Chapter 7 #2
Ethan has taken a laptop out of his backpack and now places it on a small side table in front of me, some sort of official Soldati Security document on the screen. “I’d like you to sign an NDA.”
A non-disclosure agreement? Are they trying to keep us quiet about the explosion? The rumours in Wargate were that the new task force is very different from the previous one—unbiased, for one thing. But maybe that’s not true.
‘Why?’ I ask.
Ethan leans forward, forearms on his knees. “Because I think you can help us with an ongoing investigation, but I can’t tell you anything about it unless you sign that first.”
I stare at him, trying to read how much truth there is in that statement. His body language is calm, his pine forest scent is stable, and he’s not using any alpha power right now, although there is the golden glow of a mate bond in the centre of his chest.
Since there’s no hint of deception, and the idea of working with the task force instead of being on the other side of the law is more appealing than I’m willing to admit to anyone, I pick up the laptop and read through the NDA. It’s standard, so I add a digital signature.
He takes the laptop from me, taps a few times on the touchpad, then puts it back on the little table. “This is a contract to protect you should you assist us in the investigation. It does not constitute any obligation on either side.”
Dhiren has been fingerspelling several words already, so I show him the signs for them while I consider what Ethan’s really offering here.
‘I’d like to know what the investigation relates to first.’ Even if there’s no obligation as he says, I know better than to sign a contract without the full picture.
Ethan gives a slight nod to Dhiren, then sits back in his chair.
Dhiren’s fingers tremble slightly. ‘My real name is Rajesh Puli. I work for Soldati Security.’
What. The. Fuck.
‘I go by Raj. Ethan and I were in the SAS together, along with most of our pack. I’m Ethan’s beta.’
I shoot to my feet, needing to pace to figure out what the hell I’m feeling. The sitting room that seemed so large when we came in, with its ornate ceiling and elaborate chandelier, is too small now. My chest is tight, my blood heating.
I know we barely know each other, but I thought there was a genuine connection between us. I hate the idea that he was just using me to get information because I didn’t make a secret of my crush on him.
At the far end of the room, I spin and face Raj, my hand movements sharp. ‘Were any of our conversations real? Do you even have a Deaf ex-girlfriend?’
He nods immediately, his hands tripping over the words.
‘I’ve been as real with you as I could. I started learning BSL as a teenager, then met Aarya two years later.
She was my first girlfriend, and was Deaf.
Even though we were only together for six months I kept learning after we broke up, although it’s been a long time since I was able to use it in earnest. Languages come easily to me.
In the armed forces, a huge part of my role was as interpreter for whichever team I was assigned to. ’
I pace some more, absorbing that, before facing him again. ‘Is the only reason you’ve been talking to me to get information?’
‘No,’ he signs emphatically. ‘You’re fun to talk to, and your messages always make me smile.’
I stop and take a few deep breaths, trying to calm my pounding heart. I hate feeling like I’ve been duped. Part of me wants to walk out of here, fly home, and leave these two to whatever investigation they have going on.
The larger part of me wants to know who Raj really is, because I’ve been drawn to him since we met. My dragon side has already decided we’re keeping the tiger and doesn’t care what name he uses. The rest of me is curious enough to at least allow him to explain his side of things.
I take my time crossing the room and sitting back down. My hand movements are still jerky, although calmer than before. ‘How much of the real you do I know?’
He leans closer, a slight smile on his lips. ‘Dhiren is the friendly, easy-going part of me. One layer of many.’
‘And now you’ll let me get to know the other parts?’ I understand that he’s telling me this because of some task force operation or other, but that’s not what’s important to me. I want to know who he really is, whether that means my fledgling feelings for him grow or die.
‘As friends, yes.’ His hands are firm.
I can’t resist asking, ‘No naked time?’
Ethan’s shoulders shake as Raj’s cheeks redden beautifully. ‘No.’
Pity, although I did expect that answer, and after my dragon’s tantrum yesterday when we were separated, I could do with finding some chill before I scare Raj off. I need to slow down and take the time to really woo him.
Ethan takes pity on Raj and joins in the conversation again. “Would you still like to know about our investigation, and how you might be able to help?”
Satisfied that there’s time to get to know my tiger better, I nod.
Raj’s hand movements become businesslike, although not all of his signs are one hundred percent correct. ‘We’ve been investigating Far Out Freight for multiple reasons. Initially, because they were paying Nyoka Muroyi for something and we wanted to find out what that was.’
Raj doesn’t insult my intelligence by asking if I know who Nyoka Muroyi is. Every supe in Birchester who’s spent time in Wargate is well aware of that bastard. I didn’t know he had a connection to Lance’s company, though.
‘Then we started getting reports of workers at Far Out Freight quitting unexpectedly, moving away without notifying friends or family, and not being available for video calls or meeting in person despite being active on social media and responding to messages. They were all on the mandatory work programme and left before the end of their six months, and now we have a possible link to workplace accidents like ours. I’ve been trying to verify whether they’re missing or not, as well as locate them if they are. ’
I lean forward. ‘Is Val on your list?’
‘Valerie Lunaire?’ Raj fingerspells her name as quickly as he can. ‘You know something?’
‘Harley said Val moved away with two months left on her contract. She’ll be sent back to Wargate for the remaining time if she’s caught, and I don’t know of anyone willing to risk that.’
Raj and Ethan exchange a look.
‘We weren’t aware that there’s a penalty. Do you have a copy of your contract?’ Raj asks.
‘Yes. I’ll email it to you if I can borrow a laptop for a few minutes. My phone is fucked.’
“Our IT specialist can take a look at your phone for you,” Ethan says. “Kit can fix anything. And you can borrow this laptop after we’re done.”
That’s generous. ‘Thanks. Can you not just ask their local task force to check in on them, wherever they’re supposed to have moved to?’
Ethan scowls. “I fucking wish. We can’t submit an official request without evidence of a welfare concern, and we don’t have the contacts around the country to ask for favours yet. We might be able to do more with proof they’ve breached their contracts, though.”
Raj’s expression remains serious. ‘There’s more, Bryn. After the explosion yesterday, it’s now a high priority to determine what kind of freight is actually being shipped by the company and how dangerous it could be.’
‘Are you saying they’re moving something illegal?’ I try not to let my hand movements show my excitement.
I knew there was no way we were only moving books and clothing, not with those heavy duty containment fields in place, but it never occurred to me that the local task force would take a serious interest. Now there’s a genuine possibility that if Lance is being a naughty fae, prison could be in his future.
Of course, there’s every chance he’d get away with it, but it seems like Raj and Ethan are serious about gathering evidence.
‘That was always our initial concern,’ Raj signs. ‘It just might be a larger problem than we originally suspected.’
‘And you’re undercover?’
‘Yes. I think you could really help us, but we have to be careful. If this turns out to be the worst-case scenario and the maybe-missing shifters have been killed to remove any evidence after being injured at work—’
My adrenaline spikes immediately, my hand movements tense. ‘I won’t let them hurt you. I’ll keep you safe.’
He raises his eyebrows, which survived the explosion better than his hair. ‘I’m a highly trained former Special Forces soldier. I can take care of myself, and you.’
Shit. Right. I forgot about that part. I rub a hand over my buzz cut and try to calm down. It doesn’t help that my dragon is urging me to protect our treasure at all costs.
Ethan leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “You’re in as much danger as Raj if the accidents and disappearances are linked. I’d prefer it if you didn’t go anywhere alone until we get to the bottom of this.”
‘They’re not going to be stupid enough to try to attack a dragon. All I’d have to do is shift.’ It might even give me an excuse to barbecue them a little, like I should have done to Lance.
Ethan raises an eyebrow. “You know as well as we do that magic exists that can suppress a person’s supernatural abilities—in our case, our shifter sides.”
A chill runs over me and my dragon gives a low vibration deep inside me. Neither of us ever want to experience that again.
“We train for combat in both our forms for that reason,” Ethan says.
Surviving Wargate meant a certain amount of fighting, if for no other reason than because supes were struggling to cope with the stripping of their abilities, especially those of us who have another form.
Some turned to drugs to numb the pain; others lashed out.
Nevertheless, I had a desk job originally and the Independence Exam tests dragon skills, not bipedal ones.
I’d be an idiot to pass up an opportunity like this.
‘I wouldn’t be averse to improving my self-defence skills, if one of you is willing to teach me.’