by Lizzy Ford
Chapter Twenty: Zoey Betrayed
Wes was waiting for her. He looked her over, unimpressed. She glanced down. She was drenched from rain, the tank and leggings bearing scratches from the fighting and blood. He opened the door and motioned her in to the elevator.
“Second hall on the right, fourth door on the left,” he said.
She ran out of the elevator and slid around the corner, slowing as she neared the door he indicated. It was open, as if she were expected. Vikki was standing to one side with Liam, sweating and breathing as hard as Zoey. She recognized a few of the faces from the Enforcer meeting, but there were others, too, men whose power washed over her in a way that made her edgy. Straight ahead was an Incubus in his prime with whiskey eyes and his arms across his chest.
Zoey almost rolled her eyes at seeing Liam’s arm draped around Vikki’s shoulder, as if he really did own her. Composing herself the best she could, she walked into the room and soon understood why Vikki was in direct contact with her soul-mate. If the Enforcer meeting was overwhelming, this was ten times worse.
The effect of the sex energy in the air was immediate. She made it a few steps into the room before her ears began to buzz, and the magic within her was at a roar, like it had been before she obliterated fifty Cambions.
“Zoey, I presume.” The speaker’s voice reverberated in the air around her, setting her instincts on alarm. Zoey gazed at him, at once realizing who stood before her: Declan’s father. The most powerful Incubus in the universe. “I’m Ethan.”
“This one’s got claws,” Wes warned.
She heard the door close behind her. Her head was swimming as she struggled with the magic. A glance at Vikki revealed her friend was shaking, even with Liam’s touch.
“Where’s Declan?” she found herself asking.
“He will join us shortly,” Ethan said. “I believe you have something for me.” His eyes went to her waist, where the two decoy hard drives were strapped.
They were fucking with her magic. She felt it.
“I can make this quick and painless. You hand over the hard drives, I read you, you’re done,” Ethan said. He held out his hand.
“Declan.” Zoey drew her gun with one hand and a knife with her other. It was getting harder to breathe and focus. Uncomfortable with the Incubatti, the Enforcers, the magic…Her body was going to explode soon.
“Another one.” His gaze went to Vikki. “Go get Declan.”
One of the Enforcers left through a side door. Zoey paced, agitated. Her soul-mate appeared a moment later and stood near the others on the opposite side of the room. His face was a mask, his Enforcer mask, but she didn’t care this time. If he didn’t cage the magic in her blood, she’d be unconscious or dead in a few minutes. He crossed his arms, appearing unaffected by her inner struggle.
She started towards him.
Ethan stepped between them. “The hard drives.” His voice was calm.
“You don’t want to do that,” she said in the same tone. Fury filled her for more than one reason. Zoey cocked the hammer back on her weapon. Near frantic with the insanity in her blood, she did her best not to raise the gun.
“Someone didn’t learn rule number one.” Declan’s father assessed her for a moment.
“It doesn’t apply where rule four is involved!” she snapped back.
“Declaw your kitten, son,” he said. He stepped aside.
She took a tentative step forward, not trusting him. Moving around him, she turned her attention to Declan. He nodded his head to the table to her left in a silent command.
Cursing him under her breath, Zoey placed her gun and knife on the table then pulled free the rest of her weapons with fumbling hands. Tunnel vision was starting to form.
One week.
She glanced at him.
I won’t let him read where you put the real drives.
“Son of a bitch,” she muttered.
Doubled. Keep it up.
She slapped the last of her weapons on the table and placed her hands on her head, turning around for him to see she had none. Declan lifted his chin. Zoey went to him.
“Deal?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He dropped his arms and rested a hand on her hip. Zoey shuddered as he pulled the magic out of her. He released her when he’d drawn enough for her to breathe easy again. Zoey stood still as he unstrapped the hard drives, unable to help the sense of betrayal that drifted through her. Declan met her gaze briefly, their bond strong enough that she had to resist hard against the urge to melt against him.
He held out the hard drives to his father while wrapping an arm around her. Zoey relaxed at the gentle connection then rested her forehead against Declan’s chest, knowing Ethan was getting ready to read her.
She flinched as Declan’s father gripped her neck. His magic was intrusive enough that she started to panic, and Declan balanced the sex energy between them to keep her body relaxed. She rested against him until Ethan was done.
“Good,” he said. He moved away. “Now, maybe you can convince your soul-mate to fund your renegade Cambion killing team, since he’s the only one holding up the process.”
Zoey glared up at Declan without leaving the comfort of his body.
“What the hell?” she whispered.
“You really have to ask?” Declan replied in the same quiet tone.
“Lover’s spat, I take it?” his father teased. “I am pleased to see you are giving my Declan a run for his money, Zoey. My successor as Chief Enforcer needs a partner for a mate.”
“Successor?” she echoed, surprised. If he was the youngest and the next to become chief of the Incubatti security arm…she wasn’t going to ask. His father gave off waves of power, and she suddenly understood the depths she felt every time Declan made love to her. He buffered her against the full effect of his magic.
“Son, you need time to talk this out?”
“Just a minute,” Declan said without looking up.
Ethan stepped away to give them what privacy he could in a room full of bristling Enforcers.
“I was joking about Eric,” she told him. “You know that.”
“Doesn’t mean I don’t get jealous.”
“Really?”
Danger flickered in his gaze.
“I like that,” she said. She smiled, genuinely happy he cared enough to get jealous. “Does the rule about playing in one place and sleeping in another apply to you, too?”
“Yes.”
“So, you can’t take anyone else to bed for a first date.”
“That’s one line neither of us crosses,” he said firmly. “This one is gonna cost you. You want your Team Rogue funding: one month.”
“A month? You just blackmailed me for a week.”
“Two.”
Zoey rolled her eyes. “At this rate, I’ll never…”
“Exactly.” The corner of his lips pulled up in amusement.
“Fine. A month.”
I got time after this, he added silently. You can make it up to me for the Eric comment.
“So do I,” she replied, leaning into him. “You can make it up to me for the first date comment.”
“Approved, Father,” Declan said loudly enough for Ethan to hear.
“Then we are done here,” he said. “My sons are as stubborn as their mates. Dismissed.”
Declan took her hand as the Enforcers filed out of the room. He led her down the hallways of the underground facility before entering a small room with a bed and bathroom.
“Shower there, if you want to clean up,” he said, pointing.
Zoey slid around him and took his face, kissing him. Her soul-mate didn’t need a second invite to wrap his arms around her. They made love hard and fast, magic and desire exploding between them. When they lay panting awhile later, Zoey lifted her head from his chest and kissed him again. She breathed in his scent, unable to get enough of the heat of his skin.
“Forgiven,” he whispered.
“The more y
ou give me, the more I want,” she groaned.
“I know.” He nibbled on her earlobe. “You feel how much more there is.” He rolled her and gathered her in his arms, holding her against him.
“Yeah.” She sighed and relaxed.
They gazed at each other, completely vulnerable to one another as their emotions and bodies communicated effortlessly without words. She couldn’t get over how intimate or unusual the feeling was.
She traced a hand down the side of his face. He was hers.
“Yes,” he agreed.
The fact she could feel what he did – and he was not only enamored, but possessive – made her happy, despite the insanity around them.
“You’re welcome to stay and rest. I’ve got to meet with my father,” he said. “The Professor has asked about you.”
She felt a tremor of uncertainty again, the one where she still wasn’t able to determine whose side she was on. Declan kissed her and rose.
Zoey lingered in the bed, exhausted after the past few days. She watched him leave then showered quickly, surprised to find Vikki pacing in her room when she emerged. Vikki hadn’t changed yet and appeared tense.
“What’s wrong?” Zoey asked immediately, concerned for her friend.
“Zoey, I have to show you something.”
“Okay. What?”
Vikki waved for her to follow. Zoey frowned. Vikki was agitated, but she was normally much more expressive. The quick glance she got of her friend’s face revealed an almost expressionless façade with eyes that seemed vacant. If Vikki was too upset to show emotion, something was very, very wrong.
Zoey put on the change of clothes she’d lugged with her and joined Vikki in the hallway.
“Hey, you okay?” she asked, reaching out to her friend.
“Not really,” Vikki said and rubbed her face. “What I have to show you is gonna kill you, Zoey. But you have to see it.”
Dread settled into Zoey’s stomach. “What is it?”
“Olivia called me. She wants to show you herself.”
“Olivia.” The pang of doubt and guilt was back. “I don’t know if I’m ready to deal with that yet.”
“You need to see this, Zoey,” Vikki said. “Trust me.”
Zoey nodded slowly, studying her friend’s face. The blankness of her eyes bothered her, but she followed Vikki. They passed several Incubatti as they made their way through the underground compound. Zoey still wasn’t able to believe she was actually there, in the Incubuses’ stronghold. Their society seemed to have fractured over night. Judging by the compound and smooth operations of the past two days, Declan had been telling the truth: His family had prepared for this moment for a very long time.
Vikki led her out of the compound. Zoey shivered in the chilly night air, but continued to follow Vikki. They walked silently for a few blocks, until they came upon a parking lot. Zoey recognized Vikki’s car.
“You sure you’re okay?” Zoey asked as they climbed into the vehicle.
“I’m fine.”
Zoey said nothing. The feeling of unease grew the farther she got from Declan. She didn’t grasp where they were headed, until they crossed the Anacostia River. Vikki maneuvered the car down a familiar route towards the Sucubatti’s back-up headquarters, Site X.
“Are we even welcome here anymore?” Zoey asked, thoroughly baffled by the complex loyalties.
“Yeah. Right now, the IAB and Enforcers are working together,” Vikki answered. “I think that means we can go between the two.”
Zoey looked at Vikki again. Her closest friend was blinking rapidly and shaking her head. She barely stayed in her lane of the road then just managed to make the sharp right turn into the compound’s designated parking area.
“You’re scaring me,” Zoey said.
Vikki parked the car and pressed the meat of her palms to her eyes.
“No, really, like I’m freaked out.”
“This won’t help. I don’t remember driving most of the way here,” Vikki said, a note of confusion in her voice. “What are we doing here again?”
“Are you serious?”
Vikki met her gaze. The life was back in her eyes.
“You said Olivia had something to show me,” Zoey said in exasperation. “Does she?”
“How the fuck would I know?”
“Because you dragged me out of the Incubatti’s compound to bring me here.”
“Well, shit. Maybe she does,” Vikki snapped, baffled. “That’s a thirty minute drive. How come I don’t remember any of it?”
“You seriously don’t remember?”
“No. It’s like I was just kinda blacked out.”
Zoey frowned. “That happened to me yesterday. I blacked out and killed like, fifty Cambions. When I came to, Wes was sitting on me. He said I even attacked him.”
“This is fucked up. Now my head hurts.”
“I’ve got an energy drink. Might clear your head,” Zoey said and reached into her pocket for one of the two remaining shots.
“I already took one. Didn’t do shit this time.”
Zoey pulled it free, pausing. “You know, I did, too. A few minutes before I blacked out. When did you take one?”
“Like an hour ago.” Vikki took the tiny can. She flipped the lid open and smelled, nose wrinkling. “I always forget how horrible these things taste.”
“Bitter, like an amaretto sour.”
They met each other’s gazes uneasily.
“So, we drink these and black out,” Zoey said. “But you knew to bring me here. You don’t know why?”
“No.”
She closed the lid of the drink and held it in her hand. They were standard energy drinks. She’d been taking them as needed since joining the Hunters, yet she only recalled a few blackouts. The first one was three years ago, when she ended up on the Professor’s porch and the latest yesterday, when she slaughtered fifty Cambions without even remembering the incident. She drank the energy drink during the last two blackouts; that much she recalled.
“Olivia wants me here for some reason,” she murmured. “Vikki, I think you should leave.”
“Not without you.”
“If this is a setup, one of us needs to warn…” the Incubatti. She couldn’t finish the sentence. “…um, someone who can help.”
Vikki studied her then turned her gaze towards the compound.
“Take this to Declan. I don’t have any idea what he can do with it, but maybe he can figure out why it makes us black out,” Zoey added, handing her the drink.
“I don’t want to leave you here. Nothing bad should happen, but fuck, Zoey. I have no idea where we stand in this mess.”
“Me, neither,” Zoey said, sighing. “Give me your knives and go. I’ll text you in thirty minutes. If I don’t, call Declan.”
“Seriously? You want me to call your man?” Vikki teased. She pulled free three knives and handed them over.
“I guess.” Zoey emplaced them around her body then cracked open the door. “Go back, okay?”
“Alright. I’ll be waiting for your text.”
Zoey nodded and exited the car. She didn’t feel anywhere near as confident as she pretended to be. She felt like she was walking into a trap. Waving to Vikki, she waited until her friend pulled out of the parking area before she turned.
The underground compound’s entrance was located down the street. Zoey sensed the guards that were posted along the way. No one challenged or tried to stop her. She was just as surprised when her code worked at the hidden entrance.
She entered the facility and made her way to the command center, fully expecting to be stopped at some point along the way. She wasn’t and paused in the doorway to the darkened room, taking in the scene.
One of the Council members, identifiable by the maroon uniform she wore, was present with Olivia. They were hunched together and talking. Halflings and Succubae manned the computer stations around the hub, while a solitary male stood a short distance from Olivia. Zoey recognized Tommy’s t
owering frame. The massive Enforcer – Ginny’s soul-mate and the brother of Declan – raised a hand in greeting.
She waved back, unsettled by the sight of him here. Tommy’s movement caught Olivia’s attention, and the chief of the IAB looked hard at Zoey.
Zoey stepped back into the hallway, aware the command center wasn’t where Hunters were supposed to be. Halflings trained in support operations worked in the hub, not the fighters themselves.
She lingered outside the door, nervous. Olivia appeared after a few minutes, trailed by Tommy, and motioned for her to follow. They went to a small office with a muted, flat-screen television on one wall displaying the news.
“The Incubatti are insisting I provide them with proof of our relationship,” Olivia started, eyeing Zoey. “It seems someone tipped them off.”
“I did,” Zoey said. “You know about Declan. He can kinda sorta read my mind. Is that why he’s here?” She motioned to Tommy.
“Yes and no. I’m here as a liaison from the Enforcers to show our support. One of Olivia’s top advisors is at our command center as well,” Tommy said.
“Kind of like a hostage exchange,” Zoey said.
Tommy smiled only when Olivia turned to grab a file from her desk.
“Information exchanges are part of my liaison duties,” he replied.
Olivia did not look pleased. She passed something to Tommy. “DNA results for her, Vikki, and the rest of Team R, as well as my own. If you want to draw her blood yourself, you’re welcome to. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Then why provide them?” Tommy asked.
“I’ve asked that our two security forces work together for years to combat the Cambion problem. We’re finally working together, and I want to keep it that way.”
“You want to use your daughters as leverage.”
“I want to make a point that we are united against a cause in more than a philosophical sense,” Olivia returned. “If I wanted to use them, I never would’ve assigned them Benefactors or ensured they ran into their intended mates. I could’ve done what my predecessors did and killed them off like the rest of the Hunters to prevent them from finding their soul-mates.”