Jackson frowned. Then, looking around the area and finding only his enforcers present, he quietly said, “C’mon inside. We have a lot to talk about.” Stepping back, he opened the door and gestured for Tristan and Heath to precede him. Once in the house, he said, “Thanks for coming over so quickly. Let’s go to my study and I’ll fill you in on everything.”
Heath glanced at his mate, who shot him a questioning look.
Jackson’s jocularity had vanished in a flash after Heath had mentioned the word ‘secret.’ He was now cautious and suspicious—behavior neither of them had ever seen before. And Heath could see that Tristan was worried about what it might mean for the Silver Point Pack.
Letting Jackson lead the way, Heath slipped his hand into Tristan’s and pulled him close. “Whatever it is, don’t react or answer until we have some time to talk about it.”
“Do you think it has to do with what my pack owes him for restitution?”
“I don’t know, but if I had to guess, I would say yes,” Heath whispered back.
Before Tristan could respond, Jackson stopped abruptly and turned to look at them. “Let me put your concerns to rest…it’s not about the restitution…at least not directly.”
“What the hell does that mean?” snapped Tristan.
“Please…I’ll explain everything, but not here.” Then, saying nothing else, Jackson resumed walking to his study, leaving Tristan and Heath to follow.
Chapter 25
Once Jackson had entered his study, he asked his cousin to shut the door. Sitting down, he waited until Tristan and Heath claimed the two chairs in front of his desk before he said, “Thanks for coming…”
“What’s up, Jackson?” asked Tristan. “Why didn’t you wanna talk on the phone? Does it have to do with my pack? Are they still in danger?”
Shaking his head, Jackson said, “Not that I know of. Josiah and Rudy are dead, and all the rest involved in Rudy’s attack have been captured.”
“There are still three unaccounted for,” Heath murmured.
“They would be foolish to try anything against me,” Tristan replied.
“I agree,” Jackson said. “Three against an entire pack would be suicide, and with Rudy dead, my bet is they’re putting as much distance between them and the Silver Point Pack as they can.”
“Probably finding a new pack to join,” Heath said.
“Or starting one of their own,” Jackson said.
“If they do, I doubt they’ll follow the law and tell the High Council about it,” Tristan replied.
Snorting, Jackson said, “Nope, but, on the other hand, they might be dumb enough to do it…I’ll talk to Frank and see what he can find out.”
“Thanks…that would be helpful,” Tristan said. Then, pausing for a moment, he glanced at his mate before returning his gaze to Jackson. “If my pack isn’t in danger, then I’m guessing thisclandestine meeting is about your pack. And in that case, what can I do to help?”
“It’s not my pack, but about three of my members who need to disappear for a while,” Jackson said.
“Who are they?” asked Heath.
“Theo, Norm and Smokey…they’re Fated Mates,” Jackson replied.
Tristan studied his cousin for a moment, then said, “Okay, but before I agree, can I ask why they have to leave your pack?”
“It’s complicated,” Jackson began, before pausing to let out a deepbreath. Then he explained the situation about Theo and Norm’s arrest warrants and the bounty hunter who tried to take them in. Finishing, he said, “Our lawyer is on it, but until he can get the matter before a judge, Theo and Norm are in danger if they stay here since it’s obvious their former Alpha now knows where they are. I need somewhere they can stay that’s close by and with someone I can trust.”
“And I was the first person you thought of?” asked Tristan, grinning. “I’m honored.”
“As you should be,” Jackson said, smirking. “All joking aside, Theo also needs to be near a medical facility. He’s pregnant and, according to Mac and Ian, it’s a high-risk pregnancy, which means he can’t be in an environment that could be stressful. I can’t give him that here…at least not until a court rescinds the arrest warrants.”
“Smokey killed Josiah,” Heath reminded Tristan. “He’s a grizzly bear shifter.”
“Theo and Norm are Ghost Bear shifters,” Jackson said, “but they won’t be a threat to any of your members…you have my word on it.”