“Which is what you’re still trying to do.”
“It is.I won’t ever forgive myself for what I did, even though I was forced.Iwill neverforget his screams, the pain in his eyes, and the way he was so gentle with me even after what I did to him.If there’s one person who doesn’t deserve to be in there, it’s Garrett.He should be here, with you, and I’ll make sure he has a good life even if it’s the last thing I do.I’ll free him myself if I have to.”
There was a moment of silence before Franklin answered.“That would probably end up badly, and we need you.”
Reed snorted.“I realize that.It’s why I didn’t do it.”He cleared his throat.“But you need to know about your brother.He’s a mutant now.”
“I expected him to be.What kind of ability does he have?For that matter, what kind of ability doyouhave?”
Reed wasn’t sure he was ready to talk about his ability.It felt more like a curse, and it wouldn’t be useful in this situation, anyway.“He’s able to turn into several animals,” he explained.
Franklin blinked.“He’s a lion shifter, like me.”
“He is.He can still shift into a lion, but he’s not limited to that form anymore.I’ve personally seen him shift into a wolf, a bear, a horse, and other big animals.”
Franklin paled.“That shouldn’t be possible.”
“It’s not supposed to be.That’s why he’s a mutant.”Reed licked his lips.“All of that has affected him both physically and mentally.Shifting every time he’s ordered to in whatever animal the scientists want to see takes a lot out of him, but I’m afraid that he’s also losing who he is.He’s not a lion shifter anymore.He’s every shifter.It’s taking its toll, which is why we need to get him out of there.The sooner we do it, the better.”
“How did they do that?”
“I don’t know.I’m not a scientist.Being a lab technician didn’t give me any specific knowledge about any of this.”
“What were you forced to do to him?”
Reed paused and looked down again.“I made him shift.”
There was a moment of silence.Reed waited for Franklin to ask what that meant, to demand an explanation, but he didn’t.Maybe he didn’t want to know.Maybe this was all too much for him.If that was the case, Reed wouldn’t blame him.It was too much for him, too, but he didn’t have a choice.He needed to do this.
As did Franklin.He wouldn’t stop until he had Garrett back, which was what Reed wanted.Garrett needed to be freed.Reed had a plan—he would apologize to him again, and hopefully, he’d earn his forgiveness.He wasn’t sure that would change anything when it came to Franklin and their bond, but that wasn’t why he wanted to do it, anyway.He was trying to atone, and who better than Garrett to tell him that he finally had?
But that could only happen if they freed Garrett.
The weight of that responsibility pressed down on Reed’s shoulders.He’d failed so many people already.He couldn’t fail Garrett again, and he couldn’t fail Franklin when his mate was finally so close to getting his brother back.Reed would do whatever it took to make this mission a success, even if it meant sacrificing himself.Franklin deserved to have his family whole again, and Reed would make sure that happened, no matter the cost.
* * * *
FRANKLIN TOOK A DEEPbreath and forced himself to focus.He knew what to expect when going into the lab—he’d done this before, multiple times.He knew what the hallways would look like, how the guards would behave, how he’d have to look at the prisoners without really seeing them because he’d have to keep his cover.He knew all of that.He didn’t need Reed to tell him about it.
But this time would be different because Garrett would be there.
Franklin’s brother would be in one of the cages there, and Franklin might have to see him without being able to do anything.The thought made his stomach churn.How was he supposed to see Garrett suffering and not react?How was he supposed to pretend he didn’t know him?
“Let’s go over your cover story again,” Reed said, pulling Franklin out of his spiraling thoughts.“Your false identity.”
Franklin nodded, grateful for the distraction.“Right.I’m Franklin Hayes.I worked as a guard at the facility in Colorado.”
“Which was raided three months ago,” Reed added.“You were on your day off when it happened.When you came back the next day, the place was closed.No explanation, no severance, nothing.”
“I never found out what happened,” Franklin continued, the lie coming easier because he’d practiced it.“One day I had a job, the next day I didn’t.I’ve been looking for work and ended up contacting the company because why not?”
Reed watched him.“Do you think they’ll believe it?”
“They’ll check my employment history, and it’ll all be there.Moore made sure of that.”Franklin had been impressed by how thorough Moore had been.He’d somehow managed to insert Franklin’s false identity into the Glass Research Company’s records.As far as anyone would be able to tell, Franklin Hayes had worked at the Colorado facility for two years.
He’d never been to Colorado.
“The story makes sense.”
