“Let me make this easier for you. You do want to tell me where Oz is and you do want Sean to interview him. If he had nothing to do with Mary’s murder there is no reason he shouldn’t cooperate.”
Jolaj wrapped his hand around her wrist where she still clutched his tunic. The softness of her skin beneath his touch threatened to distract him. “What did Ajax tell you to make you so angry.”
“He didn’t say anything, our conversation just made me realize that the boy would go to you. I’m not exactly sure how, but you are in the middle of this as much as I am. Why are you making things more difficult now?”
Her hand shook more the longer she spoke.
He breathed her into his lungs, but her fear had eased, not deepened. “We’ve learned we cannot count on fair treatment from Metro. Now let go, before your arm gives out.”
She released his tunic, allowing him to straighten, but Jolaj kept a light grip on her wrist. Her bones felt delicate, fragile, but he knew underestimating her would be a mistake. She had a strong survival instinct, something that only made her more desirable to a man who’d lost a mate as he had.
Ignoring his touch she met his gaze levelly. “Sean will be fair.”
She could ignore him all she wanted to, but he had to believe she wouldn’t have let him continue to hold her wrist if some part of her didn’t want his touch.
“Was your arm injured when you fought Lanyak?” The thought brought back the primitive need to assure himself she was all right, but he controlled it ruthlessly. He would not scare her again.
“Just wrenched it, but the muscles of that arm aren’t fully recovered from…” Her lush mouth opened and closed twice before she shrugged away the obvious fact that she was referring to the damage Kiq had done to her. Something she seemed unready to discuss with him.
Jolaj took them both back to the original conversation. “Sean’s authority is limited and your people tend to look for someone easy to blame.”
“He’s in The Zone, right?” Her question emerged breathless, but this was neither the fear she’d been unable to hide nor the desire he longed to hear in her voice. She waited for him to decide. To trust her judgment.
He weighed his need for her help. His confidence in her commitment to see justice done and nodded his answer to her question. “I will arrange an interview.”
Her breathing relaxed, deepened. “We’ll meet you at Metro headquarters.”
“No. I cannot risk Oz’s safety. I will escort you into The Zone. You may interview him there.”
He met her gaze as she contemplated his offer.
“All right.” She tugged her wrist from his grasp. “I’ll tell Sean.”
He watched her walk away, captivated by the fluid grace of her body. She enflamed his desire without purpose, without knowledge or intent. As long as she remained blind to his need for her, he’d be able to maintain his control. He could use her to aid his people and they could focus on the very real need to keep the others safe.
He would ignore the mating instincts waking inside him. He couldn’t afford to frighten her with his wild hunger. He needed her trust as much as she needed his.
Chapter 13
Lily had thought the wall seemed enormous from her blocks-away rooftop. Standing in its shadow with Sean and Detective Newman, the wall seemed unreal—like something from a nightmare. It didn’t seem to intimidate the crowd of protesters gathered around the main gate. So far they’d been non-violent, but an entire squadron of Metro officers stood ready to intervene if things turned ugly.
Sean had been pissed when she told him she’d arranged for Jolaj to take them into The Zone to interview Oz. He’d issued Jolaj a warning about withholding information from Metro in a tirade peppered with more explicit language than she’d ever heard from her easygoing cousin. He hadn’t spoken to her since.
Lily pressed a hand to her lower back and stretched the still sore muscles from
Jolaj wrapped his hand around her wrist where she still clutched his tunic. The softness of her skin beneath his touch threatened to distract him. “What did Ajax tell you to make you so angry.”
“He didn’t say anything, our conversation just made me realize that the boy would go to you. I’m not exactly sure how, but you are in the middle of this as much as I am. Why are you making things more difficult now?”
Her hand shook more the longer she spoke.
He breathed her into his lungs, but her fear had eased, not deepened. “We’ve learned we cannot count on fair treatment from Metro. Now let go, before your arm gives out.”
She released his tunic, allowing him to straighten, but Jolaj kept a light grip on her wrist. Her bones felt delicate, fragile, but he knew underestimating her would be a mistake. She had a strong survival instinct, something that only made her more desirable to a man who’d lost a mate as he had.
Ignoring his touch she met his gaze levelly. “Sean will be fair.”
She could ignore him all she wanted to, but he had to believe she wouldn’t have let him continue to hold her wrist if some part of her didn’t want his touch.
“Was your arm injured when you fought Lanyak?” The thought brought back the primitive need to assure himself she was all right, but he controlled it ruthlessly. He would not scare her again.
“Just wrenched it, but the muscles of that arm aren’t fully recovered from…” Her lush mouth opened and closed twice before she shrugged away the obvious fact that she was referring to the damage Kiq had done to her. Something she seemed unready to discuss with him.
Jolaj took them both back to the original conversation. “Sean’s authority is limited and your people tend to look for someone easy to blame.”
“He’s in The Zone, right?” Her question emerged breathless, but this was neither the fear she’d been unable to hide nor the desire he longed to hear in her voice. She waited for him to decide. To trust her judgment.
He weighed his need for her help. His confidence in her commitment to see justice done and nodded his answer to her question. “I will arrange an interview.”
Her breathing relaxed, deepened. “We’ll meet you at Metro headquarters.”
“No. I cannot risk Oz’s safety. I will escort you into The Zone. You may interview him there.”
He met her gaze as she contemplated his offer.
“All right.” She tugged her wrist from his grasp. “I’ll tell Sean.”
He watched her walk away, captivated by the fluid grace of her body. She enflamed his desire without purpose, without knowledge or intent. As long as she remained blind to his need for her, he’d be able to maintain his control. He could use her to aid his people and they could focus on the very real need to keep the others safe.
He would ignore the mating instincts waking inside him. He couldn’t afford to frighten her with his wild hunger. He needed her trust as much as she needed his.
Chapter 13
Lily had thought the wall seemed enormous from her blocks-away rooftop. Standing in its shadow with Sean and Detective Newman, the wall seemed unreal—like something from a nightmare. It didn’t seem to intimidate the crowd of protesters gathered around the main gate. So far they’d been non-violent, but an entire squadron of Metro officers stood ready to intervene if things turned ugly.
Sean had been pissed when she told him she’d arranged for Jolaj to take them into The Zone to interview Oz. He’d issued Jolaj a warning about withholding information from Metro in a tirade peppered with more explicit language than she’d ever heard from her easygoing cousin. He hadn’t spoken to her since.
Lily pressed a hand to her lower back and stretched the still sore muscles from
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