Devins entire face and neck reddened. At my level? Your dealings with the devil are getting out of hand.
Antonia wondered if she should get up from the table. The tension in the room had reached an all-time high as the two Alphas"two wolves"argued across the table with each other.
I can handle my f.u.c.king business just fine, Tristan replied then straightened his collar. Not in front of Connors woman. Well discuss this behind closed doors.
I will ki".
Here it is. Connor came back with the box. It was rather small, but was heavy to carry.
Courier, eh? Tristan lifted the box and turned it upside down. He pushed a few mechanisms, making up the latch click open then slid the bottom half off.
Inside was a stack of cash and some type of computer chip.
G.o.ds, Devin exclaimed.
Tristan picked up a stack and flipped through it revealing that they were all Benjamins. No one except for a member of Cobra would be trusted with this type of dough.
Im not a member, Antonia restated angrily.
But I bet your brother is.
How do you know this? Connor asked, grabbing the edges of the table.
Youre talking to the future advisor of the Boss who runs the network.
What the f.u.c.k? Devin exclaimed.
What network? Connor demanded.
Tristan and his family have connections to the mob in Serbia. Decades ago, they married into it, Devin replied.
All three men rose, but the only thing that rose in Antonia was her temperature and the tempo of her heart.
Connor pointed to the box. If there is any truth to this, all my reports lead to Cobra being responsible for the murders of dozens of our people.
The Capo that leads the Cobra crew went into hiding right around the time the bodies began showing up. So, its possible the group youre targeting takes orders from him. There have been rumors that said Capo has a vendetta against me.
So, hes targeting our kind because of you? Devin questioned him.
Possibly anybody with connection to me.
Then who does this leave for this Capo to take orders from? Connor asked.
Tristan slowly looked across the table to meet Connors gaze. Well, he isnt taking orders from me to kill my own kind. Youve been trained in this and are familiar with the way a mafia works, Connor, so think about it. There are only a few others he could have taken orders from. Im not a snitch, but I will clean up.
There are men at the local level and in the Feds that I can have move in to clean up. Connor pushed off the table and started to move away from it.
No, you dont want to go there for a mult.i.tude of reasons, Tristan warned.
Thats because he is part of this mafia, Devin hissed. He knows there will be a bloodbath in this country if you were to break this operation open. His money is tied to it.
In light of things, Connor has already exposed us to scrutiny, Tristan said. It helps that hes sniffed out a mate who was nearly inducted. Sometimes fate can be a real b.i.t.c.h.
Devin growled. Yeah, well, were f.u.c.king dying out here. How many have been killed on the account of your illegitimate f.u.c.king connection, huh? f.u.c.k this Order. You have a Pack to protect. Devin pounded his fist on the table and the utensils jolted up into the air. If you cant keep your ego in check and insist on crawling back to your mob like a stray dog in heat to keep your pockets fat, that b.i.t.c.h named fate will f.u.c.k you dry every time. When shes done, youll be so raw you wont be able to hold your own Pack together.
The collision of the two male bodies happened in a matter of seconds.
Antonia screamed.
Connors strong arm tugged her about the waist and then shoved her out into the main living area, away from the fight.
Out! Take this s.h.i.t outside, Connor hollered over the racket. f.u.c.k!
Her jaw dropped as she looked on in shock. Shed seen street fights before, but never had she seen two men as powerful as Devin and Tristan pound and wrestle each other on the ground.
Sparks flew in the air and she witnessed the Alphas in a mid-shift change. Before the change happened, they tumbled onto the porch and out into the front yard. In their wake, a trail of blood was left on the porch and on the steps leading outside.
Antonia swooned and almost fainted when she saw two wolves almost twice the size of Connors wolf collide once again. She had never felt so helpless in her life. She didnt know whether to call the cops or run for cover.
Connor tried to stop the fight. When he managed to get about a foot near them, he was thrown back across the ground where the back of his shirt ripped in half.
Connor, she cried out.
His hand shot up to stop her. Get inside and close the door. Then, Connor was no more as he shifted into his wolf form.
No matter how many fights and skirmishes shed been involved in during her lifetime at group homes and in the streets, she knew three wolves were no match for her. She needed a weapon to take them down if she had to. Her eyes scanned the porch until she caught sight of an ax. She grabbed the ax, hoping to G.o.d she didnt have to use it.
Suddenly, a pickup truck came to an abrupt stop on the other side of the ranch. A brown-skinned male with dreads rushed out of the car, a string of expletives coming from his mouth. He pulled a shotgun from the back of his waistband, holding it up into the air and firing off several rounds.
When the dust had settled, three b.l.o.o.d.y wolves panted in the center.
Oh my G.o.d! Antonia screamed, and before she could talk herself out of it, she ran to Connors wolf.
He shifted as soon as she reached him, and she landed on his lap. Baby, go back inside. I told you to keep away. He was panting and out of breath. His clothes were in shreds, hanging about him, and blood smears riddled his skin. None of the cuts were deep, but by the bruising, she could tell that his body had been battered pretty well from the fight.
What in the ever-loving f.u.c.k is going on? The brown-skinned man ran into the clearing, his dreads flying out behind him.
Our people are being murdered because of him, Devin shouted and pointed at Tristan.
I will fix this, but I won"t abandon the code, Tristan scowled. I was born into this. What would you have me do? Let my familys empire crumble to the ground?
It wont be long before the numbers begin to triple, Devin retorted.
I understand that. Trust me. This has become my top priority. No man threatens me without paying for it, as you should know, Tristan replied.
Both Rodney and Connor jumped between the Alphas when both of them charged again.
Enough, Connor said.
Whos in the truck? Devin asked.
Andrew Trudeau.
Antonia took off running toward the truck and swung the pa.s.senger door open. Andrew was sitting there with handcuffs around his wrists.
I was wondering when someone was coming to get me out of this hot a.s.s truck. What the f.u.c.k was going on out there? I know Im not crazy but I just saw fur and blood flying from that dust before it cleared.
She ignored his question and gave him hug. Im glad youre okay. Did anything happen to you? Did you get hurt?
Yeah, Im all right. I tried to run when they raided the bar, but apparently, Im not fast enough. I got pinched by the cops, he said. Rodney here says you had me bailed out. Whered you get the money? That s.h.i.t was pretty high.
Dont worry about it. Everythings going to be okay, she told him.
For you, maybe, and for the rest of them standing there looking at me like Im a fool. But Im the only one with my hands cuffed like Im a criminal.
Antonia turned to Rodney. Can you please un-cuff him?
For the record, you are a criminal. Rodney pulled the keys out of his back pocket and slipped them into the slot to unlock the cuffs. He tried to run. Twice, He told Connor. Once with my keys, and the second time he took off with my cell phone.
Yeah, apparently, people do that when you try to cuff them against their will, Connor said.
Once Andrew was un-cuffed, Antonia gave him another bear hug.
So, why are we standing here? Andrew asked. Can we go home?
Tristan stepped forward. No, Andrew. After today, you may never return to your life as it was. Youre connected now not only to my Order, but to the Pack through your sister.
Um, do I know you? Andrew asked.
Its okay, Andrew. You can drop the facade and stop pretending that you dont know me. Everyone here is family. Not of the Order, but of the Pack.
So, you know each other? Rodney asked.
Hes an a.s.sociate in my Order. He just got signed on with the wrong crew, Tristan replied.
Well, do you know Tristan? Antonia asked her brother.
Yeah. Andrew nodded. I know him. But I d.a.m.n sure didnt know he was a f.u.c.king animal. He blinked a few times and laughed nervously. Um, whatever drug you gave me, Rodney, whoever you are, that s.h.i.t was so not cool. Because I know what I saw.
They all exchanged glances.
Well, didnt I just see you all looking like animals? Andrew urged.
Its a little complicated. Antonia pressed her palm into Andrews back. Ill explain soon. What I dont knowI hope Connor may be able to share with you. She glanced at Connor with a hopeful expression.
He nodded. I will, but one of you needs to leave off of my property. Your tempers are still high. Connor pointed at Devin and Tristan. Im not gonna be responsible for the demise of an Alpha on my land.
Ill go, Tristan grumbled.
Devin stepped forward. No, Ill go. You stay. Besides Antonia, you are the only one Andrew knows. He might do well if you explain just what type of animal you are.
Tristan growled.
Connor cleared his throat loudly to warn the Alphas about his request.
Alpha, Rodney called out to Devin. My pickup is big enough to hold your bike. I can get you back to the Caedmon village.
Thank you. Id appreciate that. Devin nodded. And Connor, please accept my apologies for what just happened here.
Connor sighed. Accepted. I suppose sometimes we just need to hash it out like the animals we are, Alpha.
CHAPTER TWENTY.
So, are you f.u.c.king him? Andrew asked, standing beside her near the kitchen counter.
Antonia picked up a towel and swatted him with it.
Ow!
Antonia had been making drinks, and her brother had followed her into the kitchen after her leaving Tristan and Connor to look over all the reports.
Youre an a.s.s for asking that, and its none of your business, she said.
Well, youre grown now, sis, and I cant tell you what to do. Believe it or not, I want you to be happy, he said. But if he hurts you in any way, Ill break his back in half. I dont care if hes a wolf, lion, bear, or gorilla, I will put a bullet"
Andrew, enough, she said between clenched teeth. Hes actually a really nice man and treats me very well.
She dropped the last ice cube into the gla.s.s and studied her brother. For a moment, she could have been looking in a mirror. He sported the same narrow nose with a b.u.t.ton shape near the bottom. His eyelashes were dark, his eyebrows were thick, and in the center of the left one he had a slight imperfection caused from fight at a party. They had the same cocoa complexion.
I want us both to be happy, she said.
Remember when you used to tell me stories about princess weddings when we were really small? he asked.
She laughed. That was so long ago, but yeah, we were still in the shelter. You were afraid of the dark, so you snuck out of your bed to come sleep with me.
Yeah, and I was so bored with your wedding stories that it put me to sleep. I aint ever getting married if its that boring, he said.
Sure you will.
Well, all your dreams will finally come true.