They reached the vehicle and put her down, looking back at the warehouse.
“Did anyone get hurt?” Amara asked, checking everyone.
“I think someone died inside,” Morana surmised, slumping against the car. “Behind me. The bullet was close. But were they the target or were we?”
Tristan pulled her into his body.
Zephyr leaned against Alpha, trying to wrap her mind around the shooting, the shooting at an underground death fight where someone might have died. His arm came around her, holding her close as they all watched and waited in the aftermath.
After a few minutes, Victor came out with his brother and Dante’s man, a gun in his hand.
“Found this at the back, boss.”
Alpha took the gun in his right hand, checking it out. “This model isn’t made here.”
Morana opened her phone, furiously typing on the screen. “It was manufactured in Svoski. There’s no name of registration or license number.”
That was fast.
Hector looked at Alpha, a silent conversation happening between the two.
“Victor, take the girls home,” he told the younger man.
Dante gave his man a nod to go with them, and gave Amara a kiss.
Tristan pulled Morana by the neck and they had a silent conversation as well.
Alpha turned Zephyr’s face up by her chin, giving her a hard kiss. “Be good, rainbow.”
“Whatever you say, sexy,” she whispered, even though her voice shook, her mind processing the rapidness with which the night had gone to shit.
***
Zephyr did what she always did when something eventful happened to her—she called her sister.
After returning home with Morana and Amara, both women going to the guest house to freshen up before joining her, Zephyr decided to take the time alone to tell her sister about the shooting, her only company Bear, the other two dogs missing somewhere in the house.
“Are you okay?” Zen exclaimed in her ear. “Wait, I need to see you. Switch to video right now.”
Zephyr shook her head and switched, showing her sister herself on the camera. “I’m perfectly fine. See?”
“Oh god, Zee,” Zen groaned. “Mentally? Are you okay?”
Zephyr told her sister honestly that she didn’t know. She was still processing it, and it was probably going to take a while before she accepted that. It also made her realize given her reaction how much of an outsider she was to this world. None of the others had reacted to the shooting in a surprising way, which made her understand that they’d obviously had previous experience dealing with similar violence. She’d had none of it, and she didn’t know if it was good or bad. It just was, and she had to learn if she wanted to stay a part of Alpha’s world, which she definitely did.
“Please tell me you have some wine,” Morana entered from the back deck with Amara, both dressed in pajamas, Morana in a t-shirt and shorts, Amara in a silky robe. Zephyr had simply stolen one of Alpha’s t-shirts and put them on with leggings that she’d take off once they went to bed.
Still on the call, Zephyr pointed to the wine cabinet and turned the phone, introducing the girls to each other. Morana waved at Zen, Amara smiled, and they chat for a few minutes before she disconnected, promising to call again. Wine glasses in hand, all three of them went to the sunken living room with the interior garden, sitting around on different couches, Bear slumping down drowsily at Zephyr’s feet.
“He’s like my cat, Lulu,” Amara pointed with a delicate finger to the canine at her feet.
“Lulu is adorable,” Morana gushed. “I’ve been trying to convince Tristan to get a cat.”
“And failing,” Amara laughed.
Zephyr couldn’t help but grin. “What about a dog? I didn’t ever want one and now I have three of them. I can’t imagine life without them now, even the one I’m sure hates me.”
Morana sighed. “A dog seems more plausible, honestly. I’m sure Tristan noticed the way Xander responded to your dogs. He doesn’t respond outwardly to stuff easily so we’ll talk to his therapist about it.”