by I. T. Lucas
Greggory chuckled again. “If he was, do you think I would tell you? But he isn’t. It’s all perfectly legit.”
“If it is, why does he need so many bodyguards?”
“He comes from a very influential family that has many enemies.”
If she didn’t know that the house was full of paranormals, that would have sounded like a legitimate explanation. But it was probably made up.
“Is he someone famous? What’s his name?”
“Kajeck Zolotovsky.”
A Russian. He might be related to one of the oligarchs, or even to Putin himself. No wonder he needed protection.
Or maybe that wasn’t it at all?
Maybe Kajeck Zolotovsky was collecting paranormal talents for the Russians? Perhaps the females were in higher demand and were sent over to Russia shortly after getting drafted.
Jin’s spying ability would be a highly coveted asset for any government. No wonder Kajeck had sent people to get her out of the program. The other trainees he’d collected had been a bonus.
So far, that was the most logical explanation, and even more importantly, it seemed that Greggory wasn’t immune to her compulsion. He was answering all of her questions without hesitation.
“I’ll google him. If he’s on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, I’ll cancel our date.”
“He is not, and you are not going to find much about him. He’s a very private man. In fact, I’ve already told you too much, and I can get in trouble for that. How did you get me to do that?”
Eleanor laughed. “I didn’t make you do anything. You volunteered the information. But because you were so forthcoming, I’m willing to take a risk and invite you over to my place for dinner. Does seven tonight work for you?”
“It’s perfect.”
“I’ll text you the address.”
“Thanks. I’m looking forward to tonight.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Ending the call, Eleanor let out a breath.
Was she doing the right thing? Perhaps she shouldn’t have invited him over to her house? What if things didn’t work our between her and Greggory? He would know where she lived.
Except, it wasn’t really her place, and if she needed to, she could pack her suitcase and be gone in ten minutes. The notebooks and the flash drive that she’d taken from Simmons’s office were in a bank safety deposit box, together with all of her fake IDs other than the one she was currently using. So even if Greggory did some snooping around while she was in the bathroom or in the kitchen, he wouldn’t find anything suspicious. And if she managed to become his girlfriend, it could be her ticket into that mansion.
Greggory might know some things, but his boss would know much more. Getting access to him was worth taking a little risk.
Besides, the guy was a hunk, and provided that he was interested, she actually wanted to hook up with him. Compelling a man into having sex with her was not something she’d ever done or would ever do.
If anything, Eleanor had used her power to get guys to leave her alone. Not that many had tried. She wasn’t a great beauty by any stretch of the imagination, and her sex appeal was nearly nonexistent. The best she could manage was to dress well and put makeup on to look elegant and professional, but right now, her chosen disguise made even that impossible. She was rocking the rugged rebel look, though, and it was somewhat sexy if she said so herself.
Besides, it wasn’t possible to compel someone to feel attraction toward someone else if there was none in the first place. Compulsion could give a nudge in the right direction, but it couldn’t manufacture something that wasn’t there.
Eleanor doubted that she could compel anyone to commit murder unless he or she wanted to do that or was capable of it. Thankfully, she’d never been forced to test that theory.
Regrettably, though, the same was true for love.
The one time she’d been desperate enough to compel a man to love her, it hadn’t worked out well at all.
She wasn’t looking for love, though. Not anymore. If Greggory found her attractive, which he must do to ask her out, hooking up with him would do.
The big question was whether her performance in bed would be good enough for him to come back for more. Unless they started dating seriously, Greggory wouldn’t invite her over to the mansion to meet his boss.
4
Kian
After checking the time on his phone, Kian stuffed it in his pocket and opened the desk drawer to pull out his sunglasses. This time of year, he needed them even when sitting in the shade of his rooftop umbrella.
He had more than an hour before his meeting with Turner and William, which gave him enough time to call Sari and have a relaxing smoke while he was at it.
With both of their busy schedules, they didn’t talk nearly often enough. Frankly, he didn’t talk much with Alena or his mother either. The only sister he had close contact with was Amanda, but even that was thanks to Syssi organizing family dinners and inviting her and Dalhu over.
If Sari decided to attend the wedding, the entire family would be in one place, which was a rare occasion. It worried him, not so much because of Kalugal and his men, but because of Kalugal’s father. If Navuh attacked the village, he could eliminate all of them at once. Even if everyone in the sanctuary and in Scotland survived, that would be the end of Annani’s clan. With no leadership, Fates only knew what would happen to them.
But those were morbid thoughts, an end of days disastrous scenario that was highly unlikely.
If Navuh was planning anything, Lokan would know about it and warn them.
As Kian opened the door to the roof, his face was hit with a blast of heat and light, blinding him momentarily until he pulled out his sunglasses and put them on.
Thankful to whoever had done him the kindness of putting up the umbrella, Kian moved one of the chairs so it was fully in its shade and sat down. He still hadn’t figured out who that was, but the prime suspect was Shai.
Pulling a cigarillo out of the box, he lit it, leaned back, and called Sari.
“Good afternoon, Kian,” her assistant answered. “Sari stepped out for a moment. Do you want her to call you back?”
“Yes, please. I have a meeting in an hour, so if she can’t call me right away, it will have to wait until I’m done with that.”
“No problem. I’ll let her know.”
Crossing his legs at the ankles, Kian closed his eyes and took a puff of his cigarillo. His phone rang before it was even half done.
“Hi, Sari. Thanks for returning my call. How are things on the other side of the pond?”
“Wonderful. I’m enjoying our mother and Alena’s company.”
He chuckled. “Are you? Usually, Annani drives you almost as nuts as she does me.”
“Not this time. For some reason, she seems more mellow lately. Frankly, I’m worried.”
He’d noticed that as well, but that was no reason for worry. “Perhaps she’s behaving for our sakes. I can finally enjoy her visits without pulling my hair out because I’m concerned about her safety.”
“Same here. But why is she being so considerate all of a sudden? She’s never cared about that before.”
“I’m not a psychologist, but maybe having Areana in her life has changed her attitude for some reason, making her more risk-averse.”
“You might be onto something. Anyhow, I’m grateful to have her here, and it makes me happy to see her enjoying her family instead of running all over the countryside looking for adventures.”
“Speaking of adventures, Kalugal asked me to invite you to his wedding. He wants to meet you. And since Lokan is going to attend, you can finally meet both of our cousins.”
“I would love to. It’s a great opportunity for our entire family to get together. It’s just a shame that Areana can’t be there as well. I’m sure that Kalugal would have loved to have his mother at his wedding.”
Kian chuckled. “On the upside, his father is not going to attend either.”
“Yeah,
we wouldn’t want that.”
“How long can you stay?”
“Annani and Alena are planning to arrive at the village on Friday, and I can hitch a ride with them. I’ll take a commercial flight back home on Tuesday. I wish I could stay longer, but you know how it is. I can’t.”
“I hear you. But if Annani doesn’t fly you back, I’ll send you home in one of our jets.”
Sari chuckled. “I’m not a princess, Kian, and I fly commercial all the time.”
“It’s your choice, but it will make me feel better if you don’t.”
“Well, if it’s for your own peace of mind. I’ll take you up on your offer in case Mother doesn’t want to fly me back.”
“I’m glad that you’re coming.”
“Me too. So how are things going with Kalugal? Mother is quite taken with him. She told me that he has forty-something eligible bachelors for our single ladies, and that Edna has already called dibs on his second-in-command.”
Kian sighed. “The Fates have a twisted sense of humor. Those two are the last ones who should have been paired. I see no way for them to be together.”
“I’m sure a solution will present itself.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t think I’m going to like it.”
5
Richard
Richard pulled a newspaper out of the stack by the café counter and looked for a shady spot where he could read it in peace.
Uncharacteristically, he wasn’t in the mood to socialize.
After an entire weekend off, he’d returned to work on Monday with renewed energy, but it hadn’t lasted long. It was only Wednesday, and he was ready for another break.
If he asked Amanda, she would have no problem changing his auction schedule so he would have to offer his services only every other night. But since he hadn’t gotten a reply from Kian yet, Richard was afraid to risk it.
It was four days past his induction, and once more nothing had happened. He was still human and about to get kicked out of the village.
If he were a Dormant, he would have transitioned already, and with each passing day, his hope of that happening was diminishing.
That was why he needed to prove himself useful and keep spreading his seed around. If any of the auction winners got pregnant, Kian would be in no rush to kick him out, and that might be his ticket to staying on as a human.
Having his memories of immortals and all the good friends he’d made in the village erased was a prospect too painful to contemplate.
After securing a table, Richard left his newspaper on the chair as a sign that it was taken and went back to order his lunch.
Kian had kindly provided him with a clan credit card and a small allowance, so he wasn’t entirely destitute, but if he was to stay in the village, he needed to negotiate a salary, and hopefully a job other than his stud services.
“Hi, Richard.” Wendy smiled at him. “What can I get you?”
“What do you recommend?”
“The roast beef sandwich.”
“I had it yesterday.”
“And you liked it.”
“True. I’ll get that and a double-shot cappuccino.”
Behind him, a woman chuckled.
Real funny. Richard turned around, ready to scowl at whoever thought that what he was doing was humorous.
“Stella.” He arched a brow. “How have you been? I haven’t seen you since the welcome party.”
She looked even better than he remembered.
Smiling apologetically, she took a step back. “I know. I’ve been so busy.”
Evidently he’d been right, and she was afraid of him touching her because of his ability. Perhaps if he set the record straight, she would be less skittish around him.
“Are you busy now? Or can I invite you to have coffee with me?”
“That’s very kind, but I have a huge order that I’m working on. I just stopped by to grab something to eat.”
“You can’t sew and eat at the same time. Come on, let me buy you a coffee and a sandwich.”
“Okay. But I can buy my own lunch.”
“I know you can, but I want to buy it for you.” He smiled his most charming smile. “I can’t afford much, but I can still afford that.”
She frowned. “Isn’t Kian paying you?”
“He was gracious enough to give me a clan credit card to use in the café and a small allowance for other purchases.”
Stella frowned. “That’s grossly unfair. You should get a cut from the auction proceeds. I heard that the bidding is vicious.”
It wasn’t something that he wanted to talk to her about, especially since she hadn’t attended any of the auctions. Instead, he decided to do what he’d always done in moments like that—turn it into a joke.
“Would you like to become my manager? I could use someone in my corner.”
“Here you go.” Wendy handed him a tray with his sandwich and coffee.
“Thank you. Can you also make a sandwich for Stella?” He turned to her. “What would you like?”
She glanced at what was on his tray. “That smells delicious. I’ll have the same.”
“I’ll bring it to you,” Wendy offered.
“Thank you. That would be awesome.” Richard headed to the table he’d secured.
Stella followed, but she made sure to keep her distance and then sat down across from him. “So, how is it going? Are you enjoying your time in the village?”
“I love it here, but it doesn’t look as if I’m going to transition, and I hope that Kian will let me stay.”
She cast him a pitying look. “He’s never allowed a human to stay before, but then we never had a case like yours. All the potential Dormants transitioned.”
Richard emptied a packet of sugar into his cappuccino and stirred it in. “Evidently, I don’t have the godly genes.”
“But you have a paranormal talent.”
He grimaced. “It’s not much of a talent. All I get are emotions and often they are so jumbled up that I don’t know what to make of them. And that’s with humans. With immortals, I hardly get anything.”
She tilted her head. “That’s not what you told me during the welcome party. You said that you were a fabulous lover because you knew what your partners wanted.”
He sighed. “I exaggerated a little, or a lot. I wanted to impress you, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.” He leaned closer. “Just don’t tell anyone. I want Kian to think I’m a great touch empath so he will let me stay.”
Leaning back, Stella crossed her arms over her chest. “If you want to keep the charade going, why are you telling me?”
“Because I realized that it makes you uncomfortable. I get it. I wouldn’t want anyone to know what I’m thinking either.”
“How do I know that you are telling me the truth now?”
“You can ask Ingrid, or even Marla. I touched them both a lot, and I still don’t know much about them.”
“There is no way to prove your claim. You might know a lot about them but not tell them that.”
“True.” He rubbed his fingers over his jaw. “I have better proof. Did you know that Jin and I were in a relationship while in the government program?”
“I didn’t know that.”
“We were compelled to date each other by the program’s recruiter. Although in my case, I would have dated Jin without being compelled to do that. In her case, though, I’m not sure. Anyway, she and Jacki were planning their escape for weeks. Jacki had a vision of Mey coming for her sister, she told Jin about it and asked to join them. Jin and I were seeing each other daily, kissing and snuggling, but I had no clue that she was planning an escape. You can ask her about it, and she’ll verify it.”
That seemed to finally convince Stella.
She let out a relieved breath. “It’s not that I have anything to hide, but the idea of someone reading more than I’m willing to say makes me uncomfortable.”
Richard suspected that was a lie, but it only added to her allure.
Stella was different, and she had secrets, which made her even more interesting. She was also pretty, albeit in an unconventional way, and he wanted to get to know her better.
He already knew that she was a wonderful mother who had done a superb job of raising Vlad on her own, so whatever secrets she was hiding couldn’t be too bad.
“Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I hope you will change your mind about seeing me.”
Stella chuckled. “You have enough on your plate with the auctions. I’m sure that you are not after more sex.”
“I’m not.” He sighed dramatically. “I thought that shagging a different beauty every night would be a dream come true, especially given the extortionate amounts the ladies pay for the privilege. But I’m tired of being a sex object.” He reached over the table and took her hand. “I’m enjoying sitting here with you and just talking more than everything else put together.”
She arched a brow. “Really?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.” He smiled. “And since I’m human, that vow applies. I never thought I would tire of being a sex object. I’ve spent most of my adult life chasing after women and getting rejected quite often, so when Amanda suggested the auctions, I thought that I’d died and gone to heaven. But I guess it’s like eating cake. The first few bites are delicious, but then all that sugar can become nauseating.”
“So why do you keep doing it? I’m sure Kian could find something else for you to do.”
“I wish, but right now, my stud services are the most valuable thing I can offer, and without them, my utility to the clan is questionable. I don’t want to give Kian an excuse to kick me out.”
“Hmm. Perhaps you should try to find something else that would be an invaluable service to the clan.”
Richard lifted his hands in the air. “I’m a good salesman and a decent businessman. Does Kian need to sell anything?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“Does what I do bother you?”
She shrugged. “If we were dating, it would. But we can be friends.”