Wicked Bite (Realm Enforcers #5)(99)

"Agreed," Bear said. "But not right now. Have our people on alert."

"Copy that," Lucas said, moving to the side and reaching for his cell phone.

Bear turned back to Nessa.

She looked at Nick. "I need either you or Logan to get on computers with the demon nation."

"I've got it." Nick sat next to Simone at a computer and started typing rapidly.

"Bear?" Nessa looked around. "The shifter nations need to be brought in."

Bear leaned to the side and brought up his contacts, most of whom had already checked in with details. Their intel was as good as the Guard's. "Logan? Be me for about an hour." Bear pulled the demon's chair toward his computer and typed in his code. "Maybe two hours."

It hit him then that he was trusting a demon with his entire life-again. Not just a demon this time, and not one he was related to, but a vampire-demon mix. Interesting. 

Logan switched gears. "I've been doing the other searches you asked for. Will update with available information." He leaned in and started typing commands.

"All right. Keep me informed." Bear turned for the wall and revealed the hidden stairwell.

Nessa didn't look his way. "Somebody find Jasper for me. Boondock, too."

Bear paused. "They're otherwise engaged."

She stiffened and partially turned to face him. "Excuse me?"

His shoulders went back. "The people who knew I was heading to a wolf bar in the middle of nowhere, and that you'd be alone here, and that we didn't have air support up . . . are few and far between. Either Jasper or Boondock set us up, and I'm going to find out which one." By any means necessary.

Her eyes widened. With her face still bruised, she looked defenseless. Oh, he knew she wasn't, but he had to harden his heart against what she was about to say.

"Do what you have to do," she whispered. "But I give you my word, on my life, that neither of those men betrayed me. Not a chance in hell."

He rocked back. "It's often the person you least expect, sweetheart. You're thinking with your heart."

She straightened and reached for a headset to plant in place. "My heart is pretty damn good, Bear. Just remember that you're about to torture two of the only three men in this entire world who I trust. One of them took me in and raised me when my parents died, and the other has covered my back for decades." Then she turned back around and got to work.

"Who's the third man you trust?" he asked quietly.

"You."

His heart clinched. He noted the hard line of her shoulders. If he did this, she might never forgive him. But he didn't have a choice. So he motioned for Lucas to follow him down the concrete steps, and the door closed behind them both.

He strode around a corner to the block of cells. Each cell had a cot, toilet, and sink. Fortified iron bars, covered in planekite, or PK, made them impossible to breach. Jasper sat on the bed in one, his face still bruised, while Boondock leaned against the far block wall of the other.

"Gentlemen," Bear said, standing between the cells and staring at both men. "Whatever attack you've planned for today is being thwarted right now. Tell me everything, and I won't shred your skin off your bodies."

Lucas pulled a green gun from his waistband. "Could I shoot them both? Just to get things started?"

Neither man so much as twitched.

Bear pretended to think about it. "Let's give them a chance to speak, first." The image of Nessa's hurt eyes wouldn't leave his mind, so he shook his head. He had to find out who'd tried to kill her, and it was definitely one of these men.

Fire glowed on Jasper's hands.

Bear smiled, showing his sharp canines. "Go ahead. Throw."

Jasper threw. The fire hit between the bars and shot back at him. He rolled off the bed and came up, his shirt smoldering. Keeping Bear's gaze, he glared and patted out the flames.

Bear cocked his head to the side. "Do you honestly think I failed to take into account your fire when I built these cells?" He eyed the long iron bars. "A demon mind attack can't even make it through."

Jasper stepped closer to the bars. "Aren't you just full of surprises. So much for the lazy grizzly hiding out in the woods."

Bear moved closer as well. "I'm the head of the grizzly nation. If your people are so arrogant they don't bother to pay attention to facts, then that's your own problem."

"You're also the mate to my niece." Boondock finally spoke, his body relaxed and his gaze shuttered. He had a powerful presence, probably from age and experience. His dark hair curled over his nape, and his blue eyes, so like Nessa's, seemed mildly irritated. "She's not garna like you torturing her loved ones." No concern echoed in his words.