“I’m sure.”
With a small gesture, Reno handed me the documents. I placed them on my lap and, with nervous fingers, opened up the folder.
A teardrop spattered onto a large photograph. “So beautiful,” I whispered.
In the black-and-white picture, a small boy with long hair, wild and caught in the wind, ran toward me with outstretched hands. His mouth was open in what looked like an exuberant scream. Lakota had a warrior’s face and bright eyes full of life. Beneath his thick boots, snow covered the ground, and flecks of it settled on his dark jacket.
“Where are your mittens?” I whispered, tracing my finger over his hands. Overcome with pride, a laugh burst out. “What a strong little wolf you are.” My heart swelled. I’d never experienced anything so joyous and sorrowful all at once.
Reno lined up a few pens on the desk and then sat back. “The Relic who delivered your son sold him on the black market for money. Maybe you should think about reporting that to the higher authority. Her job should have been to discreetly take the child to an orphanage, not sell him for profit.”
My eyes were stricken with anger and I clenched my fists. “She what?”
He shook his head. “There aren’t many Breed orphanages around and most of them are filled with older kids whose parents died, or some of them have defects. She must have known how much she could get off the black market. There was an immediate buyer.”
“Who?” I shuddered, looking more closely at the shadowy figure behind Lakota who was out of focus. Those who bought and sold off the black market were criminals, and underground sex trades as well as slavery still existed.
“Not one person, but a couple. He got lucky because it could have been a hell of a lot worse. Most of those looking for slaves will grab the older children because they don’t have the time to fool with babies.”
I flipped the photograph over and read through a few documents that were nothing more than facts detailing how Lakota was sold, for how much, when it occurred, where he lived now, and a physical description.
When I turned those over, I held up another photograph. Lakota was sitting on the shoulders of a tall man with light hair who held his legs firmly. Lakota’s arms were extended and his tongue stuck out as if he was catching snowflakes. My little boy was so big. He’d be five this winter.
I ruefully held the picture, longing for all the moments I’d missed. His first words, his first steps, and his sleepy yawns just moments before he fell asleep. A woman with dark hair walked beside the tall man, holding a snowball between her gloves. He was looking down at her with a half smile on his face, and her mouth was open as if she was in the middle of telling a story.
I glanced at a short note scribbled on one of the papers. “She sold my son for a million dollars. How could that woman profit off my loss? How could she be so heartless?”
Reno shifted in his chair. “They did a lot of their communication on the computer and I know a good hacker. Turns out the buyers were insistent on closing the deal; they didn’t want any other offers to be considered.”
“I need to see my son.” The words flew out of my mouth before I had a chance to consider what that meant.
“You sure you don’t want to wait and give it some time?” Reno asked. “The weather isn’t so good up north. He lives in Cognito now. You up for that?”
Chapter 22
“I don’t like this one bit,” Austin growled.
It had been two days since Reno showed me the photographs of Lakota. I’d made the decision to go to Cognito, but due to a freak ice storm, many of the airports up north were closed. So instead of waiting it out, I planned to drive.
“You’re my Packmaster, and I respect you, but there are some things you have no authority over. If you don’t loan me your car, I’ll take a bus.”
“The hell you’re taking a bus,” Wheeler said, still blocking the front door with his back against it, arms folded.
I set my bag down and tapped my cane on the hardwood floor. My smile withered when I realized this was more than my pack trying to talk me out of the drive, but preparing to hold me by force.
I swung my eyes up to Austin. He ground his teeth and I looked at him pleadingly. “My son, Austin. Please.”
He rubbed his jaw and looked away. “Wheeler…”
“No!” I quickly said. “No offense, but I’m not driving across the country with Wheeler.”
And that offended someone just a smidge.
Wheeler pushed off the door and raised his eyebrow. “Oh? Something wrong with my company?”
Lexi barked out a laugh from her spot on the stairs. “That’s an understatement. Have you ever gone on a road trip, Wheeler? Just a few hours trapped in a car with someone will make you realize how much you love them or how much you want to kill them.”