why.”
Justin ignored me. “The next thing I hear is a report that the new Alpha and Jude Whittier are battling it out while you’re injured. I’m suiting up to head down there and then the word goes out across the wire that it’s done and the new Alpha is roaring and snarling at anybody who comes close.”
“I’m a little disturbed you know so much about my life, Justin.” Under the protection of the table, I rubbed the marks on my wrist—marks Damon had given me. Was he going to mention those? Had he seen them? The long sleeves of the shirt I wore would cover them, but still… “Stalker, much?”
“Ha, ha.”
I tensed and turned. He’d gotten quieter—standing just two feet away.
“Don’t come up on me like that,” I warned him.
“Don’t stand with your back to me.” His gaze narrowed on my face. “You’re getting in pretty deep with the cat. You’re serious about him. Right?”
I just stared at him.
Justin nodded. “I’ll take that as a yes. Here’s the problem, Kit. Damon was seen with a few people recently before they died. It’s not just that I caught a trace. But he was seen.”
“Why is Banner in interested in this?” I looked back at the board, shaking my head. “It doesn’t make sense. Those are Assembly members and if anybody should be investigating, it should be them.”
“Two reasons. The first—we were asked.” He studied at the board. “Apparently, they feel they have a snake in their ranks and that just means they are idiots for not realizing that earlier. The second—a few people in Banner are worried it’s somebody moving for a power play, which is why they are so damned worked up about an aggressive extermination.” He shrugged, a restless uneasy gesture. “But they want an impartial party doing it…which is why we were approached. With the new Alpha just settling in and a lot of the cats pretty damned pleased with the new change of leadership…”
I stared at him. “None of the bastards in the Assembly want to dirty their hands. They are dumping it on you—they don’t want to piss off the cats when this goes bad.”
“Entirely possible.” Justin looked about as troubled as I’d ever seen him. “The Assembly members who reached out are claiming that he’s acting out of control …enough to warrant said aggressive extermination. All tied into that so-called power play, one they feel is a threat to the mortals in the area.”
That would be enough to bring Banner on board.
NHs really didn’t have the rights people would like us to think we had. They could pretty it up all they liked.
But if any of us were deemed too dangerous to live, they just killed us.
“Damon’s not moving for a power play,” I said as everything inside me went cold. “He didn’t even want to take over the East Orlando clan.”
He did it for me —
I kept that behind my teeth, but it was true nonetheless.
“You might well believe that, and I’m fine buying it,” Justin said quietly. “But that doesn’t mean I can make my superiors believe it. I need to convince them he had another reason for killing five speakers to the Assembly.”
I met his gaze and my heart slammed hard against my ribs as I saw the seriousness in his eyes.
“If I don’t get them a valid reason? He’s dead, Kit.”
“What’s a valid reason?” I demanded.
Now he smiled a little. “Oh, come on, Kit…the charter was written for a reason. They know we’re going to kill. Unlike humans, we even have license to do it.” His green eyes glowed a little as he leaned in close. “Just find me a damn reason.”
Chapter Seven
Justin left.
I had several files worth of information, which he conveniently spelled to open only at my touch, a list of names, a gut full of acid, a pounding head and an aching heart.
I couldn’t talk about this to anybody.
That was what was killing me.
Not that I wanted to tell everybody .
But the one person I wanted to talk to, the one person
Justin ignored me. “The next thing I hear is a report that the new Alpha and Jude Whittier are battling it out while you’re injured. I’m suiting up to head down there and then the word goes out across the wire that it’s done and the new Alpha is roaring and snarling at anybody who comes close.”
“I’m a little disturbed you know so much about my life, Justin.” Under the protection of the table, I rubbed the marks on my wrist—marks Damon had given me. Was he going to mention those? Had he seen them? The long sleeves of the shirt I wore would cover them, but still… “Stalker, much?”
“Ha, ha.”
I tensed and turned. He’d gotten quieter—standing just two feet away.
“Don’t come up on me like that,” I warned him.
“Don’t stand with your back to me.” His gaze narrowed on my face. “You’re getting in pretty deep with the cat. You’re serious about him. Right?”
I just stared at him.
Justin nodded. “I’ll take that as a yes. Here’s the problem, Kit. Damon was seen with a few people recently before they died. It’s not just that I caught a trace. But he was seen.”
“Why is Banner in interested in this?” I looked back at the board, shaking my head. “It doesn’t make sense. Those are Assembly members and if anybody should be investigating, it should be them.”
“Two reasons. The first—we were asked.” He studied at the board. “Apparently, they feel they have a snake in their ranks and that just means they are idiots for not realizing that earlier. The second—a few people in Banner are worried it’s somebody moving for a power play, which is why they are so damned worked up about an aggressive extermination.” He shrugged, a restless uneasy gesture. “But they want an impartial party doing it…which is why we were approached. With the new Alpha just settling in and a lot of the cats pretty damned pleased with the new change of leadership…”
I stared at him. “None of the bastards in the Assembly want to dirty their hands. They are dumping it on you—they don’t want to piss off the cats when this goes bad.”
“Entirely possible.” Justin looked about as troubled as I’d ever seen him. “The Assembly members who reached out are claiming that he’s acting out of control …enough to warrant said aggressive extermination. All tied into that so-called power play, one they feel is a threat to the mortals in the area.”
That would be enough to bring Banner on board.
NHs really didn’t have the rights people would like us to think we had. They could pretty it up all they liked.
But if any of us were deemed too dangerous to live, they just killed us.
“Damon’s not moving for a power play,” I said as everything inside me went cold. “He didn’t even want to take over the East Orlando clan.”
He did it for me —
I kept that behind my teeth, but it was true nonetheless.
“You might well believe that, and I’m fine buying it,” Justin said quietly. “But that doesn’t mean I can make my superiors believe it. I need to convince them he had another reason for killing five speakers to the Assembly.”
I met his gaze and my heart slammed hard against my ribs as I saw the seriousness in his eyes.
“If I don’t get them a valid reason? He’s dead, Kit.”
“What’s a valid reason?” I demanded.
Now he smiled a little. “Oh, come on, Kit…the charter was written for a reason. They know we’re going to kill. Unlike humans, we even have license to do it.” His green eyes glowed a little as he leaned in close. “Just find me a damn reason.”
Chapter Seven
Justin left.
I had several files worth of information, which he conveniently spelled to open only at my touch, a list of names, a gut full of acid, a pounding head and an aching heart.
I couldn’t talk about this to anybody.
That was what was killing me.
Not that I wanted to tell everybody .
But the one person I wanted to talk to, the one person
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