The Deputy and His Enforcer (Kincaid Pack #3) - Kiki Clark Page 0,75

edicts.

But he only had to remember Kieran’s face when he described what had happened to him during the hearing against his father to know that wasn’t true. The Council had been completely biased in favor of Alpha McAllister and had asked rude and personal questions of Kieran even though he was simply supposed to be testifying to how he’d overheard his father and sister talking about how they were spying on the Kincaid Pack’s emissary.

Something that was very much against shifter law.

The hearing had turned into a joke though, with Kieran being put under scrutiny and his father being found not guilty of the allegations.

And then Alpha McAllister had come for Rick and his son in retribution.

Marcus knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that if Mikel Gregson had still been alive, Councilman Kincaid wouldn’t have been able to so easily manipulate the rest of the Council into doing his bidding, and there wouldn’t be even a question about whether or not the majority of Council members could be trusted.

An unknown number popped up on the screen of his cell as it began to ring and vibrate on the desk. Frowning, he hesitated before answering.

He knew that area code.

Taking a deep breath, he focused on releasing any tension in his neck and jaw, knowing he couldn’t afford to give anything away if the person on the other end was who he thought.

“Marcus Rivera,” he answered, his voice devoid of any emotion.

“Enforcer Rivera,” a deep but cheerful voice said, setting Marcus’s teeth on edge. He shut his eyes and silently inhaled, exhaling the annoyance. “This is Alistair Kincaid. How are you, son?”

The son comment made him flinch. He’d never actually met Alistair Kincaid, who was estranged from his actual son. So why was he pretending to be so friendly? “Councilman Kincaid. I’m well, thank you. What can I help you with, sir?”

He grimaced at the chuckle Kincaid released. “I’d heard you were very polite, Marcus, though it does beg the question of why you were conspiring behind the Council’s back with our clerk.”

Only a decade of experience kept Marcus from reacting to the words said so jovially it was like Kincaid was asking Marcus for his favorite lasagna recipe. Squeezing the fist not holding his cell phone, he concentrated on keeping his heart and breathing steady.

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to, sir.” He kept his answer short, knowing at least two other people were listening to the conversation on Kincaid’s end. He could hear their hearts beating steadily.

“Oh, come now. You’re not really going to pretend you haven’t been talking to her, are you? We have the phone records and email correspondence.”

But they didn’t have her—he was almost positive.

Saying a silent thank-you to the goddess, he said, “Wendy? Of course I’ve spoken to her. I’m working on a project for my alpha and needed her assistance.”

Kincaid hummed, and then the line went silent. He pulled the phone from his ear and saw that the call was still connected and realized he must have been muted so Kincaid could confer with whoever was with him.

What an asshole.

“Was there anything else, Councilman?” Marcus wasn’t going to just sit there and act like he didn’t have anything better to do but listen to silence.

There was another moment of nothing, and then the phone switched over and he could hear the other end again. Though there was only one heartbeat present now. “No. I think that’s it for now. Please give my… regards to my son.”

The cold detachment in Kincaid’s voice sent a chill down Marcus’s spine. “I’ll do that, sir.”

He didn’t wait for a goodbye, simply hanging up the phone and setting it carefully on top of his desk once more, even though what he really wanted to do was throw the device across the room with a roar and then track down Councilman Kincaid and rip him to shreds for his veiled threats against Marcus’s pack, his alpha, and Wendy.

There wasn’t much doubt left that Kincaid was the sender of the note with Agnes’s body, but for the first time, Marcus wondered if the other Council members who had voted against finding Alpha McAllister guilty were the ones Kincaid was working with. There had been something about the way Kincaid had muted the call… like someone more powerful than him had wanted to speak without being overheard.

Sighing, he stood and called out, “You can come in now.”

Jamie’s tousled blond head poked into his office. “I don’t know how you just kept your