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“He’s soft,” one of the males stated. “That’s what she means. Like a human female—the flesh isn’t stretched taut over bone.”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“Is anything else girly about him?” Query still looked amused.
“He wore a pinky ring on his left hand. It looked like a cat, believe it or not. That stood out to me because it was kind of weird. Not too many men wear those.”
“What’s wrong with a male wearing a cat ring?” Flirt frowned.
“Men don’t usually wear jewelry of animals unless they are more…” She shrugged, trying to think of a way to explain. “A wolf or a panther is considered manly but not a house cat and that’s what it looked like to me. That’s more typical of something a woman would wear. They tend to buy the kitten, dolphin, or puppy jewelry.”
“So cats aren’t manly?” Jinx’s blue eyes sparkled with humor. “I disagree.” He leaned back in his chair and flexed his shoulders, braced his elbows on the chair, and tightened the large muscles down his arms to show them off. “No one would ever call me feminine.”
Jeanie laughed. “They wouldn’t but…”
“But? Finish what you were going to say.”
“I don’t want to accidentally offend you.”
His humor vanished. “I look feminine?”
She almost laughed again at his appalled expression, which was comical. “No. You don’t. It’s just that, um, if I were to take a guess…you look nothing similar to a house cat. You kind of remind me of a panther. It’s the predatory look in your eyes, the black hair and the shape of your eyes. You have that danger vibe going on.”
“Predatory?” He grinned again. “I like that. Do I look at you in a way that makes you have thoughts about me eating you?”
Her mind blanked, stunned he’d said that. Heat crept into her cheeks as every word sank in, and the insinuation behind them.
“Are you done making jokes and trying to gain her interest in sharing sex with you? It won’t happen.” True released her hand and leaned forward to glare at Jinx. “We all know what she meant by that term. We frighten humans with the way we seem to study everything about them and it makes them uneasy that we don’t blink as much as they do. This is serious. Tim Oberto wants Jeanie returned to the task force to face Species law. We believe what she says but he views her as any other human who worked for Mercile. She’s the enemy to him. They planned to send her to Fuller.”
Jinx’s mood darkened as he glared back. “She doesn’t belong in that place. I’ve been there a few times transferring prisoners. Her spirit would be crushed within days. The human males would torment her with vile words. She is too gentle to survive their abuse.”
A male stood near the end of the table. “I work in the legal department.”
Jeanie remembered him. He’d been a timid male, his primate features clear, but her interaction with him had been minimal. She couldn’t remember his number and he didn’t state his name. He hadn’t been sent to the clinic for many injuries since the doctors mostly used him in trials for drugs they were conducting on cognitive improvements. They hadn’t asked her to draw his blood more than two or three times but she had smuggled him a cookie at Christmas, along with the rest of the New Species. It had broken her heart, knowing they had never in their lives received a gift. A cookie had seemed so trivial but they were small enough to hide in her pockets, the evidence gone as soon as they ate it. A lot of cookies had fit in her lunch bag so she’d had enough to pass out.
“I didn’t realize it was you when we assigned a number to the file. The task force doesn’t always give us names of who they bring in because paperwork can be stolen and leaked to the press. We have experienced nothing but trouble when that’s happened in the past. Their human families show up at the gates, their friends, and they create a publicity nightmare for the NSO.”
He paused, turning his attention on True. “The evidence of her working for Cornas Research is overwhelming even if she hadn’t been wearing their work badge when she was taken into custody. Bank records linked her to Cornas and Drackwood Research. Tim was disappointed at the lack of money she received so there’s no evidence that she obtained funds from what was paid to the informant who led the teams to both locations.” He paused again then cursed. “Tim already wrote up a report to the council asking for her to be incarcerated at Fuller. But he added an amendment, asking for her death if he can prove she is involved in the plot regarding the millions paid out for Species recovery.”
“Death?” True snarled.
Jeanie wasn’t angry. She was frightened. She had to remember how to breathe before her mind would function again. Can the NSO hand down a death sentence on me if Agent Brice isn’t found? I’ll end up becoming the fall guy for all the things that asshole did since he set me up to look as guilty as hell. How will they kill me? Lethal injection? Firing squad? Have my neck snapped? Oh shit.
She glanced at True and some of the fear eased as she stared at his enraged expression. He won’t allow that to happen. What if he can’t stop them? What if they send an entire SWAT team to his apartment to arrest me? He’d fight them. I’ll go with them willingly before I watch him get killed protecting me. She refused to allow that to happen.
The primate male took a step back and nearly tripped on his chair. Jeanie didn’t blame him for being affected by True’s anger. It would frighten her too if he ever looked at her that way or made that sound. The New Species straightened his shoulders, though, and calmly stared back at True after a few long seconds as he seemed to restrain his instinct to flee danger.
“Death,” he confirmed. “Tim believes it was unusually cruel to know Species were being abused but to withhold the information while it continued so the anonymous tipster could send us the evidence we received to gain a higher payment from the NSO.” He jerked his head in Jeanie’s direction. “Tim has ordered all of us to seek more proof that can link her to being that tipster.”
“She is innocent.” Jinx used his hand to indicate the New Species should sit down. “Thank you for the information but we don’t need to hear more. No one is going to kill Shiver and she isn’t serving any time at Fuller.”
“We agree.” True glowered at Jinx. “Stop wasting precious time flirting with my female. We need to track down this Agent Brice and force him to confess that he lied to Jeanie.”
“She’s yours?” Jinx wrinkled his nose, sniffing the air. “She smells of you but she’s not your mate.” He rose and bent forward as his hands fisted. His knuckles flattened on the table as he braced his weight with them, putting his face inches in front of True’s. “Mates are safe. What is wrong with you? Is she good enough to take to your bed but not to your heart?”
Jeanie’s mouth fell open at the blatant verbal attack on True. She expected him to physically retaliate but his response stunned her more than the sudden turn of events. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. “She refused.”
Jinx frowned, shifting his gaze to her as he straightened. “Why?”
Chapter Thirteen
The double doors of the library were thrown open and Jeanie turned, watching as a group of New Species males entered the room. All five of them drew to a halt, standing almost shoulder to shoulder in a line they formed while the one in the center crossed his arms over his chest. She recognized him immediately.
Justice North scowled. “What is going on here?”
Jinx spoke first. “We’re having a reunion with Shiver. What are you doing here?”
He didn’t answer right away, instead his gaze located Jeanie. Being the target of that cool stare wasn’t the most pleasant experience in her life. Justice North was as powerful as they came in the New Species world. He held press conferences on a regular basis, even rubbed shoulders with the President of the United States, and she knew her future ultimately rested in his hands. It was rumored that he pretty much ruled Homeland and Reservation. His word was law.
“You’re the cause of all the disagreements amongst
my people.”
She wasn’t sure how to respond and decided to remain silent.
“She doesn’t appear dangerous,” the dark-haired male at his right muttered. “Tim called her a walking time bomb but there’s not enough of her to create much damage if she explodes.”
“Knock it off, Jaded,” Darkness sighed. “This isn’t a time for jokes.”
True left his chair and moved into a position that placed him between Jeanie and the other men but she could still see them. “Why are you here?”
Justice arched a dark eyebrow and the smile he’d cracked disappeared. “Am I not welcome?”
“Of course you are,” Luna quickly stated. “We’re just surprised to see you.”
“Why are you here?” True wasn’t letting it go.
“There’s no need to be rude,” Darkness growled. “We have news and Justice wanted to be the one to share it.”
“Relax, True. Stand down. She’s safe. I came to inform you that her cell phone has been recovered exactly where she said it would be and the data on it processed.” Justice’s arms dropped to his sides and his gaze fixed on her. “The information matches what you’ve told us.”
“I knew it would.” True’s gruff tone softened. “She won’t face Species law.”
“The hell she won’t.” Tim stomped into the room.
Justice turned and sighed. “Why are you here, Tim?”
“You hung up on me.” Tim glanced around the room, his attention lingering on Jeanie. “She could have easily used a second burner phone to pretend to be this so-called Agent Brice. That’s what I was trying to tell you before you so rudely cut me off. I have to play devil’s advocate here.” He advanced on the tall New Species leader but stopped a few feet back. “Those texts don’t prove a damn thing except she’s smart enough to think ahead in case she was ever caught.”
“Were you able to trace the other number?” Justice crossed his arms over his chest again, waiting for an answer.
“It’s a dead end. We called it and got nothing. The carrier company doesn’t keep records and was useless. She either destroyed the second phone or removed the battery.” He jerked a thumb toward Jeanie. “She’s still a suspect.”
“She’s not lying.” True took a step forward but halted.
Tim faced him. “Is she intelligent?”
“Of course. Don’t be insulting.”
“I’m not. I’m saying she’s fucking brilliant but that’s my point,” Tim shot back. “Your girlfriend is good but I’m better. I’m going to nail her ass to the wall.”
True snarled and his hands clawed but he held still.
“Tim,” Justice warned, “don’t threaten the female.”
Darkness moved between True and Tim. “We’ll discuss this somewhere else if you have concerns, Tim.”
“I tried that. Justice hung up on me so I had to come over here. There’s no such thing as coincidence when we’re talking about a woman who worked at not one but two of those shitholes that we paid ransom money to identify.” He leaned sideways enough to look at True. “She was nice to you and saved your life. I understand how you’d want to repay that debt and protect her. You obviously have feelings that go beyond gratitude. I even get that. Hell, there was this ex-Soviet army sniper I once met who was so hot she could fry eggs on her tits but I never forgot how lethal she could be.”
Tim paused, lowering his voice. “I’m just asking you to let me do my job. We haven’t found an Agent Brice or the guy posing as him, if he even exists at all. I don’t have it out for your girlfriend but I’m not buying into her story until I’ve got solid proof either way. My priority is protecting every damn one of you, despite it making me seem like an asshole. I don’t have a sentimental connection to her that could sway my judgment in any way. Can you honestly say the same?”
True’s hands unclenched. “No, but I do strongly believe you’re wrong.”
“I hope you’re right for your sake and hers. I hate to see any man get his guts ripped out by some woman who took him for a ride. Let’s agree to disagree and compromise. She can live with you as long as her movements and contact with the others is restricted but on the flip side, I get to continue the investigation until I’m completely satisfied of her guilt or innocence.”
“That’s fair.” Darkness glanced between the two men.
True nodded. “Fine. Don’t attempt to take her from my home.”
“Then watch her. She’s to have no outside contact and keeping an officer outside your door remains the norm.” Tim hooked his thumbs in the front pockets of his cargo pants. “I heard you’re trying to help her prove her story. Is that true?”
“Yes.”
Tim peered around the room at all the New Species assembled and his stony expression softened into something that might pass as sympathy. “I made a few calls since she claimed to have contacted the NSO through the website. There were no fake websites up that mimicked NSO when Drackwood existed. My tech guys don’t have access to past emails and messages that Homeland received since Justice insisted only Species be in charge of it. They forward my team anything we need to see. If she did send an email or left a message, if she’s telling the truth, you might be able to find it to corroborate that part of her story. It’s a long shot but you’re giving a little so I am too.”
“Thank you.” True retook his seat.
“It was before your officers took over running the website but I was assured you have backup hard copies of everything that came in or went out of the email account linked to the site. Protocol has always been to automatically print out all messages and communications to us and file it away.” He shrugged. “It sounds like a hell of a lot of paperwork to wade through but it’s an option. Besides, she was right about those hidden gas dispensers in the fire alarms at Cornas. The team found them right where she said. They could have accidently triggered them while collecting evidence and someone may have been killed. They've been disabled.”
“Let’s go to my office,” Justice suggested. “I have another matter to discuss with you, Tim.”
The guy openly winced. “Yeah. Sure. Let’s get this over with. I like a good ass chewing before I go home. I just usually like to be on the giving end of it.”
Jeanie watched them leave with mixed feelings. Her name wasn’t cleared yet but she wouldn’t be taken out of True’s home and be sent to prison. Jinx openly smiled at her.
“We’ll find your email or that message you left.”
“We didn’t run the website at the time,” Luna chipped in. “That is good news.”
“What is good about that?” True placed his elbows on the table and rested his jaw in his upturned hands.
“Humans had access to incoming emails and messages. We’re looking for a human.” Luna beamed.
“She’s right.” A hint of excitement sounded in Query’s voice. “We have all the files on every human who worked for the NSO. That’s where we should start. That’s how Agent Brice contacted her. He might be the one who received and answered her email or perhaps got a copy of the message she left. They go in the same files.”
“Why would someone do that if they worked for us?”
Luna answered True’s question. “Money. I know humans need money and they get it by working. He would have been out of a job when Species took over Security and the website. Exchanging information for money is a very human trait.”
Jinx growled. “We’ll meet at Security first thing in the morning and pull up the records on human males who’ve worked at NSO. That might be faster than going through the file cabinets containing old email and message copies.” He stared at Jeanie. “You can look at their faces. All employees had picture badges and that information is on our computers.”
“She can just scroll through them until she finds the right human.” Luna nodded. “We might get lucky if Brice is his real name. Wouldn’t that be great?”
“I doubt he’d be that stupid.” True straightened in his chair. “Worse yet, what if the hu
man gave her information to someone else we don’t have a record of? No photo, no identification.”
“Don’t be negative,” Query snapped. “This is hope.”
“I just don’t want you to get too excited that we might resolve this quickly.” True studied Jeanie, glancing down at her side. “I’ll never forget how you almost died. Tomorrow might be challenging so you need sleep. Many humans worked for the NSO and there will be a lot of records to review.” He met her gaze. “I’m going to ask Luna to escort you home but I’ll be there in few minutes. I need to do something first. Would you mind taking Jeanie to the third floor and waiting with her until I return, Luna?”
“I’d love to.” Luna stood. “I’ll even make her a snack. I learned in basic first-aid class that injured people need to eat often and drink fluids. Come with me, Jeanie.” She maneuvered around the long table. “That is such a pretty name. I can call you by it, can’t I?”
“Of course.” Jeanie wanted to know why True wasn’t the one taking her back to his apartment.
He gave her a stiff smile. “Go. I’ll be there soon.”
I’m being dismissed. She turned away and forced a smile for Luna’s sake. The tall New Species gently hooked her arm through Jeanie’s.
“I’m so glad you are here. We can see each other often and we are going to be great friends.”
Jeanie worried about why True remained behind but Luna distracted her. Genuine warmth curved her lips. “I’d really like that.”
True rushed to block the exit to prevent anyone else from leaving the library. He glanced out to see how far Jeanie had progressed down the hallway before he turned and closed the doors.
“What are you doing?” Jinx motioned to the doors.
True silently estimated how long it would take before the females were out of hearing range.
“Is there something else you wanted to discuss?”
Four. Three. Two. One. True didn’t warn the male before his fist made contact. Jinx hissed out a pained groan as he stumbled back, clutching his stomach.