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“This is a fake then?” Patting the blanket, a glimmer of relief lights inside me. He did all this to screw Lucia over and point the finger for all the other attacks squarely in her direction. Then why am I in this stupid dress?
“Oh no, this bomb is very real. And I wouldn’t lean on it if I were you.”
Slowly, I lift my hand and return it to my lap. It’s absurd to be sitting here in a glamorous gold dress, hair curled and make-up done, inches from a bomb and in the company of cold-hearted killers.
“Then why do you need me? She’ll know I’m not dead the second I set foot inside, and that can only mean you’re up to no good.”
Why would he tip his hand like that?
“I have her mate,” he says simply. “As soon as that money is sent, just when she thinks she’s home and dry, you’re going to show her that picture. You’re going to tell her that I expect her to come out here and pay me what I’m due. Before I let him go. I know all about her jet and her fake passports.” Leon grinds his teeth and stares at me with pitch black eyes. “Conniving bitch.”
Good old Leon. He knew she was planning to cut and run the entire time and prepared himself.
“Do you really think they’ll hand over the money that easily?”
Leon’s lips turn in a snarl, and his scarred face looks dark and ominous. “They better, or she’ll regret messing with me.” I forget to breathe for a moment until his terrifying aura eases and his fists unclench.
“I can’t go in there for obvious reasons.” Leon gestures to himself with a wry expression, like this is all one big joke to him. “I had planned to bring Carla for this part, using her sister to make sure she did as she was told, but you fell into my lap. And your company is much more enjoyable. Carla’s a bit… testy.”
“But her sister’s dead,” I whisper, unable to look into the eyes of this vile man. “Why would she have helped you?”
“Because she doesn’t know that.”
Dave has the grace to wince, but the other bear remains stoic, completely on board with his clan leader's twisted ways.
“So, I give Lucia to you, you get paid, then what?” It’s too straightforward. There has to be a piece of the puzzle that I’m still missing.
“Then I retire happily, disappearing off into the sunset.”
He’s definitely skipping over a step or two, but this isn’t the time to kill his buzz.
What about his clan? What about me?
“How, exactly, are you going to disappear into the sunset when every shifter in the entire region is going to know you helped Lucia? You’ll be a wanted man.”
Leon taps the side of the box. “Because how will anyone prove that Lucia and Toby didn’t do it all on their own? Other than you, and your ex-mate, who is now an ex-wolf, there’ll be nobody left to say otherwise.”
A tear rolls down my cheek at the idea that Ethan might really be gone, and I can’t tell because I severed our connection. Leon thinks he’s broken me, but my wolf is determined to make him pay somehow. “And why would I help you? You just killed my mate.”
“Because if you bring her to me, I’ll give you two minutes to get everyone out of there before this blows.”
Two minutes, for a building of this size. Even if I could get a mind link out to everyone the second I get through the door, there’ll be people caught on upper floors. Judging from Leon’s evil smile, he knows that all too well.
His smile drops and he points a thick finger in my face. “But if you try and fuck me over, the place will go up with you and everyone else inside. And trust me, I'll do it.”
Looking into his furious face, rage burning in his eyes at the idea that Lucia thought she could pull a fast one on him, I have no doubt he wouldn’t hesitate.
49
ETHAN
My head feels so heavy it might roll off. Fingers grip my damaged shoulder, shaking me awake, and I growl as the pain slices through my arm like a knife.
“Hold on, Ethan. Let me get you out of here.” Joseph’s muffled voice carries to me through the fog in my head. He presses his shoulder to my abdomen as he hauls me up onto his back and lifts me in a fireman’s carry.
Stumbling over debris, I protest as he struggles to move me through the ruined corridors.
“Shauna, get Shauna,” I croak out. “You have to get your mate.”
