Gypsy Freak (All The Pretty Monsters #2)(65)

“They have the perfect snap to them, if you know what I mean,” I add as I turn and start wiping my hands on the towel.

“Do you wish to call Emit, or should I?” Damien asks very quietly, even though he shoots me a look that makes me think he’s playing along with something.

I know that look, because he usually plays along to see if he can determine my angle.

“It’d be best to hear it from you, I’m sure. I doubt he’d appreciate me telling him his harem of wolves are saying too many things to Violet,” I answer idly, lifting the leg of Anthony and dragging him across the room.

But I pause near the door, my spine prickling.

“Omegas rarely talk,” Damien points out as I drop Anthony’s leg and quickly move to my phone.

“Unless they feel really threatened and need a stronger alpha to attach themselves to.”

“Violet is no alpha,” he states through a derisive snort…even though there’s a detachment to his tone.

“She doesn’t have to be an alpha when she has four alphas protecting her, and she fished for that information specifically.”

“That whole show could have gone differently if she didn’t need you, but you’re the vampire alpha; you’re needed the most to protect those other omegas if this is vampire related,” he says in that same tone he uses when he’s playing along.

I pretend not to notice, since I don’t know what he’s thinking and he usually lets his guard down enough for me to figure it out if I play along with him playing along.

Emit answers his call before I add another layer of complexity to my thoughts.

“This had better be more productive than our last encounter, or I’m hanging up. I’m not doing friendly chitchat—”

“What if those recently deceased omegas knew too much? What if only one needed to die because the others said too much to that one, but they didn’t want anyone knowing which one that is?” I ask in interruption as I flip Damien off, since I have no idea why he’s being such a bloody cunt the day after he popped an ages-old cork.

He should be in a much more amicable mood. Maybe he did it wrong.

Emit goes quiet for a second, and Damien sits up as his brow furrows, since clearly we weren’t thinking the same things at all.

“You’re saying Fay was the target,” Emit states quietly.

“Yes, because she had a secret minor pack—”

“It wasn’t secret. She informed me just last—”

“If you say last week, which was just before your beta meeting, where you may or may not have brought it up in casual conversation, I’ll take it to mean I’m correct on this matter and your wolves were killed in house. It’ll negate future claims of vampires being mixed up in this case.”

There are several long minutes of complete silence, not even any breaths.

“Those packs were just for runs and for social inclusion,” Emit says in a weak attempt to shed doubt, though I already hear the denial slipping.

“Check your wolves, alpha. It seems they’re running wild and killing for secrets. You should worry yourself with what secrets they wanted to ensure never left a threatened omega’s lips to her alpha.”

I hang up, staring idly at dead Anthony. Pity. I had a few more betas I wanted to pencil to the wall for this inquiry and accidentally kill.

“Your skills will no longer be needed today,” I tell Damien as the sun starts to set. “This matter is closed on my side. No farther investigation needed,” I add as I drag Anthony out into the hallway and snap my fingers at one of the interns.

Said ratty intern looks positively terrified.

“I don’t want to eat you. I just need you to take him and drain him for me. No sense in wasting all that beta blood when I’ve been starved for a century.”

I’m positive the stench of piss fills the air as I turn to leave. He better not have pissed on my new rug.

I start to shut the door, when Damien barges by me.

“Do I want to know why you’re running?” I call to his back as he leaps over the balcony.

“Fay would have told everything to her omega pack, and any wolf would know that.” His gaze flicks over his shoulder. “And we just decided Violet is their new alpha.”

I shouldn’t be in any sort of hurry. No wolf would be that stupid. Certainly not on the first day back for the omegas.

I listen as Damien talks to Emit on the phone on the way to his vehicle, and I follow close behind him, forcing myself to be slow. Violet should be answering her phone, but it just goes to her voicemail when I try to call.

The phones are working today, despite the worsening weather. She’s not been gone all that long.

Is she just ignoring me? She really is young, so it’s possible she’d be playing a game that way.

“Is Violet with your omegas?” Damien asks Emit.

“Lemon has decided it’s best for them to move in with Violet, and I—”

The line goes dead in the next instant.

“He’s just figured out the same thing, and he’s apparently in a fucking hurry to get there,” I say with a nod as an unexpected knot forms in my throat.

No one would be that stupid. Couldn’t be that stupid. We’re ridiculous for considering wolves to be this brazen. There’s not a single threat to Violet at all. We’re complicating things and overthinking them.