Come Out Swinging (Reach for the Moon Book 2), Sam Hall [leveled readers .TXT] 📗

because of anyone who lives in that very fancy house in the middle of it, but because of the people. We are a strong pack because we have strong shifters within it, and I’d be willing to bet there’s a lot of people, men and women both, with the chops to lead this town into an even greater future. Whatever you decide, I’m out. I just want justice for my father, who the coroner has ruled was murdered, and for myself, being struck down by some coward in the dead of night.” I turned around, fixing both Mr Peters and Nance in my gaze, willing to bet my eyes blazed the purest of silver right now. “I want to bring down whoever killed Dad and hurt me, have them screaming and begging for mercy at my feet.”

Nancy’s bottom lip trembled slightly. I knew she’d put on the traumatised woman act the moment my back was turned, but I didn’t care. It wouldn’t stop me from coming for her, and to be blunt, if people here were dumb enough to fall for her shit, then they deserved her controlling this town. My eyes strayed to Aidan, cataloguing the artificial stillness in his body. He was like an actor frozen mid tableau, unable to move until directed.

“I will show them all the consideration, all the benevolence they showed me, when they left me to bleed to death on the estate floor with a fractured skull and concussion.”

The town couldn’t see me, I had my back to them, but Nance could. My smile spread wide, my fangs all present, stretching my human mouth to fit them.

By the time I spun on my heel, my human face had returned, and I said to Mr Collins, “You’re the one who knows the most about the prosperity of the town. I think you’ll make the best decision for Lupindorf.”

I nodded to my mates, who got to their feet, trailing after me as I stalked out, my nan, my aunts, my uncles, and cousins all getting to their feet as well.

“Paige, you’re…” Aunty Lyn said, moving a step closer, then stopping where she was.

“We’ll meet at my house,” Nan announced. “Enough dirty laundry has been aired for today.” She shrugged. “Or not enough, depending on how you look at it. Your man, he kept us posted on how you were, how things were going in the hospital. Made it clear we needed to stay away, but for different reasons than those damn Spehrs. She’s the one that hurt you, that hurt my boy, that bloody Nance.”

I nodded, my mouth dry, all the words I had to say evidently being dust.

“C’mon,” Mason said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 16

I couldn’t stand still.

In some ways, this was just like any family BBQ. All the kids were outside screaming up a storm under the sprinkler or playing in the yard, and my eyes went to Lorcan’s when he settled back on the couch, something soft rising in them as I remembered what he’d told me about us doing the same as kids.

“Nancy did these things. She might not have had her scrawny hands pushing the medication that killed my Adam down his throat, but she may as well have,” Nan said, standing before the adults. “I didn’t say anything for fear… I didn’t know, just guessed, until that coroner…” Nan shook her head decisively. “It’s a terrible system that the Spehrs run in this town. Damn near a mafia racket, keeping everything in the family, just one family…”

When Nan stopped moving, so did I, and Declan’s hands went around me, pulling me close, one hand stroking up and down my back.

“If the Mother had any mercy, it would have been your aunt that was the heir, not your mother. Nance was the strong one, fairly bristling with power. Had half the town under her sway until Old Man Spehr sorted her out.”

Nan’s eyes met mine and held them.

“She was strong and wild as a feral cat, but the old alpha, he didn’t get to where he was being bested by a slip of a girl. She had plans, y’see, to sideline your mother, take her place, step up, and become…” My grandmother’s lips thinned down. “He should’ve put her down for the beast she was right then, but she was his daughter and he loved her, as parents are likely to. He sat her down and impressed upon her, using his superior dominance, a bone-deep need in her to keep the family safe and strong. Adam was just starting out as an enforcer, so he came home and told me the stories. She was changed after that, Nancy. All that power, building up and building up, dammed inside her in service of the Spehrs.”

Nan’s smile was mirthless, revealing her teeth with their gold fillings.

“Trouble is, what does that mean, keeping the family safe?” Her voice grew sly and creaky. “What lengths do you go to? How do you identify threats? My son, Paige’s mother, all removed as perceived ‘threats.’”

“And Bridge…” My eyes darted to the guys. “She’s… She must’ve—!”

“We’re tracking her phone. For security reasons, we have access to all the Spehr phone IDs,” Mason said, looking down at his. “I know where it is, and it hasn’t moved.”

“That’s because my cousin is probably knocked out or dead somewhere!” I snapped. “Nan, I get we need to catch up, but we need to go.”

“And we need to listen to this,” Lorcan said. I jerked in shock at his grim tone. “I know where that is.” He tipped his head in the direction of Mason’s phone. “It’s one of my…family’s hangouts. I’ll make some calls once we’ve listened to April, but…” He shook his head. “It’s either a trap or a crime scene we’re walking into, and I’d rather do so knowing all the facts. We might need to set up a meet with my uncle.”

“He’s running the show? Do it,” I replied.

Silence reigned over the lounge