Ranger raises a brow, pointing down the hallway.“Hannah, use the one down that way.”He gestures to the left.“When we heard you were coming, we had Kyler clean it.Trust me when I tell you, you don’t want to use the other one.”
Hannah laughs a soft, melodic sound that makes me grin.“Thank Kyler for me.”
“He deserves a medal,” I agree, shaking my head.I can’t help but chuckle at the thought of Kyler’s face when he found out he had to tackle that job.“We’ll be downstairs.Make yourself at home.I’ll send Fury up when we’re done, and you can introduce him properly to Grace.”
Hannah follows me to the door, her hand lingering on the handle as if she’s not quite ready for me to leave.“Are you sure?”
Ranger smirks, leaning against the doorframe with that trademark look on his face.“He doesn’t bite much.”
“Not helping,” I mutter, giving him a sharp look.
Hannah giggles, her smile tugging at my chest.“You’re in trouble,” she says, wagging a finger at Ranger in mock seriousness.“Don’t keep us waiting too long.Grace will need a toilet break.”
She closes the door behind her, leaving me standing there with a laugh in my chest.
Ranger wrinkles his nose, looking a bit disgusted.“She means a litter box, doesn’t she?”
I can’t stop the grin from spreading.“Yes, but we don’t have one, so I guess we’re going to have to take her outside.”
Ranger raises an eyebrow.“I, for one, am grateful we don’t have one.”
“Good, that means you’re on kitty peeing duties.”I give him a look that says, ‘You’re welcome.’
Before he can protest, I turn and head down the stairs, the familiar thud of my boots echoing through the hallway.When I reach the bottom, the entire MC is sitting around the big table, the usual chatter buzzing around the room.It’s good to have them all here, even if the noise and chaos are a bit much sometimes.We’re a family whether we like it or not.
I take my seat at the head of the table, nodding at the guys.“All right, what’s the word?”
Ranger sits back in his chair, his gaze steady on me.“The guy you asked me to look into?”
“Yeah?”I reply, my fingers tapping the edge of the table as I wait for him to get to the point.
“The rental car is still at the hotel, and his belongings are all untouched, but it’s clear he hasn’t been in his room for some time.”
“What do the hotel staff say?”I ask, already knowing it won’t be anything good.
“The same.He wasn’t liked, treated them as if they were servants, and he was only booked for a week.Penny, the manager, said she’s going to clean out his room and put his stuff in storage.”
“Thoughts?”I ask, leaning forward, waiting for the verdict.
Ranger looks around the room, catching everyone’s eyes as the tension rises.“Prez, there’s no sign of him.I think he’s wandered off into the woods and met his end.”
I chew on that, letting the weight of his words settle before glancing over at Azriel, sitting near the end of the table.He shifts uncomfortably under my gaze, his posture rigid.
“Something you want to share, Az?”I ask, narrowing my eyes.
Azriel presses his lips into a thin line, clearly weighing his words.“One of my kind was here recently.”
I cock an eyebrow.“Aren’t you the one who takes care of all the locals?”
“I do,” he replies, voice low.“But this one wasn’t a local.”
Leaning back in my chair, I cross my arms, letting the silence stretch between us.“Let’s assume he’s dead.Did he wander off and fall into a ditch?”
Azriel shakes his head, his face unreadable.“It wasn’t a natural death.”
“How do you know?”Bodhi asks, his voice tinged with skepticism.
Azriel turns his cold gaze to him, his eyes flashing a strange intensity.“When you look at me, what do you see?”
