Page 13 of The Eagle and the Shrew

“He was. But he was there, and I confronted him. He didn’t deny that Ariel had seen him that day. In fact, he told me that I was wrong to try to poison her against him, and that’s when he told me if I ever wanted to see her again, that I’d need to do exactly as he said.” Anson tried his best to swallow the pain he felt at the memory.

“And you believed he’d eventually let you see Ariel?”

“A part of me still does,” he admitted. “I just keep remembering the doctor who spoke with such conviction about wanting to cure my sister. All I wanted was for her to be able to live her life again. For her to not be weak and sick. And this man was selling us the dream. I blamed myself for telling Ariel to not go back to Grimm. Had I just supported her…” Would things have gone differently had he not cautioned Ariel about going back to see Grimm?

“You mean ignored the bruises? Ignored the fact that she was being made worse by the treatments?” Nari shook her head. “You did the right thing trying to talk her out of it. I’ve seen some of the results of what Grimm is doing to people. He’s hurting them, and your intuition was telling you that.”

He wasn’t about to debate her on it. No amount of discussion would convince him that he’d done the right thing. And who knew what could’ve been different had he alerted the authorities in the beginning. Or maybe things could have been worse. Instead of opening that can of worms, he asked her, “Do you think Grimm knows where we are?”

“If you’re that worried, I can have agents come in to set up a perimeter. I thought you wouldn’t be comfortable with that many badges in close proximity.” She narrowed her eyes at him as if trying to read his thoughts.

“One agent is one too many.” He regretted the words the second they were out of his mouth. Nari’s face crumpled as if he had struck her. “Sorry. You don’t count as an agent. We’re…friends…I think.”

“I think we are becoming friends.” A sheepish smile spread across her face, and the impish glint returned to her dark eyes. She inhaled sharply as if she had more to say but paused, taking in Anson’s face. A different type of smile touched the corners of her lips, turning them up slightly. “Get some sleep. I’ll keep watch.”

8

Nari looked to Anson. He was asleep on the couch. A peaceful expression on his face almost made the scrapes and bruising on his forehead appear more like Halloween makeup. But she knew it wasn’t make-believe. At least she was able to patch him up a bit. His freckles glowed in the orange light cast by the fire. He really was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. And the more he opened up to her, the more she heard about the horrors he had gone through. No wonder he had trust issues. His sister’s doctor had kidnapped Ariel to use her genetic condition for who knew what. Nari hoped they weren’t too late to rescue Ariel before Grimm completed his sinister plan with her.

Satisfied Anson was asleep, Nari crept out the front door and into the sparsely treed area of the forest that surrounded the cabin, taking her cell phone with her so she could call in to chat with Grayson. The soft ground felt spongy under her feet as she walked on a blanket of pine needles and dead leaves. She kept close to the porch to lean against the banister when a hand clamped down on her shoulder. Instinctively, she grabbed the person’s wrist, twisting out of their grip.

She was about to kick their feet out from under them when a familiar voice said, “Do you greet all agents this way?” The familiar yet stern tone could be only one person.

“Grayson?” Nari pulled the stranger out of the shadows into the light of the porch, where she confirmed the identity of the intruder and willed her racing heart to slow. “What are you doing out here? You could’ve warned me.” Nari was usually a “knock them out and ask questions later” kind of agent when it came to baddies sneaking up on her. Especially after dark.

“You can’t be surprised that we have agents out here watching you. Especially after what happened today.”

She blew out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Her long hair fluttered in the puff of air. “Were you able to identify the people in the other car?”

“Nope. They exited the same way you did. Shifted and flew.”

Nari raised an eyebrow. “So, confirmed not only were they shifters, but they were avian.” It would be more reason for ASS to push into the investigation.

“Yeah. Your boss is going to love that.”

“Well, he’s not going to love the fact that my mission has taken a turn.” She took a breath before admitting, “I couldn’t pull it off. I told Anson the truth.”

“You told him you’re still an agent.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.” She hung her head, ashamed. After the big show she’d made to Director Cooper, she’d ended up failing at her own plan.

“You gotta adjust in the field,” he said with a shrug as if discussing a mundane topic, like what laundry soap they choose to use. “If he wasn’t falling for it, or you felt it would help the investigation to tell him, then that’s what matters.”

It was not the reaction Nari was expecting. She thought she’d at least get chewed out. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. Was that why she’d told Anson? To build rapport? She supposed it could boil down to that. “The way he responded… I think he suspected I never really was on the run the whole time. I hope it helps him to trust me now.”

“What’s done is done. There’s no point talking about it. Especially when there are other things to focus on.” He handed her a nine-by-twelve mailing envelope. “Maybe we should go inside where you can look this all over.”

“Is there anything he shouldn’t know about? He’s right in there, on the couch. Sleeping, but still…”

“No. Actually, I would have asked you for his input on this anyway. We found this at the address you provided.” He was referring to Anson’s house in the soccer-mom neighborhood.

“Hmm.” She found that curious. Anson seemed adamant that there was nothing of importance there. Though Grayson was known for having a talent for sniffing clues out with his hound nose. Just because something was found didn’t mean Anson was purposely misleading her. She’d have to judge that after she saw what was in the envelope.

She led the FUC agent across the porch, the floorboards squeaking softly under her weight. Grayson’s cowboy boots clacked on the wood as he followed her. Before she opened the door, she thought to notify Grayson of Anson’s injuries. “Anson was beaten up pretty badly from the crash. I patched him up best I could, but he didn’t feel comfortable trying to walk to one of the back rooms to sleep.”

“Does he need a doctor?” He raised an eyebrow, probably in concern.

“I suspect he has a concussion and a broken humerus. He refused to go to the hospital, though.”

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