Page 85 of Frank's Felon
“Go. See Tess.”
And yet another kiss. He could never get enough of those, ofher. Finally, he swatted her behind, and she headed upstairs, pausing for a moment at the top. Green eyes sparkled, and she pushed her hair behind her ear as she turned and headed for Tess’s room.
A few minutes after Delilah went upstairs to see Tess, Blade entered the house without knocking. Then Hayden. Frank didn’t move from his spot at the base of the stairs. He followed each shifter with his eyes. No one was talking it seemed, which wasn’t unusual for Hayden, but it was for Blade.
Next, Jace popped his head in, eyes searching and finally settling on Hayden. “Camp is clear, and they’re almost here.”
“Thank you, Jace. Stand guard out front.”
“Lot of trust we have in this so-called ally of ours,” Frank mumbled.
“My suggestion for you is to keep quiet during this meeting,” Hayden said. “You’re only here because Damien insisted, but if you cause any trouble, we will remove you.”
“You and who else? Blade?” They all knew Frank could take both of them down if motivated. Blade was a scout after all, not a guard or alpha. Hayden wasn’t an alpha either, but he was born from an alpha line and would have been alpha, if not for all the backstabbing in his family, so fighting Hayden could be problematic.
“How’s that leg of yours?” Frank asked, though he wasn’t sure if he was taunting Hayden at that moment or genuinely concerned. A bit of both perhaps. Hell. Delilah was right. He really did need to have it out with Damien at some point. His friends—his brothers in arms—had been putting up with a lot from him. None of them deserved his wrath. Except Damien.
“Frank. . .” Blade said, as he planted himself against the wall where Callen had always leaned. Blade was no Callen, but the reminder was enough. Frank would rein in his wolf and let his alpha do what he needed to do. Frank only hoped Damien had some trick up his sleeve, because Frank couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t leap at Sloan if the human tried to leave here with Delilah.
Before Blade could say more, Damien entered. As usual, Damien scanned and scented the room. His eyes met Hayden’s briefly. The second nodded, and then Damien invited Agent Sloan in.
“Agent Sloan, you already know my second and head guard. This is my scout, Blade Hernández.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Hernández.”
“Just Blade.”
“My enforcers are unavailable.”
“That’s fine. This should be short.” Agent Sloan handed a folder to Damien. “The treaty is there. Everything we agreed on. All you have to do is turn over the felon and have the other alphas sign. Then I’ll sign as well.”
Frank couldn’t help the growl that escaped him. Blade shot him a look, but Damien ignored him, though he knew his alpha had heard him. Even Sloan had looked up, his hand noticeably closer to his gun inside his jacket.
Damien took the file and set it down on the cocktail table as he motioned for Sloan to sit. “Delilah is ready to turn herself in, but I’m not ready to allow her to.”
Frank’s pulse raced. Had he heard Damien right?
“Mr. Black––”
Damien held up a hand. “We have a hacker we use from time to time. A freelancer.”
Kate. Beautiful Kate. . . What had she done?
Damien handed Sloan a thumb drive. “You asked for proof, Agent. There’s footage there, taken from the prison where Delilah was serving time. Cameras outside the warden’s office, the same cameras that provided you images of Delilah leaving in the warden’s jacket with his keycard at the time of his death. My hacker pulled footage from prison files and obtained very revealing footage. Evidence that more than one female prisoner was brought to the wardens office in handcuffs, only to leave with partial or no clothing and bruises in many cases. One had to be carried out, barely moving from the look of the footage. Many of these same women are no longer in that prison. Coincidentally, they’ve been transferred and met with untimely deaths on route to or at other facilities. A few were released outright, again only to meet untimely deaths. And the parade of men that left the warden’s office after each woman shows more than abused of power by one warden but several guards as well.”
“I’ll look it over,” Sloan said, pocketing the thumb drive. “I’ll still need to take her with me.”
“Why?”
“She’s still a convicted felon. She killed two men from the WSSO.”
“And yet a week ago when I pointed out that the men she had killed at the WSSO were terrorists, you said a case could be made there, that it was the warden’s death that was the sticking point.”
“Things change, even in a week.”
“I like you, Agent Sloan. For the most part I think you’re interested in this alliance. You see the potential of what shifters can do for you.”
“I hear thebutin there, Mr. Black.”
