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Enzo smacks him on the back. “What we mean is thank you for protecting Kinsey and Holly. It is our honor to be here.”
Beckett chuckles and bows in respect, but Enzo offers his hand to shake. “As a man with sisters, I understand your brother’s concern. Come on in. She’s baking cookies.”
I gawk in fascination, still unsure of the customs in the Gilded Sands territory. In the Gutter District, the authority was more...brutal. It changes as often as a damn pair of dirty underwear, depending on who could overpower which pack and why.
“I see she’s already taken over your household. We apologize for that. She’s been...sheltered.” Enzo strolls ahead, leaving me in Wilder’s arms.
He doesn’t follow the two of them right away, taking a moment to be with me alone. I stare at him in silence, watching his light blue eyes search mine. It’s in moments like these that I wish I could hear his thoughts. It doesn’t help that his scent has been muted for me by the suppressant pill I took before our outing. I’m sure it’s probably something spicy, potent yet delicious. And it’s probably even worse coming into this pack’s home.
“I know you like to put on a brave face, but you can be honest with me, Kinsey. What you went through today was terrifying. If I was scared, I know you were freaked the fuck out.” Wilder tugs me closer, adjusting me until I can finally wrap my legs around his waist and hook my ankles together, ensuring he can’t escape my death grip.
“Was it the Platinum Shores Pack?” I ask, doing my best to keep up my steely façade. It’s easier to speak when I have closed myself down.
“We’re verifying it now. We got a couple of shots from surveillance cameras on the street. If it was them, then we need to figure out how the hell they tracked you down, and why they waited so long to attack.” Wilder scrunches his nose, his face darkening with his frown. “Once we do, we’re going to hit them hard and fast even if I have to make something up to my father to get the resources we need.”
“Oh.” It’s the only thing I can think to say.
“Hey, don’t think the worst yet. It could’ve been anyone. We have many enemies, including the pack that wanted my sister. Let us handle it.” Wilder kisses me once more, carrying me inside.
I look around for the first time, taking in the grand living room of the Silverstein Estate. Enzo stands rigid near the entrance to the kitchen, one hand scrubbing his neck. I realize he talks on the phone, probably with his brothers. I don’t try to launch myself from Wilder’s embrace, though. It takes everything in me not to, but I need to trust that they are okay. Wilder and Enzo wouldn’t be here otherwise. I bet neither would the alpha of the Silverstein Pack, because his packmates stayed behind.
“Wilder! Thank God!” Holly sneaks around Enzo and jogs in our direction. She doesn’t give Wilder a chance to set me down before she flings her arms around the two of us, sandwiching me to her brother.
“I’m sorry, little sis. That should’ve never happened. I’m just glad that your troublemaking ass happened to disobey me and give a stranger your number. Now they thought you were a beta until their alpha laid eyes on you. Knew who you were immediately. He went to school with me, but we haven’t been in touch since. You know how it goes.” Wilder keeps his voice low. “Thank the fates that he hates Dad.”
Holly doesn’t respond. We’ll both probably have to face a lecture later, which I’ll put a stop to right away. Because Holly needs to be able to have real-life experiences. She needs to be able to know how to make decisions that benefit her and will help her in the long run. Right now, she’s used to Wilder deciding everything for her, and she grows anxious about it. I can’t imagine her not lashing out soon. Especially with all the threats involving me.
The best way her brothers can help her would be by preparing her for real-life situations such as this.
“Or thank the fates that I’m cute,” Holly teases, patting Wilder’s cheek from over my shoulder.
He growls at her and steps back. “Watch it. I don’t want anyone thinking you’re anything other than my little sister.”
“Too late for that, big bro.” Holly chuckles and strolls away, closing the space to where Beckett stands in silence, watching our quiet interaction.
She sticks her tongue out at her brother, turning her back and standing on her tiptoes to whisper something to Beckett. She is pushing Wilder’s buttons, and I can’t help smiling about it. He deserves it. We all know he deserves it, especially with his overprotective attitude.
Enzo groans and puts his phone away. “No one could get proper ID from the videos. They all got away, though I would still bet money on it that it was Platinum Shores. They’re watching us. They have to be.”
“There must be another traitor on our staff. You need to pull up all the logs that give our alternative locations.” Wilder finally sets me on my feet, freeing his hands to grab his phone to look at something.
Enzo closes the space to me, wrapping me in his arms, kissing me softly like he’s been dying to show me affection since they arrived. I give in to his need, just savoring the sensation of his mouth against mine and how safe his arms feel around me, how comforting it is to have the firmness of his palm pressed against my lower back.
“Fuck. It’s not a traitor. Our security got hacked.” Wilder fists his hand, looking as if he’s dying to punch a wall. But he wouldn’t dare. This isn’t his home, and he obviously respects the Silverstein Pack enough that he’s not dragging us away immediately. But of course, it’s not like he can change the fact that Holly was recognized. All he could do is hope that Beckett or the rest of his pack doesn’t try to use this against us.
A part of me already knows that they won’t. I can see it in his eyes and how he looks at Holly. I won’t bring up the fact that they obviously have a connection.
“Hacked? No fucking way. I looked at everything myself.” Enzo mutters against my mouth, the vibration enough to send a wave of energy to my core.
“Shit happens. We’ve been busy, Enzo. Don’t blame yourself. They were in and out, and the only reason I can even see it now is that they left us a warning.” Wilder surprises me by not lashing out at Enzo. He manages to stay composed and calm even though his words send my heart racing. “I’m just glad that the area is secured. They had to wait for us to leave to know our exact location. Even then, they had to have a little luck. I think they knew someone at the diner. They were paid off. Look at the bright side, they were unsuccessful, and they’ll regret ever starting this damn war. We have our own ties to their territory. I’m done with being on the defense. We’re going to take more direct measures. Kinsey is not a piece of property. They can’t just take her. She never belonged to Tamsin to begin with. The only one who can really assign her is the authority of the Gutter District, which is questionable even then since she’s not from there. Tamsin might control the underbelly, but we can persuade them otherwise. And I think they all know that.”
His words sink in my mind, filling me up with a dozen more questions. Obviously, as part of the Pack Regimes and the authority of Gilded Sands, Wilder would have that sort of connection to other areas. Especially because he plans to take Gilded Sands from the reign of his father.
“You’re right. They’re testing us to see if we’ll back down.” Enzo slides his arm around me, not wanting space between us.
“Which we won’t. This will just make things easier for us. They want to fight, then we will do more than defend our girl. We’ll take their fucking territory as well.” Wilder narrows his light eyes with the words. “I’m sure no one else will put up a fight for it.”
Enzo grins and offers his brother his closed fist to bump. “Hell yeah—”
