Page 53 of Crimson Heart

24

Jude had slept badly. Danielle’s revelation that Steve Leon was indeed violent and dangerous, and therefore in no way suitable for a gentle soul like Charlotte, had hit him like a rapidly approaching freight train. He should have trusted his sister when she’d claimed that she felt that Steve Leon was evil. Now it was even more important to stop his parents and the Werewolf Alliance from forcing her to mate with him. But they wouldn’t just take Danielle’s word for it. He needed proof to convince them that allying themselves with the Leon pack was a recipe for disaster.

It was early, and the house was still quiet, when he went to Mason’s room and asked Mason and Austin to join him and Danielle in the master suite. After filling them in—except for what had happened to her stepfather—his brother and his cousin stared at them, stunned into silence for a few moments.

“Fucking hell,” Austin let out. “Our little sister has quite the sixth sense.”

“We can’t let her mate with that guy,” Mason added. “We have to protect her.”

Jude nodded. “I know. But we need concrete evidence.” He exchanged a look with Danielle. “I trust you, my love, but as I said before, the Alliance will want proof.”

She squeezed his hand. “I know that.”

Austin cleared his throat. “Francisco is already working on digging up dirt about the Leon pack. We’ll need more manpower to work on that. I can assign Grant and Parker to him.”

Jude nodded. “Do that. But you can’t tell anyone what Danielle just told you. I don’t want anyone in the Gallagher family overhearing what happened in Danielle’s past. They will only use it against us.”

Mason furrowed his forehead. “I don’t get it. Why would her experience with the Leon pack give the Gallaghers something to use against us?”

“I can’t tell you that,” Jude said, shaking his head softly. “Just trust me. If Danielle’s past with the Leon pack comes to light, it may lead the Gallaghers to ask more questions than we’ve got answers for. It will only put her in danger.”

Mason hummed, clearly contemplating his words, and exchanged a look with Austin.

“That wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that you created a new identity for Danielle, would it?” Austin asked.

“It has everything to do with that,” Jude admitted, aware that Austin knew about the papers he’d provided for Danielle, because Austin had lent a hand.

“Say no more,” Austin replied, lifting his hand. “I trust you both.”

Mason nodded at Jude and Danielle. “Nobody will find out from me. We’re family.”

“Thank you, both of you,” Danielle said with a gentle look. “Charlotte deserves better than Steve Leon. We need to make sure he never lays a hand on her. We have to protect her.”

“We will,” Austin said. She shifted his gaze back to Jude. “What about Byron?”

“Did he try to go to her room last night?” Jude asked.

Austin nodded. “Wendell and I sent him packing.”

“How did he take it?”

Austin shrugged. “He was pissed off for sure. But I think you might have misjudged him.”

“What do you mean?”

“You said he might try to take advantage of the fact that Charlotte is in heat and get her pregnant so our parents will agree to a union between them. Turns out that Charlotte told him she’s not ready for children yet, and he claims he wouldn’t do anything against her wishes.” Austin rubbed his nape. “He sounded pretty sincere.”

“And you believed him?” Jude asked, shaking his head.

“Oddly enough, yes. I think he’s changed. Three months ago, he would have challenged any one of us to a fight because he couldn’t keep his anger under control, but last night, he was almost calm.”

“That doesn’t sound like Byron at all.” But did this mean Byron wasn’t a hothead anymore? He doubted it. “Tell the others to keep an eye on him.”

Danielle touched his arm, making him turn his head to look at her.

“Are you saying that you won’t even let them talk to each other? Don’t you think that’s going a little too far?”

“I’m just trying to make sure that they don’t do anything they can’t undo.”