“She’s yours?” Jinx wrinkled his nose, sniffing the air. “She smells of you but she’s not your mate.” He rose and bent forward as his hands fisted. His knuckles flattened on the table as he braced his weight with them, putting his face inches in front of True’s. “Mates are safe. What is wrong with you? Is she good enough to take to your bed but not to your heart?”

Jeanie’s mouth fell open at the blatant verbal attack on True. She expected him to physically retaliate but his response stunned her more than the sudden turn of events. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. “She refused.”

Jinx frowned, shifting his gaze to her as he straightened. “Why?”

Chapter Thirteen

The double doors of the library were thrown open and Jeanie turned, watching as a group of New Species males entered the room. All five of them drew to a halt, standing almost shoulder to shoulder in a line they formed while the one in the center crossed his arms over his chest. She recognized him immediately.

Justice North scowled. “What is going on here?”

Jinx spoke first. “We’re having a reunion with Shiver. What are you doing here?”

He didn’t answer right away, instead his gaze located Jeanie. Being the target of that cool stare wasn’t the most pleasant experience in her life. Justice North was as powerful as they came in the New Species world. He held press conferences on a regular basis, even rubbed shoulders with the President of the United States, and she knew her future ultimately rested in his hands. It was rumored that he pretty much ruled Homeland and Reservation. His word was law.

“You’re the cause of all the disagreements amongst my people.”

She wasn’t sure how to respond and decided to remain silent.

“She doesn’t appear dangerous,” the dark-haired male at his right muttered. “Tim called her a walking time bomb but there’s not enough of her to create much damage if she explodes.”

“Knock it off, Jaded,” Darkness sighed. “This isn’t a time for jokes.”

True left his chair and moved into a position that placed him between Jeanie and the other men but she could still see them. “Why are you here?”

Justice arched a dark eyebrow and the smile he’d cracked disappeared. “Am I not welcome?”

“Of course you are,” Luna quickly stated. “We’re just surprised to see you.”

“Why are you here?” True wasn’t letting it go.

“There’s no need to be rude,” Darkness growled. “We have news and Justice wanted to be the one to share it.”

“Relax, True. Stand down. She’s safe. I came to inform you that her cell phone has been recovered exactly where she said it would be and the data on it processed.” Justice’s arms dropped to his sides and his gaze fixed on her. “The information matches what you’ve told us.”

“I knew it would.” True’s gruff tone softened. “She won’t face Species law.”

“The hell she won’t.” Tim stomped into the room.

Justice turned and sighed. “Why are you here, Tim?”

“You hung up on me.” Tim glanced around the room, his attention lingering on Jeanie. “She could have easily used a second burner phone to pretend to be this so-called Agent Brice. That’s what I was trying to tell you before you so rudely cut me off. I have to play devil’s advocate here.” He advanced on the tall New Species leader but stopped a few feet back. “Those texts don’t prove a damn thing except she’s smart enough to think ahead in case she was ever caught.”

“Were you able to trace the other number?” Justice crossed his arms over his chest again, waiting for an answer.

“It’s a dead end. We called it and got nothing. The carrier company doesn’t keep records and was useless. She either destroyed the second phone or removed the battery.” He jerked a thumb toward Jeanie. “She’s still a suspect.”

“She’s not lying.” True took a step forward but halted.

Tim faced him. “Is she intelligent?”

“Of course. Don’t be insulting.”

“I’m not. I’m saying she’s fucking brilliant but that’s my point,” Tim shot back. “Your girlfriend is good but I’m better. I’m going to nail her ass to the wall.”

True snarled and his hands clawed but he held still.

“Tim,” Justice warned, “don’t threaten the female.”

Darkness moved between True and Tim. “We’ll discuss this somewhere else if you have concerns, Tim.”

“I tried that. Justice hung up on me so I had to come over here. There’s no such thing as coincidence when we’re talking about a woman who worked at not one but two of those shitholes that we paid ransom money to identify.” He leaned sideways enough to look at True. “She was nice to you and saved your life. I understand how you’d want to repay that debt and protect her. You obviously have feelings that go beyond gratitude. I even get that. Hell, there was this ex-Soviet army sniper I once met who was so hot she could fry eggs on her tits but I never forgot how lethal she could be.”

Tim paused, lowering his voice. “I’m just asking you to let me do my job. We haven’t found an Agent Brice or the guy posing as him, if he even exists at all. I don’t have it out for your girlfriend but I’m not buying into her story until I’ve got solid proof either way. My priority is protecting every damn one of you, despite it making me seem like an asshole. I don’t have a sentimental connection to her that could sway my judgment in any way. Can you honestly say the same?”

True’s hands unclenched. “No, but I do strongly believe you’re wrong.”

“I hope you’re right for your sake and hers. I hate to see any man get his guts ripped out by some woman who took him for a ride. Let’s agree to disagree and compromise. She can live with you as long as her movements and contact with the others is restricted but on the flip side, I get to continue the investigation until I’m completely satisfied of her guilt or innocence.”

“That’s fair.” Darkness glanced between the two men.

True nodded. “Fine. Don’t attempt to take her from my home.”

“Then watch her. She’s to have no outside contact and keeping an officer outside your door remains the norm.” Tim hooked his thumbs in the front pockets of his cargo pants. “I heard you’re trying to help her prove her story. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

Tim peered around the room at all the New Species assembled and his stony expression softened into something that might pass as sympathy. “I made a few calls since she claimed to have contacted the NSO through the website. There were no fake websites up that mimicked NSO when Drackwood existed. My tech guys don’t have access to past emails and messages that Homeland received since Justice insisted only Species be in charge of it. They forward my team anything we need to see. If she did send an email or left a message, if she’s telling the truth, you might be able to find it to corroborate that part of her story. It’s a long shot but you’re giving a little so I am too.”

“Thank you.” True retook his seat.

“It was before your officers took over running the website but I was assured you have backup hard copies of everything that came in or went out of the email account linked to the site. Protocol has always been to automatically print out all messages and communications to us and file it away.” He shrugged. “It sounds like a hell of a lot of paperwork to wade through but it’s an option. Besides, she was right about those hidden gas dispensers in the fire alarms at Cornas. The team found them right where she said. They could have accidently triggered them while collecting evidence and someone may have been killed. They've been disabled.”

“Let’s go to my office,” Justice suggested. “I have another matter to discuss with you, Tim.”

The guy openly winced. “Yeah. Sure. Let’s get this over with. I like a good ass chewing before I go home. I just usually like to be on the giving end of it.”