Chapter 6 · Debt Comes Knocking

The knocking came from under the floor.

Not pipes. Not settling wood. Three hard taps. Then three more.

I stood in the middle of what used to be our safehouse kitchen with Mom's brass key burning against my palm and ash stuck to my wet boots. Ronan had one hand pressed to his side, blood leaking between his fingers. He was staring at the blackened floorboards like they might bite him.

“Tell me you heard that,” I said.

“I heard it.”

“Great. Love that for us.”

The old house smelled like smoke, melted plastic, and something sweet underneath it. Burned wolf blood, maybe. I hated that I could tell the difference now.

The ring on my finger pulsed.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The brass key jerked in my hand.

I almost dropped it. “Okay. Nope. That’s not normal.”

“Nothing about tonight has been normal.” Ronan crouched with a sharp breath and dragged his fingers over one of the floorboards. “Your mother hid things.”

“You knew my mother?”

His eyes flicked up to mine.

Too quick. Too careful.

That was answer enough.

“You are such a terrible liar,” I said.

“I’m an excellent liar.”

“You literally look guilty right now.