Page 51 of Wolf Lost

Dez let himself fall back into the doorway, bracing his back against it. “Would you look at that? Meathead actually has a move that isn’t out of Frankenstein’s playbook.”

“You mean Frankenstein’s monster,” Sawyer corrected. “Not that I’ve read the book, but I doubt the actual doctor could have thrown a punch to save his own life.”

Dez flashed Sawyer his brightest smile. “So like I said.”

“You’re as bad as he is,” Mark growled, eyes flashing. “Everything’s a joke, even when you’re about to be killed.”

Dez turned the smile on him, though he was sure it dimmed a little when no longer aimed at Sawyer. “Sure. Didn’t Sawyer tell you?”

Sawyer scoffed, and then there was a tearing sound as he pulled his hands from behind his back. His wrists were bleeding from rope abrasions, and Dez decided he’d take that out of Mark in kind. “Like I’d tell him anything. Or like he’d listen to me even if I tried.”

The man was staring at Sawyer in surprise, so Dez decided to get the attention back on him. “We call it gallows humor,” he offered in his most patronizing tone. “Apparently it’s pretty common among green berets.”

Mark snapped his head around to look at Dez with narrowed eyes, but his gaze immediately fell back to the cane.

“Fuck me but you’ve got a one-track mind, don’t you? My eyes are up here, big boy.” Dez motioned up toward his face, and when the man looked up, Dez took a quick step forward on his good leg and slammed his cane down on the man’s foot hard enough that he could hear the crunch of bones breaking.

Once Mark pulled his foot off the floor, distracted and in pain, Dez tangled the cane between his legs and pulled, making him topple ungracefully to the floor. One more stride and he was standing over the guy, foot on his neck.

Mark didn’t need to know Dez was using the foot on his bad leg instead of the tip of his cane because he needed his weight off the leg. All that mattered to Mark was that Dez could crush his windpipe with one move.

Sawyer, who had finished untying himself from the chair, came over to join Dez. “Want me to tie him up?”

Dez smiled at him. “Would you, love?”

By the time they heard Gavin’s Range Rover pull up the drive, Mark was tied to the chair he’d had Sawyer on. As bulky as he was by comparison, he didn’t fit nearly as well, and it looked uncomfortable.

Also, Dez might have made sure the rope was tight enough to nearly cut off circulation. The man had put his hands on his packmate, his Sawyer. He was lucky Dez hadn’t “accidentally” slipped and broken his neck.

“Should we leave Gavin to handle him?” Sawyer asked, biting his lip. He wanted to be away from the man, and Dez couldn’t blame him.

He nodded, pulling the truck keys out of his pocket and tossing them to Sawyer. “You go ahead and wait in the truck. I’ll let Gavin know what’s up, and then we can go home.”

Sawyer looked dubious, but he nodded and left.

Dez turned back to Mark. He heard Gavin come in behind him, but didn’t acknowledge it. “I want you to listen to me real close, asshole. Sawyer is part of our pack now. He wants to be here. He belongs here.”

Mark opened his mouth to say something, but Dez brandished his cane like he was going to swing it.

“If Gavin here sees fit to let you leave unharmed”—behind Dez, Gavin snorted derisively—“the only way for you to remain that way is to stay the hell out of Kismet. You, your pack, and anyone else working for you. If I get so much as a hint that you’re trying to cause trouble for us, I’m not going after any people you send, I’m coming straight to Bakersfield. Straight for you. And this time I step down on your trachea.”

Mark’s gaze darted between Dez and Gavin over his shoulder, but after a moment, he inclined his head, quickly, once.

Dez turned to Gavin. “All yours, sir.”

Gavin nodded to him, but his eyes were on Mark. “Call Ash and get him to go home, will you? No reason he needs to see this.”

The scent of adrenaline-spiked fear drifted over them, and Dez nodded. One way or another, he was pretty sure they were never going to see Mark again.

29

Closing Time

Sawyer was waiting in the truck, buzzing with thwarted energy and concern. “Should we leave Gavin in there alone with him? I know, I know, he’s the alpha, but—”

Dez kissed him to cut him off, and when he pulled away, he nodded. “This is what Gavin does best. People tend to see things his way.” He reached for his pocket and then gave a small curse. “Dammit. We don’t have phones. He wanted me to send Ash off.”

“You guys act like Ash wasn’t a soldier too.”

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