by Jami Gray
Trying for casual, I glanced up. My stomach dropped, and my vision narrowed on the face wreathed in unsettling shadows. The oddity of a shadowy figure in a well-lit room barely made a dent because I was more focused on his speech. He was in midsentence: “… don't think it’s necessary.”
Something in that voice held me in an icy grip.
“That’s not your decision.” The colonel swept through the door, totally oblivious of the threat standing at her side. Catching sight of me, she pulled up short. “Megan, what are you doing here?”
Somehow, I tore my eyes away from the shadowed man and met the colonel’s gaze. Offering a smile I hoped looked more real than it felt, I managed a passably steady, “Just leaving you a note about my leave request. Lydia in HR mentioned she couldn’t find your previous approval.”
The colonel was not the biggest fan of duplicating paperwork, so I wasn’t surprised by the annoyed frown marring her brow. “I’ll resend them and copy you.”
“Thank you.” I set the pen down and moved out from behind her desk. To make sure I hid my unsteady hands, I brushed them down my hips. “I’ll make sure I’ve got everything tied up before I leave tonight.”
She gave me a distracted smile. “You enjoy that vacation.”
“Yes, ma’am.” With no option left but to move forward, I braced and approached the man standing near the door. With difficulty, I managed to step around him without flinching. It was hard not to shiver at the heavy sense of menace clinging to him, especially when it seemed to reach out with greedy fingers. Hell, I barely breathed, trying to avoid it. I was almost free when he caught my wrist in a merciless grip that ground my bones against each other. Swallowing the impulse to make a pained sound, I failed to hide my wince.
He chuckled as he leaned in, and the colonel, her office, and everything else disappeared until only the shifting shadows of his face were left. “I see you, Megan.”
That hated familiar voice echoed through my skull, tearing through my flimsy composure and turning my blood to ice as my pulse skittered. Soul-deep fear left a metallic taste in my mouth, and the overwhelming need to escape triggered years of self-defense training. Ignoring the pain of his hold, I twisted my wrist, angling for the break point to pull free. When it didn’t work, I gritted my teeth to hold back a scream of frustration and fear.
“You’re not going anywhere until I get what I want.”
I kept my mouth shut, not bothering to argue, because my previous horrific experience taught me it was useless.
“Where are they?”
Even as my brain screamed at me to fight, to get away, I was frozen in place, shaking my head. Ignoring the fire of pain streaking up my arm, I pulled against his grip, my breath coming out in panicked gasps.
He dragged me relentlessly closer until those nightmarish shadows enclosed me in an icy shroud. “Give me the names.”
The horrifying sensation of fiery fingers clawing through my brain, trying to tear through my thoughts left me with the urge to scream, but under my paralyzing fear, a spark of fury found fuel. “No.” The word came out as a whisper, but the next one was stronger and fiercer as I tried to shove away the fingers on my wrist and in my brain. “No!”
Those dizzying shadows obscuring his face stilled, and for a moment, I could almost see him. Then the dark wings of menace swept in, hiding all but the malevolence burning in his eyes. “Give me the names, or your brother comes home under a flag.”
The threat aimed at Dev managed to do what the ones aimed at me had failed to accomplish. Fury roared through me, sweeping the fear under, until only the need to keep my family safe remained. “Fuck you!”
Instead of trying to escape, I stepped in close, forcing his arm to twist out. I wasted no time sinking a fist into his kidney just the way Dev had taught me. I didn’t hold back but channeled all my riotous emotions into the punch. When the shackle on my wrist disappeared, I struck up with the heel of my palm, aiming for his nose. He jerked his head to the side, and I missed the mark but managed to nail him just above his eye. He bellowed and stumbled back.
I broke free and ran, but not down the familiar office hall. Instead, I stumbled through a cluttered alley caught between two looming buildings. There was something familiar about it, but as frantic as I was, I didn’t stop to figure it out. Wind whipped down through the narrow opening, carrying the crisp scent of an approaching storm. The rumble of thunder overhead drowned out any sounds of pursuit. Since I had no intention of doing the too-stupid-to-live heroine thing and looking back, I focused on my end goal—getting the hell out of there.
It didn’t take me long to realize that no matter how hard I ran, the end of the damn alley stayed out of reach. A frustrated scream ripped free, and the looming storm broke, dumping torrential sheets of rain. Blinded by rain, I tripped and landed hard. The skin on my knees and palms tore.
“God dammit, no!” I sobbed. I dropped my head and, ignoring the pain in my hands, pressed against the rough ground, determined to get back up. I didn’t get far. Hard hands grabbed my arms and yanked me to my feet. From somewhere in the distance, I heard my name, but the howling winds tore it away.
Fear, fury, and panic reduced me to nothing but blind instinct. I struck out, using every dirty move I knew, my entire being focused on getting the hell away. Lost in that terrifying haze, it took a few seconds before I recognized Bishop’s rough voice calling my name. “Megan! Megan, stop.”
As much as I wanted to believe it was him, the monster had tricked me before, using the voices of the ones I loved. I wasn’t going to fall for it again. Unwilling to stare into that monstrous face, I kept my eyes closed and increased my struggles. From above me came a curse, and then something heavy covered me and caught my face in a smothering hold. I tried to scream, but no sound emerged.
The startling taste of Bishop—spice and heat—filled my mouth, chasing away the metallic tang of fear. The sensation of his lips against mine felt real, too real. Then came the sharp, punishing nip, and I forced my body to still even as small involuntary jerks continued. That enticing heat retreated, and my breath came out in hard gasps.
“Open your eyes, Megan.”
I forced myself to comply and found myself staring into Bishop’s eyes. Concern darkened his eyes as he held my gaze, giving me something to hold on to as the world reshaped around me. There was no alley, no rain, no storm, just him braced above me, pressing me into the soft mattress under my back. He was so close, with the heavy beat of his heart against my chest and his breath whispering over my mouth. My tongue swept out nervously and caught a lingering trace of his taste.
“Bishop?”
Relief swept over his face, easing the concern. The shackle on my wrist disappeared as he cupped my face, the heat of his hand sinking into my skin. “Are you awake now?”
My pulse still raced, and the muscles in my legs felt like I’d run a marathon or tried to outrun a monster. Using the sensation of his weight and touch to fight back the panic, I swallowed and nodded, only to stop with a wince at the soreness of my throat. “Yeah, I’m awake.”
He let me go and dropped his forehead to the side of mine, resting it in the pillow. Strands of his hair fell over my chin. “Holy hell, woman.” The words were muffled. “What the hell was that?”
Now that my arms were free, I wrapped them around his broad shoulders and hung on. “Nightmare.” I could feel the hot press of tears as tremors started up. Burying my face against his neck, I concentrated on taking his scent deep into my lungs as I reminded myself I was safe.
His arm wrapped around me, holding me close as he turned and rubbed his chin over the top of my bent head. “No shit.”
His disgruntled tone made me smile, which was not my normal reaction after a nightmare. “I did warn you.” My words came out choked.
He grunted and shifted his weight, taking me with him. I ended up like clinging ivy, half on his chest and curled tight into his side. Only then did it hit me that we were both naked. A different k
ind of tremor erupted. Fortunately, he ignored it, keeping one arm locked around my waist while the other gently stroked my hair. “Tell me about it?”
Even though he posed it as a question, he sounded insistent. Under his touch, I calmed down a bit, but it took a few minutes before I could talk without my voice shaking. “I was in the office, chasing a runaway file,” I started, but then he moved his leg, which meant the leg I had curled around it moved up higher on his thigh. Heated muscle settled against me in a not-so-subtle reminder of what we’d been doing prior to falling asleep. My breath stalled. With nothing between us but skin, I nearly groaned. Holy hell! I forgot what I was saying as goose bumps broke over my skin.
“A runaway file?”
I lifted my head to find him watching me with a mix of humor and male awareness. Dammit. He knew what he was doing to me. Without thinking it through, I narrowed my eyes and nipped his chest in reprimand.
“Hey!” The hand in my hair gripped the strands until he held my head still. “What was that for?”
He knew damn well what that was for. Arching a brow, I set my chin on his chest just below the small red mark I’d left. “Are you going to let me finish?”
“I’d be happy to let you finish.”
Not missing the double entendre, there was no way to stop the heat rising under my cheeks.
He let go of my hair and brushed a finger along my cheekbone. “You were chasing a file.”
I nodded and turned to rest my cheek against his chest. “In the colonel’s office. There was a stack of them, and I don’t have a clue why I had them. Once I got the one on the floor, I realized they were files on each of the team members. The one I caught was yours.”
The hand brushing along my spine, stilled. “Mine?”
Glad that I didn’t have to look at him, I drew an abstract pattern over his skin under my hand. “Yours. It had your name on it—Jacob Archer.”
“What else was in the files?”
“I don’t know, and I didn’t get a chance to find out because there were voices coming down the hall. One of them was the colonel’s, and the other…” My heart began to race as the fear crept back.
“The other?” he prompted.
Memories and nightmares collided while I tried to remember that last day before I’d left the office. I’d been trying to get everything tied up, including the resubmission of my hours. That aligned with the damn dream, but that voice with the colonel… there was something familiar about it, but the knowledge hovered just out of reach, and as I reached for it, it slithered away.
The arm at my waist tightened. “Who was the other voice, Megan?”
I stared unseeing into the night-shrouded room. “Him.” I spoke barely above a whisper as if saying it any louder would invite him into the bedroom. I tried to pull away, but Bishop’s hold locked me in place.
“You recognized him?” he pushed.
I managed a nod. “He’s the same one.”
Tension swept through Bishop, his body under me hardening. “The same one as the one in your dreams?”
“Nightmares,” I snapped, glaring at him. “They’re nightmares.”
“Okay, nightmares, then.”
“Yeah, the same one.” I tried to bring that niggling sense of familiarity into focus.
“What?”
At the growled question, I met Bishop’s gaze. “I know that voice.”
“Well, if we’re right about your dreams being invaded, that would make sense.”
I was shaking my head before he finished. “No, I mean I heard it before I was kidnapped.”
His gaze sharpened. “You’re sure?”
My sense of certainty grew. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Where?”
Where? I tried to navigate the jumbled mess of broken memories. “The office. He’s been to the office a couple of times.” I kept digging until pain sliced behind my eyes, making me wince.
Not missing my reaction, Bishop gentled. “Shh. Okay, let’s go back to the dream. You were in the colonel’s office, they were coming in, and you had the team’s files…”
“I didn’t want to be caught with them, so I hid them.”
“You were trying to protect the identities of the teams,” he guessed.
I nodded, ignoring the pounding in my temples. “Something warned me that if he came in and found me holding them, things would not end well.”
“Makes sense.” His hand drifted along my spine. Watching his face, I could practically see his mind working. His gaze dropped to mine. “After you hid them, then what?”
“The colonel came in first, and he was right behind her, but I couldn’t see his face. It was covered in shadows.” I rubbed my temple and looked away. “It was freaky.”
Bishop’s hand shifted from my spine to the back of my neck. I dropped my forehead to his chest as he gently kneaded the tight muscles. At his soft, “Hmm,” I looked up and caught a flash of recognition in his eyes. “What?”
He studied me with a grim intensity. I knew that look—it meant he was trying to decide if he wanted to tell me something. I held his gaze, silently waiting him out.
Finally he sighed. “Something similar happened to another team member a few months back.”
“And?”
He grimaced. “And it adds weight to our suspicions about a telepath being involved.”
Well, shit. Doesn’t that just figure.
He didn’t let me dwell on it. “It’s not new news, babe, so keep going.”
No, it wasn’t new news, but it still made my stomach clench. Anxious to get this over with, I summarized, “He tried to stop me—told me he could see me and that I wasn’t going anywhere until he got what he wanted. I told him no and tried to get away. I was running through an alley in a storm when you woke me.”
“That’s it?” Bishop pressed. “He didn’t threaten you or hurt you or change the dream in some way?”
As if it had been waiting for that question, the hated voice echoed in my mind. Give me the names, or your brother comes home under a flag. I stiffened in Bishop’s arms. Oh God, how could I have forgotten? I pushed at Bishop’s chest, trying to get out of his hold as renewed panic swept through me. “Dev. He threatened Dev. Oh God. I need to get ahold of my brother!”
Bishop managed to roll me under him, ignoring my attempts to get free. “Stop, Megan. Take a breath.”
Hard as it was, I managed to lock my panic down, stilling myself as my breath came in heavy spurts.
“You good?” Bishop didn’t shift off of me until he got my nod. Only then did he ease back, his gaze holding mine. “Okay, what did he say about Dev?”
“He said he’d send him home under a flag.” I repeated the threat verbatim because the word choice was telling. When Bishop’s face darkened, I knew he understood. Desperation had me digging my nails into his shoulder. “Please, Bishop. I need to get ahold of Dev. I can’t lose my brother!”
Chapter Sixteen
BISHOP
As much as I wanted to promise Megan her brother was safe, it wasn’t the smart choice. Instead, I gave her what comfort I could. “He’s on assignment. Getting to him won’t be easy.” I hid my wince at telling her a half-truth. If the bastard hunting Megan could access secured information, there was a slim chance Dev’s current assignment could be jeopardized if Megan contacted him. “I’ll have Rabbit reach out and get a heads-up to Dev,” I added, although how much help that would be was up for debate. If orders came down forcing Dev or his team into a compromised situation, it wasn’t as if Dev could refuse. Not without losing his career.
Her gaze searched mine as she bit her lower lip. “Wouldn’t it be faster to have the colonel reach out?”
Tucking her hair back behind her ear, I shook my head. “In this situation, no.”
“Because whoever he is, he knows the colonel.” She said it as if the concept had just occurred to her.
I realized then that I hadn’t shared my suspicions on just how close the threat could be.
But at least she was putting the pieces together. “Yeah, so it’s better to let Rabbit work his magic than accidentally give ourselves away.” Safer too.
Her fingers tightened on my shoulder then relaxed. “Now? Can you call Rabbit now?”
Panic hovered in her dark eyes, adding fine lines around her mouth. Reminding her that it was barely four in the morning wasn’t going to work. My hands settled on her hips. “Yeah, I’ll call him now.”
She looked relieved and grateful. I rolled her under me and dropped my head to take her mouth in a gentle kiss. I didn’t rush it but took my time, indulging, until the tension-filled curves softened under me. Only then did I leave her and the bed.
I grabbed my phone from the nightstand. A glance at the screen revealed three missed calls—all from Rabbit’s burner number—in the last twenty minutes. How the hell had I missed those? On the bed, Megan shifted to her side and propped her head on one hand as she watched me. The sheet settled at her waist, leaving her luscious curves bare except for the tangle of dark hair. The sight sucker punched me. Oh yeah, that’s why I wasn’t paying attention to my phone. Turning away from temptation, I flicked a thumb over the touchscreen, noting that at some point, I must have silenced the damn phone. Fuck.
I hit the number then snagged my sweats, pulled them on, and moved out of the bedroom and into the hall. It rang once before Jinx’s voice came on, edged with urgency. “They hit us as we left the house, but we’re good.”
Biting back my anger and frustration, I stuck with the immediate concerns. “What the hell happened?”
Rabbit snapped something I couldn’t make out, but Jinx ignored him. “We were heading out, but someone forgot that your neighbors were in the midst of redoing their damn yard, and we got bogged down in all the dirt and construction. So while we were trying to figure out how to get out of there, half of the four-man team tailing us caught us bailing, and we were forced to engage. We disabled them and barely managed to ghost out on the other two. We’re in the clear for now, but we need to go to ground.”