When the Wolves Cry (Twin Flames Duet #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

JAX

My arm rears back, chucking the blue ball that’s covered in slobber and pieces of grass. Sirohi, X, and Zombie make hell for leather for it, leaving Gemini and King to roll around in the grass.

Gemini is also a Doberman Pinscher and King’s a Rottweiler. They’re both big guys. Leon spoils the fuck out of the dogs that stay on the ranch.

It was the first property that caught my interest when we made the move here. The neat little cabin sits on six-hundred acres with big ass trees as far as the eye can see. The dogs have the liberty to run and play and have unlimited access to the barn that used to house horses. They favor the pond in the summer.

I knew it would be a good spot to keep the dogs that take a little longer to get adopted.

So, I bought it, lived in it until my house in the woods got finished, and now Leon takes care of the place.

I wanted to bring Tala here. I think Gemini would be a good match for her, keep her safe and keep her company when she’s home alone.

But I fucked up.

It’s not like I’d get enjoyment out of killing her. I only fucking said that shit so that she’d listen. She can’t start sniffing around business like that without the high possibility of losing her pretty head. She already has a damn price on it.

Like I said, I don’t bluff. I also don’t make idle threats.

I’d rather her death be a crime of passion and follow right behind her, than see her get beheaded and put on the news.

“No Mija?”

I shake my head, watching all five dogs now playing tag.

“Ah, man. What’d you do?”

“Told her I’d kill her.”

He steps in front of me, staring blankly. “Why would you do that?”

I’m not explaining myself to him, so I stare back, watching him cringe and slightly cower. “What’s going on with Kendra?” I ask, looking over his head toward the dogs.

He shoves his hands in his pockets and steps to the side. “Not a peep, man. Last I heard, she was trying to see her mom. Well, she was using that as an excuse to try and get in there. I don’t think she made it out.”

“He wouldn’t have killed her. He’ll use her for other shit.”

He groans uneasily, wiping over his forehead. “Doesn’t Travis go there? Why not just ask his dumbass?”

“I have,” I say impatiently, voice cutting through the air. “He’s only met Brutus once and it was way back when he originally startedmulinghis father. And he doesn’t go to his house. Shit’s brought to them by other mules. The one fight he’s attended he was blindfolded and in the car for over five hours.”

“And you believe him?”

“Would you lie to me?” I ask, shifting my narrowed eyes at him.

He shakes his head awkwardly.

“Exactly. He’s a little punk and knows better. Dude almost shits his pants when he sees me.” I run my tongue over my teeth thoughtfully. “The only person I have ever had any concern about lying to me is Tala. My appearance doesn’t… didn’t scare her. I said that shit to her because her grandparents left a whole goddamn armory to her and a cryptic ass message about wanting her to follow their footsteps,take the evil out.”

He looks at the sky like it’ll give him answers, snapping his eyes of revelation to me. “Hey! Let her join our team, man. You can train her, and she’d be able to fight evil all while by your side.”

Sirohi and Gemini have thezoomiestogether. They’re darting around, running circles and faking each other out. I’d smile if I wasn’t so pissed off.

“I offered, Leon. She’s a goddamn wild card with an attitude. Besides, Tala’s easily affected by stuff. I’m not sure she’s mentally equipped for the sights she’d have to see, the shit she’d have to hear.”

Seeing dogs being tortured hardens you up, and I don’t want her to lose the softness I’m very fond of.

“Hmm. What were her grandparents doing?”

Zombie brings the ball to me, and I take it, slobber covering my hand as I rear my arm back and throw it. “I don’t know what they were doing as of recently. I was gonna scout through the storage unit for anything that would possibly give me an idea. But back in the day they were slaughtering the rapists of the Federal Assembly,” I rumble, and his thin eyes widen. “Now you understand why I said what I said?”

“It was a little excessive… but I understand where your black heart is at with it.”

I don’t need or want his validation.

But I do need to talk to Tala.

The only reason I let her go is because she told me not to touch her. And then fucking Maverick, her goddamn chariot showed up.

I’m not one to make a scene. I prefer to take the space and cool myself off. I didn’t want to scare her any more than what I did, even though I wanted to rip him out of his truck and make him choke on his own teeth.

I had already checked on her earlier, saw Maverick walk her to the door and leave. I’m glad she has a good friend in him, but it pisses me off to no end seeing another man do something I should be doing.

Ignoring Leon and trying to not snap my phone in half, I fetch it out of my jeans and quickly pull the feeds of her house up.

Nadia is over there now. She appears to be reenacting the position I had Tala in last night in front of her bedroom mirror. And my girl is lying glumly at the end of her bed,unamusedas she watches.

I usually don’t listen in. But my finger hits the volume button before I can register what I’m doing.

“If he fucked you like a god, why are you at home and not jumping on his dick again?” Nadia asks, sitting up with frizzy hair.

“He had stuff to do,” Tala lies grimly.

“That’s why you’re pissy? Because hismegalodonisn’t lodged in your esophagus?”

Tala’s pretty hands rub over her face, pinning her raven hair back as she stares jadedly. “No, Nads. I went to that storage unit this morning and it was a bit much seeing the shit my grandparents left for me.” She snatches the paper from her side, lazily throwing it in Nadia’s direction.

Not caring to see her read, I close out of the app and lock my phone.

“How are you not cracking a smile?”

My brows furrow. “Why would I smile?”

He folds his arms over his chest, grinning ear to ear. “If I had a chick refer to my shit as amegalodon, I’d ride that high horse for a long time.”

Light snow begins falling. The cold flurries land on my face, melting my sliver of patience for the day.