Page 62 of The Patron Saint of Timber Hollow

"You girls will run circles around me." She says, scoffing.

"Or you'll show us all your killer moves that landed you in a triad all those years ago and teach us a thing or two." I counter, snagging another cookie from the table.

"Not very likely, but alright. I'll come; I promise no bar dancing, though."

25

The Bitch Boy returns

The cobblestone path outside of Aggie's holds my attention as I stalk away from her house, intent on going to the Packhouse next. I know Jay is there talking with Nero about how best to handle the Whites, having left in the early hours of the morning. Beyond my curiosity about their solutions, I can offer helpful insight into the Whites and the connections they harbor.

The blacktop streets are bare as I drive down them, navigating to the town center. Snow dusts lawns, bits of deep green grass still peeking out from beneath the crystalized water. I can rememberwinters that would practically bury the town for weeks. Jay really wasn't joking when he told me it rarely snows anymore.

I can't help but feel…sad about it. Despite my dislike of the cold, I guess nostalgia still has me in enough of a chokehold to lament the lack of snow.

Spotting Jay's pretty blue GTR at the rear of the building, I park next to him, quickly locking the Stingray as I stalk towards the burnt red brick building.

The big black door here requires a code that I punch in with my thumb before tugging open the latch. It was recently updated with Jay's taking over.

It's a combination of our birth months. It makes my chest ache in the best way every time I enter the code into the system.

Arcade cabinets beep and chirp from down the hall, the different game soundtracks blending into a cacophony.

My first stop is the pool room. That's where I'm willing to bet the boys are.

Call me a prophet because the pool room ispreciselywhere I find them. With Jay and Dante's keen eyes on him, Nero is bent at the waist, lining up his shot.

Nero sinks the striped 12-ball, stalking around the table to line up his next shot. I should have known Jay would be a pool sharkat Angel's party. Magnus spent a considerable amount of time at this very table.

"Hey, Alpha," I say sweetly, and Jay smirks at my greeting, running his teeth over his bottom lip. I greet the other two with a wiggle of my fingers as a wave. "Nero. Dante."

"Hey, Gorgeous. Where's Saint?" Our Alpha replies, mercurial blue-green eyes drinking in my body.

"Probably at the Cabin?" I reply, going over to his side of the pool table. Dante is already typing away on his phone. "I went to Aggies."

"Ah, how was she?" Jay asks, opening his arm to pull me into his side.

"Good, sends her love. Where'd Magnus go? I saw him leaving with a big suitcase." I ask, tucking my arms around Jay's middle.

"He's off to visit Alex and Helena for a few days, see the baby," Jay murmurs, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"Ahh," I hum, letting him slip through my arms for his turn. Jay easily lines up his shot, the loud crack echoing through the room.

"So, what's up, Gorgeous? Did you just come by to say hi?" Jay asks, and I wrinkle my nose. Then Jay bursts with laughter.

Clingy girlfriend, I will never be.

"No,"I reply, rolling my eyes. "I wanted to talk about what we are going to do about the Whites. I lived with themin their compoundfor over a year. I know way more than they think I do."

"Oh? Well, that's a coincidence because we were just talking about our options," Dante mutters, still typing away on his phone after periodic pauses. Jay lines up another shot, sinking the solid purple ball.

"So…what are our options?" I press, perching on top of one of the empty tables. Nero glances at Jay for a minute, silence ringing in the large room.

"You can tell her," Jay says quietly without looking away from the pool table.

I have to accept that,technically,I am not within the pack hierarchy structure. I'm merely Jay's girl.

While I wrestle with my pride, Nero painstakingly lays out their plans. The Pack, Jay as the 'mayor,' will file lawsuits for illegal trespassing and poaching protected animals. Jay has already found where the Whites are staying in Somerville.