BlackMoonRising by Melody Lane Page B

you’re laying
here naked with nowhere to go. I think that ass is looking for action.” He
slapped Herman’s butt.
    “Ow!”
    Steve grabbed a condom and lube and squirted it on his shaft
and Herman’s beautiful ass, taking care to open Herman up with his fingers
first.
    Herman gasped as Steve’s rod slowly joined their warm bodies
together. Steve thrust deeply inside him and they both moaned with joy.
    “It’s just you and me.” Steve pulled him close. “Forever.”
It didn’t take long before the pleasure shot from his body into Herman’s.
    * * * * *
    While on the city bus, Steve received a text from his mom to
be extra-vigilant about his surroundings. She said she’d explain more once
Steve made it to the office.
    Once he arrived, the mood there was somber.
    Eric and Suzy sat in front of Joni’s desk. Eric had bruising
on his cheek, and a finger on his right hand was swollen from the fiasco at the
country club. He glanced up at Steve with a frown.
    “What’s going on?” Steve asked.
    Joni let out a breath. “We had a visitor earlier. A Merlotti
wolf. A beta sent by their alphas.”
    “There are two?” asked Steve.
    “Yep, I said alphas. Plural. As you know, we put the old
alpha in jail, where he remains. Looks like he still helps run things. I’m not
naive enough to believe otherwise. And as it turns out, Roberto Merlotti is
also an alpha.”
    Steve’s face drained of color. “What?”
    “Roberto didn’t like the little visit that you and Eric paid
to his club the other day, or Eric’s visit the day before that.”
    “It’s his club?”
    “He’s the owner. Turns out the old owner mysteriously
drowned off the coast of South Africa a few months ago. Go figure. His widow
put the place up for sale and since Merlotti had already been a member of the
club and was interested, he had the first chance to purchase it.”
    “So is he legit, like we heard?”
    “Not a chance. That must have been the propaganda the family
spewed. I checked with my contacts at the DA’s office. They’re sure he’s into
money laundering and who knows what else. They just haven’t been able to bring
any charges yet. He’s also bought a couple of other businesses in Chicago. He
seems to like shoe stores these days but they’re rarely open. Go figure.”
    “How did he know Eric and I were there?”
    “Cameras all over the place. Some of the pack members
recognized you two.”
    “Guess we didn’t think that a country club would be spying
on their members.”
    “But it isn’t a normal country club.” Joni stood from his
desk. “It’s the pack’s new den.”
    Steve rolled his eyes. “Great.”
    “Eric told us about the conversation with Barbara and
Merlotti.”
    “It’s obvious they’re a couple,” confirmed Steve. “But with
this new information, I’m wondering if Barbara was involved in the murder.
Maybe it was only Merlotti.”
    “Once they marry, he’ll be even richer and have an estate
close to the club,” added Joni.
    Eric raised his eyebrows. “Maybe Merlotti isn’t finished
killing yet?”
    “You mean Barbara?” asked Joni.
    Eric nodded. “And Herman.”
    Steve’s heart thudded in his chest.
    “How can we clear Herman and keep him safe?” asked Suzy.
“This is so frustrating.”
    “We need someone to confess. I don’t know how that will
happen.” Joni shook her head.
    “They need to slip up somehow,” offered Suzy. “Too bad we
have no evidence. Nothing on that whale knife except Herman’s fingerprints.”
    “Every time I’ve seen Merlotti, he’s wearing gloves,”
offered Eric.
    Steve bit his lip. Now was not the time to bring up the new
information he’d gleaned from his nightmare. He couldn’t be sure of anything
until he saw what was underneath Merlotti’s gloves. The rest of his family
certainly didn’t need to think of Dad’s death right now.
    “Okay everyone, keep thinking caps on for that one. Time for
the next agenda item.” Joni let out a breath as she