Part 45

Part 45
Adrian drove into Sterling, and found the address JJ had given him easily enough. He sat in his car and waited, looking around at the dodgy neighborhood. He didn’t have to wait long; forty minutes after he’d parked his car, she came walking around the corner, smoking a cigarette. She looked older than he remembered.

The apartment building she entered had seen better days; like her appearance. Adrian got out of his car and walked in behind her. She walked up the stairs oblivious to Adrian following close behind her.

She stopped on the second floor and was unlocking number two-zero-two when Adrian stopped right behind her. He pressed the gun into her back and her whole body stiffened as she felt the muzzle press into her. She didn’t move, as she realized she was about to get robbed, or worse.

“Keep quiet, and I won’t shoot you.” There was something in Adrian’s voice that made her comply.

The woman nodded and unlocked the door. Adrian opened the door and pushed her inside. She stumbled a bit on the loose carpet but quickly regained her composure and she turned around to look at him.

“Sit down on the couch.” Even though Adrian had said he wouldn’t shoot her, she didn’t quite believe him, so she sat down, and looked curiously at him. She wasn’t afraid to die, her life had gone to hell already.

“I don’t have any money.” She pulled the packet of cigarettes from her bag and lit one.

“I don’t want your money. I’m here for you, Juniper.” Her eyes widened as he said her name.

Fear settled in Juniper’s heart. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“You don’t recognize me, do you? I’m the cop that arrested your husband.” Adrian saw the moment recognition finally dawned on Juniper.

“What do you want from me?” Her fear had gone away completely. She didn’t need to fear this human, but she was curious as to why he’d sought her out.

“I have some questions for you that have been puzzling me.” Adrian sat down on the seat opposite the couch, holding the gun, aiming it at her.

“Okay …” she hesitated.

“Oh, don’t worry, Juniper, I know you’re all wolves; you, Ramos, the Sinclair family, I know all about you.” Adrian laughed as the shock registered in her eyes. “So to answer your question more honestly, I’m the monster in the stories you tell your children, the hunter of your kind.”

“A hunter?” A fresh wave of fear filled her as she looked at Adrian with new eyes.

“Where’s Dave?” Adrian smirked, as he looked at her, her face was so easy to read. He loved the fear he saw in her eyes. “Juniper, I’ll make your death a slow and agonizing one if you don’t tell me what I want to know.”

Juniper heard the threat in his voice, even if he didn’t yell. “He’s dead. James kidnapped him and Shoran killed him. I don’t know where his body is.” She had decided that she would tell him everything he wanted to know and maybe she’d walk out of this alive.

“Where’s Ramos?”

“He’s dead, too. We were taken to a wolf Council and Ramos was found guilty of his crimes and sentenced to death. Malachi probably killed him as he is the Alpha.” Pain seared her heart again, she hadn’t been bonded to Ramos so she didn’t know exactly when he died, but she was sure he was dead.

Adrian looked intently at her, still marveling that a little thing like Shoran could kill Dave. “What crimes?”

“He raped Adara.” Juniper’s voice was soft and filled with regret as she said those words out loud for the first time in her life.

“You let that happen to her?” The accusation was there, loud and clear.

“I didn’t know, or maybe I didn’t want to know.” Juniper still found it hard to believe that Ramos had raped her. Truth seekers didn’t lie, and Ramos hadn’t once denied the accusation as the sentence was passed down on him.

Adrian felt the disgust rise like bile up his throat. “Raping women, especially little girls is just sick. He deserved to die for that. I’m surprised you’re still alive, given what Adara had suffered in that house. I remember what she looked like that day.”

Juniper was crying softly, the tears running down her face going unchecked. There was nothing she could say, no excuses, and no defense for her innocence. She hadn’t wanted to know. She’d hated Adara for so long, blaming her for the life she’d had to endure; a life she was subjected to by her own choices.

“What kind of mother are you that allows that to happen?” She looked up at Adrian as he asked her that question.

“I’m not her mother. My sister was her mother.”

Adrian stood up again and walked closer to her. “Still, you looked after her. What kind of person does that make you?”

“Why are you here?” She’d prefer to die a quick death if she had to die, not knowing if she actually had a choice between living and dying.

Adrian looked her in the eye and smiled. “I want to kill every single Sinclair and you’re going to help me.”

“Why?”

“Because of what you all are. It’s sick and you should be eradicated from this world. Malachi Sinclair killed my uncle, and for that, he needs to pay; that whole cursed family needs to die.” Juniper realized then that Adrian’s plans didn’t include her living.

“What happens after you kill them?” Juniper took another deep breath, not sure she wanted him to answer that question.

Adrian looked at Juniper’s scuffed shoes and her short mini skirt. She wasn’t ugly, she just looked old and cheap. “Maybe, I’ll let you go. It’s not like you’ll be having any wolf babies. You look pathetic by the way. You need to clean up your act.”

“Excuse you, it’s been a bit tough since my husband died, and I had to start supporting myself somehow.” Anger rushed through Juniper. How dare he? Adrian laughed at her and she cringed.