Wolf Triplets (Triplet Harems Book 3) Page 11

  It rang and rang, but there was no answer.

  “Fucking weird,” he said.

  “He’s not far away, right?”

  “Right. Only a twenty-minute drive to the apartment. We’ll check in with him; then, we’ll figure out our next step. Maybe if we move fast, we can hit the wolves who attacked Sullivan’s.”

  “I’m there for it.”

  They took the car into town, the towers of downtown Chicago soon appearing in the distance. When they arrived, Hunter checked his phone one last time before they got out. Still nothing—not a word from his dad.

  Tension formed in his gut. Sure, their father could be hard to reach at times, but in circumstances like these he would’ve expected him to be all over a phone call from one of his sons.

  They entered the lobby, Casey taking in the scene, clearly impressed with the wealth on display. Hunter went up to the front desk to check in.

  “Hunter Stone,” he said. “Here to see Michael Stone in the penthouse.”

  The young woman behind the counter typed at her keyboard.

  “OK, you’re cleared. And...hmm, that’s strange.”

  “What?” asked Hunter.

  “The installation crew.”

  “The what?”

  “This morning, an installation crew checked in—said they were doing some electrical work on the apartment. We have a check-in, but no check-out.”

  “Wait,” said Hunter. “So...they showed up but never left?”

  “That’s right...unless they’re still up there..”

  Hunter and Casey shared a look of surprise.

  They rushed to the elevator, taking it up to the penthouse. Hunter clenched his fists, ready for whatever he was going to find.

  And then the doors opened.

  Hunter couldn’t believe what he saw.

  CHAPTER 13

  CASEY

  The penthouse was a disaster. The expensive furniture was ruined, torn to shreds. Windows were open, air whooshing in from the great height of the apartment.

  And there was blood. A sickening amount of blood. Among the wreckage was the body of Michael Stone, three deep gashes across his chest and the color drained out of his face.

  “Dad...” Hunter stood strong, but there was shock in his eyes.

  Casey didn’t know what to say or do. Michael Stone, the father of the Stone brothers and the eldest alpha of the Redtooth pack, was dead.

  Hunter stepped further into the apartment, his boots crunching on broken glass.

  “Hunter...” said Casey. “I’m...I’m sorry.”

  He shook his head and turned around. Casey was still in a state of shock and had no idea what to expect from Hunter. Would he break down? Would he lose control? Would he take out his anger on her?

  His shoulders squared, and he continued to regard his father. Casey moved to his side, looking up at his hard expression for any sign of what he might do.

  “Hunter...”

  He shook his head. “Don’t feel sorry for me. Feel sorry for the ones who did this.”

  Hunter stepped over to his father, dropping down to his knees as he placed his hand on his father’s chest. When he rose, there was blood on his hand, which he wiped off on the nearby couch. Then he went over to the window and looked out.

  “They came in through the apartment. And then they left through the windows – probably scaled down to the apartments below until they were down far enough to get onto the fire escape. Gave them the best chance to get a head start before being found out.”

  He turned, the hard expression still on his face. Then he sniffed the air, his eyes narrowing as he recognized...something.

  “Jasper,” he said, pure rage dripping from the word. “It was him.”

  “Who?”

  “Come on. We’re leaving now.”

  Hunter stormed out of the apartment, stopping and turning on the way out and taking one last look at his father.

  “Dad—they’re not going to get away with this.”

  That was all he had to say. He rushed to the elevator, not waiting for Casey. She slipped through the elevator doors as they shut and was alone with Hunter.

  “Hunter...please—tell me what you’re thinking.”

  He grit his teeth. “I’m thinking I’m going to murder whoever did this. They’re not going to live to see the next full moon.”

  The elevator went down to the main level, and Hunter hurried out of it, Casey following closely behind. Part of her was worried, worried that he might’ve been reacting poorly to something that she knew had to have traumatized him. But another part of her knew he didn’t want to wallow in sadness.

  He was ready to take action.

  The moment they were back in the car, Hunter barked out an order to the driver.

  “Sullivan’s bar. Now.”

  The driver rolled up the partition, and they were off, the car driving through the city.

  “Hunter,” said Casey. “I don’t know what you’re going through right now. And I’m not going to pretend to. But I need to know what you’re going to do next.”

  He narrowed his eyes, saying nothing at first.

  “I’m doing something that you don’t need to be a part of. I’m going to find the men who did this and kill them. If you want, you can take the plane back to wolf country and wait for me.”

  Casey didn’t hesitate a moment before shaking her head.

  “Not a chance. We’re both Redtooth—we’re in this together.”

  For the first time since the horror of what they’d seen, Casey saw something approaching a smile on Hunter’s full lips. But it quickly vanished.

  “You’re not going alone. He was your father, and our alpha. But Hunter...you need to tell your brothers.”

  “They’ll find out. But if I tell them now, they’re going to want to come here and help. We don’t have time for that, and we can’t afford to leave the rest of the pack behind.”

  Casey saw the wisdom in what he said.

  “Then you need to tell me your plan. Tell me what scent you picked up on while you were there.”

  He took a deep breath before speaking.

  “When me and my brothers left Chicago, we were attacked by a group of shifters. One of them was an alpha from one of the packs that attacked our home turf. And when I was in the apartment, his scent was still in the air—a man named Jasper. And I’m positive he was the one behind the attack on Sullivan’s. And not a single fucking doubt he’s the one who killed my father.”

  “And what are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to Sullivan’s to find out what I can. There’s got to be some kind of clue there that I can use to track him down.”

  “You can’t do that, Hunter.”

  He whipped his gaze over to her, his eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

  “You want to find this Jasper prick; I get it. But we have to play it smart. They left the apartment looking the way it was because they wanted you to see it. And I bet you anything they knew Sullivan’s would be the first place you’d go.”

  “So...what are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that there’s probably a trap set, and you can’t just waltz right into it. We have to come up with a strategy.”

  “What kind of strategy?’

  “We go to the bar, and we scope it out from a distance. And we see what they’re planning.”

  Hunter opened his mouth to speak but closed it moments later.

  “We’re outnumbered, Hunter. That means we have to plan, be smart, and outthink these shitheads. If we can do that, then we’ll win.”

  Hunter nodded. “You’re right. Let’s go to the bar and do some recon.”

  He tapped the partition, the driver lowering the glass.

  “Take us two blocks from Sullivan’s.”

  The glass went back up, and a steely expression formed on Hunter’s face. The rest of the trip was wordless, and Casey felt the adrenaline begin to pump through her body. Whatever was coming up nex
t, she had to be ready.

  And she hoped her plan would work.

  They drove through downtown, eventually reaching the spot where Hunter had told the driver to stop. It was a bustling city corner, and down a few blocks, Casey spotted the darkened sign for the bar.

  The two of them hopped out, Hunter telling the driver to stay on call for when they needed them.

  “All right,” said Hunter. “This is the neighborhood where my brothers and I liked to hang back in college. I know it pretty damn well. This way.”

  He nodded toward the block, and Casey followed him. They headed down the sidewalk, reaching the street just before the block where the bar was situated.

  “Here,” he said. “This alley.”

  “What’s here?”

  “Trust me.”

  They went down the alley, Hunter stopping in front of a fire escape. He climbed up, and Casey followed. When they reached the top, he vaulted over the edge of the roof, and Casey did the same.

  “Here,” he said.

  “What’s here?”

  “Look.”

  They crossed the roof and reached the other side. At the corner was a small collection of beer bottles and six-pack holders. Hunter laughed as he looked them over.

  “What’s all this?”

  “Whenever the bar would close, or me and Bryce and Jake would get too drunk and the bartender would boot us out, we’d come here to keep drinking.”

  Casey stood at the spot, the view looking out over the bar, the skyline of downtown visible in the distance.

  “Nice view.”

  “Good place to chill. Can’t believe there was a time all me and my brothers gave a fuck about was getting wasted and having fun. Times can change fast as hell, right?”

  “No kidding.” Casey thought about all the growing up she’d had to do, not only since the attack, but her father had slipped deeper and deeper into his drinking problem over the last few years.

  He cleared away the beer bottles, tossing them into a small trash can nearby.

  “Anyway,” he said. “This’ll give us a good view of the bar. Should be able to see anyone coming and going.”

  “Better than rushing in, right?” asked Casey with a smile.

  “Better than that.” He took a seat on the edge of the roof and shook his head as if in disbelief. “That was always the difference between you and me.”

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “We’re both smart, both good at school, and...maybe too sharp for our own good. But you were always different, a little more thoughtful.”

  “Wow,” said Casey. “Is the great Hunter Stone really acting...humble?” she smiled.

  “I don’t know about that. Just more thinking that maybe you’re more of an asset to the pack than I realized. You’re smart, careful, and a strategic thinker. Might be a good compliment to me and my brothers always wanting to run in guns blazing.”

  Casey spotted something at the bar, the movement of a small group of people toward the entrance.

  “Like now,” she said, pointing to Sullivan’s. “Look at that.”

  Hunter watched the group of men enter the bar. “Fucking hell—that’s Jasper.”

  “That’s him?”

  “Fucker. Bet you anything he was expecting us to see what he did to my dad and come running to Sullivan’s. Thought he’d get the jump on us.”

  “But that’s not going to happen,” said Casey. “We’re going to do it to him.”

  Hunter shook his head. “No—you’re not doing anything other than staying here while I do what needs to be done.”

  “Are you kidding?” asked Casey. “You think you’re going to go in there by yourself and take out four wolves, including an alpha? Not a chance.”

  Hunter opened his mouth to protest but caught himself, a small smile forming on his lips. “Should know better than to try to stop you once you get an idea in your head.”

  “That’s right. We’re in this together.”

  She placed her hand on Hunter’s, giving it a squeeze. He did it right back, and she was struck by how...good it felt.

  They took their hands away at the same time.

  “All right,” he said. “Let’s do this. We go in, and we take them out. Ready?”

  “Ready.”

  They went back down the fire escape, crossing the remaining block and approaching the bar. Soon they were in front of Sullivan’s.

  “This is going to be a hell of a fight,” said Hunter.

  “It will be. But we’re going to be there for each other. Always.”

  “Always.”

  The words stuck with Casey. What the hell was happening between her and the Stone brothers, she wondered.

  Hunter squared his shoulders and opened the door. The interior of the bar was a mess, just like Michael Stone’s apartment. A few shifter bodies were here and there, and broken glass covered the floor, tables overturned. Casey could only imagine what had happened there, what kind of carnage.

  They stepped into the place, glass crunching beneath their feet. And sure enough, a group of four shifters was there, a man with wild hair and wild eyes, looking like some kind of renegade biker, was among them. His eyes locked onto Casey and Hunter, a wide smile forming on his lips as he watched them approach.

  “There they are!” he said. “Been waiting for you to show up!”

  Hunter stopped, and Casey formed up at his side. “You did this. You killed my father.”

  The man shrugged. “What, you think we were gonna let the Redtooths stay in Chicago? Nah—we’re taking you out here, and then we’re gonna finish the job back home. By the time Byron’s done, all that’s gonna remain is your name. And no one’s gonna remember that for very long either.” He turned to Casey and grinned. “Name’s Jasper, by the way. Figure you should know the name of the man who’s about to kill this smartass. And I can’t wait for you to find out what we’ve got in mind for you.”

  The men with Jasper laughed.

  “Fuck you,” said Casey, her tone ice.

  Hunter turned to Casey and nodded as if letting her know he was ready. She nodded right back.

  “Big talk,” said Hunter. “Let’s see if you can put that bullshit where your mouth is.”

  The man stepped toward the two of them. “You’re about to find out the answer is most definitely ‘yes.’”

  He closed his eyes and shifted into his wolf form. The other men formed up and did the same.

  “Come on!” shouted Hunter.

  Casey didn’t need to be told twice. She and Hunter shifted, and the fight was on.

  She sized up the situation quickly. Jasper was an alpha—and a powerful one at that. The other wolves were betas, but still a match for the two of them. They’d have to play it smart, she realized, not let the other wolves use their numbers to their advantage.

  Casey went to Hunter’s side and they quickly pounced on the nearest beta, acting before the wolves had a chance to even think about reacting. They slammed into the beta, sending it flying several feet into a small pile of broken glass. The wolf let out a cry of pain as the glass cut into it, and before it could struggle to its feet, Hunter pounced, sinking his teeth into the beta’s neck and twisting, breaking its spine and killing it instantly.

  Casey grinned a sharp-toothed smile, satisfied. Then she turned to Hunter, flicking her eyes to the remaining two betas. She could tell by the glimmer in his eye that he understood the plan—take out the betas as quickly as they could, and then turn their attention to Jasper. Speed would be the key.

  They broke, Jasper trying but failing to rally the betas before Hunter and Casey could make a move. Out of the corner of her eye, Casey saw Hunter smash into the beta, the two of them turning into a ball of teeth and claws and fur, roars and snarls filling the air. She wanted to help but knew she had a beta of her own to deal with.

  She snapped her eyes onto the beta, and without hesitating for a moment, she rushed in, latching her teeth onto the beta’s neck, blood we
tting the animal’s fur. The beta struggled, but she was a powerful omega, too powerful for a mediocre beta such as him. She pinned the wolf to the ground and bit hard—he was dead before he had a chance to react.

  Another cry of pain sounded out, and Casey turned to see Hunter had prevailed over his beta.

  Only Jasper remained. He shifted back into his human form, worry on his skinny face.

  “OK, OK,” he said, panic in his voice. “We...you...don’t need to do anything crazy, all right? We can sort this out peacefully—we just need to talk it over.”

  Hunter, still in his wolf form, turned to Casey. He couldn’t speak, but she could read the glimmer in his eyes. It seemed to say, “You’re not going to want to be here for this.”

  Casey still wanted to help, but she understood this was a matter of revenge. She shifted back into her human form and took off into the back area of the bar. The moment she shut the door, a snarl erupted, followed by the clatter of a struggle, and then finally, a human scream cut short.

  Then footsteps, then the door opened. Hunter was there, shifted back to his human form.

  “We’re leaving this town. Now.”

  “Are you...?”

  “Fine. Let’s go.”

  They left the bar, Hunter calling their car once outside. The driver arrived, and after a wordless trip to the airport, they were back in the jet they’d left only a few hours before.

  Hunter and Casey sat together as the plane took off, and once they were in the air, she spoke.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said.

  He shook his head. “Life as a shifter, you know? Dad went out fighting, and I got my revenge. Sometimes that’s the best you can hope for.” He sat up straight, his eyes steely. “But we’re not even close to being done. We’ve still got a pack to save.”

  Casey took his hand again. And this time, she felt something else in addition to the strength and comfort she seemed to gain from Hunter.

  It was...different—arousal and affection all at once.

  “And you were there for me, Case,” he said. “We may have had our differences in the past, but we’re older now. And I’d be an idiot not to see what you mean to me.”

  “And...I feel the same way.”

  Hunter turned to Casey, those blue eyes on hers. He was gorgeous, his eyes glimmering with intelligence, his lips inviting among his scruffy beard.