Darker (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6)(7)

I wanted to tell Briggs to sit on it and rotate. The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I saw a chance to learn more about the FPA and what they were up to, so I reconsidered. Could I make this work to my advantage?

I exchanged a glance with Arys, sharing so much with just a look. Tilting my head, I gave Briggs my best smile and purred, “What’s in it for me?”

He couldn’t hide the relief that swept over his hard features. Relief quickly gave way to a cryptic grin that didn’t sit well with me. My stomach flipped a few times. Briggs’s grin grew until it was downright unnerving.

“I’ll tell you what really happened to Kale Sinclair.”

Chapter Three

“Are you f**king kidding me?” The words spilled out, driven by a crash of emotion. A growl rumbled in my throat, and I was all fangs and claws.

Briggs raised his weapon. Uncertainty replaced his smug smile. So much for negotiating with the FPA. Briggs had uttered the magic words that were stronger than my rein on sanity.

I timed my attack perfectly. Sudden and instinctive, I hit him dead center in the chest, grabbing his gun arm in a bone-shattering grip. An audible crack brought me a shred of satisfaction but not quite as much as his pained shout. He hit the ground hard with me atop him. Briggs grunted as I knocked the gun from his hand.

Wrapping a hand around his throat, I snarled down into his face. Commotion broke out as nearby agents rushed over with guns drawn. Juliet yelled for them to hold their fire. I looked up to find myself staring into the barrel of her gun.

“Do you really have it in you to pull that trigger?” I snapped, refusing to loosen my hold on Briggs.

Juliet’s eyes were wild, all wolf. “How bad do you want to find out?”

Little sister had a backbone after all. A chuckle spilled between my lips. I was proud of her. She held the gun on me, but her wary gaze flicked to Arys. He watched me with a mischievous smile.

At a time when Shaz would have dragged me off Briggs, Arys merely watched with amusement. It was a sobering realization. I had to keep my rash actions in check. My white wolf wasn’t here to keep me from doing something I’d regret.

Ignoring Juliet, I leaned in close to Briggs. Sniffing deeply of his scent, I savored the delicious smell of fear. It was tantalizing, calling to my bloodlust the way the scent of fresh bread called to a starving man. I gazed at the man beneath me and saw only prey.

“Tell me what you know about Kale Sinclair.” I focused on the clean after-shave scent of Briggs, trying to block out the enticing aroma of human and terror. I couldn’t lose control. Not here, not now.

“Get the hell off me,” he grunted, struggling for breath.

“Try again.” I tightened my hold on his throat, choking off his air supply completely.

A sudden surge of panic had Briggs flailing. As well muscled as he was, he still didn’t have it in him to fight a pissed off werewolf. He had no idea how lucky he was that I purposely held off using power on him. I wanted him to talk; I didn’t want his head to explode. At least, not just yet.

Briggs stared up at me with wide eyes. The fear in their brown depths faded, replaced by a growing fury. He shook his head as much as my grip would allow. Total refusal.

I smacked his head against the concrete hard enough to rattle his pearly white teeth. “Tell me, goddammit!”

“Alexa, that’s enough.” Juliet stepped closer, her gun inches from my face. “Let him go.”

I didn’t look at her when I held up a hand and, with a push of power, threw her back. Before the remaining agents could rush me, Arys surrounded us with an energy circle. Briggs was trapped inside, entirely at our mercy.

“Start talking before I decide you smell just a little too good,” I growled. I eased off just enough so he could speak. “Where is Kale?”

He gave a strangled cough. With a murderous light in his dark gaze, Briggs said, “He’s dead.”

“Liar,” I shouted. The punch I threw was automatic. I wanted to make him hurt for that.

“I gave the kill order,” Briggs roared back at me. His words cut deep because I smelled no lie on him.

“What?” I whispered more to myself than to anyone else.

“When I told you he escaped, it was a lie. We had him all along. Keeping him alive wasn’t a risk worth taking.” Briggs might have been in a bad position, but it didn’t diminish his arrogance. “Go ahead and kill me. The entire agency will be on your ass, and your demon problems will be a cake walk in comparison.”

I glanced around at the waiting agents, each of them with guns drawn. Juliet was back on her feet, watching me with a guarded expression. Killing Briggs was exactly what I craved. It was the least I could do after what the FPA had done to Kale.

Kale… how could I not know that he was dead? My instinct had told me he still lived, and yet Briggs’s words rang with truth. A scream built within me, threatening to burst forth.

My wolf stared out of my eyes, gazing down into Briggs with a fierce hunger that had nothing to do with appetite and everything to do with vengeance. He was right. The FPA already had me on a watch list. If I tore his throat out the way I wanted, I’d never be free of them.

I landed one last blow, connecting with his face hard enough to make my hand throb. Then, I got off him and stepped back. Briggs would get his alright. His time would come, and I’d be there to see it.