Chapter 34: Plan B

Harlow

“I’ve been doing some thinking,” Stella said as we made our way to the porch. “I wanted to say I’m sorry for being such an a**hole at the potluck. You saved my life yesterday.”

“I don’t know about that,” I said.

“No, seriously. I know I just took a shot to the leg, but if you hadn’t helped me get outta there, I might have been one of the wolves that was buried today. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And I wanted to ask you something,” she added. “Do you think you could put in a word with Bonnie? If she’d let me, I’d really like to be a prospect for the Blood Dogs.”

That took me completely by surprise.

“I don’t wanna be a sweet butt anymore,” Stella said. “I’ve been hanging around the Howlers hoping that one of them will realize I’ll be a good mate. Yesterday was a wake-up call. I don’t wanna die waiting for some guy to finally decide that I’m worth it. I wanna find worth in myself. I’d like to be a real MC member. Do you think Bonnie would go for it?”

“She took a big risk on me,” I said. “If you’re serious about it, I’ll ask her.”

“Thank you!” Stella said, giving me a hug. “That means so much.”

We made our way back into the house, and I caught Cyrus’s eye. Stella smiled when she saw me looking his way.

“You make a good couple,” she said and walked off.

“What was that about?” Cyrus asked when I joined him again.

“I’ll tell you later.”

“Looks like Liam and Brat are getting along,” Cyrus said as he put his hand around my waist.

I followed his gaze to the couch where Brat was sitting on Liam’s lap. They were both a bit drunk.

“You’re, like, really smart,” I heard Brat say.

“You’re the coolest girl I’ve ever met,” Liam slurred. “And the prettiest. I’m not just saying that.” Within seconds, they were making out.

I laughed as I put my head on Cyrus’s shoulder. I was actually kind of eager to find a nice, quiet spot to have our own make-out session.

He must have had the same idea because he leaned down and said, “Do you wanna find somewhere a little more private?”

I nodded, and he began leading me toward the stairs as Bonnie and Blayze made their way down.

“What have you been up to?” Cyrus asked when we met them.

As Blayze said something about his secret stash, my eyes drifted across the room. My mouth dropped when I saw a familiar, pale face. Standing in the corner by himself, bobbing his head to classic rock music and sipping a margarita like any normal guy at a party, was Madoc.

Cyrus noticed me staring across the room. “You’ve gotta be kidding me,” he said. This got the attention of Bonnie and Blayze.

Blayze began tearing toward him, and we all followed. “Hey, you blood-sucking prick!” he yelled.

Madoc put his hands up. “Woah, Prez, I’m not here to start anything. I just came to show my respects to the fallen. I found myself with a margarita in my hand, and I stayed for the music. I love this song.”

He then gave a head nod to a girl across the room and shot her a “finger gun” with a wink. The girl responded with a “What the hell?” look and walked away awkwardly.

Returning his attention to us, Madoc said, “I was going to wait until tomorrow to call a meeting. Just pretend I’m not here.”

Bonnie then grabbed his face.

“Owe!” Madoc pouted, his cheeks squished between Bonnie’s fingers. “I’ve got two words for you: Anger. Management. All of you.” Then he caught my eye. “Except you. You’re a sweetheart.”

Cyrus didn’t care for that and took a step closer to me.

“Just tell us what’s going on!” Bonnie demanded.

“Do you really want to do this now?” Madoc asked.

Bonnie and Blayze both nodded.

“Alright, get your officers—what’s left of them—and meet me at the bar. Harlow, too.”

I was taken aback by the last request.

“Harlow’s not an officer,” Bonnie said.

“I need someone to be my Girl Friday,” Madoc replied. Then, to me, he said, “How’s your shorthand?”

“My...I don’t know what that is,” I said.

“That’s ok, I just need an assistant. See you all at the bar.”

Everyone else looked at me, confused. All I could do was shrug. I didn’t understand Madoc wanting me around any more than they did.

When Cyrus and I reached the bar later, Leon and Remy sat in the SUV, and Madoc leaned against the hood. He waved as we approached.

“So you’re an official item now? Good for you two,” Madoc said.

“Leave Harlow alone,” Cyrus said, putting his arm around me.

“I’m not going to hurt the human,” Madoc said as we walked toward the door. To me, he explained, “I just need someone to organize things and be my liaison with the MCs in the daytime. I figured they’d prefer to receive information from one of their own. You have an email address in the internet?”

Still weirded out that he wanted me as his “Girl Friday,” I nodded. But it all made sense now why the guy looked twenty-five and talked like a boomer.

Once inside, we were soon joined by Blayze, Bonnie, Tank, Butch, Red, Goldie, Dax, and Shorty. All that remained of each MC’s officers. Most had been drinking quite a bit, but they’d all gotten over the effects of intoxication quickly. One of the perks of being a werewolf.

“I’ll start off by letting you all in on what I’ve learned about our friend, Amos Jessup,” Madoc said, clasping his hands in front of him.

A silence came over the room. The hunter’s body had been buried in the desert as far as I knew.

“The departed was, indeed, a U.S. Marshal at one time,” Madoc continued. “It’s also true that he knew Governor Harlan Cooke, whose son went missing here in town along with his associate. I won’t ask for the details on that. They’ve been officially branded as fugitives, and the authorities believe they’re out of the state at this point, so I wouldn’t worry about anyone else snooping around to find them here.”

Madoc walked behind the bar and started making himself a drink.

“Jessup’s brother was part of an organization that prided itself on ridding the world of werewolves, and he was killed fourteen years ago in Mexico.”

He paused to shake margarita ingredients in the cocktail shaker, then poured the mixture into a glass and took a sip. His face soured, and he spat it back into his glass.

“Anyone else think drinks taste so much better when someone else makes them for you? Harlow?” He held the cocktail shaker up. “Could you?” Slowly, I stood, made my way behind the bar, and started making him a new drink. “Thanks, Doll.”

Cyrus scowled. I couldn’t tell if he was pissed that I was making Madoc a drink or that he kept calling me pet names like sweetheart and doll.

“Are you saying that Amos Jessup’s brother was one of the hunters that ambushed our people fourteen years ago?” Bonnie asked.

“Precisely,” Madoc said. “Jessup went a little nuts afterward and killed three men during a routine questioning. They were likely werewolves. Of course, the U.S. government doesn’t know that. He was prosecuted and relieved of his duties as a Marshal, but his connections to the governor got him probation. Jessup then dedicated his time to seeking out and killing werewolves. He’s not affiliated with any of the hunter circuits as far as my sources could find, so it looks like he was a lone wolf. Pun intended.” No one laughed.

Madoc shrugged. “Anyway, Jessup did some digging on the MCs, put two and two together that members were in Mexico around the time of his brother’s death, and used the convenient disappearance of Cooke as an excuse to come see for himself if his suspicions were true. He got confirmation after you let that Seventh Circle member escape. Sloppy work on your part, by the way, but all the other Seventh Circle goons seem to think their little buddy has gone crazy, so at least they’re not onto your werewolf games.”

I’d finished making his margarita and handed it to him, paper umbrella and all. He took a sip and gave me a satisfied wink.

“So where does this leave us?” Blayze demanded. “We’re not helping Sunrise Corp traffic human beings to be your blood banks.”

“Sunrise Corporation is willing to forgive your lapse in judgment this once. They won’t ask you to transport more donors,” Madoc replied. “I’m here with a new assignment.”

“And what’s that?” Bonnie asked.

Madoc smiled. “I need you kids to pull off a heist.”