Page 9 of Lamb

The doubt had easily sunk into my mind and found a place to latch. I was betting on our friendship, partnership, and trust; something I myself had little understanding of.

Wolf’s expression darkened. The tightness of his brow, the tuck of his shoulders, and the death grip on his desk were firm in position. The intensity behind his gaze, however, had vanished. Instead, ghosts of cold winds ran through the room.

“You’re asking me to put the club at risk. The safety of every woman, child, and brother who walks these halls. You want to blindfold me to the danger right under our noses.”

“I don’twantto,” I corrected, holding my brother’s gaze as I shook my head. “But to make this work, I need you to act like absolutely nothing is going on. Like she isn’t here. Like she doesn’t exist.”

“But I know she exists. I know you have her.”

“But notwhereI have her, nor what I plan to do with her,” I countered. “If I tell you my plans, you’ll act in accordance to do the best for the club. The brothers will soon learn the truth, and it will only cause more harm. If confirmation gets back that she’s alive and that we have her, the first place they will come looking is here. And the first person they will target …” Lamb let the words fall in the air between them.

Wolf turned his head to the closed door, and to the person he had just left beyond them.

Anna.

“If they decide they’re going to use her as bait to draw Ash out”—Lamb tore Wolf’s gaze from the door, wild and defensive heat flashing through them—“we won’t have the power to stop them.”

Wolf’s jaw ticked, his tongue worried at his cheek, and his lips pressed together into a thin white line.

“I hate this,” Wolf snarled. “But you’re right. We barely got out of it alive last time, and that was because he let us walk. I’m not stupid enough to walk into a death trap. I risked the lives of my club members once to keep that girl alive. I won’t be doing it again.” Wolf looked me dead in the eyes, holding my body hostage with the overwhelming pressure he possessed. “No matter the cost.”

“The club stays out of it,” I confirmed. “They’ve given enough.”

Wolf nodded.

“I’ll do this alone.”

Wolf stood to his full height, his seven feet of Russian prowess domineering easily over my five-ten. “Don’t even think of making this a suicide mission!” His tone was tentative, but the fury building beneath it was anything but subtle.

“Not exactly.”

Wolf shook his head, a hand reaching to clasp my shoulder. The grip was painful. “She’s not worth it.”

My attempt at a shrug was smothered beneath Wolf’s grasp. “No, but giving up isn’t a choice either,” I spoke. “We could have left her out in the wild, and I’m sure someone would’ve picked her up eventually and delivered her on a silver platter to the highest bidder. But right now, there is a small window of opportunity.”

Suspicion raised Wolf’s brow as his voice dipped into a deep rumble. “To do what exactly?”

I smirked. “To solve all of our problems.”

Wolf scowled. “To cause a war?”

I smiled. “Ideally, I’d be stopping one.”

I saw color sink away from his face.

“Trust me,” I cut in, reaching to grasp the hand tightening on my shoulder. “We will win, Wolf. I’d bet my life on it.”

Wolf’s face fell. “That doesn’t comfort me.”

“How about a hug?”

“I will literally shoot you.” Shaking his head, Wolf’s hand fell from my grip. His longer hair brushed his cheeks as he settled back on the poor desk. “Is there anything you can tell me?” He sighed, his eyes burning holes into the floor.

I mulled over the questions. “There is something …” I rubbed the top of my finger under my chin, letting my eyes roam over the exhausted man. “But I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

Wolf grunted, his eyes rolling upward to glower at me. “I already hate it. What more could I hate?”

“I’m going to make Ash fall in love with me.”

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