“For being a whistleblower? I don’t think so.”
“Well then, you need to decide what you’re going to do.” Urban was merciless in laying out the stark choice in front of Tom, with no recognition of what it would cost him.
But as Tom thought about what he’d been told, that one of the packs killed in their own territory had included at least one young pup, he swallowed hard and couldn’t help looking at Jesse. He was quiet and still, his gaze on the floorboards in front of him.
When Tom had landed himself the job on the security detail for the Council, needing a job that was both physically and mentally challenging to distract him from the shattering of his Air Force dream, his mom had looked stricken. He was too honest to survive in a place like Washington, she’d said. She’d been right. No matter what it cost him, hecouldn’tforget what he’d just been told. He couldn’t ignore the fact that this had happened. If he did, and something like it happened again, it would be on his head.
He nodded jerkily, signaling his agreement.
“Councilor Garcia will be a safe pair of hands to put this into,” he said. “He’s an outsider, only elected last year, and he’s made his name by standing up against most of the rest of the Council. He’s much brighter than his platform makes him seem—he just wanted to get the votes. He’s young, too, so there’s no way he could have been involved all those years ago. Even if he’s allied with someone, he’s ambitious enough to look out for his own interests if he thinks this is going to be exposed.”
“Does he have any reason to believe you?”
Tom’s lips twisted. “No one’s going to disbelieve the Argent and risk losing his support. He’ll have to make a show of looking into the story if it comes from Jesse.”
Jesse snorted, showing precisely what he thought of that.
“And Councilor Steadman,” Tom mused. “It’s too dangerous to only tell one person in case I’m wrong aboutGarcia, and she’s more connected than just about anyone else in Washington.”
Also, that way he might just keep his career when all this was over. If she knew he’d cut her out, she’d be ruthless in getting rid of him and making sure he never again worked anywhere she had influence. And that was a lot of places.
“Do you trust her?” Bryce was leaning forward, his knuckles white as his hands clenched into fists.
Tom was silent for a moment as he thought. “I trust her to do what she believes to be the right thing for the shifter community. I also trust her to do what’s in her own self-interest. What she’d do if those two things came into conflict is another question.”
“I don’t like it.” Bryce’s voice was low and rough. “Look how fast this person acted against Cale. You’re going to be exposed out there—”
Fury hit Tom so fast he could scarcely breathe.
“You have no fuckingright.” He was on his feet, shaking with rage. It had come from nowhere, but was twisting inside him with such wild strength he thought he might fly apart. “You’ve made it damn clear you want nothing to do with me, so don’t even pretend you care.”
“Tom—” Bryce was on his feet too, moving toward him. “Look, just because I don’t want—Ican’t—doesn’t mean I don’t care.”
“Fuckyou.”
Savage triumph burned through Tom as he saw the shock and pain in Bryce’s face at the venom behind his words. He looked away then, ignoring Bryce, and nodded briefly to Matt, underlining just how unimportant Bryce was to him. “I’ll be in touch.”
And with that he was walking out of the room and out of the house, away from the loose-limbed cowboy who had seemedto promise so much and had ended up tearing apart the little that Zack had left of his heart.
He threw the car into drive and didn’t look back—not at the house, not at the man who’d unraveled him, not at the mess he was leaving behind. He was a professional. He had a job to do, maybe the most important thing he’d ever done. He’d concentrate on that, and by the time it was over he’d have forgotten all about Bryce Reynolds.
And at the little voice in his head that told him he couldneverforget just how good it had been with Bryce, he stamped on the gas hard. A rabbit darted across the driveway and barely made it. He didn’t even blink. He was done caring. Done feeling.
Chapter Twenty-four
TOM
Tom’s coffee was going cold. He knew it, but couldn’t bring himself to drink it because once he did, he’d have to leave the park bench and walk through the archway into the National Council building.
The same historic building he’d gaped at on his first day here and that had since become simply his workplace, even though he still got a thrill from seeing the sweeping flight of marble stairs that led up to the Council chamber with the vast dome rising above it. History was made here, and it had been rewarding to feel he was part of it, however tiny a role he played. Now, though, he was going to walk through those doors and lose everything.
Except his self-respect. Which meant doing the right thing, no matter the cost.
He took a sip from the cup in his hand and grimaced as he realized he’d forgotten to add any sugar. His mind had beenelsewhere when he’d picked it up from the counter. Most likely, he’d been focused on not thinking about Bryce, like he’d been for the last twenty-four hours.
The pit in his stomach just wouldn’t ease. No one rejected their mate. No one, unless their mate was Tom, apparently. Bryce had said being tied to him would be a sentence. Zack would’ve agreed. Maybe it was for the best, after all—at least he wouldn’t have to watch his mate grow to hate him.
Tom drank the coffee despite the lack of sugar, thinking with some sort of morbid amusement that the bitterness he tasted was probably about right for his life, then reluctantly got to his feet.
