“Luke…” Leo said, a warning in his voice.
What? He’d spoken the truth. He was getting damn sick of Leo always warning him and cautioning him. He didn’t need that crap. Luke put his hand on Julian’s chest. He focused all of his power on the shifter. You don’t get to cut out of this world so easily. It was much easier to heal a dark creature than it was to bring someone back from the dead, but he would have brought Julian back, no matter the cost.
He had few enough friends as it was.
The bullet slid from Julian’s head. The terrible wounds to his head and face closed. Julian’s lips parted and he sucked in a deep breath. Then his eyes flew open—his gaze full of fear and desperation and he roared—
“Rose!”
Rose? Luke pulled back his hand. “It’s rather customary to say thank you.”
Julian jerked upright. His frantic gaze shot around the cell. “Rose!” Then he was grabbing Luke’s shirt, his hands fisting in the material. “Where is she? What did you do with her?”
Rose. It was a name from Julian’s rather bloody past. And, while—once upon a time, Luke had done something to her—this time, he had no clue about the woman. Luke turned his head and stared at a profusely sweating Timothy Lang. “Ask the agent here. I think he may know.”
Instantly, Julian was on his feet. Claws burst from his fingertips as he shoved his hand against Timothy’s throat. “What happened to my vampire?”
A gurgle was the only sound Timothy made.
Luke rolled his eyes. “Speak, man. Prove to us that it’s better to keep you alive.”
Timothy’s breath whooshed out. “Garrick took her. He wants to—I heard him say he wants to use her. He’s never had a vampire in his program before. Said she was…special.”
Julian’s claws were drawing blood. “She is.”
Luke put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Ease back.”
He saw the look of surprise that Leo threw his way. What? Did the guy really think they were just mindless killing machines?
Agent Lang is the one that Mina liked. She said he was kind to her. Luke would repay that kindness. “Cut the ropes off him, Julian.”
Julian sliced through the ropes.
Then Luke bent forward until he was eye-to-eye with the human. “Did you enjoy watching the paranormals suffer?”
His brother moved to stand at the man’s back. Leo put one hand on the guy’s shoulder. When it came to his precious humans, Leo had a special gift. He could always tell when they spoke the truth, as long as he touched them when they spoke.
“I-I didn’t,” Timothy answered. “Made me…sick.”
Leo nodded.
“Then why did you stay?” Luke demanded.
Timothy’s eye lashes fluttered. “We were supposed to be the good guys. I thought…I thought we were helping the weak.” He licked his lips. “Too late, I saw what we really were.”
And, once more, Leo nodded.
“If I let you go,” Luke said, “what will you do?”
“Run as fast as I can,” the guy blurted.
He didn’t need Leo’s confirmation of that truth.
“And will you try to rejoin Garrick’s merry crew?” Disdain dripped from Luke’s voice.
“No.” Timothy’s voice had gone hoarse. “I never want to see them again.”
Leo nodded. Another truth.
“Do you know what atonement means?” Luke tilted his head to the side.
“Y-yes…”
“Good.” He nodded. “Because you’re going to fucking atone for your crimes. You’re going to tell me everything that you know about Garrick and his men. You’re going to help me make sure that any paranormals they have are freed. You are going to help me put all of this right again.”
Timothy nodded. “You…aren’t killing me?”
“Not right now.”
Leo’s hand remained clamped around the agent’s shoulder.
“Who is Garrick’s boss?” Luke asked.
“I-I don’t know.”
His gaze snapped toward Leo. And, dammit, his brother nodded.
Snarling, Luke stepped back.
“But-but I know the guy is connected to the vampire!”
That desperate outburst had Julian snarling once more.
“Connected?” Luke asked, attention caught. “How?”
Timothy’s wide eyes were on Julian. Or rather, on Julian’s claws. “I don’t know for certain—I swear, I don’t. I just know that Garrick said his boss is the one who told him about Rose Kinley. The boss is the one who said we had to bring her into the program.”
“Your boss is a dead man,” Julian promised. “You bastards starved her!”
“I didn’t!” Timothy cried out. He lifted his wrist to reveal an old bite mark—two small circles. “I gave her my blood when the others weren’t looking. I wanted to help her!”
And that small act was helping to save his ass right then. “What else do you know?” Luke asked him. This guy was their lead. He’d pry all the information out of Timothy’s head.