“Aren’t I always?” Kieran questioned.
“Yes,” Sparro agreed.
Kieran didn’t know why Sparro thought he knew him but he could play this out. “So what do you want?” he asked.
“It’s time to discuss a few things,” Sparro said. “Like why Caspar told you to vacation here.”
Try as he might, Kieran couldn’t hold in his reaction. He jerked only slightly but when Sparro nodded Kieran knew his response had been detected.
“Yes, I know everything. Were you aware that I’m Caspar’s boss? The man he answers to?”
Well, fuck
. Kieran hadn’t. He vaguely remembered that Sparro had said something similar during their fight but he’d been so lost in memories and panic he hadn’t connected the words. “So?” Kieran said even though he didn’t sound as cocky even to himself.
“So
that means you answer to me too,” Sparro told him.
Kieran snorted. “Read my contract. I don’t work under anyone except Caspar.”
“Actually,” Sparro said. “You should have read the fine print. In Caspar’s absence I can step in and you’ll follow my directions. I can also reassign your partners.”
“No,” Kieran shouted as he stood. “I won’t work with anyone else.”
“Not even Dakota?” Sparro asked as he also rose.
“No,” he repeated and crossed his arms over his chest. Kieran wouldn’t let anyone separate him from Remy and Angel. As much as he had feelings for Dakota, she wasn’t who he could work with. Maybe it was because Dakota called to a part of him that Kieran had long ago attempted to bury. He couldn’t think of her as he did his partners. In danger and always up against numerous opponents. Logically, he knew she did the same job he did but there was no way that he’d be able to deal with it on a day-to-day basis. He was too protective over her.
“And if I don’t give you a choice?” Sparro asked.
“I’ll quit,” Kieran said. There was no question what action he’d take. He wouldn’t let anyone push him around. Even if it meant losing Remy, Angel and Caspar, he would never let anyone have control over him again.
“That won’t happen,” Sparro said as he came around the desk.
Kieran growled as his fangs dropped. “I don’t work for you.”
“Yes, you do,” Sparro replied.
A knock came from the door, and Kieran spun so he could see both Sparro and the entrance. He wasn’t going to let Sparro trap him again.
“Perfect timing,” Sparro said with a smile. “Come in.”
Kieran backed up until he felt the wall behind him. There were two large windows behind Sparro’s desk that he could jump from. He wasn’t so far up that he’d break his neck if he made the plunge, but it would hurt. Still, that would be better than going back down to the cell.
If he ran, would that put Dakota in danger? It
was
her boss that Kieran needed to get away from, and Sparro could try to use his relationship with Dakota to trap him. He hoped Dakota would be okay. He could try to circle back around and search for her but that would be pushing his luck. She’d told him over and over that she could take care of herself. Well now might be the time that she’d have to prove it. Somehow the entire night—or morning, he wasn’t even sure what time it was—had gotten fucked up.
Kieran sucked in a sharp breath when the door was opened and Remy strolled through. His partner’s gaze went directly to him and he smiled.
“You okay?” Remy asked.
He nodded but remained silent. He knew Remy should have been hitting town today but since Sparro appeared to have expected Remy, Kieran didn’t feel any better. Actually his anxiety grew. He slid along the wall, edging closer to the window.
“Don’t!” Remy held up his hands. “I know what you’re thinking, Kieran. Just let me explain.”
“You have two minutes,” Kieran told him. The feeling of betrayal burned inside him and Kieran was close to losing control. He needed to get to a phone and call Angel. If anyone could fix this clusterfuck that he’d made, it would be her. She understood him since she was also a Walker. Even though she had not had issues with shifters—hell, she had mated one—Angel always stood by him.
In all his worries, Kieran would never have thought that Remy would go against him and side with shifters. Kieran had put more stock in their partnership than Remy must have.
His eyes burned but Kieran hadn’t cried since his rescue and refused to do so right then. Remy took a step forward. Kieran growled at him, keeping him back.
“I was just about to the city limits when I got a call from Caspar,” Remy said. “He told me about your break-in and hoped I’d get here before you woke. I drove over a hundred miles an hour to get here so quick.”
“Caspar called you?” Kieran asked Remy although he looked at Sparro.
“One of Caspar’s employees breaks into my office, I’m going to give him a call,” Sparro replied. “Shall we sit, gentlemen?”
Kieran glanced at Remy before he crossed his arms over his chest. Remy grinned then strolled over and copied Kieran’s stance.
Sparro shook his head. “Caspar warned me about the two of you.”
“And still you started this conversation with threatening me,” Kieran said.
“I actually didn’t,” Sparro argued. “But I will admit our little talk did take an unexpected turn. I suspect that happens a lot with you.”
Since Caspar always said the same thing, Kieran couldn’t argue with Sparro.
“I’d like to talk about why you broke in here and what you found,” Sparro told him.
“I was being followed by one of your agents.” Kieran shrugged. “I was taught to know your enemy.”
“But Dean’s not your enemy,” Sparro said. “He’s your boss’s nephew.”
Remy stiffened next to him, but Kieran didn’t take his attention from Sparro.
“Being Caspar’s nephew does not mean he isn’t my enemy,” Kieran said. “That actually makes it even more suspicious.”
“He was following you under Caspar’s orders,” Sparro told him.
Kieran lifted an eyebrow. “Not officially. So that equals suspicious.”
“You’re impossible,” Sparro snapped as he stalked back to his desk. “It’s not even seven in the morning and I want a drink.”
Remy snorted.
“Something to say, Agent?” Sparro asked Remy.
“Nope,” Remy replied with a grin.
“The reason Caspar asked Dean to keep an eye on you was because he didn’t want anyone to know who or what you are before we’d decided on your future with the Organization.” Sparro sat at his desk and waved his hand to the chairs in front of him. “I suggest you both sit so we can get on with this.”
Kieran wanted to stay where he was to just be difficult, but Remy grabbed his arm and pulled him across the room. Once he was seated, Kieran leaned forward. “Fire me,” he challenged. “See if I care.”
“If I was to terminate your employment, I have no doubt that you’d stay in town just to make my life miserable.”
“Well,” Kieran drawled, “that’s true.” It also wouldn’t be the only reason but Kieran wasn’t sharing that.
“Instead I’m moving up my timetable,” Sparro stated. “As soon as your vacation is up, you’ll be transferred to this office. Under my authority.”
“You can’t do that,” Remy shouted as he jumped up from his seat.
Kieran shot out his hand and yanked his partner back down.
“I can and I am,” Sparro told him.
“He has partners, a boss and a job,” Remy said. His voice had turned gritty by the end of his sentence as his wolf rose to the surface.
Kieran needed to get control of this conversation or Remy would get fired along with him.
“Does he?” Sparro questioned. “Is there anything you’d like to tell Kieran?”
“Don’t try to turn this around,” Remy demanded. “You’re trying to take him from us and I won’t let you!”
While Kieran had no idea what Remy needed to tell him and how Sparro would know, he couldn’t let this go on. “Remy, let me take care of this.”
Remy dropped back in his seat with a grunt. “Go ahead. You’ve been doing so well.” He waved his hand.
Kieran laughed. He really hoped Remy hadn’t betrayed him because damn, he liked his partner. If what he’d said was true and Caspar had called Remy, his partner’s appearance here made sense.
It was hard but he had always trusted Remy and he needed to continue to do so.
“Oh, you misunderstood,” Sparro said pleasantly. “Kieran won’t be coming alone.”
“You’re transferring my team?” Kieran asked. That wasn’t the worst news he’d ever heard. He could figure out what was going on with the Walkers in town while still seeing Dakota. There was only one problem. “I work for Caspar.”
“Caspar has accepted a very important undercover assignment that will keep him busy for the next several months,” Sparro informed him.
“Caspar doesn’t work in the field,” Kieran argued.
“This isn’t something he could turn down,” Sparro said. “He asked for this, as a matter of fact.”
Alarm bells began to go off in his head. Caspar had once told him that he’d screwed up big and had been taken out of the field. Nothing would ever get him to work the streets again.
“No,” Kieran said. “He can’t.”
Sparro sighed. “I tried to talk him out of it.”
Kieran heard the sincerity in Sparro’s voice. For just a moment Kieran felt something more than suspicion. Caspar had shared a lot with Kieran back when he’d been trying to earn Kieran’s trust. But Kieran had never been able to get the full story of what had happened on Caspar’s last mission. And Caspar hardly ever spoke about Sparro. Actually, Kieran was really trying to remember anything Caspar might have said about this shifter in front of him.
“He’s finishing a task that he started long ago,” Sparro told him.
“I won’t let him put himself in danger,” Kieran said.
“Me either,” Remy agreed.
“Well, as he’s on his way here, I’ll let you attempt to change his mind. Although I doubt you’ll be successful.”
“When will he be here?” Kieran demanded.
“Should be late tonight,” Sparro said. “In the meantime let’s talk about your new roles within the Organization.”
“I won’t agree to anything without talking to Caspar,” Kieran said.
Sparro nodded. “Monday morning you will report here to me. I’m sure you can find your way inside.”
Kieran grunted, not rising to the bait. He’d be doing a whole hell of a lot more than just showing up for work. Kieran still hadn’t figured out what Dean was up to and why he had his file. Now he needed to know about Caspar’s last assignment, deal with the Walkers at the hotel and somehow figure out what was going on with Dakota and him. Oh, and Remy was hiding something also. Just a few simple tasks.
He snorted as he stood. “Sure thing.” He circled around the chair to stride to the door. When Remy didn’t join him, he paused to look over his shoulder. “Remy?”
His partner’s gaze was still on Sparro.
“Come on, Remy,” he urged. “We need to talk.”
His partner rose slowly to tower over Sparro. When he placed his hands on the top of Sparro’s desk and leaned forward, Kieran prepared to launch himself at his partner.
“I don’t know what you’re trying to do but if you hurt anyone I care about, I’ll bring my entire pack down on you,” Remy threatened.
Sparro shook his head. “Calm yourself, wolf.”
Kieran knew before Remy started to growl that Sparro had said the wrong thing.
The lion shifter got to his feet as he snarled. “You forget your place, pup. You are obligated to me by your blood. I own you, or your pack will suffer my wrath.”
Remy lunged but Kieran was able to wrap his arms around his partner’s middle and lift him off his feet. He ran out of the room, carrying Remy, before slamming the door behind him with every ounce of strength he had left.
“What the fuck are you thinking?” Kieran demanded as he slammed Remy against the wall.
“He’s up to something!” Remy shouted.
“No shit!” Kieran replied. “Let me figure it out.”
Remy took a deep breath before he banged his head against the wall. “Fine. Let go of me.”
Kieran released him then took a step back. He eyed his partner. For the first time he noticed how tired his friend looked. “You need some sleep,” he said.
“Yeah,” Remy laughed. “You’re not looking too good yourself, buddy. You need to drink.”
He hadn’t forgotten that he had to get blood. The headache that he hadn’t quite managed to get rid of was a constant reminder. “I will.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” Remy snapped. “Take my blood.”
“No,” he refused.
“Really?” Remy pushed off the wall as he glared at him. “You don’t trust me?”
That wasn’t one hundred percent true but he didn’t want to get into anything right then. “You haven’t checked into your hotel yet?”
“No,” Remy said. “I came straight here.”
“Do that,” Kieran ordered. “Take a nap and meet me for a drink later.”
“What are you going to do?” Remy asked.
Kieran glanced at Sparro’s door. Kieran couldn’t share his plan just yet. “I’m going to take a walk before I go back to my room and rest myself.”
“Right,” Remy said as he followed Kieran’s gaze. “Text me later on where you want to meet up.”
Kieran nodded.
As Remy strode past him, Kieran drew in a long breath. As tired as he was, he had a lot of work to do. He gave one last look to Sparro’s closed door then he headed for the stairs. He’d take the long way down to see if he could gain more intel before he left the building.
He stalked down the hall and as he turned the corner he froze. And there she was.
Dakota leaned back against the exit grinning. “I knew you’d come out this way.”
Kieran started walking again, admiring her. She’d changed clothes from when she’d gotten him out of the cell. Her hair was still damp so he could only guess that she’d showered somewhere in the building while he’d been in with Sparro.
“You think you know me?” he asked as he reached her. He breathed in her clean sweet scent and grew hard.
She licked her lips, and he followed the motion. If she was playing him, Dakota was damn good with her acting.
“I don’t know what you’re doing here or what my boss wanted with you but I don’t think that’s the only thing wrong. You’ve been weird since I released you.”
How long had it been since he’d vowed to protect her by leaving her alone. “It doesn’t matter. I’m leaving.”