Page 31 of Flesh and Fury
“Why?” Juan asked.
Eoghan swallowed, feeling a little sick. “Because we’ll be dead.”
The Alphas both nodded, looking gravely serious. “Be careful,” Juan said.
They all shook hands again and got up from the picnic tables. Eoghan bid the chief, Carly, and Evan goodbye. It had been a risk bringing them into their confidence, but they needed allies. He just hoped for his sake and the sake of theman who walked beside him to the Charger, that he hadn’t made the mistake of a lifetime in trusting these people with their lives.
“We need to check in with Priest,” Ari said, grabbing his burner. “I wasn’t kidding about that.”
“I know,” Eoghan said, starting the car and enjoying the feel of the rumble of the engine under his ass. He pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road, headed back toward the highway which would take them across the border into California. His aim was food and for that he needed to find a restaurant not located in the center of nowhere. He listened to Ari calling the chief and relaying what had transpired. The conversation took a while and just as he reached the border, he watched Ari put the phone on speaker.
“Sapphire? Are you there?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Your partner says this entire operation went off almost flawlessly and without any of the marshals including Deputy Chief Washington even having to participate in the fight between the two packs.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What’s your take on that?”
Eoghan flicked a look at Ari who was frowning before he glanced down at the phone on the center console.
“My take, ma’am?”
“Why do you think the werewolves didn’t attack you?”
Eoghan glanced at Ari again. His partner nodded at the phone and then back at him. “Go ahead, Eoghan. Tell the chief what you were told.”
“What were you told and by whom, Sapphire?” the chief asked.
Something clicked in Eoghan’s brain.
“What wasn’t I told after my werewolf attack, ma’am? Is there something you know that I don’t?”
She sighed and there was a long pause…so long Eoghan thought for a second that the line had disconnected. He nearly jumped when she finally answered. “Do you think for a moment that I would send you to talk to werewolf packs if I didn’t know you were protected, Sapphire?”
“What, ma’am?”
“I’m aware of the piece of werewolf claw which was left behind after your attack. The doctors found it on your X-rays and were going to remove it, but I overruled them when I learned that it wouldn’t harm you,” she said.
“I can’t believe that you got involved with my doctors and overruled them,” Eoghan blurted. He was outraged that he’d never been told any of this. It made him feel vulnerable and somehow used…and a whole host of other feelings that simply didn’t make any sense to him. He wanted to punch something, but they were in a small car and smashing his fists against the dash or the steering wheel was inadvisable, especially when he was the one driving the thing.
“I understand your anger, Eoghan.”
She never used his first name.
“I’m just shocked,” he said, sounding more subdued than he felt.
“No, you’re angry and you have every right to be. I should have told you about the claw a long time ago. It wasn’t a decision I made lightly and the idea of telling you after the fact, didn’t make a whole lot of sense. You were so sick for so long, your doctors weren’t certain you’d even survive. None of us were. By the time you finally turned the corner and began to feel better, it felt like the window of telling you had passed. It actually gave me a little bit of confidence in you being protected on the job, because I knew that the weres wouldleave you alone. It’s one of the reasons I agreed to let you train a rookie like Brown. I knewhewould also be protected until he learned the ropes just because he was your partner and clearly in your orbit most of the time.” She paused before sighing again. “I’m sorry, Eoghan. I should have trusted you.”
“You should have, ma’am, but thank you for telling me the reasoning behind it.”
“Okay then, I believe it’s time for you two to come home. You’ve done an excellent job there in Northern California. With the strength of Severin and Invictus and their unique fire-breathing skills, I think we have an advantage. Fire does kill vampires you know.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ari said.
“I’ve been calling in favors of my own. More shifter clans are on board. With them, the dragons, the two werewolf packs, and Two Trees shifters pack, we should have a solid advantage. I think you should drive home tomorrow so that we can begin planning things the day after.”