Page 86 of Frank's Felon
“But you’re hiding something from me.”
Sloan leaned forward in his chair, dark blue eyes hard and focused. “I’ve been upfront about the missions we want your shifters for and why. Your unique abilities give you an advantage in the field. We integrate a few of your men into our special ops teams and we can make a lot of progress taking down terrorists groups including the anti-shifter groups like the WSSO. My superiors are expecting one Delilah Matthews, escaped felon, to be in my custody or they will not trust you or your shifters to live up to your word. To put it bluntly, Mr. Black, they need proof that shifters can work with and alongside humans.”
“I’ll give you proof,” Frank said, moving forward. “I’ll join whatever team you want, today, right now, if you leave her alone and never come after her again. And you won’t have to sign any damn treaty. Consider it a trial basis, if you’d like.”
“Frank––” Damien started to speak.
“No, Damien. You had your chance.”
“We’re going to give the DSA shifters, but only after we’ve finalized the terms, the duration and conditions. I’m not handing over shifters to be used as disposable assets.”
“Not your decision, Damien. I’ll go in under any circumstance.” Frank saw Damien nod finally, his alpha’s approval, not that he needed it, but it was good to have. After all, Frank had sacrificed before, and he’d gladly do so again, for her.
“A reasonable proposition, Agent,” Hayden said. “Frank is our top guard. Only an alpha could take him down.”
Sloan rose, walked right up to Frank, showing no fear. “An admirable offer, Mr. Connelly, but––”
“Something goes wrong, you can even leave me behind. My fingerprints are on record. Convicted felon. Easy to blame when things go sideways. Bet you’d like that, blame someone when it’s not their fault. You’re already quite good at it, Agent.”
“I’d take you in a minute, Connelly, if my hands weren’t tied.” Sloan turned to Damien, and Frank was tempted to wrap his hands around the man’s neck. The muscles in Frank’s back and arms rippled. Sloan gave him a curious but dauntless look. “Restraint. I like that, but the answer is still no. Bring me Miss Matthews, Mr. Black.”
Damien seated himself in the hardback chair with a view of the entire room. “I can’t turn over my wife’s sister, Agent Sloan. I’m sure you can understand that. If you want her, then you can go get her. My shifters will not interfere.”
Frank lost it. Rage filled his vision. He gave in to his wolf and shifted. He didn’t remember much after that, except the coppery scent of blood filling the air and the bitter metal taste filling his mouth seconds before Damien’s large paw pressed down against his throat with such force he was cutting off his air. The growl that filled his ears was enough for his wolf to back down to their alpha. Frank shifted back to human form, not giving up, but left no choice in the matter. Damien’s wolf added one additional growl—a last warning—before he too shifted.
“Not a fucking word, Frank.” Damien was pissed. Well, that made two of them.
Jace tossed pants from the cubby to both him and Damien. Neither of them was getting dressed, their eyes still locked. Blade stepped in between them, his back to Frank. Rather daring considering the sizeable bite mark in Blade’s shoulder. Frank recognized the teeth marks as his own and winced. Apparently, he’d attacked more than just Damien.
“An impressive display, Mr. Connelly,” Agent Sloan said from the kitchen, his hand on the grip of his still holstered gun. He hadn’t drawn. Smart man, but Frank really wanted him to draw. “Makes me wish I could say yes to your offer.”
Frank took a slow look around at the damage. Furniture had been upturned, smashed, and there was blood on the hardwood floor in several spots. Frank took in his packmates who even now only stood inches from him, at the ready to restrain him should he dare move, let alone shift. They were standing really close, prepared to trap Frank mid-shift if he dared to shift again.
Hayden had somehow escaped being bitten, but he had claw marks down his right arm. Jace sported a bite mark similar to Blade’s, though on his lower leg. Damien was the only one to have escaped injury, as well as Sloan, and the alpha was blocking the steps.
“Time for me to go,” Sloan said. “I need Miss Matthews, Mr. Black.”
“As I said, you want her, you can go get her.” Damien stepped aside long enough for Sloan to pass, then he blocked the steps once more.
“Damien. . . I’ll beg if I must,” Frank pleaded. “Stop this.”
Damien folded his arms over his chest, stared at him, but said nothing.
Frank’s pulse raced and his soul shuddered. This was really happening. Damien wasn’t going to do a damn thing to stop it, and his packmates were holding him back. In fact, Hayden took up Damien’s spot by the stairs so Damien could pull his jeans on. Then Damien strode over to the sitting area. After righting the table and one of the hardback chairs, he seated himself and propped his feet up on the table as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
After a few minutes of doors shutting and furniture being moved about upstairs, Sloan came down the steps. “I don’t appreciate the games, Mr. Black. Not that I expected you to give in so easily, but you could have saved me from wasting my time. I don’t take kindly to people—or shifters—making a fool out of me.”
Frank’s head lifted to Hayden, who shook his head just a tad. A signal.
“Oh, you mean she’s not up there?” Damien said, raising a brow. “I wasn’t sure, actually. You see, Agent, while you may think this is a game, it’s anything but. I’m responsible for several hundred shifters. I also have obligations to allies of other packs. And hundreds, thousands of shifters I don’t even know. Just like you have a duty to thousands of humans you don’t know. What you fail to understand is that we have our laws, and while my pack and the two others very much want to enter into this treaty with you, we cannot simply ignore our own laws.
“Delilah Matthews is my wife’s sister, but she is not a member of my pack. I have no authority over her. Yes, I tried to advocate on her behalf. Not to make a fool out of you, but to do what was right. She was used, attacked in that prison, as were many human females. I’m hoping you’ll still carry through and do what’s right for the remaining prisoners and bring those complicit in wonton rape and murder to justice.
“When I spoke with Delilah this morning to discuss her situation, she said she planned to hand herself in to you. I tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted. Her choice. Not mine. When I went to greet you at the gate, she headed upstairs to see my mate before she left. Sisters. You can understand that. If she’s not up there, then I’m guessing that was a ruse, so we wouldn’t know she was fleeing.
“And before you give me a load of crap about my mate helping her escape, know this. . . If you even dare to threaten my mate, you will not leave here alive.”
“Good faith, huh?” Sloan laughed as he ran his hand through his hair, looking somewhat dismayed and unsure of his next move.
