Page 14 of Jesse
I didn’t even try to hide my skepticism. “What makes you think you’re qualified for this?”
Before Jesse could answer, Cooper cut in. “Because I know he is. Jesse runs his own food truck in Pecan Pines. He knows the festival, knows how to blend in, and he’s one of my best. He’s perfect for this.”
I blinked. Jesse had a food truck? That bit of information made my brain stall for a moment.
“I’ll keep an eye on things,” Jesse said, his voice calm and measured. “Make sure you’re safe and watch for anything suspicious around the festival or your truck. We’ll work together to figure this out.”
He smiled then, an easy, confident smile that lit up his face, and there was that dimple, just like before.
It was annoyingly disarming. And suddenly, I knew exactly why it looked familiar.
“You!” I pointed at him, my voice rising with a mix of disbelief and irritation. “You’re the poacher!”
Jesse’s expression shifted, his smile freezing for a second before morphing into something that might have been sheepish, if not for the glint that lingered in his eyes.
“Poacher?” he repeated, his tone carefully neutral.
“Don’t play dumb,” I snapped. “You’re the one who tried to poach my customers yesterday. Talking trash about my food. Sound familiar?”
At least he had the decency to look a little guilty, his gaze flickering away for a second before meeting mine again.
Jackson’s eyes darted between us. “What the hell is going on here?”
I opened my mouth to explain, but then thought better of it.
Jackson already looked like he was barely tolerating me staying involved, and I wasn’t about to give him an excuse to change his mind.
“Nothing,” I said quickly, forcing a tight smile. “I just overheard him giving my food a bad review, that’s all. No big deal. We can work through it.”
Jackson didn’t look entirely convinced, but Cooper’s steady voice redirected the conversation.
“So the plan is Jesse will keep you safe while you can help keep an eye on other things,” Cooper said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Jackson sighed, clearly reluctant. “Fine. But if this gets too dangerous, Beck, I’m pulling you off. No arguments.”
I nodded, keeping my expression steady even though my wolf growled at the thought of being sidelined. “Understood.”
I didn’t trust Jesse. Not yet. But there was no denying he might be the edge I needed.
He knew this festival. He knew the pack. That made him useful, annoyingly so.
Trusting him, though? That was harder. The way he smiled, too easy and too sure, grated on me. But he’d stepped in for me when Jackson pushed back, and I couldn’t ignore that.
For now, I’d take the help, even if it came from someone I didn’t want to rely on.
Chapter 4
Jesse
Assuredthat Beck would remain at the pack house, I headed straight back to the festival grounds, the sinking feeling in my gut growing heavier with every mile.
The place wasn’t as lively now. A few food trucks were still open, but most people had either packed up early or drifted away after word spread of the ‘incident.’
You couldn’t keep shifters and humans from sensing something ugly in the air, even if they didn’t know the full truth.
I made a beeline for the security office, a squat little trailer parked near the festival’s main entrance. The lights were still on inside, buzzing faintly against the night.
When I knocked, the door swung open almost immediately.
