Page 24 of Knot in My Wildest Dreams: Part 2
“We’ll be fine. Just stay here, and wait for our call.” Sterling said, gripping her hand and giving it a squeeze.
“And you’ll be safe with Pack Valence? Are you sure they can protect you if your uncle gets suspicious?” Liam asked, his anxiety over leaving her here apparent. She scoffed at him.
“Their families rival my own. No one would dare touch them. I’m safe here.” She assured him, but I was still worried. We had to make this mission successful, if there was any chance of clearing Celeste's name and proving that her uncle was behind all the things that Harringday had done.
We headed out of the guesthouse and toward the car. I watched Pack Valence as they waited nearby. For some reason, I didn’t feel the need to tear them apart, even if they were guarding Celeste. They didn’t look at her like alphas normally did. Either way, I needed to make this right. Knowing that Celeste was going into heat soon around this pack made my nerves on fire.
“Let’s go.” Sterling said, and I got into his car while Liam took off on his own. We drove toward Celeste’s property until we were about halfway there. Then, Sterling pulled over and made the call to Gideon. I waited, listening to him talk to the man with such a normal tone, asking him to meet at Harringday to discussa new prospect. I was amazed at how easily he slipped into a bland, corporate voice, with no emotion.
He ended the call, and waited. “He should leave soon. Then, the countdown begins.” He said with only the slightest tension. Sterling stayed in that neutral, almost empty posture after the call, his shoulders loose, like he could disappear into his own stillness.
It grated on me - I couldn’t tell if he was playing me, Celeste, or himself.
“So…” I leaned back in the passenger seat, stretching my legs like we had all the time in the world. “What exactly is it you feel for her?”
He didn’t look at me right away. His gaze stayed on the horizon, the car’s AC the only sound between us.
“Why?” he asked finally, voice even.
“Because you’re her scent match,” I said flatly. “And you’ve been working for the man who’s been undermining her for years. You can see how that might make me suspicious.”
His hands tightened on the wheel. Finally, he looked at me, enough for me to catch the faintest spark of something human before his gaze slid away again. “I didn’t expect her. I didn’t expect anyone to match with me, to be honest. And when I scented her…” His jaw flexed. “It wrecked everything I knew.From that moment on, my only priority was, and still is, to protect her. Does that make you feel better?”
“Almost,” I said, letting my mouth twist into a half-grin.
“And why should I trust you?” He asked, turning toward me. “Your pack knew she was your scent match, and yet according to her you still wanted to turn her in. Take her position from her. Make her helpless.” He nearly growled as his eyes turned to steel. I was taken aback by his words. But, he had a point.
“You’re right. We fucked up.” I said, running a hand down my face. “We thought we knew what Harringday was doing, and all the proof showed that she was behind it. I don’t know if you are even aware of all the atrocities committed behind closed doors.” I said, thinking of Arkala. Sterling let out a rough laugh.
“I was probably the one behind some of them. To cover for Gideon.” He added, and looked ashamed.
“I know. None of us are innocent, it turns out.” I said, thinking of our plan at the Darlington Ball. “But we started to suspect she wasn’t the mastermind. The more we knew her, the more we doubted. But when we saw the paperwork, signed by her, and you…” I said, trailing off. “We have deep ties to some of the people harmed by Harringday. It’s very personal. We didn’t know.” I sighed, thinking about how complicated it all was.
“You had your sights set on taking her down, second only to her uncle.” Sterling added with an ironic laugh. “And fate assigned you to be her scent matches.” He let out a sigh.
“And I’m going to earn her forgiveness, no matter what.” I said, sitting up straight. “We were wrong. But we were never, ever going to let her get hurt. I’m putting my life on that.” I said, and Sterling watched me. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.
A buzz from his phone cut the moment short. He checked it, then shoved it into his jacket. “He’s leaving.” We drove quickly, the road narrowing until we pulled off into the shadow of a row of trees just shy of Celeste’s property line. The compound loomed beyond, and we watched her uncle’s car peel off.
Sterling got out, motioning for me to follow. “We go over the east wall. There’s a blind spot between the camera sweeps. You can’t be seen. I can at least have an explanation for why I’m here. You won’t.”
Sterling led the way through a narrow service corridor, pausing at a locked side door. He pulled out a key and opened it, and I followed him inside.
“You’re too quiet,” I murmured, scanning the hallway.
“That’s because you’re talking enough for both of us,” he said without looking back. This place was massive, and I marveled at the size of it, even though we’d been here once before for the contract signing. Sterling deftly moved down the halls, waiting to watch for anyone before having me follow.
“Here. This is his main office, but he has a smaller closet for safekeeping. I know there’s a safe, and I think with the code Celeste has that we might be able to get inside.”
The office was darker than I expected, with heavy drapes drawn against the sun. The air smelled faintly of expensive whiskey. Sterling crossed to the massive mahogany desk, running his fingers under the edge until he found a recessed button. A panel in the wall slid open, revealing a steel-faced safe.
“Tell me you remember the code,” I said, keeping my voice low.
“Yes,” Sterling replied, already spinning the dial. “Funny enough, after Celeste told us, I realized it was a combo of his birth month and day, his ego the size of a skyscraper.”
I watched him work, every turn of the dial crisp and deliberate. Finally, there was a mutedthunkand the door swung open.
Inside there were folders, ledgers, even hard drives. Sterling sorted through them softly, trying not to disturb anything. “Gideon can’t know anything is amiss. Otherwise, he’s likely to take things into his own hands.” He said as he sorted through the folders, checking them one by one.
