He used the temporary disorientation to go in for the kill, a single claw swiping deeply across his neck. Blood gushed everywhere as Trill fell over and lay gasping on the ground. His body slowly shifted back to human form as the life left him.
Niall lay on the ground beside him, catching his breath and letting his advanced healing in bear form repair some of the damage Trill had done. He couldn’t afford to wait long, as Trill’s guards would begin to get suspicious when he hadn’t returned in a bit, as would the staff when he didn’t bring his mother out of the woods. They had likely already called the cops, as it was.
He stood and shifted, retrieving his clothes from where he’d left them behind the growth, but looking down at himself, he knew he couldn’t walk back through the facility looking like this. They’d be looking for him once they found Trill in the woods if he showed his face in the condition he was in and he didn’t have the time or strength to deal with erasing any memories or recovering any CCTV footage.
Even more of a problem was the huge open wound on his side. He could well bleed out before he even got out of the woods. Instead, he shifted back into bear form and retrieved his things, carrying them in a bundle in his mouth as he walked along the edge of the woods and quietly made his way along the outer hedges that separated the car park from the courtyard.
He looked around the edge at the car park and spotted Ronan, parked along the edge of the building as he’d been instructed. He approached the car from the rear and nudge it with his nose, raising his head up just enough for Ronan to see him in the rearview mirror.
Ronan seemed to understand immediately, no doubt spotting the dark blood that clung to his ginger fur. He hopped out and opened up the back of the hearse they had bought off a used car lot in Carrickfergus. Niall climbed in and collapsed onto the empty cargo area while Ronan ran around and jumped behind the wheel.
“He’s dead?” Ronan asked.
Niall grunted, moving his head slowly up and down.
“The Maguire compound then?” Ronan asked.
Niall grunted again.
Ronan started the car and began pulling away, making a slow exit as if nothing was amiss past the four guards standing around dark sedans waiting for an Alpha who would never come. Someone else would be along to deal with them later. For now, they were on their way to finish this war.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Deidre
Deidre wasn’t sure what she was supposed to think about the contents of the envelope she’d been delivered. If what she was seeing was true, the real Deanna Caine was probably dead—likely murdered by men that might be just as bad, if not worse, than Trill. Were they the same men that had given her this identity?
She read through the note once again.
“Dearest Deanna,
I hope this finds you well, my love. If you are reading it, then you must know that I’m not coming home to you. I’ve directed my associates to deliver certain items to you that you will find of use. You’ll need to absorb the contents and destroy them when done. Once you’ve retrieved what is now yours, I suggest you get as far away from there as possible. I know you are only just getting settled in, but hopefully, this will be the last time you’ll have to move. Always know I love you. I will see you again someday, somewhere.
Dad.”
The contents of the envelope included his will, directions to several locations with codes, keys to a car parked in a garage in the city, and his personal effects. There was an expensive watch, a wedding band, and a photo of himself with a young girl. She assumed it was of him and his daughter, the real Deanna Caine, from years ago.
She sat, wondering what she was supposed to do now. He obviously didn’t know that his daughter was apparently gone. She was guessing it happened after his own demise. There was no indication from the contents who it was that had delivered them. She could only assume they were his own associates or they’d destroyed them instead.
There was also nothing to say who it was who might be after Deanna Caine, but if they’d already taken her out, then they likely wouldn’t be back. The trouble was, were there others that might show up if they thought the job had not been completed? She had no idea what she was supposed to think about all of this or what she was supposed to do.
Perhaps there were additional clues in the lockers and safety deposit boxes littered throughout the paperwork. She made some quick notes on her phone’s memo app and then put everything but the keys back into the envelope. She fished around in the bag she’d bought earlier and found the keyring she’d bought for her house key, adding them to it and throwing them in her backpack.