Page 63 of Colton’s Mate

And maybe he hadn’t wanted to share what he knew with Colt. Callie wasn’t a crow, but she’d been raised as part of the clan. Colt was an outsider, as far as Jason was concerned. He might tell Callie things he’d never tell Colt.

Callie checked to see that her Beretta was loaded, and put on her shoulder holster over her t-shirt, with a loose linen shirt on top to cover it.

She trusted Jason—mostly. But not completely.

Chapter 26

When Callie got to the construction site, Jason was already there, leaning against the passenger door of his car.

Callie parked a few spaces away and got out of the car, walking over to him.

He looked tense. As soon as he moved, she could see why. She could also see that she’d been right not to trust him.

Rohene was in the passenger seat of Jason’s car.

“Oh, no,” Callie said, backing off. “Fuck no. Do not tell me you are working with the Evil Queen.”

“Just hear me out,” Jason said.

Callie backed up further. “Do you think I want to hear all about how you’re a traitorous bastard? Hard pass.”

“It’s not like that,” Jason said. “She’s trying to get away from them.”

That stopped her. Of course, it shouldn’t have—she’d seen how Rohene ordered the Corsairs around with a snap of her perfectly manicured fingers.

But Callie was a sucker for an abused-downtrodden-woman story. Even, apparently, a fake one.

Rohene got out of the car with her usual unhurried elegance, her clothes utterly unwrinkled. “Rohene and I have been seeing each other,” Jason said. “She explained to me about the Talisman of Dominion. If we had it, we could start our own clan. It’s powerful enough that the Corsairs couldn’t touch us.”

He took a step forward. “It’s what I’ve always wanted,” he said. “A really traditional clan, using the old magic, not the sexist, halfway criminal bullshit that the Talons called traditional. If Kirk’s father had stuck with the old ways, we’d still have a clan.” He shook his head. “And when Kirk told someone what he had—one of the fucking Talismans of power, he told Tex.”

“Tex was his second,” Callie said.

“Tex didn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground when it came to leadership.”

Callie growled.

Jason didn’t even seem to hear. “But you don’t need the Talisman. You’re not a crow. Just let us have it, so we can start fresh.”

He took Rohene’s hand, looking down at her with a mix of desire and admiration. Oh, Jason, Callie thought tiredly.Thinking with the little head again.

Rohene looked coolly at Callie. “Your leopard-man showed something to Jason, and he brought it to me, as is proper.” She withdrew her hand from Jason’s and took Tex’s drawing out of her purse. “You will tell me where this is.”

Fury spiked through Callie. “That’s my drawing. It belonged to my brother. And where it is, is in his grave with him.” Rohene’s eyebrows went up. “And don’t get any ideas about digging him up, carrion-eater. It was a tattoo.”

Jason squared his shoulders belligerently. “Hey. Don’t call her that. This is my future mate.”

Callie suddenly pitied him. He wanted—needed—a mate so desperately, he’d believe any fairy tale Cruella spun for him. Probably helped along with some kind of evil voodoo magic.

“You will tell me what you know,” Rohene said, advancing on her. She waved the drawing. “This is more than a tattoo. You have the knowledge inside you—I can feel it. You will come with me and I will probe your mind.” She turned those hell-eyes on Jason, who seemed mesmerized. “Once I’ve extracted the information, we will be together as I promised,” she crooned.

“Except I’m not going.” Callie drew her gun and pointed it at Rohene. “So back off, bitch.”

Rohene did not back off. She gave a shrill, super-unladylike whistle. Three armed crows stepped out of the trees at the edge of the parking lot. One was a former Talon. The others were Corsairs.

Great. The bad crows were all working together. That explained why they’d tried to kidnap her the night of the bar fight. Callie backed up, but it was impossible to keep all of them covered.

Jason looked around, suddenly waking up to the fact that his new girlfriend was not what she pretended to be. “What the hell?” he demanded of Rohene. “What are you doing?”