Enticed (Two Marks 3)

“You did?”

Theo and I both let out our breaths. Our gazes met across the table. What the fuck did all of this mean now?

“That’s all I need to know. No, the guys got shot, but they’ll be fine. We’re just trying to figure out if Ali knew that when she shot them.” She paused. “I know. Yes, Ali shot Holt and Theo. I’ll fill you in more tomorrow. Thanks for the help. Goodnight.”

Holt touched his quickly healing wound. “Do you think…”

I nodded slowly. “Maybe.” I pulled the towel back from my chest and took a good look. “She hit close to the heart on both of us.”

“Close, yes,” he confirmed. “But still a miss.”

Trust me, I’m a very good shot.

“A purposeful miss?” I surged to my feet, then staggered as the room spun. The run all the way to Gibson’s hadn’t helped the healing process, but I didn’t care.

I couldn’t wait to heal and get to our mate and spank the truth out of her. “We need to get to Ali,” I said to Holt.

“Fuck,” he swore. “We’ve only been looking at this one way. That she’s guilty and been playing us. If she’s innocent… oh, fuck. She could be in danger. She shot us! Why else would she do that if she didn’t have a choice?”

“Unless she forgot you could heal,” Gibson said, pointing out the worst case.

“She didn’t forget.” I was suddenly certain. Our mate was smart and tough. If she was in danger, or if she believed we were in danger, she would do something like this. Something so insane and crazy.

“You need to rest and heal before you do anything.”

“Alpha,” I began, but he gave me a look.

“I know you need to protect your mate. I understand that. Do you think I want a human out there knowing about shifters if there’s even a chance she’s actually guilty? I want to ride to the Jenkins ranch myself.”

I knew he was right. He was always right.

“They think you’re dead. Or at least lying out there in the field, dying.” He pointed toward his front door. “I can’t believe I’m fucking saying this, but there’s time.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Holt and I said in unison.

“When your backup arrives, do it right. By the book. Take down Hollaroy and anyone else involved because I want this shit over. Then get the truth out of your mate and claim her. For your sakes. If she’s guilty…” He left that hanging, and looked to Ben. “Claimed or not, I may have to ensure pack law is enforced.”

My wolf wanted to snarl and snap and go after Gibson at those grim words. But deep down, I understood. I couldn’t help the growl that escaped me at the idea of Ben, the pack enforcer, killing a guilty Ali—someone who, even if we claimed her, was a threat to the safety of the pack because even in prison, she could reveal us.

Fuck!

16

ALI

I puked when I got home, and barely slept all night. When I did, I dreamed of dead bodies and blood and Theo and Holt dying while I watched. Pulling the trigger and watching Holt, then Theo, buckle from the bullets that struck them was on a perpetual loop in my brain.

I woke to the crunch of tires over gravel at a time when no cars should be pulling down our drive.

I leaped out of bed and flew to the window, my heart in my throat.

Fuck!

One van and two cars drove swiftly in a line and parked in front of the house. The doors opened and officers wearing shirts, sweatshirts and jackets emblazoned with the letters DEA poured out.

I shot a glance at my dresser, where the evidence of my crime still lay—Theo’s and Holt’s wallets, their weapons, and their phones. I’d saved them, hoping I’d hear from them. Hoping they were still alive. Had recovered. Would understand what had happened. Why I’d hurt them. Because while Rachel had said shifters couldn’t die from a bullet to the chest, it didn’t mean they still weren’t shot. That they didn’t bleed. Or feel pain.

But they hadn’t contacted me. Hadn’t come by.

I yanked on a pair of jeans as a pounding started on the front door.

“DEA, we have a warrant. Open up!”

I heard my dad curse from his bedroom.

A sob rocketed up into my throat, and my hands shook. For one panicked moment, I thought about running. If I got arrested now, I’d have no chance of ever explaining myself. Ever proving my innocence. Yes, I’d shot the county sheriff and a DEA agent. But I’d done it to save them! Except no one but they specifically would understand.

But then… if Theo and Holt were dead, I wasn’t innocent, was I?

Oh, God. Had I actually killed them? The DEA would find their phones and wallets as proof. The case was a slam dunk for any prosecutor.