try to retaliate with violence, but Shiftertown remained quiet. Kim wondered why, but she wasn't about to ask right now and risk angering the one person who might help her.
"Exactly my point," she said. "This case has been handled badly from start to finish. If you help me, I can spring Brian and make a point at the same time. You don't mess with people's rights, not even Shifters'."
Liam's eyes grew harder, if that were possible. It was like looking at living sapphire. "I don't give a damn about making a point. I give a damn about Brian's family."
All right, so she'd miscalculated about what would motivate him. "In that case, Brian's family will be happier with him outside prison, not inside."
"He won't go to prison, love. He'll be executed, and you know it. No waiting twenty years on death row, either. They'll kill him, and they'll kill him fast."
That was true. The prosecutor, the county sheriff, the attorney general, and even the governor wanted an example made of Brian. There hadn't been a Shifter attack in twenty years, and the Texas government wanted to assure the world that they weren't going to allow one now.
"So are you going to help me save him?" Kim asked. If he wanted to be direct and to the point, fine. So could she. "Or let him die?"
Anger flickered through Liam's eyes again, then sorrow and frustration.
Shifters were emotional people from what she'd seen in Brian, not bothering to hide what they felt. Brian had lashed out at Kim many times before he'd grudgingly acknowledged that she was on his side.
If Liam decided to stonewall her, Brian had said, Kim had no hope of getting cooperation from the other Shifters. Even Brian's own mother would take her cue from Liam.
Liam had the look of a man who didn't take shit from anyone. A man used to giving the orders himself, but so far he hadn't seemed brutal. He could make his voice soft and lilting, reassuring, friendly. He was a defender, she guessed. A protector of his people.
Was he deciding whether to protect Brian or turn his back?
Liam's gaze flicked past her to the door, every line of his body coming alert. Kim's nerves made her jump. "What is it?"
Liam got out of his chair and started around the desk at the same time the door scraped open and another man--another Shifter--walked in.
Liam's expression changed. "Sean." He clasped the other Shifter's arms and pulled him into a hug.
More than a hug. Kim watched, open-mouthed, as Liam wrapped his arms around the other man, gathered him close, and nuzzled his cheek.
Chapter Two
Kim made herself close her gaping mouth and turn away. None of her business if Liam Morrissey was gay. Seriously disappointing, but none of her business.
The second man held Liam in a tight hug, then with a thump of fists on backs, they released each other. Liam smiled--man, how gorgeous was he when he smiled? He had his arm around the second man's shoulders.
"Sean, this is Kim," Liam said. "She wants me to help her with Brian."
Sean had dark hair and blue eyes like Liam, and a body as honed, but his face was harder, his look sterner. He had a stillness in him that wasn't in Liam, as though something had happened to him that he'd never quite gotten over.
"Does she now?" Sean was saying. "And what did you tell her?"
"I was about to explain when you barged in without warning me. What if I'd thought you were a Lupine? I'd have taken your head off."
"Your sense of smell's that bad, Liam, that you'd mistake your own brother for a wolfman?"
"He's your brother?" Kim asked in a shaky voice.
"My brother, Sean Morrissey."
Kim's face heated. "Oh."
Liam still had his arm firmly around the other man. "Why? Who'd you think he was?"
Kim tried to control her embarrassment. "I thought you were a couple."
Liam burst out laughing, a warm sound. Sean smiled slightly. "Are all humans this crazy?" he asked Liam.
"They're all that ignorant," Liam said. "I've decided to let her talk to Brian's
"Exactly my point," she said. "This case has been handled badly from start to finish. If you help me, I can spring Brian and make a point at the same time. You don't mess with people's rights, not even Shifters'."
Liam's eyes grew harder, if that were possible. It was like looking at living sapphire. "I don't give a damn about making a point. I give a damn about Brian's family."
All right, so she'd miscalculated about what would motivate him. "In that case, Brian's family will be happier with him outside prison, not inside."
"He won't go to prison, love. He'll be executed, and you know it. No waiting twenty years on death row, either. They'll kill him, and they'll kill him fast."
That was true. The prosecutor, the county sheriff, the attorney general, and even the governor wanted an example made of Brian. There hadn't been a Shifter attack in twenty years, and the Texas government wanted to assure the world that they weren't going to allow one now.
"So are you going to help me save him?" Kim asked. If he wanted to be direct and to the point, fine. So could she. "Or let him die?"
Anger flickered through Liam's eyes again, then sorrow and frustration.
Shifters were emotional people from what she'd seen in Brian, not bothering to hide what they felt. Brian had lashed out at Kim many times before he'd grudgingly acknowledged that she was on his side.
If Liam decided to stonewall her, Brian had said, Kim had no hope of getting cooperation from the other Shifters. Even Brian's own mother would take her cue from Liam.
Liam had the look of a man who didn't take shit from anyone. A man used to giving the orders himself, but so far he hadn't seemed brutal. He could make his voice soft and lilting, reassuring, friendly. He was a defender, she guessed. A protector of his people.
Was he deciding whether to protect Brian or turn his back?
Liam's gaze flicked past her to the door, every line of his body coming alert. Kim's nerves made her jump. "What is it?"
Liam got out of his chair and started around the desk at the same time the door scraped open and another man--another Shifter--walked in.
Liam's expression changed. "Sean." He clasped the other Shifter's arms and pulled him into a hug.
More than a hug. Kim watched, open-mouthed, as Liam wrapped his arms around the other man, gathered him close, and nuzzled his cheek.
Chapter Two
Kim made herself close her gaping mouth and turn away. None of her business if Liam Morrissey was gay. Seriously disappointing, but none of her business.
The second man held Liam in a tight hug, then with a thump of fists on backs, they released each other. Liam smiled--man, how gorgeous was he when he smiled? He had his arm around the second man's shoulders.
"Sean, this is Kim," Liam said. "She wants me to help her with Brian."
Sean had dark hair and blue eyes like Liam, and a body as honed, but his face was harder, his look sterner. He had a stillness in him that wasn't in Liam, as though something had happened to him that he'd never quite gotten over.
"Does she now?" Sean was saying. "And what did you tell her?"
"I was about to explain when you barged in without warning me. What if I'd thought you were a Lupine? I'd have taken your head off."
"Your sense of smell's that bad, Liam, that you'd mistake your own brother for a wolfman?"
"He's your brother?" Kim asked in a shaky voice.
"My brother, Sean Morrissey."
Kim's face heated. "Oh."
Liam still had his arm firmly around the other man. "Why? Who'd you think he was?"
Kim tried to control her embarrassment. "I thought you were a couple."
Liam burst out laughing, a warm sound. Sean smiled slightly. "Are all humans this crazy?" he asked Liam.
"They're all that ignorant," Liam said. "I've decided to let her talk to Brian's
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