by T. S. Ryder
He overshot the landing platform when he got home, landing instead on the screened-in balcony. He tore the screen in half and Shifted before he swung in. He charged into Arabella's room – only to receive a baseball bat to the abdomen. The air rushed from his lungs as pain exploded through his body. He doubled over and the bat smacked him across his back. He lashed out blindly, grasping handfuls of cloth. He yanked and it tore in his hands. A female voice shrieked; the bat came at him again but this time he was able to grab the wrist holding it and slam it against the wall.
He pressed against his attacker. As soon as he saw who it was, though, his eyes widened and he released her, backing away. Heat rose in his cheeks as he looked back into Arabella's shocked eyes.
"I didn't know you had a baseball bat in here," he mumbled.
"I have to protect—"
He turned before she finished and left the room. Arabella gave a strangled shout and followed him. Grayson's heart pounded in his chest as he rushed to the twins' room. They were sleeping tucked into their beds, Olivia with her thumb in her mouth, Hudson curled on his side. Grayson sagged against the doorframe, blinking back a rush of grateful tears.
"What is going on?" Arabella hissed. "You break into my room naked, then practically tear my nightgown off—"
"I received a call," he interrupted. "I don't know who it was, but they said I had to back down from politics or something would happen to my children. I had to make sure they were okay."
Arabella's eyes widened and her face paled. She pushed past him, glanced in at the children, and let out a sigh. She leaned against the other side of the door, closing her eyes. She trembled from head to toe and he reached out to comfort her but stopped. He didn't have the right to touch her.
"I'm going to hire some more security," he said. "Jeremy White is trying to pass a new bill that will have devastating effects on Shifter communities."
"And you need to stop him."
"I need to protect my children." Grayson snorted, shaking his head. "But it seems like I need to sacrifice the future I dreamed for them for their safety now. I will be stepping down. I can't let anything happen to them."
Arabella looked hesitant. Her arms wrapped around her middle, making her breasts spill from the torn nightdress. She opened her mouth but said nothing. Grayson had nothing more to say at the moment, either. He needed to forget about whatever personal messes he had. His children were everything. They needed to stay safe.
Chapter Nine – Arabella
What had Kennedy been thinking, actually calling and threatening Grayson directly? The mission was going to be successful – at least the endgame was – but the organization would want to know why they changed the script. Kennedy calling Grayson changed everything.
At least now Arabella had a good reason for saying that it was too dangerous to steal the kids and volunteer herself as the kidnapping victim instead. It didn't really matter who they kidnapped. They just needed to make sure that he would stay away from White's vote and she needed an escape.
Her phone rang.
Arabella glanced at the big, burly security guard who was standing by the window. Grayson may have overdone it. This guy was one of the half-dozen who now resided at the tree-top house. But then again, considering the organization itself, there was no such thing as overdoing safety.
Her phone continued to ring. She answered it, slipping into another room as she did so.
"Hiya, sis," Kennedy greeted brightly. "I was hoping that we could talk. The vote is happening and we need to get our two most important voters where they can do their job."
"Oh, is that still happening?" Arabella replied, anger simmering in her voice. "Here I thought that you had gone ahead and made the vote without me."
There was a beat. "What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You were supposed to wait."
"And you think I haven't?"
"What do you think?" Arabella rubbed her temple. "Look, I can't talk about this right now. I'll see you at the wedding and we can talk there."
Arabella could almost hear Kennedy rolling her eyes. "Fine. But you better hurry it up. I'm about done waiting for you and this vote can't wait – the groom has to know what kind of flower to wear, after all."
"I'll be there soon."
If Kennedy thought that Arabella still could get the children away from the Shifter community without causing a scene . . . well, that would be discussed later. All she had to do was play up how her plan was ruined and she might have a chance to protect the twins after all.
***
She met Kennedy at a house in town, a bright yellow structure that reeked of over-cheerfulness. Arabella marched in without knocking. Her colleague was in the living room, watching old sitcom reruns while cleaning her gun collection. A weapons display? Was Kennedy making a power play?
"Arabella, glad you could make it." Kennedy frowned as she glanced behind her. "Where are the kids? Didn't you bring them?"
Arabella laughed. "Really? How did you expect me to get them out of there after that stunt you pulled?"
"Stunt? What stunt?" Kennedy's brows drew together. "What are you talking about, Bella?"
"Don't call me that." She had always hated being called 'Bella.' Her hands clenched. "So what is your end game? You call up Alexander to tell him that if he doesn't step down his children will pay the price and then you act like I should have taken them anyway? I told you from the start to follow my lead and you have done nothing but put this plan in jeopardy again and again."
Kennedy put the gun she was cleaning down and stood. "One, I didn't make any calls. I've been sitting here with my hands under my ass, waiting for you to give the signal. Two, you were supposed to bring the kids. I don't see any kids."
Arabella stared at her for a moment. The other woman seemed to be genuine in her confusion about what she was being accused of. Could it have been another group that made the threat toward Grayson? Maybe their employers were growing impatient and made the threat themselves. She shook her head.
"Somebody made a threat against the children and Alexander isn't taking any chances. He's stepped down from politics and he's hired a bunch of extra security. If we're going to still go ahead with the plan, then adjustments have to be made. Namely who the target is."
Kennedy narrowed her eyes.
"I've worked on seducing the dragon," Arabella continued, keeping her voice flat. "He's developed feelings for me, so we stage my kidnapping instead. It will have the same effect."
Kennedy started laughing. "Are you for real right now?"
Arabella pressed her lips together, itching to have a gun in her hands.
"Working on seducing. Really? That's what you call getting all weepy when he starts confessing his love to you? See, I thought that was something else. Something like . . . you developing feelings for a mark. Honestly, Bella, it's pathetic. You've always been a little too emotional to be really good at your job, but actually falling in love? Did taking care of those brats trigger some latent maternal instincts that you latched onto Grayson Alexander?"
How did Kennedy know about their discussion? The walk in the woods. Of course. Somebody must have been watching. There couldn’t have been any sort of bugs in the house. The security was too good for people to get in without being noticed, especially since it was on the top of a tree. And she had checked her own belongings very carefully.
But Kennedy was leading up to something big. Something Arabella knew she wasn't going to like.
"I'm the emotional one?" she scoffed, keeping a steady gaze on her colleague. "You're the one who lost the organization a million dollars last year because you lost your temper and shot your mark."
Kennedy's smirk disappeared. She reached for a gun and it was all the threat that Arabella needed. She sprang toward Kennedy and brought her knuckles crashing into the other woman's ribs. Kennedy stumbled back, gasping. But when Arabella reached for the same gun, she growled and threw herself forward.
/>
Her arms wrapped around Arabella's waist and they fell back. Arabella smashed into the coffee table, its legs snapping under their combined weight. Kennedy pressed her elbow into Arabella's throat and leaned onto it; Arabella grabbed a handful of her colleague's hair and yanked hard, jerking her head to one side.
Kennedy scratched at Arabella’s eyes, but Arabella punched out her elbow, knocking the other woman off balance. She grabbed a gun and smashed it into the side of Kennedy's face. Kennedy growled and threw herself onto Arabella again, but Arabella was able to roll her off. Both women sprang to their feet and circled each other.
Sweat beaded Arabella's brow. Her heart pounded and she watched Kennedy closely. She was at a disadvantage here. She didn’t know what guns were loaded and which weren't; Kennedy did. One wrong move and she was dead. She tested the one in her hand; it clicked hollowly.
Kennedy grinned at her. "You know, this was a delightful mission for me. I've wanted to see you go down for a long, long time. You're so . . . incompetent. So weepy."
"Better weepy than someone with no self-control."
"At least I don't go around falling in love with every mark I am paired with!"
Arabella growled in her throat. "I have never fallen in love with a mark."
"Just Grayson then?" Kennedy pulled a disgusted face. "He's not even the best looking mark you've had. Remember the guy in Cairo? Now he was worth wasting your panties for. But a dragon?"
"I wouldn't expect you to understand. You've never known anything but this life and you don't care if the world burns. Anything goes as long as you get your paycheck."
Kennedy shrugged. "That's better than moping around to pay for your freedom. As if you'll ever be free from the organization. Once a killer, always a killer. What would you even do if you didn't have the organization telling you every move to make?"
Arabella swung. Kennedy ducked and slammed her fist into Arabella's sternum. The air fled from her lungs and her heart skipped a beat. Her colleague trapped her in a headlock, squeezing her throat. Arabella fought against her, but it did no good.
"It will be delightful to know what the boss has planned for you."
Arabella punched at Kennedy; she swung her body around, did everything she could to break the other woman's grip. Nothing worked and slowly the world went black.
***
Light stabbed into Arabella’s eyes. It cut into her brain, sending white-hot shots of agony down her spine. Every inch of her felt bruised, especially around her ribs. Her heart still beat an unfamiliar pattern and it was difficult to pull in a breath of air. The light blinded her, but there were sounds. Muted sounds. They came from so far away that Arabella dismissed them.
She swiveled her head to one side, trying to spare her eyes from the light. Didn't they always say to go into the light when you were dying? So that meant she wanted to stay as far away from it as possible.
Her vision cleared once she was no longer being blinded. Something large and black lay next to her. A body in a suit. Her fluttering heart stopped. Grayson! Bile rose in her throat, choking her. She forced herself to find the face. Not Grayson. Relief washed over her. But it still looked familiar. She blinked. The burly guard from Grayson's house.
Whatever relief she had felt disappeared in an instant. Grayson's house. The guard's shirt was stained with blood, a surprised expression in his blank eyes. The sounds that had been muffled and indistinct suddenly became clear.
Olivia was calling for her father. Hudson was crying. Arabella pushed herself up but a foot collided with her face and she went down again. Kennedy bent over her, pressing a gun to her forehead. The scowl was heavy on the other woman's brow, a sneer on her lips. "I guess you were right, Bella. I do have too much of a temper. But that doesn't matter now. Not where you're going."
She buried her gun into Arabella's stomach and pulled the trigger. Once, twice, again and again. Pain exploded through Arabella's brain and the darkness claimed her again.
Chapter Ten – Grayson
Three days and it already felt like a lifetime without his children.
Grayson's feet dragged along the hospital corridor, like his feet were too heavy to lift. His whole body felt sluggish, unable to draw out the energy to move properly. With his shoulders slumped towards the ground, wrinkled, torn clothes smelling like smoke, and reddened dry eyes, he was the epitome of a defeated man. His fires were so low they were almost charcoal. He hadn't slept since they were taken and there was nothing he could do to get them back.
The kidnappers hadn't even given him a chance to step back from politics like they ordered him to. They just took his children. He had spent the last two days scouring every threat he had received, but none of them went after his children, except the call he'd gotten right before they were taken. Why would they call to warn him off, and then just take the children without giving him a chance to comply?
He licked his lips nervously outside of Arabella's room. He hadn't gotten a ransom call yet, and every time he visited her, he felt helpless. When she first came out of surgery, she had asked him about the children. Hearing that they were taken sent her into such a frenzy that the doctors had to sedate her. Since then, she'd been silent and withdrawn.
Grayson had never felt so helpless.
He entered Arabella's room to find the curtains drawn around the bed. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and cleared his throat. "Arabella? It's Grayson. Are you awake?"
The curtains were drawn back to reveal Arabella completely dressed. Her eyes were less vibrant than usual, but her face was set in grim determination. Grayson immediately moved to help her, but she shook her head and turned her back on him. He stepped back, remembering how she had already made it clear that she didn't want a relationship despite their past intimacies.
"What are you doing?" he asked. "You should be in bed resting."
"I'll rest when the twins are back. I'm checking myself out."
Grayson stared in a mix of amazement and horror. "Arabella, you can't. You were shot. You need to stay in bed."
Arabella shook her head. "I'm fine. I can walk around, I don't need a wheelchair and as long as I refrain from any seriously strenuous tasks, I won't reopen my stitches. Besides, I got a transfusion of shifter blood and it's really sped up my healing processes."
"I know." Grayson inched forward again. "Otherwise you might not have survived that shot. But shifter blood isn't a cure-all. You need to give yourself time to recover."
Arabella shook her head. "I can't stay here any longer. Not when the children are out there in the hands of that . . . "
Grayson's heart clenched. He quickly strode to her side and reached to put his arms around her, but she elbowed him in the sternum and skipped out of his reach. She eyed him warily, as though expecting him to do something like insist on holding her. He was so hurt by the distrust in her eyes that he drew back. Did she blame him for the twins being taken? Or did she think he'd use her distress to take advantage of her?
"At least let me drive you back home," he said. "I know you'll want to know what is happening with the investigation—"
"No." She shook her head again. "It's my fault they were taken, and I have to get them back."
He wanted to hold her, but clearly, that was the wrong thing to do. He ran a hand over the stubble poking out from his chin and shook his head. "Arabella, you can't blame yourself. You were shot."
She didn't respond as she tucked her thin wallet into the pocket of her sweater.
"I am doing everything I can to get them back. I've got private investigators, the police, everybody. But I haven't even gotten any calls for a ransom yet."
"It's not going to be that easy."
Her eyes met his, and the guilt in them could have strangled him. He was silent, staring at her, wishing he knew what to say to comfort her.
"There was nothing you could have done to stop the kidnappers. They were professionals—"
"So am I."
Grayson frowned. "You mea
n a professional nanny or—"
"No." Arabella shook her head. She sagged for a moment before striding to the door. She checked up and down the hall before she closed the door and returned to him. Her hands twisted, and tears glimmered in her eyes. "Grayson, I'm going to tell you something. And I'll understand that you'll hate me for it, but—"
"I don't hate you."
She pressed a finger to his lips, quietening him, but pulled back quickly. She chewed on her lip for a moment before straightening her shoulders and sucking in a deep breath. "Grayson . . . I've been lying to you since we met. Everything – at least, almost everything – that I've done was a lie. But I need you to know that I love Olivia and Hudson. I didn't want this to happen."
A cold ball slipped down his spine, landing heavily in his stomach. He tried to fight off his rising anxiety, but it was difficult. Stiffly, he nodded at her to continue. What was she getting at?
"When I was sixteen, I was taken in by an organization that trains young people to be spies. They trick us in with promises of work and a better life, and then they make us do things . . . No, 'spies' isn't the right word." She took another deep breath. "They teach us how to kill people. How to manipulate people, steal secrets . . . anything that we're hired to do. I'm a professional kidnapper and assassin."
Grayson's mind reeled. He backed away from Arabella, shaking his head. He already knew what this meant, but couldn't believe it. No. There was no way that Arabella – sweet, loving Arabella – would have been privy to his children being kidnapped.
"They keep track of every single thing they give us, from water to clothes to a place to sleep. They charge us for everything and with each mission we complete, some of our debt is paid. They said this was my last mission. Nobody was supposed to be hurt." Tears flowed freely down her face. "I wanted to find another way. I wanted to fake my own kidnapping. But the organization . . . they knew that I was . . . wanting to change things. They didn't want that, so they authorized my partner to go ahead with the mission without me. She took the children."