Peeling off her clothes, she walked toward the bathroom. The tea would have to wait.
She needed to get the stench of the strip club off her body and out of her soul.
***
“I accept this mission. What do you need me to do?” Lucien had made it to Barrett’s office before the sun was even up.
“This is completely under the radar. If the other Guardians ask where you are, I’m telling them you’re on a road trip on the Pig Trail.” Barrett took a sip of his coffee and met Lucien’s gaze.
“But we’re already short-staffed. They’re not going to believe you.” Lucien had heard chatter among the Guardians about having to pull overtime. They weren’t going to like it if he was suddenly gone on vacation.
“They won’t dare question me.” Barrett reached in the desk drawer and pulled out a cheap throw-away cell phone. He tossed it to Lucien, who caught it. “Use this if you need to report in. Leave your personal cell phone behind.”
Adrenaline spiked his veins. He studied the floor as something stirred in his gut.
“I know it’s always bothered you, Lucien. That the ink wouldn’t take over your…”
“Charred flesh?” His lips stretched into a sarcastic smirk while his eyes hardened.
“I was going to say ‘scar.’” Barrett narrowed his eyes and sat back in his chair. “As I mentioned yesterday, the fact that you don’t carry the Guardian tattoo is one of the reasons I’m sending you. You’ll discover that what you consider a weakness is your biggest strength on this mission. You don’t need anything that will identify you as a Guardian.”
His heart gave an angry squeeze and pumped hot blood through his veins.
Every time the Guardians were initiated, it was Barrett who took them to Jonesboro to get their Guardian ink. When it had been his turn, Barrett had made the show of taking Lucien to the Moon Goddess despite knowing the tattoo wouldn’t take.
His first thought had been that Barrett was doing this to embarrass him, to shame him because of his deformity.
Barrett had told the tattoo artist, Matt, he was going to do Lucien’s tatt himself.
Once they were alone in the tattoo shop, Barrett turned to him. He said he knew Lucien’s back wouldn’t take the ink. He told him his heart and dedication to being a Guardian meant more than just some fucking ink.
He’d locked the door and turned on the TV in the corner. They’d spent hours playing video games, neither saying anything other than the occasional curse word when they managed to get killed in the game. Hours later, they headed back home to Little Rock.
“Remember this, Lucien.” Barrett’s voice broke his train of thought. “You watch your ass like never before. If someone in New Orleans even thinks for one second you’re a Guardian, you make damn fucking sure you change their mind. Do whatever it takes. You’re going to be alone on this trip, and I need you to make sure you get your ass back here in one piece. We clear?”
“Crystal.” He wouldn’t get caught. He had a lot of work to do, including finding his brother.
Barrett narrowed his eyes and then looked away. “There’s more.”
“What?”
“I didn’t tell you everything yesterday.” Barrett put his elbows on the desk and leaned in. “There was a list in that package. With the names of all the Arkansas Guardians. They’d crossed off Heimy’s name. And they put a star by Mitchell’s name.”
“So they are hunting us.”
“So it would seem.” Barrett’s eyes hardened. “Your name was missing from the list.”
A mixture of emotions— part relief, part offense— rumbled around his chest.
“That’s why you’re sending me. I’m invisible.” Hatred for his brother grew.
Silence stretched between them.
“This isn’t an easy assignment, Lucien,” Barret said.
“That’s why you gave it to me. To make sure it’s handled correctly.” He stood and stuck out his hand. Barrett gave him a tight shake. “I won’t let you down.”
“I never thought you would.”
***
Jaxon watched from the shadows as Lucien entered Barrett’s office. Usually when there was a meeting, they were all included.
Not today.
Lucien had joined the Guardians not soon after he had. He felt like Lucien had held himself back, kept himself from really being part of the Pack. He suspected it had to do with whatever fucked-up past the werewolf continued to drag along with him.
Jaxon knew what it was like to watch someone haunted by their past until it swallowed them up like a giant crater.
Shit was cancerous. Ate away at your soul until you were a walking zombie.