Page 45 of Hide or Die

Beckett showed no signs of either offense or anger. “I don’t think threats of mutual blackmail will be necessary under the circumstances, Madam Ambassador. There’s absolutely nothing to be gained on my end from ruining the careers of a pair of highly effective government officials. And given your admirable record of working to further the wellbeing of oppressed groups, I’m confident you wouldn’t risk bringing harm to my team simply because they haven’t been forced to adhere to a barbaric and dehumanizing law.”

I felt Kam flinch next to me. He’d been a victim of that same barbaric law—irreparably so.

This still seemed too easy, and things hadn’t magically started adding up. But I’d poked and I’d prodded—first at Alex, and now at Beckett—without finding a chink in their assertion that we weren’t going to be arrested and turned over to the authorities. There came a point where pushing the issue any further was only asking for trouble.

“In that case, it sounds like we don’t have a problem,” I told him, even though I was painfully aware that we stilldidhave a problem—even though it was an unrelated one.

“I’m pleased to hear it,” Beckett said, with the faintest hint of wry amusement hiding in his tone.

“Since that’s out of the way, can we have a few minutes alone, boss?” Flynn asked. “Pack business.”

I tensed, trying not to show it outwardly.

Alex closed her eyes. “Flynn,” she said, sounding tired beyond words.

“Fine,” Beckett said. “But don’t exhaust the invalid, and for god’s sake, please don’t make my life any more complicated than it already is right now.”

I gave him another wary look. It almost sounded like he knew what this private conversation was likely to entail. He patted Alex on the shoulder as he turned to leave. Kam and I moved out of his way, and he gave us a silent nod of acknowledgement as he passed by us on his way to the door. It opened and shut, and we were alone with the alphas—a pack who might well be about to steal myodamaaway from me.

SEVENTEEN

Leona

“SO, I HAD this brilliantidea, Jax,” Flynn said.

“It’s not actually a brilliant idea.” Alex still sounded almost as tired as Jax looked.

“No, it totally is,” Flynn continued, oblivious. “We have a pack. They have a pack. We should join packs. It’ll be great. We can court them, proper-like. Just like in the old days.”

Jax blinked up at him.

“Except, of course, for the part where they’re in hiding,” Alex said with forced patience, “and haven’t expressed any interest whatsoever in doing something so completely and utterly crazy.”

“They haven’t said no,” Flynn argued.

Jax followed the exchange like someone watching a tennis match. “They’re also standing right here, and might not appreciate being spoken about in the third person.”

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