Hudson’s POV
"I called the lawyer. He’s on his way."
Lea entered the interview room after the police officer left, her expression guilty. "I’m sorry."
"Not your fault." That was partially true. I was still furious at Lea for agreeing to leave with her abusive husband.
"You okay?" She glanced at the blood on my clothes with concern. "Once we get bail, you should get checked out at a hospital."
"I’m fine. It’s not my blood." I wiped a sar of red from my knuckles. Pierre’s face had practically exploded on impact with my fist. "You’re the one who needs her head examined. What were you thinking?"
She sank into the chair the officer had just vacated. "I wasn’t."
"No shit. You transform into soone completely different around Pierre. No brains, no self-preservation. Just blind loyalty." I seriously doubted whether she’d actually go through with the divorce now.
Christina would have walked away from a man like Pierre without even turning her head. She was usually warm, easygoing, always seed to say yes to everything, but there were hard lines she wouldn’t cross. When it ca to those lines, she didn’t negotiate.
Right now, I was starting to wonder if I’d crossed one of hers.
"Maybe I am a different person." Lea gave a long, tired sigh, looking completely adrift. "I don’t know why. This will sound pathetic, but I still have feelings for Pierre."
She raised a hand, palm out. "Before you judge, let finish. He was perfect for . And I don’t just an surface-level stuff like shared interests. We got each other. In a life-or-death situation, I know he’d take a bullet for , and I’d do the sa for him."
I stared at her and saw a woman completely detached from reality. Was this what love did? Made people ignore every flashing red flag and walk willingly into traffic?
"You should see your face right now," Lycaon comnted in my mind. "We look exactly like that when Christina challenges us."
"That’s different," I responded silently. "Christina challenges us to be better."
Lea continued, oblivious. "I know you’ll say he’s violent. And maybe he is. But the thing is, I’d have done the sa. If I thought he was cheating, I’d have gone for him too. Probably worse than he ever went for . Yeah, he got physical when drunk sotis, but what I didn’t tell you is that I gave back just as much. Maybe more. A few tis, he ended up in worse shape than I did."
"That’s not an excuse," I said flatly. It was just more proof of how toxic their relationship was.
"I knew you wouldn’t get it." She sighed again. "Never mind. Pierre’s not the monster I made him out to be. He’s just... possessive. He attacked you because he thought we were... you know."
I had plenty to say, but kept quiet. What about the drinking and drugs? Was that more of his undying devotion too?
There was no point arguing. You can’t wake soone who’s pretending to be asleep.
Lea’s lawyer arrived quickly. After slipping cash into the right hands, I was released on bail. I had to surrender my passport, which was annoying but fine. I wasn’t leaving Paris until I’d sorted things out with Christina anyway.
What annoyed more was the court date. The lawyer looked proud, bragging about how fast he’d gotten the case processed.
"Quicker it gets processed, quicker it’s closed," he said.
"I’ve got plans tomorrow," I told him. I needed to see Christina.
"Then cancel them," the lawyer replied. "I paid good money to get your file to the top of the docket. If you don’t show, the judge will be furious. Parisian judges don’t take kindly to having their ti wasted."
"He’s right," Lea said quietly.
"Fine," I muttered.
Back ho in Highrise City, within Sabreridge territory, I could have made this disappear with a single phone call. My authority as Alpha would have ensured it. But here in Paris, I was just another tourist who’d gotten into a bar fight. Even with my wealth and connections, I still had to play by local rules.
I pulled out my phone to text Christina, but paused.
What was I going to say? That I’d ended up in a bar fight and now had court in the morning? That would only confirm her fears about .
"She needs to know who we really are eventually," Lycaon said. "The good and the bad."
"Not like this," I replied internally.
Instead, I typed: [Have business to take care of. See you tomorrow night.]
"Want to go talk to Christina?" Lea offered.
"Bad idea." There was nothing between Lea and , but Christina didn’t know that. No way was I sending another woman to speak to my mate, especially not now.
"I should warn you," Lea said. "Pierre’s parents are flying in. Could land anyti. They’ll be furious once they hear their precious boy got punched. They’ll want blood. Probably yours."
"I can handle it."
"I know. Titanova was practically built to fix other people’s sses. But you should know, the Marchands don’t play clean. They’ll dig into your past, try to paint you as a dangerous thug. They’re well-connected. If there’s dirt, they’ll find it."
"Let them dig." The corner of my mouth twitched. "I’ve got nothing to be ashad of."
That wasn’t entirely true. Before returning to claim my place as Alpha of the Sabreridge pack, I’d spent years in Europe’s underground business world. Violence was often the most effective negotiation tool. While I never started fights without reason, I certainly finished them—brutally.
"She needs to know eventually," Lycaon reminded again.
"I know that," I answered him. "But not yet. Not until she’s ready."
"I know you’re not worried," Lea said, misinterpreting my silence. "And it’s not like the Marchands built their empire on Sunday school morals. I’m just thinking about what happens when the press gets involved. What Christina might think if she reads about it. Have you told her about your past?"
"No."
How was I supposed to explain to the woman I loved, whose world revolved around jewelry and who got excited playing undercover detective, that my old life had been lived in the gray areas of the law? That before I beca Alpha Hudson Laurent, I’d solved more problems with fangs and claws than with contracts and clever words?
Christina had grown up sheltered from the darker aspects of pack politics.
"Then you’d better hope the Marchands don’t release anything," Lea said. "Christina’s not like us. She won’t understand that you only did what you had to do to survive."
I unlocked the car and Lea got in.
"She will," I said, more to convince myself than Lea.
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