Wolf's Hunger (Mafia Monsters #5) - Atlas Rose Page 0,40
speed. Excitement filled the car for some reason. I felt it like the north wind that blows in the spring, making me restless…making me pace.
But I couldn’t pace now, only sit and watch the white lines on the road blur as we left Church, Walker, and Wry behind. I shifted in my seat, working the muscles in my neck until Vitold released my hand to work on the tension in my muscles.
“Turn your back to me,” he instructed. I shifted in my seat, letting him find the knots and work them with expert hands until I sighed with relief.
“Better?” He kissed my shoulder and pulled me against him.
I gave a nod and relaxed a little. “Much.”
He rested his arm across my chest, holding me. I took comfort in his embrace as we raced through the night until we veered east and before I knew it, we pulled up at an eight-foot electric gate and waited.
Seconds later the gate rolled aside, letting us through. I shifted in my seat, letting Vitold’s arm slide from around me, and looked out at the high fence surrounding the compound. I had a strange feeling someone was watching us as we drove along the lengthy driveway, following the thick tree line until the towering ash trees fell away and revealed a spectacular mansion in the middle of nowhere.
“Wow,” I muttered. “Your Wolf friends have a lot of money.”
No one said a word, not until the four-wheel drive slowed and stopped in the driveway behind the house. It was gorgeous, almost Mediterranean, with sharp edges and sheer, flowing curtains that fluttered out of the wide-open doors. I caught the sparkle of a pool to one side and a separate guest quarters at the back, along with its own helipad.
“Nice,” I muttered as Phantom opened the door for me. But the Alpha didn’t meet my gaze, only stiffened as the dark silhouette of three men came striding from the darkness…and behind them the swaying stride of a woman.
“Wolf,” one of the men greeted Phantom coolly.
Wolf? I lifted my gaze as they stopped.
All three men had pale skin and unflinching eyes standing in the shadow of the house. Not even the moonlight reached them, leaving me with nothing until one stepped toward Mojin. I stilled, the warmth of protection fading in an instant as the faintly familiar face dawned on me.
“No,” I whispered. “No fucking way.”
“Hello, Carina.”
My fucking stomach dropped at the sound of her voice as Ruth Costello stepped around her protectors and strode toward me.
The sashay of her hips was grinding. She looked perfect…so fucking perfect. I didn’t bother to respond, just turned to Phantom as he winced, and gave him a glare.
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It was my turn to curl my lips and bare my teeth before I wrenched my gaze from the Alpha and turned away.
“Well, well, well. How the mighty have fallen,” Ruth. “How does it feel to be on the other side of the badge, Carina?”
My hand automatically went to my hip, fingers searching for the bite of steel, and found nothing.
“Looking for something?” She cocked her head to the side, her gaze following the movement. “Your gun and badge won’t do you any good this side of the bridge, special agent.”
“I don’t need a gun, or a badge, to kick your ass, Costello,” I spat her name like a filthy word, and caught her flinch. I jerked my gaze to Phantom. So this was his big goddamn idea? Jesus. I turned, needing to get out of there, needing to get away from both of them before I did something I’d regret…thoughts of shooting him in the goddamn chest surfaced…again.
“Don’t be pathetic, Carina.” Ruth called, her voice filled with fucking glee. “At least come inside and give me the opportunity to kick your ass to the curb!”
“Ruth.,” the Vampire beside her warned. “You promised.”
His answer was a low, throaty chuckle from the bitch. I curled my fingers into a fist as the image of that black and white photograph filled my head. Costello…all I could see was the black pool of blood…and the look of terror on my father’s face.
I spun on my heel, determined to shove those words down her goddamn throat, and stilled. Pain slashed across Phantom’s gaze, pain and desperation. The memory of a broken man pushed to the surface, and stopped my words cold.
Still, Phantom stepped into her view of me, unleashing the bite of anger with a cold, ruthless tone. “Ruth, pleasurable as always.”