He must have been afraid Amanda’s murder would make a big splash. In Eli’s warped mind, that was even more of a reason to want Aria dead: never mind IDing him as a shifter, she could have—and had—led the cops right to him. Right when he’d just made his record even worse.
Colby said, “There’s no one he and Weston might go to?”
Luke opened his mouth and then shut it. A muscle twitched wildly in his cheek.
“They know people. But they wouldn’t go to anybody for help. And there’s no girlfriend. You shouldn’t go around bothering people just because they’ve met Eli and West.”
He wondered who the kid was trying to protect. It didn’t sound like it was his cousins, oddly enough. That made it better, but he wanted to double-check.
Colby chose his next words carefully. “Are you sure about that?”
Luke nodded. “I’d tell you.”
It sounded like he was telling the truth. And he’d been genuinely shaken by the truth about Amanda Briar.
“So all we know,” Aria said, “is that Eli’s after me.”
Luke looked down. He was apparently coming up dry on things to say to comfort her.
Aria’s voice trembled as she said, “My family. Would your cousins go after my family?”
Luke, thank God, shook his head at once, very adamantly. He looked horrified.
“W—we don’t do that. Eli and West, they only ever take out people they think are threats.”
“I’m not a threat! I was just on a walk!”
“You saw him,” Luke said.
Like obviously the only thing any self-respecting werewolf or self-respecting fugitive could do, if they got spotted, was try to kill an innocent woman. There were plenty of murderers, and for sure plenty of werewolves, who somehow managed to not take that leap every time they ran into someone.
But he did understand what Luke meant.
Eli was more wolf than man—or at least he liked to think that about himself—and no wolf was Hannibal Lecter. Eli’s ruthlessness was a hell of a lot more straightforward and clearly motivated. He wouldn’t go after Aria’s kids to lure her in—he’d think that was too human, and in a sad way, it was. It was a serial killer kind of evil.
Eli Hebbert was just a hunter. Cruel, brutal, and relentless—but not interested in playing mind games. It was a small favor, but one Colby was thankful for nonetheless.
“Well, knowing my family is safe means a lot,” Aria said. She took a deep breath. “Is there anything else you can tell us?”
Colby thought for sure that Luke would say no. He seemed to have already hit the wall in terms of how much he could give away about his alpha.
But he’d underestimated the sway Aria would have over a kid like Luke, who didn’t seem to have had a mom or sisters or even a girlfriend. Men were threatening to him; women weren’t.
So Luke tentatively said, “He’ll stay on the hunt.” He shot Aria an apologetic look. “It doesn’t matter that she’s already talked to the cops. He knows the damage is already done, but he just—”
“Still wants me out of the way,” Aria said. “On general principle. Okay. Anything else?”
“I’m not sure, but... I think he’ll stay close.”
“In the woods?” Colby said.
Luke snorted. “No, he’s not that much of an idiot. Even West isn’t that much of an idiot. But he might stay in town. We’ve never stayed in one place this long before. Eli likes it here. It’s weird.”
That reminded him of something Wilson had mentioned. He’d said that they were all lucky that Eli hadn’t caused more carnage around town.
“How long h
ave you been here?” Colby asked.