Chapter 23

Rose

Mike must feel the same way because he wipes his mouth. "This has been a great night. It's been really good getting to know you. I think we feel confident about our decision. You can expect a call from us in a day or two."

"What are you doing?" Stu asks in my ear. "We need those last few questions."

Tom leans forward. "But it was just starting to get interesting. Surely, you don't want to leave before dessert."

"Thank you, but I think my wife and I are ready to call this a night," Mike says. I can feel this meeting getting away from us. I panic because I know this is the only lead we have on who's poisoning the Orlando Pack. I know how much we need these answers. "You ready?" Mike asks me, giving me a look.

I take a sip of water, trying to steady myself. "I am. Thank you so much for dinner. This has been great." I stand to my feet and place my napkin next to my plate. "Oh, I did have one last question." I don't look at Mike. I lock eyes with Tom. "Do you know anything about strychnine?"

I can hear the audible response of Stu in my ear, and let's just say it's not favorable. A new voice enters my ear. "Healer, what are you doing?" I recognize Maverick's voice. "Get out of there now."

I ignore him and focus on the men in front of me. I let the camera in my glasses keep recording even as I feel Mike step closer. Tom stares at me, his face betraying nothing. "I've heard of it before. Isn't that what they use to kill wild animals that come too close to urban areas?"

"Have you ever heard of it being found in a water source?"

He doesn't flinch. "No. That would be hazardous."

"And deadly," I add. I hear somebody talking in my ear, but I ignore it. I deliberately turn my head to look at the two other men and catch Ryan on his phone.

"I think it's time to go," Mike says, stepping close and putting a hand on my elbow.

I look back at Tom. "I would hate to think what the local authorities would do if they heard about something like that. Let alone how other people would respond. You know the kind of people that sometimes act like wolves," I say, giving a fake laugh. His entire body tenses, and I don't look away, knowing I've finally got him. "If a company was caught using something like strychnine, it would be...disastrous for the company. They'd never do another ounce of business again."

Mike puts pressure on my elbow and physically pulls me away from the table. "Let's go. Now."

There's distant shouting; I think it's coming from my earpiece, but I can't tell. "Stay calm," Stu says in my ear. "Mike's going to get you out of there."

"Stay in front of me," Mike says in a low voice as we walk towards the front door.

"Get her out of there, Mike," Cade says now in our ears. "We're meeting you at the rendezvous point." I keep walking, feeling adrenaline coursing through my system. We walk outside, and Mike doesn't slow down. When we stop at a car I don't recognize, he stops. "This is mine. Here." He shoves keys into my hand and I stare at him in confusion. "Drive," he demands.

Scared to death that they're going to come after us out here, I do what he says without arguing. I climb in and start the car. He climbs in a moment later. "Go."

I pull away from the curb, glancing in my rearview mirror. "Why am I driving your car exactly?"

"Because I need two hands free."

It's then that I notice the gun in his hand, resting on his thigh. "What are you doing with that?" I whisper.

"Making sure we get away."

That's all he says, but I feel my heart increase its speed. "You think they'll come after us?" I ask, glancing behind us.

"You mean the men that are trying to murder an entire pack—men, women, and children?" His voice holds no emotion.

I fall silent at his words. "Where do we go?" I ask when we come to the end of the road.

"Left at the light. We're heading to Orange Park."

"I don't know where that is," I say, my voice sounding panicky.

He glances in his side mirror before glancing over at me. "Oh, now you decide to panic? Not when you decide to just ask them outright if they're the ones murdering your pack?"

I don't correct him on the fact that it's not my pack. I can feel the censure in his words. "I was trying to get the information we needed."

"You don't need to explain it to me," he says. "I'm not the one you're going to have to answer to."

His ominous words give me a stomachache, and I suddenly fear seeing Cade and the other shifters. I follow his directions to a park nearby. I haven't even finished parking when Mike's door is wrenched open, and he's dragged from the car. I scream in fear and fumble with my seatbelt managing to finally get out. I run around to the other side of the car and see Maverick has Mike up against a wall with a hand at his throat. Knowing Mike has a gun, I shout as I run toward them. "Maverick, stop!"

"Get your hands off me," Mike says in anger. "I didn't do anything."

I can't hear Maverick's response because it's too low, but Cade takes over the situation. "Mav, get off him!" Mav doesn't listen for a moment. Finally, he releases him and then whirls on me.

"And you! What the—"

"Mav!" Cade shouts at him.

But Maverick ignores him and strides toward me, fury coming off him in waves. "What do you think you were doing in there? Trying to blow this entire thing?"

I stiffen my shaky legs and use the adrenaline still coursing through my system to strengthen me. I lift my head. "I did what I needed to do, Maverick; and I'm not going to be treated like a two-year old by you."

"Then you shouldn't act like one!" he thunders.

My anger is rising, and it's not a good feeling. In fact, I can't remember the last time I got angry, truly angry. "I made the best decision I could. I got the information, didn't I? You know as well as I do that they're guilty. You could see it all over their faces, faces and reactions I have on a recording. So maybe instead of yelling at me, you should be thanking me."

It's deadly silent for a moment; then I hear a snort. "You just got told, Mav." I don't turn around to see which guy said that.

His eyes narrow, and I can tell he's going to go at it again with me. "I'm not having this conversation with you until you calm down, Mav." Then I turn and walk over to the waiting car. Cade gives me a nod and a small smile when I walk past him, and Stu fist bumps me. Van gives me a high five, and even Eli gives me a nod when I walk past him.

I glance back and see Cade talking to Maverick, but Mav's eyes are on me. It's too far away for me to hear what Cade is saying, but I can see that Maverick is still angry. I climb into the backseat of one of the cars, so I don't have to see him anymore. It doesn't take long for Stu to climb in the front passenger seat. Cade sits in the driver's seat, and Eli climbs into the seat next to me. I look out the window, wondering if I'll panic being stuck in a car with three males. Earlier, I was too full of nerves for the dinner that I didn't really notice. Now, it's all I can notice. But I work on my breathing techniques that my therapist taught me, and I'm able to keep the panic at bay.

"So," Cade finally says, and I dread hearing what he's going to say.

I jump in before he can say anything. "I'm sorry I messed things up; I just couldn't let the meeting go without finding out for sure if they were involved."

Cade meets my eyes in the mirror. "You did good, Rose."

I blink in surprise. "You're not mad at me?"

Cade huffs out a laugh. "Mad that you basically proved that they're the ones behind what's happening to our pack? That would be a no. Now, we can make a plan to bring them down."

"But Maverick was so mad. I thought..."

"Maverick was mad because you were in danger," Cade says quietly.

"No, that's not it. He laid into me about messing things up and acting like a two-year-old," I say with a scowl. Apparently, I'm still not over it.

"Maverick acted like a jerk," Cade concedes. "But he was acting out of fear. For you—his mate."

I look at him to see if he's serious, and he is. He really believes what he's saying. I glance over at Eli, and he turns from looking out the window to glance over at me. "You did good." That's all he says before he looks back out the window again, ready and alert. Somehow his three words feel like a mountain of praise.

"Why would that be?" Stu mutters from the front seat. I can hear his fingers running over the keys on his keyboard, and I wonder what he's found. But I don't interrupt him, as he's obviously working on figuring something out.

"Notice anything, Eli?" Cade asks.

"No."

"Me neither, and I'm not sure if that worries me even more," Cade says. Eli doesn't say anything in response. "Be on alert when we get back and go ahead and double the evening patrol."

"Got it," Eli says.

The trip back to the pack house seems to take forever. I can feel the tension in the car, and it's stressing me out. Finally, we make it back to the pack house. "Wait in the car for a moment, Rose, until we can be sure it's clear."

Eli and Cade both climb out and circle the car before walking over to the second car. I watch as Maverick and Van climb out. The four of them talk for a moment before they come back. Cade opens my door. "It's safe."

Stu is still working in the front seat. I'm not sure how long he's going to be there, so I leave him to his work. "Maverick is going to make sure you get inside safely," Cade says.

I glance over at Maverick. His arms are crossed over his chest as he talks to Eli. He does not look happy. "Are you sure?" I ask Cade warily.

Cade glances over at Maverick and then back at me. "Do you want me to instead?"

As if he hears the question, Maverick looks over and locks eyes with me before starting in my direction. I take a deep breath and prepare for him to argue with me again, but he surprises me. "I'll walk you in." He doesn't say anything else. I walk next to him, being careful to keep my distance. He holds the front door for me and follows me as I walk up the stairs and to my apartment. When we get to my apartment, I unlock the door.

"Thanks for walking me to my door," I say quickly and step inside and start to close the door. A large hand stops it.

"Can I come in?" he asks. I freeze a moment before I swallow and nod, not trusting my voice. He follows me into my apartment that suddenly seems so much smaller with him standing in it. "I shouldn't have talked to you like that." His words shock me. "I was angry, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

" Are you apologizing to me?" I can't help the words; they just tumble out.

He gives me a look. "Yes."

Again, it's like my mouth opens, and the words in my brain just sort of tumble out. "Wow. What is this world coming to?"