Page 165 of Jagged Souls

“Look what I found! Isn’t he just the cutest?”

I turn around, expecting her to have brought back some stray cat like she has in the past. My heart jumps sixteen feet into the air, and I damn near follow it. “Godsdammit, Siome!” I shout. “That is an alligator!”

“It’s actually a crocodile –”

“That’s worse!”

“You meanbetter!” she squeals. Holding the hatchling up to her face, she kisses him on the nose. “He’s so pretty. Can we keep him?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because when he grows up, he’ll eat you.”

“Ah.” She nods sagely. “And you don’t like it when other males get to eat me.”

She laughs as I choke on my next breath.

Dear gods, my little helfire is going to be the death of me.

I snap the pocket watch closed. Thinking about her right now is dangerous. I need to keep my head cleared for this meeting. We’re about to hit the Shadow Domain in only a few hours.

Marching towards the office at the docks, I slip inside and nod at the man at the door. He isn’t a wolf like me, but he’s loyal to the cause. He lost his older brother to the Blood Fangs, then his parents to the witches. He will give his life for us – a price he will undoubtedly pay. Everyone dies in this war.

But not her.

She’s safe out west. In a stable pack. In a well-established territory. She’s even mated to some fucker now, and he can give her the peace I cannot.

Forcing her from my mind, I make my way into the back room. It’s already filled with capos – all women par one, but none of them greet me. I am just a lowly soldier. Oscar’s perfect killing machine, his favorite hitman. Which makes them scared of me. They know I have the skill to kill them and take their title, and I have the favoritism of the Boss. After all, one cannot rise in rank if all the rungs are filled.

But I’ve never been interested in politics.

I’m pissed off enough with the world the way it is. I don’t need to be involved with people actively trying to make it worse. I might take orders from Oscar, but he knows better than to try to use me for his own personal gain.

I fight for the innocents trapped in this war. For people like Siome. Not him.

My eyes narrow as I clock movement towards me. All those around me move away, able to smell my irritation. They know how fast I can shift into my wolf form. What takes them minutes takes me only seconds, and I can handle the pain enough to fight back even while I change.

The woman walking towards me, however, only hesitates a half-step before she continues. Her dark hair is cut to her shoulders, and she wears pants instead of the dresses of the whores out on the docks. But she’s still a whore – always tossing herself at me, as if I’d be happy to take any scraps.

Because that’s all every woman is compared to Siome.

Fucking scraps.

“I hear we’re hitting a drug den,” she says.

I don’t look at her, knowing I will get told what I need to soon enough. The meeting’s to start in three minutes, and Oscar is never late.

“Maybe we can grab a couple Ricks and Vs,” she says as she sidles closer to me.

Now I do look at her.

My eyes flash dangerously, and she sucks in a breath as she takes a step back. Fear paints the air sickly sweet, and one of the other capos call her name as Oscar steps into the room. Taking the out she was given, the whore scurries off.

My irritation doesn’t wane though, and the space around me doesn’t fill. All through the meeting, I’m left alone. My arms crossed, I listen to the plan Oscar gives us.

While everyone storms the east side of the warehouse, I’m to go in through the west. Working alone is how I work best – no one to babysit; no one to try to keep safe. Then we’re to destroy the warehouse and any product inside. The drugs might be worth millions, but taking them would cause more trouble than they’re worth.