Chapter 40
Glenda’s POV
I walked out of my room and found Matt and Grace in the kitchen. She was seated at the bar, eating quietly. Matt was leaning against the bar, drinking coffee. I didn’t get the sense that they’d been talking or anything, but the sight of them made my heart clench.
Alyssa seemed restless and I tried to shove the feeling away. I was being ridiculous. Sure, Matt needed me because I had experience with the truth of the pack brothels, but right now, Grace was the best source of information in Midnight for my goals.
“Good morning,” she greeted as I walked towards the bar. Matt looked at me, looking over me before giving me a small smile.
“You look rested.”
I averted my gaze, “Yeah.”
After destroying so much of the first floor with the others, I had slept like a baby. Matt still hadn’t told me what Mordecai said while they were in the parlor or why he seemed to storm out of Club Heaven, but I noticed that Grace had seemed a bit paler when she came back.
Owen had hidden in the kitchen when the security guard said that Mordecai had arrived. When he’d left, Owen had fled from the kitchen to his room.
I had a feeling that he hadn’t emerged yet.
If Owen was going to work at Club Heaven, it would have to be somewhere he’d never see Mordecai. I didn’t know exactly where that could be, but I’m sure there was a place like that.
Matt served me a plate of breakfast and waved me into a seat.
“After breakfast, we’ll head to the mall.”
I frowned, “Why?”
“Grace needs more clothes in general and you need another dress.”
I looked between the two of them.
“A-Are you sure?” Grace asked, “I told you what I thought.”
“And I agree,” Matt said. “It’s even more of a reason to be seen.”
I looked at Grace, “What happened? I’m missing something, aren’t I?”
I felt a bit indignant. I’d been cut out of the conversation somehow. Maybe I was wrong and they had been talking before I woke up.
“Mordecai wants Grace,” Matt said. “I plan to use her as bait to get him to make a mistake.”
I frowned, “What sort of mistake?”
How badly did he want Grace?
Matt looked at Grace, “As big as possible.”
Grace shuddered, “He’s only going to slip up if he can’t find a way to t-take me by force. That means he’s going to use everything he can to make things hard for you, and…”
She lowered her gaze, “I agree that it’s a good plan. I just worry about what he’ll do.”
Matt grinned, “You and Renda are my experts on the underworld. The grime behind the suits, but I’m the expert on the suit.”
I looked at Matt.
“Mordecai is a known associate of Ben. The reason why no one knows about Mordecai’s grime is because of his connection to Warhammer and the power he wields in Midnight and the surrounding area.”
I nodded. That made sense, but we were in Midnight. We were in Mordecai’s backyard.
“He plays nice with the members of the pack when he has to, what you don’t know is that he’s obsessed with his control over his pack. He won’t risk looking out of control. He won’t risk making obvious ripples.”
Grace frowned, “What does that mean?”
“It means. He’s not going to snatch you off the street, and he’s not going to come to Club Heaven to harass you until he has no other options to get what he wants. If we can keep him focused on his obsession with you, then he won’t be paying as close attention to everything else.”
“… you want to use me as a distraction.”
“You and whoever else I can manage,” he smirked, “That doesn’t mean I’m going to let anything happen to you, Grace.”
“He’s having you watched.”
Matt sighed and pulled out his phone before calling an unknown number.
“Mr. Wallber, what can I do for you?”
I didn’t recognize the man’s voice.
“How many people are waiting for me to leave the hotel?”
“Seven. One on each exit and the remaining milling about out front.”
Grace’s eyes widened, “You’re… having his watchers, watched?”
“Where is Mordecai?”
“He’s leaving his villa and headed to the pack office.”
“Anything suspicious?”
“Police officers came to the villa last night in an unmarked car.”
“You’re having Mordecai watched?” Grace asked, her eyes widened.
Matt smiled, “Know thy enemy.”
Grace nodded seemingly relaxing and picking up her fork, “Well… then we should shop at the mall on the upper side of the city.”
“Why?” Matt asked, “Not the main mall?”
Grace shook her head, “The main mall is for tourists. It’s a place to be seen. It doesn’t mean anything. The upper side’s mall is more expensive, but it’s where Mordecai’s betas shop for their mates and where Mordecai gets all of his gifts.”
Matt nodded, “Making him think I’m having what he can’t will definitely piss him off more. Good idea.”
Grace beamed and I dragged my gaze back to my plate.
“By now Mordecai has figured out who Renda is. Seeing the three of us at the mall will sell it… especially if you two seem to be getting along.”
Grace looked at me then laughed, “The playboy Wallber has picked up a new mistress?”
Matt grinned, “Having his pack in a tizzy about it will be perfect.”
I finished eating but didn’t leave until Grace went to go get dressed.
“What’s wrong?” Matt asked, looking at me. “You look upset.”
I shook my head and went to the sink to wash my plate. I expected him to drop it, but he leaned down to speak into my ear.
“No need to be jealous. I prefer brunettes.”
I froze and my face heated at the insinuation. He pressed a kiss to my temple, casually before finishing his coffee and placing the cup in the dishwasher. He sauntered off before I could say anything, but the spot he’d kissed felt warm, and the troubling feeling in my heart was gone.
The upper side mall was filled with high-end stores, like the mall we’d gone to in Warhammer. We went through several stores, buying Grace clothing. I made a show of helping her pick out things and modeling them for Matt. To anyone looking in, it seemed like I was helping to groom her, but Matt’s eyes didn’t linger on Grace for any longer than it took to look at the outfit before it was back on me.
As we headed to another store, Matt’s phone rang. He pulled out his phone and answered it, waving us on into the store.
“Alpha Mordecai, a pleasure. What can I do for you?”
Grace and I went into the store to look at formal wear. The attendant greeted us with a beaming smile, but I felt her gaze following us around the store. I stopped at a glittering red dress.
“What do you think of this?” I asked, “I think you could pull it off.”
Her face turned bright red, “I think it’s a bit much, don’t you?”
“Have you met him?” I asked, airily. “That man is the definition of a bit much.”
Grace laughed and I swear there was a little glimmer of real amusement in her eyes. The attendant drifted closer, seemingly straightening some clothing. She was near enough to listen.
“But I warned you about that, didn’t I?”
Grace tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, “Well… he’s certainly… a lot.”
“Too much?”
“A lot… Voracious. Demanding. I can see why he needed someone else. I don’t think any woman should be left alone with him for too long. She’ll never walk again.”
I watched the attendant out of the corner of my eye as her eyes were bulging. I decided to push her buttons a little more, hoping it would make it back to Mordecai.
“You think we could sneak down the way to the lingerie boutique?”
Grace scoffed, “I want to walk, Renda. I can’t explore Warhammer from a bed.”
I nudged her, “We’ll get you a wheelchair.”
I laughed as Grace turned away sharply.
“And what are you two gossiping about?” Matt asked, gliding up behind us.
He wrapped an arm around my waist and turned his head into my shoulder. I shivered as his breath ghosted over my neck. Alyssa keened with yearning at the back of my mind.
“Your… bed-bound talents,” Grace said.
Matt chuckled into my ear, “You seem to like talking about my private life in public…”
“It’s only public if other people hear it.”
Matt laughed and slipped his hand into mine before pulling me towards where Grace stood near the black gowns.
“None of these will do for Sinner’s Casino night,” Matt said. “I’m not hiding you in sparkly black.”
She looked distraught as he crooked his finger at her. Her eyes widened and she drifted over. I watched him pull her close and lower his head to whisper in her ear, so only we could hear.
“Mordecai called about my proposition,” her eyes widened. “It would be best to make the most of the casino night, wouldn’t it?”
She nodded. Grace glanced at me and placed a hand on his chest. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the attendant staring at us over a rack of clothes.
“It will be a danger zone.”
“That’s why I’m only bringing you in the sexiest thing I can find.” He turned his head to the attendant, “Do you have something in her shade of nude?”
