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The weight of what happened between them felt more than any trivial biological term some might call it by. More than a kiss. More than sex.
He had entrusted himself to her, and she couldn’t lose sight of that now. With a heavy sigh, she looked up, finally facing the mirror, and did a double take.
The girl staring back at her wasn’t the beaten, broken Loren Connors she was used to seeing every day. She didn’t even recognize herself. Her bruises were gone, the scratches faded. She had no idea why, until she remembered that McGoven and Micha had seemed to heal after they shifted.
On second glance, this new Loren wasn’t completely flawless. The old scars were still there, telling a silent tale of too many beatings to count, and a hint of fear still haunted those hazel eyes. Still, it was easier than she would have thought to shrug off the unease and get dressed in Sonia’s borrowed clothing.
As she reentered the hall, Sonia’s voice rang out.
“Loren? I’m in the kitchen.”
The cabin seemed to be one long level, with large windows looking out into a landscape that appeared bluish in the twilight glow. The kitchen looked clean, though lived in. Magnets covered the fridge, and appliances cluttered the counters.
Sonia watched her from over the rim of a steaming mug of coffee she held in her hands. Meat seemed to be frying behind her in a pan on the stove, but it sizzled unattended. For once, even cooking wasn’t enough to soothe Sonia’s emotions.
“What a mess.” With a sigh, the woman set her mug down and crossed her arms. “I’m sure you and Bill have a plan of action, but I need to know. Ignore those spying bastards outside. It’s just you and me here. What is his end game?”
Loren drew in a steadying breath. “He’s challenging Lukka for the pack, but he’s worried that he won’t face him on an even playing field. So, he made sure to issue the challenge in front of witnesses.”
Sonia’s eyes widened. “And he used you as the bait to lure Lukka out into the open. Fuck!” With a sound of exasperation, she stood and marched from one end of the kitchen to the other. “I’ve been out of the loop. Lukka’s kept me on a leash—I think he knows where my true loyalties lie. I’ve barely been able to take a walk without them watching me, but I know there is support out there for Bill. But if we’re to capitalize on it, we need to move. Fast. There are people I need to talk to, but doing so now would be too suspicious.”
Loren paced as well, picking up on her nervous energy. “How can I help?”
“You can’t. No…” Sonia chewed on her lower lip. “He’d kill me if I even thought about letting you anywhere near a treason plot—”
“I’m here,” Loren said bluntly. “It’s a bit too late for that. Let me do something.”
Something other than sitting in a cage like a damsel in distress awaiting her rescue.
“Fine.” Sonia braced her hands against the nearest counter, her head bowed, knuckles white. “There is one thing you can do—stay safe,” she said quietly. “Lukka or Kyle will come for you. I know it. If the challenge is tomorrow, they might try to lure you to the main house before then. In usual circumstances, that wouldn’t be unheard of. As a witness, your duty is to serve as a neutral party. But where Kyle is involved, I wouldn’t let my guard down for a second.”
“What happened between him and Bill? It seems…personal,” Loren said, though she suspected that was an understatement.
Sonia’s sigh cemented that belief. “It’s complicated. I’m sure Bill has told you about Emma?”
Loren nodded, though she couldn’t suppress a painful mixture of guilt and envy. It felt wrong to be jealous of someone who was gone. Even a little.
“She was Kyle’s twin,” Sonia said. “I don’t think he ever forgave Bill for what happened to her. It’s a petty feud, but grief can make people do twisted things…”
Genuine pain echoed in her voice. Suddenly, she shook her head and stepped back from the counter. “It doesn’t matter now. All that does is keeping you safe. God, I don’t even know what to—”
“I can go with them.” Loren’s voice sounded so rough to her own ears that she swallowed as Sonia whirled to face her. “With their focus on me, they won’t be watching you.”
“And if they hurt you?” Sonia countered. “I can’t promise you that they won’t. In fact… It might be their plan. Goodness, Bill should have never let you come here—”
“I can handle myself,” Loren said with a confidence she didn’t feel. “You do what you need to do. Let me distract them.”
Sonia didn’t agree to the plan outright.
But she didn’t challenge it, either.
37
Kyle was celebrating. Sure, he was alone, no decorations in sight. Even so, this was an occasion requiring commemoration. For that very reason, he’d taken up on the first floor of the main house, his feet propped against a desk in the study while he sipped liquor directly from the bottle.
Hurray.
It was important to cherish every victory, however short-lived and half-assed it might have been, right? And the fact of the matter was that they hadbeatenBill McGoven.
