Page 68 of Hunted

“Not my question.”

His nostrils flared. “Yes, I know.”

“So tell me.”

“Matt can control people’s minds.” Lorenzo looked down. “Make them do shit they don’t want to do. Fucked up shit. Why do you think I don’t have any friends back home and my mom sent me to California?”

“Are there other neural manipulators in your family?”

“Yes. My mother.”

“What about you?”

His cheeks reddened. “Do we really have to do this? I assume you’ve seen my file or you wouldn’t be asking.”

“Answer the question.” I reached for my phone, starting to tap in a quick text to Cris, to tell him I would be sending in Tracer backup whether he wanted it or not when he shook his head.

“Matt got all the talent.” He glared. “I’m the spare who can barely shift into a wolf and only at the full moon. Happy?”

I studied his face. “You know what your brother is capable of, which means you know what I can do, too. If you’re lying to me—”

“I’m not lying.” He laughed bitterly. “And like we both don’t know I’m going to be dead within a day or two as it is.”

There was no way to say for certain without reading him in person, but I would have sworn the kid was telling the truth. I’d overheard too many similar sentiments Dallas and Brody had quietly suppressed over the years. It was different for Ethan and August, who hadn’t been born into the Montemayor bloodline and had no expectation they would inherit powerful gifts. The vast majority of shifters had no special talents. Brody’s talent was so subtle it barely qualified as magic and knocked him flat on his back with a two-day migraine any time he tried to use it. Dallas had to remember to empty his pockets before shifting to his wolf form, or else he’d reform his cell phone into a brick every damn time. Being compared to me, West and Cal sucked, even if they didn’t outwardly say so.

“Cut the crap. You’ve been living in a safe house your brother set up. We know you’re still in contact with him.”

“My mother told me to come here,” he insisted. “She said I would be safe. I swear I don’t know anything. I came to the U.S. for a fresh start, to get away from everything Matt poisoned for us back home. Please don’t kill me. If this is about money, my mother has connections, family friends. She’ll find a way to pay for my release.”

“Nice story, but I’ve heard better and so have my friends where you’ll be going.” When his eyes flicked to the vampires offscreen, I knew we were finally getting somewhere. “You’re going to have to give us something useful if you don’t want me to have you escorted to a vampire prison to make sure we don’t lose track of you while I find a team of neural manipulators to go through your memories.”

“After the Vampire Nation has a few words with you, of course,” Cris added from off screen. “Your brother is wanted for bombing eight covens, killing thirteen of our citizens, and wiping the minds of four research scientists. You’re harboring him as a fugitive.”

“I’m not.” The kid was sweating something fierce now.

“Okay,” I said to the vampires. “Looks like we’re done here. You can take him.”

“No, wait.” Lorenzo Rossi strained against the duct tape wrapped around his midsection, eyes frantic. “This isn’t even my brother’s safe house. My mother was the one who told me about it, but a family friend set it up. He’s the one who paid for it, arranged everything.”

“And his name?”

“Guillermo Montemayor.”

I stared back at him, refusing to react, knowing it was a setup. He knew who I was, and for damn sure knew Guillermo was my uncle. And still, an uneasy feeling snaked like ice through my veins.

“You’re aware who he is.”

“Of course.”

“How long have you known him?”

A shrug. The kid seemed to realize he’d said too much. I nodded to the vampires. The video cut off. I dialed Cris.

“Can your people keep him secure?”

“More secure than the Tracers, who are practically aiding Rossi at this point? I should hope so.”

Fuck that fang-head, but he was right. “We’re still going to want access.”