Chapter One #2
Sometimes, he wished he had an easier job, but he loved working for Victor. The man was a shifter and an activist. He’d been campaigning for new laws to protect people—shifters and other supernatural beings, and even though Alan was as human as they came, he was proud to say he worked for the man.
He was less proud to say he worked so much that he didn’t have a social life, but he’d have time to get one later.
For now, his job as Victor’s assistant took most of his time.
If he wasn’t at work, he was thinking about work, and he liked things that way.
He liked feeling like he was doing what he could to help people.
He turned off his computer and got to his feet.
Since it would take him a while to get home, he decided to use the bathroom before leaving the office.
He turned off the light in the office and grabbed his things, then headed to the bathroom.
There, he splashed his face with cold water, hoping it would make the headache fade.
Even if it only lasted an hour, he’d be grateful for it.
He was thinking about dinner as he left the bathroom. That was why it took him a moment to see that there was a light on in Victor’s office. It had been off earlier. Alan frowned, wondering who it was. Maybe someone from the cleaning crew?
When he heard Victor’s voice, he smiled. So he wasn’t the only one working late tonight. He’d thought Victor had left earlier, but maybe he’d come back to grab something. If he hadn’t gotten dinner yet, they could stop somewhere and eat together.
Alan hiked his messenger bag higher on his shoulder and stepped toward the open office door. He was already thinking about where they could eat when he realized that Victor wasn’t alone. He could hear two voices, and he didn’t recognize the second one.
“What more do you want me to do?” Victor was asking.
“We need more names,” a second man said. “The hunters have stopped providing us with as many people as we need.”
“That’s not my problem. I told you when you started working with them that you’d have that kind of trouble, but you went ahead anyway.”
“There’s no need for you to tell me that you told me so. I’m aware.”
“Yet you’re here to beg me for my help.”
“Will you give it to us? You know we pay well.”
There was a moment of silence. Alan held his breath, wondering what the fuck he’d walked in on. Who was Victor talking to? What were they talking about?
They’d mentioned the hunters. Alan knew who they were.
He’d never understood why those humans felt they were better than supernatural beings or why they felt the need to hurt and kill those people.
Shifters should have as many rights as humans to be safe and live in peace. It was what Victor was working for.
So why was he talking about the hunters? Why was he talking about providing names to the man in his office?
“I’ll help you, but it’s going to be more expensive,” Victor eventually said.
“We already pay you handsomely.”
“You do, but my position is delicate. You know what would happen if anyone were to find out what I’m doing.”
“You know better than to allow anyone to do that.”
“It doesn’t mean it’s safe. Considering my position, I’m the one risking the most.”
“How much more money do you want?”
“Five thousand for every name.”
“That’s outrageous.”
“It’s the price you’ll have to pay if you want more people for your labs. I think the Glass Research Company has more than enough money to pay me.”
Alan couldn’t breathe or move. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Victor was selling names to the labs. He was selling people.
The labs and their existence were easy for most people to ignore. That was what Victor and Alan had been working so hard for. They wanted people to understand what happened in those labs and to help prevent it from happening again. They wanted to save the people who were still being hurt.
Well, it was what Alan had been doing. He didn’t think that Victor had the same goals in mind anymore.
He didn’t know what to do. He should confront Victor, but not right now.
Alan had no idea who the other man in the office was, but if the guy worked for the labs, he had to be dangerous.
What would happen to Alan if he tried anything?
Would he be one more name added to the list of people Victor had apparently sold to those monsters?
He needed to get out of there. He had to put as much space as he could between himself and Victor.
He didn’t know what he’d do with the information he’d just heard, but he couldn’t ignore it.
Right now, though, he also couldn’t do anything about it.
It was too easy to imagine what would happen if the man in the office hurt him.
As far as Alan knew, he was the only one aware of what Victor was up to, so if he wanted Victor to be stopped, he’d have to take things into his own hands.
He took a step back, then another, eager to get away.
His messenger bag slid off his shoulder, and he scrambled to catch it.
As he did so, he bumped into a small table that was placed against the wall.
The vase with fake flowers in it that was on the table wobbled.
Alan tried to snatch it up, but he wasn’t fast enough.
The vase tilted sideways, then hit the ground, shattering.
The conversation in the office stopped immediately. Alan held his breath, hoping against all odds they hadn’t heard the noise.
They did.
“Who’s there?” the man Alan didn’t know asked.
“How am I supposed to know?” Victor snapped.
“You said the office was empty.”
“It was when we came in.”
Alan needed to move. He couldn’t stay when he knew Victor was dangerous. If his boss found out he’d heard the conversation, he’d try to stop him from telling anyone. It was clear that he was making a lot of money from selling the names. He wouldn’t want that to stop.
“Alan?” Victor called out. His voice was closer now, and when Alan turned back, he could see the shadow of Victor moving toward him.
Alan sucked in a breath and rushed toward the door. He wasn’t sure he’d be fast enough, but he needed out.
“Alan!” Victor called out. “Come back here.”
Alan didn’t know for sure what would happen if he obeyed and went back, but he had a good imagination.
He didn’t even slow down. He couldn’t afford to.
Even if Victor was reluctant to hurt him because they knew each other, there was no telling how the other man would react.
What they were doing was monstrous. Victor had to know that Alan wouldn’t let it go.
That meant that there was only one way to stop him.
Alan prayed that Victor wouldn’t follow, but he knew it was pointless. Victor couldn’t let him leave. He couldn’t let him run away with his secret.
Where was Alan supposed to go? He thought about it as he ran out of the building and to the parking lot. His first goal was to reach his car. He didn’t think he could go back to his apartment, though. Victor knew where he lived. He knew every place where Alan felt safe.
Which meant that Alan wasn’t safe anywhere, even if he managed to get away.
* * * *
EVAN WAS STILL LOOKING at Franklin sideways as they left the bar.
It was amusing because Evan couldn’t be threatening even when he tried to be.
He might be a mutant, but he was a gentle person, and anyone who had even a short conversation with him knew that.
He might be glaring at Franklin, but Matthew doubted that Franklin was intimidated in any way.
He didn’t have a reason to be. Evan could be dangerous with his newfound powers, but he wouldn’t hurt a fly unless that fly hurt him first. As long as Franklin didn’t do anything stupid like threaten Hansen, Evan wouldn’t hurt him.
Evan squinted in Franklin’s direction. “I don’t know if I trust you, even though you’re kind of nice.”
Hansen spluttered, but Franklin looked amused. “I don’t expect you to trust me.”
Evan blinked and swayed slightly. Luckily for him, Hansen was standing next to him and had an arm around his waist. “You’re too nice,” Evan said.
Franklin laughed. “Maybe I am.”
“I thought you’d be evil since you were a guard.”
That wiped the smile off Franklin’s lips. “I might have been a guard, but it’s not because I wanted to be one.”
“Right. Your siblings.”
“I need to find them.”
“Your siblings that no one knows for sure exist.”
Matthew really hoped that Evan wasn’t making an enemy out of Franklin.
The man was nice, and he was trying to help.
Of course, he was doing it because he needed help to find his siblings, but still.
He could be useful to the mutants and their mission.
He’d worked inside several labs. The people working there had trusted him to protect them.
It was a position no mutant had ever been in, and he might have information they could never get otherwise.
Thankfully, Franklin still didn’t look angry. He watched as Hansen tried to shush Evan, but Evan didn’t look like anyone would be able to convince him to keep his mouth shut—not his mate, not his best friend if he was there, and certainly not Matthew.
“Well, if I could, I’d offer to call my mother,” Franklin offered. “She’d have been thrilled to tell you about the almost twenty-four hours she was in labor with the twins.”
“I thought twins were delivered by C-section,” Evan said.
“Not always.”
Evan narrowed his eyes. “You’re not lying to us, are you?”
“I promise I’m not. I’m not sure how to prove it to you, but I can try.”
“You don’t need to prove anything to anyone,” Hansen said.
“I want him to,” Evan argued.
“You won’t even remember this tomorrow morning. Come on. I’ll take you to bed.”
Evan paused, then wiggled his eyebrows. “Oh, that’s a good idea.”
Hansen rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I meant, but sure. Let’s act as if you’re not going to fall asleep the second your head hits your pillow.”
“I have more stamina than that.”