Page 95 of Defiance
Cole paled, nausea threatening to overwhelm him. “You had Nick in for questioning though, I saw the video. Why not arrest him then?”
Paul glanced back at him, grinning. “We had no proof. But I wanted to mess with him a little anyway. And it was funny seeing your face when you thought we’d tortured him.”
Of course it was. “What proof do you have now?” Cole asked because something had obviously changed.
Paul laughed. “That’s not your concern.”
Their chat apparently over, Paul picked up his radio. “All cars meet at the front of McKillan House. We’ll take the suspect to the interrogation rooms. The rest of you can leave afterwards.”
“Just us?” Rich asked, shooting a glance back at Cole, clearly not trusting him.
Paul shrugged. “Surely you and Smith can handle a newly turned shifter in handcuffs?”
“Yes, but what about him.” He crooked his thumb in Cole’s direction, and Paul smiled.
“I don’t think we need to worry about Cole, do we?”
“No.” Cole seethed inside. He couldn’t stand there and watch them interrogate Nick, but he was one shifter against three. And would Smith help him if it meant outing himself as a traitor? Cole didn’t want to put him in that position. He had no option but to follow orders and Paul knew it.
What would happen to him after all this? He had no fucking idea.
He needed to talk to Logan.
“Besides,” Paul added, “Michael, Simon, and Baker will be meeting us in there.”
Cole’s heart stopped for a beat as his words sunk in, then set off like a train.
I am so fucked.
* * *
The turningfor the McKillan pack house appeared up ahead, and Cole felt the panic rising.
Trapped.
That was how he felt right now.
Like he was right back where he started when he first got there.
Things had been going so well, better than any of them had anticipated after so few weeks. And now?
He was about to interrogate his best friend, with his alpha and two betas watching. All of whom probably wanted to arrest him the moment it was over.
Cole ran a hand through his hair, not surprised to see his hand shaking.
Smith nudged him with his knee and raised an eyebrow when Cole glanced up. “All right?” he mouthed.
Cole wanted to laugh.
How could he even ask that right now? Everything was closing in around him; he was two seconds from bolting as soon as the car stopped.
Smith pinched his thigh when he didn’t answer, and Cole suddenly realised that Smith wasn’t asking, he was telling him that he needed to be okay. That the only thing he could do was act like he had been doing.
He nodded ever so slightly and Smith nodded back.
I can do this.
I have to.
