Chills rippled up her spine as something on the edge of her memory tickled at her brain.
Time and time again, Tommy’s face filled her mind as she shoved her clothes into her suitcase. She just wanted to get out of here.
It wasn’t until she looked at her phone to check the time that it clicked. She looked at Manning’s last messages just to make sure she hadn’t imagined it.
She didn’t know for sure, but her instincts were roaring.
Before she could change her mind, she made her way to the kitchen counter, flipped over an old receipt for the deck wood, and scribbled a note to Nuke.
Tarek,
I can’t leave without telling you something. I think there’s a wolf among your sheep here. I never said your name to Manning. I hid you. You have no reason to believe me now, but I have no reason to lie. I’m already gone, and I won’t be back. It’s gonna hurt leaving you and this place behind. I heard you. You’ll never forgive me and I don’t blame you.
I never said your name to Manning, so how did he know it? I never said we had trailers here either. How did he know? Today, he asked me about you, and Amos, and Divar. He didn’t mention Tommy. Why didn’t he want to know about him? He knows Tommy is here. Do what you want with that information, just…stay safe. If you exist, it makes the world a little better.
I wish I could tell you everything, but it won’t make a difference.
Just so you know? I really like you. None of that was pretend. I wanted to get you a token when I was in town. It wouldn’t mean much to you, but for me, a token is big. I’m stuck in a cage I can’t explain, and you were this beautiful thing right outside the bars. Thank you for making me happy for a while.
Trinadel
Her heart felt like it was on fire as she signed her name, so she forced herself one last look at his trailer, one last memory of this sanctuary, and then she grabbed the duffel bag and made her way outside.
She couldn’t look back anymore. An enormous job lay ahead of her, and she could only look forward.
She was going to fix this on her own, even if it cost her everything.
Chapter Fourteen
Lost in thought, Nuke rubbed the corner of the folded letter Trina had written him.
Amos and Divar had asked for his help with decks on their trailers, but Tommy seemed content to keep his house the way it was. He didn’t have any stairs. And he’d only unpacked one suitcase and a mattress from his truck, which seemed to be broken down currently because Tommy was working under the hood.
“Why are you staring at Tommy like you want to eat him?” Ren asked as she took the lawn chair beside him. Oh, Nuke had heard her coming, he had just been hoping she was here to see Amos or some shit.
Nuke leaned back in his chair and scratched his chin. “Did you look into the Crew before you guys offered them positions?”
Ren twitched her pink bangs out from in front of her face and narrowed her bright blue eyes. “Of course. Didn’t find anything on you though, Mystery Man.”
“Where did Tommy come from?” he asked low.
Ren’s clear blue eyes drifted to Tommy. “New Mexico. He was in a pack for a decade before he drifted to Wyoming to become a Rogue. His old pack said he had authority problems, couldn’t accept his rank in the pack. Fought all the time. Wanted power but didn’t have the wolf to hold power. Been living as a Rogue for five years now, but that shit is hard on a wolf. They’re made for packs. Makes sense why he wanted the Crew. The pecking order is different here than in wolf packs. He has a better shot at rising in the ranks the longer he is here.” Her chair creaked as she settled deeper into it. “Why?”
Nuke shrugged up one shoulder. “Probably nothing.” Probably just Trina the Spy putting thoughts into his head to put wedges into their Crew. The letter bothered him. He’d wanted to come straight back here, drink a bottle of whiskey and forget the world and the damn ache in his soul for a while, but he’d found the letter instead. “What does a token mean?”
Her eyebrows arched high under her brightly colored bangs and she leaned forward, buzzing with excitement. “Did Trina give you a token?”
“No,” he barked. “Shhh.”
“Oh.” With a frown, Ren looked around. “I came to see if Trina wanted to go to lunch. Where is she?”
“What’s a token mean?” he repeated.
Ren inhaled deeply and drew her knee up to her chest, swinging her other ankle rhythmically off the chair. “For a crow, it’s a gift of intention. I gave Bron one, and he gave me one, and now I’m his and he’s mine. Marriage is a human word. Tokens are like saying, you’re it. I’m in this. I’m all in. You are the one my animal chooses. I see you for what you are.”
“I see you for what you are,” he repeated softly, dragging his fingers down the folded edge of the old receipt with Trina’s letter on it.
Nothing felt right. Nothing felt okay.
“Where is she, Nuke?” Ren asked softly.
“Went back to Manning.”
Ren snorted. “Yeah right. Really, is she in the shower? Trina!” she called.
“She went back to Manning. She never really left him, I guess.” But then why had she mentioned a token to Nuke? Fuck, everything was so confusing.
“What did you do?” Ren demanded.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Cool, well I saw her with a black eye from Manning, and I saw the way she was looking at you yesterday. I’m betting you’re talking about a token because she picked you.”
“She’s a Pegasus—”
“She’s a winged horse. She’s half-crow, dude. Tokens are tokens. I saw the look of relief on her face that night I stole the token Manning had given to her. She had tears of relief in her eyes. What did you do?”
“She’s been spying for Manning.”
“What?” Ren shook her head. “Fuck off, no she wasn’t.”
“I saw her phone. I saw the messages from Manning. She’s been feeding him information about this place. About all of us.”
“Why?” Ren demanded.
“Why what?”
“Why did she do that?”
“I don’t fucking know.” Why did this feel like an interrogation? Why did it feel like he was the one doing something wrong? He hadn’t betrayed any of these people. Would’ve cut his own wings off before he betrayed Trina.
Ren cast a look at Tommy and leaned forward, right near Nuke’s face. “She hates Manning, so why was she feeding him information, Nuke? She’s not bad. Did you ask her?”
Nuke shook his head, baffled. “No. I was busy protecting your asses from her leaking information.”
Ren stood and shoved him hard in the arm, and muttered, “You’re a dumbass.” She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and connected a call. She was breathing faster, and stress came off her in waves. She cursed when no one answered and connected a call immediately again. “She isn’t answering.”
“Why do you want her to? She betrayed us.”
“You don’t understand Manning.” She jerked her chin at Tommy and raised her voice. “What the fuck are you smiling at?”