His Ghost

We Need to Talk.17

Erikas POV

The drive back felt longer. All on phone calls. Two enforcer units had arrived early; one had a surveillance expert. Within three hours of arriving, they had all the cameras back working and new ones up. Guy and the others had also returned. All of this in the last three hours. Thanks to Carter's phone not stopping and the tension between them, no one spoke to me.

Not to mention he was decidedly pissed off at me, for who knows why.

The security vibe was so thick you could touch it when driving into the Estate. It had quickly filtered through the pack. The state of panic had been alleviated.

Carter dropped me home without another word. Greta and Monica greeted me. We swapped war stories and decided we didn't feel like cooking; it would be dinner at the dining Hall.

The plan had been to get to dinner early; we all needed a drink and a catch-up. Besides, it was Mexican night.

Greta and Monica were now assigned to Guy, Aiden, and Sam full-time. I rarely saw them, so this was a treat.

"Let's go to the Estate bar after this", Monica mumbled through mouthfuls of food.

"I don't know," I said. "I don't need another fight, and that bitch Clara is itching for one."

Monica rolled her eyes and reached across the table to squeeze my hand gently. "Come on, don't be such a bore," she said with a playful smile. "We've dealt with worse than Clara before. Let's enjoy ourselves; there are two bars: one is discreet, and only the Enforcers seem to like it. Not Clara's scene. No one is looking at her."

I watched her; she and Greta were so at ease. Both socially and at work.

"Have you spoken to Darcy lately?" I asked.

"Yes, I have. But Erika, for tonight, let's chill; I can give you a full brief after we have a few cocktails and take the edge off. All work and no play has its negative impact." Monica said.

Her words struck a chord, reminding me of my current situation: naive due to never letting go. I had arrived with a purpose. Somehow, I was engulfed in the packs, people, politics, and men. Everything Leon did not want and expected I would avoid.

I nodded and grinned at Monica. "You know what? You're right. Let's go to the bar and have a good time!"

As we finished our meal, I noticed the room was much lighter than usual. The pack members seemed happier than ever. Whenever I looked up, someone seemed to watch me. I responded with a customary respectful nod. They seemed more than pleased with that and nodded back.

Greta dropped her fork and knife on her plate and gave an exaggerated sigh. She hadn't looked up since she started eating. Their last week was as bad as mine. They camped in the forest in the rain, hunted criminals, and lived on beef jerky and wild game. Our human side, especially for the females, got fed up with that after a while.

"God, that was good", she exclaimed loudly ′ "I have a new appreciation for the food here".

Monica shook her head. "Let's go; I need more than wine. Another thing this pack does well is an insane low-key whiskey bar." She stood up and grabbed her coat off the back of the chair. "Our new association with the hunky Guy Benson gives us passes; let's go."

The crowded hall was a tapestry of bodies. As we navigated through the crowded space, it was a blur of movement and colour.

I tried to sneak out unnoticed, keeping my head down in a futile effort to avoid further interactions. The Gym fight and the attack last night had put me on everyone's radar, as Monica and Greta's abilities working with Guy solidified their positions.