Escaping Death

Chapter 31

Hunter

We all felt him return last night. He teleported directly into his room and didn't come out until this morning with her scent practically tattooed on him. An immediate hush befalls our group when he joins us in the kitchen. Ace catches my eye first, I know he sees my conflicted emotions, and he has the decency to at least look a little guilty for fucking the girl I loved...the girl I still love.

Eli can't keep the smile off his face, he's absolutely chuffed that Ace caved because if Ace is good on his word then that means it's any man's game now when it comes to Sol. Dean is spending more time trying to keep my emotions from spiraling than thinking about repercussions of last night, while Tate sits on the counter on his phone like it's a normal morning.

"Smells like you had a hell of a night, eh Alpha?" Eli says before Ace can even take a seat.

Eli whimpers for a moment when Ace crushes him under his warning, but continues to poke the bear as soon as Ace lifts his aura. "Aw, look how bashful Alpha Ace is. Her pussy must be sweeter than I thought."

I dash across the kitchen, fist raised and ready to connect with his teeth but Ace steps between us before I can land my hit on Eli.

I'll handle him, H. Go wait in the other room. Ace links me. His eyes are flickering between green and black, each time lingering on black a little longer before normalizing.

I push Ace off of me and stalk off to the other room like Ace commanded. Dean and Tate are dismissed next, and then after a minute Ace walks in ahead of Eli who is holding his bruised jaw and bloodied lip.

A smirk slips across my face with sick satisfaction that Ace clocked him for what he said about Solana but despite our shared history, today's truth is that Solana is free to make her own decisions. I have no right to get upset over who she chooses to love or get involved with, and as much as it would slowly kill me to watch, I would trust any of these guys to protect and cherish her like she deserves. Hopefully I'm just getting ahead of myself.

"With Mitch handled, we've got one last job before we can focus entirely on Nightshade." Ace begins. "But this last assignment is going to take at least a week and that only leaves a week before our first productivity report is due on Nightshade. Tate tell me we've got something."

"I told you about my theory on the connection between Nightshade and Caligo. I tapped into their security feeds and have been watching for anything that might lead us to him."

Ace stares at him patiently waiting for him to continue.

"I need to be there one day soon. Either before our trip or immediately afterwards. On two occasions only I saw the bartenders use a register on the far end of the bar, every other time they use the two in the center. It could be nothing, but it is curious."

"Sol's parents own the club, she works there as much as any employee," Dean says.

Ace's brows pinch together, "what's your point?"

"My point is, wouldn't it be easier to ask her? She should know how everything works there, I'm sure she could tell us what that other register is for. Or better yet, if she's seen or heard about any connection between Nightshade and Caligo."

"I don't want to rely on her account of things," Tate says carefully.

"You don't trust her?" I accuse.

Tate shakes his head, "other way around. She doesn't trust us, at least not enough to disclose the best kept secret on the East Coast. And that's even assuming she knows anything about it."

"Tate has a point," Ace agrees. "Let's get the trip done and then you can have carte blanche with Caligo."

"And as for us?" Eli's question is directed at Ace on behalf of the group. "Do we have carte blanche with Sol?"