Jax smiled, looking satisfied with her answer. “Go on,” he encouraged Alex.
“This is where things get a little dicey. His spending habits became erratic about a month ago. Lots of weird stores he was spending his money at. Well, not weird for others, but places he’d never shopped at before. Like the hardware store and a sporting goods store.”
Frowning at the grim look on everyone’s face, Piper said, “I don’t get why a sporting goods store would be pertinent info.”
“Guns, ammo, knives,” Cammie replied softly.
“All credit card and bank activity also stopped two weeks ago, and he took time off work,” Alex said.
Well, fuck. “I know it looks incriminating, but guys, I really don’t think Scott is the one who broke into my house.”
“Do you still have feelings for him?” Jax asked, eyes narrowed as he looked at her.
“What? Shit no! But I know Scott. He talks a good game, but he has zero follow through, and nonexistent balls. Maybe he’s making repairs on his house, and took up a sport. And just took off time to pursue those. Besides, Alex said he’s married again. Why would he take the time to come after me, with a new wife at home?”
“You’re basically impossible to get over, Pippy,” Jax murmured under his breath.
Cheeks heating, she ignored that in favor of addressing the table. “Look, I’m not ruling him out completely. I just can’t see him doing something like this.”
“I looked into Zane, too,” Alex said.
“What?” Ian barked. “Why would you do that? Kian said he went home. It should have been left at that.”
“Who’s Zane?” Piper asked, confused.
“A total prick who’s in desperate need of another ass whooping,” Seth replied, a scowl forming.
“Enough,” Ian told him. Looking at Piper, he said, “Zane and Kian are members of Shelby’s mother’s tribe. They came to town so Kian could spend time with Shelby, but Zane didn’t endear himself to the shifters here, and he went home about a month ago.”
“Well, that’s a diplomatic way of saying he pissed us all the fuck off, and messed with shit and people he shouldn’t have messed with,” Seth retorted.
“Cool it,” Ian warned.
“Except he didn’t go home,” Alex interrupted as all eyes shot to him. “I mean, he did at first, but he only stayed a week or so. After that, he left again.”
“And where is he now?” Ian asked grimly.
“Credit card activity puts him within a twenty-five mile radius of Eagle Creek. He’s not staying in one spot. Kind of roaming around in a circle around here.”
Silence met his statement, and then Seth exclaimed, “I knew it! I knew that pompous bag of fleas wasn’t through with us.”
“We don’t know that,” Ian cautioned, and then he closed his eyes. “I need to go tell Kian. I’ll see y’all later.”
Piper watched him leave, feeling thoroughly confused. “I don’t understand why this Zane guy is relevant to the break-in.”
“Because he hates the fighters,” Seth told her. “Don’t ask why, because I couldn’t answer that. But he shows it with his every action, and it’s there in his eyes. He tried to take my mate, Amelia. If he knows Jax wants you, he’ll fuck with you to get to Jax.”
“So this means there are two suspects—Scott and Zane,” Cammie said thoughtfully.
“I really don’t—”
“If you say it’s not Scott one more time, I’m going to spank you,” Jax bit out, voice tight with fury.
“Excuse the fuck out of you? Try to punish me in any way and see what I do. I dare you,” Piper shot back, glaring daggers at him.
“Whoa,” Cammie said. “No physical violence unless it’s on fight night. That goes for both of you,” she said pointedly to Jax.
“Look, Piper, I know this might seem out of character for Scott,” Alex interjected. “But so were those purchases, and then the lack of any at all. I think that’s enough to warrant putting him on the suspect list for now.”