Chapter 139
Jack
Jack put his head in his hands and sighed. He’d been waiting for an hour already, and his grandfather showed no signs of letting him in. Jack knew he was being punished, but he didn’t know what for. He did everything he was supposed to. It’s not his fault they went after Nina without him. If they had included him, he might have suggested taking more than three people to attack a werewolf. But he wasn’t the one in charge.
“Wow, stop sulking,” his cousin Freddy said.
He was leaning against the wall beside their grandfather’s office, a sneer on his face. “Fuck off, Freddy.” He was the oldest cousin, and their grandfather’s favorite. As a result, he thought he was so much better than everyone else.
“You’re pathetic,” Freddy drawled.
“I’m surprised you even know who I am. You’re too busy kissing the big man’s ass to pay attention to anyone else.”
He took a step forward. “Watch yourself.”
“Whatever, man.” Jack was way too tired to deal with him. He couldn’t remember the last time he got a full night’s sleep. Even the booze wasn’t helping much anymore. He still woke up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, seeing Matt’s blood on his hands. His nightmares were bad, but even worse was knowing that eventually they’d come truth.
Matt had to die, and Jack had a feeling he was going to be the one to do it. Call it fate or whatever, but he truly believed his dreams were telling him something. Someday soon, he’d have to kill his best friends. He hated above all that a part of him felt guilty and so incredibly sad.
“I thought you’d eventually grow up and stop being a little bitch, but I guess it’s innate,” Freddy said.
“You’re well acquainted with bitchy behavior.”
He laughed. Before he could say something more, a gruff voice called out to him from inside the office. Freddy disappeared for a few minutes, then reappeared, a smug look on his face. He gestured for Jack to go in.
Jack tried to look unaffected, but his heart was beating fast as he approached the office. He slipped inside, and Freddy closed the door behind him.
His grandfather was sitting in his chair, and he gestured for Jack to sit down. He did as he was told, perching on the edge of the leather seat. He tried not to show his unease, but he knew his grandfather could tell, anyway. Being the head of the family required a certain set of skills, and he’d mastered them all. He could tell when someone was lying, and he could tell when they were afraid. He especially knew how to use that to his advantage.
“You seem upset,” he drawled, a blank look on his face.
Jack shook his head. “Just tired, sir.”
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Jack had to force himself to sit still. Now that he was facing him, he just wanted to jump up and run from the room. Not that Freddy would let him by. He was as much a guard dog as he was their grandfather’s secretary.
“I imagine you’re here for a reason.”
Jack took a fortifying breath. “I heard there was an attack on Nina. She got away.”
His grandfather smiled again, but it was more like he bared his teeth. “Yes, the bitch got away. We lost two of our own.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, sir.”
He waved Jack off. “It doesn’t matter. Freddy got out, at least.”
“Oh, that’s good,” Jack said, not meaning it at all. “I’m just wondering why I wasn’t told, sir. I thought I was supposed to be a part of this.”
His grandfather stared him down for a moment, and Jack shifted in his chair. “We worried you might compromise the mission. You seem…attached to these wolves. We know you used to consider them friends.”
“That was before.”
“Before?”
“Before I knew what they were, sir.”
His grandfather nodded and leaned back in his seat. “Here’s the thing, Jack. There are people in this family who have begun to question your allegiances. After all, your sister is dating a wolf and you’ve done nothing about it.”
Jack gritted his teeth at the mention of his sister. He wanted to keep her as far away from the family as possible. Her being on their grandfather’s radar at all wasn’t good.
“She doesn’t know,” Jack lied.
“Is that right? Well, maybe it’s time we bring her into the fold. She has a lot to learn about the world, and about her boyfriend. It must bother you that she’s dating a monster.”
“Yes, it bothers me,” Jack said, struggling to keep his anger down. “Sir,” he added.
“Then I guess you’ll want to do something about it.”
Jack nodded, his heart thumping in his chest. If he hurt Matt, he knew Celeste would never forgive him. She’d hate him forever, and he’d never get the chance to make things right between them. The thought of it made him feel a bit sick.
“You have a responsibility to this family,” his grandfather said, watching him closely. “You need to step up and make this right. It’s up to you to prove that you can be trusted.”
“I found out about Nina and Enzo, sir. I already gave them up.”
“Yes, that’s a start. But what I really need from you is action. Me and the rest of the family need to see that you’re serious about our work.”
“How can I prove myself, sir?”
His grandfather smiled a mean smile that sent shivers down his spine. “Kill Matt. Kill Matt and bring your sister to me. That’s how you prove yourself.”
Jack swallowed hard. “Yes, sir,” he said.
“Alright, well, get to it.”
Jack nodded and stood up, knowing he’d been dismissed. He was almost at the door when his grandfather’s voice stopped him. “Oh, and you’d better be quick about it. Take too long, and I’ll send Freddy in your place. I doubt he’ll be as merciful as you.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jack closed his office door behind him. Freddy laughed at the look on his face but stepped aside to let him go past. “Better hurry,” he drawled. “You know, I’m dying to meet your sister.”
“Leave her alone,” Jack growled.
Freddy just shrugged. “Do your job for once, if you don’t want me to do it for you.”
Jack just shoved past him and left the house. He needed to get out.
He was almost running by the time he got outside and to his car. The first thing he needed to do was find Celeste. He needed to make sure she was somewhere safe. Then he had to find Matt. He didn’t have a choice anymore. The most important thing was keeping Freddy away from Celeste.
A pang of guilt went through him, and he did his best to push it aside. It didn’t matter that Matt used to be his friend. It didn’t even matter that a part of him still believed that Matt was a good person. Jack didn’t have a choice. He had to kill him.
He drove away, heading home. She went to Matt’s game, but it was late enough that she should have been home already.
The minute he got home, he ran into the house, yelling for Celeste. She didn’t appear at the top of the stairs, and he ran up to her room. It was dark, and she wasn’t in her bed. His panic spiked as he ran through the house.
It took a while before he finally saw her letter. He skimmed it. “Shit,” he muttered. He ran outside, his phone in his hand. He dialed her number as he slid into his car. The call went to voicemail, and he sent her a few frantic texts. Nothing. No answer.
“Shit!” He slammed his hand on the steering wheel. He needed to find her and Matt before too much time went by. If Freddy got involved, they were all screwed.
