Ruler (Wolves of Royal Paynes #2) - Kiki Burrelli Page 0,59

got there, but she didn't have to know that.

"I'm scared to. But if I don't, I'll always wonder. She can tell me things about my mom I've never known. Maybe even things about me as a baby."

I dropped my arm over his shoulders and fought the urge to pull him deeper in the room, barricade the door, and snarl like an animal at anyone who tried to gain access.

Dog growled, and Storri smirked. "He doesn't want me going either. He wants to come."

That would've been optimal if it weren't for his aunt's allergy. My bullshit meter had gone off fast to that, but she'd been hospitalized five years ago from a severe allergic reaction to pet dander. I'd checked.

The only angle we hadn't been able to eliminate as a possibility was the possibility that David Grouse and Selene Warler—neither sister had married—could be working together. Storri's mother had moved to Yamitt long before she gave birth, and the sisters hadn't had contact since that day. Other than knowing him from the news broadcast, Selene claimed to have never met Grouse.

Even that had—annoyingly—checked out.

We met the others at the front door. Hallie stood to the right, fiddling with the mic behind her right ear. "It itches," she whined to Diesel.

"I don't care if it itches. It'll save your ass if something goes down," Diesel barked back.

Hallie grinned. Diesel and she had become closer friends than I'd ever thought possible. There was nothing romantic there—Diesel's heart belonged to his mate, and that would never change—but Hallie gave Diesel something the rest of us couldn't. They had a sibling-type relationship, and though it was good to see Diesel interacting like a brother to his sister, their bickering was making Storri nervous. "I'll turn this hotel right around if you two don't stop fighting."

"Ass," Hallie shot at me while Diesel muttered a name much ruder under his breath.

I ignored both, snagging Storri's headpiece and settling it in place. "What's the code?"

"Help me, I made a mistake, please don't let me die?" He was trying to joke, but his voice was too shaky, and there wasn't a person in the room who wanted to joke about Storri in mortal danger.

Jazz inserted himself between us. "I'm glad you feel good enough to tease, Storri," he said gently, a hand on each of his shoulders. "But you need to know so that when your mind blanks, that word remains. We'll be listening. We'll be able to tell if something bad happens, but if either of you gets a whiff something isn't right, what will you say?"

"Shark."

"That's right." I checked Storri over. We'd agreed to mic both Storri and Hallie, but judging from the bumps around Hallie's middle, Diesel hadn't been able to refrain from arming her.

"No explosives." I directed my command at Diesel, but it was Hallie who discreetly pulled something out of her purse, handing it to Diesel with a small sigh.

Tires rolled down the driveway—Selene was here.

Knox reached for the door, and keeping myself from blocking the doorway was more difficult than it should have been. "That word works starting now," he said sternly. "You don't have to be alone with her. If you feel uncomfortable, notice something is off, or just plain change your mind, it's all you have to say, and we'll put a stop to it."

"She'd be so mad, driving all this way for nothing," Storri protested softly.

"Her thoughts and feelings mean nothing to me, Storri. It's you and Hallie we worry about, okay?"

Storri nodded.

We congregated outside as Selene Warler's car came into view. I already knew the model of car she drove, when her registration expired, and how many tickets she'd gotten since gaining her license. She parked beside the fountain. Concern and trepidation rounded her brown eyes.

They were darker than Storri's by several shades, but they matched Storri's mother. Her hair was the exact same texture and shade as Storri's, except hers was pulled back in a ponytail, and Storri's flopped into his eyes.

"Storri?" The woman shut off the engine and gotten out. She remained near her car. Her eyes flit from our group to the hotel looming behind us before returning to Storri, where her gaze softened. "You look just like your mother."

"Thank you," Storri replied stiffly, frozen to my side. "Thank you for coming."

Selene smiled. "Thank you. I need to say this right away. I'm sorry I didn't contact you or your mother sooner. I let…I let a stupid thing come between me and my sister, and when