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Bree danced on the spot. “My feet are freezing.”
So were Quinley’s, courtesy of the cold concrete—the icy temperature was seeping through the soles of her boots. “We’ll be gone from here soon, thankfully.”
Bree grimaced. “Do you think I have time to pee before Isaiah gets here?”
“I doubt he’ll arrive for another ten minutes or so,” Quinley predicted. “The shit weather slows traffic down. Go, it’s no biggie if he gets here before you’re back. We won’t mind waiting.”
The woman apparently didn’t need to be told twice, because she swiftly disappeared.
Watching her leave, Elle said, “Those bags have got to be heavy. She walks around with them effortlessly, like they’re lighter than air. There’s no lugging or heaving.”
“Mom hands,” said Quinley. “I swear, my mother used to easily carry armfuls of bags like they were empty.” It was one of the few clear memories she had of her mom. Most weren’t notable, just general things.
“I still can’t quite believe Bree is a mom,” Elle remarked, shaking her head. “It’s so cute how much she’s missed Aurora today.”
“I miss Luke being at home more often,” began Blair, “but it’s imperative he locates the Vercetti Pack for Isaiah’s sake. Those fuckers cannot be found soon enough.”
“Amen,” said Quinley, her cat in full agreement.
“I really do think someone’s helping them hide,” Elle commented. “Someone with influence, land, and power. Maybe anti-shifter extremists even.”
Quinley pointed at her. “I hadn’t considered it might be them, but yeah they’d totally help out any shifters who targeted the rest of our kind. Of course, they’ll also stab the Vercetti assholes in the back eventually.”
“Let’s hope we manage to find them before that happens,” said Blair. “Luke will sulk if he doesn’t get to have a personal hand in ending their lives and… Oh my God, I almost didn’t see you there.”
Tracking the Beta female’s gaze, Quinley noticed a tall, very good-looking blond slow to a halt several feet away as his eyes clashed with Blair’s. Definitely a shifter, going by his fluid walk and how he carried himself.
He was quite a specimen, and he sure dressed well. Tailored suit, long cashmere coat, shoes that looked to be Italian leather. The shopping bag he carried featured the logo of a very expensive designer store. The dude obviously had money.
Blair walked over to him, leaving the shelter. With all the noise, there was no way to hear what they started to talk about. His cool-blue gaze briefly flicked to where Quinley and Elle stood. And that gaze paused on the redhead, narrowing in… recognition?
Quinley looked at her, only then noticing that the female pallas cat had pinned her gaze on something straight ahead, her cheeks flushing. “Who’s that?”
Elle blinked. “What? Who?”
“Oh, are we playing the, I don’t know who he is game? I can go along with that, if you want.”
For long moments, Elle continued to stare straight ahead. But then she sighed at Quinley. “You don’t push,” she complained. “You’re supposed to push so it’ll be easier for me to get it all out.”
Stifling a smile, Quinley nudged her. “Elle, offload; you’ll feel better, I promise.”
Elle rolled her eyes. “All right, if you’re going to badger me about it.” She turned to fully face Quinley, probably so that the guy wouldn’t be able to read her lips or anything. “You know Enigma?”
“The shifter club?”
“Yes. That guy, Gabriel, co-owns it. He’s a silent partner.”
“Really?” Interesting. The club was not only exclusive to shifters, it was a place where they could go to… well, get laid. Like anywhere in the club, even on the dance floor.
“He’s also a childhood friend of Blair’s,” Elle continued. “They were part of the same pack until he went to live with his human uncle as a kid after his parents were killed. He lives as a human now. Enigma seems to be the only connection he has to the shifter world.”
“How do you know him?” Because it was obvious that they knew each other to some extent.
Elle poked her tongue into the inside of her cheek. “I met him at the club. We fucked, no exchange of names. But I knew who he was because I recognized his photo—it was passed around the pride back when Luke thought Gabriel might have been the person stalking Blair.”
“Someone stalked her?” What the fuck?
“Don’t worry, they’re very dead. Forget about that. Focus on me. I’m more important right now.”
