“Are you alright? Are you hungry? We could hunt if you want, as long as we don’t go far.”
“I’m bored shitless,” she admitted. “Have you heard from Lorn? How did the meeting go with the clan? Were there any more challenges?”
“He hasn’t called.”
She worried at that.
“I didn’t see a dish anywhere or solar panels. I take it there’s no television inside Lorn’s den?”
Kar must have read her fear and was trying to distract her. She was more than happy to let him. “No.”
“Mine has satellite TV and a hot tub.”
Kira had only been inside two dens. The one her father had built for their safety and Lorn’s. They were usually basic survival shelters. “Really?”
“Yeah. I’ve got a full kitchen, separate bedroom, and a killer stereo system. I even had to dig out more space to make a spare room for my friend Garson. He likes my den way better than the one he has. I offered to help him when he moved out of his parents’ place and got his own land but he turned me down. Big mistake. He has a compost toilet.” Kar wrinkled his nose, showing his distaste. “I want to live in comfort if we ever have to stay underground for long periods of time. I hope Lorn’s place is more updated than Garson’s. I can’t imagine cold showers from water collected from melted snow and rain.”
“Lorn’s den is basic but he does have a water heater.”
“Most are pretty crude, from what I hear. I figured with the way Decker was going, we’d end up spending a lot of time underground. I really took my time planning my den.”
“My father believed the same. He stocked a lot of food inside ours. He said if Decker didn’t start a war with the other clans, he’d piss off the GarLycans enough to attack us.”
“I’m hoping that’s a thing of the past. You know Lorn well. Will he mend the rifts?”
“You agreed to be one of his enforcers and you aren’t sure of that?”
“Lavos swore Lorn was a good guy, and let’s be honest. Anyone, with the exception of Nabby, would have led our clan better than Decker.”
“Lorn wants what’s best for everyone. That means peace. War only brings death and pain.”
“Good, because I prefer to be a lover more than a fighter.”
Kira wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Can you call Lorn? Check on him? He took his phone.”
He removed his cell from his front pocket and turned on the screen. In seconds he had it to his ear. “Hey, Lorn. Are you busy?” He paused. “Here. There’s this hot babe who wants to talk to you.”
Kira gratefully took the phone. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
She loved hearing his calm, deep voice. “No challenges? No attacks?”
“None. I’m in Decker’s old office trying to figure out what’s he’s been up to. It’s a mess. Garson is going through a stack of the bills right now and I just picked the lock to some file cabinets. It appears Decker kept detailed information on not only our clan members, but some of the key ones in other clans.”
“I wish I were there.”
“So do I, but you stay put.”
She understood why. It would be bad if anyone found out about her at such an early stage of his leadership. That didn’t make it hurt any less. She wanted to help him. “What kind of information did he collect?”
“It looks mostly as though he tracked associations.” Papers shuffled. “Friends. Family. What a son of a bitch. I’m reading a file on one of Velder’s sons. Decker has the name and clan of every woman this guy fucked, and how many times. He even has photos of the women.”
“Any women from our clan?”
“Just the one who tried to kill Kraven, and Violet’s is the last name on this page. I think Decker was trying to figure out Kraven’s taste in women to send in an assassin he’d find appealing. I feel dirty just reading this shit. He’s written notes about people’s weaknesses and ways he might be able to hurt them. This one says the best way to break Kraven is if his brother or cousin were to die. Apparently they’re the two men closest to him, besides his father.”
“Stop reading them. You should send those files to the people involved. That way they know what Decker had on them.”
“I don’t know. It might piss them off when they find out just how low that bastard could go. We’re trying to strengthen clan ties. It might be best to destroy these.”
“Lorn, the decision is yours, but I would split those files by clan and have the leaders pass them out to all those involved. Decker is going to be desperate and enraged when he learns you took the clan. He’ll cause as much harm as he can. Forewarned is forearmed and all that. He’s still out there. The clans will have some idea on how he might come at them, if he tries.”
“You’re right.”
“I’d also suggest you actually read the files on our clan first. It’ll help you figure out who Decker did and didn’t trust.”
Lorn chuckled. “His friends are my enemies and his enemies are my friends?”
“Yes.”
He suddenly snarled.
“What’s wrong?”
“He has a file on you.”
It shouldn’t have surprised Kira. It really didn’t. “Well, you already know he hated me.”
“I’m holding it in my hand. Should I open it? I’ll just burn it if you wish.”
“No. I haven’t kept any secrets from you, Lorn. I’m standing by my ‘forewarned’ stance. We should know what he thought he had on me.”
“Hold on.”
“Okay.”
A good two minutes passed and Kira glanced at Kar. He had moved away, watching the thick woods for any sign of movement. She strode over to the downed tree he’d vacated and took a seat on the trunk.
“I’m trying to be patient but the suspense is killing me, Lorn. Is it that bad?”
“Was the human you slept with a thin brunette with a tattoo on his left arm?”
Kira leaned forward. “Yes.”
“There are pictures of the two of you together. Your father said Decker sent an enforcer to find you and bring you home. Those must have been taken then.”
“No. I had broken up with Carl months before Boon showed up.”
“I’m bored shitless,” she admitted. “Have you heard from Lorn? How did the meeting go with the clan? Were there any more challenges?”
“He hasn’t called.”
She worried at that.
“I didn’t see a dish anywhere or solar panels. I take it there’s no television inside Lorn’s den?”
Kar must have read her fear and was trying to distract her. She was more than happy to let him. “No.”
“Mine has satellite TV and a hot tub.”
Kira had only been inside two dens. The one her father had built for their safety and Lorn’s. They were usually basic survival shelters. “Really?”
“Yeah. I’ve got a full kitchen, separate bedroom, and a killer stereo system. I even had to dig out more space to make a spare room for my friend Garson. He likes my den way better than the one he has. I offered to help him when he moved out of his parents’ place and got his own land but he turned me down. Big mistake. He has a compost toilet.” Kar wrinkled his nose, showing his distaste. “I want to live in comfort if we ever have to stay underground for long periods of time. I hope Lorn’s place is more updated than Garson’s. I can’t imagine cold showers from water collected from melted snow and rain.”
“Lorn’s den is basic but he does have a water heater.”
“Most are pretty crude, from what I hear. I figured with the way Decker was going, we’d end up spending a lot of time underground. I really took my time planning my den.”
“My father believed the same. He stocked a lot of food inside ours. He said if Decker didn’t start a war with the other clans, he’d piss off the GarLycans enough to attack us.”
“I’m hoping that’s a thing of the past. You know Lorn well. Will he mend the rifts?”
“You agreed to be one of his enforcers and you aren’t sure of that?”
“Lavos swore Lorn was a good guy, and let’s be honest. Anyone, with the exception of Nabby, would have led our clan better than Decker.”
“Lorn wants what’s best for everyone. That means peace. War only brings death and pain.”
“Good, because I prefer to be a lover more than a fighter.”
Kira wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Can you call Lorn? Check on him? He took his phone.”
He removed his cell from his front pocket and turned on the screen. In seconds he had it to his ear. “Hey, Lorn. Are you busy?” He paused. “Here. There’s this hot babe who wants to talk to you.”
Kira gratefully took the phone. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
She loved hearing his calm, deep voice. “No challenges? No attacks?”
“None. I’m in Decker’s old office trying to figure out what’s he’s been up to. It’s a mess. Garson is going through a stack of the bills right now and I just picked the lock to some file cabinets. It appears Decker kept detailed information on not only our clan members, but some of the key ones in other clans.”
“I wish I were there.”
“So do I, but you stay put.”
She understood why. It would be bad if anyone found out about her at such an early stage of his leadership. That didn’t make it hurt any less. She wanted to help him. “What kind of information did he collect?”
“It looks mostly as though he tracked associations.” Papers shuffled. “Friends. Family. What a son of a bitch. I’m reading a file on one of Velder’s sons. Decker has the name and clan of every woman this guy fucked, and how many times. He even has photos of the women.”
“Any women from our clan?”
“Just the one who tried to kill Kraven, and Violet’s is the last name on this page. I think Decker was trying to figure out Kraven’s taste in women to send in an assassin he’d find appealing. I feel dirty just reading this shit. He’s written notes about people’s weaknesses and ways he might be able to hurt them. This one says the best way to break Kraven is if his brother or cousin were to die. Apparently they’re the two men closest to him, besides his father.”
“Stop reading them. You should send those files to the people involved. That way they know what Decker had on them.”
“I don’t know. It might piss them off when they find out just how low that bastard could go. We’re trying to strengthen clan ties. It might be best to destroy these.”
“Lorn, the decision is yours, but I would split those files by clan and have the leaders pass them out to all those involved. Decker is going to be desperate and enraged when he learns you took the clan. He’ll cause as much harm as he can. Forewarned is forearmed and all that. He’s still out there. The clans will have some idea on how he might come at them, if he tries.”
“You’re right.”
“I’d also suggest you actually read the files on our clan first. It’ll help you figure out who Decker did and didn’t trust.”
Lorn chuckled. “His friends are my enemies and his enemies are my friends?”
“Yes.”
He suddenly snarled.
“What’s wrong?”
“He has a file on you.”
It shouldn’t have surprised Kira. It really didn’t. “Well, you already know he hated me.”
“I’m holding it in my hand. Should I open it? I’ll just burn it if you wish.”
“No. I haven’t kept any secrets from you, Lorn. I’m standing by my ‘forewarned’ stance. We should know what he thought he had on me.”
“Hold on.”
“Okay.”
A good two minutes passed and Kira glanced at Kar. He had moved away, watching the thick woods for any sign of movement. She strode over to the downed tree he’d vacated and took a seat on the trunk.
“I’m trying to be patient but the suspense is killing me, Lorn. Is it that bad?”
“Was the human you slept with a thin brunette with a tattoo on his left arm?”
Kira leaned forward. “Yes.”
“There are pictures of the two of you together. Your father said Decker sent an enforcer to find you and bring you home. Those must have been taken then.”
“No. I had broken up with Carl months before Boon showed up.”
