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“Plus, they’d know we’d take it as declaration of war if we were positive it was them,” Tate continued. “So they’d surely hire a lone-shifter mercenary to get the job done and vanish in a flash, not hire small-time extremists who—given that their strength and speed is no match for ours—are more likely to get caught and overpowered.”
“My money’s on Ginny,” said Blair. “If for no other reason than it’s mighty suspicious that she’s in the wind.”
They all discussed it some more. Aside from Deke. He found it hard to think past the rage vibrating in his bones.
Finally, his jaw hurting from how tightly he’d clenched it, he exhaled heavily and turned to Bailey. “Let’s get out of here.” He and his cat wanted her away from this place; wanted her in their den where she’d be safe.
Her brow furrowed. “My car—”
“I’ll have someone pick it up for you tomorrow. I need you with me, where I can see you.”
She looked like she might argue, but then she sighed. “Okay.”
The Alphas, Aspen, and Camden followed them in Tate’s vehicle as they made their way home.
Her gaze on the window, Bailey said, “This isn’t going to stop until we make it stop, is it? At first, I thought they might call it quits at some point, since their only intent is to scare me. Yet, they haven’t stopped, even though they’ve surely got better stuff to spend their money on.”
His grip tightening on the steering wheel, Deke said, “The reason they might not have stopped is that you aren’t afraid. You’re not on edge or hiding or even keeping a low profile. You carried on with your life as usual while also taking sensible precautions.”
Bailey frowned, looking thoughtful. “Good point.” She puffed out a long breath. “I’m not going to give them what they want and withdraw from the world, but I am going to stay away from the center until this is over. It’s a special place for a lot of people. A place they need to feel safe. I won’t put it or them at risk. I don’t want the members to be afraid to go there.”
Deke had already anticipated that she’d make such a decision. “From now on, consider me your personal bodyguard.”
“How did I know you’d say that?” she muttered rhetorically, her voice dry.
“Because you know me. You know I protect those who matter to me. And you matter.”
“It’s still a little weird when you say nice things to me. Everything feels out of sync.”
He might have smiled if he wasn’t so pissed.
“You matter to me, too.” She cleared her throat. “Just thought you should know.”
His chest tightening, he gave her thigh a soft squeeze.
When they finally reached their complex, he guided her up to their floor and into his apartment. They hadn’t been there more than ten minutes before his parents turned up.
The image of worry, Livy barged inside and went straight to Bailey. “I just heard what happened. You poor thing.”
Noticing the casseroles she held, Deke frowned. “You brought her food again?”
Livy offered him a haughty look. “I’ll bring her whatever I like.” She then went back to fussing over his mamba.
His father chuckled. “Just let it be, son. She likes mothering your Bailey. I think she senses that the girl hasn’t had a lot of that in her life.” He eyed Deke. “How are you doing?”
“I’m ready to burn shit down,” Deke told him.
Clarence laid a supportive hand on his shoulder. “You’ll find out who did this soon enough. Until then, all you can do is try your best to keep her safe. But don’t take on any blame for the danger dogging her heels. I know you dominant males have a tendency to shoulder unnecessary blame. It isn’t your fault that you can’t put a stop to what’s happening—a man can’t kill an enemy he can’t see.”
Deke grunted and then followed his mother and Bailey into the kitchen. Livy was still fussing, even though his mamba seemed completely unsure what to do about it. He glanced at Clarence as he noted, “Mom really does like Bailey.”
“Initially, I think your mom infiltrated her life so she could push her toward you. But she’s grown fond of Bailey. So have you.”
Deke felt his lips thin. “I’m sure Mom crows about that every chance she gets.”
Clarence smiled. “Oh, she does. You know how much she likes to be right.”
Havana, Aspen, and their mates turned up shortly afterward. Both females seemed spooked and were clearly intent on checking on Bailey, who increasingly calmed as the hours went on.
Deke, however, couldn’t find any such calm. He might be outwardly controlled, but he was a raging storm on the inside.
His feline was no more collected—not on the outside or the inside. The animal restlessly paced and hissed and occasionally swiped at the ground with his paw.
