by Zoe Forward
“Like The Manchurian Candidate and Winter Soldier?”
“Something like that.”
“In the video when I said I didn’t remember doing the things that I’d done, maybe that’s why? I was programmed in my brain to obey orders and didn’t know what I was doing. That’s why I had to erase my brain, I guess. I needed to make sure no one could say the trigger words to make me…do things.” Chills shimmered down her arms. “What if they’re still in there? What if someone who recognizes me says them?”
“We have to be careful. Not that we know the trigger words or that I’m worried about us, but I worry someone near me might know them and use you. The person who knows those words is probably behind alerting the A.W.L. I bet it’s someone associated with FenCor.”
“I thought you said I assassinated several of their top people. Why would they go after their own?”
Roman shrugged. “I don’t know. A power play, perhaps.”
“I’m concerned about your brother not showing up yet.” She chewed on the inside of her cheek. “They must’ve captured him. If that was a legit breeding facility and they took him, could they force him to have sex? To father a child?”
“You’re asking me this after full moon night? I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you in the club, and that was while I am on the suppression serum and then I still wanted you even after I was ordered to take you out. If I was off serum and someone put me in a cell with you with the full moon in the sky? There’s not a force on the planet that would keep us from getting naked.”
“They might’ve lured him in on purpose,” Flynn said. “Maybe they want his child.”
“If he’s anything like you two, it’d be an incredible child.” She didn’t release Roman’s hand as she sat next to him. “We have to stop them. This is terrifying, not just on a species level or for your brother, but also to think of them raising lycan kids and brainwashing them from the time they’re little. That’s horrific.”
“We’ll stop it. We always do.” He wrapped an arm around her to pull her close and kiss her forehead. “You were brave to erase your memories in order to stop them. You put all this into play. You knew to find me and my brothers. Somehow you knew we are the right ones to stop this.”
Chapter Thirty-one
Nova stood at the side of the breakfast table wringing her hands. “I can’t do this, Roman. I’m putting you at too much risk. I’ve got to leave. I can’t be here with your family who have all been so kind to me.” She looked to Evie and then to Flynn who opened his mouth to speak, but paused and then said nothing. She waved at them. “See? They agree.”
“Sit. Eat with us.” He reached out and took her hand in his. His eyes trained on hers, he rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “I’m sorry for anything I said that might’ve been hurtful.” He shook his head. “So fucking sorry. I know why you died. We all do. It was the right move even if it destroyed me. I won’t lie that if that happens for real a second time, I’m not going to make it.”
Flynn said, “Roman—”
“I’m stating the fact so everyone understands how important she is to me.” His focus returned to her. “It’s also not okay for you to try to disappear out of the misguided notion it’ll keep me safe from the curse. That’s what this is about.”
“I will not be the reason that curse punishes you again,” she said as she sat. Her heart pounded so fast she felt like she might have a heart attack.
Roman loaded her plate with fruits and a pastries and put it in front of her. “Eat. You’re special, Nova. Not just to me. Not just because you can use magic, but because you helped me find my way out of the darkness that was pulling me under. I don’t know how I lucked into you being the one put into my life, but you being here was intentional on several levels.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“The angel didn’t show up to recruit us to help with the demon. That was an excuse to get us together. He could’ve nixed that asshole in about two seconds on his own. He was there to fix me…us. God sent you to me.”
“God? As in the Christian God?”
He nodded.
“Do you think God put me in that car and sent the texts?”
Roman’s face scrunched up. “No. I think you were headed my way, and he decided to push us to have a deeper connection.” After a pause, he continued, “I’ve lost a lot in my life—friends, my father, and Shane. Now possibly Ky. There’s only so much anyone can take. When I had you and lost you…that was the tipping point. Flynn and I are blood cursed to answer to a selfish monarch and our human handler. The things we’ve dealt with for decades eroded all optimism and drew me into a dark place. But then you appeared and gave me purpose. You helped me remember goodness. I have nothing to give you in return other than my pledge to be true to you and protect you. To love you.”
“Roman—”
“I’ve never done a relationship,” he interrupted her. “I’m afraid it’ll all fall apart between us even if we try to make a go of it. It seems almost too good to be true, but I don’t want to sabotage it before it gets a chance. We have to give ourselves this chance. That’s all I’m trying to say.”
“But the risk? One screw up and me on camera…they’ll send you after me again. This time they’ll make you kill me in front of them.”
“The angel says your magic can make you invisible to the cameras and whomever you don’t want to be seen by.”
“Damned useful skill,” Flynn said. “If you can teach it to me, that’d be cool.”
Roman frowned at him. “If you don’t remember how to do it, Nova, then Dom can show you. He’s a grumpy asshole, but I’ll make him, or Mom will.”
Evie busied herself with cutting fruit. “I can make him train you.”
Tears slipped over the edge. “The angel said we could be together?”
“It was his sole purpose for forcing us out last night. Not the stupid demon, which we could’ve dealt with tomorrow or the next day. His purpose was us. Seems that I have some sort of higher purpose for God. Probably in order to protect his sheep. Looks like even if I get free of one master, there’s another waiting to pull my strings.”
“Sounds a lot better to say you’re a warrior for God, though.” Nova managed a small smile.
“Wow,” Evie whispered. “My son’s a warrior for God.”
“We’re supposed to work together. As in you with me, and my brothers, and all of us ridding the world of inhuman terrorists. I think we’re supposed to hold each other together.” He wiped away a few of her tears. “Please don’t cry.”
But it didn’t work. More tears fell, and the consuming pressure in her chest built more, pressuring her lungs to the point she felt lightheaded. “I’m sorry. They won’t stop.”
Reaching out, she pressed her hand to his cheek. “I love you, Roman. I’m hopelessly in love with you and nothing is going to change that.”
Flynn groaned and rolled his eyes. He waved at them. “Just go get a room. Make the sap fest stop.”
Evie kicked him under the table. “I like it.”
“Oww.” Flynn massaged his leg.
Roman shot him a dirty glare.
Flynn said, “She’s a fellow warrior for God. I get that. Why can’t God undo this curse if you’re so important?”
“I think us figuring it out is a part of the plan.” He took Nova’s hand. “You’re a part of our family now.”
Evie burst into laughter. “Don’t be so dense, love. She was a part of it the moment you brought her on the boat.”
…
Nova entered a bedroom with…what was he? Her partner? Her soulmate? He was her everything.
Nova looked Roman in the eyes—his beautiful, dangerous, haunted eyes—and saw misery and devotion. She forced her brain to slow down and figure out what was going on. She was supposed to be here. Then, why this new misery?<
br />
With a deep breath, she let the internal voice speak to her. He spent his time battling and absorbing evil to save everyone. He kept his brothers together. He was trapped in a curse by those who couldn’t learn she survived. Beyond all that, he worried about losing her and them before they even had anything together. That was a hell of a lot of anxiety to take on.
“You don’t need to take everything on at once tonight, Roman.” She smiled softly. “Let’s simply be here in the same place, neither of us with a kill order over our heads. There’s a lot outside the door to weigh you down. Leave it outside. How about we always leave it outside the door whenever it’s the two of us?”
“You lost your life and everything to end up here. How can you know here is the right place for you?”
“I may not remember what I was, but I know who I am, and what I want. By forgetting, I gained my freedom and found something I’m sure I would’ve never found otherwise.” She put a hand to his cheek. “You. A family who’s okay with what I am and who I am. I am okay not remembering…never remembering. I’ll live life starting now.”
Roman blinked.
“I know you’re scared,” she said. “You can’t control the world and keep everything perfect for me. I can’t do it for you. But I can hold my own. I’m not scared of the evil bits. I don’t want you to withhold parts of yourself from me because you think it’ll keep me safe, or I won’t like what’s inside you. I want all of you. Every single bit of you. I need a partner who isn’t afraid to love me with everything in him and give me all of him.”
Roman opened his mouth and closed it. He rubbed his hands over his face. “I’m not going to tell you you’re right.”
“But I am. You’re going to have to get used to that.”
His eyes softened as he chuckled. He leaned in to kiss her. Gentle. Tender. “You resurrect dreams I gave up. This feels like a bubble that’ll pop, and I’ll lose everything…you.”
“I’m here. For however long we have, I want to love you. I want you to let me love you.” She put her hand on his chest. “It’ll ease the pain in here if you tell yourself it’s okay to be happy.”
“Tell me this is real, Nova.”
“It’s real. I’m yours. Now, tell me you have chocolate syrup around here so we can enact that fantasy of licking it off you.”
“Jesus Christ, I’m lucky.” His lips crashed down on hers.
Pure joy was the only way to describe what slid through her. Even though there was so much ahead to maneuver through, if they did it together, they’d be stronger. They were each other’s everything. And nothing was going to change that.
Epilogue
Dom scanned the chart for his next patient for less than ten seconds before entering the exam room. Human medicine had started to bore him. Time for a change. Perhaps, he could go back into ER medicine or even paramedics. Or maybe something different.
First, he saw the insanely high red stilettos. Not expected for a seventy-two-year-old human male. The long legs and curvy figure in a short white dress…
“I forget how sexy you are in green scrubs. A few microns of fabric between the air and skin.” Evie ran her finger from his cheek, down his neck to his chest and circled his nipple, which strained for her touch. She traced a few of the marks on his arms. “I can’t ever get enough of your marks.”
His brain flashed a warning at the same time it decided it didn’t want more commentary on why he shouldn’t let her seduce him. Dropping his mouth to hers, he gave her what she wanted. She groaned in submission. He took advantage of the parting of her lips, licking inside her, penetrating her with his tongue. He deliberately brought her into contact with his lower body, his arousal straining.
Evie pushed against his shoulders and he reluctantly eased back. “First, love, I need a favor.”
Of course she did. She wouldn’t come to him because she wanted him. He’d hoped, but then he wouldn’t want her so hard if she didn’t have an agenda and wasn’t as dangerous as a viper.
She leaned in and kissed his neck, then nipped his skin with her sharp teeth. He hissed.
“Just one small thing,” she purred.
“I’ll train Nova,” he managed to get out between his rapid breaths.
“That’s a kind offer that she’ll accept, but I need something else.”
He cupped her breast through her clothes, his thumb finding her nipple. As he stroked the tip her head fell back.
“Let’s play first and do business second,” he said hoarsely.
She pulled at his ass to roll her pelvis against his. Victory. She was losing herself to the desire. He wasn’t going to give her a chance to think.
But she stepped away. “First, do this for me. It’s simple. I need you to find my son.”
“Ky is still missing?”
“Yes, but not that one, at least not today. We’ll get to him…later. I need you to find Shane.”
“He’s dead.”
“Then this should be simple to confirm. Shadow walk me to see if he exists in this world.”
He leaned in to place kisses up her neck to her ear. “I’ll need something of his.”
She removed a silver Zippo lighter from her handbag.
He pulled Evie into him. One touch to the item and a focus on its owner…
The two of them hovered as shadows near a male, a lycan who worked to load ammo into cartridges. The lycan glanced up. His eyebrows drew together as he tilted his head.
“Using Dom to find me, Mom? I shouldn’t have underestimated you.” Shane’s crystal blue eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. His blond hair was long, but not unkempt. “Now is not the time to find me. You can reassure the boys there’s a way out of the curse. But not yet. I’m sorry, but they must stay in play. They must think me gone for now. Don’t cheat and have Dom do the work for them. Finding Ky is only the beginning for all of us.”
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Acknowledgments
First I have to thank you, the reader, for welcoming my characters into your life and imagination. I take this crazy journey to amuse, distract, and entertain you.
Every story takes a team to get it across the finish line. Fortunately, I wasn’t alone to complete this book. I did have help. Lots of it. I could never have written this novel if it wasn’t for the steady supply of love and advice from my family. I’m grateful to the young people in my family and life who electrify my imaginative light when it burns low. And to LJD who helped me work through plot roadblocks and consulted on weaponry at crucial moments.
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Tracy Montoya for championing this series to be published and providing brilliant editing guidance throughout.
Thank you to the entire Entangled team, but most especially Jessica Turner, Riki Cleveland, Bree Archer, and Liz Pelletier. There are so many talented people behind the scenes who helped make this book happen.
About the Author
Award winning author, Zoe Forward is a hopeless romantic who can’t decide between paranormal and contemporary romance. So, she writes both. Her novels have won numerous awards including the Prism, Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence, Golden Quill, Carolyn Readers Choice Award, and the Booksellers’ Best Award.
When she’s not typing at her laptop, she’s cheering her son on at baseball, chasing after the toddler or cleaning up the newest pet mess from the menagerie that occupies her house. She’s a board-certified veterinarian. You can ask her about your pet’s problem, but be warned she’s into integrative medicine so her answer might involve treatments you’ve never heard of.
She loves hearing from readers!
Also by Zoe Forward…
Protecting His Witch
His Witch to Keep
Playing the Witch’s Game
The Way You Bite
Ni
ghtshade’s Bite
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