Page 55 of Wolf

“His name is Maximus Rothwell,” Anna iterated just as I flipped to what I could only describe as evidence as she went on. “He’s a dirty politician in the House of Lords. He uses bribery and blackmail to get his way, using it to block or push through bills of his choosing. Building an empire on people’s money and disposing of anybody who gets inhisway.”

I saw the lists of money transfers and other photos of people that I could only assume were British politicians that I didn’t recognize. There were piles of lists, locations, and photographs of what I could see was the evidence that could bring this man down. But it wasn’t until I saw the very last page at the back that I realized that the other pieces of paper were just a prelude to the true blow that could put this man away for a verylongtime.

“Why...?”

“He’s the reason I left England,” Anna announced, her eyes softening as she looked down at the new, unblemished cover of the folder in my hands. “I had to run from him. I ran hard and I ran fast, and I neverlookedback.”

“Ash—?” I began, but Anna already knew what I was goingtoask.

“She ran with me. She had it the worst, and I don’t think it’s right for me to say any more than this until we find her, but I figured I should give you a heads up before everythinggoesdown.”

My fingers involuntarily clenched the file, crinkling the paper as I thought through Anna’s plan to lureoutAsh.

Anna just smirked at my reaction, not perturbed at all by any of this. In fact, she was oddly calm, almost mellow about everything. Anything we said or did just bounced right off her. Nothing was making her mad—other than my trying to bubble wrap her. If I had to describe the feeling she gave me, however, I would say it was like the calm before thestorm.

She reached forward toward my clenched fist, prying the folder out of my hands as she hopped off my desk, abandoning her shoes and walking toward the trash can. A lighter appeared in her hand, and I didn’t have to check my desk to know shetookmine.

She held the file over the desk and lit theflame.

“Anna—” I didn’t get any more out as the flame caught onto the bottom of the page, and in a second, it was burning up through the paper as she dropped it into the empty metal can, watching the flames consume the paper, turning its trove of gold information into nothing more than darkashes.

“I have a copy,” she said quietly, her blue eyes reflecting the golden glow of the flames as they began todieout.

She turned to me, and I looked up from the trash can to her. She seemed younger in the faint glow of the flames as she stood there, pint-sized and facing an enemy bigger than any we’ve ever come close to, and I could see the concern, the worry, and the fear etched intoherface.

“We’ve got to get to Ash,” she said to me, her eyes not leaving mine. “We’ve got to protect her from him. Nomatterwhat.”

I didn’t know what Ash’s connection to him was, or what happened, but I could hear the desperation in Anna’s voice, the slight tremor as dark thoughts ran through her head in the small seconds of silence before I got out of my chair and walkedtowardher.

I reached up to tuck a fallen piece of hair out of the way as I leaned down and pressed a soft, gentle kiss to her lips. “We will,” I promised. “We won’t let him get toher,okay?”

“Okay,” Anna whispered, pressing her head into my palm, her eyes shutting for just a moment. I breathed in the vulnerability and the strange possessive feeling of sick satisfaction that this situation, as fucked-up as it was, showed that she was able to rely on me, that she came to me in weakness. And no matter what, I couldn’t feel bad aboutlikingit.

“It’s really ugly,” Anna grumbled, and I fell out of my head as I saw she was back to looking at the wooden bookcase across the room. “You shouldn’t have punched a hole in theotherone.”

And whose faultwasthat?

I wanted to say it, but somehow, I just didn’t have theenergy.

Anna sighed, perking up as she circled around me, going to collect her boots before heading to the door, seconds before I realized why she was quicklyescaping.

I gave a loud cough, making her pause at the door, where she looked over her shoulder, feigning ignorance at myoutstretchedpalm.

“What?” shehuffed.

I just wagged my fingersather.

“Fine,” she growled, reaching back into her pocket before slipping her hand into mine, the expensive zippo lighter strictly meant to remain in my office appearing inmyhand.

“Fat bastard,” Anna growled, slamming the door on her way out, her fire, though not as explosive as usual, making a welcomeappearance.

That’s mybitch.

* * *

It wasthe day before Anna’s plan, and I couldn’t help the tension rippling throughmybody.

Probably because it was a stupid fucking plan. A stupid fucking plan that would no doubt work. The plan was perfectly tailored to draw out this Ash character, whoever she was, and I didn’t doubt Anna’s cunningness to pullitoff.

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