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Damn her. Someday she would get just what she deserved.
He scented the air rather than wander around the house looking for her. She was in her husband’s office.
A tap to the door was answered with, “Enter.”
He pushed the door open much more gently than he wanted to.
“Ah, Jose, how good of you to bring news. Is she finally dead then? Is the killer on the way here to collect the rest of his fee?”
“No.” He refused to add the honorary title of Alpha, when she hadn’t earned it and never could. “Ochoa has not yet killed her. The boys or maybe the second killer spooked them, and I lost their trail.”
Her hand rose to the low V of her suit jacket. He knew from experience it wasn’t nerves but anger behind the motion. The controllers for the shock collars hung on a gold chain around her neck. All she said was, “What second killer?”
That single question was very telling. If she hadn’t hired another killer, then who was the other guy? “I take it you didn’t hire a second assassin to hunt down the doctor?”
“No, I did not.” She stomped one high heel in agitation. “I’m very disappointed in you. I give you one small task and you can’t even keep an eye on Ochoa. Now there is no telling where he is or when he will arrive here.”
He missed the sight of her darting hand, but its destination was obvious when the shock collar came to life. The bolts of energy jerked through his body stealing his breath and control until he lay gasping at her feet.
“I swear Jose, this is the last time you’ll put my plans in jeopardy with your incompetence. If your son isn’t dead already, I’ll kill him myself to punish this failure.” Before he could rise up to rip her throat out, she delivered another bolt of electricity. “You are about the most useless creature.”
She had that right. He was useless. Or at least had been for too long. The time of waiting to be saved was over. She was going to kill them off one at a time. His own death would likely be soon regardless of their family bonds. Being her nephew meant nothing. Just as killing her own brother hadn’t dented her ice encased heart. But he wasn’t going to let her kill his son. One way or another he would find a way to keep Cord safe.
Sheila kicked him hard in the side and then stepped over him. “Gather the clan. Bring them all here, immediately. We need everyone in place for when that rattler shows his next move.”
* * *
Deven was frustrated with his colossal mistake. He hadn’t meant to spook the girl. Yet that was what had happened.
He’d attached a tracker to the girl’s bike. If she’d left on the bike, he wouldn’t have had to follow her at all. And once she’d bolted in Zeven’s car, he’d only followed it long enough to shoot it with a tracker. Then he let her believe she’d shaken him. Only to make his way to the dive of a motel.
He reviewed all his intel while he waited.
But none of it made sense.
He wouldn’t have very long to figure it out. With their main case being the vampire who was slaughtering his way across the southwest and making sure to clean up each of his crime scenes while they closed in on him… He shouldn’t even be here.
He should just take care of whatever the clan problem was and then get back to headquarters.
His phone chirped. He flipped it open before it could ring a second time. “What’s up, Quinn?”
“I’ll be leaving HQ for a while. Do you have anything new to report?” Quinn leaving HQ could mean a lot of things, but he didn’t need to check his calendar to know it was about time for the old man to take a night off to quench some hungers.
“Nothing new yet. I’m following an outside lead at the moment. If it doesn’t pan out, I’ll confront the clan directly.” He wasn’t going to specify that he was following a clue that was not related to the Coyote Clan. That he was following a homicidal murderer, looking for any reason to avoid putting the mad dog down for the greater good. No, he wouldn’t mention any of that.
Fortunately, Quinn didn’t ask for any more details. “Don’t waste too much time on the clan problem and call me if anything comes up.”
“Will do.” The line closed. And that left him with the need to plan his next step. He’d do what? Just keep watching, while he tried to figure out exactly what this Zeven was thinking? So far, all his light stalking wasn’t getting him anywhere.
Pretty much the only thing he’d discovered was that Zeven had sharp instincts and was able to pick up his presence far too easily. And that the doctor he was supposed to be targeting was still very much alive. Now he had more questions than answers about Zeven.
Maybe he should use his time more wisely and spend some of it looking into the Coyote Clan situation. From the initial reports, the clan seemed to be going through a negative alpha transition. It wasn’t all that uncommon in smaller clans. Usually, clans as large as the Coyote Clan tended to be more stable. They often had older members strong enough to reprimand sketchy behavior and support those likely to lead the clan well.
What had led to this situation?
And what could correct it?
If he could find answers to those two questions, then he could clean up the mess and get back to dealing with the last member of the Rattlesnake Clan.
