Page 39 of Chaos Claimed

Santiago studied him. “You know it’s hard to pull one over on me.” He wagged a finger at Diablo. “I can tell from your expression you’re lying your ass off.”

“Stop analyzing me,” Diablo snapped. “That’s creepy. Leave my microexpressions alone.”

“Just promise me one thing. Don’t go out there by yourself,” Santiago urged, concerned the wolf might. “You need someone watching your back.”

“Yeah, because that went so well last time.” He smirked. “We lasted what, ten minutes before we were surrounded?”

Santiago chuckled, then a thought struck him. “You remember those biting flies?”

Diablo nodded. “They bit the hell out of me.” He frowned. “Flies are usually drawn to something decaying.”

While not always the case, something in that abandoned factory was attracting them. Santiago was already uneasy about Diablo going out there, and now he detested the idea. “Something’s off,” he said. “Do us all a favor and let Matias take care of this.”

Diablo appeared lost in thought, his brow furrowed as he absentmindedly chewed the side of his lip.

The intercom crackled as it paged some doctor just as an elderly couple shuffled into the elevator, the doors closing with a gentle thud behind them.

“If I go, I swear to you I’ll take someone with me,” Diablo said.

The words did little to ease Santiago’s growing unease, but he knew any attempt to stop Diablo would be pointless “Swear on your parents,” Santiago insisted.

Diablo’s jaw tightened, just as he’d anticipated.

“Fine,” Diablo conceded, his voice edged with defiance. “I swear on my parents I’ll take someone with me.”

“Backup,” Santiago clarified, his tone leaving no room for interpretation.

“Who else would I take, the girl I saw on my way up here passing out magazines to patients?” Diablo frowned, his eyebrows knitting together in frustration. “You really have so little faith in me?”

Ordinarily, Santiago held unwavering confidence in his pack. However, Tito’s betrayal had sown seeds of doubt, and a man desperate for answers might be willing to take dangerous steps.

“I need a favor,” Macey was on the mend. She mentioned she didn’t remember the attack, but Santiago was curious if that was just for Percy’s benefit or if she genuinely had no memory.

If Jacob was spotted with hyenas, Santiago was eager to find out if Jacob had been alone when he’d attacked Macey.

Heck, she might know something without realizing it, but Santiago couldn’t talk with her while Percy was around.

His mate would have a fit. Right now Percy was in protective mode, and Santiago couldn’t blame him.

Diablo looked at him in disbelief. “A favor?”

He’d just turned the guy down when he asked for help, and now Santiago wanted something from him. If Diablo had asked him for anything else, Santiago would’ve done it, no problem.

He wasn’t stepping foot near that warehouse again.

“I need you to come up with a reason to get Percy out of the room for at least ten minutes.” He glared at Diablo. “Make sure you keep an eye on him at all times and don’t leave the hospital grounds.”

Diablo chuckled, a mischievous glint dancing in his eyes. “Oh, I got this.” He strode confidently toward Macey’s door, his footsteps echoing lightly on the polished linoleum floor. With a swift motion, he opened it and leaned casually against the frame. “Yo, squirt. I was in the gift shop and saw these crazy-ass glitter pens.”

Percy appeared at the door in seconds, eyes wide with curiosity. “Just how crazy are we talking?”

Diablo grinned, flashing a mischievous smile that revealed a row of gleaming white teeth. “You'll just have to come with me and see for yourself.”

Santiago realized his mistake too late. Percy took a step back, looking around until his eyes settled on Santiago, his hand gripping the door tightly.

“Diablo, back off,” Santiago said slowly, his voice steady but firm.

With a curse, Diablo quickly retreated. “I swear, all I wanted was to go to the gift shop, Percy. I’ve got nothing but mad respect for you.”

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