Free Warrior: The Elect, Book 3 by Loribelle Hunt

filed. It was you, wasn’t it?” he asked, and there was a growing acceptance in his voice, but she sensed he wasn’t fully with them yet.
    He looked at Carter, which rankled. Carter wasn’t the one in charge right now, and she resented Martin turning to a guy. But she let it go. “Sir, kindly tell me what the fuck I’ve been dragged into. And how do I get Livie out?” Martin asked.
    Carter sat next to Jamie, draped his arm across the back of her chair and tunneled his fingers into the hair at her nape to gently massage it. “You can’t get Livie out,” he said. “But you may be allowed to stay with her.”
    “I can’t believe you’d be involved with terrorists, sir,” Martin said with a hint of bitterness tingeing the disbelief. Carter only smiled.
    “We aren’t. We aren’t doing anything illegal. We’re just trying to live in peace and be left alone.”
      “You can’t. The operation may private. It may be something other than what I was told it is. But it’s very well funded, and some of that funding is military. Most of the government may not know about it, but they have sanctioned it.”
    “Some secret element of it, yes,” Jamie said. “And we need to find those people. We need the civilians who are pouring money into it, also.”
    “I don’t have those names and I haven’t seen their faces.”
    “He’s telling the truth,” she said. Martin scowled. He must have heard the frustration she couldn’t hide.
    “I wouldn’t expect a cop to accept that so easily.”
    “It’s a knack I have,” she admitted. “I know when I’m being lied to.”
    She could tell by his expression that he didn’t believe her, but he gave Carter a commiserating look. “Sucks for you, sir.”
    Then he winced and looked at Livie, who’d yanked her hand back and slapped the back of his head.  
    “What?” Martin asked.
    “I think you proved my earlier point. You don’t belong here and certainly not with me,” Livie responded.
    “Baby, you have to admit,” he said reasonably, placating, “sometimes a little white lie is the better course of action.”
    “Give me an example,” she said much too sweetly.
    Laughing, Jamie stood. “I think that’s my cue to leave.”
    Brax shook his head. “Just a minute.” He turned to Martin. “Can I trust you to stay in the house and not betray us if I let you free?”
    Martin considered it a long moment before he nodded. “As long as you don’t keep Livie from me.”
    “I won’t force her into contact with you if she doesn’t want it.”
    Beside her, Jamie heard Livie sigh in relief until Brax turned his bossy stare on her. “I also won’t let you avoid your mate without giving him a chance. There’s a vacant suite on the third floor. Several, in fact. Take your pick. For the time being, I want you in the house. You two will share a suite.”
    He motioned to Carter, who produced the key for the handcuffs and released them when Martin stood still. Jamie expected him to grab Livie and demand to be taken to that suite, but he surprised her. He turned narrowed eyes first on Brax and then Carter.
    “Mate? Unusual word choice.”
    “Take him to Zach,” Brax ordered Carter. “He’s your man. You’re probably the only one he’ll believe.”
    Jamie knew Zach had taken blood samples from both prisoners last night and wondered if either of them were Elect.
    “Nope,” Carter said, surprising her. “Both human. But Esme was very excited. She said they had markers only seen in Elect so far and rambled about a bridge between species.”
    Jamie smiled at the love and affection she heard for his sister in his tone. She really liked the woman, but when Esme started talking genetics, it was so far over Jamie’s head she felt like an idiot. Carter squeezed her hand.
    “You’re perfect, sweetheart. Never doubt it.” He turned to Martin. “Have you eaten yet?”
    “Yes. But I was serious about needing some water.”
    “I’ll find a bottle,” Livie