#CHAPTER 54 TANSTAAFL

Peelle made time to visit us later that night. It was nearly midnight when he arrived, exhausted and grimed up, and the first thing he did was to borrow Evan's shower to clean off. He came out to join us wearing his spare clothes in the duffel bag he had brought, hair spiky and wet. I couldn't recall Peelle and Raf ever having met, but they recognized each other and exchanged greetings. Maybe they had met in university? We were all in the same overarching pack after all, even if we were associated with different branches of the massive group. It wasn't unbelievable they had already crossed paths. "I had to come see for myself when I heard the news," he said with a smile. Despite the fatigue in his baggy eyes, there was a deeply pleased aura coming from him, and his thoughts were more serene and hopeful than they had ever been. "Word was that you stepped away from taking point on the investigation and let the team handle it instead. I didn't believe it for a minute. But sure enough,