Abandoned and Unseen (Branded Packs #2)(64)

Tucker gave a slow dip of his head, accepting that his friend was right. Only then did Sinclair release his grip and take a step back.

“You have a plan?”

“I’m assuming you were the companion who was shot?” Sinclair asked.

Tucker sent his companion a startled glance. How the hell had he known?

“Yeah.” He grimaced. He was going to have nightmares for years about how close Viker had come to shooting Nicole. “I got careless.”

Sinclair waved aside his pained confession. “They’re sending dogs to gnaw on your corpse.”

Tucker blinked. Was Sinclair joking? Or was that some sort of code?

“What are you talking about?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Sinclair muttered. “But when the SAU guards find you gone, they’re going to panic.”

Well, that made it all as clear as mud.

“You want me to go back so I can be mauled by dogs?” Tucker asked.

“No.” Sinclair squared his shoulders. “I need you to be Dr. Tucker. I’ll find another body to replace you in the house.”

It was the last thing Tucker expected.

His role as a researcher in the SAU labs gave him the perfect opportunity to spy on their enemy, as well as screw with the various results to make sure they were compromised. Amazingly, no one had managed to figure out why they couldn’t come up with accurate data on the shifters yet.

He didn’t, however, understand how the hell his position was going to help rescue Nicole.

“Why?”

Sinclair’s lips twisted. “You’re going to do an autopsy on yourself.”

Tucker leaned forward, holding his friend’s gaze. “This isn’t the time to screw with me.”

“I wish I was screwing with you.” Tucker gave an impatient shake of his head. “Come on. You need to get dressed so we can get to headquarters.”

“And then what?”

Sinclair glanced in the direction of the SAU facility. “I think I know how we can get your female out.”





Chapter 9


Nicole swallowed a groan as she battled her way back to reality. A part of her wanted to stay floating in the peaceful darkness. She already knew that there was going to be a world of pain waiting for her.

But the one thing she’d never been was a coward, and with grim determination, she forced her eyes open.

She grimaced, not particularly surprised to discover she was lying on a hard, cement floor. Or even the fact that she seemed to be in some sort of cramped cell with a heavy, metal door.

Viker had made it clear even before he’d kicked her in the head that he intended to use her as some sort of ‘get out of jail free’ card. He wanted forgiveness from the SAU, and he stupidly assumed she could be his bargaining chip.

With a low groan at the pain that throbbed behind her right eye, she shoved herself to a sitting position. She was healing, but the kick had been vicious enough that it would have killed a human. She was lucky that her eyes weren’t swollen shut.

Giving her head time to stop spinning, she scooted toward the front of the cell and grasped the handle of the door. She didn’t think they would have been kind enough to leave it unlocked, but it gave her something to hold on to as she pulled herself to her feet.

Leaning against the cold steel, she pressed her face against the small window. She frowned as a shadow passed by. Someone was approaching.

“Hello?” she called out. “Is anyone there?”

There was a click as the lock was tumbled, and then the door was pressed open, knocking Nicole backward.

A tall, lean male with long, black hair stepped into the cell, his blue eyes cold with warning.

“Don’t say a word,” he commanded in low tones.

Nicole frowned, puzzled by the faintly familiar scent. “Who are you?”

He stepped toward her. “You’re going to have to trust me.”

Yeah, right. Her gaze dipped down to the uniform that belonged to the SAU. She’d rather trust a rattlesnake.

“Why should I?” she demanded, her back straight and her chin tilted to a proud angle.

His lips parted, but before he could speak, there was the unmistakable sound of footsteps. He had sent her a warning glance before he was stepping to the side to let a man with a broad face and buzzed head stroll through the open door.

Another guard. Only this one had an arrogant swagger that assured Nicole he was the one in charge.

“You again,” he drawled, jaw tight with annoyance as he glanced at the man standing beside her.

“Hello, Grant.”

“I’m getting tired of finding you in places you don’t belong, Sinclair.”

Nicole stiffened, barely suppressing her gasp of surprise.

Sinclair was the guard who’d helped Soren escape. And Tucker’s Alpha.

He had to be here to help her.

Or at least that was the hope she was going to cling to.

Sinclair shrugged. “I’m just carrying out orders, sir.”

Grant’s brows snapped together, clearly not liking the answer. “Whose orders?”

“Dr. Tucker’s.”

Again Nicole struggled to hide her reaction. Was he talking about her Tucker? He’d told her that he was a healer, but she hadn’t realized that he actually worked at the facility.