Framed (28 page)

“I see,” he said finally. “No, Jay, that will be all. You may do as Sean ordered. We will be down shortly.”

He threw the phone back to Sean, who had an immensely satisfied look on his face.

Ares did not.

“It would seem that there has been a tiny misunderstanding. The human says you actually
were
trying to help her, though I'm still not convinced that this could possibly be true. Your kind has unrivaled blood lust. You should not have been able to control yourself around that amount of blood, let alone be helpful in it.”

I opened my mouth to defend myself, but he dismissed me again with a wave of his hand.

“It would explain your current appearance, so I'm not going to try to make sense of it beyond that. The human's word is enough regarding
this
matter.”

“Maybe you should learn to trust your son's judgment. It seems to be superior to yours,” I added, stress and adrenaline clearly clouding my own. Ares' face was dangerously close to mine in a blink of an eye.

“You presume to lecture me? Your life hangs precariously in the balance and you choose to
insult
me? Intelligence never was a trait of your kind. It's what made it so
easy
to exterminate you.”

Sean crowded his father away from me with his body, giving me some much needed space.

“Since there will be no exterminating today, we'll be leaving now,” Sean told his father, ushering me around him away from the roof's edge.

“Not so fast, dear boy,” Ares barked. “I said she was cleared regarding this particular matter, but we're in no way done here. You can start by explaining what happened here tonight. I think I'll find this explanation
highly
enlightening.”

I wasn't overly interested in telling him that I seemed to have some odd connection to a notorious rogue wolf who'd been in town killing women, but there was no other way to explain why I was at a crime scene when it happened to count. He'd probably been told by the PC who were ratting Sean and I out anyway, so I threw caution to the wind and let the truth set me free.

“I saw what he was thinking,” I sighed. “I knew where they were, so Scarlet hauled ass over there to try and save Ronnie. She's a friend, and her daughter is family. I had no choice.”

“So you admit to willingly unleashing your beast?” he asked, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

“Yes,” I answered stiffly. “I had no choice.”

“Fine,” he said, with a dismissing wave of the hand. “Tell me who
he
is.”

“The Revenant,” I said, squinting up my face in anticipation of a massive freak out from everyone around me. Nobody made a sound—except for Sean.

“You knowingly went after the Rev?” he shouted down to me, eyes darkening.

“Not exactly,” I countered meekly. “
Scarlet
did. But like I said, she didn't have a choice; he was going to kill Ronnie. I think she was trying to take him out herself. She said she had a plan, but I had no idea that she was crazy enough to take him on alone. I would have tried to stop her, though I'm sure that would have been in vain.”

He said nothing in response, which was usually when someone with an ounce of intelligence would have shut up, let him explode, then apologize. I did none of those things. Instead, I rambled on nervously, a habit I still hadn't managed to correct.

“What exactly do you mean by 'I saw what he was thinking'?” asked Ares, looking far more intrigued with me than I was comfortable with.

“Well, I sorta had a vision. I'm not sure if that's exactly what you'd call it, but I've been seeing the murders since he arrived in town. It took me a while to figure it out, but, based on the information that the press released and the stunts he pulled exposing himself to me, I was pretty sure I was seeing the events as they occurred,” I explained. “I thought it was all a big nightmare at first...”

“When exactly did you realize it wasn't?” Ares inquired.

“After the second murder.”

“And you didn't see fit to inform anyone of this?” he added. I visibly hesitated.

My reaction tipped my hand.

“Oh I see...it wasn't
you
who was withholding pertinent information, it was him,” he said, eyes falling on Sean once again.

“She told me,” Sean confirmed, "and some of the others as well. I ordered them to keep quiet for the time being, and I did with that information what I saw fit. That is my job, is it not?”

“No! Your job is to report to the Elders and await your orders. Perhaps you need some time spent somewhere
private
to remember that,” Ares snarled, before composing himself again. “But don't worry, some of your brothers, who actually
remember
how things work, betrayed you and shared this tidbit of information after Thomas died. Apparently they're far more capable of doing your job than you are.”

I felt Sean's tension as his emotions nearly knocked me to the ground. Whatever threat was implied, he wanted no part of.

“Perhaps.”

Silence permeated the rooftop as the two men stared each other down. The intensity of their gazes could have melted glass.

“So where is he now?” Ares asked me, without averting his gaze.

“I don't know,” I answered softly, “but he'll be back. I'm certain of that.”

“And
how
are you so certain of this?”

“Because he didn't get what he wanted,” I said, voice trailing off as I stared blankly over Ares’ head at the stars. “He'll never stop until he gets what he wants.”

“What does he want, Ruby?” Sean asked, gently turning my face up to his.

“Peyta. He wants Peyta,” I explained, “and he'll have to kill Ronnie for that to happen. She'll never give her up willingly.”

“I don't understand.”

“He's her father, Sean. The Rev is Peyta's father,” I said mournfully. “Apparently you're not the only one with a crazy dad.”

“Holy shit,” he said, wearing an expression of pure shock and awe.

“I don't know about the 'holy' part, but the shit is appropriate enough,” I replied, with a wan smile on my face.

“I guess so,” he replied. “This would explain the on-the-run lifestyle she's had for so long.”

“And her knowledge of werewolves. He was Changed when Peyta was a baby. He was
so
angry when he said she was taken from him.”

“This human knows about werewolves?” Ares asked with a raised eyebrow. I found myself once again trying to anticipate how to best play the situation. “It seems that somehow she's been entangled in a group of individuals who seem to have inside information about us.”

“And just how much information does she have?” he pressed.

“Not sure,” I said, lying my pants off and praying he wouldn't notice.

“Liar.”

“What is it with you two?" I asked, looking back and forth between Sean and Ares. "Can you
smell
a lie? Does my nose grow?” I was seriously frustrated with my lack-of-upper-handedness.

“It's written all over your face,” they replied in perfect unison.

“Fine. I know a
lot
, but I'm not saying shit until I know what you're going to do with it,” I demanded. “If bodies are going to drop, it won't be because of me.”

They growled in unison too.

“Do they know about
us
?” Ares asked, looking painfully restrained.

“What have you told her about me?” Sean asked, looking painfully like his father.

“Ronnie thinks you're the sweet piece of ass I should be tapping, Sean. I don't think she has any clue who or what you are. If she suspects anything, it'll be that you're a werewolf too,” I said, hoping that would be enough to earn the Underground a stay of execution. I turned to address Ares with hate in my eyes. “She knows nothing of you or the rest of your minions. Leave her alone.”

“Well, Ruby, that's a tad complicated. She's been bitten by a rogue, you see.
If
she survives, she will become what created her as her husband became what had bitten him. We can't have another one of those running around, now can we?”

My heart sank to the tar covered roof I stood on. Ronnie was going to die no matter what. I balled my hands at my sides as I stared at my bare and bloodstained feet, trying desperately to keep Scarlet at bay.

I failed.

“If you touch her,” I started, my voice taking on her telltale husky tone as I continued, “I will make it the last thing you do.”

“If you threaten me again,” he countered, “I will make it the last thing
you
do.”

I looked up to him with crimson eyes blazing.

“Then I believe the gauntlet has been thrown.”

“So it would seem,” he replied, staring back at Scarlet with equal parts hate and intrigue. I suspected he wasn't challenged by others very often—except for Sean.

“We're leaving,” Sean snapped, as he grabbed Scarlet by the upper arm and hauled her away. I begged her to relinquish control, but she wasn't having any of that. Surprisingly though, she let Sean manhandle her with no recourse whatsoever.

“So that's it?” a voice called out from behind the wall of PC brothers. “She's let off the hook again? When will you see her for what she is? She's a lying, murderous whore. She makes you all look like
fools
.”

Sophie pushed her way through the masses to stand a few yards in front of them, next to Ares.

“Why is she here?” Sean asked, the anger apparent on his face.

“I brought her,” Ares said coolly. “We knew the Rouge was loose. I figured there would be collateral damage. It
is
her purpose, Sean, or have you forgotten that along with the many other things you seem to conveniently disregard when it suits?”

Sean's jaw tightened as his grip on Scarlet's arm released.

“Glad to see you remember the rules,” Sophie added, still looking greatly displeased. “Ares, why do you let her go? Do you
really
believe that Jer killed the others? Would you let her live to kill again?”

“I killed no one,” Scarlet growled, “but continue talking, and I'll correct that oversight.”

“Your lies are as transparent as your underwear. The only one who can't see it is Sean because you've bewitched him. I'll enjoy watching him kill you one day.”

“Or perhaps he'll enjoy watching me kill you one day,” Scarlet replied, turning slowly towards Sophie. Again, I begged her to let me take over to no avail. I was stuck in the backseat—Miss Daisy again.

Ares watched us with the delight of a child about to blow the candles out on his birthday cake. His warring nature bled to the forefront as he salivated over the potential for violence. It must have reminded him of his time at Mount Olympus, wreaking havoc from on high and enjoying the show—the greatest of spectators.

“Or,” Ares added, about to stir the pot further, “perhaps she bewitched
Jer
, the same way she did Sean. Is
that
what happened, Ruby?”

“My name is Scarlet,” she growled, “and I bewitched no one. Jer admitted to his crimes. Jay will attest to that.”

“Jay has always resented being in his brother's shadow,” Sophie argued. “I'm sure that he saw an opportunity when you cozied up to him with a plan to eradicate Jer. He
is
a sympathizer.”

“I don't use others to do my dirty work, Sophie,” Scarlet purred. “I, unlike you, am not afraid to get my hands bloody.”

“I think we're all too aware of how bloody you're willing to get yourself,” Sophie said, eying me up and down with disdain. “I've never understood what Sean sees in you. It doesn't matter anymore though, does it? He would never have been yours, agreement or not.”

“And what agreement is this?” Ares asked with great curiosity.

“Sean has been so taken with the Rouge that he couldn't pull himself away from her. When she lay dying a few weeks ago, I agreed to heal her if he agreed to never have anything to do with her again. He did.”

“Interesting,” he remarked, turning his attention back to Scarlet. “You know, throughout history, it is written that behind virtually every war, every disaster, and every evil thing done by man was a woman. More specifically, a woman
scorned
.” He walked slowly toward Sean and me, eyes fixed on Scarlet's in a game to see who would flinch first. “Is that where your rage comes from, Rouge?” he said, cocking his head slightly to the side, amused. “Are
you
a woman scorned?”

Something flashed in our collective mind at the mention of scorned women, something so pivotal, yet so obvious that neither Scarlet nor I could believe the genius of its simplicity. All eyes were on Scarlet as her laughter erupted, loud and manic. Sean grabbed her arm, pulling her in close to him.

“I will kill you if I must. Don't give me reason to,” he warned.