Chapter 31: Chapter 31

SLOAN

~How the hell did my day go from being balls-deep inside my angel to dealing with these assholes again?~ Sloan thought as he sat in the den, listening to Steven provide him with a detailed report from the pack house sweep.

He still couldn’t believe that they were ballsy enough to plant such a racy photo on the last body and outlandishly threaten Myra in the process.

He glanced over at his female sitting quietly across the room. She was hugging her knees, and he could sense how violated she felt.

Someone had been spying on their private sanctum for possibly the past month, and they had been completely unaware of it.

He hated the fact that someone else was privy to hearing and seeing her cries of pleasure and was bold enough to create pictorial evidence of that fact.

Said photo sat face down on the desk in front of him, and its taunting message teased him, fueling his rage.

After Steven delivered his report, Sloan looked up at the four shifters standing before him. He sensed their uneasiness about his anger and his battle to keep control of his feral wolf.

He gave out new orders to each of them, then turned to Leanne.

“She NEVER leaves your sight,” he ordered his most trusted senior lead security officer. He glanced at Myra again, and thankfully, she didn’t protest his demands.

He noted that she’d been abnormally quiet since the discovery of the devices and the picture. ~What are you thinking, my sweet fiancée?~

They’d decided to hold off on announcing their engagement, now that her life—and the life of their pup—was in danger once again.

Once Steven excused himself, Leanne walked over and joined Myra while Declan made some notes.

“I can’t believe the cojones on these bastards,” Tristan snapped, pointing out the elephant in the room, and he glanced at the overturned photo.

“Who exactly saw this photo?” Sloan asked darkly, tapping the document with his index finger. He saw Declan nervously shift from foot to foot while Tristan scratched the back of his neck.

“Fortunately, yet unfortunately, it was me,” Declan confessed, putting on a brave face. “While we were investigating the fourth body dump, I got a text,” he explained, pulling out his phone and tapping quickly on the screen.

He placed the device on the desk and slid it over to Sloan.

Unknown

Busy, busy…here’s number five

“They texted you the coordinates to the fifth body?” he asked, handing the phone back to Declan.

“It was a mass text. All the packs and clans in the area got it. I was just lucky to get to the body first.”

“Thank you.” Sloan was grateful that only Declan had seen the photo.

He was also thankful that his uncontrollable wolf was too blind with rage toward the rogues to act unjustly and challenge his lifelong friend in order to restore honor to his female.

Declan blew out a breath of relief, and so did Tristan. His actions caused Sloan to narrow his gaze at his brother.

“Why do you seem just as relieved?”

“I…um…,” Tristan stuttered.

Sloan growled, and his fingers curled into a fist.

“I didn’t see it, if that’s what you’re wondering. Just the message on the back. Declan was quite adamant that only one of us should die for viewing the contents of that photo,” Tristan further explained.

“And seeing that you have yet to calm down means that the image depicted on that paper is bad.

“So I’m thankful he took a big fucking silver bullet for my well-being,” Tristan finished, sighing in relief once again when Sloan’s fists uncurled.

Declan nodded to confirm Tristan’s words. He picked up his phone and silently motioned to the wall where the map was located. Sloan pressed some buttons, and the map opened.

“Like all the times before, the bodies were placed in random spots around the city,” Declan stated, pinning the new locations.

He stood back, and they all stared at the screen, hoping against hope for a sign, for something to crack this mystery wide open and put to rest—

Suddenly Myra gasped, and Sloan looked up at her. She had a shocked expression on her face as she gazed at the map.

“What is it, angel?” he asked, looking back at the screen, trying to understand what had caused such a reaction from her.

“Don’t you all see it?” she voiced, uncurling herself and walking over to the map.

Everyone gathered around the map staring at it.

“Sorry, sis. What are we supposed to be seeing?” Tristan questioned, tilting his head from side to side.

“I guess it’s my training that allows me to see past the random scribbles. Can you remove the background map but keep the pins?” Myra asked him, but her request confused him.

Instead, Declan took the initiative to fulfill her request. He returned to the keyboard, and the map disappeared with just the pins remaining.

The plain background made the map look even stranger, but they still couldn’t see whatever it was Myra was seeing.

“Okay, Declan,” Myra started and joined him by the keyboard. “I need you to overlay a different picture on the pins. Can you pull up the emoji icons?”

He nodded and did as she asked.

“That one.” She pointed to the screen.

Sloan almost laughed at the dumbfounded expression on his friend’s face as he looked at the computer monitor and then the screen.

Myra rejoined them, placing a comforting hand on the small of his back. He relished the slight, intimate touch. For the first time since viewing that photo, his wolf began to calm down.

Declan made the changes, and the background changed per Myra’s request. The room grew painfully silent as the image appeared overlaid on the pins.

“~Fucking bastards!~” he growled, not believing his eyes. Most of the points lined up perfectly with the mocking smiley face emoji.

“As you can see, the first three victims and my attack were anomalies. The pattern started with the fourth victim,” Myra deciphered, pointing to the screen.

“Because by the third victim, we started taking notice,” Sloan said, interpreting her words.

“How the hell did you see that?” Tristan scoffed in shock, holding up his hand to high-five Myra.

“It comes with being a teacher. The first time I saw this map, there was something about it, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. With these new victims, it just clicked.” She shrugged.

Sloan wrapped his arm around her, hugging her closer to his body, and placed a kiss on her forehead.

“Good job, my love,” he encouraged her, while the image on the map mocked them.

“But what does it mean?” Leanne questioned, scratching her head, seemingly still as confused as everyone else.

But it was Declan who sighed in frustration before answering her. “It’s nothing, just another dead end.”

Sloan hated to admit it, but Declan was right. They’d been wasting their time focusing on the bodies’ locations. The rogues’ spy knew this and used it to their advantage.

“We’ve been chasing our tails once again, and the fuckers have been laughing at us. Who can orchestrate something of this caliber with such accuracy?” Sloan wondered aloud, not actually soliciting an answer.

After a brief moment of silence, Tristan spoke up. “I think Elizabeth was an afterthought, because we all know she doesn’t have the brains to pull this off.”

“I believe so too. It’s someone hiding in plain sight. Has anyone recently been showing interest in these cases, outside of the ranked members?” Sloan questioned, but they all shook their heads.

“No one, but they clearly have a death wish, placing cameras in your bedroom.” Declan tried to lighten the mood, but the offhanded comment got Sloan thinking.

“Besides the staff who changed our sheets and towels, I haven’t registered any new scents in our bedroom,” Myra confessed.

“I’ll start my investigation with them.” Tristan took notes on his tablet. “Rebecca, Lilly, Ashley, and Bella. Correct?”

Sloan nodded. Though he’d known the four female staffers for most of his life and could personally vouch for them, his woman was being threatened, and therefore no one was safe.

Tristan left the room to start his detailed background checks while Declan gathered his notes and files.

His betas were determined to start producing results before the worst happened.

“From now on, I’d prefer handling the bedding and towels in our bedroom,” Myra commanded in a no-nonsense tone, which meant she wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“I wouldn’t dream of contradicting you. No one’s allowed in our room but us,” he agreed, placing a protective hand on her stomach to indicate that he was including their pup.

They’d reached the point of no return. From this moment forward, there would be bloodshed.

“Excuse me, it’s my brother,” Leanne said, answering her phone and exiting the room.

Myra just nodded as she continued to stare at the screen. Sloan wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting his head on top of hers, still gazing at the screen.

“Until everything’s settled, we’ll hold off announcing our double dose of happy news,” he said, running his hand down her arm, gripping her hand, and bringing her ringed finger up to his lips.

She nodded as he kissed her finger. “I agree.”

~Time to change the mood~, Sloan thought. “Why don’t you start looking for our replacement bedframe?”

“And tub?” she teased, turning to face him. A slight smirk graced her face as she nibbled on her lower lip.

He saw her eyes flash with arousal, and her signature scent floated up to him. But he didn’t want to take her in his current emotional state. He refused to hurt her.

Sloan took a deep breath, letting her mere presence continue to calm him. “You little minx. Haven’t you had enough of me?” Sloan laughed, pulling both her hands onto his shoulders, then wrapping his hands around her waist.

“Never.”

He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her sweetly. “Thank you for figuring out the map. We may have eventually realized it, but I’m so glad we don’t have to waste any more time on it.”

A small smile came to Myra’s sweet face as she reached up and cupped his cheek.

“While the black eyes are doing a number on my heated hormones, I want my gray-eyed wolfman back,” she flirted, gazing deeply into his eyes.

“I just need to calm down first, angel. But it’ll be a while,” he confessed.

“However, simply being in your presence is helping. You’re like a beacon of light and hope among all this darkness,” he whispered, baring all his frustration and anger to her.

“I love you, Myra Gallagher. I thank God every day that I’ve found, claimed, and mated you.”

“I love you too, Sloan Jamison,” she whispered, tipping up onto her toes to kiss him.

They were quiet for a moment, and then Myra spoke. “Whoever’s the mastermind behind all this…”

Sloan groaned, dropping his head on her shoulder. He’d failed to change the subject.

“…They think they’re funny. And…” She paused, and Sloan looked at her.

“And?”

“It’s a game. In their sick and twisted way, it’s all a game.”

“Twisted and deadly. But I have no intentions of being the losing side anymore,” Sloan growled, and he felt his anger starting to rise again.