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“What?” Her head snaps back to me. “No, I’m fine.”
“I’m a big girl, Rylie, and it’s daylight. I’ll be okay on my own.” I nearly choke the words out. “Besides, I do need to get my butt in gear and see if I can make it in time for that hearing. It’s been postponed too many times. I need to get it over with today.”Downing my orange juice, I get up and head to my bedroom. “And then, maybe I can get started on some paperwork for you.”
I need to stay busy. Staying busy is good for me. I’m lying through my teeth, but I need to be okay.
“Alexa, you had a traumatic night. I’m sure your boss will be understanding.” She tries, but I’m already at my closet.
“Yes and no. I’m trying to prove myself, Ry. I need to get to work. I can’t afford to take a personal day right after starting, and I need to learn I can be okay on my own.” I pull out a suit and begin to change. A shower will just have to wait. “I’ll be just fine. Thank you for coming in to feed me.”
“Don’t mention it,” she mumbles. “I know you would do the same for me.”
“I would in less than a heartbeat.” While I get ready, we make plans to have lunch this weekend, and I’ll call her tonight once I’m locked away for the night.
Walking in late for work had me feeling extremely guilty, but after the evening and morning I’ve had, I don’t bother to let it get to me. I’m barely in my office when Mary, the secretary, buzzes me.
“Miss Hart?”
“Yes?”
“You have a few messages, and the hearing is in two hours.”
“Thank you, Mary. Who are the messages from?” I’m pulling out files I’ll need soon and trying to get my head in the game while she tells me a few names.
“One is from Mr. Mendez.” A new case who I met with yesterday. “I told him you are working as quickly as you can on his case, but you can’t move at lightspeed.”
“Thank you. Any others?”
“A Grant Cole called.” The papers fall from my hands as every fiber of muscle tightens up one at a time. “He didn’t leave a message, but I told him you weren’t in.”
Oh my God. He found me.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Miles
Mason stands before us like some sort of general about to lead us off on our mission. “I need someone to head up and fix that section of fence that lone ripped through. The cattle don’t make it up there often, but I still don’t want it to sit there.”
“On it.” Roper kicks off the side of Mason’s truck to head over to his own. Of course, he’s the one who takes that job. Fine by me, I want to stay within cell service.
“It isn’t going to stop him from coming through again.” I feel it’s my duty to point out the obvious. The look my brother gives me in return tells me he already figured this, but wants the job done anyway.
“Next full moon, we do everything in our power to find him,” he commands as if I didn’t just speak.
“Does Cutler have any idea who it could be?” Brandon braces himself on the hood of his truck, hat tilted up to allow tuffs of his brown hair to poke through and showing off his tan line that crosses the center of his forehead.
Mason’s head shakes as a grim line crosses his face. “He wasn’t even aware of it until I gave him a call. Now his guys are keeping their noses sharp.”
“That means either the dude was interested in sniffing us out to join, passing through, or is looking to start some trouble,” Derek muses with a slam of his fist into his other hand.
“Whatever the case, we need to track down the fucker and question him. Slamming my fist into my hand as well, I rub my knuckles before cracking them. Ever since I left Alexa’s thismorning, I’ve been chewing at the bit for a fight. Whoever this guy is, I don’t think it’s something positive to look at.
We’ve dealt with lones before. Rylie’s dad was one who moved into the area a long-ass time ago, and Carter has remained pack-free just like his dad. He refused to join either pack when Wyatt Cutler and my dad both approached him. We left it alone because he never did any harm. He and Carter found their own places to shift and hunt away from both packs.
Now, Rylie’s dad is gone, and Carter is off saving the world, so there have been no lones in a long time.
We need to get back to Alexa.
I know.
