neo spat in Lars’s face, and received a boot heel in his groin from Milo. Lars straightened, wiping spittle from his face with a sleeve. He happened to glance up at Kane, and they held eye contact for a few seconds before Lars looked away.

The man obviously hadn’t remembered anything of their encounter. Not the weed, not the rohypnol he’d slipped him, not their kiss.

Kane finished his smoke, flicked it away, and went down the porch steps. Bailey stood a few feet behind Lars, and he looked up at Kane’s approach. Then he held out an arm, as if to stop Kane from interfering.

“You know Zachary’s going to find out about this, right?” Kane said, raising his voice over the crunch of Milo’s fist connecting with Neo’s jaw. “How you ratted him out to a DEA agent?”

Muzzy, bloodshot eyes peered up at him. Blood trickled from Neo’s mouth and nose, but he was thankfully still conscious.

“Wha’?” Neo said, the word muffled as if Milo had knocked a few teeth loose.

Fuck, he probably had.

Kane rummaged in his suit and drew out his DEA badge. Milo had given it back to him in the car—an act of generosity he’d found strange but hadn’t questioned.

Perhaps the man had already known they wouldn’t find Eleodora here. Perhaps he realized it would only be a few hours until he and his entire crew were down at the police station, answering some very tough questions about their level of involvement with the ECV cartel. It might have been his way of racking up a few brownie points before the hammer fell on what would no doubt be a lengthy sentence.

Neo mouth gaped as he tried to focus on the badge, and then he drew back like it was a crucifix and, he, a demon.

“I didn’t say anything,” Neo spat. “Nothing!”

“You really think that’s how Zachary’s going to see this?” Kane stepped closer, and Bailey dropped his arm to allow him to pass. Even Lars stepped aside, grimacing as he wiped at his face.

Kane crouched in front of Neo, badge dangling absently from the hand draped over one knee.

“Because I think the fact that you’ve been given immunity in an ongoing investigation against the Plata o Plomo cartel is going to speak volumes about just how much of a snitch you are.”

Neo’s already pale face became bloodless. “I didn’t—you can’t—” But his words spluttered out when he realized Kane could.

And Kane would.

Cartel fucking scum.

He’d burn down a hospital if he knew a capo and his lieutenants were inside because when it came to filth like them, the ends always justified the means.

“So, one last time…” Kane leaned closer, the fingertips of his other hand pressing into the dirt so he could keep his balance. “What did Zachary plan to do with Eleodora?”

Neo’s eyes flashed wild, skipping over Kane’s face. His mouth worked hard for a few seconds. “I…I don’t know. But—” and then he flinched, as if already expecting another blow from Milo.

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