Vendetta (Legend of the Ir'Indicti #4) (20 page)

"Dude?" Sali was suddenly beside him, dressed in shorts, flip-flops and a tank top, with his hands stuffed in pockets. He lifted his head shyly to give Ashe half a grin. "Want to get a burger?"

"Where's Dori?" Ashe couldn't help but ask.

"I told her we had business, so she and Wynn are lying in the sun on Wynn's deck right now."

"And Marco?"

"Cori and Marco are still fighting, so Marco went to Winkler's beach house to help do some stuff over there. You should see the place—it's like an anthill, they're so busy."

"Fine. Let's get a burger and then you can drive me by the beach house." Ashe gestured for Sali to lead the way.

"Do I need to go?" Trace looked at Winkler. Winkler thought for a moment before shaking his head. Ashe followed Sali around the U-shaped street toward the other side. His feet and legs felt cramped after the flight and he needed to work out a few kinks. Trajan would likely put him through hell over the next few days since he hadn't exercised while they were gone.

"Slow down, dude." Ashe was running without realizing it while Sali called after him. Adele had come out of the house and was standing in the driveway of their home. Ashe ran up and hugged his mother.

"Ashe, don't be upset," Adele held him away from her. "Your father—I’m sure he still loves you." Her expression was nearly blank. Ashe watched his mother's face carefully. He was going to call his father again. Aedan hadn't replied to the last message, but that didn't mean he hadn't gotten it. His mother seemed a bit dazed to see Ashe and the mention of his father had no emotion crossing her face. His father was much better at compulsion than Ashe realized. He cursed it and the Head of the Council silently. "I’m going to Aransas Pass to get a burger with Sali. Want anything?"

"No, I just finished lunch a little while ago. Go have fun." Adele shooed him away.

* * *

"What did you do in D.C.?" Sali asked as he drove his Honda toward Aransas Pass.

"Winkler took me to Banana Republic and I bought a ton of clothes," Ashe said. "We had to buy another suitcase to carry all of it."

"Dude, that's not all you went for."

"It's all I’ll tell you."

"Fair enough." Sali's words held a growl.

"Come on, Sal; tell me why we're fighting. Tell me. Or do you not remember. Like always?"

"Dad let me remember."

"How nice for you." Ashe leaned his elbow on the armrest and stared out the passenger side window.

"Ashe, we’ve been friends for a long time."

"Yeah, but I never ratted you out."

"Yeah. I’ll give you that." Sali made a turn after going through a yellow light that turned red. Less than twenty seconds later, a local policeman pulled Sali over.

"The light was yellow when I started through," Sali complained as he handed his license to the officer.

"But you were going forty-five in a thirty-five mile per hour zone," the officer pointed out. "And then you went through a nearly red light. I’m not ticketing you for that—I’m ticketing you for speeding. Here's the ticket," he passed the slip of paper to Sali. "The court date is on the back if you want to dispute the ticket. Have a nice day." The officer walked back to his car and drove past Sali and Ashe seconds later.

"Dude, you could have put your mojo on him," Sali grumbled as he put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb.

"Putting my mojo on somebody got us where we are today. Maybe I should have let you tear into those drunks and then get hauled off to jail. Look at it this way—you only got a ticket this time and I’ll pay half."

"It's ninety-five dollars, dude." Sali handed the ticket to Ashe.

"Then I’ll pay the whole thing. Since it appears to be my fault." Ashe couldn't keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"Do you want a ride home or not?" Sali snapped.

"Dude, I don't need a car to get around."

"Yeah. I remember that, too." Sali pulled into the parking lot surrounding a low, square building. Dandee Burgers was spelled out in red neon over the doorway.

"Dandee Burgers? Could they come up with a worse name?" Ashe climbed out of the car and shut the door.

"The burgers are good." Sali's voice was sullen.

"Dude, maybe we should have waited. As reconciliations go, this one isn't going so well," Ashe pointed out as they walked to the entrance. The door was dark glass with a paper
Open
sign hanging on the inside.

"Ashe, just go in and sit down. I have something to say and it isn't gonna be easy," Sali muttered, knowing Ashe would hear. Sali went to the counter and ordered for Ashe and himself before coming to the table with two soft drinks in his hands.

"So, what is it, Sal? What do you have to say? We were already on the outs. Maybe you should have left it that way."

"Dude, that's not the whole story," Sali muttered. "Dad—he didn't like it that I almost got hauled off by Zeke Tanner and a bunch of your people."

"My people?" Ashe goggled at Sali, confused.

"You know—what you are." Sali flushed uncomfortably.

Ashe stared. Started to speak and went back to staring. "Are you telling me that your dad suspects me because of what those people did?" He finally spoke, unwilling to believe what Sali was telling him.

"Sort of." Sali wouldn't look at Ashe.

"So. I pull you and the others off that stupid island and bring you home, and Marcus DeLuca thinks I’m like them. Sali, I’m leaving." Ashe pulled what cash he had from his pocket and dumped it on the table.

"There's more," Sali whispered before Ashe could take three steps away from the table.

"Oh, this is too good to pass up. What else do you have, Sali? What else can you do to me? I suppose your father ordered you to tell him everything you know about me. Is that it? Marcus thinks I’m a murderous criminal now. Is that what you're saying?" Ashe whirled to face Sali.

"Sort of," Sali hung his head. "He's my dad, Ashe. What was I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, defend me, maybe? Say I’m not like that? But then you don't know, do you? Your brains are scrambled, so I’ll let that go. If Marcus doesn't want me in Star Cove, I think I can fix that." Ashe stalked out of the restaurant.

* * *

"Mr. Winkler, I messed things up. That's why Ashe didn't come back here." Sali fidgeted in Winkler's guest chair.

"What did you do, Salidar? Where do you think Ashe went?" Trajan stood near the door to Winkler's study, ready to go if Sali gave him a location.

"I told him the truth—that Dad doesn't trust him because he's Elemaiyan. Dad told me to bring everything I saw Ashe do to him and to Marco."

Winkler was cursing and dialing Marcus at the same time. "Get your ass over here. Now," Winkler snapped when Marcus answered the phone. "Salidar, you need to go. This is between the Grand Master, your father and me. I don't want your name in this. Trajan, get Sali out of here. Try Ashe's cell. See if he’ll answer." Trajan grabbed Sali by the collar and hauled him from the room.

"What?" Marcus was inside Winkler's study within ten minutes. The Grand Master was on speakerphone, waiting for Marcus to appear.

"Marcus," the Grand Master spoke, "If I have to take you down myself to keep you from torturing that boy, I will."

Chapter 12
 

"It doesn't matter how he found out. He likely has foresight, in addition to a few other things. And we have this." Winkler slapped a copy of the email sent by the one claiming to be Ashe's grandfather. Marcus read it quickly, and then again, more slowly the second time.

"What does he mean,
guard him closely if you value your lives and your planet
?" Marcus handed the sheet back to Winkler.

"I might have dismissed this as a prank or a lie of some sort, except that someone else has taken an interest in Ashe," Winkler snapped. Marcus knew he wasn't in Winkler's or the Grand Master's good graces at the moment.

"Who?" Marcus couldn't help asking.

Weldon Harper cursed over the speakerphone before saying one word; "Griffin."

"It's not something we can discuss—he and his race cannot directly interfere," Winkler sighed. "They're not dangerous to you, me or any of us unless we attempt to attack them. If you want to die and do it quickly, then by all means," Winkler flung out a hand. "Griffin has come to Ashe twice now. He's interested in this for some reason. Interested in Ashe for some reason. Marcus, do you believe that Ashe means you harm in any way? Do you? This is preposterous," Winkler rose and shoved his chair beneath the desk with another curse. "I don't think this one is lying when he says the survival of the planet depends on keeping Ashe safe. As much as we can, anyway. Marcus, if you’ve lost him for us," Winkler growled.

"What am I supposed to think?" Marcus defended himself. "I am Packmaster, here. It is my responsibility to keep the inhabitants of this community safe."

"And everything you’ve seen Ashe do up to this point leads you to think he’ll turn on you?" Weldon Harper snarled. "He saved Winkler and the others in D.C. two nights ago. That doesn't sound like someone who means harm to me."

"Those things took my boy," Marcus snarled back.

"And Ashe got Sali back. The Elemaiya came because they wanted Ashe. Zeke Tanner wanted your son and the other kids. Dom Pruitt led him right to your boy and the others. The Elemaiya came for Ashe, not Sali or the others. They only agreed to help Tanner to get to him. Dom Pruitt and Zeke Tanner led them here because they were after Dom's boy, Sali and the others. Now you're punishing the one who killed the Elemaiya that helped take Sali and the others. Ashe killed them, Marcus, to protect that community you're so worried about." Weldon was throwing things—Winkler could hear it in the background of Weldon's phone conversation.

"He won't be a nuisance to Marcus much longer—I’ll take him with me to the beach house and then to Dallas," Winkler pointed out. "I’m not worried that he’ll turn on me. The boy lifted me, Trajan and Trace into his mist the other night. Just picked us right up while we slept. He could have killed us in so many ways. Ashe saved our lives instead."

"What I’m concerned about is where he is right now." Weldon said. "Marcus, you'd better hope we find him and quick. The vampires took Aedan away, and that was one line of defense Ashe had. They’ve sent those other three to act as spies, no doubt. I'd watch my back with them instead of Ashe."

"Next time, maybe you’ll let me in on your schemes and secrets before I start thinking what any normal werewolf might think," Marcus snapped.

"You forget who you're talking to,
Packmaster
."

Marcus jerked back in his seat. "My apologies, Grand Master," Marcus muttered.

"This talk is getting us nowhere. I need to look for Ashe," Winkler said. "Grand Master, I’ll keep you informed."

"See that you do," Weldon ordered. "You, too, Marcus. Get some of those wolves of yours off their asses to help."

"I’m on my way, Grand Master." Marcus stood and walked through the door of Winkler's study without a backward glance.

"Marcus is pissed," Winkler muttered to Trace as he walked toward the door. "Any word from Trajan?"

"None, boss. I’ll call him now."

"Nothing," Trajan said when he answered Trace's call. "I drove by the beach house and didn't see anything. With Ashe, that doesn't mean a thing, though. I asked the workers—they haven't seen the boy."

"Keep looking," Winkler said. "We’ll do the same."

Winkler's cell rang shortly after Trace ended the call with his brother. Andy was calling. "Boss," Andy said, "I got a hit on Ashe's debit card—he used it in the café at the bookstore in Corpus."

"Drive," Winkler snapped out the order. Ace, who was driving a Winkler Security van with Winkler and Trace inside, hit the gas and sped toward Corpus Christi.

* * *

Ashe settled into a comfortable chair to sip his frozen caramel mocha and read a science-fiction book. An employee recommended it and Ashe was engrossed from the first page. "Ashe, we were worried." Winkler knelt next to Ashe's chair.

"Marcus doesn't want me in Star Cove," Ashe stuck a thumb in the book to mark his place.

"We heard. The Grand Master had a talk with him and set things straight," Winkler explained. "Your mother is probably wondering where you are."

"My mother has been brainwashed. She barely remembers she has a son."

"Ashe, come home with us now. We’ll put you up in the beach house soon and you won't have to deal with Marcus."

"Why did he believe that? Why did he set Sali to spy on me?" Ashe gazed levelly into Winkler's nearly black eyes.

"Ashe, you know Marcus was in the military. He dealt with terrorists. He didn't trust anyone from certain tribes or races. I think that has tainted his views on this. I’m not making excuses for him; I’m just explaining things as I see them. He should never have involved Sali in this. I’m sorry that your friendships have soured with Sali and Marco. I think Marco still likes you—very much. You’ll just have to play it by ear with him. And with Sali, too, if that's what you want."