His phone rang and they both looked down at his front pocket. He sighed, withdrew it and glanced at it. “I need to get this.”
“Go ahead.”
He pushed back from the table, stood and walked a few feet away. “True here.” He listened and frowned. “Why? What do they want?” He paused, his gaze fixing on Jeanie. “No,” he growled. “My mate isn’t going to meet with them.”
“Meet who?” She got to her feet, laying her napkin next to her plate.
He told whoever was on the phone to hold and frowned at her. “Three FBI agents arrived at the front gates and wish to speak to you.”
She gripped the back of her chair, stunned. “Why?” She had no clue why agents would show up requesting to see her.
“They haven’t said but Justice wants you to meet with them to see what they want. Tim came to talk to them but they’ve refused to give him answers.”
“Is that who is on the phone? Justice?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t put him on hold.” She was horrified. “He’s your leader. I should talk to them if he wants me to.”
“I don’t care what he wants. You’re my mate and I don’t want you near other humans. They could have come here to do you harm.”
“They are federal agents. I have no idea what they’d want to talk to me about but I’m sure they are fine, True. I mean, major background checks get done on them. It could be important. I should talk to them.”
He growled and lifted the phone back to his ear. “She wants to see them but I am going with her. I don’t trust them.” He listened and hung up. “Let’s go. An SUV has already been sent. You don’t leave my side, Jeanie. Do you understand?”
“Perfectly.”
“Justice and a few others will be present.” He glanced down at her. “You need shoes.”
She would have liked to change into something more professional looking but the T-shirts and stretch pants were about the nicest outfits she currently owned. Her belongings from her apartment were supposed to be forwarded by the task force team who’d gone to check out her story but they hadn’t arrived yet. She put on shoes and rushed into the bathroom to brush her teeth and tidy her hair. True waited for her at the front door.
“I don’t like this.”
“I don’t either but aren’t you curious? I am.”
“No. I want to keep you away from everyone.”
“This is happening here at Homeland, right? We’re not leaving to go meet them somewhere else?”
“It will be here. You aren’t leaving NSO territory.”
“Then it will be fine.”
The drive to the office building near the front gate seemed far too short to Jeanie. True kept her on his lap and she could see by the grim set of his jaw that he wasn’t happy. Justice and Fury met them outside when the driver parked in front of the side door.
“Don’t answer any of their questions without looking at me first,” Justice demanded. “I’m sorry to use you this way but they have refused to give us even a hint of their purpose. The questions they ask you should indicate why they are here.”
Fury nodded. “Tim is sitting in as well. He made some calls and none of his contacts were even aware we were going to be visited by agents. It’s very curious.”
“Speak slowly.” Justice waved them toward the building. “Remember to look at me before you answer. I placed a call to the president but he’s out of the country and unable to take calls.”
The President of the United States? She gaped at him, pretty sure that’s who he meant. It boggled her mind that he might have someone so important on his list of personal phone contacts. It slammed home, though, how serious the situation was.
A New Species opened the side door. “They are pacing in the conference room,” he muttered low. “They have refused offers of coffee or water.”
Justice paused, staring down at Jeanie. “I’m sorry to do this to you but it bothers us that they are being so secretive about why they wish to speak to you. We informed them of your mate status in case they are trying to pursue a human criminal case against you but they didn’t reverse their request.”
“A criminal case?” She grabbed hold of True’s hand.
“They deal with organized crime and some of the practices of Drackwood or Cornas Research could have captured their interest. Of course as a mate you are no longer subject to human laws and are protected under Species law. They can’t arrest you or take you from Homeland. They have no jurisdiction to do so.”
She regretted agreeing to meet with the FBI agents but it was too late to back out. “You’re sure about that?”
Fury chuckled. “Yes. We showed them a copy of your mate papers as proof in case they didn’t believe us. They are more than aware they are only here and able to speak to you because we allowed it out of politeness.”
She felt some of her fear easing. “Okay. I got it. Talk slow, see what they want, and look at you before I answer.” She stared up at Justice North. “I can do this.”
“I knew you could.”
She was glad he had faith in her because hers wavered a little as she entered a small conference room and spotted the three men dressed in suits. They were very neatly groomed, ranging from early thirties to late forties and all of them stared at her with serious looks.
“Go ahead.”
He pushed back from the table, stood and walked a few feet away. “True here.” He listened and frowned. “Why? What do they want?” He paused, his gaze fixing on Jeanie. “No,” he growled. “My mate isn’t going to meet with them.”
“Meet who?” She got to her feet, laying her napkin next to her plate.
He told whoever was on the phone to hold and frowned at her. “Three FBI agents arrived at the front gates and wish to speak to you.”
She gripped the back of her chair, stunned. “Why?” She had no clue why agents would show up requesting to see her.
“They haven’t said but Justice wants you to meet with them to see what they want. Tim came to talk to them but they’ve refused to give him answers.”
“Is that who is on the phone? Justice?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t put him on hold.” She was horrified. “He’s your leader. I should talk to them if he wants me to.”
“I don’t care what he wants. You’re my mate and I don’t want you near other humans. They could have come here to do you harm.”
“They are federal agents. I have no idea what they’d want to talk to me about but I’m sure they are fine, True. I mean, major background checks get done on them. It could be important. I should talk to them.”
He growled and lifted the phone back to his ear. “She wants to see them but I am going with her. I don’t trust them.” He listened and hung up. “Let’s go. An SUV has already been sent. You don’t leave my side, Jeanie. Do you understand?”
“Perfectly.”
“Justice and a few others will be present.” He glanced down at her. “You need shoes.”
She would have liked to change into something more professional looking but the T-shirts and stretch pants were about the nicest outfits she currently owned. Her belongings from her apartment were supposed to be forwarded by the task force team who’d gone to check out her story but they hadn’t arrived yet. She put on shoes and rushed into the bathroom to brush her teeth and tidy her hair. True waited for her at the front door.
“I don’t like this.”
“I don’t either but aren’t you curious? I am.”
“No. I want to keep you away from everyone.”
“This is happening here at Homeland, right? We’re not leaving to go meet them somewhere else?”
“It will be here. You aren’t leaving NSO territory.”
“Then it will be fine.”
The drive to the office building near the front gate seemed far too short to Jeanie. True kept her on his lap and she could see by the grim set of his jaw that he wasn’t happy. Justice and Fury met them outside when the driver parked in front of the side door.
“Don’t answer any of their questions without looking at me first,” Justice demanded. “I’m sorry to use you this way but they have refused to give us even a hint of their purpose. The questions they ask you should indicate why they are here.”
Fury nodded. “Tim is sitting in as well. He made some calls and none of his contacts were even aware we were going to be visited by agents. It’s very curious.”
“Speak slowly.” Justice waved them toward the building. “Remember to look at me before you answer. I placed a call to the president but he’s out of the country and unable to take calls.”
The President of the United States? She gaped at him, pretty sure that’s who he meant. It boggled her mind that he might have someone so important on his list of personal phone contacts. It slammed home, though, how serious the situation was.
A New Species opened the side door. “They are pacing in the conference room,” he muttered low. “They have refused offers of coffee or water.”
Justice paused, staring down at Jeanie. “I’m sorry to do this to you but it bothers us that they are being so secretive about why they wish to speak to you. We informed them of your mate status in case they are trying to pursue a human criminal case against you but they didn’t reverse their request.”
“A criminal case?” She grabbed hold of True’s hand.
“They deal with organized crime and some of the practices of Drackwood or Cornas Research could have captured their interest. Of course as a mate you are no longer subject to human laws and are protected under Species law. They can’t arrest you or take you from Homeland. They have no jurisdiction to do so.”
She regretted agreeing to meet with the FBI agents but it was too late to back out. “You’re sure about that?”
Fury chuckled. “Yes. We showed them a copy of your mate papers as proof in case they didn’t believe us. They are more than aware they are only here and able to speak to you because we allowed it out of politeness.”
She felt some of her fear easing. “Okay. I got it. Talk slow, see what they want, and look at you before I answer.” She stared up at Justice North. “I can do this.”
“I knew you could.”
She was glad he had faith in her because hers wavered a little as she entered a small conference room and spotted the three men dressed in suits. They were very neatly groomed, ranging from early thirties to late forties and all of them stared at her with serious looks.
