CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SIX

Hey there,” said Dominic, his voice low and gentle.

She let out a long, fierce, pissed-the-fuck-off hiss. And he got the feeling that the cat wasn’t just upset by the attack. She was angry at having her fun disturbed. He’d seen the same expression on his Alpha female’s face when he’d interrupted her downtime. Taryn was batshit crazy as well.

He made no move toward the cat, knowing it would be suicidal. He needed to lure her to him. “All of you step back,” he told the others. “I need plenty of space around me or she’s not likely to approach.” As the others backed away, Dominic crouched onto his haunches and tapped the floor. “Come on over here.”

Fangs bared, the cat let out a doglike bark. It was a definite “fuck you.”

“I know you’re upset, and you have every right to be, but I just want to check your wounds,” he said, relying on Mila to communicate what he wanted to the feline, since the animal wouldn’t understand his words.

The cat kept on glaring at him, thumping the floor with her dark-ringed, black-tipped bushy tail. Yeah, apparently, she was totally unmoved.

“She’s your prize, I get it. I don’t want it. I just want to make sure you’re fine.” Dominic lay on his side, hoping the relaxed pose might reassure her somehow. “Mila, help me calm your cat. The jackal’s going to wake soon. If you want to talk to her, you need to be back in your human form.”

The cat cocked her head and chuffed, and he got the feeling she was communicating with Mila.

He tapped the floor again with his fingertips. “Come on, come over here,” he softly coaxed. “I won’t hurt you. You’d scratch out my eyes if I did anyway, right? Come on. Let me make sure you’re okay. Ally can heal those wounds, and the pain will vanish like magic. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Again, she just stared at him, but her tail was no longer thumping the floor.

“Maybe I’m messed up, but even though you’re covered in blood, I think you’re way too cute right now.”

The cat’s eyes narrowed, and her face scrunched up into the crankiest expression he’d ever seen. The rage was gone. In its place was utter exasperation. Apparently, Mila had interpreted his compliment to her and the cat merely found it pathetic.

After one last warning hiss at the still-unconscious jackal, the cat regally padded her way to Dominic, annoyance in every step. With all that fur, she shouldn’t look so graceful, but she did.

“Good girl.” Keeping his touch light, he stroked her thick, lush coat as he whispered nonsense to her. Surprisingly soft, her rich gray fur had white tips, as if dusted with frost.

Not doubting for a single second that she’d tear a strip off his face if he made any wrong moves, Dominic kept his touch as gentle as his voice. Her eyes drifted shut as he scratched behind one of her small tufty ears. The cream fur inside them matched the patches on her chin, throat, and underparts.

Purring, she looked up at him through round eyes that were accentuated by the concentric white and black rims surrounding them. The storm had left her gaze.

“Come back, Mila,” he whispered.

The cat rumbled a put-out sound. Bones snapped and popped as she shifted. And then Mila was crouched in front of him, panting.

She sighed. “Well, GQ, you somehow charmed my very antisocial cat. It’s official. You have special powers.”

Sitting upright, Dominic caught her nape and gave her a quick kiss before she could get to her feet. “She charmed me right back.” As Harley stepped forward, holding Mila’s clothes, Dominic snatched the jacket and wrapped it around Mila. Yeah, shifters were used to nakedness and Jesse was happily mated, but Dominic still didn’t want the other male to get a look at her body. He frowned at the wounds on her face. “That bitch got you good right above your eye.”

Ally approached. “I can fix that.”

Mila stood, grinding her teeth against the pain as her movements pulled on her many rake wounds. She held still as Ally very simply laid a hand on her cheek. Healing warmth radiated through Mila, thick and soothing, and chased away the pain. When the Seer lowered her hand, Mila blew out a breath. “Thanks.”

“How are you feeling?” asked Harley, passing Mila the rest of her clothes.

“Fine, albeit pissed with that bitch on the floor.”

“There’s no ID on her,” said Jesse, bending over the body.

“Watch her for me while I just go wash and dress,” Mila said to no one in particular. In the small attached bathroom, she quickly showered and then pulled on her underwear, tank top, and jeans. When she walked back into the greenroom with her jacket in hand, she saw that the jackal—her clothes and face bloody and shredded—was wide awake. Her inner cat hissed and swiped out her paw, claws unsheathed.

“I have to question your IQ,” Harley said to the redhead. “Mila’s kind are one of the most vicious breeds of shifter. Seriously, didn’t anyone ever tell you not to fuck with a pallas cat?”

The jackal didn’t respond to Harley. No, her attention was on the male wolf who was staring at her with a promise of death in his eyes.

It was . . . strange. If asked, Mila would have replied that, yes, she knew exactly how Dominic would react in a situation like this. Knew he would stand aside, let the situation play out, and leave the weight of it to another enforcer or shifter of a higher rank—not out of fear or an inability to deal with the situation, but because Dominic was all about “fun.” People who lived for fun tended to leave the serious stuff to others, just as serious people didn’t often go in search of fun—it was only natural.

But there was Dominic, crouched in front of the jackal, his expression remote and unreadable. He didn’t look tense. Wasn’t rigid with repressed anger. He seemed as steady and in control as always, but there was none of his usual impishness there. No emotion at all.

His dominance was usually so subtle, but not right then. It pulsed around him like a living thing; his power and intensity had never been more evident. That laser-sharp focus of his was locked on the jackal—and not in a way that could melt a girl’s bones and fire her need for him. No, it was in a way that could make someone’s fight-or-flight instinct kick in fast.

Right then, Mila didn’t feel like she was looking at the person who’d been pursuing her for the past week. This guy had a coldness to him. He was cunning, hard to faze, unforgiving. And she knew instinctively that he would kill without blinking.

Mila had always suspected that Dominic deliberately came across as relatively harmless so that people underestimated him. But, yeah, she hadn’t expected to find this kind of darkness when he peeled back the layers.

“I’m going to ask you this once,” Dominic said to the jackal, his voice low. Even. Calm. It was a tone that said he had no wish to harm her . . . but he would. And he wouldn’t feel much of anything when he did. “Just once. And if you’re smart, you’ll answer my question. And you’ll answer it honestly. If you don’t, you’ll find out how a Phoenix Pack interrogation goes.”

The jackal winced, and Mila didn’t blame her. The pack’s Beta male, Dante, was well known for being a master interrogator who never failed to get answers, no matter what it took to get them.

“That’s assuming you survive the trip to my territory,” Dominic added. “I have a feeling that Mila is eager to pop your head like a zit. I find the idea intriguing. So tell me: Why did you come at Mila?”

The redhead swallowed. “It wasn’t personal.”

Dominic’s brows slowly lifted. “It wasn’t personal?”

“I just came to collect on the bounty.” Her eyes cut to Mila’s, who must have betrayed her surprise, because the jackal smiled. “You don’t know you have a price on your head? Oh, that’s just”—her smile faltered at Dominic’s growl—“unfortunate,” she finished lamely.

Mila took two steps toward her, and the jackal tensed. “Who put the bounty on my head?”

“That I don’t know,” said the jackal.

“You don’t know?”

“The website protects the anonymity of whoever requests the hit.”

Dominic and Jesse exchanged a look that made Mila tense. “What?” she asked them. “What am I missing?”

“Let’s just say we’re familiar with this website,” Dominic told her.

“So the jackal’s telling the truth?”

“We have a way of finding out for sure.” Dominic looked back at Jesse. “Make the call.”

Jesse headed to the corner of the room, his phone to his ear. A few minutes later, the enforcer turned back to them, his expression grim.

“It’s true?” Mila prompted.

Jesse nodded. “It’s true. Your name is on that website.”

As all eyes turned to her, Mila ground her teeth. She didn’t know who’d put the bounty on her head, but she could guess whose fault it was that the bounty was there. “I’ll kill him. I swear, I’ll kill him. For real this time.”

“Who?” demanded Dominic.

“My brother.”

Sitting on the sofa with Dominic on her left and her father on her right, Mila rubbed at her forehead. Having a horde of shifters in her living room, all vibrating with rage, was never fun. Her parents, Vinnie, and his sons had all hit the roof on hearing what had happened in the greenroom. But they’d fallen quiet when Dominic and Jesse moved on to the subject of the website.

Her pack mates listened intently. They were all still and watchful, except for Valentina, who was doing more frenzied cleaning—sweeping the hardwood floor, dusting the shelves and mantel, wiping down the black tempered-glass coffee table, and even watering plants.

Dominic had insisted on driving Mila home in his SUV, and she’d been unable to disagree that it made good sense. People hoping to collect on the bounty would be watching out for her car, not his. No one would have expected her to leave the Velvet Lounge with him, and they wouldn’t have spotted her through the darkened windows of his SUV.

She’d thought he’d simply drop her off outside her building and then head home—this wasn’t his problem. Jesse could easily explain the website to her pride mates, and, well, Dominic had always struck her as someone who avoided getting involved in other people’s problems. Apparently, she was wrong.

It was hard not to look at him a little differently now that she knew just how much darkness lived behind the flirtatious perv mask. There’d been a large dose of fearlessness there too. He’d had no compunction about trying to lure a pissed-off pallas cat to him. Had easily sprawled on his side, putting himself at a disadvantage. Hadn’t hesitated to stroke the cat when she came to him. That was ballsy.

Just when Mila thought she had him figured out, he did something unexpected.

Her cat approved of his fearlessness and strength. Even liked the dangerous vibe he insisted on dialing down. Well, the bloodthirsty little thing would.

Finally, both Dominic and Jesse fell silent. No one spoke as everyone took a moment to fully digest what they’d heard.

“Let me get this straight,” Vinnie finally said, propped on a tall stool he’d taken from the breakfast bar. “There’s a website that lists people or groups of shifters that have bounties on their heads; anyone can collect on the bounties, providing they can give proof that the deed was done; but it’s not possible for us to identify whoever took out the hit because the admin of the website withholds the personal details of all ‘clients’?”

Dominic pursed his lips. “Yeah, that’s about it.”

“If this website has existed for years, how has it never been taken down?” asked James.

“People have been working on it for a long time,” replied Jesse, sprawled on an armchair. “It’s not as simple as tracking IP addresses. The site has numerous ‘trip wires’ that insert viruses into any computer trying to hack its way in. Also, those wires continuously change, much like a moving labyrinth—something my Alpha’s contact hasn’t seen before or since. The people working to smash through the protective measures of the website believe they’re finally close to identifying its creator. The problem is that it’s part of the Dark Web. That means it’s not accessible to regular users in the first place, and then the admin has added extra layers of cutting-edge defense and obfuscation on top of that.”

Vinnie’s frown deepened. “How have I never heard of this website?”

“A lot of people haven’t,” said Dominic. “If someone hadn’t issued bounties on both my pack and the Mercury Pack through the website, I doubt we’d have heard of this hit list either.”

Valentina tapped her foot. “Those thugs who turned up outside our building, Mila . . . They warned you that you would regret not cooperating, yes?”

Mila rubbed at her nape. “Yep.”

“Whoever sent them must have put a high price on her head, hoping it would flush Alex out,” said Tate, Vinnie’s Beta and his eldest son. Like his brother, Tate was powerful and dominant enough to run his own pride. Thankfully, more than one natural-born alpha could exist within a pallas cat pride, or both Tate and Luke would have had to leave.

Vinnie nodded, his jaw tight. “I agree. It’s a high bounty, which means people who wouldn’t normally bother our kind might be willing to risk it.”

“We need to find Alex and ask him who he pissed off,” said Tate. “Until we know who they are, we can’t deal with them ourselves.”

“It makes sense that he’d disappear off the face of the earth at a time when someone’s got it in for him,” Jesse commented. “He’s probably lying low, waiting for the trouble to blow over.”

“Alex wouldn’t hide or run,” said Mila. “He definitely wouldn’t leave others to deal with any fallout. It’s not uncommon for him to go off the radar when he’s roaming. It’s a wolverine thing.”

“Any chance he’s with your family, Valentina?” asked Luke, who was Head Enforcer.

Valentina shook her head. “I checked. No one has heard from him.”

“I’m surprised he’s even allowed in Russia after what happened,” said Luke. “Isn’t Interpol still pissed at him for leveling the police headquarters?”

It was Mila who answered. “Yeah, but they’re too scared of my uncles to refuse them anything, let alone access to their nephew.” Only Alex could escape a locked cell, free the other prisoners so they’d serve as a distraction, then use a few simple household products to create an explosion before breaking out. To be fair, the charges against him had been utterly false.

“We’ll find him.” Vinnie looked at Mila. “In the meantime, you’ll need to be careful. You’ll be safe enough while around these parts. The entire pride will have eyes on your surroundings.”

“She’ll also be protected while at the club,” Jesse vowed. “My mate is infuriated by what happened tonight. She considers Mila a friend, not just an employee. We’ll ensure she’s safe while there, although I will note that she doesn’t need our protection in a confrontation.”

Vinnie nodded. “Yes, but assassins don’t normally get close to their targets. They usually use firearms and shoot from a distance.” His brows drew together. “I’m surprised the jackal didn’t.”

“She said she liked to get up close and personal with her ‘marks,’” Mila told him. “I’ll be careful, and I’ll make it as hard as I can for anyone to get to me. Hopefully we find Alex soon, because identifying the asshole who put out the hit is our best chance at making all this end.”

They talked for a few more minutes, and then everyone began to disperse until there was only GQ and her parents. Mila was just about to send him on his way when her mother moved to stand in front of him, her hands on her hips.

“Tell me, wolf,” said Valentina. “How is it you know my Mila so well that you would go into her dressing room without knocking first?”

He stared up at Valentina for a good few seconds and then gave a fast shake of his head. “I’m sorry, what did you say? Every time you speak, I get so caught up in your accent that I don’t really process the words.”

Her mother’s mouth kicked up into a tiny reluctant smile. It had to be a trick of the light or something, Mila thought, because Valentina Devereaux rarely smiled.

James leaned into Mila and whispered, “Oh, this one’s good.”

Her frown back in place, Valentina looked Dominic up and down. “You say you coaxed her cat to you. That makes you either bold or stupid. Which is it?”

“She was bleeding a lot,” said Dominic, seeming to sober at the memory. “I needed to be sure she was okay.”

“Bold it is,” Valentina decided, and Mila could see that her parents now instantly liked him for his answer. “Good. Stupid is weak. I despise weakness.”

“I’m guessing you’re the wolf who wrote his number on Mila’s hand,” James said to him. “Evander only referred to you as ‘Lothario.’”

Dominic nodded. “Yes, sir, that was me.”

Mila’s brows lifted. Sir?

“And did she call you?” James asked.

Dominic let out a sigh that was heavy with disappointment. “No, sir, she did not.”

Again with the sir. Mila rolled her eyes.

“And yet, here you are.” Valentina pursed her lips. “It is good you are as stubborn as she is.”

Dominic smiled. “I like that she’s strong-willed, Mrs. Devereaux.”

“Is that so?” Valentina lifted a brow. “What else do you like about our Mila?”

Okay, enough was enough. “Mom—”

James raised a hand. “Don’t interrupt the wolf, sweetheart, this is getting interesting.”

“I like that she’s genuine and confident,” Dominic went on. “I like that she knows her own self-worth and fully respects herself. I like that she’ll call people on their bullshit—me included—and I like the way she absolutely owns a stage whenever she walks on it. And, although it might be considered odd, I like that her cat is undeniably vicious when she needs to be.”

Mila wasn’t gonna lie, her belly fluttered a little at that declaration. The bastard was good with words. Her feline sure did like the latter comment.

Her mother watched him for a moment, her face unreadable, and then gave a short nod. “You may call me Valentina. This is James, Mila’s father.”

Mila’s mouth thinned as her father actually shook GQ’s hand with a freaking smile. Hell, they might as well have said, “Welcome to the family.”

Mila stood. “All right, I think we’re all done here. I need to make some calls and redouble my efforts to get ahold of Alex. GQ, I’m sure I’ll see you at the club sometime. Mom, Dad—before you demand it of me, yes, I promise to be careful when I’m out and about. If you hear from Alex, please call me right away; I’ll do the same for you.” She gestured at the front door, hoping they’d all file out. They didn’t. Hell, they didn’t even move.

“You should come for dinner at our home sometime,” Valentina said to Dominic. It wasn’t so much an invitation as an instruction.

His smile wide, he nodded. “It will be my pleasure.”

“Come along, James, we have calls to make.” She cupped Mila’s chin. “Be extra vigilant, Mila.”

Standing, James pressed a kiss to Mila’s temple. “Stay safe, sweetheart. I’ll see you soon.” Her parents then said their goodbyes to Dominic and left.

Pushing off the sofa, GQ turned to her. “I like them.”

Mila sighed. “Why are you still here?”

Honestly, Dominic was hesitant to leave her. Not that he intended to stay the night—that would break one of his personal rules. But walking out wouldn’t be easy. He knew she could take care of herself just fine. Knew her apartment building had such top-notch security that it would be next to impossible for intruders to penetrate it. Really, she probably couldn’t be in a safer place than she was at that moment. But that didn’t stop him or his wolf from worrying. The female had a fucking bounty on her head. Dominic just kept thinking about how differently tonight could have gone if her cat wasn’t, well, a total badass.

He glanced around. “I like your apartment. It’s . . . warm. Airy.” Best of all, it smelled of her. His wolf had grown very partial to that delectable scent.

“You’re not staying here, if that’s where this is going.”

“But it’s cold outside.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’ll survive.”

He began to advance on her, gratified at the sound of her pulse spiking. “All right, I’ll go now.” Although he wanted to know more about her move to Russia, he could see that this wasn’t the time to talk about it. She was tired, and she’d had a shock tonight. It could wait until tomorrow. “I want another taste of that mouth before I go. Are you gonna give me that?”

She lifted her chin. “No.”

“Hmm. Then it looks like I’ll just have to take it.” He gripped her chin and closed his mouth over hers, sinking his tongue inside. He wanted to linger. Explore. Savor. But he also wanted to keep his eyes in their sockets, so he pulled back before she clawed at him for the bold move.

Cheeks flushed, she glared at him. “You need to stop doing that.”

What he needed was to get her naked and shove his cock deep inside her. “It’s your fault for tasting so good.” Releasing her, he stepped back. “Call me if you need anything.”

She frowned. “Like what?”

He could see it was a genuine question . . . as if she couldn’t even begin to imagine why she’d turn to another for help. “A massage. Kiss. Bed fun. A seat.”

“A seat?”

He gestured at his face. “I can assure you, it’ll be very pleasurable to sit on.”

Unable to stifle a smile, she pointed at the door. “Out. Just get out.”

“Fine,” he said, backing up. “But be sure to get your rest and take your vitamins, Mila, because you’ll soon be spending all night beneath me getting—”

“Out.”

He chuckled. “Lock up after me.” She slammed the door shut behind him. That only made him laugh harder.