Cerri grimaced. “Him again?”
* * *
I pulledup outside of a trailer set deep into a trailer park on the edge of the supernatural territory. It was on the other side of the lake. From here, I could see the warehouses of Lakesedge lining the opposite shore of Lake Onondaga.
Outside, the air smelled of wolves. I surmised a number of shifters lived here. If I picked a fight with Connor, would they come to his aid? No one wanted to help Ness, so I doubted they would stick their necks out for Connor, either.
I made a note of all the ways Connor could run. There were several windows in the trailer that a human body could fit through. The trailer likely had a back door, but that wouldn’t be hard to find. As I took in the park, I tried to guess which way Connor might run and how I could cut him off if it came down to it.
Cerri didn’t bother waiting for me. She leapt up the front steps and pounded on the door much the same way she had with mine. This time, the door swung open when she slammed it. Cerri froze and glanced back at me.
This was where I came in. I pushed past her. If Connor had any traps set up at the front door, I would walk into them instead of Cerri. Connor hadn’t set any traps, though. He wasn’t in any shape to do so, apparently. Slouched on the couch across from me, Connor raised the beer bottle in his hand. His eyes were distant as he stared at the floor. A cloud of shame surrounded him.
My beast stirred. Anger made lightning ripple beneath my skin. It demanded to be let out. The skies wanted to open up and expose the rage brewing inside me. I kept it locked down as I watched Connor.
“What did you do?” I asked.
Connor’s lips curled angrily. “You need to get the hell out of here. You’re screwing everything up. They wouldn’t be so mad at her had you not set up camp here.”
Before I could say anything, Cerri shoved past me. The sound of her slap reverberated through the room. Connor’s head snapped to the side, but that sneer stayed on his face. Cerri wasted no time. She brought her foot down on Connor’s instep.
“Tell us what you did, damn it.”
I made a mental note to stay away from Ness’s friends. I got the sense that if she didn’t stand between them and the pack, they would have burnt it to the ground for her by now.
Cerri grabbed ahold of Connor’s shirt and shook him. I stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. She stiffened but never took her eyes off Connor.
“You were supposed to be her friend,” Cerri said weakly.
I gently pulled her away from Connor so I could insert myself between them. If Cerri’s assault hurt at all, Connor didn’t show it. Dread slithered in the pits of my gut.
“What did you do?”
Connor lurched forward and threw his head into his hands. I stumbled back, ready for a fight only to watch him crumple. His shoulders collapsed under the weight of whatever he hid from us.
“I wanted to help,” Connor said, his voice muffled by his hands. When they fell away, he didn’t lift his head. “Alvin said we would talk. I thought I would be able to stand beside her and keep her safe. All I want is for her to have a future here.”
Cerri kicked him in the shin. “So, you took her straight to Alvin? Are you really that stupid?”
Connor lifted his head. His brows arched as he grimaced. His gaze flicked to Cerri. “I was ready to sacrifice myself for Ness, but Alvin said…he said he’d let Harvey hurt you. I’ve seen what Harvey likes to do to women. Ness will hate me for what I did to her, but she’d gut me if she found out that I’d sacrificed you for her.”
I caught Cerri by the elbows before she could crumple. She quickly straightened and backpedaled, all while avoiding Connor’s gaze. He gave a curt yet grave nod in understanding. Even he hated himself.
I just nodded. “If I find out that she’s…”
I couldn’t bring myself to finish that sentence. My beast rioted. Electricity snapped in the air around me. The beast’s rage could no longer be contained. I glared down at the man on the couch. He couldn’t see my fury, but I was damn sure that he could feel it.
I changed my words so I could complete my warning. “If I get to Alvin’s and Ness is hurt, then I’m going to come back and bury you six feet under. I won’t bother to kill you first, either.”
Cerri’s head snapped back, her wide eyes flying up to me before she stiffened and nodded in agreement. There was a fury in her eyes, too. It reminded me of the other Bad Moon employee, the one with the fire. She might be a liability, though. She’d had little control over herself last night.
Outside, the sun remained bright in the sky. No storms gathered overhead. I wished the sky would open up and rumble with my beast’s violence, but the day seemed too stubborn to admit that things were about to take a dark turn.
The sound of movement behind me made me spin. I braced for Connor’s attack, but he didn’t throw himself at me. Instead, he stood in the doorway and tried to lift himself to his full height. He couldn’t quite do it, like the weight of what he’d done still pushed him into the earth.
“I’m coming with you,” Connor said, though he showed no intention of moving.
I raised both brows and waited. Connor’s eyes were a little too wide as he looked between me and the car. Cerri stood with her arms crossed over her chest. She clearly had no patience for him. If her attitude scared him, then he was in for a surprise when he discovered how I really felt.