Rising Storm (Westin Force #2) - Julie Trettel Page 0,41

grabbed the bars on Painter’s chair and rushed to follow after them.

“She’s not cleared. We’re not risking another breech,” I could hear Archie protesting.

“If it wasn’t for that girl, we’d still have no idea where our breech came from, remember?”

As I turned the corner I caught a glimpse of Archie’s beet red face.

Taylor held the door open for me as I helped Painter into the room.

“Seriously? We just saw you this morning. What trouble could you have possibly found without Baine’s help since then?” Ben teased.

“Popped a stitch running this morning, didn’t you?” Tarron asked.

“Maybe,” my mate grumbled as I nodded over his head.

“Pay up,” Tarron said as Baine pulled out his wallet.

Baine shook his head at Painter in disappointment.

“Stop making bets against me and you wouldn’t be broke all the time.”

“Emma proudly confirmed they’ve already had sex though,” Grant said.

I nodded. “We did.” It was a perfectly natural thing. I didn’t see why it would be a big deal.

Painter closed his eyes and then just shook his head.

“Yes! Thank you, Emma, you little horn ball,” Baine said. “Give me that money back.”

“Dammit,” Tarron cursed under his breath just as Silas walked into the room.

He shook his head. “Are you guys done squaring up the bets you made?”

Baine pulled out a fifty-dollar bill and handed it to Silas. “You were right on both counts.”

“Dude, you bet against me?”

“Technically I was rooting for you on the sex one. And you’re the dumbass who didn’t speak up on the run. I would have slowed the pace at least.”

“And admit defeat? Never. I’m only in this stupid chair because Emma wouldn’t let me leave the apartment without it.”

He looked down at my leg. “Nice peas.”

Painter groaned as I smiled proudly.

“Emma, you realize anything said in this room is under strict confidentiality, right? You can’t mention it to anyone, and it doesn’t get discussed again outside of this room. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” I said. I’d heard the others address him that way and thought I should too.

“Okay, let’s get down to business. Emma, thank you again for the intel you gave us. It proved to be spot on. Keeley is now officially an enemy of Westin.” He hung a tacked picture up of her to the bulletin board covering a large section of one wall. “Surveillance cameras also picked up these photos. We’ve identified some of them, but some are still unknowns.”

He hung up five more pictures, two were labeled. I recognized them both but only saw them on rare occasions.

I rose and moved the picture of Roger up next to Keeley. I took one of the markers from the table and wrote his name at the bottom of the picture. Next, I wrote Frank and then wrote dead in large letters across his face and moved it to the far left of the board.

With the last one, I sighed. I carefully penned Vada with a heart next to it at the bottom and moved her picture to the far right.

“Explain,” Silas said.

“Roger is the one I told you about. He’s tight with Keeley, and the two of them together are very dangerous.”

“And Frank? How do you know he’s dead? He was seen alive and well at the show the day we rescued you.”

“Yes, and then I killed him.” He was going to kill me. I’d had no choice.

“I’ll confirm that,” Painter said. “I don’t remember who else was in that room, but Clara was there too. She should be able to confirm it as well. He’s the one that stabbed Emma and caused her to almost bleed out.”

“So you killed him?” Silas asked. “I didn’t see that on your report.”

“My girl can handle herself just fine when she has to. He was dead when I got onsite.”

“Should I be worried?”

“No. We saw firsthand what they were doing to her there. I don’t even have to ask to know it was self-defense.”

“Fine. Vada?”

“Friend,” I said. “She’s no enemy to Westin or any shifter. She’s a saint, really. Takes care of all of us on the inside.”

“Then we need to track them down and get her out of there.”

I shook my head. “She won’t come. She will make certain that every shifter you can rescue will get out before her. She’s a strong ally on the inside. If we can find a way to communicate with her, it would benefit us greatly.”

Silas smirked. “Not us, honey. You’re only here temporarily and we appreciate the help, but Archie is right. You aren’t part of this