Page 17 of Defiance
Logan caught him and nodded. “Probably. And to answer your question, yes, anyone with a passcard can get in, but Michael wants you to be a member of our pack. No one will be paying you visits for anything nefarious.”
“You also said it’s going to be hard to get accepted and they’ll all hate me.”
Logan gave him a pointed look, and okay, so Cole had paraphrased, but this was a legitimate concern. “I said they wouldn’t make it easy, not that they’d come and attack you while you were sleeping. We’re not animals.”
Cole refrained from answering. Logan’s tone sounded a bit too defensive and he wasn’t sure how much of this was for the camera’s benefit. He stood back while Logan pushed the door open, then followed him inside.
And... wow.
That was so not what Cole had been expecting. “Oh.” He walked into the centre of the room and slowly turned around. It looked like what he’d expected from the outside of the building. A very posh flat. Wooden floors covered the open-plan lounge-kitchen-dining area, and it was real wood too, not the laminate that Cole was used to. The room wasn’t overly large, but it had a sofa and a TV, and the kitchen looked brand new. He turned to face Logan who wore a somewhat smug expression. “You could’ve told me it’d be like this.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“I was expecting a jail cell.” Cole gestured around him with a huff. “Not the lap of luxury.”
“I know.” Logan shrugged. “You’re not that sort of prisoner. When you’re no longer a flight risk, they’ll move you somewhere else.”
Cole ran a hand across the back of the sofa. It felt soft to the touch and looked extremely inviting. “I’m not sure I want to go elsewhere.”
“Well, it won’t be for a while anyway.” He then pointed at the windows. “They open, but not wide enough to climb out, and if you’re thinking about smashing them, they have sensors which will alert security. And there are also cameras in here.” Logan pointed to the corners of the ceiling where two small cameras watched their every move.”
“No fucking privacy,” he muttered. And thank God he’d not done something stupid like pull Logan in for a kiss. So they were still being watched? Cole was tired of keeping up this pretence. Wasn’t there anywhere he could drop his guard?
“Come here.” Logan beckoned him to follow. “Let me show you the rest of the place.”
It wasn’t that big. How much more could there be? He trailed after him anyway.
“This is the bathroom,” Logan said, glancing at Cole over his shoulder as he walked into the small room. “I’ll show you how the shower and everything works.”
“Pretty sure I can work that out for my—” As soon as Cole stepped over the threshold, Logan snagged his wrist, yanked him close, and kissed him. Soft lips met his, a hint of stubble brushing Cole’s skin, and his body came alive. Strong arms wound around Cole’s back holding him tight, and Cole clung to Logan, kissing him back with everything he had. It seemed an age since he’d felt Logan’s mouth on his, the teasing stroke of his tongue as it slipped inside. A low moan escaped him as the door shut behind them with a soft click, and reality returned with a jolt.
What the fuck?
Cole immediately stepped back, eyes wide.
“No cameras in here or the bedroom,” Logan whispered, reaching for Cole again. With one hand cupping his jaw and the other sliding under the hem of his T-shirt. Logan kissed him again, but it was over way too soon this time. “We don’t have long,” he rushed out. “But I needed to touch you, needed to know that you’re okay. I know how much it hurts when they do that.” He rubbed his thumb over Cole’s bottom lip before putting some space between them.
“I’m good,” Cole replied, missing Logan’s touch already. “I promise.” He took a step towards him, but Logan shook his head.
“I’ll smell too much like you.”
Fucking shifter senses. Cole both loved and hated them at that moment.
“Come on.” He reached for the door, and Cole’s stomach sank.
Was that all the time they got?
“Bedroom’s through here,” Logan said, walking along the short corridor to a door at the end.
Cole expected Logan to tug him inside for more of the same, but instead he gave a quick shake of his head.
“Someone will come by once a week to clean and change your sheets and towels and also restock your fridge,” he said, clear enough for the cameras to pick up.
That one quick taste hadn’t been nearly enough. Cole sighed and leant against the wall. “Great.” He managed to inject sufficient sarcasm into it because it might be a lovely flat, but it was still a prison of sorts.
“Try to be a little grateful,” Logan muttered as he passed him. “You could be languishing in the shifter prison right now.”
Cole grunted in response. “I could still end up there, right? Depending on what the others say?” They weren’t in the clear yet.
