Blood Rule (Book 4, Dirty Blood series) (11 page)

The picture in the upper right corner
changed from the dead girl to a grainy photo of the suspect. Even
with the hard angle and bad lighting, there was no mistaking the
auburn hair or the squared shoulders draped in a leather
jacket.

“
Is that …?” Angela
trailed off, her head cocked sideways at the picture on the
screen.

“
Wes,” I
whispered.

“
Shit,” he
said.

The newscaster rattled off a phone
number with instructions to “call if you recognize this person.”
Then the screen shifted to a traffic update. Angela and Wes both
seemed frozen. I was the first to recover.

“
Let’s go,” I said. I
grabbed my bag and then Wes’s arm and dragged him toward the door.
It took his feet an extra yank to get moving. “You too,” I said to
Angela.

I turned back when I reached the
hallway to make sure Angela was following. Her eyes were wide, but
she was there. Wes still hadn’t said a word, but I could see a
thousand different reactions reflected in his eyes. Back in Alex’s
room, I could hear the news talking about a warm front moving in as
the weatherman droned on.

“
Where are we going?”
Angela asked when we reached the main door.

I considered my answer. Wes had just
become a suspect in a murder. It wasn’t enough for Steppe to come
after Wes on his own turf; he’d gone and brought
humans—civilians—into the fight. Now, Wes would be hunted. A
fugitive. Where could we go to escape both the supernatural and the
human world? Was there such a place?

I doubted it.

Even still, part of me wanted to leave
Angela at the curb and run. Attempt to find a place that would keep
us safe from the entire world.

I sighed. That place was a
myth.

Or, if it existed at all, that place
was a person.

“
Tara?” Angela prompted.
“Where are we going?”

I checked my watch and made a
decision. “Grandma’s,” I said.

I drove, a sign Wes was seriously in
shock. He didn’t say much beyond grunting one-word assurances every
time I asked him if he was okay. In the tiny backseat, Angela
called her mom and said she was getting a ride home from me.
Whenever that was.

I couldn’t think past getting to
Grandma’s.

Traffic, stoplights, pedestrians
headed for the tram after work—all of it was a blur. I drove on
autopilot. My mind was full of the grainy screen-shot they’d shown
of Wes. I’d recognized him easily. And so would anyone else who
knew him. But would those people turn him in?

His face was at the scene. It didn’t
matter that the girl had already been dead when he’d showed up that
day. The camera put him there. And I had no doubt who’d found it
and fed it to the police. Especially after all this
time.

Wes’s phone rang. He hit the “ignore”
button before I could see who it was. Three seconds after he
silenced it, my phone rang. I almost ignored it. Between my own
stress and the spike of anxiety from the bond with the
pack—especially George and Chris—talking on the phone seemed
overwhelming. But then I saw the screen and I couldn’t let it go. I
hit the button for speakerphone.

“
Fee,” I said
simply.

“
How is he?” she asked,
her voice tight with worry.

I glanced at Wes. His expression was
stony as he stared ahead. Not a single muscle twitched. Not even
after hearing Fee.

“
He’s … processing,” I
said.

“
Where are you?” she
asked.

“
Driving.”

“
Good. Get to Edie’s.
We’re all meeting you there.”

“
I’m on it. See you
soon.”

I started to disconnect, but Fee’s
voice stopped me. “And Tara? Don’t stop for anything. Just get
there.”

“
I will,” I
promised.

Then the line went dead.

I took the ramp for the interstate and
eased my foot onto the accelerator. I thought of my words to Alex,
about how it felt like everything was building toward something
huge. Something larger than I knew what to do with. The truth of
those words hit me and I knew it was starting.

Ten minutes later, I pulled into the
parking garage below Grandma’s downtown apartment. I avoided the
elevators and found a space as close to the stairwell as possible
before cutting the engine. I glanced out all of the windows three
times and sucked in a deep breath, my fingers hovering over the
door handle. I’d never had to worry about human authorities before.
They could be anywhere. No goose bumps, no internal alarm to warn
me.

I took a deep breath to calm the
nerves that danced through the bond. It wasn’t enough.

I texted George.
Wes was named the prime suspect in Mal’s
murder.

It was a horrible way to deliver news
that your friend was being framed for murder, but he needed to know
the danger wasn’t so immediate he should risk himself in getting to
me. And if I knew George, any longer and he’d do exactly
that.

The reply was
instant.
Who’s Mal?

Cord’s friend from DC. Our
CHAS contact.

Run or fight?

I knew what he was asking—and what he
wanted my answer to be. All of them could sense it now, my
restlessness, my nerves wound tight. Everyone wanted to release the
energy coiling. They wanted a fight.

I glanced at Wes and then
texted back.
Stand by. Going to see
Grandma.

Be there in 30. Bringing
Chris.

I started to type an
agreement and then deleted it and sent:
I
need you there. Wait for my call.
Whatever
came next, I couldn’t leave the pack unguarded. I needed to know
they were safe.

Somewhere in the parking garage, a car
door slammed. I flinched. Angela’s intake of breath was audible,
but Wes didn’t budge. I reached out and took his hand, barely
applying pressure as I laid my palm over his knuckles. Something
about him seemed surprisingly fragile right now. And very close to
an edge I didn’t want to accidentally push him over.

“
Ready?” I
asked.

Silence. Angela shifted in the
backseat.

“
We’re going in here to
make a plan,” I said. “We’re going to fight this.”

Finally, Wes blinked and turned to me.
His eyes were clearer but his chin jutted in a way that spoke of
temper. Serious, burning temper. “You know it was Steppe, right?”
His voice was low and even and made the Werewolf in me shiver in
anticipation. It wanted to follow him wherever he wanted to take
this. I shook it off, gripping the wheel to ground myself in my
humanness.

“
Yes,” I said. “It was
definitely Steppe.”

“
He’s started
something.”

“
I know.” I
shivered.

“
I can’t go
home.”

“
Everyone’s coming here.
We’ll figure it out.”

He squeezed my hand. I knew my words
weren’t much of an answer, but it was enough for now.

We took the stairs to Grandma’s
apartment single file. I made Angela go first. If anyone was
waiting for us, she’d see them and signal. It was strangely
satisfying to be protecting Wes for once, instead of the other way
around. And even stranger that he didn’t object to my taking
charge.

Jack met us as we came out of the
stairwell. His large frame made a barrier, blocking the way for
anyone that tried to pass. At the sight of Angela, I saw him
tense.

“
It’s us,” I
called.

He relaxed again when he saw Wes and
me. “You made it,” he said. “Any problems?”

“
Not yet,” I
said.

“
Let’s get
inside.”

Jack led the way, his shoulders
brushing either side of the doorframe as he passed through. The
apartment had a narrow entryway that opened into a sparsely
furnished living space. I wasn’t sure if Grandma kept her seating
to a minimum out of personal preference or to discourage company,
but a loveseat and small end table were the only furniture present.
The open space flowed right into the kitchen with a breakfast bar
separating the two.

I spotted Grandma first. She stood
pouring tea into a row of mugs. My mother had her back to me and
her head stuck inside a kitchen cabinet. Cambria and Cord were on
the loveseat with Derek pacing behind them. He stilled when he saw
us.

“
They’re here,” Jack
announced.

My mother snapped the cabinet shut and
hurried over, pulling me into a rough hug. “Thank goodness,” she
said. Even Grandma looked visibly relieved.

“
We’re okay, Mom,” I said,
my voice coming out halted and uneven underneath the pressure of
her arms. She let go of me and promptly hugged Wes.

“
I know,” she said, “but I
was worried and your grandmother’s appliances are already so
clean.”

Over her shoulder, Wes looked at me
with brows raised. His hands rested awkwardly on my mother’s
shoulders.

I looked around at the group
assembled. “Where’s Fee?”

“
She had to make a quick
stop. She’s on her way,” Jack said.

“
What’s she doing here?”
Cord asked, pointing at Angela. I’d almost forgotten
her.

“
She was at the hospital
when we saw the news,” I said.

“
She shouldn’t be here for
this,” Cord said. I traded glares with her. If it were anyone else,
I’d agree. But this was Angela. And while Cord and I had moments of
near-friendship, I’d happily fight her on this right
now.

“
She stays,” I
said.

Cord looked ready to argue but Grandma
cut her off. “We don’t have time for this. She can stay for now. We
have a lot to say and not a lot of time.”

“
Shouldn’t we wait for
Fee?” I asked.

“
She’ll catch up. Here,
drink this.” Grandma handed Wes and I each a cup of the steaming
tea I’d seen her pour. My mother handed one to Angela.

“
What is it?” I asked with
a sniff.

“
Energy,” she said
simply.

“
We already had ours.
Drink up. You’re going to need it,” Jack added.

Fee wasn’t here, but I sipped
cautiously anyway. “Not bad,” I said.

Wes downed his in three gulps and set
the cup aside. “What’s the plan?” he asked. He looked slightly
better than he had in the car but his chin still jutted and his
eyes shone with restrained fury. “Are we going after Steppe or
what?”

“
Definitely ‘or what,’”
Jack said.

Wes narrowed his eyes. Derek, Cambria,
and Cord rose from the couch and walked closer so we were all in a
huddle in the center of the room. Angela hung back with my
mother.

“
Why not?” Derek
asked.

“
I’m with Wes on this,”
Cord agreed.

“
We know it was him that
fed the surveillance video to the human police,” Wes
said.

“
I’m fully aware of this,”
Jack began, holding up a hand to halt the argument.

Cord rolled her eyes. “But …” she
prompted.

“
But we need to assess the
entire situation before jumping into anything,” Jack
finished.

“
Assess what?” Wes
asked.

Someone knocked on the door. I
flinched but Cord and Wes sprang into action, flying to the door in
a blur of feet. “It’s Fee,” Wes said after checking the
peephole.

We all relaxed as he slid the deadbolt
free. Fee slipped inside and the door was again shut and locked
behind her. She hugged Wes and then reached out to squeeze Cord’s
arm in silent greeting. She searched the room and when her eyes
found Jack’s, they shared a tight smile.

“
Tara, glad you made it.
Angela, good to see you again,” she said, spotting us.

“
Hello,” Angela said
quietly from her spot on the edge of the couch.

Fee made her way into the living room
and I saw that her hair was disheveled and wind-blown. Cord leaned
over and whispered something in Fee’s ear. Fee’s cheeks went pink
and she fumbled with her zipper.

“
Did you run here?” Derek
asked.

“
I did,” she said,
sounding slightly winded. She looked at me. “I wanted to inform the
pack of what’s happening so they didn’t rush into the city to
defend whatever panic you might be sending.”

“
Thanks,” I said, “but you
didn’t have to do that. I already texted George. It’s under
control.”

She shook her head and shot a glance
at Grandma, her brow wrinkling. “It isn’t solely about Wes being on
the news.”

Something bitter settled at the back
of my throat. “What else is there?”

“
That’s what I was getting
to. There’s something else you need to know before a decision can
be made,” Grandma cut in.

“
What now?” Derek
demanded.