“Is this some kind of a joke?” Xander demanded. He knew he should probably keep his mouth shut, but he’d never been very good at that. “You come in here and blow sunshine up our asses about how impressed you are with our performance, then tell us you want to add someone to the team for no other reason than you think it will improve our image?”
James lifted a brow. “Are you implying that women aren’t good enough to be in SWAT?”
Xander bit back a growl. This jerk had reached into his bag of tricks and pulled out the male chauvinist card rather than admit the truth.
“Don’t even go there. You don’t know a damn thing about me,” Xander said. “As far as I’m concerned, if someone is qualified for SWAT, they’re qualified—male or female. But if we were talking about qualified candidates, we wouldn’t be doing it in a conference room, and we sure as hell wouldn’t need a lawyer in the room with us.”
On the other side of the table, Curtis and Mason refused to look Xander in the eye. That was when it all clicked into place, and the sinking feeling he’d been getting in his stomach got worse.
“That’s what this is about, isn’t it?” Xander demanded. “You want to put someone on the team, but bypass all the normal qualification requirements, don’t you?”
Xander didn’t even realize his claws were out until Gage put a hand on his arm.Shit. Thank God his hands were under the table, where no one else could see them.
“That’s enough, Xander.” Gage’s voice pulled him back from the edge as only an alpha werewolf’s could. Xander retracted his claws and took a deep breath, clenching his hands into fists in his lap, so he wouldn’t be tempted to reach across the table and choke the crap out of the idiot across from him.
“Mr. James, there’s a reason SWAT has a demanding selection process,” Gage said. “It ensures the police officers we bring in can do the job that’s required. Anything less puts everyone else on the team at risk and, ultimately, the people we’re supposed to serve.”
The lawyer nodded. “I’m aware that it’s a difficult job, Sergeant, but I’m sure there are a few positions on the team that can allow someone with less experience to contribute?”
Beside James, Hayes nodded in agreement. Xander ground his teeth to keep from saying something he shouldn’t.Clueless bureaucrats.
Gage, on the other hand, didn’t look as if he was going to be nearly as successful at keeping his anger in check. In fact, his face darkened so much that Xander thought his boss might actually launch himself across the table at the talking ass with feet who was trying to screw up the perfect team he’d built. Xander wasn’t so sure he’d try and stop Gage if he did. Hell, he might just help.
Gage swung his gaze at Mason. “When I took over the team almost nine years ago, you assured me I’d be able to handpick the personnel. Has that changed?”
The deputy chief’s mouth tightened into a thin line. “Dammit, Gage. This isn’t my doing. The city is worried we’re exposing the department to a discrimination lawsuit. My hands are tied here.”
James leaned forward, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. “Gentlemen, please, let’s not be dramatic here. There’s no reason this has to come down to a discrimination case or a lawsuit. I already have a list of suitable candidates. All you have to do is pick the best of the best.”
James took a piece of paper from his briefcase and slid it across the conference table. Gage scanned the list, then passed it to Xander without a word.
Xander didn’t know everyone on the list, but the names he recognized scared the hell out of him. Instead of cops from narcotics, homicide, or any other division that dealt with high-stress life-and-death situations on a daily basis, they were from internal affairs, the training academy, and community outreach. Xander didn’t hate cops who did those jobs—they were important and needed doing—but that kind of work simply didn’t prepare you for the SWAT team.
It didn’t make sense. If the department seriously wanted to put a woman on the team, there were a lot of them out there with better résumés. Xander knew that for a fact because he’d worked with many of them.
What was this dumbass lawyer trying to do, destroy the SWAT team from the inside out?
Xander was ready to tell all of them where they could stick their stupid list, but Gage beat him to it.
“There’s no one on here who’s even remotely qualified to work on my team.”
“Your team?” James snorted. “Forgive me, but I was under the impression that the SWAT team worked for the city of Dallas and that it answered to Deputy Chief Mason, who answers to Chief Curtis. They’ll decide who’s qualified to work on the team.”
This time it was James who initiated the staring contest, and Xander knew that the only reason Gage looked away first was so he could glare at the deputy chief. “You’ll have my resignation before the end of the day.”
“Gage—” Mason started, but James cut him off.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, Sergeant,” James said. “I’m sure Senior Corporal Riggs will do an outstanding job in your place.”
Xander would have laughed if he wasn’t so damn pissed. “Thanks, but no thanks. And before you ask why not, it’s because I’ll be turning in my resignation along with Sergeant Dixon. I’m pretty sure the rest of the team will do the same.”
Xander liked Dallas and his job, but protecting the Pack was the only thing that mattered to him. And he knew every other member of the Pack felt the same way.
“All fourteen of them?” James countered.
“All fourteen of them,” Xander confirmed. “But look on the bright side. Then you’ll be able to fill your new SWAT team with as many people as you want.”
“Gage, let’s talk about this,” Mason said.
