I could have hung up, but I was in so deep already. I’d told them so much, and they’d always seemed sincere to me. So, I blurted it all out.
“He bonded her against her will and left her stranded on the side of the road, in heat.”
“Why didn’t she reject the bond before he abandoned her there?” Muse asked.
“It’s a long story, and I don’t know all of it, but she’d already claimed him. He completed the bond. They’re bondmates, permanently.”
Neither of them said anything for a long moment. Then, furious typing sounds came through the line. “Thatmotherfucker,” Starfall yelled. “Oh, hell no. He’s not getting away with that. I know those O’Connor hideouts like the back of my goddamn hand. I’ll find the hole he’s biding his time in.”
Muse didn’t have any complaints either.
I rocked back and forth on the bench seat as I waited to see if she could find something. Emilia hadn’t found anything, and she was a computer genius.
Could Starfall, or was this a futile effort?
If it was just a matter of hacking, I had no idea who would come out on top, but it was possible Cal’s Diner might have more resources.
I’d never told West, but I was pretty sure they had an honest to God assassin on their team. Phantom, they’d called her. It had been a background conversation I’d overheard a tiny snippet of, but it was a hard thing to forget about.
They might all be assassins. How was I to know?
OK, all except Starfall. There was no way she killed people. She was too sweet and peppy to be a murderer for hire.
Muse, though? I could see it.
West was going to be furious if he ever found out I’d gone to a possible assassin’s guild for information on his omega’s bondmate. There was no point in hanging up now, though. They were already helping.
“Got it!” Starfall exclaimed. “He’s at the Jubilee Harbourfront Hotel. Medley Island.”
“Are you sure?” Muse asked. “That’s Brooks O’Connor’s home base. Benji is playing dead. Why would he be within throwing distance of his cousin?”
“See this camera angle?” Starfall asked. “Now look at the label. Unless Phantom put this in the wrong location, he’s at the Jubilee.”
The explanation appeased Muse. I couldn’t see the proof, but this was as good a lead as any we’d gotten. Worth checking out, at least.
“Thank you so much,” I said, mind racing with the possibilities. “Does he have a room? Is he there permanently, oronly for a meeting? How much time will we have to find him there?”
“Don’t rush,” Starfall cautioned. “He’s been there a few days already. Seems to plan on staying for a while, at least. He’s in room 217, faces the back alley. Tell them to be careful, please. Like Muse said—that hotel is Brooks O’Connor’s base. He’s not a bad guy, but if you stir up trouble, he’ll have to keep up appearances.”
“I’ll warn them.” I stood up, rushing out from the haven of the gazebo and back into the garden. I had to tell West immediately, so he and his pack could decide what to do. Finding Benjamin was big—really big.
“You be careful too. It’s better to stay away from those mafia families,” Muse muttered.
“Should have told that to my brother before he decided to fall in love with a mafia heiress,” I said. “Thank you again. So much. I’m going to go tell him about this right now.”
I hung up, cutting off whatever Starfall and Muse were going to say next.
I hoped this wasn’t a trap.
If Benji really was at the Jubilee Hotel, Talia’s torment could be over soon, and more than anything else, she deserved peace.
Chapter
Forty-One
TALIA
I was soaking in a hot bath when West burst into my bedroom, speaking loud enough even I could hear him clearly.
