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I hesitated, but Stone didn’t want us to lie to him. He hated having anyone kiss his ass. “The girl.”
“We’ll figure out what she knows,” Stone promised.
“And then what? There’s the kid.”
“The kid’ll be fine.”
“The kid won’t be fine if you hurt his mom, Stone. Even if she did have something to do with Brennan’s murder.”
That was the worst-case scenario. Did we keep her alive to soothe Brennan’s son until we could arrange an accident or something? Did we hope she was a shitty mom, and we had an excuse to drag her into the woods and put a bullet in her brain?
The image was too concrete in my mind. Those large, pleading blue eyes. How frantic she would look with my hand on her arm, pulling her out into the night… the thought made my hands curl into fists at my sides.
Did we let someone complicit in Brennan’s death live, because he would want the best for his little boy?
“I know that,” Stone said savagely.
The doors swung open again.
Karissa strode in, her chin raised high. Teresa trailed her, looking tired; she always looked tired around Karissa.
Liam followed after. I didn’t expect to see him; he’d been wolfed out since we got back.
“Shit,” Stone said. He rose to his full height, gearing up for a fight. “Karissa, what? It’s been a long day.”
“You know who’s had a long day? Dylan.” She pointed her finger at him. “Why did you kidnap akid?”
“What did you want me to do, leave him there alone in all the carnage?”
“Maybe we should’ve had less carnage in the first place,” Liam sing-songed. He was always so helpful.
Karissa stepped up to Stone in a way no one else would have, as if she might slap him. Stone eyed her warily. If anyone else had looked like they wanted to punch Stone, I would’ve already been on my way—to protect Stone and to keepthemfrom the beating Stone would give to any rebel. But Karissa versus Stone was an entirely different fight. Stone would never hit her.
Karissa settled for stabbing her finger toward his chest. “Stone, you are not going to hurt either of them.
“No fucking kidding,” Stone ground out. “I don’t want to hurt either of them.”
“You keep Louisa away from them,” Karissa warned. “So help me god, Stone, it’s vile enough you brought that witch here to use against your own pack. I will cut your balls off, deep fry them, and make you fucking eat them if you hurt her, do you understand me?”
Stone stared down at her, then glanced around the room, his brow furrowed. I stared up at the ceiling, pretending I’d seen none of this family drama. I was close enough to be almost family . . . but not quite.
“I’ll do what I need to protect this pack, Karissa.” Stone’s voice was ice.
“And so will I. I’m serious. If you won’t do the right thing, I’m gone.”
“No.” Stone lowered his face toward hers, so the two were almost nose to nose. He was a foot taller than her, but that in no way detracted from the ferocity she carried, from her electric dark hair to her slender pointer finger that she shook in his face. “It’s not safe out there.”
“So don’t make me fucking leave. You already took her, fine, that can’t be undone. But if you hurt her, I’m done with you. I’m done with this pack.”
“Karissa, be reasonable.”
She scoffed, throwing her arms up. “I’m not listening to tips onhow to be logicalfrom a man who nuked an entire road today and came home with a traumatized, beaten woman and her terrified child!”
“I didn’t hurt her!”
“Yet.” Karissa’s tone was just as icy. “But Louisa will.”
“She’d survive.”
