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“Abby—”
“I don’t need to remind you that I’ve been taking care of myself for this long,” I interrupted.
I didn’t like playing that card with him, but I needed to do this on my own if I had any hope of convincing Orson to be sensible and stand down.
“If anything happens to you, Abby—”
“Nothing’s going to happen to me,” I insisted. “Orson respects me.”
Elijah scoffed, and I bristled.
“Just let me go.”
He held up his hands.
“I can’t stop you, Abby.”
I read the worry in his eyes, but to his credit, he didn’t try to stop me. Impulsively, I threw my arms around his neck, and he held me tighter than I ever remembered him holding me.
“You get out at the first sign of danger,” he growled in my ear. “Use your instincts, your shifter instincts.”
I nodded and pulled my head back to stare at him. He kissed my lips softly, and I returned his embrace but immediately let him go, suddenly distinctly aware of how many witnesses stood nearby. I still had to be careful.
“I’ll see you soon,” I promised, slinking off into the shadows, eyes scanning the crowd for any interested eyes on me.
“If you’re not back by noon, I’m coming for you,” he called out.
I wanted to tell him no, but I was too far out of earshot.
Now I’m the one on a deadline,I thought grimly. I wasn’t a fan of the shoe being on the other foot.
Chapter31
Abby
Ibypassed the house, not wanting to see Etta. I wasn’t sure I could face her for telling Orson. Instead, I checked the warehouse behind their cookie-cutter mansion to see if anyone was around.
The sorters had already started their tasks for the day, the tempo of the interior exactly like any other. Several of the sorters glanced up to nod at me before returning to their work of stuffing the bags for delivery.
I ambled through the building until I came to Orson’s office, and my chest tightened. The lights were on inside, but the blinds were drawn. Still, I could smell his overpowering musk through the walls, and the hairs on my arms rose.
Closing my eyes, I drew in a breath before knocking firmly.
“What?!” Orson yelled.
Steeling myself, I let myself into the inner office. The gargoyle perched on the edge of his desk in human form but in statue pose, socked toes curled over the edge, arms drawn together at his chest. I didn’t see Lora until I had fully entered the room, the wolf shifter shaking in her chair. Her dark hair was a mess, her eyes blazing with terror.
“What happened?” I muttered, looking at the soldier. Lora peered at me, her complexion opaque.
“T-they’re dead,” Lora squealed. “All of t-them.”
Oh, Elijah…
I wish I’d known about the casualties ahead of time.
“DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?” Orson screamed, leaping toward me.
Instinctively, I jumped out of the way, prepped to shift, but I contained myself. Shifting would only come across as a threat to Orson, and I didn’t need my employer on the offensive.
