In the Company of Wolves(61)

“We might have followed Liam, but like I told you before, you’ve been the heart and soul of this pack for a long time,” she said.

Jayna didn’t know what to say to that. She didn’t understand how they could expect her to be in charge. She wasn’t any stronger than the rest of them. She opened her mouth to tell them that when Moe stiffened.

“There are a whole bunch of omegas coming,” he said.

Jayna tensed. The omegas never came down to this end of the hall. If they were coming now, it was because they had a reason.

Moe and Joseph were up in a flash and going for the two MP5s leaning against the wall. Chris pulled his from under the edge of his mattress but stayed where he was. Jayna got to her feet, instinctively putting herself between the locked door and her pack.

The doorknob rattled, then a fist thumped the door so hard it shook in the frame. Jayna made no move to open it, and neither did anyone else.

“I know you’re all in there, so you might as well open the door,” Liam shouted.

His voice reverberated in the partially renovated hallway, and Jayna could feel the anger there. She knew Liam had been pissed at Eric and her for what happened last night, but this was about something else. She just wasn’t sure what.

“Jayna, I have omegas with me,” Liam said. “If you don’t put down your weapons and open the door, I can’t be responsible for what they do.”

Crap. That was a threat if she ever heard one. Jayna glanced over her shoulder. Megan and the guys were looking at her in wide-eyed panic.

“I know Eric is a cop, Jayna,” Liam called.

Jayna’s stomach dropped, and she jerked her head back around to stare at the door. How had they figured it out? Had they followed Eric to the SWAT compound and seen him go inside? Her blood went cold at the thought.

“A cop?” She tried to sound shocked but wasn’t quite sure she pulled it off. Thank God, Liam couldn’t see her face. “Are you sure?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Jayna,” Liam said. “I know you and the rest of the pack have been helping him.”

Double crap.

She opened her mouth to deny it, but Liam interrupted her.

“I ran into those gangbangers from that meth lab Eric burned to the ground, and they didn’t look all that crispy. But how could they when he let them get away? Isn’t that right, Moe?”

Jayna glanced at Moe. His hand tightened reflexively on his weapon, but he didn’t answer.

“I know that Eric tricked you and the rest of the pack, Jayna, and I forgive you,” Liam said, his voice softening. “Open the door, so we can talk about this.”

Jayna didn’t buy that for a second. Once she opened the door, Liam could do anything he wanted, including gunning them down where they stood. But what else could she do? Liam had them cornered.

Jayna glanced at the door to the balcony, then at Chris. It was a long way down to the grassy lawn outside. She, Megan, Joseph, and Moe could make the jump easily, but Chris was still too injured to even consider it.

But if they didn’t open the door, Liam would just break it down.

Megan and the guys were looking at her expectantly. God, she wished Eric were there. But he wasn’t. He was only a phone call away though.

But her phone was in her room charging, along with Megan’s. And none of the guys had phones.

Dammit!

“Jayna, if you don’t open this door and come out, we’re coming in,” Liam yelled.

“Okay. Just a minute,” she shouted back, then took Megan’s hand and dragged her toward the balcony. “Keep Liam talking,” she told the guys.

If this worked, she’d be able to get word to Eric. If it didn’t, at least she’d be able to get Megan out safely.

“What…?” Megan began, but the words drifted off as Jayna opened the sliding glass door. Megan’s eyes widened. “No way. I’m not going out there. I’m not leaving you guys!”

Jayna tugged on her hand, pulling her onto the balcony. “You’re not leaving us. You’re going for help. Chris can’t jump, and Moe and Joseph will never leave without him. If I go, Liam will lose his mind when he comes through that door. It has to be you. If you don’t go, we’re not going to make it out of this.”

“But—”

Jayna took Megan’s other hand and gave them both a squeeze. “Eric is at the SWAT compound. You have to go there and tell him what’s going on.”

Tears welled in Megan’s eyes, spilling over onto her cheeks as she shook her head. “I can’t do this. You know I can’t.”

Since the day Megan jumped out of that hospital window and survived the bone-shattering impact, she’d been terrified of heights. She felt sick if she even looked out a high window, and driving over a tall bridge was against pack rules unless she was sleeping. Asking her to jump from a fourth-story balcony was the very worst thing Jayna could ask her to do. But she was asking her to do it anyway.