Never Cry Wolf (Night Watch #4)(12)
Author: Cynthia Eden

The men’s faces had already taken on the stark white of death. From what Lucas could see, their bodies had stiffened with rigor. They’d died hours ago. Then been hauled out to him.

“Our pact stands.” Jess stepped over the bodies. Offered his hand.

Lucas didn’t take it. “You know, I’m getting tired of bodies being dumped on my doorstep.”

Jess kept his hand up. “We’ll take the bodies with us.” And the coyotes hurried forward to drag them away. “I just wanted to give you proof, wolf. All my pack understands, you’re not to be touched.”

But Sarah was fair game?

Lucas smiled and reached for the coyote’s hand.

“Can you—can you hear what they’re saying?” Sarah asked because the curiosity was killing her.

Michael’s brows rose. “You think my hearing is that good?”

Maybe.

Michael shrugged and walked back toward the window.

“Wait! What are you doing?”

But he didn’t wait. He brushed back the curtain and stared down below.

“Bullets, man, bullets!” Why should she need to give him the reminder?

He grunted and lifted one strong shoulder. “The glass is bulletproof.”

What? “Then why the scare tactics?” She inched closer. “Why make me pull back?”

He didn’t look at her. Just gazed below. “Because I knew Lucas wouldn’t want you seeing the bodies.”

The bodies. Her breath caught in her throat. She’d seen her share of the dead over the years. But . . . “He’s—he’s killing them, now?”

“No.” Michael’s dark head cocked to the right. “Now . . . now he’s shaking the coyote alpha’s hand.”

She rushed forward and shoved the wolf out of her way. I’ll be damned. They were shaking hands. Her own fist slammed into the glass. Of course, it didn’t break—not the glass anyway. But her hand started throbbing like a bitch.

“Glad that’s settled,” Jess murmured. “No sense in bloodshed between our packs.”

Not when my wolves can kick your ass so easily.

“Now, about the woman . . .”

Lucas tightened his hold on the coyote’s hand. “What about her?”

The faint smile faded from Jess’s lips. He tried to pull his hand back. No dice. When it came to physical strength, Lucas could take the coyote any damn day. But when it came to underhanded backstabbing, no one beat Jess.

Well, usually no one did.

Jess stopped tugging his hand and his eyes began to glow with the light of the coyote. “I want her.”

“Um, do you?”

Those glowing eyes rose and locked on window number three. “Just have your man send her down. We’ll be even.”

“Even?” He yanked the coyote closer. “Not even f**king close,” he growled in Jess’s ear. Then he let the shifter go.

Jess stumbled back.

“You’ll have her, and you’ll have the bounty on her head.” Lucas shook his head. “Why should you get all that cash?”

But Jess locked his muscles and stood his ground, and, once more, his gaze drifted to the window. “It’s not just about the money. The bitch owes me, and she will bleed for me.”

The hell she would. “Pretty soon someone will be bleeding,” Lucas murmured, “but it won’t be her.” In one move, he could slice open the coyote’s throat. One fast move. Then his men could take out the others.

“Why’d you take her in?”

Behind Jess, the coyotes tossed the bodies back into the pickups.

He shrugged. “Maybe I was in the mood for a f**k.” “Bullshit. You think you can use her.” Jess laughed at that and spat on the ground. “She’ll be the one doing the using. And she’ll turn on you, just like she turned on her last lover.”

“Rafe?”

His eyelids flickered. “Know that, do you?”

Lucas didn’t speak.

“She shoved a silver knife into his chest. Another inch and she would have taken his heart.”

Interesting. Not quite the delicate little flower she appeared to be. Good.

“She also killed a coyote.” Jess pointed to the window. This time, Lucas glanced up, too. He saw Sarah, her palm pressed against the glass. “She and that charmer lover of hers—they set him up and they f**king killed him.”

Sarah’s stare met Lucas’s.

After a moment, he turned back to Jess. But Jess was still looking up at her, and pointing with his claws out. “I owe her payback. That bitch is mine.”

“No,” he said softly, “she’s mine.”

“The f**k you say! You can’t—”

“You took care of the men who attacked me.” He smiled and let his fangs flash. “I’ll take care of the one who murdered your man.”

Jess’s eyes narrowed. “You’ll kill her?”

“Sometimes death is the easy part,” he murmured.

Jess laughed at that, a low, rumbling laugh that groaned in his throat. “Damn straight. Make her suffer.”

So it really wasn’t about money for the coyote. It was about pain. Interesting.

“Now, Jess, I hope you don’t mind . . .” Actually, I don’t give a shit if you do. “But get the f**k off my land.”

Jess jerked his head, but didn’t move. “I’ll want proof.”

The guy just kept pushing. “You’ll have it.”

“By tomorrow?”

“That’s hardly enough time to play.”

Jess locked his teeth and gritted, “Tomorrow night.” Lucas inclined his head. “Deal.” So this was what it felt like when you bargained with the devil.

Jess spun away and headed for the first truck. Giving his back as a target really wasn’t his brightest move. But then, Jess had never claimed to be a genius, just a tough coyote who’d once sold out his own brother so he could take the position of pack alpha.

Loyalty. Didn’t it matter anymore?

Jess climbed into the passenger side of the truck. Raised his hand. The trucks roared to life and the tires spun on the gravel drive. Lucas was aware of Dane moving toward the trees. Moving fast.

Good. Dane would follow the coyotes. He’d watch them, and he’d see just who the bastards were aligning with in this town.

When the dust cleared, he turned back to face the house. Piers stood a few feet behind him.

“You believe anything he said was true?” He jerked his thumb back toward the house. “Did she really kill a coyote?”