“Thank you.” I took the phone from her trembling hands. “You’ve helped us immensely.”
She nodded, tears flowing down her cheeks.
“Your loyalty does you credit. You’ve done a great service to us today.” My gaze softened, concern furrowing my brow. Even though we had much bigger fish to fry, with a little prompting, the woman had proven to be loyal to the pack. “Do you need anything? Anything at all?”
“No, Alpha. I’ll be okay.” Despite the slight waver in her voice, she forced a small grin.
With a last nod to the housekeeper, Dad and I left the guest house. Her loyalty had been both humbling and sobering in equal measure. I made a mental note to have a pack member check in on the poor woman. It wouldn’t hurt to ask around, see if anyone was looking to employ someone with her experience. It was the least we could do.
As we walked back to our vehicles, I thought about what to do with Cecily’s phone. I’d have to hand it over to the police, but I’d rather it was sanitized before it got to them. Without an informant to do the work for me, I’d have to improvise. I wasn’t tech savvy enough to remove all traces of communication between Cecily and Castro without obliterating everything on the device. Thankfully, I knew who could do it. My business partner, Bryce Fulton, worked closely with the IT department at Keller Industries, knew what he was doing, and I could trust him.
“Dad, before we head to visit with her parents, I need to swing by the house. We can have a look through Cecily’s phone there. I’m going to message Bryce to come over and delete theexchanges with Castro before we hand it over to the police. I don’t want them involved.”
Dad gave me that look that told me he wasn’t pleased. “Haven’t you got an informant who can do that? I thought Nico left you with a list of potential candidates?”
I was a grown man, but just one look from my father, and I felt like a teenager all over again. “I know. I just haven’t had time to go through the list and schedule interviews. There don’t seem to be enough hours in the day anymore. Castro’s had us running from pillar to post.”
“You need to get that sorted, son. An alpha needs an informant to keep the pack running smoothly.” He sighed in resignation. “Come on, let’s move.”
Back in my car, with Cecily’s phone safely stored in my glove compartment, I glanced at the rearview mirror. My father was tailing me closely. My mind raced with thoughts on how to do damage control before rumors started flying. No doubt, word had already gotten out that Cecily had been found dead in her home, but I couldn’t let the pack think it was murder. Not that I wanted to deceive them—we had already told the world about Castro—but I didn’t want them living in fear over it.
As I drove, my grip on the steering wheel tightened, the leather creaking. I knew what I had to do, and it fucking sucked. This wasn’t just about preserving the pack’s peace of mind, it was also about honoring Cecily’s memory as best I could, despite her betrayal.
I wasn’t sure both were possible.
Once we pulled up at the estate, Dad and I went into my office. Together, we examined Cecily’s phone. We unlocked the phone on the first try; her password being her birthday. Among the many messages and emails, we found the same incriminating exchanges Nico had discovered, confirming Cecilyhad been working with Castro. It was undeniable. She was a traitor.
Staring at the damning evidence, I decided not to share the truth with Cecily’s parents. At least not yet. I dropped the phone into my desk drawer and shot Bryce a text.
Cecily’s phone in top left drawer of my desk. Delete exchanges between her and Castro, make it natural, need to hand it to the police.
Before I’d even made it to the front door, my phone beeped. As I went down the steps to the car, I checked it, and sure enough, Bryce had responded.
No worries. On my way.
Dad and I took my car to Cecily’s parents’ house. A knot formed in my stomach as I thought about what lay ahead. The police would have delivered the devastating news of their daughter’s death already, but as alpha, it was my duty to pay my respects and honor the dead. Traitor or not.
“Are you ready?” Dad looked at me with concern once we got out of the car. As we made our way to the door, he clapped me on the back. “This is just part of the job, son. Not saying it ever gets easier, but I’m certain you’ll find the right words.”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” I steeled myself for the difficult conversation ahead.
A housekeeper led us into the living room, her eyes red-rimmed from crying, confirming the police had already visited. As we stepped into the sitting room, I was immediately struck by the sight of Cecily’s parents. Her mother sat straight-backed in a chair, her face pale and streaked with tears. Cecily’s father stood beside her, his powerful frame shaking and struggling to contain his emotions.
It was a portrait of devastation, and one that twisted my insides like a vise. The couple’s world had been torn apart, their daughter’s life and their hopes and dreams for her futuretaken away in one fell swoop. As their only child, they’d placed Cecily on a pedestal and given her the best of everything. Sure, that meant she’d been spoiled rotten, and I couldn’t stand being around the woman, but she was still their daughter, and her life had been abruptly cut short by Castro.
“Mr. and Mrs. Banks,” I began. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Her mother looked up at me, her eyes filled with such raw pain that it took all my strength to hold her gaze. “You were always so good to her, Ty,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Cecily loved you so much. We always hoped… we thought maybe one day you two would?—”
“Tina,” her husband interrupted gently, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Now’s not the time.”
“I’m sorry,” she choked out, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “It’s just… she’s gone, and I can’t believe it. I don’t understand why anyone would want to hurt her. She was such a good girl.”
I could feel the weight of the damning evidence in my pocket as I clenched my fists to help maintain my composure. Telling them the truth would only bring more hurt and upset. How could I tell them their daughter had betrayed the pack and ultimately brought about her own death? They’d been through enough.
“We’ll find answers.” My promise to her was surprisingly steady, despite the anxiety roiling inside me. “You have my word.” I offered what comfort I could, though I imagined Mrs. Banks was only forcing pleasantries. After all, she’d made it clear I’d been expected to choose Cecily as my mate. I would not apologize for choosing fate, for choosing Liza. Mrs. Banks’s bitterness was evident in her glares. We made our excuses and left, eager to escape the uncomfortable situation.
Mr. Banks saw us out. “Thank you, Alpha.” Behind the pain in his eyes, I saw the gratitude. “Your visit and kind words meanmore than you’re aware. I’m sorry about Tina. Please, she means no offense. She’s taking the news hard.”
