“How do you know—?” She broke off when his expression immediately darkened.
“That you’re his mate?” he broke in. “I know because you suddenly have two teams of Breed Enforcers that Jonas Wyatt can ill afford to put on surveillance for one unimportant party girl, and trust me, little girl, Commander Breaker won’t be far behind. And I know because several Breeds I’m in contact with notified me immediately upon catching the scent of it as you rushed by them when you left the hotel.”
“Why?” she cried out, the pain-filled anger that burned inside her setting fire to her emotions, her denial. “Why the hell would he come after me? He didn’t want me, Cullen.”
“You’re his mate.” He leaned forward intently. “He may be shocked, surprised. As I understand it, most male Breeds don’t handle the initial mating phase any better than their human mates, but it won’t have taken that territorial, possessive-as-fucking-hell animal inside him long to convince him that there’s not a chance he’s going to really let you go.”
His mate. This couldn’t be possible. The stories were warped, many hinting at depravity, at sexual acts that Gypsy just couldn’t believe.
The stories in the tabloids had supposedly been proven to have no basis. They still abounded. With each engagement or marriage between a Breed and their partner, the stories would flare up again for a day or so before dwindling away.
She couldn’t believe it was true. It was so farfetched, surely it was impossible.
“Stop shaking your head,” he ordered brusquely. “Didn’t think there could be a grain of truth to the rumors in the tabloids?”
“Impossible.” Jumping from the bar stool, she faced him furiously now, fighting to deny what he was suggesting. “Trust me, if mating existed, then I wouldn’t be sitting here with you, Cullen, I’d still be in the bed with him.”
There was no denying it had happened. He knew she had slept with Rule. Evidently he had a very reliable Breed contact after all, just, hopefully, a delusional one.
Gypsy watched him warily now. “If you have a Breed contact, then why weren’t you asked to search those rooms?”
Cullen grimaced. “Evidently whoever they are, they don’t trust me enough to contact me regarding it. I was to be your backup. Nothing more. And my contact within Jonas’s organization is a very clever ploy I suspect to enable him to gain his own contact within the law enforcement community.”
“Why you?” She watched him carefully, wondering now how far she could truly trust him.
“I’m commander of the Covert Law Enforcement Division, Gypsy. Who else would have the information they need when it comes to any secret activities in the area?”
And she knew that, she really did.
Lifting her hand to her forehead, she could feel the perspiration gathering there as her senses continued to riot while arousal tightened her sex and spilled the silky release of her juices.
“Gypsy, whoever you spy for, it can be very dangerous. As I understand it, Jonas already suspects your involvement, though Rule has fought him over it,” he told her grimly. “Don’t allow either of them to become certain. It could be more dangerous than you realize.” The cold, hard edge to his voice had her watching him closely.
“Yeah, I’m just going to take out an ad for that one.” She glared back at him.
He snorted at that. “Breeds have a way of convincing their mates to trust everything about them. To trust their ability to hold their secrets. But you trust me, Jonas has a way of figuring it all out and using everyone to his own ends. Whoever’s behind the protection of the Breeds here in the nation, I wouldn’t want to f**k with them. They have a way of becoming brutal.”
They had cut out the tongue of the informant who had helped the Coyotes identify her brother. Her parents had received the letter that had been left tucked in the pocket of the dead man.
We, those not spoken of, have taken retribution for the death of your son, the pain that fills your daughter, and the loss your family now suffers. Know that Mark’s work, his dedication and commitment to our people will never be forgotten, nor will his family. Sleep easy when darkness falls, and know that we are the ones who will now stand guard over those you love to ensure that evil never again takes from you those you love most.
But nothing could bring Mark back, nothing could erase her part in it and nothing could erase the fact that she’d betrayed her family again when she threw it all away for a Breed she sickened to the point that he had to jump from her and run to the shower.
“I swore I wouldn’t tell anyone anything when I began working with them. Not that I know anything to tell anyone,” she bit out furiously. “But, even if I did, I definitely wouldn’t tell Rule Breaker.”
She had no intentions of speaking to that bastard again, let alone giving him so much as a single one of her suspicions.
He glanced at his watch again and looked up at her. “He’ll track you here, Gypsy. Soon. Breeds never let their mates remain unprotected.”
“What do I do?” Her heart began racing in dread.
She couldn’t face him again. Not this soon.
“Here’s what I suggest you do.” He leaned forward intently. “Slip back out of here and go back to your apartment. If he sees that slick little night suit you’re wearing, or realizes you’ve taken a scent blocker, then you’re fried, baby. He’s going to know you’re the spy he’s searching for. Here.” Reaching into the front pocket of his shirt, he pulled free a small pill, similar in shape to the scent blocker. “Within fifteen minutes this will reverse the blocker and leave your system clean. Take it now.”
He laid it in front of her, watching her with sudden amusement once again. “Unless you’re of a mind not to trust me.”
She took the pill warily, placed it on her tongue and let it begin to dissolve. When it had properly broken down, she washed it down with the remainder of the coffee before taking a deep breath.