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“She wasn’t supposed to make me reconsider it,” Deke grumbled.
Isaiah’s lips twitched. “Bailey often does things she isn’t supposed to.”
“Very true.”
They chatted for a few more minutes before Deke headed to the ladder that would take him to a narrow alley. He climbed down and then strode out of the alley and onto the street. Intent on grabbing lunch, he went to push open the deli door … but then Therese stepped out.
Instead of skirting around him, she remained in his path, cleared her throat, and gifted him a nervous smile. “Hi, Deke.”
He only grunted.
She winced. “I know I’m probably not your favorite person right now, but could we talk?”
“If your intention is to pass on a message from Dayna—”
“It’s not, I just wanted to give you a heads-up about something.” She huddled a takeout bag close to her chest. “I thought you should know that she and Gerard are back together now.”
The pair had moved fast. “Why did you think I needed to know?” It had zilch to do with Deke.
Her mouth bobbed open and closed. “I didn’t want you to get sucker-punched with it.”
“Nice of you.” But the news wouldn’t have had any impact on him no matter how he’d learned of it.
“Listen, I shouldn’t have said the bitchy stuff I said when you and Dayna split. She was just so sad. A mess. I was mad on her behalf and … well, I’m sorry.”
“Are you also sorry for trying to convince Bailey that I would set her aside for Dayna?”
She raised her shoulders. “I thought you would. I thought you loved Dayna.”
“You thought wrong.”
“Why would you have marked Bailey if it wasn’t to get back at Dayna?”
His cat bared a fang at the note of demand in her question. “Well, that’s none of your business now, is it?”
She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I take it you don’t accept my apology.”
“It wasn’t a real apology. You’re not sorry for what you said. You’re not warning me about Dayna and Gerard for my sake. She told you to pass on the news to me and report back how I reacted. Well, you can tell her that I genuinely wish her and Gerard the best.”
Therese studied his face. “You really mean that? You’re truly done with her?”
“Yes. Do us all a favor and get that across to her.” He tipped his chin to the side, gesturing for her to move out of his way. Once she did, he stalked into the deli and joined the line.
In front of him, Luke and Blair turned their heads.
“Oh, hey,” she said.
Luke’s brow creased as he took in Deke’s expression. “Who put that look on your face?”
“I’m just goddamn sick of people playing games,” replied Deke, thrusting a hand through his hair. “Therese was sure to let me know that Dayna and Gerard are once more an item—something Dayna undoubtedly put her up to.”
“Ah,” said Blair. “Sounds like she’s hoping to make you jealous. I hope not, because it isn’t fair to Gerard if she’s using him and toying with his feelings.”
Luke pursed his lips. “You never know, they could be serious about making another go of things. But I doubt it.”
Blair’s nose wrinkled. “I might have bought it if they weren’t making such a claim literally days after Deke publicly proclaimed he was done with her. It doesn’t seem genuine to me.”
The doorbell pinged behind him and then … “Deke?”
He tensed, recognizing the voice. Shit. Very hesitantly, he turned to face Maisy.
She lifted a placatory hand. “I know, I know, you don’t want to get to know me. That’s fine, it’s not why I’m here.” She moved closer. “He called me again using another number. Deke Two, I mean.”
The sense of urgency in her voice made Deke frown. “What happened?”
“He said he missed me and wanted us to meet,” Maisy elaborated. “I don’t want anything to do with him. But I was curious about who he really is, what he looked like, if he was young or old or whatever. So I agreed to meet him at a place of his choosing. But I didn’t go inside. I looked through the café window and took a picture of the guy sitting at the table where he’d said he’d wait for me.” She held up her phone. “Do you know him?”
Studying the photograph on the screen, Deke felt his face harden to stone. “Yeah,” he bit out. “Yeah, I know him.”
A short time later, Deke felt his muscles bunch as a knock came on his Alphas’ front door. Luke briefly met his gaze before rising from the plush armchair and breezing out of the living room. Deke glanced at Tate, who stood in front of the fireplace; his stance dominant, tension rolling off him in waves.
After his conversation with Maisy, Deke and his Betas had headed straight to the Alpha pair’s home to relay what they’d learned. Home alone, Tate had then summoned the pride member who Maisy had snapped a picture of … so it was no surprise to Deke when Luke reentered the room with Sam at his back.
