he wasn’t happy about it, which probably meant it was a last resort. “We can’t trust anyone in the Kinship outside this group, but maybe we can trust the dead.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Susan.
“If there’s anyone who kept as many records on ghouls as the Council, it was Liam Carver,” Roland explained. “I know for a fact he had a whole passel of files full of all the dirt he could dig up on anyone he suspected of being one of us.”
“Even Carver didn’t know about ghouls,” Stan protested. “Just because he had his suspicions doesn’t mean he knew anything about our nature.”
“No, but he did have a Rolodex of every remotely high-profile figure he suspected of being a ghoul, and in most cases, he was damn spot on.” There was bitterness in the sheriff’s tone, but admiration as well. Roland and Carver had carried on a game of cat and mouse for decades, after all. “We can’t trust the Council, but maybe we can find another weak link, like we did with Christopher. Last I knew, Carver was sniffing around at least three confirmed members of the Council. He was morally decent as far as politicians go, but he wasn’t above digging up dirt on the enemy.”
“You’re suggesting we extort a member of the Council for information?” Stan asked.
“No, I’m suggesting Colt does it,” Roland answered without hesitation. “He’s the reason we’re in this mess to begin with.”
Susan frowned. “Roland…”
“No, he’s right,” Colt said with a shrug. “I’ll take care of it.”
“How are you going to get into Carver’s office?” Stan asked. “I doubt your agreement with Andrew extends that far.”
“It doesn’t, but I’ll deal with him if I get caught.”
If there was even a chance it would help Ronnie, it was worth the risk.
Chapter 35
Colt
Colt hadn’t actually been to Andrew’s office since he’d broken up with Jason. They typically met up at some coffee shop outside the city, considering that the DA couldn’t exactly afford to be seen with someone connected to as many shady dealings as Colt was. Although ghouls tried to remain inconspicuous, they had made their share of enemies. Colt had learned the hard way that sometimes powerful allies drew even more unwanted attention.
The city hall was easy enough to get into during the day, but after hours was a trickier matter. Colt lingered on the sidewalk outside the rear entrance only the employees used and pretended to be arguing on his phone about some files he was waiting on for a court case in the morning.
Listening to Jason practice his various presentations for law school wasn’t something Colt had ever imagined would come in handy, but here he was. When he finally saw a woman pass by, he conveniently dovetailed his fake conversation toward an excuse for entering the building and hoped she’d buy the coincidence as he walked in alongside her. He had traded his usual jeans and flannels for a suit he only wore to meetings, so he looked the part. He pretended to dig into his pocket for his card, and the woman barely cast a second glance at him as he followed her inside.
Bingo. Now he just had to get into Andrew’s office. It was on the top floor, so he took the stairs since there was less of a chance of running into anyone who might recognize him that way.
For the most part, the building was quiet aside from a few offices lit up for the employees who were staying late. The entire floor Andrew’s office was on was empty, and the building was so old and out of date, Colt doubted there were many security cameras on the individual floors. Not that he really had to worry about police interference. A single call and any incriminating evidence against him would conveniently disappear.
He really had become everything he hated. Oh, well. The things that mattered to him had changed just as drastically. At the moment, the most pressing one lay sedated in a bed back home, and Colt would do whatever it took to help him.
The door to Andrew’s office was locked, of course. Colt had been expecting that, but there weren’t many locks that could stand up to an Alpha ghoul’s brute strength. He did his best to do as minimal damage as possible, hoping whoever came in the morning would assume it had broken by accident. He managed to keep the door handle in place, though the locking mechanism itself was fucked.
Colt walked into the