Part 20 (1/2)

”No s.h.i.+t! What is she doing here? What is she doing with you? What the f.u.c.k is going on?” His eyes flickered to the coppery brown tone they took before he s.h.i.+fted.

Hugh appreciated his willingness to defend him.

”It's cool,” Hugh a.s.sured him, putting a hand on his arm to let him know s.h.i.+fting wasn't necessary. ”At least for the moment. Tess and I have a deal. She's not going to eliminate me.”

”Yet,” she chimed in.

”You need to explain.” All interest in Tess disappeared from Trey's face.

”I will, but for now my relations.h.i.+p with Tess has to be kept secret. No one else knows who she is.”

Trey nodded.

”There's something else I need to ask you.” Before Hugh could get his question out, Dane approached.

”Trey,” Dane extended his hand, ”I'm glad to see you're okay.”

”Thanks.” They shook hands and genuine affection crossed Trey's face.

”Anything I need to be brought up to speed on?” Dane pa.s.sed a glance over the three of them.

”Trey will fill you in. Take him back with you and I'll call later with instructions.”

”Sure. You ready?” Dane asked, taking his leave.

”Yeah.” He turned to follow Dane but Hugh held him back.

”He'll be right behind you.” Something nagged at Hugh and he needed Trey to put it to rest.

Dane didn't look back, just waved a hand in the air.

Hugh released his hold and asked in a hushed voice, ”Did you happen to catch the name of the person involved with the Wolf Seekers?”

Trey didn't hesitate. ”Yeah. Dobson.”

Tess nearly came out of her skin when she heard Trey say Dobson. She held her tongue until he walked away then turned and almost tackled Hugh to the ground, she was so excited. Finally, after five years, she had a lead.

Normally nothing ruffled her, but at the thought of coming face-to-face with the wolfen who killed Jason a knot the size of California lodged in her stomach. She'd get her revenge. She'd have closure once and for all.

”Oh my G.o.d. Did you hear that?” She nudged his shoulder, wanting to touch him, but keeping a respectable distance since other Night Runners might be watching.

”I did.” He didn't look half as happy as she was.

”What's wrong?”

Engines roared to life. The sound grabbed Hugh's attention and he looked past her to the Night Runners taking their leave. With his focus elsewhere, she took a minute to revel in the news Trey had shared and lift her chin to gaze at the stars. There weren't any. Only a night sky painted dirty white with low clouds. No wonder humidity filled the air.

In the muddy sky, she did see something, though. A face. Jason's face. For five years she'd been desperate to find his killer because she'd made him a promise. And if her word wasn't good to those she'd loved, where did that leave her? Would there be any good left in her at all?

Killing, working for P.I.E., even though she believed she fought evil, didn't warrant any citizens.h.i.+p awards.

When she brought her chin down, Hugh was brooding over something. ”What is it?” she asked again, hoping whatever he had to say wouldn't exclude her from tracking down Jason's killer.

”Dobson.” His eyes searched the park as he took her arm and led her back to the Ducati. ”You said he's a wolfen.”

”Yes.”

”Are you positive? There's no doubt?” The hair on her arms stood up at his businesslike tone.

Annoyance crept into her mindset. ”I'm positive.”

”If Dobson's a wolfen, then it means the Wolf Seekers have got a s.h.i.+fter as an ally and that sure as h.e.l.l doesn't make sense.”

Tess wanted to slap herself in the forehead. ”You're right. What is a wolfen doing with the Wolf Seekers?” And more disturbingly, did the Wolf Seekers have something to do with Jason's death? Oh my G.o.d. No. The Seekers were human.

After witnessing what went down this evening, her doubts about the truth and good versus evil came roaring back. From what she could tell, the Wolf Seekers were far more ruthless than the Night Runners.

Had she been living in a bubble? Had she taken for granted everything P.I.E. told her as the golden rule? She'd never questioned the Veiler-human equation, but... She started to hyperventilate, her skin got clammy.

”I need a second,” she said.

Hugh halted and let go of her arm. She bent over, put her hands on her knees and took slow, deep breaths while trying to clear her head.

”You all right?” Concern, more concern than she'd ever imagined from a Veiler, sounded in his voice.

”I'm fine. Just lost my breath for a minute.”

Things definitely weren't black and white anymore. If she were walking a chalk line and had to pick a side right this very minute, she'd side with the Night Runners. She'd leap in front of a tranquilizer for Hugh. How the h.e.l.l could she be a P.I.E. eliminator and feel that way? The last week had put all her beliefs into a tailspin. Hugh had shared his pack's mission, shared stories about marriages and babies being born and job promotions. The picture he painted had changed her mind about wolfen. He'd shared openly, answering her questions. He'd let her in. And after seeing the way the Wolf Seekers had attacked unprovoked tonight, she knew for certain they were corrupt.

He knelt and with the softest, sweetest voice she'd ever heard, whispered, ”Are you hurt? Please tell me you're not hurt.”

Hurt didn't begin to explain the pain circling inside her. For the first time since she'd been recruited by P.I.E. she wanted to disappear and never eliminate another Veiler as long as she lived.

Equally painful was the squeeze on her heart. She'd told herself not to fall for Hugh. She'd planned to keep the walls she'd built up firmly in place. But somewhere between meeting him in a bar and standing beside him now, she'd forgotten that. Her resolve had slowly chipped away and it p.i.s.sed her off.

The people she loved left her by dying. It was as simple as that.

”I'm not hurt,” she bit back, knowing he didn't deserve her nasty tone of voice.

He backed off by a few steps. She heard his cell phone ring, heard him answer it. She stared at the gra.s.s, thinking it a much better choice than returning upright to look at him. Looking at him caused her sensibilities to go haywire.

”Thanks, Trey. That information is very helpful. Do me a favor? Keep this between us.”

Only because he had new information, she stood. And looked at his shoes.

”Keep a low profile and tell everyone to be cautious.”