27. Isaac

27

ISAAC

Andrew had wanted to meet at an abandoned parking garage. Isaac in turn suggested the front steps of a police station.

They settled on a park.

Isaac chose a meeting spot in full view of CCTV, just in case. He watched the source of all their discontent waiting for him. Andrew Zhao was clearly on edge, eyes darting around before he yelled at a child who dared to run after their ball within his vicinity.

“Screaming at children, Andrew, really?” Isaac said to himself under his breath. “Be a little less of a walking cliché.”

Andrew’s shoulders straightened when he spotted Isaac, the mark of a weak-minded man driven by the instinct to appear larger in the face of an oncoming threat. Isaac showed no indication he had seen the other alpha and continued ambling over while Andrew grew more agitated.

“You’re late,” he said tersely, once Isaac seated himself on the bench beside him with barely a glance his way.

“Am I?” he asked bemusedly to Andrew’s annoyance. He certainly was. Four minutes to be exact. He’d relished every single one from the comfort of his car.

“Ava Simmons,” Andrew scoffed. “Bet you think you’re pretty fucking clever after that interview.”

“Not really.”

He wasn’t. It was all Juno, after all. SSNN’s The Nation Today still brought up bond dissolution when it suited them. But they chose to push the angle of the government getting too involved instead. Or bringing on Joseph Lawson to shout purposefully incendiary sound bytes that almost always made the rounds on their social media channels. Andrew never received another mention. It would’ve been too much to ask for a public recanting but it was becoming apparent that they had washed their hands of him.

“Although,” Andrew said, his arrogance distorting his features grotesquely. “It did have one positive side effect. Videos of Juno in heat have never been more valuable.” He sighed like this was all one great big burden. “The question is, will you be able to pay more than my highest bidder?”

So this was how he was going to play it. Isaac was almost disappointed at how predictable he was.

“Well, that would depend on what the winning bid was, Andrew,” Isaac said blandly.

His laissez-faire attitude was clearly getting to Andrew. “You can fucking pay it,” he spat out, incensed. The likelihood of Andrew releasing the videos regardless was quite high and he clearly wanted the additional satisfaction of looting Pack Reyna’s accounts in the process. “Four alphas in one pack? That’s quite a bit of income for your pack coffers. Not to mention your extra beta hanger-ons. I’m not sure what crumbs that little pissant Julian can contribute but the rest of you are doing quite well by the looks of it.”

Anger boiled at Andrew’s assessment of Julian. Isaac had guarded himself against Andrew’s inevitable attacks on Juno but his small barb against Julian slipped through. “He’s the one that found the evidence, by the way.” Isaac by some miracle managed to keep his voice calm. “Those pictures that fucked up your whole narrative that Juno came to you willingly? All Julian.” He threw Andrew a pointed look, relishing the way the other alpha had paled with anger. “He’s really much more resourceful than you ever gave him credit for, you know.”

Andrew’s fury suddenly dissipated like it was never there, an unnatural calm falling over him. “Maybe I was wrong to approach you for this. It doesn’t seem like you care all that much for Juno if you’re not worried about her heat videos getting out.”

Andrew arched a brow at him like he knew something Isaac didn’t.

“I mean, do you even know where she is right now?"