Queen of Death
Chapter 5

Ace

The revelation that Solana and Nightshade are one in the same was met with mixed reactions. It's been a full week and the debris from that storm is finally starting to clear.

Hunter was pleasantly surprised. He admitted being a little conflicted, harboring feelings of guilt as if he was responsible for her taking on this persona. But he was also extremely turned on which was evident even without our pack bond. Him and Sol have gradually picked up where they left off four years ago. He's openly affectionate with her and she reciprocates – holding her as she does dishes, giving her a back rub on the couch, kissing her as often as he pleases.

At least when I treat her that way, I try to be more subtle about it. Not just out of respect for Eli and the issues he has with his own former mate and now learning the truth behind Nightshade, but because that's as selfish as I'll allow myself to be. I'll take my moments with her in private, her attention all on me where no one else can see the blush that diffuses down her chest when I kiss her neck or the way she purrs when my wolf calls to her.

Dean said he understood why she didn't say anything about Nightshade nor did he blame her or hold it against her. With them it was business as usual, or that's how it seemed on the surface. I feel like Dean might be putting on his people pleaser, peacekeeper act, and time will tell what he really makes of Solana and this whole situation.

Tate and Sol obviously worked out whatever they needed to that day because he came back calm and content. He's had his nose buried in his laptop all week but prefers to work wherever is closest to her — he's drawn to her in his own way. Every so often I'll catch his eyes cataloging her every move, or his hand lingering on her body in passing.

If I'm not itching to replace their touches on her with mine then I'm fighting the urge to join in. But I don't want to press my luck. I can't push her or them too far, too fast, especially when we don't know what this is or what this will become. And especially when the closer we all get to her, the further Eli pulls away.

I wake up wrapped in her warmth just like I have every morning this past week. The past three days I've also woken up with Hunter squeezed into bed behind her, sandwiching her between us, like he is this morning as well. Intentionally or not we've all been trying to keep our affections for her private, waiting to be behind closed doors before we allow ourselves to get closer to her.

I tell myself it's just all part of us navigating our new dynamic, seeing how our pieces fit — if they fit.

Today it's not just Hunter that slipped into my room. Eli sits in an armchair in a corner of the room near the foot of the bed. He's sitting slumped back in the chair wearing a sweatshirt with the hood drawn up over his head, casting shadows on his face. One arm hangs over the edge twirling amber liquid around in a tumbler while he uses the other to prop up his chin against his fist.

Not wanting to wake up Solana and Hunter, I mindlink Eli.

Is there a reason you're hanging out in the corner of my bedroom watching me sleep?

His hand stops twirling the glass and his eyes fastrack to mine before hardening and looking away again. All I get in response is a shrug.

I don't like repeating myself. I growl through our link causing Solana's nose to scrunch up unhappily and then Hunter to hold her tighter.

I'm not sure there is a reason. Certainly not one that makes any sense. He says.

Try me.

Eli downs the rest of his drink before sitting forward resting his forearms on his knees. It doesn't matter. It's nothing I should care about.

Eli forces a smile and walks out of the room without another word. I lay back in bed and press the heels of my hands into my eyes, hoping that by some miracle I might be able to figure out how to keep both Solana and my pack.

Right now it doesn't look good — and it's everything I feared from the very beginning.

— — —

When the whole house has woken up and made their way downstairs, Dean has laid out a buffet breakfast. "So, what's on the agenda today? Beach, or beach?" Dean says teasingly but there's too much truth to his words. We've been laying low, relaxing in the waves, doing our best to hide our approval of the very skimpy bikinis Sol has been strutting around in.

I scan the table, eyes landing on Tate when he gives me a look that tells me he's got something to share. "Did you replace anything useful, Tate?"

"Well, I've got good news and I've got bad news."

"Start with the good news," Hunter grumbles knowing that no news is ever truly good news.

"The good news is that the contract to hit Nightshade has been voided."

Eli chuckles humorlessly at the ceiling. "I guess that means we're not getting paid."

"Eli," Dean scolds him, paired with a sharp look. But not as sharp as the dagger Hunter drives through Eli's hand resting flat on the table.

"The next time you suggest trading my girl's life for a pay day I'll drive this knife through your skull." Hunter seethes. My wolf is so pleased with how Hunter defended Solana that the fact he said "my girl" is forgiven... for now.

Eli pulls the dagger out and freezes over his hand, stemming the blood flow from the wound. "It was a joke!"

"It wasn't funny," Hunter snarls.

"It was a little funny," Solana murmurs before rolling her lips to stifle a laugh. Eli uses every ounce of self control not to smile back, doing his best to keep up appearances that he's mad at her for keeping part of her identity hidden from us.

I can feel Dean pushing out a calming wave to ease the tension slowly pulling at the seams of our pack.

"Whether we knew it then or not, protecting Solana and delivering Nightshade were mutually exclusive. We were never going to be able to do both. It was a zero sum game." My words settle any lingering tension with the truth.

"I guess the good news is we don't have to worry about making up some bullshit excuse to the clients as to why we haven't found Nightshade," I say.

There are a few silent nods around the table agreeing that them canceling saves us from having to stall for time while we figure out how not to deliver Nightshade's head to them.

"Why did they rescind the contract?" Solana asks casually as if we're not talking about the people who hired us to kill her.

"I'm not sure we'll ever know, we didn't even know who the client was. They sent a messenger to keep things anonymous." Hunter says.

"Have they contacted you since the original meeting?" Solana asks.

Dean shakes his head, "we were supposed to check in monthly. Our first check in should have been last week but we never received a call."

Solana pops a grape into her mouth, and we all watch with rapt fascination as her mind puzzles with something we're not seeing. After a minute she finally asks, "then how did you know it was rescinded?"

"That's the $10 million question isn't it?" Tate grins. "Now that I'm not hunting you, I've been spending my time trying to track down who hired us."

"And?" Hunter probes.

"Do you remember a guy named Michael Evans?" Tate asks Solana.

"His name was on my list a few months ago. I took him out in his penthouse."

"Mm," Tate hums appreciatively. "Well, somehow Mike's brother figured out that he was a victim of Nightshade so he put out the original hit."

"Who's his brother?" Hunter asks.

"Mitch Evans."

"Mitch Evans?" Dean echoes his brother. "As in the guy from the club that took two stilettos to the eyes?"

"You killed him with a shoe?" Eli breaks his silence.

Solana shrugs like it's an average occurrence. "You'd be surprised how many ways I can kill you," she winks at Eli with a wicked smile.

Eli shakes off the blush crawling up his neck and turns to Tate. "No one is going to miss two lowlifes like them. Sounds like we solved our own problem. That's good news right?"

"Except that one of those lowlifes, Michael, was one of the owners of Lobo Tech along with his cousin Carter Evans."

"That's the company we broke into, in the server rooms." Solana looks to Tate for confirmation and he nods.

"The same company that's been laundering its own dirty money."

"Should we expect Carter to pick up the contract and see it through?" I ask Tate fearing that we might not be as in the clear as they think.

"Carter can't afford anymore heat coming his way. They've already lost millions, thanks to us, and now both Michael and Mitch are dead. If he's smart he'll distance himself from his cousins' vendettas and focus on running his business."

"And if he's not smart?" Hunter asks.

"We need to keep him busy," I say to the table. "By now he's shut down the accounts that Tate bled and has rerouted the money into new ones. So we replace those, or better yet replace where the money is going to, and shut them down. He'll be too busy chasing his money to worry about Nightshade. T, how long will you need?"

"I'll need to get back into their server rooms so I can get into the new accounts while I trace back the old ones. Depending on how many banks it was routed through, three days max?"

"Better get going then," I say but Tate is already packing up before I finish my sentence.

A moment after he disappears into the shadows Solana's head tilts to the side and she closes her eyes with a soft moan. I can't see him but I can hear the kiss he leaves on her neck and the way he growls with satisfaction against her skin.

Hunter goes to put his arm around the back of her chair but ends up smacking Tate in the head, causing a shy but amused smile to spread across Solana's face.

"Goodbye, T." Tate takes it as the warning it is and heads out.

"So, beach then?" Solana chirrups, looking pointedly at Eli. Hopefully her fire is enough to thaw Eli out.