The Alpha - Joel Abernathy Page 0,63
she taunted, circling him. She stopped, her arms folded and her cherry red lips curved into a smirk. “You didn’t really think you could keep this from me, did you? Darling, you’re just not that clever.”
“Who told you?” Colt demanded. “Roland?”
She gave an incredulous laugh. “Please. He’s an even bigger dolt than you are. You really are a couple of misogynists, you know that? Thinking you could just skulk around under my nose and I wouldn’t realize you’d kidnapped a fucking Council member. Or that there was a changeling running around.”
Colt forced himself not to react outwardly. “How long have you known?”
“Long enough,” she answered. “And you’re damn lucky.”
“Lucky,” he snorted. “Like you’re not planning on running to your bosses.”
“Oh, please. I’m the only reason the Council hasn’t nuked this place already.” Evelyn planted a hand on her hip. “You might be better at this gig than I gave you credit for. To be honest, I didn’t think you’d survive your first week, but you still have a lot to learn, and I’m not talking about Roland’s little fencing lessons.”
“So I owe you a debt. Put it on my tab,” Colt muttered. “Where is she?”
“In her apartment, slumped over an empty bottle of pills and a conveniently worded suicide note that’s going to keep us both out of the frying pan,” she answered casually, as if she was discussing the weather. “Fortunately, she hadn’t awakened yet or I would’ve had to get a little more creative.”
Colt wasn’t sure whether he was more horrified by what she was saying or her complete lack of emotion. “You faked her death?”
“Oh, no. She’s really dead,” said Evelyn, studying a chip on one of her nails. “I just faked everything else and framed her for her parents’ deaths, that’s all.”
“You fucking what?”
“Don’t even try to pretend like you have a moral high ground here,” she scoffed. “You think it’s easy cleaning up after your messes?”
“Then why do you bother?”
Evelyn gave him a benevolent smile and reached out, squeezing his face until his cheeks smushed together. “Because you’re my responsibility,” she said in a sickly sweet tone. “And at this point, if you go down, I go down. It’s mutually assured destruction.”
Colt brushed her off, knowing she just wanted to get under his skin. “I had a handle on it.”
“Sure you did, Champ. We both know the second she begged for her life, you would’ve fallen for the little miss innocent routine and let her scamper off. There’s more chivalry in that pretty little head of yours than there is common sense.”
Colt clenched his jaw in irritation. Mostly because she was right. He didn’t want to think he would’ve let Stephanie go, but the fact that he was so horrified to learn of her death probably wasn’t a good sign.
Or a bad one. He’d lost track of which way was up lately.
“And her mother? Did you at least make it quick?”
“Of course,” said Evelyn. “I’m a cold-hearted bitch, not a monster. Rest assured, their deaths were both far more humane than either of them were toward their prey.”
Colt wasn’t sure he believed her, but he wanted to. For his sanity’s sake. He had enough weighing on his conscience, and the last thing he needed was another distraction. He couldn’t afford it, not until Peter was dead.
“And the Council is really going to believe your cover story?”
“You just worry about killing the changeling and let me handle the politics, hmm? You’re not very good at it.”
“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” Colt said flatly.
Evelyn rolled her eyes. Curiosity lit them a second later. “How did you manage to kill the Plague Doctor, anyway?”
“And here I thought you knew everything.”
She scowled at him in silence until he finally caved. Anything to throw her off Ronnie’s trail.
“I got lucky,” said Colt. “Peter caught him off-guard, and I took the opportunity.”
“And nothing happened?” she asked doubtfully. “I find it hard to believe his power didn’t pass on to you.”
“Technically, I’m not the one who killed him. Andrew cut off his head while I held him down,” Colt lied. “You overestimate my self-control if you think I’d be able to resist the temptation to microwave you with zero contact.”
She watched him for a long moment, and Colt knew she was trying to decide whether to call his bluff. “Well. That is lucky. I guess keeping the DA in your pocket finally paid off,” she finally mused. “You experienced a Plague Doctor’s abilities firsthand and you survived. I’m