Well, this part wasn’t going quite as well. I tapped my index finger against my hip and stared up at the quaint house. As far as houses went, it seemed like any other. Sturdy walls, windows, a garage…but it lacked the distinct werewolf scent that tended to give away our locations. Either David hadn’t come home in the past month, or…

“He gave the wrong address,” Jerrik growled.

I nodded. That definitely seemed more plausible. And far more intelligent than I would have thought. David didn’t seem like a smart cookie, since he’d attacked me in broad daylight outside a restaurant. A lack of foresight and ability to think beyond the moment. But if he’d lied to us, then it seemed safe to assume he did, in fact, have a brain. Not that this line of thought helped us in the slightest. Time was running out. After stashing the money somewhere safe and backing up our phones as a precaution, we’d headed here. But it’d taken long enough that the sun had already risen, peeking out from behind the thick clouds.

“So, now what?” I asked.

Jerrik marched up the sidewalk and banged on the front door, practically rattling the entire house. I winced, and glanced around. The sun might have risen, but that hardly meant everyone else had.

He lifted his fist, about to pound again when the sound of shuffled steps drew our attention.

“Someone’s coming,” I told him.

The wooden door creaked open and through the screen, an old lady peered up at Jerrik. My mouth tugged at the sight of her, all messy rollers and thick glasses resting low on her nose. Her frumpy nightgown was something I aspired to when I reached that age—flannel and flowered and hideous.

“Young man, have you any manners?” she warbled in a weathered voice. “Do you know what time it is?”

We did. Sadly. Every second counted. I jogged up the sidewalk and plastered a happy smile on my face before unleashing it on her. “Oh.” I blinked for effect. “We’re so sorry! We must have the wrong address.” I pretended to lean back and study the rest of the cul-de-sac. “I could have sworn he said he lived here, though.”

I turned back to the old woman. “We’re so sorry for disturbing you. My goodness, how embarrassing! My husband here never wants to ask for directions, you know?”

Jerrik shot me a glance, one fitting of my faux hubby.

The old woman threw me a toothy smile. “Men, darling. They wouldn’t stop and ask for help even if it saved their lives.”

“So true. But while I’m here, you wouldn’t happen to know someone by the name of David Taylor, would you? I could have sworn this was his address.”

“David Taylor is the sweet young man who sold me this house,” she offered. “Handsome lad. Very polite.”

Polite enough to hold a blade to my throat, sure. But arguing that point was a waste of time. I nudged Jerrik. “See, honey. You just need to ask the right questions.”

He grunted and folded his arms over his chest.

“Oh, stop sulking. You did find the right address, after all.” I caught the woman’s stare and shook my head, playing up my role. “Men, right? You wouldn’t happen to have David’s forwarding address, would you?”

“Of course, dear. Used to be everyone knew where everyone else lived, back in my day. But those interwebs now keep everything a secret.” She rambled as she shambled toward her kitchen.

I almost burst out laughing. I definitely aspired to be her when I was old. Though, I had a long way to go before that day came. Still, I couldn’t wait to patter around my old house, ranting about the crazy days before the interwebs. Little did she know, I actually pre-dated both her and the Internet.

She snatched a slip of paper off her refrigerator and shuffled back toward us. “Here you go, dear. It’s not very far. Shouldn’t take long. I recall him mentioning that he liked the neighborhood but didn’t need such a large place for just him. Me, my children and grandkids love to visit here, so the space gives them room to play. It’s only me now, though. My dear husband passed, oh, about a decade ago, now?” She fiddled with her glasses. “He would have given your man here a run for his money in the looks department. Quite the looker, my George. You would have found him handsome.”

I bit back my laughter. “The address?”

“Right.” She lifted her arm, her wrinkled hand closed around something.

I reached out and she dropped the object into my palm. Something solid and…hot. My skin sizzled, the flesh searing. I cried out and threw it to the ground, then jumped backward, shaking out my hand.

Jerrik rushed toward me, his eyes pure gold as he latched onto my wrist and studied my palm. Blisters covered the inside of my hand and weren’t healing.

What the fuck?

Snarling under his breath, Jerrik whipped around, about to lunge after the old woman, but instead came to a dead stop. I glanced up to find her standing in the middle of her doorway, a wicked looking pistol gripped between her unsteady hands.

“Silver bullets, dear,” she commented.

I glanced down on the porch and, yup. She’d literally handed me a silver bullet. Distracting us long enough to grab her gun. Who the hell was this woman? The Terminator’s grandmother? And here I thought we’d had a connection. Just goes to show, you can’t trust anyone in this world.

“Might want to think this through,” Jerrik growled, his voice painfully deep. “You can shoot me, but it better be in the heart or the head. Miss, and I’ll rip your throat out.”

“Jerrik,” I commented. “She’s an old woman.”

“An old woman capable of taking you two out,” she growled. “Now, what do you want with my grandson?”

Her…who now?

Holy shit! She was the Terminator’s grandmother. “How is David your grandson? He’s a werewolf, and well…you aren’t.”

“You think that matters?”

I caught her steely gaze and nodded. “Uh, yes?”

She cocked the gun and stared me down. “I won’t ask again, dear.”

For one brief moment, I debated telling her I intended to kill him. See how she reacted. But then that nasty gun of hers came back into focus and I realize it was a horrible idea. I’d been shot with silver before, not something I wanted to repeat.

“Look, we have a pack meeting today. An alpha from another pack is challenging my father. David wasn’t there when my father announced the challenge. We’re just trying to find him to ensure he doesn’t miss it.”

“Bullshit,” she spat. “Doesn’t take two of you for that.”

Damn. Balls and brains. I kind of wished she was my grandmother.

Time to try a modicum of truth. “All right. Fine. I need him to testify. Your grandson isn’t the little angel you think he is. He’s a paid killer. Much like the wolf to my left here. David was hired to kill someone, and I need him to testify to that in front of both packs so we can avoid a war. Happy?”

She slid Jerrik a sideways glance, her cataract-infested eyes narrowing on him.

“And you? Why are you here?”

“Helping her,” he snarled, jabbing a thumb in my direction.

“Are you going to kill him?”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” Jerrik responded.

Careful way of wording it. The only one here intending to kill David was me. Or maybe my father. Jerrik had nothing to do with that. So long as she didn’t ask me…

She pondered our explanation, her wrinkled mouth pursed. A few more moments and her arms started to shake. I could sight down a gun for hours, but I had the muscle and toning and supernatural strength to assist me. The hunchback here had to be around ninety, and couldn’t see for shit, let alone maintain a proper stance. Eventually, her arms started to lower.

“Fine,” she murmured. “You’ll find my David three blocks from here.” She rattled off his address, then stepped back and slammed the door in our faces.

“Safe to say we’re no longer welcome,” I said.

Jerrik cupped my hand and lifted it to the light, his jaw tight as he studied the blisters. “They’ll heal, but it’ll take time.”

“Mhm. Unfortunately, this is my sword hand.”

He let loose a string of profanity, then glanced back at the house as though considering breaking down the door and eating himself a grandmother. I didn’t imagine she’d taste all that great, though.

“It’s fine,” I told him. “I’ve faced worse.” But even I knew, this would slow my reaction times.

“Let’s go. So long as she isn’t lying, I know where we’ll find David.”

Twenty bucks said she’d lied. Somehow I felt like the Terminator’s grandmother wouldn’t give up that easily.

* * *

The second I stepped foot onto David’s real street, I caught his scent. Funny how we’d spent a whole whopping five minutes together, but I’d memorized the bastard’s aroma. Him having a knife to my throat had probably helped.

I glanced up at the smaller house before us and studied the exterior, silently wondering what booby-traps lay in store. I hadn’t thought David the intelligent sort, but then again, I hadn’t imagined his granny getting the drop on us. I honestly didn’t know what to think anymore. Attacking me in broad daylight had screamed idiot, but had that been part of his plan? So many lingering questions.

“He’s here,” Jerrik confirmed, but like me, he didn’t brave a step toward the house.

“Maybe we can call out to him? Tell him we know where his grandmother lives, and if he wants to see her again—”

The door swung open before I could finish my sentence, and David filled the doorway. Definitely unexpected.

“What took you so long?” he said, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. “Hurry up and get in here before someone sees you.”

I shot a dubious glance around the neighborhood. Far as I could smell, we were the only ones out here. Even if they did see us, so what?

“Come on,” he snapped, holding the door open wide. “You’re letting the bugs in.”

With a shrug, I started up his sidewalk with Jerrik hot on my trail. Only one way to find out if it was a trap. My body tightened with every step, prepared to defend myself if needed. But nothing happened. Huh. All right. I climbed the steps to David’s porch and stopped right in of front him.

“What?” he asked.

“Just noticing how you look perfectly fine for a guy I stabbed with a silver blade.”

“Does it matter?”

My head bobbed. “Hate wasting an attack like that. You could at least limp or something?”

He laughed under his breath and shook his head. “Hurry up and get inside. I want this conversation done as quickly as possible.”

Riiight.

Jerrik placed a hand on my arm, halting me before I could cross the threshold. “What game are you playing?”

David rolled his eyes and gestured toward the back of his house. “Hurry up, will you?”

Clearly, we weren’t going to get any answers out here. I stepped into his foyer and inspected our surroundings. From what I could see, nothing but walls and a rack of shoes. No hidden guns like granny three blocks over. But that didn’t mean much. If he was anything like Jerrik, he probably lived a life full of paranoia. Which meant he’d have stashed a whole arsenal somewhere.

“Don’t worry, Reagan, I have no interest in killing you anymore.”

My narrowed eyes watched him stroll through the hallway to his living room. “Yeah? Why not?”

“Because the contract has been fulfilled, hasn’t it? Word spread early this morning.”

“Except, clearly you expected otherwise.”

“Please. Doesn’t matter what story you feed Benjamin about the two of you. I know what I saw. No way Jerrik would kill you. And I know where I stand.” I moved to follow him, but he snapped his fingers in my direction. “Shoes. Please. Think we’re all animals here?”

Was that an insult? I turned to Jerrik, laughter bubbling in my throat at the sight of him unlacing his massive combat boots. There was just something downright hilarious about seeing the shadow wolf walking through someone else’s house in his white socked feet.

Chuckling under my breath, I followed suit and kicked off my joggers. A bungalow-style house, the hallway ran almost the entire length. It eventually widened into a massive kitchen with an attached dining room and an open living room fitted with massive bay windows that led out into a forest behind his house. It reminded me a bit of Jerrik’s place, only smaller.

“Sit, please. I’ll make us some coffee.”

“None for me,” Jerrik grunted, a sentiment I quickly echoed.

“It’s not poisoned.” David shook his head. “I said I had no interest in killing Reagan anymore, and I meant it.”

“Yeah? How about explaining that change of heart,” I interjected. “I would love to hear how a guy goes from bloodthirsty for a half a million to content with his lot in life.”

David dragged a hand through his sandy-blonde hair and sat at the head of the table.

I couldn’t resist—I checked beneath it for traps. Then ran my hand along the seam of the chair. Lord knew what I was looking for, I just knew I needed to check everything.

Both men watched me with identical amused expressions.

“You done?” David asked.

I gave a half-shrug, then sat down. Soft cushion, nice back support. I actually really liked his table. Could see myself getting a similar one for my place.

“Listen, maybe you’re new to this, but generally once a contract has been filled, the job is done. Word spread around the infosphere that Jerrik had collected the fee.”

The infosphere. La dee dah.

“So?”

“So, what do you expect me to do now? Say I did kill you. I could tell Benjamin it was all a ruse, sure. But Jerrik has the money. And Lord knows where he stashed it. Something I doubt he’d ever tell me.”

His upper lip curled back. “Not on your life.”

“You can bet Benjamin won’t cough up another half a million. Why would he? So, what point is there to me completing the job?”

“I did stab you,” I pointed out, gesturing toward his side.

David shrugged. “Not the first time.”

“Guess that sort of thing happens in your line of work.”

A smug smile chased across Jerrik’s face. “Not to me.”

“Yes, yes, we all know you’re the biggest, baddest wolf around.”

He threw me a wink. “Damn right, dove.”

We shared a grin, one that vanished when I turned back to David. “Why invite us in then?”

He sighed and dropped his hands down onto the table, his fingers twined loosely together. “Can we just skip all the formalities? And get down to business?”

“Oh, baby,” I teased.

Jerrik shook his head. “Fine. You’re compromised.”

“I am.”

My gaze leapt between the two of them. “Compromised?”

“You know his identity,” Jerrik said. “If words gets out that he not only failed in his mission, but that the damn heir knows who he is, no one will ever hire him again. He invited us in because we aren’t the only ones who want something here.”

Ohhh. I liked that. Now I had grounds in which to convince him to help us. “How the tables have turned.”

David shook his head. “Except, I know why you’re here. And the two are counter-productive. Let me guess. You want me to testify in front of both packs that Benjamin hired me to assassinate you. If I do that, my cover’s completely blown anyway. That’s not what I want from you.”

“It’s not?” I asked.

“There’s no way I’m remaining anonymous in all this. I should have turned down the bloody contract once I heard the shadow wolf took it. But half a million is a hell of a lot of money. I got greedy.”

We agreed on that.

“Right now, I’ll be lucky to escape with my life. Once Gabriel hears about all this…”

“You’re dead,” I finished. “That was sort of the plan.”

David’s gaze flicked to mine, his warm green eyes silently pleading with me. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll testify in front of everyone, including your father. But afterward, I walk. I leave North America. You’ll never hear from me again in your father’s lifetime.”

“Not good enough,” I added.

His jaw tightened, disappointment curling his fingers into tight fists.

“This is how it’s going to go down. My father isn’t the one you assaulted. My father isn’t the one you tried to kill. I am. He isn’t the one you should be appeasing here. I’ll make the deal with you and let you walk. But you’re exiled for his lifetime, mine, and my children’s.”

His mouth fell open. “That could be like…”

“A couple thousand years. You won’t be alive, that’s for sure. But if somehow you are, those are my conditions. Take it, or we take you and head to the conclave, where you testify anyway, and then in front of everyone, I annihilate you.”

“It’s the best deal you’re going to get,” Jerrik assured him. “You fucked up.”

Darkness whipped across David’s face and he turned away as his wolf flared in his eyes. After a few moments, he finally nodded and glanced at me across the table. “Fine.”

“Excellent. After everything is settled today, you’ll have twenty-four hours to pack your things and arrange travel. Oh, and take your grandmother with you. That woman is…”

“Terrifying,” Jerrik added in a mindless voice, as though he hadn’t meant to speak the word aloud.

I nodded. In this case, we agreed.

“You want me to arrange travel for a ninety-year-old woman in twenty-four hours?”

“She seems capable,” I said. “I have no fear she won’t be able to handle it.”

“She’s human—you can’t exile her.”

“Can and just did. I’m sure she’ll willingly leave when she learns it’ll keep you alive.”

David sighed and hung his head. After a few terse moments, he nodded, then raked his massive hands down his face. “Fine, agreed.”

“It’s settled then.”

Jerrik leaned back in his chair and nodded.

I glanced down at my phone and grimaced when I saw the time. Six fifty-five in the morning. Man, we were really pushing things. We had an hour and five minutes to get across the city. It would be close. Damn close.

“Fetch your best weapons,” I said. “I refuse to let this challenge happen.”

I would be the only person killing today.