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I raised an eyebrow at Quinn, who nodded, then headed into the kitchen to get us all a coffee. With that done, I sat down on the sofa opposite Jack and filled him in on everything that had happened. We talked for a good hour, after which I rang Misha. He was awake, as I knew he would be.
"We should talk," I said, the minute he answered the phone.
"Yes, we should."
I glanced at Jack, who was hooked up to my cell phone, listening in, as well as talking to the director on a second phone. He met my gaze and nodded, indicating everything had been arranged.
"Three o'clock. Macey Jane's, in Lygon Street."
My gaze slid passed Jack, and settled on Quinn. I was willing to meet him halfway, even though it wasn't entirely wise to do so. Whether he was willing to do the same remained to be seen. But the mere fact that his disapproval stung the air suggested he hadn't yet come to grips with the situation. Maybe he never would.
And as much as I wanted to be with him, I wasn't willing to change my entire life for him. Nor would I back down from this investigation. I needed to be a part of its ending, needed to see it ended with my own eyes, to be totally sure I was safe. If Quinn couldn't accept that, and accept me, then we were never meant to be. No matter how rich a piece of chocolate my hormones considered him to be.
"Sorry, that ain't going to happen," came Misha's drawl. "For a start, I don't trust the mob you work for that much. And secondly, I dare not step beyond known haunts at the moment. I'm being watched."
"Yeah, by the Directorate."
"And by those you hunt."
"Meaning they don't trust you?" My gaze went to Jack again. Did he know the Directorate wasn't the only one watching Misha? The raised eyebrows suggested not. "Why am I not surprised?"
His chuckle whispered down the line, stirring memories that were best forgotten.
"We'll meet at the Blue Moon."
Jack shook his head. I ignored him. We needed to find out what Misha knew, and while the Blue Moon wasn't a Directorate-patrolled safe place, it was somewhere I felt safe. I knew the people, knew the layout. And of all the werewolves' clubs, the Blue Moon was the strictest when it came to patron safety.
"I'd hardly call that a regular haunt of yours."
"Ah, but it has been since your disappearance."
A cold lump formed in my stomach. "You couldn't have known I'd escape that place."
"No, but I knew he'd underestimate you. He always has - "
"He who?" I cut in.
This time his soft chuckle made my skin crawl. "We'll have to discuss terms before we get to an exchange of... information."
"You'd better be offering some good information, Misha, or it's no deal. And it wouldn't matter if you were the only fertile wolf on the damn planet."
"I'm your only way out of a return to another of those pens," he said softly. "Believe that, if you believe nothing else."
The soft certainty in his voice sent another chill across my skin. I did believe him, though God only knew I was probably being stupid for doing so.
"When?"
Jack rolled his eyes, and looked decidedly unhappy as he began speaking into the second phone.
"Three's fine by me. I'll book one of the private rooms, just to ensure our conversation isn't overheard, but we'll meet on the dance floor. It'll look more like a coincidence to my watchers."
"If you know about them, why not get rid of them?"
"Because right now, they have their uses." Amusement was evident in his voice. I'd always thought Misha to be the quieter, saner of the two mates I'd had over the last few years, but that assumption was proving to be very wrong.
"Tomorrow is a werewolf-only day," he continued, "so neither the vampire or that horse-shifter you escaped with will get in. Rhoan can, but if I spot him, I'm out the door and the deal is off."
How had he known that Kade was still with us? Or was it simply a guess on his part?
