Mercy Thompson 01-05 - THE MERCY THOMPSON COLLECTION

off, Tony. Adam can see to it that they answer your questions without hurting anyone. Werewolves can be…volatile. Adam can help with that.”
    â€œYou mean they’ll tell us whatever he wants us to hear.”
    I took a deep breath. “This is important for you to believe: Adam is one of the good guys. He really is. That’s not true of all pack leaders, but Adam’s on your side. He can help you, and as long as you don’t offend him, he will. He’s been pack leader here for a long time because he’s good at his job—let him do it.”
    I don’t know if Tony decided to believe me or not, but thinking about it kept him occupied until we stopped next to his car in my lot.
    â€œThanks, Mercy.”
    â€œI didn’t help.” I shrugged. “I’ll talk to Zee. Heck, maybe he knows someone who can give us a break in the weather.” Not likely. Weather was Great Magic, not something that most fae had the power to alter.
    â€œIf you were a real Indian, you could do a rain dance.”
    Tony could tease me because his Venezuelan half was mostly Indian of one sort or other.
    I shook my head solemnly. “In Montana, the Indians don’t have a rain dance, they have a Stop-this-Damned-Wind-and-Snow dance. If you’ve ever been to Browning, Montana, in the winter, you’ll know it doesn’t work.”
    Tony laughed as he got in his car and started it. He left the door open to let the heat out, holding a hand in front of the vent to catch the first trickle of cold air.
    â€œIt’ll probably cool down about the time I get to the station,” he said.
    â€œToughen up,” I advised him.
    He grinned, shut his door and drove off. It was only then that I realized Honey’s car wasn’t in the lot.
    Gabriel looked up when I came in. “Mr. Hauptman called for you,” he said. “He said you should check your cell phone for messages.”
    I found the cell phone where I’d left it, on top of a rolling tool chest in the shop.
    â€œJust picked up Warren,” Adam’s voice had that calm and brisk rhythm he only used when things were really bad. “We’re taking him to my house now. You should meet us there.”
    I called Adam’s house, but the answering machine picked up. So I called Samuel’s cell.
    â€œSamuel?”
    â€œI’m on my way to Adam’s house now,” he told me. “I won’t know anything until I get there.”
    I didn’t ask if Warren was hurt. Adam’s voice had told me that much. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Not that it mattered, I thought, pressing the END button. There wasn’t anything that I could do to help.
    I told Gabriel to hold the fort, and to lock up at five.
    â€œWerewolf troubles?” he asked.
    I nodded. “Warren’s hurt.”
    â€œYou all right to drive?” he asked.
    I nodded again and dashed out the door. I was halfway to my car when I realized that probably no one would have thought to call Kyle. I hesitated. Warren and Kyle weren’t an item anymore—but I didn’t think it was due to lack of caring on either of their parts. So I found Kyle’s office number on my phone’s memory and got in touch with his hyper-efficient office manager.
    â€œI’m sorry,” she told me. “He’s unavailable right now, may I take your name and number?”
    â€œThis is Mercedes Thompson.” It wasn’t easy to buckle in with one hand, but I managed. “My phone number—”
    â€œMs. Thompson? Hold on, I’ll patch you through.”
    Huh. Kyle must have put me on his important people list. I listened to classical music in my ear as I turned onto Chemical Drive and put my foot down. I was pretty sure the driver of the green Taurus behind me was the werewolf who had been tailing me.
    â€œWhat’s up, Mercy?” Kyle’s soothing voice replaced Chopin before I made it to the WELCOME TO FINLEY sign.
    â€œWarren’s hurt. I don’t know how badly, but Adam called in the troops.”
    â€œI’m in my car near Twenty-seventh and 395,” he said. “Where is Warren?”
    Behind me, I saw flashing lights as the police car that usually hid just past the railroad overpass pulled over the Taurus. I put my foot down harder on the gas.
    â€œAt Adam’s house.”
    â€œI’ll be there shortly.” As he hung up, I heard his Jag’s big