He lifted his head, only to return and kiss her lips, her neck, her ear. His fevered breath whispered the words she’d wanted to hear. “I love you. I need you. Never leave me. Promise it.”
“I promise.”
He rolled to one side, withdrawing from her but holding her close. There wasn’t room in this bed to do anything else, but even in a king-size bed, they’d probably be wrapped around each other the same way. “Then you must think of yourself first.” “You must get away if you can, keep yourself safe for me.” He caressed her waist and slid his hand over her skin, stroking her stomach.
He stilled. “Let me go deep.”
“I thought I just did.”
“In your mind. For a bare minute, hold every barrier down. Open it all.”
“Why?”
“Just do it.”
The note of concern in his tones worried her. “I thought you didn’t want me to open. Isn’t it dangerous?”
“Just for a minute, love. I’ll keep you safe. I swear it.”
She trusted him more than she trusted anyone else. So she opened, tried to ensure all her barriers were down. For him. She felt his warmth as he entered. He seemed to fill her whole body with his presence, just for a few seconds. Then he’d gone. “Barriers up. Everything.” He sounded stern, even in her mind. She wriggled under him, already dampening. Would he order her to spread her legs next?
But he didn’t. He stared at her, his mind and his expression impenetrable. “Sweetheart,” he murmured and cupped his hand over her stomach in a protective gesture.
Protective?
Oh shit, oh fuck, no.
“Yes. Oh yes. They’re not selling a bonded pair. They’re selling a breeding pair.”
Chapter Fourteen
For a minute, she thought he’d said it out loud. “Shhh!”
He stopped her mouth with a kiss. “I’m stupidly happy.”
“Very stupid.” Any other place she’d be deliriously happy. She’d never thought of using contraception with Rhodri, since pregnancy was a distant possibility and it would have been welcome, whether he was there to share it with her or not.
That was then. This was now.
“What do we do?”
“All bets are off. I get you out, you understand? That’s all that matters.” There was no mistaking the fierce intent in his voice.
“No. I won’t go without you.” But even as she told him, she knew. “Please, Rhodri. At least if we get the chance to leave together.”
He loomed over her, his face grim. “Of course. But you leave. That’s not open to discussion anymore.” He slumped to the bed, holding her close, his hand over her stomach. “Get some sleep. You need it.”
“That’s why I’ve been so unsettled, so tired recently. But I haven’t felt nauseous.”
“Not every woman does, or so I’m told. Your breasts are fuller. I thought they were, but I wasn’t sure.”
“The bra was uncomfortable because it didn’t support them.” She curled into him and thought about her situation. She’d never had regular periods, but she hadn’t used the new box of tampons the makeup artist had given her along with the beauty products.
Had she taken anything potentially dangerous? Not even a glass of wine, she realized. She hadn’t wanted any. But they’d drugged her to take her across the Atlantic, and she didn’t have the faintest idea what they’d shoved into her body. And tea had tasted different. She’d attributed it to being hotel tea, a different blend to the one she usually used, perhaps. She’d focused all her attention on Rhodri, trying to reach him every hour of the day.
“I can’t be very far along.”
“No, you can’t. We’ll find out later. Sleep now. Rest.”
Lulled by his soothing words and his vigorous lovemaking, she slept properly for the first time in weeks.
Rhodri lay back, his sleeping woman in his arms, and stared at the ceiling. What the fuck was he to do now? Well, he knew; he was just waiting. His overwhelming joy at seeing her was dissipated now, obscured by worry. When he’d entered her telepathically for that brief moment, he’d sensed the presence of something else, almost someone else. A person. A new vampire, and one he would protect with his life. The knowledge still made him dizzy. He could hardly believe it. When he’d turned vampire, his mentor had warned him that he might never have a child. With many relatives, it hadn’t meant a lot to him. But as the years passed and he realized just how lonely a person could be, he’d thought wistfully of the possibility and wondered what it would feel like. Now he knew.
It terrified him.
But it also filled him with an excitement like he’d never felt before. And in all this confusion, he had to keep his head, remember what he had to do to get her out of here safe. At a long shot, he might get out too. He knew Department 57 had plans. Otherwise he’d have fought like a berserker when they brought him here, even if it meant his death.
And he hadn’t updated his will. He needed to do that, but he felt sure some of the others—Dom, maybe, and Esti—would know what he wanted to do. And his baby would have his not inconsiderable wealth. His baby. He’d never worked an operation harder than this one. Time to tell her.
He closed his eyes.
*
At about three hours before sunrise, she stirred and moved against him, drawing a breath. He felt when she awoke, like an opening flower, unfurling slowly. How could he live without that? He was waiting for her when she opened her eyes. Beautiful deep blue, glimmering with life and happiness. He saw the sparkle dull when she remembered where they were, and he held her closer, planted a gentle kiss of welcome on her lips. “I’m here. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
“You can’t promise that.”
“I can, to an extent.” He stroked her hair, smoothed the tousled mass into a sheen of gold. He loved her hair, the way it curled with a mind of its own, the way it shone in the sunlight. No sunlight here. No windows. But the memory would be fresh in his mind, and it would have to do until they got out of here. “Rest.” “Listen.”
“Okay.” She closed her eyes as if to sleep.
“This is part of an operation. My capture, everything. We half expected it. I can’t tell you everything, not even at this level, just in case. A good Sorcerer could slice you up looking for it, and I won’t risk that. He or she will be able to tell when you’re telling the truth. So if you don’t know, you can say so. You understand?”
“You mean you trust me but not them.”
“Exactly.” He hugged her closer. “I’m sure they’ll find us, and I’m sure we won’t be alone for long.”
“I’m not alone. I have you now.” She paused. “And—”
“No!” He didn’t care that he’d shouted into her mind. “I wouldn’t have mentioned it, shouldn’t have, but the shock… It was overwhelming. I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.”
“I won’t mention it. But won’t they find out?”
He sighed. “Probably. We are in some kind of medical facility, after all.”
“But we can try, can’t we?”
She sounded so sad he could hardly bear it. But he had to. For both of them, if necessary.
Wilkinson had outfitted this place with the latest devices designed to jam telepathic communication; he used silver when he thought it would contain a Talent, and all that didn’t come cheap. Like many people, he believed Talents depended on what they had from birth, the psi and their other gifts.
Rhodri’s psi gifts weren’t cutting it. He couldn’t get past this room.
They’d planned an assault on Wilkinson, one that would ensure he had little chance of getting away. Rhodri could only hope it would happen now, and he hated waiting. Hated it with every fiber of his being. So caring for someone else at least gave him something to do.
He huffed an ironic laugh. A bit more than just caring. And he wanted to get her out of here as soon as he could. Every protective instinct in his nature drove him to ensure her safety before everything else.
>
“We’ll do everything we can. But you have to promise me that if you get the chance, you’ll leave.”
“I promise.” He didn’t trust her docile agreement, but he couldn’t do much else. He had to trust her to do the right thing, for her and for the baby.
*
Rhodri hadn’t realized he’d dozed, but he jerked awake when the door opened. For a few seconds, confusion gripped him. Then it cleared, and he checked the warm body sheltered in the curve of his arm.
“Hello, Rhodri.” Esti sounded as crisp as usual, but her voice held an edge of humor he hadn’t noticed before.
He nodded, trying not to reveal his shock in his mind or body. “Esti. I wish I could say it was a pleasure.” Was she here undercover or was she a bona fide traitor? He had no way of finding out unless she contacted him mentally.
Cerys jerked awake and turned her head in the same movement, nearly dislodging him from the narrow bed. “Esti? That was quick. How did you get here?”
Esti regarded her coolly. “You mistake me. I didn’t follow the breadcrumbs. I set them.”
Wilkinson followed her into the room, slipping in like a thief in the night. Rhodri kept his attention on Cerys. Her mind was battened down tightly, a barrier it would take a stronger telepath than him to breach. She’d been practicing. The Sorcerers had taught her well. As he watched, something bloodcurdling happened.
Esti smiled. “You know you won’t get out of this alive, don’t you?”
“I think we will. We’re valuable property.”
Esti met his gaze, not a quiver in her face. Esti never had any tells, or very few. He didn’t see any now. He always told her she’d have made a champion poker player. “For now. I could have remained hidden, but I knew you’d detect my presence sooner or later. I’m staying here for now, having escorted the charming Cerys across the Atlantic.”
Beside him, Cerys started. “You did it?”
Esti raised a beautifully plucked brow. “Who else? My supposed weakness meant you let your guard down. You thought I’d risked my life for you.” She transferred her attention to Rhodri. “I hope you weren’t planning to make her an agent for the Department. She wouldn’t last five minutes.”
“The world must be running out of white cats.” He sat up, tired of being at a disadvantage. He drew up the duvet to cover Cerys to her shoulders.
Unlike Wilkinson, Esti got the reference at once. She’d been around him too long. He’d almost lost it over her. “I’m no Pussy Galore.”
“You’re right about that. And it’s not like you to come in to gloat. What do you want?”
“I need to read you both. They’ll move you soon, to a room with a double bed and an en suite. It’s totally contained. Just as this one is.”
“Prettier?” he sneered. “Better for the punters?”
“Excuse me?”
“The people putting up the money.”
“You got it.” Wilkinson grinned. “We’ll film you there. That nice little shot of you two doing it under the sheets. That comforter has to go. We want to see you fucking for real, and you will do it. For the cameras.”
“And I’ve improved the security,” Esti put in.
He knew what she meant. Totally enclosed, no way of communicating outside the suite. That meant he had to make his move outside, while they were being moved. If Esti was really working for the Department, she was telling him that he had to open and work something out. If she wasn’t, she was tempting him to try something.
“I thought I’d read you now. Then I can leave you alone to rest.”
“Haven’t you read Cerys already?” He waved his hand, displaying his bare chest, waiting for a response from her. He didn’t expect anything, and he wasn’t disappointed. Except—a tiny twinge, something inside. So infinitesimal he couldn’t interpret it. Just that it was there. If it had been a warning or information, she’d have made it clear and planted it deep. No, that was involuntary, a tiny reflex. Esti had known he had women, but she’d never seen him in bed with one before, much less one that he felt so much for.
Jealousy? No, it couldn’t be that. A rigorously trained Sorcerer didn’t feel that way. Didn’t think that way. He resisted the urge to hold Cerys closer. That would only advertise her weakness, and Esti would enjoy that. If she was working for Wilkinson. Unfortunately that made sense.
If she’d been working for the fucker all along, that would mean she could watch Cerys, lead her into the trap, plant shit in her mind. They’d know where she was because Esti would have told them. And Sorcerers had no emotions. Everybody knew that. If he’d offered her enough, he could believe she’d do it.
She was so good that he couldn’t tell if she was lying now or not. And for Cerys’s sake, he had to act as if she was a traitor. He couldn’t risk her safety or that of their child. It was too much to hope Esti would miss that. He hadn’t. But they’d bonded. He’d gone deep effortlessly. He had an idea.
Without flinching, without turning his outward attention to her, he contacted her, fast and deep. “When she reads you, don’t resist. Let her read everything, except for the one thing we share. Put all your strength around that, protecting that. Turn it into a mirror that looks like glass, you understand?”
“Yes.” He felt her mind turn away, toward the instructions. He wanted her to use a technique that hid things, even from the deepest scans. She obviously knew it, from her response, and knew how. He could only hope she’d succeed. Esti might not expect the kind of strength in her that he’d discovered, strength gained from living alone and coping for herself. He couldn’t do it for her.
Esti left the door open behind her, but Rhodri had no chance to take advantage of that. She was on him and in him.
Her blue eyes, cold as ice, met his, and he let her in. He had no choice. She’d have forced it and hurt him, probably damaged him.
Esti scanned Rhodri with a vigor that hurt, badly. His muscles tightened in instinctive response. It felt like rape, she tore through him with such thoroughness, made him feel violated and weak. Was she doing that on purpose? All he could do was take it.
After God knew how long, she withdrew and immediately moved to Cerys. Rhodri felt her do it, like a ray of heat transferring its intensity. She kept a beam on him, a monitoring presence so all he could do was hold Cerys closer and help her through it. She flinched and closed her eyes, not meeting Esti’s as he’d done. He cradled her close. If he made one move to her, if he tried to help her shield their baby, Esti would know and would pounce. Nothing escaped her merciless scrutiny, nothing. He could only hope her confidence in her own abilities would make the Sorcerer believe that a simple technique, one she’d probably learned in the cradle, wouldn’t fool her. He tried to think of something else and got a vision of an office in New York, a place he hadn’t visited for a while. He concentrated on it.
Esti sighed and withdrew. After that kind of scan, she’d feel weak, and she’d need time to recoup, to regain her strength. If he were alone, he’d try it now.
Wilkinson stepped forward out of the shadows. “So what’s the verdict?”
Esti met Rhodri’s eyes. “They’re bonded for sure. Firmly and deeply. Threaten her and you have him.”
“Why?”
She turned to Wilkinson, and it was as if she’d freed Rhodri from a laser-beam stare. “Fool. They’re bonded. He’ll protect her with his life.”
“You mean threaten her and I have him?” He deliberately echoed her words, taunting her.
She shrugged. “Precisely. Vampires are animals. They deal in extremes, and their emotions rule their lives.”
“Sounds as if you have a personal beef against them.” Wilkinson leaned back against the doorjamb and stared at her, obviously fascinated.
“That’s why I’m not particularly interested in preserving Talented society. You know what I want, and I expect you to deliver. Apart from that, our association is purely business, the way I prefer it. A vampire murdered my parents.” Esti’s lip curled. “I st
opped believing that all Talents should stick together crap the day I turned fifteen.” He’d never heard that before. Could it be true? His mind raced, searching for an answer.
“So you have a personal interest in catching and punishing vampires?”
She shrugged. “Not particularly. It happened. It just opened my eyes to what really matters. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to be poor. That’s what matters.”
He’d had his answer. Now he needed to act and trust someone who may or may not be telling the truth. Who may have just given him the means of escape. Either that or his death warrant. Their death warrant. Two possibilities. Either she was acting completely out of character in an effort to tell him that she was working undercover for the Department, or she had acted all those years in the Department, when he’d worked closely with her for so long, even imagined he was falling for her.
He had to trust his instincts. Decide what was true deep down, and he had to be right. Otherwise he was dead, and he’d take Cerys with him.
Then she made his mind up for him. Wilkinson frowned and asked her, “Shouldn’t we wait until daytime to move them?”
“No,” she said. “I’ve locked them down. It’s not something I can do with everyone, but I’ve been deep into Rhodri’s mind, and through him I can control her. They can do nothing.”
Cerys lay numb, not believing what was happening, but it made horrible sense. Esti had remained in the suite in Manchester, claiming illness. The Sorcerer had every opportunity to put ideas into Cerys’s mind, reinforce her conviction that Rhodri was waiting for her in the lobby of the hotel.
Betrayal always sucked. This was worse. She had the sickening feeling that if she’d realized, she’d have shared the news of her pregnancy with Esti back in the hotel in Manchester. Rhodri had told her she could trust Esti, but she should have been more careful. How stupid was she? How innocent?
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