Undercover Lovers [Urban Affairs 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove) by Gale Stanley Read Free Book Online Page B

one, but you still have to make me a believer.” Mike still wasn’t sure how he felt about his new partner. He had to admit he liked a man who was comfortable in his own skin, and Slade appeared to be a man who would know how to handle himself if the fur started to fly.
    “Believe me, I’m doing my job,” Slade said with a smile of male satisfaction. “I got inside Castle’s apartment yesterday.”
    That hurt. Mike had never been past the boundaries of Dogtown, let alone inside Jaxon’s apartment. “I don’t like it.” Understatement of the year.
    “Why?” Slade frowned at him. “I’m just doing my job. I already planted a bug in the living room.”
    “And he’s not suspicious?”
    “No. The man was obviously attracted to me. Getting inside was a piece of cake.”
    Mike’s heart sank. He couldn’t blame Jax for being infatuated with Slade. The man sitting across from him was intelligent and easy on the eyes. More than that, he was a wolf. Hell, even he was physically attracted to the guy. He was beginning to wonder if he wasn’t the tiniest bit jealous that Jaxon had bedded Slade first. “So now what?” Mike said through gritted teeth.
    “Weren’t you briefed?”
    “I want to hear it from you.” Mike said impatiently.
    “All right.” Slade snorted, clearly annoyed. “Here it is in a nutshell. The FBI has been watching the Weres for years and—”
    “Does that include you?” Mike sneered. How could he trust a man who spied on his own people?
    Slade shrugged. “Probably. We’re all being watched. Even you, Mike, and we have to choose sides. I chose the right one.”
    “You mean the one that’s paying you big bucks.”
    Slade regarded him carefully. “I thought we were on the same side. What’s your point?”
    Inwardly, Mike cursed himself for letting emotion color his words. He agreed to this so he could help Jaxon, not make things worse. “No hard feelings. I just want to know that I can trust you.”
    “None taken. You can never be too careful in our line of work. The Were population has been increasing steadily, and like birds of a feather each group tends to stick with its own species—the feline-shifters in one area, the wolves in another, and so on and so forth. Relations between them and the human population have been relatively quiet.”
    Mike raised his brows. Obviously this guy hadn’t been in New York all that long. Race relations had never been peaceful here.
    “In the last year, disturbing intelligence reports have come back indicating that communication channels have opened up between these diverse Were neighborhoods. These groups have always functioned independently from each other. A storm is brewing. The Weres are talking about banding together in a hostile takeover. Rebellion and riot is not the answer. If they want equality and integration, they’re going about it the wrong way. There are politicians in Washington lobbying for their cause. They need to let those supporters do their work.”
    “Maybe they’re tired of waiting,” Mike broke in. “Maybe the Feds are feeding you a bill of goods.”
    Slade frowned at Mike. “The wheels turn slow, but they are turning, and at least nobody is getting hurt. And that’s why I’m in this. It’s not all about money. I don’t want my people hurt any more than you want yours put in jeopardy. Castle’s name keeps coming up as an insurgent, a radical supporter of revolution.”
    “I think the term is patriot.”
    Slade’s brows rose. “The government doesn’t agree. If he’s allowed to keep stirring up the shifters, the Feds will send in the military, and the Weres will be rounded up like cattle. We can’t let that happen.”
    Bullshit! If Jaxon was involved in subversive activities, Mike would know about it. Would you? Maybe this is why Jaxon doesn’t want you in Dogtown. He’s says he’s keeping you safe, but maybe he’s got secrets he’s keeping safe. What about your secrets? He shut off the voice of