Cynful
Page 50
“Do we still have to worry about that? I thought now that Gary is in prison it was all over with.” Tabby rubbed her stomach. The little peanut growing there was only a few weeks old, but Tabby already loved the child.
“There was the Cheetah that attacked me. Is he working with the Wolf or is he working alone?” Cyn stood and began to pace. “What if the incidents are unrelated?”
“I can’t see a reason for those going after half breeds to attack you. It has to be something else.” Julian couldn’t figure out what it was they were missing.
“This is personal.” Sarah took hold of Gabe’s arms and wrapped them around her waist, something Gabe allowed with an indulgent smile. “He wanted you dead.”
“If that’s the case, we have to figure out who the three of you have pissed off recently.” Belle reached into her oversized purse and pulled out a tablet PC. She tapped a few buttons and then looked up with an expectant look. “Names, people.”
“I can’t think of anyone specific. Other than Gary and his goons, I mean.” Tabby bit her lip. “What about Gary’s family? Didn’t he refuse to name his Alpha when he got arrested?”
“The goons have family too.” Cyn turned and stared at Glory.
“Don’t look at me. I got nothing.”
“You got shot.”
“Well. Other than that.”
Cyn’s pacing paused as she shot Glory an apologetic glance. “There’s Hope.”
Glory flinched at the sound of her sister’s name. “I doubt it would have anything to do with her after all these years.”
“Still, it’s a possibility.”
“Any little tidbit of information will help.” Gabe knelt in front of Glory and took her hands in his. “Tell me what you think happened to your sister.”
“I think…” Glory lowered her head, looking so tired Julian just wanted to scoop her up and put her to bed. “It doesn’t matter what I believe. Hope is gone.”
“The one who did it left town.” Glory jolted at Cyn’s quiet statement. “Your father did it, didn’t he?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve never dared say it out loud.” Glory wrung her hands together until the skin turned red. “He went insane when she didn’t come home that night.”
“He blamed you.” Sarah moved behind Glory and placed her hands on her shoulders. It looked like the Omega was attempting to use her powers on the human.
“He did. I was supposed to go with her that night. I didn’t want to go and I had an argument with him.” Glory relaxed beneath the Omega’s hands. “When she didn’t return he beat me till I couldn’t move.”
When Ryan found out about this he’d flip. If Glory’s father ever returned to Halle he wouldn’t be alive for long.
“Do you think your father is back in town?” Gabe kept his voice low and soothing, working in tandem with the Omega to keep Glory calm.
“Even if he is, he has no reason to go after Tabby and Cyn.”
“She’s right. Mr. Walsh was an asshole, but he wasn’t stupid. He’d have no reason to shoot us. It’s not like we’ve been looking into Hope’s disappearance.”
“And he has no idea that shifters even exist.” Glory frowned. “At least, I don’t think he does.”
Cyn shook her head. “Everything we’ve discovered points to shifters, not humans.”
“Which brings us back to square one. Why you three?”
“My father is dead, but he died of natural causes.” Cyn resumed pacing, her hands on her hips as she thought out loud. “My mother is still alive, but she’s a complete ditz. I don’t even think she’s dating, and he’s been dead for years. She adored my father, would have done anything for him.”
“Any pissed off customers?” Belle’s fingers were tapping rapidly across her PC.
“If I have a customer who is dissatisfied with a tattoo I either offer to fix it for free, or give him a partial refund. So far I haven’t had any complaints about that policy.”
“So no pissed off customers or past enemies. What we do have is a missing sister, a person or persons unknown targeting half breeds, a ragey bastard who’s tried to kill you three and not much else.” The Luna turned her bright green gaze on Tabby. “What about your old alpha, Tabby? Could he have something to do with this?”
“I suppose. But he should still be in Marietta.”
“His son, Micah Boyd, has been trying to contact you.” Cyn and Tabby exchanged an enigmatic glance. “And Dennis Boyd is no longer the Marietta alpha. It’s possible he’s left Marietta all together.”
Tabby looked utterly confused. “What the hell would that have to do with me?”
“I have no idea, but she did ask about past enemies.” Cyn waved her arms in the air. “Not like any of this makes any sense.”
“Is he still calling? I thought he gave up on you.” Alex plucked Tabby’s phone out of her pocket and began scrolling through her missed calls.
“I think we should spam him with Nyan cats until he stops.” Glory giggled when everyone turned to stare at her. “What? Look it up on YouTube. That shit’s annoying.” The giggles turned to wracking coughs, but at least she was smiling.
“She’s right. I ticked her off once and she made that my screensaver. I still can’t eat cherry Pop Tarts.” Cyn shuddered. “And I had no idea how many different versions of it there were.”
“The scariest was Nyan Cat 3-D.”
“Bitch. I still can’t believe you made me watch that.”
“You got even with me.” Glory winked at Cyn. “You made me play it on Guitar Hero. My fingers still haven’t recovered.”
Cyn winked back, and Julian knew they were pulling someone’s leg. “You’re just ticked because my Nyan streak was higher than yours.”
Tabby was gaping at them in disbelief. “How the hell did you get Nyan cats on GH?”
Glory sniffed. “See what you miss when you move out?”
“Ladies.” Gabe shook his head, amusement warring with disbelief. “We have a killer to catch. Worry about your star power later, okay?” He grinned. “Besides, there is no Nyan cat for GH.”
“There was the Cheetah that attacked me. Is he working with the Wolf or is he working alone?” Cyn stood and began to pace. “What if the incidents are unrelated?”
“I can’t see a reason for those going after half breeds to attack you. It has to be something else.” Julian couldn’t figure out what it was they were missing.
“This is personal.” Sarah took hold of Gabe’s arms and wrapped them around her waist, something Gabe allowed with an indulgent smile. “He wanted you dead.”
“If that’s the case, we have to figure out who the three of you have pissed off recently.” Belle reached into her oversized purse and pulled out a tablet PC. She tapped a few buttons and then looked up with an expectant look. “Names, people.”
“I can’t think of anyone specific. Other than Gary and his goons, I mean.” Tabby bit her lip. “What about Gary’s family? Didn’t he refuse to name his Alpha when he got arrested?”
“The goons have family too.” Cyn turned and stared at Glory.
“Don’t look at me. I got nothing.”
“You got shot.”
“Well. Other than that.”
Cyn’s pacing paused as she shot Glory an apologetic glance. “There’s Hope.”
Glory flinched at the sound of her sister’s name. “I doubt it would have anything to do with her after all these years.”
“Still, it’s a possibility.”
“Any little tidbit of information will help.” Gabe knelt in front of Glory and took her hands in his. “Tell me what you think happened to your sister.”
“I think…” Glory lowered her head, looking so tired Julian just wanted to scoop her up and put her to bed. “It doesn’t matter what I believe. Hope is gone.”
“The one who did it left town.” Glory jolted at Cyn’s quiet statement. “Your father did it, didn’t he?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve never dared say it out loud.” Glory wrung her hands together until the skin turned red. “He went insane when she didn’t come home that night.”
“He blamed you.” Sarah moved behind Glory and placed her hands on her shoulders. It looked like the Omega was attempting to use her powers on the human.
“He did. I was supposed to go with her that night. I didn’t want to go and I had an argument with him.” Glory relaxed beneath the Omega’s hands. “When she didn’t return he beat me till I couldn’t move.”
When Ryan found out about this he’d flip. If Glory’s father ever returned to Halle he wouldn’t be alive for long.
“Do you think your father is back in town?” Gabe kept his voice low and soothing, working in tandem with the Omega to keep Glory calm.
“Even if he is, he has no reason to go after Tabby and Cyn.”
“She’s right. Mr. Walsh was an asshole, but he wasn’t stupid. He’d have no reason to shoot us. It’s not like we’ve been looking into Hope’s disappearance.”
“And he has no idea that shifters even exist.” Glory frowned. “At least, I don’t think he does.”
Cyn shook her head. “Everything we’ve discovered points to shifters, not humans.”
“Which brings us back to square one. Why you three?”
“My father is dead, but he died of natural causes.” Cyn resumed pacing, her hands on her hips as she thought out loud. “My mother is still alive, but she’s a complete ditz. I don’t even think she’s dating, and he’s been dead for years. She adored my father, would have done anything for him.”
“Any pissed off customers?” Belle’s fingers were tapping rapidly across her PC.
“If I have a customer who is dissatisfied with a tattoo I either offer to fix it for free, or give him a partial refund. So far I haven’t had any complaints about that policy.”
“So no pissed off customers or past enemies. What we do have is a missing sister, a person or persons unknown targeting half breeds, a ragey bastard who’s tried to kill you three and not much else.” The Luna turned her bright green gaze on Tabby. “What about your old alpha, Tabby? Could he have something to do with this?”
“I suppose. But he should still be in Marietta.”
“His son, Micah Boyd, has been trying to contact you.” Cyn and Tabby exchanged an enigmatic glance. “And Dennis Boyd is no longer the Marietta alpha. It’s possible he’s left Marietta all together.”
Tabby looked utterly confused. “What the hell would that have to do with me?”
“I have no idea, but she did ask about past enemies.” Cyn waved her arms in the air. “Not like any of this makes any sense.”
“Is he still calling? I thought he gave up on you.” Alex plucked Tabby’s phone out of her pocket and began scrolling through her missed calls.
“I think we should spam him with Nyan cats until he stops.” Glory giggled when everyone turned to stare at her. “What? Look it up on YouTube. That shit’s annoying.” The giggles turned to wracking coughs, but at least she was smiling.
“She’s right. I ticked her off once and she made that my screensaver. I still can’t eat cherry Pop Tarts.” Cyn shuddered. “And I had no idea how many different versions of it there were.”
“The scariest was Nyan Cat 3-D.”
“Bitch. I still can’t believe you made me watch that.”
“You got even with me.” Glory winked at Cyn. “You made me play it on Guitar Hero. My fingers still haven’t recovered.”
Cyn winked back, and Julian knew they were pulling someone’s leg. “You’re just ticked because my Nyan streak was higher than yours.”
Tabby was gaping at them in disbelief. “How the hell did you get Nyan cats on GH?”
Glory sniffed. “See what you miss when you move out?”
“Ladies.” Gabe shook his head, amusement warring with disbelief. “We have a killer to catch. Worry about your star power later, okay?” He grinned. “Besides, there is no Nyan cat for GH.”
