Page 13

CHAPTER 13

Leo

Convincing myself not to kill the new recruit Frankie liked so much hadn’t been easy.

Yeah, he was spying on her, but what really bothered me was the way he looked at her – like she was this gorgeous, mysterious creature who existed solely to make our lives miserable.

Not that he was wrong, but I didn’t like how he could see her. It rubbed me the wrong way and if I didn’t do something about it, she was going to get hurt.

But who was I to deny her the kind of pain she thrived on? I’d even say she deserved it for all the things she’s done to me.

My Francesca was a fucking goddess who could wrap anyone and everyone around her little finger like it was nothing. This new recruit was no different, but he was falling for the real thing, not the performance she liked to put on.

How he could see through such flawless bullshit, I didn’t know.

I definitely needed to observe him for a while before killing him.

Plus…killing him was bad. Frankie would be angry with me if I did that. I had to get her permission first.

Blindly following my emotions was not the way to do this. I needed to wait him out so I could follow the trail back to the real culprit.

We needed to know who was behind all this fuckery and Soren Hart was the first real lead we had.

I watched Frankie head into the commander’s office through one of the surveillance cameras and ran my hand through my hair, ruffling it slightly until it stood straight up.

Auntie Lauren was the one who’d given me this accountant position at Genesis. She wasn’t very happy about it, but she didn’t have a choice. She’d received an order and now here I was, playing the part of a goody-two shoes employee.

“Louis! You’re here early.”

I smiled at my new ‘boss’ when she stuck her head into my office. “Just trying to make a good impression, ma’am.”

“You’ve already made a good impression,” Patty assured me. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be here, right?”

“Right.”

She waved before heading to her own office and the smile instantly dropped from my face.

This act was annoying, but if it meant I got to be in the same building as Frankie, I’d do it.

I’d do anything to be close to her actually.

Even spend ten years on the other side of the planet just so she’d realize she missed me.

Leaving her here on her own was the last thing I’d wanted, but sometimes, we had to learn from our mistakes and Frankie would never learn if I stuck around. She was stubborn like that.

Lucy's presence seems to have delayed that learning experience.

Good thing I’d learned how to hunt from Francisco Lopez himself.

I was a patient predator and I’d wait as long as necessary for Frankie to realize she couldn’t just abandon me and get away with it.

Maybe I’d leave it alone if I thought she didn’t actually want me around, but we both knew that wasn’t the case.

Frankie just didn’t want to admit it.

Lacing my fingers behind my head, I leaned back and watched her plop into the armchair in front of Auntie Lauren’s desk, looking exhausted.

Being back in my own country for more than just a short vacation still felt weird. I’ve spent so long honing my skills to be the best soldier Frankie could ever ask for and now here I was, still watching her through a screen.

But she was only three floors above me. I could see her in person right now if I wanted to…I could smell her sweet citrusy scent and see the look in her eyes when she realized I was finally back.

It was earlier than I’d planned, but what was I supposed to do? When Francisco called, I answered.

I suppose I could have denied his request, but this was Frankie we were talking about.

Someone was targeting high ranking members of the Lopez pack and we had no idea what their end game was. It could be to force Francisco to step down, maybe have him declare someone else as his heir…

Or this was a process of elimination.

That put a target on Frankie’s back and no one could protect her like I could. Her father knew that better than anyone. That’s why he’d called me back from Hong Kong with such little notice.

I’ve only been back for a few days and I’ve already proved I was the perfect Genesis employee on top of getting our little Kat settled.

Pulling the knife from my belt, I flipped it up into the air, and then caught it before it could sink into my thigh. I repeated the movement as I watched her share croissants from her favorite bakery with the commander.

“How are things going with the new recruit?” Auntie Lauren asked, her voice coming through my earbud slightly distorted.

She had to be asking that question just to piss me off.

Auntie Lauren loved this new recruit, didn’t she? Since she insisted on bringing him up at every opportunity.

It wasn’t like she didn’t know I was here, listening into every conversation Frankie was a part of – even conversations that might have nothing to do with her on the off chance it would tell me who was behind her uncle’s death.

Little did she know she’d planted a spy at her beloved nieces’ side.

“It’s going,” Frankie muttered, making me smirk.

She really didn’t like this rookie of hers, but it wasn’t because he was trying to take Lucy’s place.

No, she liked him too much.

She’s already pushed away everyone who might challenge her status as an alpha and she didn’t have Lucy to lean on anymore. So…what now, Frankie?

What were you going to do when you realized your crutch was well and truly gone? What would you do when you realized I was back?

I flipped the knife and caught it, my grin widening when I remembered our last encounter.

There was no doubt in my mind she’d stab me again when she found out.

“Anyways.” Frankie stood and tucked her hands in her jacket pockets. “I’ve got to get my workout over with.”

She hesitated before leaving the office and I hated how desperate she looked.

“Nothing new?” Frankie asked.

“Not yet,” the commander replied. “I’ll let you know as soon as we get a call for a new job.”

“Anything is fine,” Frankie insisted. “I just need to get out of the office.”

“You get first pick,” Lauren promised. “Now go. I have work to do.”

Frankie left and headed straight for the gym where the rookie was waiting for her.

I got to work, doing all my assignments as quickly as possible while I watched them warm up out of the corner of my eye.

Her routine was the same as it always was – cardio, then weights. Once she was done with her warm up she headed over to the punching bag and got started on that, taking only a single second to tell the rookie he needed to figure out what he was going to work on until she was ready to train with him.

Of course, he chose to hold the punching bag for her instead of doing literally anything else, and Frankie just ignored him as she worked on her right side.

She was always working on her non-dominant side, building up the strength and motor skills to make it look like she was right-handed.

Such a clever ruse.

I focused on my work, but didn’t send any of it out so they wouldn’t assign me more. I scheduled each item to upload at regular intervals and then started on my assignment from Francisco.

Protecting Francesca without letting her know I was here was my highest priority. She couldn’t know her father had assigned her a detail or she’d freak out and insist she didn’t need it, making everyone’s job more difficult.

Everything I’ve learned over the last few days told me they weren’t just targeting Francisco’s rivals. They were also targeting Frankie, but they were going about it in a roundabout way.

I didn’t think it was a single person either, but many, and all with their own agenda.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Frankie punch the bag hard enough it split and all the sand poured out, making the alpha who was holding the bag for her wince.

I wish she’d punched his face that hard instead. But what could I say? My girl was a good person to everyone but me.

She wiped the sweat off her face with the back of her hand and I sipped my latte as I watched her turn away from Soren Hart like he was nothing more than a ghost.

I smirked and clicked through the other surveillance cameras we had in the building.

Her ability to act like someone didn’t exist was unparalleled. I’d know. She’s done it to me more than anyone else so I had firsthand experience with the exact feeling that asshole was experiencing right now.

Getting stabbed in the gut hurt less than the devastation Francesca wrought when she decided to cut someone out of her life.

Lucky for Soren, she had to balance that desire with professionalism.

I’ve never been that lucky.

Frankie turned back to him after taking a sip of her water and the expression on his face didn’t shift, but I could tell he was bracing himself for her attention.

She jerked her chin toward the mats and then headed over, her new recruit trailing after her like a lost puppy.

But he wasn’t innocent or na?ve. He was a fucking spy and I had no idea who he was working for.

Frankie started off by showing him where he could improve but she was either ignoring the real problem or completely oblivious to it.

It wasn’t that Soren Hart didn’t know how to incapacitate her, but that he couldn’t .

He watched her with unwavering dedication and whenever she touched him, the skin around his eyes would tighten.

I wanted to laugh at his predicament, but mine wasn’t any better.

Regardless of his real reason for being here, Soren Hart was falling under her spell. It was obvious to anyone with a set of eyes, including Frankie.

And she liked him too or she wouldn’t be acting like he didn’t exist.

It fucking pissed me off that she was still like this.

My grip on my mug tightened as familiar cravings for violence washed over me.

Francesca was so desperate to be whatever she thought everyone else needed that she refused to accept what she needed.

She was so caught up in the idea of what an alpha should or shouldn’t be that she wouldn’t let herself do anything she actually wanted to do.

Feminine alphas weren’t uncommon, but Frankie was so freaked out by her designation she wouldn’t let herself indulge in her feminine desires.

She wouldn’t touch anything that was pink even though it was her favorite color, like it might infect her with some disease if she wasn’t careful.

Her red hair and lipstick were as close as she’d allow herself.

Wearing a dress was always a risk for her, but she was taller than most female omegas so it wasn’t as taboo as the color pink or wearing bows in her hair like she used to.

Any femininity she allowed had to be sharp and deadly.

It suited her, but I still hated it because I knew how much she wanted someone to rely on.

That’s why the whole thing with Lucy had worked so well. Our little sister was very capable of taking care of herself as well as others.

Even Frankie.

But now Lucy had her own scent-matched partners. She wouldn’t be able to ground Frankie the same way she used to, and if what I’d read from the various reports over the last few months was right, her new dominant omega status was actually making Frankie worse.

What are you going to do now, Frankie? Your relationship with River is nearly over and I’m not the only one you feel drawn to anymore, am I?

My phone rang and I accepted the call, never once looking away from the cruel goddess wreaking havoc on my screen.

“Leonidas.” The deep, familiar voice on the other end of the line said my name like he was warning me.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that, Pop?”

Francisco Lopez sighed and I could easily picture him pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “Has she noticed your presence?”

“She has no idea I’m in the country, let alone her building.” I drained my latte and flipped through the last of the surveillance cameras. “Interfering with her business is your job, not mine.”

I wasn’t sure how many cases Francisco could redirect before Frankie noticed, but it was only a matter of time before she figured it out and came for her father’s throat…maybe I’d even get lucky enough to see that in person.

“Have you found anything?” Lopez asked, his tone switching to the one I was more familiar with.

This was my alpha now, not the kind benefactor who’d taken me into his pack when I was just a kid.

My gaze slid from the empty halls in the Genesis building to Soren Hart who was taking the full brunt of Frankie’s impatience and irritation as he struck the pads she held while barking at him to speed up.

Telling Francisco the new recruit was a spy would end my hunt before I was ready for that.

I wanted to follow the trail back to the source or I’d end up having to do twice the work when a new spy was planted.

There was also the possibility that this one would willingly give us his source if Frankie continued to work her magic on him. Not that I expected either of them to figure out that was happening before I stepped in.

“I’ve located a few bugs that aren’t ours, but haven’t tracked their sources yet,” I admitted. “I should have one of them traced by tonight.”

I didn’t ask about his brother or any of the other legacy alphas in the pack. It wasn’t my business, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t keeping tabs on it for myself and Frankie.

The Lopez alpha would never do anything that might put his children in harm’s way, but he was ruthless and, at times, single-minded. He wanted Frankie to be strong and safe. He would let her do whatever it was she wanted as long as those two things stayed true.

Even name her his heir when he knew it would only trap her in the mess she’s made.

How could he argue when it was what she wanted?

Thankfully, I didn’t have that problem. I didn’t care about the next alpha of the Lopez pack as long as it didn’t affect Frankie. Francisco could declare an earthworm as the next alpha and it wouldn’t matter to me, but Frankie?

She thought she was the only possible solution despite the fact that I was right here. She’d convinced herself her father had named her his heir because there was no other choice when she knew I still had the Lopez name.

I just didn’t want the position, but for her?

I’d do anything for her and she fucking knew it. The little brat. Always making our lives more difficult than they needed to be.

“How do you feel about joining me for dinner tonight?” Francisco asked. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you in person. I want to know how you’ve been.”

I grinned as I watched Frankie smack Soren across the face with one of the strike pads when he didn’t dodge fast enough. “Sure, I’d love dinner. It’s been too long since I’ve been back home anyway.”

“How does lasagna sound?”

I paused, wondering if that meant what I thought it did. “It’s one of my favorites,” I admitted.

“You and Frankie both,” Francisco chuckled. “I’ll see you at seven then.”

“See you then.” I hung up, my heart pounding as I tried to convince myself this wasn’t what it sounded like.

There was absolutely no way Francisco would tell me to stay hidden and then invite me to a dinner that Frankie was also attending…right?

Was I really going to see her tonight?

I watched her wipe the sweat from her forehead and felt my stomach flip as I considered the possibility.

Was I ready to meet my maker? No, I most definitely wasn’t, but it’s not like I really had a choice. Francisco would never let me decline.

But I wasn’t ready to see her again, not in person.

The last time I was close enough to smell the soap on her skin…my grip on the mug tightened and the damn thing cracked – my latte spurting out like blood from a wound.

I was absolutely not in the right mind to see her yet, but I wanted to.

Desperately.