I feel a pang of guilt when I see the aching consume him. I never meant for him to get hurt. I never meant for things to get carried away in the interrogation room either.
“Yes. I’m Brazen Mordel. And you?” he prompts while proffering his hand.
Hale sighs out loudly while accepting the handshake, his eyes darting to me once before returning to him, and then he mutters, “Hale. Captain Hale Banner.”
Their eyes now become locked in an entirely different way, and the handshake becomes more of a strength test when they both begin squeezing tighter.
Oh good grief.
“Okay. Hale, now you’ve met my fiancé, and Brazen, now you’ve met my ex fiancé. Let’s go to the meeting,” I grumble.
Brazen’s eyes gauge Hale’s busted shirt, and then he stares at the dripping trail of blood from the already healed wound on his chest. He glances to me, and then shakes his head, his mind running amuck with terrible visions of what could have transpired.
“Interrogation? Did you-”
“Of course not,” I snap. “It was just a show for the newbies.”
Hale smirks deviously, and I know he wants so badly to say something to start a fight between my full blood and me. I scold him with my eyes as a girl walks up with a fresh shirt for him.
“Thank you, Wendy,” he says very gingerly.
“You’re welcome, Captain,” she giggles out, and I have to roll my eyes at her lingering gaze.
“I didn’t realize you were engaged,” Hale murmurs while pulling off his tattered shirt.
Wendy giggles more when he hands it to her, and then he leisurely buttons his new one up while keeping the stare-down standoff with Brazen.
“You didn’t see her ring?” Brazen snarls.
“I did, but it doesn’t look much like an engagement ring,” Hale scoffs.
I stare down at the onyx opal with a scarlet red rose in the middle. It was the perfect engagement ring for me, and I can remember how incredibly excited I was to receive it. I smile a little, and I can feel Brazen’s cool touch nearing when he sees my reminiscing moment at work.
“It seemed to suit Araya better than a plain diamond,” Brazen smolders, and my eyes look up to stare into his pale blue ones without waver.
“So, you’re a full blood in the United. Why haven’t I seen you around before?” Hale remarks coldly.
“Because I work exclusively with the Javeline in most matters, and before that I was a liaison for the Minatians up north. Mostly I’ve been solely undercover, so my anonymity was necessary, as you’re well aware. I took a new position a few years before I met Araya,” he answers briskly, and then Clay walks up to interrupt the standoff.
“Thank you for coming, Captain Mordel. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you Araya was going to be here, but it was imperative to keep all phone conversation minimum. Did you bring the information from your side?” he asks Brazen.
“I did. My people are all here if you’re ready, Commander,” Brazen asserts, and Clay nods.
“I believe the humans have assembled already as well,” Hale interjects, and Brazen has to take a deep breath to control his discomfort.
“I see the two of you have already met,” Clay pokes.
“It would have been nice to know he existed,” Hale fumes, and Clay stifles a smirk.
“I tend to stray from conversations pertaining to Araya when speaking to you. I thought her engagement was her own personal business,” Clay answers, and then I roll my eyes before turning to walk away from the ridiculous reunion I’ve tried so desperately to avoid.
“So how far did that interrogation demonstration go exactly?” Brazen growls in a whisper when he joins me at my side.
“You saw how far it went. I didn’t blood fuck him if that’s what you’re asking,” I huff out.
“I wasn’t asking that. I would hope you wouldn’t blood fuck him considering you claim that’s all the two of you ever did. I believe you said it became a drug for the two of you, and you couldn’t stand it anymore,” he scolds, and I roll my eyes.
It was a drug, and we were both emphatically addicted. That was never a problem though, but I dare not reveal that to Brazen. I can’t blood fuck him because I’m the only one who can taste the blood. Mine would kill him, and it wouldn’t be fair to make him watch something he wants to do but never can.
