Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“Is the skin dry like leather? Fresh? Festering with decay? I need more details before I can make a judgement.”
I laugh and curl my legs around him, heart fluttering in my chest. There is no denying that Xavier Malus is a complex man, and I feel so damn lucky that I get to see this version of him.
“What didn’t Larkin want you to say?” I ask, brushing my fingers through his hair.
“Theo and I got rid of a rival pack master for her.”
“You mean killed.”
“Yes. We burned his body and disposed of the ashes in a river”
“Oh,” I say. “Very thorough. Did you shave his hair off before you burned him?”
“Didn’t have to. No one was close enough to smell and report burning hair.”
The corners of my lips turn up in a smile. “I don’t know if I should be surprised you knew what I meant or not.”
He lays next to me and pulls me onto his chest. “I’ve been disposing of bodies for centuries. Is that something they teach in the Order?”
“Yes. They say human life should be protected above all, but people die. All the time. Sometimes it’s just for a hunter’s funeral. But I’ve helped make bodies disappear too.” I bring my hand up and play with a button on his shit. “I should feel bad about it. They have families looking for them that could have gotten closure by knowing they’re dead at least. I was following orders, doing what I thought was right.” I lift my head and look into Xavier’s beautiful blue eyes. “I need to tell you something.”
He cocks one eyebrow. “After you just confessed to burying bodies, should I be scared?”
Laughing, I rest my head against him again, taking solace in his embrace. The way he makes me smile despite all the bullshit around me…I never thought I’d feel like this about anyone other than Ryder.
“Oh, you should be terrified.” I take in a steadying breath. “Antonio called me just a bit ago. I told him he should look into the drug overdoses a little bit more because the deaths are from demonic possession, not drugs. He did, and he found a possible connection to the Order.”
“What is it?”
“Not that long ago, the Order tried to recruit some people—which they do—but these guys weren’t exactly the type who would make good hunters. Toni met three of them, and two were found dead. The third is unaccounted for.”
“Okay,” Xavier says, nodding as he takes in the information. “The Order recruits unlikely candidates who end up possessed and found dead. Devon uncovered something that spooked him enough into thinking you were in more danger than I could protect you from.”
“And that’s not all.”
“Go on.” He runs his fingers up and down my arm, somehow keeping me calm.
“One of the higher-ups in the Order, this sleazeball named Marcus Henry, this morning. Yesterday? Everything is blending together in my head.”
“I’m just now hearing about this?”
I roll my eyes. “We’ve been kind of busy. Anyway, he offered me a deal. Give info about you and your family in exchange for him helping me flee.” Now that I’ve said it out loud, there’s no going back. “He said I have an aunt in the UK and he would help me get there and make sure the chapter of the Order across the pond welcomed a talented hunter like myself. He took it too far.” I widen my eyes as I talk. “If he stopped at getting me to my aunt in exchange for info, I might not have made the connection.” I laugh. “The Order is never going to accept me because I’m a witch. They know they can’t get to me while in with you, so they’re trying to get me out of town because they know I’m probably the one person who can figure out what is going on with the drugs and the demons.”
“Wren,” Xavier starts.
“There’s already rumors going around that you are the one supplying these drugs. That’s why Larkin was at the hotel.”
“How do you know that?”
I sit up so I can look at him. “She told me. And I could sense that she was telling the truth.”
He narrows his eyes slightly. “She trusted you enough to tell you that?”
I shrug. “I guess.” It takes a few seconds for it to hit me just how different things are now that Xavier has a human wife. Is it because she feels like she can trust me…or is it because I’m expendable? “She said members of the pack have been hurt by the drugs. I don’t know the extent. I told her it wasn’t you, and that you have no interest in bringing deadly drugs into the city.”
“And she believed you?”
“I think she wanted to but needs proof. And to probably hear it from you.”
“She seemed to take to you.”