Nathan hovered in the doorway and watched Ava leave. Once she’d gone he moved to the center of the room and looked at Diskant.
“If you have any respect for me,” he said, “you’ll let me make decisions when it comes to Leigh. I’m not letting her leave without me. Where she goes, I go.”
“I’m thinking she needs a bit of space from you.” Diskant wasn’t cruel, only honest. “I know it’s not easy but you need to give her room to breathe.”
Nathan’s low growl hummed through the room. “I can’t protect her if I’m not with her.”
“I sent Cade to help someone a while back. The people who asked for our aid owe me a favor. If they’ll take Leigh, they can protect her. Believe me when I say they have more firepower than we’ll ever have.” Diskant’s face softened, his compassion shining through. “You can accompany Leigh if she goes. But I’m warning you that these people don’t care much for shifters. You’re going to have to back off a little. Give your female time to heal. You’ll smother her if you’re not careful and she’ll resent you for it.”
“You called?” Cade snarked as he graced everyone with his presence.
“We have to move Leigh. It’s too dangerous to keep her here. If I can swing it we’re going to keep her hidden by the enclave in New Orleans.”
Maybe his eyes were deceiving him but Trey thought he glimpsed a flash of nervousness in Cade’s gaze. As he usually did, Cade quickly masked his emotions. The man didn’t want anyone to know how he felt—good or bad.
“What does that have to do with me?”
“I’ll need you to take Leigh there and make sure she’s settled. As soon as you get back I’ll get the information you want. You’ll be free to go and do your thing. I’m giving you my word. You can break from the pack completely or you can return. It’s entirely up to you.”
Trey’s head bolted up and he stared at Diskant in confusion. They’d planned to have Cade stay at the firehouse to calm the pack’s possible angst. Apparently Diskant felt it was necessary to change their strategy. Which begged the question—who would protect the city? The pack needed an Alpha or Beta nearby in order to feel safe.
“All right,” Cade said, nodding. The man was so eager to get the job done he was almost brimming with anticipation. He was about to get the revenge he’d wanted for so long. “When do we leave?”
“I’m not sure. Soon, hopefully,” Diskant replied, peering over at Nathan. “Come with me. We’ll need to sort out the details.”
The Omega and Beta swept from the room, leaving Cade and Trey alone.
In the last few months the men had developed a strange kind of bond. It might be stretching it but Trey felt like the man actually considered Trey a friend. On a rare occasion they exchanged jokes and barbs. Beneath his rough exterior Cade was still a man with a huge heart. Trey knew that better than anyone. After Mary had come along Cade had backed her up more than once. He’d taken the wounded woman under his wing, ready to take on anyone in the pack to protect her, even if Mary and Emory hadn’t known it.
“It’s finally happening,” Trey said. “You’re going to get what you want.”
“That’s the thing.” Cade didn’t look at Trey, keeping his eyes forward. “I’m not sure…now that the moment’s here…” Cade shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.” The smile he gave Trey was forced. “Let’s not talk about me. Are you going to be okay? Without me watching your back you’re liable to get your ass kicked.”
“I might,” Trey admitted. “But then again I might not.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much.” Cade cracked his neck and sighed. “I’ve seen what that woman of yours can do. If the shit hits the fan, take cover behind her. I’m sure she’ll demolish whatever comes at you.”
“Fuck that.” He’d never cower behind a female. “If anyone takes cover it’ll be her.”
Trey took a moment to really look at Cade. Something was bothering the male.
“What’s eating your goat?” Cade tried to blow him off but Trey wouldn’t relent, prodding, “Talk to me.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Bullshit.”
Cade narrowed his eyes, finally gazing at Trey. “Are we having a girly moment?”
“If you want to call it that.” So far, so good. Cade might look angry but he was being sarcastic. A positive sign. “You’re going to be leaving. No sense in keeping what you need to say bottled up.”
Cade averted his gaze. “It’s not easy to put what I’m thinking into words.”
“Are you worried you won’t be able to do it?” Trey knew Cade wanted to kill the people who’d murdered his family, but wanting and doing were two different things. “Are you having second thoughts?”
“Fuck no,” Cade snarled, staring Trey in the eye. “When I find them, they’re dead.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
The hatred washed from Cade’s face, his brows smoothing out. “When it’s done, I have to decide what comes after. I’ve wanted this for so long, I haven’t thought about what comes next.”
“You go on living.” Trey rested a hand on Cade’s shoulder. “You owe it to the memory of your family. Your wife wouldn’t have wanted any of this for you.”
A small laugh escaped Cade. “Andrea would beat my ass.” With a sigh, he confessed, “After she died, I took comfort in thinking she was watching over me. Then I started hoping she wasn’t. I didn’t want her to see the things I did. I never want her to know what kind of man I’ve become.” There was a slight hesitation before Cade said, “Not too long ago I met someone. I didn’t think it was possible but for a little while I was able to think about something else.”
“That’s not a bad thing.” Trey tried to think of who Cade might have met outside the pack. He couldn’t tell if Cade was talking about a man or a woman. Taking a chance, he asked, “Who is she?”
“That,” Cade straightened his shoulders and put on his hard-ass façade again, “is none of your fucking business.”
Trey had his answer. It was a female.
There wasn’t any sense in pushing. Cade wasn’t saying anything else. Trey accepted what he’d been given, pulling his hand away. “I feel sorry for her, whoever she is. You are an enormous pain in the ass.”
“Should we go find your majesty and see if he needs us?”
Cade was finished. No more talking. Back to business.
“I suppose we should.”
As they exited the room Trey let Cade take the lead. He watched him closely, wondering how things would pan out. Once upon a time he’d wanted the human to stay the hell away from the pack. Now he loathed the idea of Cade leaving. Maybe it was for the best. The tortured soul had to defeat his demons. If he didn’t he’d never find any measure of peace.
He tried to picture the woman who’d broken Caden Stone’s stupor.
She’d have to be feisty and strong-willed. The females in the pack had taken to Cade because they sensed the dominance in him. A weaker woman would likely run in the other direction.
The last twenty-four hours he’d wished for a lot of things—safety for Sadie, a way to defend his pack, the promise of a brighter tomorrow—so he wasn’t surprised when he sent another request to whatever it was that decided the future. If fate would be kind enough he hoped Cade would find his way back to the female who’d impacted his life even if only for a short period of time.
If anyone deserved a second chance, it was the human who’d lost everything.
Chapter Twelve
Before Sadie ventured on a hunt, she often took time to prepare. Usually she phased to one of the private apartments she rented throughout the world, meditated and used her surroundings to get into the right state of mind. She’d thought she’d be able to do that this time around but the minute she’d appeared inside her New York hideaway she’d known she’d been wrong.