“Then she’s already won.”
“As she should.”
Vixen sighed, shaking her head. “No, Rena, she shouldn’t.” So fast, Jeremiah almost missed the action, Vixen slid a knife from her pants, stepped forward, and slid it across the guard’s throat. He heard Anya’s soft cry of alarm from behind him, but didn’t turn around. There was nothing he could do for her now. He agreed with Vixen’s decision to take out the imminent threat. It was her or them, and he would choose them every time.
“Which way?” he asked Vixen, knowing she was connected psychically with RARE. They would tell them the best way out.
“The front door is as good as any,” she said with a shrug. “Your mate says if you get one scratch on you, she’s going to go ballistic.”
Jeremiah grinned, making his way down the hall to the door. “If I do, she can kiss them better later.”
“I’m not telling her that.”
“You afraid of my sweet wolf, Vixen?”
“Sweet is not a word I would use to describe her,” Vixen said dryly, then paused. “Shit! I forgot you were wearing that damn microphone.”
Chuckling, Jeremiah glanced back at her. “Chewed your ass out, didn’t she? She’s amazing.”
Vixen glared at him, shaking her head and flipping him off. He laughed.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”
Jeremiah froze, his eyes going down the hall, beyond where the others stood waiting. His eyes narrowed in confusion, and he cocked his head to the side, inhaling deeply. What the fuck? “You look like Ebony, but you definitely aren’t her.”
The woman walked toward them, her long black hair in a high ponytail, lips painted a dark red to match the top she wore. Black leather pants covered her legs, black boots on her feet. She was a fighter, another assassin, that much was plain to see. Her eyes were cold, hard, deadly. She was there to kill them, and wouldn’t stop until they all took their last breath.
“No, I’m not. Name’s Envy. She’s my sister, which I’m sure you’ve figured out. Same daddy, different mom.”
“But just as evil.”
The woman laughed, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Eyes that were almost a pure black in color. “Call it what you want. I get the job done.” Leveling her gun at the wolf, she squeezed the trigger. A deep growl left the wolf’s throat, and then a quiet whine, as he collapsed to the floor in pain.
“No!” Anya cried, dropping to her knees beside him, holding her hands to his wound to try to stop the bleeding.
“Seems to me you should be worrying about your own problems instead of his,” Envy said, grinning darkly, motioning to Anya’s side. “Maybe you can bleed out together.”
Anya glared at her. “Go to hell.”
“Been there, done that, got the tee shirt.” A low growl filled the hallway, and the lynx bared his huge fangs at her. “Awe, such a pretty kitty. Wonder how you will look dead and stuffed on my wall?”
Anya moved in front of the lynx quickly when the woman pointed her gun in his direction. “Enough!”
Grinning, Envy tilted her head to the side. “Are you willing to die for an animal?”
“He’s not an animal.”
“Seriously? Look at him? He’s a fucking cat.”
“He’s also a human being!”
“I’ll ask you one more time. Are you willing to die for him?”
Anya didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“No!” Jeremiah roared, springing forward at the same time the lynx slipped past Anya. Neither of them were fast enough. Ebony’s sister pulled the trigger, her mouth twisted up in an evil grin.
Rikki heard her mate’s loud roar, felt his rage, and then heard the loud pop of a gun firing… twice. Her hand on her rifle, she took out two more soldiers before grabbing hold of a tree branch and swinging down, dropping to the ground. She knew Jeremiah and the others were in the front of the building, so she ran to the side door hoping to sneak up behind them. Skirting around the fighting, she leaped over dead bodies that littered the ground. She flinched when there was the loud screeching snarl of a lynx in her ear, and then Jeremiah’s voice, low and deadly. “You are a dead woman.”
“We all have to die sometime.”
Rikki keyed in the code she remembered from Connors and slipped into the side of the building. It took her a moment, making her way down two wrong hallways, before she found them. The lynx stood over a woman who was bleeding out all over the floor, her long mass of hair tangled around her, her eyes staring unseeing down the hall in Rikki’s direction. There was blood dripping from the lynx’s front shoulder, but he didn’t let it stop him. A wolf lay next to them, his breathing labored as he fought for his life. Vixen stood, legs apart, a sai in each hand, her eyes never leaving the woman in front of her who held her gun on them. Another woman, smaller than the rest, held something close to her as she seemed to try to fade into the walls behind her.
“You were sent by Ebony? She must have known her soldiers wouldn’t make it through.” Rikki saw Jeremiah move slightly, as if to try to cover Anya more.
The woman, Envy, shrugged. “She didn’t have to send me. When I heard what she had planned, I volunteered to come. Sounded like fun.”
“You think killing people is fun?”
“Yes, actually, I do.”
Rikki dropped to a knee, lifting her rifle and sighting it in. Her wolf was pushing at her, trying to get out to protect their mate, but Rikki struggled to stay calm. She had no control over her wolf when she set her free, but this she could control. This was something she had done for years. Something she was good at. She would protect her mate in the way she knew how.
“You are one sick bitch,” Vixen said, slowly beginning to twirl one of the sais.
Envy laughed. “You mean you don’t get excited whenever you pull the trigger, or when you cut someone with one of those things?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I do,” Rikki called out, waiting until Envy swung around to stare at her in surprise before she pulled the trigger. The bullet lodged between her eyes, eyes opened wide in shock, and she slowly collapsed to the ground, her gun held tightly in her hand.
Rikki heard a loud commotion behind her, but she didn’t turn around. Her nostrils flared, and the scents of her teammates washed over her. Her eyes didn’t leave her mate’s. He stepped away from the carnage behind him, his gaze on her, his arms opening wide. She was down the hall and launching herself at him in seconds, his name on her lips as she held him tightly.
Vaguely, Rikki was aware of Nico rushing past her to where the wolf and Anya lay, Jaxson, Bane, and Sapphire on his heels. Lost in her mate, she didn’t get jerked back to the present until she heard one of them say they were losing her. Anya.
“Shit.”
Rikki heard the pain in Jeremiah’s voice, and she held him tightly to her as they watched Nico and Jaxson work on Anya while Bane and Sapphire tried to save the wolf.
“I got the bullet out of him,” Bane said, holding a hand out to his sister. “Need to stitch him up.”
“Got the one out of her side, but the one in her chest is lodged in deep. I’m going to prep her as much as I can, but we need to get her back to Doc Josie for surgery, now.”
Rikki gasped when the lynx who stood guard over Anya shifted, and a dark haired, golden skinned man took his place. Ignoring his own injury, he looked at Nico. “Is she going to make it?” he asked gruffly, reaching over to run a hand down her hair.
Nico wiped at his brow, shaking his head. “I honestly don’t know.”
“She saved my life. Took a bullet that was meant for me.” Rikki heard the confusion in the male’s voice.
“Because she cares,” Jasmine said, stepping forward.
“She doesn’t even know me,” he argued, his hand stroking her hair once again.
“She cares about all of us,” Jasmine insisted, clutching the small pup in her arms. “You have to save her. Please.”
“I’ll do my best,” Nico
promised.
“That isn’t good enough,” the man growled, his fingers sliding gently over Anya’s cheek.
“Who is she to you?” Angel asked quietly, but Rikki was sure she already knew.
“Mine,” the man growled, lowering his head to rub his cheek against Anya’s. “She’s mine.”
Ebony stared dispassionately at the feed that played across the screen in front of her. She’d just watched one of her sisters get shot in the head, a sister who actually had something going for her, and it pissed her off. Another thing that had her shaking with unsuppressed rage was watching how disloyal her employees were. Well, her father’s employees. She would pick them better in the future. But all of this did raise a question.
“Jinx.”
“Yeah?” He was standing behind her, close to the door. She didn’t trust him, never had, but he was the best at what he did. She needed him. She was just going to have to figure out how to keep him on a tight leash. Her father had never been good at that. It needed to change.
“How the hell did they find out about what was going to happen at the facility in Virginia?”
“No idea.”
“None?”
“No.”
Ebony nodded slowly, her eyes still on the screen in front of her. “I thought you said Vixen was dead?”
“No, I said she failed.”
It was the truth. But, in his line of work, to fail meant one was dead, because the assassins didn’t keep anyone alive. Ebony stayed quiet for now. She didn’t believe him, but she had more important things to worry about. She had a meeting to attend. At Gavin’s penthouse.
19
“I have to go,” Jeremiah said quietly, moving his chair closer to Rikki’s and sliding an arm over her shoulders. “I went dark, Rikki, with no warning. I need to go back and be debriefed. There are going to be lots of questions, a lot of meetings, and chances are good I’ll be without a job when I get back.”
“That would be good for me,” Chase said, from where he sat behind his large, cherrywood desk. “I could use another good enforcer on my team.” He paused. “Unless, you are thinking about joining RARE?”
Jeremiah ran a hand down Rikki’s arm, leaning over to kiss the top of her head gently. He could feel the tension in her, knew she was upset, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and when you did something like he did, there were bound to be consequences. “Naw, I’ll leave RARE to the pros.”
Rikki glanced up at him, an eyebrow raised. “The pros? You probably have more experience than I do.”
Dropping a kiss to her lips, he grinned. “Yeah, but could you imagine how I would react on a mission with you. I’m too overprotective. I would want to kill anyone who looked at you wrong.”
Rikki shrugged. “If I’m on a mission, then chances are they are going to die anyway.”
Jeremiah laughed. That was his Rikki. Stronger than most people he knew, and not afraid to tell it like it was. “True.” Glancing over at Chase, he nodded. “Thank you, Alpha. I will consider your offer and talk it over with Rikki.”
“I would want you on my elite team,” Chase told him. “Which means, when we get missions from the council, you go with us.”
“What?” Rikki asked in confusion. “What elite team? Missions from the council?”
“Chase has his own team similar to RARE,” Angel explained, laughter in her eyes. “They work for the council.”
“Are you shitting me?”
Angel burst into laughter, shaking her head. “No. I didn’t know about it until just recently myself.”
“Wow. I really missed out on a lot, didn’t I?”
Angel’s eyes turned gentle, and she nodded. “Yes, you did. But don’t worry. We will get you all caught up while your mate is gone.”
“How’s the wolf pup?” Jeremiah asked, when he saw the sadness begin to creep back into Rikki’s dark eyes.
“She’s going to be just fine. We were able to track down her mother’s side of the family. Little Sammie’s aunt is taking her in.”
“Thank God,” Rikki whispered. “The thought of her being without anyone. It’s just wrong.”
Jeremiah tightened his hold around her shoulders, knowing she was remembering her own past. Rubbing the smooth skin on her arm with his thumb, he kissed her temple gently before turning back to Chase and Angel. “And Jasmine?”
Angel’s eyes lit up, a wide grin spreading across her face. “Jasmine is home with her family. Vixen and I took her yesterday, and you should have seen how happy she was to hold her little girl again.” A shadow passed over her face, but then it was gone again. “It won’t be an easy road after everything she’s been through, but she’s strong. She’ll make it, with the help of her mate and family.”
“And Anya?”
Angel’s hand covered Chase’s shoulder, and she let him speak this time.
“Anya is going to make it. It’s going to be a hard struggle, but she’s a fighter.”
“I worry about her,” Jeremiah admitted with a sigh. “She’s a good person, but she has no one. No one to help her through this, to fight with her.”
“Not true,” Rikki said, looking over at him, her eyes full of compassion. “She has us.”
“That she does, little mate,” Jeremiah said gruffly, pulling her closer. “That she does.”
“She also has her mate.”
Jeremiah’s eyes narrowed. “Anyone vet him out, yet?”
Chase grinned, nodding. “You bet your ass I did. He passed.”
“Good. That’s good.” Jeremiah was glad. Anya was going to need people in her corner.
Rikki sat by Anya’s hospital bed, watching the woman closely. Her eyes fluttered, then fluttered again, before they finally opened. She found herself staring into startling blue eyes, the color of the bluest ocean.
“Hey,” Rikki said softly, reaching over to cover the woman’s hand with her own. “How are you feeling?”
Anya’s lips parted, and those clear blue eyes slid shut again.
“Oh, no you don’t, lady. I think you’ve slept more than enough already, don’t you? Come on. It’s time to wake up and live again.”
Anya moaned, licking her dry lips.
“Thirsty? Yeah, that’s one of the worst things about sleeping your life away. You are always so damn thirsty.” Grabbing the large cup full of ice and water next to the bed, Rikki moved in close. Positioning the straw near Anya’s lips, she said, “Here you go. Drink, but not too much at first. It won’t go down as easily as you think until after a few swallows.”
Anya’s eyes fluttered open again, and she frowned in confusion, but she leaned over and took small sips of the water.
“Wondering how I know all of this?” Rikki asked, placing the cup back on the table and smiling at the woman.
Anya nodded slowly, her tongue slipping out to wet her lips. “Yes.” It was a hoarse whisper, and Rikki saw Anya wince in pain.
Smiling encouragingly, Rikki told her, “Don’t worry. That uncomfortable feeling in your throat won’t last long, either. I promise.”
“Who are you?” Anya rasped, her brow furrowing.
“I’m Jeremiah’s mate,” Rikki said, reaching over to gently push a piece of long, brown hair away from Anya’s cheek. When her eyes widened, Rikki grinned. “Didn’t know that he was a shifter, or didn’t know he had a mate?”
“Neither,” Anya admitted quietly.
Rikki leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other and folding her arms over her chest. “Well, how about I tell you a story, then?”
“Story?”
“Yeah, about a bear and his wolf.” Rikki smiled when she saw a spark of interest in Anya’s eyes. “Before I begin, Anya, I want you to know something. You will get through this. It’s going to be a tough road, it’s going to take some time, but you will survive.”
Anya’s eyes misted over, and she whispered, “I feel so alone.”
“I get
that, but you need to understand that you aren’t alone. I’m here, Jeremiah will be back soon. There’s a wolf next door who wants to meet you. And there’s a lynx who has hardly left your side since you saved his life.”
“What?”
Rikki nodded over to where the lynx lay curled up on the floor in the corner. “His name is Teagan Lenthrope. He’s from California. That’s where they first caught him.”
“What? They told me my facility was the first one he’d been to.”
“Not true,” Rikki told her gently. “Yours was the fourth, and since they couldn’t break him, it was meant to be the last.”
“Oh, my God!” As Anya looked at the lynx, tears slipped out, sliding down her face. “No wonder he won’t shift. He probably feels safer as a lynx. More deadly.”
“Trust me,” Rikki said with a chuckle, “Teagan is deadly in any form.”
Anya held out an arm to the cat, whispering, “I want to touch you. Please. I need to.”
Teagan rose slowly, stretching his legs out one at a time. He stalked around the room for a moment, before stopping next to the bed. Rising on his hind legs, he shoved his head into Anya’s hand, purring when she began to stroke his ears.
Anya smiled, a sparkle coming back onto those blue eyes. “You are so beautiful.”
The cat purred loudly, and then it was gone, and the man was in its place. Anya gasped, her eyes widening. Her hand fell to the blankets, and then she lifted it back up to touch Teagan’s cheek. “Hello.”
“Hey,” he said gruffly.
“I know you.” Anya captured one of his hands with hers. “How do I know you?”
“You are mine,” he said simply, covering the hand on his cheek with his own, and turning to place a kiss in the palm.
“Yours?”
“My mate.”
“Mate?” Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head. “How could you want me after everything I’ve done?”
“We will work through all of that,” Teagan promised, rubbing the back of her hand over his cheek. “Right now, rest. Listen to Rikki’s story.”
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