The Wolf and His Wife (Wolf 2)

He was dead quiet, like the phone might have lost the signal. “Looks like her value just went up.”

My heart dropped into my stomach.

“She steals the obsession of every man around her…including Maverick DeVille. Her pussy must be one hell of a ride.”

“Don’t talk about my wife like that.”

The sick bastard laughed. “It’s nothing personal, Maverick. She’s the best investment I’m going to find, and I won’t stop until I get her. I suggest you save your own ass and let it be. If you force me to kill you, I will.”

Now the line had been drawn in the sand, and there was no going back. War had been declared. My only two options were to fight or surrender.

And I definitely wouldn’t surrender. “It looks like you’re forcing me to kill you. And I will.”

I shot two of his men near the front gates and barged into the house from the rear. I knew my childhood home better than he realized, and sneaking into the place wasn’t difficult. I broke the window instead of picking the lock just to be an ass.

I made my way inside and found him sitting in the dining room.

Instead of pulling out my gun and pointing it at his head, I stilled in the entryway and stared at him.

He was alone. A decanter of scotch sat beside him along with a full glass in his fingertips. The remains of his dinner looked like fish with a side of lemon. On the wall was a painting of my mother on their wedding day. There was no way for him to have known I was coming, not when I killed his men and got here so quickly.

So this was really him.

Sitting alone in the dark—booze for company.

He looked up and met my gaze, not the least bit surprised by my appearance.

That meant my suspicion was right—he betrayed me.

I stepped into the room, my pistol sitting on my hip. My footsteps sounded loud against the hardwood floor, just the way my mother’s heels used to echo when she carried dinner into the room.

He kept his hand on his glass like it was a life raft.

I stopped in front of him, stared into those heartless eyes, and then drew my weapon.

He still didn’t flinch. He looked at me and ignored the barrel pointed right in his face. “Perfect solution. Kamikaze wants to torture her—and I want that woman to be tortured.” He brought the glass to his lips and took a long drink.

I cocked the gun. “And you’re willing to die for that solution?”

“Die?” he asked. “You’re my son. I know how weak you are.”

I pressed the tip of the barrel right against his skull.

He still didn’t react. “Then do it.”

My hand started to shake as my finger held the trigger. All I had to do was make a quick squeeze and his brains would explode on the wall behind him. My mother was dead, and my father would join her. It was probably exactly what he wanted—since there was nothing left for him in the land of the living.

With a bored expression on his face, he watched the gun shake in my hand. “You aren’t going to do it, so don’t bother with the gesture.” He lifted his hand and gently pushed my gun aside.

I dropped it, feeling like less of a man for not pulling the trigger. “That’s the difference between you and me. You’re an asshole who will kill his own son. I won’t kill my own father.”

“It’s still better than threatening to do something that you’ll never do. It hurts your credibility, makes you seem weak. Next time you point that gun at my head, have some balls and actually shoot. At least I’ll have some respect for you if you do.”

My shoulders sagged in defeat, and I stared at my father with new eyes. Just when I thought my opinion couldn’t get any lower, he somehow made it possible. “I can’t kill you because you’re going to help me.”

“Do what?” he asked, his eyebrow raised.

“You started this mess with Kamikaze. You’ll finish it.”

His eyes shifted away, and he chuckled. “Actually, I didn’t…” His underlying meaning hung in the air, but he never elaborated. He kept whatever secret he had to himself.

I refused to play his game, so I didn’t ask. “We’re going to take him out together. I’m not letting him take my wife.”

“Stop calling her that. She’s just a pawn in a big chess game.”

“No. You’re the pawn now.” I tapped his shoulder with my gun. “You’re going to help me keep her safe.”

“I’m not, Maverick. I wouldn’t have told Kamikaze the truth if that were the case. He’ll get rid of her, and that will fix our problems.”

“No, it’ll fix your problem…if you can even call it a problem. Mom is dead. Arwen isn’t going to change that.”