they’re tortured. When they’re pressed into a corner, poked and prodded. But none of that’s happening here.”
“Do you think they care that you didn’t perform any of the experiments? They only want to eliminate another one of the people involved.”
“You don’t know us, so don’t pretend to know what we’d do.” Blake just shook his head, refusing to budge.
“Blake, let him up. He’s going to behave so we can sit down and talk.” At Patrick’s order, Blake rose and offered Dean a hand.
Despite what had happened, including Dean shooting at them and the physical altercation, Blake’s actions exuded kind consideration. That surprised her more than anything else so far. “The gun went off,” she said as if realizing it for the first time.
“Everyone is fine. Blake and I stepped out of the way, you can see where the bullet met the wall near the door. Now, how about we put the gun aside before someone gets injured?”
“Don’t do it, Clarissa,” Dean warned.
“I’m not asking you to give it to me, just put it aside.” Patrick looked over at Blake. “Turning on a light will be like a beacon for anyone who might have followed, so see if you can find some candles.”
“There’s no electricity, anyway. Candles are in the first cabinet on the right in the kitchen.” She sat the gun on the end table but she couldn’t take her gaze off it. Was she doing the right thing or jeopardizing their safety?
“You’re being stupid. Dad taught you better than this.” Dean stood on the other side of the room shaking his head.
“We don’t know they mean us any danger.”
“I thought that once too, and then this happened.” He turned toward her, allowing her to see the full impact of his injury. “I tried to save one of the captives when I knew they were going to kill him, and what did I get for my troubles? This! He attacked me. Maybe the government is right in some of the things they’re doing. Not all of it, but maybe some. Shifters are dangerous.”
“You got that because the shifter was drugged,” Patrick said. “He didn’t know what he was doing.” He sank down onto a chair as Blake lit two small candles and placed one on each end table. With the curtains drawn, no one would see the tiny flickering lights from outside.
Dean spun to look at him, his body tight with anger. “How would you know that?”
“Because I know what goes on in those labs. I’ve seen the documentation of what torture these so-called doctors are putting my kind through. When they’re done with us, we’re incinerated alive. You’re going to stand there and tell me the government is right in their actions? How would you like to be tortured and then burned alive?”
“How do you know?” Clarissa asked. “Those labs are locked and heavily guarded. Did Andrew tell you what happens there?” They would kill him for leaking the information. Even though she barely knew him, the thought of it made her ill, especially knowing they’d torture him first, because that’s what they always did.
“No, I’ve seen these places firsthand.” He and Blake shared a glance before he turned back to her. “My sister was held in one of those labs.”
She sucked in a deep breath. After what she had seen, she hated to think his sister had suffered the same fate. “Was she…did they…burn…”
“No, we rescued her just in time and destroyed the lab.” He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his thighs. “That’s part of the reason I’m here. I have an offer for you.”
“What sort of an offer?”
“Don’t take it, Clarissa,” Dean begged. “I’ll figure a way out of this for both of us.”
“I’ll make sure you’re safe in exchange for some information on Hathaway Medical,” Patrick said, ignoring him. “We want to take the lab down and rescue any prisoners. You need our help, so this is a good solution for both of us.”
“Why do you think I’ll help you?” She pulled her legs under her, tucking
“Do you think they care that you didn’t perform any of the experiments? They only want to eliminate another one of the people involved.”
“You don’t know us, so don’t pretend to know what we’d do.” Blake just shook his head, refusing to budge.
“Blake, let him up. He’s going to behave so we can sit down and talk.” At Patrick’s order, Blake rose and offered Dean a hand.
Despite what had happened, including Dean shooting at them and the physical altercation, Blake’s actions exuded kind consideration. That surprised her more than anything else so far. “The gun went off,” she said as if realizing it for the first time.
“Everyone is fine. Blake and I stepped out of the way, you can see where the bullet met the wall near the door. Now, how about we put the gun aside before someone gets injured?”
“Don’t do it, Clarissa,” Dean warned.
“I’m not asking you to give it to me, just put it aside.” Patrick looked over at Blake. “Turning on a light will be like a beacon for anyone who might have followed, so see if you can find some candles.”
“There’s no electricity, anyway. Candles are in the first cabinet on the right in the kitchen.” She sat the gun on the end table but she couldn’t take her gaze off it. Was she doing the right thing or jeopardizing their safety?
“You’re being stupid. Dad taught you better than this.” Dean stood on the other side of the room shaking his head.
“We don’t know they mean us any danger.”
“I thought that once too, and then this happened.” He turned toward her, allowing her to see the full impact of his injury. “I tried to save one of the captives when I knew they were going to kill him, and what did I get for my troubles? This! He attacked me. Maybe the government is right in some of the things they’re doing. Not all of it, but maybe some. Shifters are dangerous.”
“You got that because the shifter was drugged,” Patrick said. “He didn’t know what he was doing.” He sank down onto a chair as Blake lit two small candles and placed one on each end table. With the curtains drawn, no one would see the tiny flickering lights from outside.
Dean spun to look at him, his body tight with anger. “How would you know that?”
“Because I know what goes on in those labs. I’ve seen the documentation of what torture these so-called doctors are putting my kind through. When they’re done with us, we’re incinerated alive. You’re going to stand there and tell me the government is right in their actions? How would you like to be tortured and then burned alive?”
“How do you know?” Clarissa asked. “Those labs are locked and heavily guarded. Did Andrew tell you what happens there?” They would kill him for leaking the information. Even though she barely knew him, the thought of it made her ill, especially knowing they’d torture him first, because that’s what they always did.
“No, I’ve seen these places firsthand.” He and Blake shared a glance before he turned back to her. “My sister was held in one of those labs.”
She sucked in a deep breath. After what she had seen, she hated to think his sister had suffered the same fate. “Was she…did they…burn…”
“No, we rescued her just in time and destroyed the lab.” He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his thighs. “That’s part of the reason I’m here. I have an offer for you.”
“What sort of an offer?”
“Don’t take it, Clarissa,” Dean begged. “I’ll figure a way out of this for both of us.”
“I’ll make sure you’re safe in exchange for some information on Hathaway Medical,” Patrick said, ignoring him. “We want to take the lab down and rescue any prisoners. You need our help, so this is a good solution for both of us.”
“Why do you think I’ll help you?” She pulled her legs under her, tucking
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