The Guardians (MORE Trilogy) by T.M. Franklin Page B

bumped his head back against the wall, his frustration clear. “But then they assigned me to watch him, and I knew it was more than the Guardian thing. They don’t tell us much. We’re just hired muscle, after all.  
    “But I did some digging around, and something’s definitely being going on with Caleb, Ava. He’s been spotted with suspected Rogues, and then this thing with Borré—”
    “No.” Ava shook her head and tightened her hold on Tiernan, choking off his words. “You’re wrong. Caleb wouldn’t work with the Rogues. Never.”
    But . . . 
    He’d been different the past few weeks. Disappearing for days at a time. Vague about where he’d been. Defensive when she questioned him.
    He’d lied to her. She’d known it, but didn’t want to admit it.
    She’d known something was wrong, something was off. But this ? This couldn’t be.
    Tiernan struggled, his breath wheezing in and out slowly, skin red with exertion, veins bulging.
    She loosened her hold and he took a deep breath.
    “Could you please stop doing that?” he growled.  
    “Sorry,” she replied, distracted.
    “You’ve got to let me go,” he said, still gasping. “Caleb’s in trouble, Ava. If he’s working with Rogues he’s in serious trouble.”
    Stunned, she blinked up at him through unshed tears. “What?”
    “I promise I won’t hurt him. I’ll make sure he’s safe.”  
    “You’ll take him to the Council.”
    “He’ll get a fair hearing.” His blue and green gaze was unwavering, his scar jagged and white against his flushed skin. “If the Council learns he’s on the run, they’ll send assassins. It’ll be shoot first, ask questions later. And shifter or not, they have ways of tracking him down.”
    The thought sent a chill down her spine. She knew all too well the resources the Council had at its fingertips. She also knew that regardless of what Tiernan promised, a fair hearing before the Council was no guarantee of justice. If they had the evidence he said, Caleb’s fate was all but sealed. Even his mother couldn’t save him if they believed he was in league with the Rogues.
    No, she couldn’t let that happen. But she couldn’t let the Council send assassins after him either. There was only one solution.
    “I’ll let you down,” she said, walking slowly toward Tiernan. “I’ll let you go after him. But you’ve got to do something for me.”  
    He glared at her, and she knew he was imagining wrapping those meaty hands around her throat. Again.  
    “What?”  
    “Take me with you.”
    “What?” Despite his precarious position, he laughed. “You’re out of your mind.”
    “I want answers, and I want to hear them from Caleb,” Ava said, lifting her chin stubbornly. “So, that’s the deal. You want to go after Caleb, you’ve got to take me with you.”
    “You’ll slow me down.”  
    It stung, but it was true. Ava didn’t let it show.
    “You’ll have to figure that part out.”
    If Tiernan had laser vision, Ava figured she’d have been barbecued. His eyes narrowed. “How do you know I won’t agree and dump you at the first opportunity?”
    Ava smiled wickedly. “I’m a lot better at this now,” she said. “How do you know I can’t grab you from a mile away and hang you from the nearest tree?” She couldn’t. Not by a long shot. But she knew her training sessions with Caleb had been unobserved, so Tiernan had no way of knowing that. She held his gaze, hoping he wouldn’t call her bluff.
    He didn’t. His frown intensified, if that were possible, and he growled out a resigned, “Agreed.”
    “Really?”  
    His lip curled in a snarl. “Don’t make me say it again.”
    Ava let out a relieved breath, but she took a few steps back before she released him. He rubbed at his arms, shaking them a bit to get the blood flowing, and she eyed him warily.
    He raised a mocking eyebrow. “Now you’re nervous? Like you couldn’t slam me back up there in a second?”
    She laughed weakly but