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Doing my best, sir. But you know my personal stake here, and you know how long I worked this
particular case.
Yes, son, I m well aware of what this one means to you, he said plainly. You just have to trust
things to keep proceeding smoothly.
So what s the news?
Bound by Nature
Josh cleared his throat, looking away from his sister, although he was well aware she was listening to
every word traded. She, more than almost anyone, knew how hard and long he had worked to bring this
particular case to the grand jury. They already had their indictment at least that victory had been won. But
the next eight months while they waited for the bastards trial was going to chew his nerves raw.
They re trying to claim they were set up by the undercover sting.
Josh leaped to his feet. Bullshit! That s total bullshit!
We both know that, but I m keeping you in the loop. That, and Jenkins cleared his throat and the
sound crackled over the phone line, I have to ask, son. There s no chance you d be willing to press
charges of your own? For what they did to you and&
Hayden s throat tightened up on him. Boss, I can t. I told you from the get go. Said I d take them
down, and I did, but my own situation stays out of it. We ve got enough without
I understand, the older man said firmly. I won t ask again. But so long as you know there s a
chance this thing could get tossed out. If it does, Rawlings and Keener walk. That s all I m saying. But
what you ve got&
Is only my word against theirs. No corroborating evidence, nothing. Except the possible testimony
of a man who has no memory of what really happened that night. We both know there s not a case there. It
might have been different if I d come forward at the time.
Jenkins made a chiding sound. We ve already been over that, son. I understand what your motives
were.
Thanks, sir. Keep me posted.
Josh returned the phone to its cradle and stared at it for a very long time, almost as if he half-expected
the inanimate object to give him some much-needed advice.
When he looked away at last, Kira s stare was locked on him, and she was clearly gauging whether or
not he wanted to talk about it. He rubbed his eyes and buried his face in his hands. All these promises he
was giving Hayden what if he couldn t back them up? What if the man he loved might still be in danger,
even now when Josh had been sure he was finally safe?
Tell me those freaks don t have a shot at walking, she blurted after a moment, clearly unable to
contain her fears. After what they did to you, Joshua everything they ve done, to so many people you
tell me they won t somehow cut a break or a deal or something. His little sister stared up at him like she
used to do when they were much younger, when she was first learning how to shift to wolf form and had
been so frightened.
Tell me this won t hurt, she d almost begged the first time he d taken her out for a night run, her huge
blue-green eyes filled with terror. Her gaze held that same honest need for reassurance right now. She was
the gentlest member of their immediate family, the only true Beta in their midst.
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Cooper Davis
He d placed a heavy burden on her slight shoulders when he d decided, six months ago, to come clean
about why he d spent three years doing undercover work to bust Edwin Keener and Burton Rawlings. Until
then the secrets had been toxic acid, eroding his insides. And even though his bosses knew how personal
his stake was in bringing those thugs down, it wasn t the same. He d needed someone in his inner circle,
someone who really loved him, to know why he d seemingly lost hold of his sanity and how Hayden
Garrett fit into the whole fucked up mess.
Sis, we both know that sometimes cases go south, he said. Dad saw it happen in his job. You
remember.
They d grown up with a father who was a police officer, just a hardworking, good man, who had
finally retired to focus on leading their people.
You re not promising me they re going to get what they deserve, she said.
Her kind gaze never moved from his face, and it touched him how much she cared. And that she hated
those two men almost as much as he did maybe even more because they d hurt her big brother.
Kira, sweetie, he told her gently, I put together the best evidence I could. I think it s all going to be
fine. We made it past the grand jury, a huge hurdle.
She nodded, picking at her burger. He decided to lighten things up. So, let s get back to the really
juicy, good stuff. My love life.
Kira laughed, her freckled nose crinkling. You are so demented.
No, I m a highly focused individual.
She made a playful, wolfish snarl. Alpha. You are so, so totally Alpha, it s not even funny. I hope
Hayden s into that.
This really made him laugh. Good grief, do you remember Hayden? How flipping Alpha he is? I m
downright docile and Beta compared to him. He smiled, thinking of how many times he and Hayden had
circled each other over one issue or another. Right now, things between them sure felt hopeless, but
maybe just maybe it was simply more of their Alpha natures battling for dominance.
Kira s smile slipped away and she became serious again. I hate to ask this, Josh, but what if Hayden
won t forgive you? For all that you kept from him& well, all of it?
Josh wiped his hands definitively. I cannot allow myself to consider the possibility. Josh rolled his
desk chair back and checked his watch. I m picking him up in an hour.
Does he know you re coming over?
He gave his sister a playful wink. Nope, or he probably wouldn t be there.
Joshua. I m not so sure this non-plan of yours is the best one you ve ever come up with.
No, it really is. And heading over to Hayden s place now is perfect for phase one.
She didn t appear totally convinced and gave him a skeptical half-smile. I see.
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Bound by Nature
For real! In fact, my strategy s going to tear down all the cynicism he s hiding behind. He smiled,
thinking of what the situation required. You see, sis, I m going to woo him. Day by day, I m going to win
his heart back.
She cleared her throat. Sweetie, uh, not to be a killjoy, but you know, she said, Hayden may not
even open the front door when he sees it s you.
He will.
And you know this how?
I just do. Josh leaned down and kissed Kira on the cheek, then glanced in the small mirror he kept
on his office wall. With a quick sweep of his hands, he made sure his hair was neat and smoothed out his
uniform. When he caught Kira s gaze, she seemed to be waiting for a better explanation.
With a sigh, he leaned against the edge of his desk. Because one night, a long time ago, Hayden
Garrett fell in love with me. He gave me his heart& his very soul. And I gave him all of myself, too. He just
doesn t remember it. Not yet.
Good luck! His sister called as he bounded out the door, hardly able to contain the thrill he felt
about seeing Hayden.
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