"You can quit after you've told me why you shot at Gabriel." Stephan's voice was unemotional, yet it sent a chill down her spine all the same.
"You're incredible." She tried to wrench her hand free of Jessie's, but couldn't — because her arms were strapped down, as were her feet. "Go view the tape and see if you can't guess the goddamn answer yourself."
"We've both seen vid-footage. And all we're actually sure of right now is that Gabriel has left the building and can't be contacted, and that you shot at him. Security shot you when you ignored their order to lower your weapon"
"And did you bother rewinding far enough to see him shooting at me first? Did you hear me tell security it wasn't A.D. Stern, but a shifter? Did you bother going far enough along the tape to hear the girly scream he emitted when I actually hit him?"
Stephan finally came into her line of sight. Though his face was emotionless, his blue eyes were stormy with anger. "How do you know it was a shifter? He passed all security checks."
"Meaning you didn't view the tapes properly." She snorted softly and shook her head. "I would have thought that you, of all people, would not have let emotion cloud your judgment."
"Just answer the damn question."
"The shifter who took Finley's form in the labs a month ago passed all security checks, too. But that fact didn't make him the real Finley."
Jessie regarded her intently. "Why do you think it was a shifter and not Gabriel?"
She frowned. "I don't know. It's just something I sometimes sense."
"Gabriel did mention this ability, remember?" Stephan shared a brief glance with his sister, and then his gaze returned to Sam. "Why didn't you alert security first?"
Because that would have been the smart thing to do. She blew out a breath. "I didn't stop to think. She was heading for Gabriel's office, probably to get the relocation list of the adoptees."
Stephan's gaze narrowed slightly. "You keep saying she. Why?"
"Because the shifter in question is Rose Pierce, also known as Michael Sanders, State Police Officer." She hesitated and watched the realization dawn in their eyes. "Yeah, your sister's killer. And you just let her walk away in your rush to get me to the torture room."
"We are not torturing you," Stephan growled.
"Then what do you call not offering someone with severe laser burns medical help? A picnic in the damn park?"
"Security, get medical help in here right away."
She smiled grimly. One point won for the innocent victim.
"How can this woman be a cross-gender multishifter?" Jessie glanced at her brother. "That's not possible, is it?"
Stephan frowned. "It's extremely rare."
"Rare doesn't mean nonexistent," Sam muttered. The fire in her leg and shoulder was beginning to fade against the deeper burning in her left side. If medical help didn't get here soon, she would be screaming.
Stephan met her gaze again. "You're certain it wasn't Gabriel?"
"Yes. And if your security people had done their job properly, you would have had Rose confined, not walking free. You might even know where Gabriel is right now, rather than continuing this aimless conversation with me."
His brief smile was grim. "Ah, but see, you're going to help us find Gabriel."
She blinked. "I think you just lost me."
Stephan resumed his pacing. "Jessie is not only both an empath and clairvoyant, but she also teaches the use of psychic abilities. She's going to help you find Gabriel."
"You've still lost me."
"You and Gabriel have formed a connection — a bond, if you like. He has used the link at least once to find you. You are about to return the favor."
She shook her head. "I don't — "
Stephan took four strides and leaned down, his face inches from hers. Anger radiated from every pore. She met his stormy gaze and swallowed. There was no compassion in this man's eyes, no humanity. The only thing he cared about was his family, and she had no doubt he would kill anyone who threatened his family's safety in any way.