As soon as the black car prowled to the parking area on my right, Austin got out and stalked toward the house. He lifted his arm and pointed at me.
“You, away from the house. Now.”
My stomach did a flip-flop.
“Austin, wait!” Lexi ran up beside him. Fury colored his face, and the power in his alpha voice compelled me to get off my rear and do as he said.
“Lexi, stay out of it. This is between the Packmaster and—”
“Austin,” she hissed. “Don’t you pull that alpha shit on me.”
There was a little standoff between them, and my brows popped up, not having seen many women talk back to a Packmaster in front of the pack. Lexi was tough, definitely an alpha female. After she narrowed her eyes and he folded his arms, she conceded defeat and stormed past him.
He playfully popped her on the behind. “We’ll kiss and make up later, Ladybug.”
She slammed the door. Austin caught my arm, helping me down the steps and toward the tree with the wooden swing. When he motioned for me to sit in it, I obliged.
Behind him, April warily looked in our direction as she joined Lexi inside. Reno headed our way, and I began to feel outnumbered and a little confused.
“Did anyone tell you what happened?” Austin asked.
I shook my head, gripping the rope tightly.
“You killed a human in Jericho’s trailer.” He slid his jaw from side to side. “What happened before you shifted?”
I took a deep breath, and Reno tossed his helmet to the ground. He was wearing the same button-up blue shirt as the previous night, his short brown hair neatly combed. Austin, on the other hand, had messy hair and a wrinkled white tank top.
“April stopped by because she’d lost track of Reno, and we started talking. Then this guy shows up at the door, pounding on it to get in. I told April to hide in the bathroom, and he forced his way inside.”
Austin folded his arms. “Who was he?”
“He works for Delgado—the guy Hawk was selling drugs for. I found out Hawk was taking an extra cut by jacking up the prices on the drugs he was selling. Now Delgado wants the money and the drugs.”
“Then give it to him.”
I laughed and threw my head back. “That would be so easy, if I actually knew where he stashed them. I’d happily give it over because I could care less about any of it. I just want this guy off my back.”
“You sure about that?”
I stared at the cleft in his chin and realized what he was implying. “The money means nothing to me. You could shred it into ribbons and I wouldn’t care. I’d never put Jericho or any of you in danger on purpose.”
Austin and Reno looked at each other. “She’s telling the truth,” Austin murmured.
“This Delgado has been a problem,” Reno stated matter-of-factly. “He’s a human, but he’s knee-deep in the Breed world. He got a taste of our money, and he’s been buying up local Breed clubs.”
“Shit,” Austin breathed.
Reno pulled his sunglasses off and tucked them in the collar of his shirt. “He’s trouble, and we can’t do jack about it.”
“Yeah, that’s a problem if he’s human. It makes him untouchable unless we can get human law enforcement involved.”
“Which gets them involved in our business,” Reno emphasized. “Then we’ll have to deal with the higher authority.”
No one wanted the higher authority meddling in Shifter business. They weren’t a governing body of Breed law—more like judge, jury, and executioner.
Denver strolled barefoot across the lawn, wearing a baggy orange shirt and a pair of jeans. His hair was still messy, and he looked indifferent to the crisis unfolding as he munched on a bowl of cereal.
“’Sup?” he asked with a mouthful. “Is she still being a stubborn bitch?”
“What can I do to help?” I stood up from the swing, still holding on to the ropes. “I didn’t mean to bring this to your doorstep, but tell me what to do and I’ll make it right.”
Austin stuffed his hands in his pockets and paced in a small circle, staring at his shoes. “If he thinks you have the drugs and money, then Hawk hid them somewhere. You need to find them. I don’t have time to be chasing down a human.”
I gazed up at the tree and watched the leaves shake in the light breeze. “I’ll give the house another search, I guess. And the house you found me in,” I said with a shiver, not wanting to go back and see that room again.
“Denver will take you to work. After your shift, Reno will—”
“Uh, hold up,” Reno said in a private voice. “I got a thing planned with April tonight.”
“Can’t it wait?”