The deputy director opened his mouth, no doubt to ask what she meant by that, but Layla cut him off, saying “We don’t have long to discuss this, so I’m going to get to the point. Jayson needs to stay in the field, and I need to be his partner. If you make that happen, I’m prepared to consider it a favor that I’d be obligated to return.”
Dick’s eyes turned almost predatory at the mention of her owing him something. Layla’s stomach began to flutter like she just swallowed a bucket of butterflies. He probably would have said something to make her regret her decision, but Jayson came out of the lab, interrupting them. He glared at Dick like he wanted to kill the man.
Jayson might not have had any noticeable shifter or hybrid skills, but he moved damn fast regardless. One second, he was ten feet away; the next, he was slamming the deputy director against the wall and lifting him off his feet by the lapels of his suit jacket.
“You killed Moore,” Jayson ground out. “You might as well have filled that syringe with cyanide and killed him on purpose.”
Dick turned pale. “That was never my intent, I swear to you. After the success of the serum we gave you, the doctors were sure we were on the right path. All they did was increase the potency of the serum a small amount to improve overall performance.”
Layla placed a hand on Jayson’s shoulder before he did something he regretted. Jaw tense, he slowly let the man slide down the wall until his feet were on the floor. He didn’t let him go, though.
“The success of the serum you gave me?” He snorted. “The serum wasn’t a success. In fact, it was a complete and total failure.”
Layla tensed. If Jayson admitted that Zarina had given him an antidote to counteract the serum, the Russian doctor would be fired within hours, no matter what John did to try to keep her.
“My body rejected the serum,” Jayson said scathingly. “But you couldn’t even wait to find that out. You just ran out and tested the next man willing to be your guinea pig, didn’t you?”
Dick started to open his mouth, but Jayson closed it with his glare. “I’m nothing more now than the man I was before, and anything I accomplished on the mission in Donetsk was due to Layla’s help and my own abilities.”
Dick’s eyes darted to her before going back to Jayson. “Layla was just mentioning that you two make a good team and that the DCO should keep you together.”
Jayson glanced at her, clearly hating the idea of her talking to Dick about the subject of their partnership without him. He’d hate it even more if he knew she’d essentially sold her soul for him—again.
“Yes, we are a good team,” Jayson agreed. “But we’re both ready to walk away from the DCO if you think for a second about splitting us up.”
Dick gazed at him for a second but then nodded. “Of course you’ll remain a team. That’s the promise I made you when all this started.”
Jayson eyed the deputy director suspiciously. “You’re not going to try to get in the way of that?”
Dick shook his head. “Of course not. Beyond the promise I gave you, there’s also the simple matter of the respect I have for you and all that you’ve overcome. The fact that you were able to successfully complete the mission I sent you and Powell on without any hybrid abilities only convinces me more than ever that you’re one of the most amazing men I’ve ever had the privilege to meet. I’m thrilled for you and Layla, and would never want to get in the way of all that you’re sure to accomplish for the DCO and your country.”
Layla thought she was going to be sick. This guy was good, she’d give him that. He practically had her believing his crap.
Jayson let the deputy director go and would have turned away, but Dick stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
“I know you probably won’t believe this, but I was hoping only for the best for Moore,” Dick said. “For all the outward show of disdain he had for shifters and hybrids, I think the man was simply jealous of the abilities he could never have. When he came to me and asked to take the serum, I couldn’t say no. No more than I could when I thought it was what you most needed. I was trying to help him the same way I was trying to help you.”
Dick gave Jayson’s shoulder a squeeze and headed back to the lab. At the door, he stopped and turned to look at them. “By the way, where’s Powell?”
Jayson’s eyes were cold. “Powell no longer works for the DCO.”
Dick considered that for a moment, his gaze going back and forth between her and Jayson. Finally he nodded and walked into the lab, leaving her and Jayson alone.
“You ready to get out of here?” he asked.
Layla nodded, praying to God she hadn’t done something incredibly stupid by making a deal with Dick. But she’d done what she had to do.
“I’m more than ready,” she said. “But only after Zarina checks you out and makes sure you’re okay.”
It took a while for Zarina to come out of the lab and into the hallway, and by that time, John had shown up along with Ivy and Landon. While everyone was glad that she and Jayson had returned safe and sound, what had happened to Moore put a damper on the reunion.
As Layla suspected, John was pissed at her for disobeying orders. While he was happy she and Jayson made a good team, he let both of them know that he had no use for two agents who couldn’t be trusted to follow his orders. Properly chastised, she and Jayson promised to be the model of trustworthiness from now on.
“Do you want something to eat?” she asked Jayson when they walked into her apartment an hour later.
“As long as it’s something simple and fast,” Jayson said, coming up behind her to wrap his arms around her and pull her close. “I’m too tired to cook something or even get takeout.”
She agreed entirely. All she wanted was to climb into bed with him and sleep for a week—with a few breaks for lovemaking in between of course.
