Primal Law (Alpha Pack #1)(22)

"I am. What do you think?"

"I don't know her very well, but from what I've seen, I'm not sure. After all, she did get into hot water, presumably for stealing, someone at NewLife is after her, and she hasn't yet finished her explanation. I say we hear the rest first before you decide to grant her access to sensitive information and place vulnerable lives in her hands."

Nick nodded. "I agree. Why don't you go get her and let's finish this interview? Afterward, I need to meet with the whole team."

"What's up?"

"Couple of items came across my desk this morning from Grant. We've got a potential problem to deal with and four unusual murders to investigate."

"What sort of problem?"

"Reports are coming in of a man hanging around the cemetery outside Cody, possibly a paranormal being. He's starting to spook the locals."

"Think he's connected with the murders?"

"Not sure. I'll bring you up to speed with everyone else."

"Knew it's been too quiet around here." He stood with a grunt. "Be right back."

He found Kira in the dining room, clearing her spot at one of the big oak tables. As it had since last night, the sight of her hit him in the gut. Other places, too. She should look ridiculous, drowning as she was in the red shirt and jeans, but instead she was cute as hell. Looking up, she spotted him heading her way and greeted him, her gaze wary.

"Hey. I was just about to take this to the kitchen."

Had he put that hesitation there? Idiot. Of course he had. In less than twenty-four hours she'd seen him tear apart two men and go after a good friend. As a wolf. Naturally, she wasn't going to be overjoyed to see him.

"Leave it. The cook's two helpers get paid well to keep the place clean."

"Oh. Okay, then I guess I'm ready to face the firing squad." She grimaced, grabbed her purse from the floor beside a chair, and fell into step beside him.

"It won't be so bad. You were lost and that wasn't your fault. I, or someone else, should have made sure you had an escort to breakfast. Don't worry. Nick won't rake you over the coals until after you're officially employed and no longer have an excuse not to break the rules."

She looked up at him in surprise. "Is he planning to offer me a position?"

"Maybe. Let's finish our talk with him and we'll see."

Once they'd settled in, Jaxon relaxed as Nick brought last night's aborted interview up to speed. Kira fidgeted, outwardly nervous.

"Miss Locke-"

"Kira," she blurted. "I'm sorry. But it's Kira."

He smiled, no doubt hoping to put her at ease. But it only made him appear more dangerous, which Jaxon knew wasn't intentional at the moment. "Right. Kira. Let's revisit what you told us before." He shuffled some papers on his desk, notes he must've taken after they'd left last night. "You said you'd become suspicious of Dr. Bowman and Dr. Rhodes. They'd been sending their assistants home, working late, and you overheard them speaking about meeting with Orson Chappell and some of the board members. That correct?"

"Yes."

"I did some checking on NewLife. Chappell is not only the CEO, he's the owner and founder of the company. It seems he has a stranglehold on the board and the buck stops with him."

"That's what I've heard. He's a charismatic public figure, but he's rumored to be very tough to deal with and work for one-on-one."

"But you have no firsthand knowledge?"

She shook her head. "I've never met him in person."

"How long have you worked at NewLife?"

"Four years."

"And you've never met the head honcho?"

"The federal government employs almost two million people, about eighty-five percent of whom live in or around Washington, D.C. How many of those have actually met the president?"

"Good point," he conceded with a half smile. "So that brings us to the meat and potatoes of the discussion. What was the tip-over factor for you? When did curiosity become suspicion that something possibly . . . unethical was occurring? If that's the right word."

"Unethical describes what I thought I might find. What I started putting together called not only ethics into question, but legality and morality." She looked away from Nick, staring pensively at the wall, as though remembering.

"Quite by accident, I heard Dr. Bowman whisper something in hushed tones to Dr. Rhodes about the restricted area in the basement of NewLife. A security guard found a sanitation worker down there without clearance and the worker was fired, but that wasn't the interesting thing. I'm paraphrasing, but Dr. Bowman was upset, and he said something like, 'Remember the media explosion in the nineties when the first successful cloning of an adult mammal was done with Dolly the sheep? If anyone finds out, this will make that scientific breakthrough look like child's play and that can't happen-not before we're ready.' "

Both Jaxon and Nick sat up straighter, eyes widening. Jax interrupted. "And you believe they were referring to whatever research they're doing in the restricted area that the worker almost discovered?"

"I'm sure that's what they were talking about. But I didn't catch any more at that time because they moved out of my hearing. A few days later, Dr. Bowman was called away from work to a family emergency and I sort of took the opportunity to, um . . ."