Free Unleashed by Crystal Jordan

flipped the questioning around. The best defense was a good offense. “Lorelei said you were some kind of operative. Not for the FBI like Pierce, but some other government organization.”
    â€œI was. I recently retired.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œI burned out. It can happen in that line of work.” He spread his hands, but his gray eyes narrowed. “What was your business with Lorelei?”
    Instead of answering, Quill grinned. He wanted to play cat and mouse? There was a game a leopard excelled at. He almost purred with the challenge. “Afraid I’ll lead her astray into nefarious, illegal dealings, Vaughn?”
    Lathering his arms and chest, the wolf didn’t look away. “Would you? I may have only just met her, but she’s still family.”
    â€œNo, I wouldn’t.” He saved offers like that for people who were interested, and Lorelei liked to keep her hands clean. Part of his success was knowing his market and his competition. “She wouldn’t allow it anyway. She’s careful, conscientious, and smart. All things I like in people I deal with. She wouldn’t take my word on anything—she’d want details, records. She’d probably have Pierce do a little background checking.”
    One of Kienan’s dark eyebrows went up. “And that wouldn’t bother you?”
    â€œOnly if I had something to hide. Which I don’t.” This time. He’d gotten his start in every illegal pleasure this city had to offer, so his hands were far less pristine than Lorelei’s.
    The wolf-shifter’s other eyebrow joined its twin, a look of skepticism crossing his face. “How often do you have something to hide?”
    â€œOften enough.” Quill soaped up and rinsed off with quick efficiency. “Is that a problem for you?”
    â€œNo.” The other man snorted. “I’ve hidden a lot over the years, just for different reasons.”
    â€œHow noble.”
    He barked out a laugh. “Hardly. It was dirty and exhausting.”
    Interesting. Quill tilted his head, finding himself as curious about and fascinated by Kienan as he was by Gea. It made him want to push to know more, especially since the wolf seemed less recalcitrant than the fox. For the moment anyway. “You must have liked something about it to stay there for so long.”
    Kienan let his head fall back against the wall of the shower, sighing. “I did like it. For a long time. And then I didn’t. It was a challenge, and I liked that. It was risky, and I liked that, too, liked the rush of almost getting caught. I liked winning.”
    â€œSounds like all the reasons I got into my line of work.” Which was even more interesting, and unexpected.
    â€œSurprised we have anything in common?”
    â€œYes.” It was the truth, something he normally weighed before he gave it to anyone, so it stunned him to have it come out of his mouth so easily around this man. When had he last tried to find common ground with anyone if it wasn’t to gain the upper hand in a business negotiation?
    â€œYou still like your work, though. I got damn tired of lying to everyone about everything, never knowing where I’d be sent to next, who I’d be trying to deceive or kill.” Something close to shock crossed Kienan’s face, and Quill would guess he was even more stunned to have revealed anything to a virtual stranger.
    Neither of them was the type.
    Quill nodded. “Though, like you, I grew weary of the web of deceit that was waiting to catch me, so I transitioned into more legitimate lines of business a few years ago. I still keep my interests . . . diversified . . . but that’s just good business. Keep my hands in every pie I can reach.”
    â€œI could see that.” The wolf pushed his hair back from his face. “There’s not a lot of ways to diversify in my line of work. My former line of work. I guess I’m looking for