Page 61 of Jesse
He muttered a curse under his breath, his jaw tightening. “Nothing. Either they knew where the blind spots were or they’re just that good.”
Without missing a beat, he stepped outside, the cold air rushing in as he made the call.
His voice was low and controlled as he spoke to Cooper, but I caught the sharp edge of frustration beneath it.
I stayed rooted to the spot, clutching the counter to steady myself.
Was this the same person who had planted the body in my truck? Was this a warning? A threat?
I caught snippets of Jesse’s conversation, his voice now more clipped and urgent.
When he hung up and turned back to me, his face was grim. “Cooper wants us at the pack house.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
The drive to the pack lands was silent. I glanced at Jesse’s hands on the wheel. His knuckles were white, his grip so tight I worried he might break his fingers.
“Jesse,” I said softly.
He didn’t look at me, but his grip loosened slightly, his thumb twitching against the wheel. “Yeah?”
The words caught in my throat, but I pushed past it. “I know it’s dangerous, but if anyone can protect me, it’s you.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said quietly, but there was something else in his voice, a vulnerability I hadn’t heard before. “Cooper questioned if I could handle this, but I told him no one else can protect you better than I can.”
His words settled in my chest, warm and steadying.
“Then we’ve got this,” I said, more firmly than I felt. “Together.”
Jesse opened the door to Cooper’s office, his posture tense, and I followed closely behind.
I hadn’t expected to find my brother here, but there Jackson was, standing in front of Cooper’s desk.
“Cooper called me,” he said, his tone brisk.
I folded my arms, frowning. “Why?”
Jackson glanced at his pack alpha before turning back to me. “Because this is getting too dangerous, Beck. We need to get you out of here.”
“Excuse me?” My voice came out sharper than I intended. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Jackson’s jaw clenched. “You’re the target now. That note makes it clear. This isn’t just some random attack anymore. It’s personal. Someone’s gunning for you, and by extension, the Silvercrest pack.”
Cooper remained silent, his gaze steady as Jackson continued. “I had a small hope that the body in your truck was a coincidence. A terrible one, sure, but random. Now? It’s obvious it’s not.”
“I said I’m not leaving,” I snapped. “Running back home isn’t going to solve anything.”
Jackson sighed heavily. “Do you even know what’s going on out there? Local law enforcement hasn’t found anything solid. The surveillance footage is still being restored, so we can’t trace who was near your truck before the body was dumped. The fingerprints they pulled from the truck are useless. No matches. And the timeline? All over the place. Whoever’s behind this knows how to cover their tracks.”
I hesitated, caught off guard by how much he seemed to know. “How do you?—”
“Because I asked.” Jackson’s tone softened just slightly. “Someone has to keep an eye on what’s happening. Beck, with no leads and no clear direction, this is too unpredictable. You need to be somewhere safe.”
“No.” I shook my head, my jaw tightening. “If anything, this proves I need to stay. If I’m the target, the last thing we want is to give them a chance to regroup or go after someone else.”
I glanced at Cooper, then Jesse. “I can’t risk letting this guy slip through the cracks.”
Jackson’s frown deepened. “Fine. But let me bring Preston back. He’s trained for this, Beck. He’ll know how to handle?—”
