Page 1 of Defiance
Chapter 1
Logan came to with a jolt, pain radiating out from his cheek.
Instinct had his body on high alert from the second he regained consciousness, but it took his mind a moment or two to catch up.
Then everything flooded back to the surface, and he needed every ounce of control he possessed to remain calm.
Paul stood in front of him, idly rubbing the palm of his hand.
That explained the dull throb on the right side of his face.
Bastard.
“You know,” Paul began, coming to stand directly in front of him. “It gives me no pleasure to have to do this, Logan.”
Logan snorted. He didn’t need enhanced senses to know that was a lie.
Paul didn’t bother to hide his smirk.
Glancing around the room, Logan recognised it as one of thesofterinterrogation rooms. At least he had that to be thankful for.
Noticing his wandering gaze, Paul sighed. “I suggested we give you a thorough interrogation, just like Cole’s going to get, but Michael vetoed that idea.”
Logan’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of Cole, and he focused hard on the far wall not to show any interest. Shrugging one shoulder, he offered a nonchalant, “No less than he deserves.”
Eyebrow raised, Paul studied him closely. “I thought you might be a little more concerned about his wellbeing, seeing as he was one of your candidates?”
It was a test. Logan was well aware of how Paul worked. How their whole unit worked.
“He broke the law. He knew there’d be consequences.” They’d taken Cole away as soon as he, Logan, and Aaron had crossed the border into the London boroughs. Watching him be cuffed and hauled into the back of the waiting van had torn at his heart, his wolf desperate to intervene, to protect. They might not be bonded, but their connection was already strong. Only Aaron, leaning against his side, fingers tight around his wrist under his jacket, had kept him from ruining everything.
“I wonder how he’s finding those consequences now?” Paul mused. He leant against the wall, gaze fixed on Logan, eyes boring into him as though he could reach in and rip the truth out. Logan kept his expression neutral. “I wonder if he thinks it was all worth it.”
Paul had come out to meet them, and although he hadn’t ordered Logan and Aaron to be put in handcuffs, he’d obviously given the order they weren’t to be treated gently. Logan had healed on the journey through London, but it hadn’t been a pleasant ride to the McKillan Estate.
He and Aaron were pack pariahs for the foreseeable future, but they were alive and free from suspicion by the sounds of it. Their only crimes—admittedly big ones where their pack was concerned—was allowing humans to get the better of them and letting a candidate escape. The only thing keeping them out of jail was the fact they’d brought Cole back with them. And that Jacob had managed to keep the news relatively contained.
Aaron was no doubt in a similar situation to Logan. But what about Cole?
The only contact Logan had was with Paul and his team. He knew nothing of Cole’s whereabouts or what they were doing to him. The one saving grace was while Paul was with Logan; at least he wasn’t interrogating Cole.
“If you let me go, I could ask him,” Logan offered with a shrug.
Paul sneered, his whole body screaming coiled tension. So much strength lurked under his long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans. Even if Logan wasn’t tied to the chair, he knew he had little chance of escape. Paul would take great delight in physically restraining him.
Besides, he had to ride this out for their plan to work.
“You’re not going anywhere for a while.” He made a show of glancing in the direction of the heavy-duty interrogation cells, and ice trickled down Logan’s spine. “And neither is he.”
Fuck.
He’d known they’d go harder on Cole—pack members had died because of his escape attempt—but now that they were back, Logan wasn’t sure he could handle the thought of Cole being interrogated by members of Paul’s team.
But you have to. Everyone’s depending on you.
If he failed to convince Paul that the whole thing had been a fuck-up on his part and nothing else, he’d be putting people’s lives at risk.
Logan sat upright, meeting Paul’s gaze. “Let’s get this over with then. Ask your fucking questions.” He might have no choice but to endure this, but that didn’t mean he had to play nice. He was a member of the McKillan pack, after all. It was expected.
