“Check your nose, Tao, because I’m pretty sure it’s in my business.”
His mouth kicked up into a smile. “It was a simple question.”
“You seem to know plenty, so I’m surprised you have to ask.”
“I won’t apologize for looking into your background, not when I did it to be sure that you and the rest of our pack are safe.”
“Your pack, you mean.”
Tao snorted. He didn’t believe for one second that she’d leave. She’d found a place for herself there and she was also too attached to Savannah and Dexter. “Don’t insult my intelligence, Riley. Even before you were offered a place in the pack, you had no intention of returning to your flock. If you had, you wouldn’t have gone to the homeless shelter. You wouldn’t have asked Makenna to help you get a job and an apartment so you could blend in with humans. Now lower your hackles—all I’m asking is if you officially left the flock.”
Knowing he’d keep bugging her, she sighed. “No, I haven’t.”
With a tone as sensitive as he could manage, he asked, “What happened to your parents?” He hadn’t been able to uncover the cause of their deaths. “It would be best to have the details, since I’m going to this party—”
Her head snapped around to face him. “You’re not going to the party.”
“I was invited. It’ll be nice to meet your family.”
“You hate outsiders.”
“I don’t hate outsiders. I just have no time for them. They’re none of my concern. But you are. Come on, you’re not going to make me go alone, are you?”
She growled. “You’re not going. And I’m done talking about it.”
“Pity for you that I don’t give up so easily.”
“You should. My past isn’t as interesting as you seem to think it must be. And neither am I.”
Tao wrapped a strand of her gorgeous hair around his finger. He fucking loved her hair. “I think you are, but I won’t know for sure until you drop that guard of yours.” He put his mouth to her ear. “I’m getting around that wall you have up, Riley. Just letting you know so you won’t be surprised when you find me there.”
“Go floss your teeth with your itsy-bitsy cock, Fenris.”
Tao tilted his head. “You know . . . I just realized I’m not the one who’s riled for once. I feel funny.”
“You are such an asshole.”
“Yeah, I know.” He dug out some cash from his pocket, set it on the table, and got to his feet. “Come on, let’s get out of here before your head explodes.”
She pushed out of the seat, eager to get away from the scents and sounds of the diner. She didn’t bother complaining when he linked his fingers with hers as they walked to the door. There seemed little point when he wouldn’t release her hand anyway.
Outside, he guided her across the lot. Just as they neared the SUV, the doors of a black Lexus parked beside it swung open. Four humans exited the car—all big and well dressed, with hard faces. There was something very shady about them that made her raven release a low, guttural rattle.
Tao came to a halt, suddenly radiating menace. “There a problem?” he drawled. His wolf pushed against Tao’s skin, watchful and prepared.
The tallest and leanest of the group gave a surprisingly charming smile. “Not at all. I’m Ramón Veloz. And you’re Tao Lukas, the Phoenix Pack’s Head Enforcer.” Eyes the color of dark lead cut to Riley. “And you are Riley Porter. I’ve recently made it my business to know as much as I can about your pack.” His gaze slid back to Tao. “I’d like a meeting with your Alphas.”
The expectation of obedience in his tone rubbed Tao’s wolf the wrong way. From the dark pinstriped suit to the shiny leather shoes, this human had “mobster” written all over him. “Not sure why you think that would interest me.”
Ramón’s face hardened. “It should interest you. This meeting is necessary.”
“My Alphas won’t consent to it without good reason.” And they’d want to check the guy’s identity and history before even considering it.
“I’m not an extremist, if that’s your concern.” Ramón smoothed a hand down his tie. “In fact, I have a proposition for your Alpha female. One I think she will be happy to accept.”
Tao had to admit he was intrigued. He hid it, though. “What’s that?”
“My brother, Dion, is ill. Very ill. The doctors can’t do anything for him. I need the services of a healer. I’ve heard that your Alpha female is quite a powerful one. She will be paid well, of course.”
“What do you mean by ‘ill’?”
“He has an inoperable brain tumor,” Ramón replied, voice surprisingly dispassionate. “He’s been given just four months to live.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your brother,” said Tao, “but my Alpha female can’t help him. She heals wounds, not fatal diseases.”
“I’ve heard differently.”
Tao had no idea what the guy meant by that, since, as far as he knew, Taryn had never healed an illness.
Ramón fished a shiny business card from his pocket and held it out to Tao. “Here is my card. Pass it on to your Alphas and explain my situation.” His expression turned grave. “Be sure to impress upon them just how serious a situation this is, Mr. Lukas. I’m relying on you. Can I do that?”
Tao took the card. “You’re not part of my pack, so no.”
Ramón smiled. “I think I could like you.” Turning, he slid back into the rear seat of his car. “I look forward to hearing from your Alpha female.”
“She can’t help your brother,” Tao told him.
“We’ll see.”
With that, one of the other humans closed Ramón’s door and the three of them hopped into the vehicle.
Watching them drive off, Riley said, “Well, that was unexpected. Did you notice they were all armed?”
“I noticed,” said Tao.
“I don’t like his arrogance or sense of entitlement. He’s fully expecting Taryn to do exactly what he wants without question. Think she will?” Personally, Riley didn’t think so.
“I strongly doubt it. Let’s go find out.”
One look at their faces and Taryn knew something was wrong. Frowning, she straightened on the recliner at the end of the sectional sofa. “What is it?”
Others from the pack were scattered around the living room; some were seated on the huge, bulky sofa while others sat in armchairs. Like their Alpha female, they switched from relaxed to alert in a single second.
Tao came to a stop in the center of the room, glad when Riley stood beside him rather than finding herself a seat. “Just as we were coming out of Mo’s Diner, we were approached by a human named Ramón Veloz.”
Muting the TV, Trey said, “Who?”
“Ramón Veloz,” Tao repeated.
Taryn pursed her lips. “Never heard of him.”
“Well, he’s heard of you,” Tao told her.
Her brows raised. “Me?”
“His brother’s dying of a brain tumor,” Tao explained. “Ramón wants you to heal him. Says he’ll pay you.”
Jaime, who was perched on Dante’s lap, looked at Taryn. “Could you even do that?”
“Not without killing myself in the process,” Taryn replied.
“Even if you could, it wouldn’t be advisable to help,” said Rhett, who was tapping away on the keys of his laptop. “I heard of a healer who helped humans in exchange for money. She had people lining up, which would have been profitable for her except it drained her to the point that she became seriously weak and sick herself. That didn’t stop humans from harassing her for help.”
“What did you tell him?” Trey asked Tao.
“That she wouldn’t be able to help,” Tao replied. “He didn’t believe me. Someone’s told him that Taryn can help, and their word seems to mean more to him than mine. He’s expecting your call.” He handed Ramón’s business card to Dante, who then passed it along to Trey.
“I’ll call,” began Trey. “I’ll inform him that we c
an’t be of any assistance.”
“Shit,” hissed Rhett.
Trey frowned. “What?”
“Ramón Veloz,” said Rhett, eyes on the screen of his laptop. “The guy’s allegedly a drug lord. He’s also suspected of having his hands in gun smuggling, human trafficking, and prostitution rings. The police have never been able to pin anything on him, though.” He paused as he tapped a few keys. “He has a brother, Dion; the guy works for Ramón and is a person of interest in several murder cases.”
Taryn raised a brow. “Well, now I don’t feel bad that I can’t help him.”
Dante drummed his fingers on Jaime’s thigh and said, “This Ramón guy could be a problem if he proves persistent. People like him don’t like being denied what they want.”
“I don’t give a shit what he does or doesn’t want,” said Trey, expression hard. “Taryn can’t help him. It’s as simple as that.”
Jaime looked from Tao to Riley. “What were you guys doing at Mo’s Diner anyway? Was it a date? Tell me it was a date.”
Riley rolled her eyes at the little matchmaker. “I was meeting someone from my flock.”
There was a short silence as people exchanged glances.
“You didn’t say your old flock,” Trey observed.
“I never really left it. And I never once implied that I had,” Riley reminded him.
After a moment Trey said, “True enough. What flock is it?”
“The Exodus Flock from Arizona.”
“I’ve heard of it,” said Trey. “Are you going back?”
“Only for the weekend. The Alphas are throwing a surprise party for my uncles. I want to be there.”
“You talk about them with affection in your voice,” said Dante. “Yet you don’t live within the flock. Why?”
Not at all eager to revisit the past, Riley hesitated. But these people had been good to her, she reminded herself. They’d been patient when she refused to speak of it all these months. Most importantly to her, they were good to Savannah and Dexter. She could share the truth with them. It would also be a lot easier to talk about while Greta, Zac, and the little ones weren’t in the room. Greta would make snide comments, and the story would only upset the younger pack members.
“I got along fine with most of the kids in the flock, but my closest friends were Lucy and Wade.” Riley licked her lips. “Sadly, Wade was one of those people destined to go through life being emotionally bruised over and over. He was extremely sensitive, so he felt things deeply, too deeply. He was also thin-skinned and highly introverted, which made him socially anxious. To add to that, he was the most submissive raven in the flock—he was particularly submissive for a male. All that made him the butt of a lot of jokes. Growing up, I spent a great deal of my time defending him from others, mostly his cousin, Alec.”
“There was a boy like that in my old pack,” said Taryn. “The other wolves made his life hell.”
“Most of the kids in the flock did the same to Wade,” said Riley. “He didn’t get tougher as he got older. He became more and more withdrawn until he eventually stopped talking to me or Lucy. He stayed in his cabin most of the time, playing video games. We suspected he was depressed and told his mom about it, but she shrugged it off.
“One night I was at a house party. It was Alec’s twenty-first birthday and pretty much everyone in our age-group was there—no parents, no Betas, no Alphas, no enforcers; just a bunch of kids celebrating that they could legally drink. I was supposed to meet Lucy there, but I couldn’t find her inside. The music was loud, so I went into the kitchen to call her cell phone. I hadn’t even dialed her number when I heard it.”
“Heard what?” asked Jaime.
“Bang.” Riley swallowed hard. “I’m not entirely sure where Wade got the gun, but he shot and killed every kid there. It all happened so fast. I should have shifted and flown off, but I heard one of them shout Wade’s name and I thought that meant he’d turned up at the party—that made me freeze, wondering what the fuck I could do to help. I didn’t think for a single second that he was the one holding the gun. Not until he came into the kitchen. His eyes . . . they were dead. No rage, no thirst for violence. I swear, it chilled my blood.”
Riley paused in surprise as Tao’s hand squeezed hers. “I tried to talk Wade into putting the gun down, I asked him not to shoot. He frowned at me as if I was stupid, said he’d never hurt me, and then he just walked out the back door. People came to help, but by then he’d shifted and flown off into the mountains.”
“Did they track him?” asked Trick, leaning forward.
“The Beta, Hugh, found his dead body a couple of days later,” said Riley. “It looked like he’d died from dehydration, according to Hugh. He could have survived if he’d stayed in his avian form, but I think he wanted to die.”
Makenna wrapped her arms around herself. “God, that’s horrible.”
“There’s more,” Tao sensed. “I can understand you leaving the territory while the memories are too fresh, Riley, but not why you’d stay away for four years. There has to be more.”
She rubbed at her nape. “A lot of people were grieving. They’d lost sons and daughters. And as much as they were glad that I was okay . . .”
“They resented you for it,” Makenna finished.
Riley lifted one shoulder, asking, “Who could blame them? Of course they’d be wishing their own child survived. I could understand that. But Wade’s mother, Shirley . . . well, she didn’t want to face what her son had done. And you know what? I can understand that too. But she went too far—she accused me of putting him up to it. She said I must have taken advantage of his depressed state and made him act against his nature.”
Jaime gasped. “That’s crazy.”
“She made it sound very believable. I mean, I was the only survivor. Why shoot the others and not me? She implied I could have taken Wade there, watched while he did it, and then helped him get away. Some of the grievers were angry enough to want to believe that so they could have a living, flesh-and-blood person to rail at. Ravens are extremely protective of their young—it’s in their bones. Those deaths rocked everyone, made the parents feel like they’d failed their children. They wanted a whipping boy, someone they could project all that guilt onto.
“I was worried it would come to a point where someone finally did choose to believe it, so I left before things were said that couldn’t be unsaid.” And because she’d needed the time and space to deal with her own grief. “I’d always wanted to do a little traveling anyway. Most avian shifters do.”
Dominic tilted his head, asking, “Why didn’t you go back?” It was odd seeing him without his usual impish grin.
“Every time I thought about it, it just didn’t feel right,” said Riley.
“Of course it didn’t feel right,” said Taryn. “A shifter’s territory is their safe place. That event tainted it for you. And you no doubt felt betrayed by the very people who should always support you. I wouldn’t be in any rush to return either.” She blew out a breath. “You’re truly ready to go back, even if it’s just for the weekend?”
Riley nodded. “It’s time.”
After a moment of silence, Taryn asked, “When do you need to leave?”
“Friday.”
Makenna winced. “Can’t you leave on Saturday instead?”
Riley frowned at Makenna’s worried look. “Why?”
“Taking a trip on Fridays leads to misfortune,” Makenna said sagely.
Ryan closed his eyes, sighing. Makenna was incredibly superstitious and saw signs everywhere. Ryan, however, was a very practical person who believed superstitions were completely illogical.
“Sorry,” said Riley, stifling a smile, “the party’s Friday.”
“I’ll text Shaya and ask if there’s any chance you can borrow Nick’s friend’s private jet,” Taryn said, referring to the Mercury Pack Alphas. The packs were very close, especially since Roni had originally been a Mercury wolf, and so they shared Roni and Marcus. “W
e’ve done it a few times,” Taryn added. “Where in Arizona does the flock live?”
“Sedona, Arizona.”
Trey rubbed at his jaw. “The question is . . . who do you take with you to Sedona?”
Riley frowned. “I don’t need anybody to come along.”
“None of us go anywhere alone, Riley,” said Trey. “You know that.”
“I was invited,” announced Tao. “Lucy asked me to come.”
“Ah, well, then it makes sense for you to go,” Taryn said to him.
Shaking her head, Riley insisted, “I really don’t need protection.”
“Like Trey said, we don’t go anywhere alone,” said Dante. “The ravens aren’t going to like having a strange wolf on their territory. Tao’s a Head Enforcer—that’s a position people take note of, and it would make anyone very reluctant to fuck with him.”
“What about Kye?” asked Riley. “Tao’s his bodyguard.”
“And I take that position very seriously,” said Tao, “but someone else can take over for a couple of days. You can’t go there without protection, and you know full well I’m not going to hang back here while you leave our territory for the weekend, so why are we wasting time discussing it?”
Turning to fully face him, Riley folded her arms. “Lucy might have invited you, but I didn’t.”
Tao gave a careless shrug. “Doesn’t change the fact that I’m going.”
“Tell me honestly, how much of that story did you already know?”
“Most of it,” Tao replied. “I didn’t know you’d been at the shooting or that anyone had even thought to pin the blame on you, but I did know there was one.”
Trick frowned at Tao. “You knew . . . and you didn’t tell us?”
He shrugged again. “It was Riley’s story to tell.”
Dominic arched a brow. “So it was okay for you to know, but not the rest of us?”
“I dug up her story because I needed to be sure that everyone—including Riley—was safe from her past. I wasn’t going to turn her story into a subject of gossip; she didn’t deserve that.” Tao turned to Riley. “Someone’s got to go with you. I want it to be me. If that isn’t what you want, I’ll stay behind.”