by RJ Blain
The tiger made it clear his goal involved my teeth on his throat, which he fully intended to reciprocate. Furthermore, I had the impression the instant I went for his throat, he meant to battle for the right to bite first.
The idea both intrigued and terrified me, and I only had myself to blame for the situation. If I’d kept my hands—and tattoo needles—to myself, I wouldn’t have captured his attention. Six years hadn’t been enough to shake his interest, and I wasn’t sure what I thought about that.
I understood the stakes. Anatoly had made it clear he wouldn’t try to bite me unless I tried to bite him first. When that happened, one thing would lead to another, and we’d be bound, for better or worse, for the rest of our lives. I had a lot to learn about being a Siberian tiger, but I believed that much.
The only man I’d bite would be my mate, and I wouldn’t share him with anyone, nor would he tolerate anyone near me, either. We’d be partners in all things, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for the commitment he needed—and wanted—from me.
When the silence stretched on, I clued in to the fact they expected me to either drink my tea or say something. “Is that supposed to be a threat or a reward?”
“I need to borrow Agent Randal and Agent Simmons for our official visit to Fort Lauderdale. Now that you’ve recovered enough to fend for yourself, I thought I’d leave you with Anatoly as your general detail until I can return your agents. I’ve been informed the rest of your loyal but asinine peanut gallery is willing to share detail duty until our return.”
With my uncles dead, Simmons and Randal ranked near the top of the Secret Service, and I’d had the feeling they wouldn’t get the retirement they deserved. “Do I really need a detail?”
“Yes,” everyone in the room chorused.
Anatoly glared at me from the other end of the couch, scooted closer to me, and pointed at my throat. “First of all, you’re wearing a national treasure around your neck, and until we figure out how to get it off without breaking it—or you—you’re stuck. Second, you’re entitled to a detail.”
While I was the niece of the President, I didn’t count as her immediate family. “I’m not. I’m not her immediate family.” I pointed at Gentry. “He, however, is. He should get the detail. Anyway, can’t I decline protection?”
I’d done just enough research in my convalescence to understand I could decline the Secret Service’s protection.
“No,” everyone chorused, including the Secret Service agents posted at the door.
I contemplated murder, and wondered how many of them I could maul before someone stopped me. I hissed at them, knowing the display meant absolutely nothing. “Why the hell not?”
Everyone in the room pointed at Anatoly, including the tiger himself. A headache brewed behind my eyes, and I rubbed my forehead. My throat was cooperating, and while it was sore, I didn’t feel the overwhelming need to cough every other second. “That makes zero sense. What does he have to do with anything? Why are you pointing at yourself, Ana? Also, stop looking so damned smug.”
The First Gentleman laughed. “It’s really my fault, Jesse. As the second-in-command of the Clan Council, Anatoly’s eligible for a Secret Service detail, something he has declined to date. Cats are prideful, and he’s very representative of the species. To put it bluntly, he wants you for his mate and is trying his hardest to get in your pants. It’s sad, really. You’d be doing the entire Clan Council a favor if you let him.”
The look the President shot her husband promised retribution later, and she cleared her throat. “I think she had that figured out on her own, Samuel.”
“Anyway, that makes you a person of interest to the Secret Service. Unless he declares he’s no longer pursuing you as a potential mate, the rules regarding immediate family apply. Furthermore, the Hope Diamond’s continual resonance in your presence makes you a person of interest to the government, which again makes you eligible for a protective detail. Add in your familial relationship to the President, and we’ve come to the conclusion your refusal of a detail should be denied. You’ll just have to deal with it.”
I lifted my hand to touch the necklace and its oversized, heavy gemstone. “So it glows sometimes. That doesn’t mean anything.”
The First Gentleman leveled a glare at me. “Jesse, it zaps anyone who tries to remove it. When you try to take it off, you get a dazed expression and forget what you were doing. You stared at nothing for almost ten minutes the last time you tried. It resizes when you shift, too. Until we figure out how to get it off, you need a detail. Anyway, you have several weeks of physical therapy ahead of you, but only after you’re fully recovered and have regained some weight. I’ve been informed you’ll be spreading your germs around my home for at least another week. If it makes you feel better, consider Anatoly your slave instead of your protective detail.”
I lifted my hands to rip the damned necklace off, and the next thing I knew, Anatoly was snapping his fingers in front of my face.
“That wasn’t an invitation to prove him right, Jesse,” the tiger muttered, taking hold of my hands and guiding them away from my neck. “Let’s take it from the top. We’ve pieced together some of what happened, but you’re the only one who knows for sure. Start when you left the National Archive.”
I swallowed several times to compose myself, and as soon as Anatoly released me, I clasped my hands together on my lap. “We were walking to the mayoral palace when Abraham got the jump on me. He used a tranquilizer. Not sure how long I was out for, but when I woke up, it was at least the next morning, we were outside of Charlotte and on route for Fort Lauderdale.”
“Were you able to use the earpiece or pin?” the First Gentleman asked.
Shaking my head, I sighed and stared at my hands. “No. They used a mystic-made rope, and when I wasn’t tied to the saddle, they kept a close eye on me. I eventually lost the devices, and even if I could have gotten to them, we were nowhere near anything. They were behind the disappearance of the courier horses, though, but…”
Anatoly echoed my sigh. “We know. All the animals were dead or dying. That little horse of yours is quite the fighter, but we’re still not sure if she’ll survive—we’re not even sure what’s wrong with her. She’s sick, but not even Cleo and Henry can figure out what’s going on. They’re still working on it, and we already sent word to Detroit.”
My eyes widening, I lifted my head and stared at Todd. “You sent for Adrian? For my horse?”
“He should be here by tomorrow. He refused to take the train, but he’s setting some land speed records. He doesn’t have the easiest time shifting back to human, but he thinks he won’t have to shift to work his magic on your horse. Of course, I may have offended his delicate sensibilities by pointing out we were dealing with you, and you probably would hunt him down and take his horn if you found out he wasn’t willing to help your horse.”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
Todd snorted. “I’m sure you would come up with something far worse.”
“What about Dipshit and Devil Spawn?” A few groans from those around me warned me of trouble. “What did they do now?”
Anatoly laughed and propped his feet up on the coffee table. “Once we determined your little mare wasn’t contagious, we tossed her in their paddock along with your champagne mare to see what would happen. Your quartet has become a general menace to anyone dumb enough to get close to them without Todd around. Todd’s the only one capable of browbeating your black demons into behaving—or returning to their stalls. Dipshit’s the stallion, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, he’s a very happy stallion. You have two mares in foal. I’d say sorry about that, but we’re all damned curious to see what sort of foal that pair of blacks will toss.”
I groaned. “Please tell me you didn’t let him loose with every mare in the stable.”
The President laughed. “Despite being tempted, we didn’t purposefully take advantage of him. There were a few incidents before we fi
gured out he could unlock the stall doors at his leisure. Several excited Secret Service agents are very much looking forward to their mares foaling.”
“How many?”
“Six.”
“Damn that horse.”
“I told them if they wanted to keep the foal, they would have to pay you competitive market rate for the stud fee. That should give you fair compensation, especially since it’s our fault he got out. We assumed you wouldn’t have brought a stallion with a mare unless you intended to breed them.”
“They might not want to keep those foals,” I warned.
“Why not?”
“They’ve had two foals. Periwinkle is one of them. The other is a demon from the darkest pits of hell, and I’m really not sure why the Cheyenne tribe wanted her. She’s awful.” I wrinkled my nose. “Their bullheadedness breeds true, as does their tempers.”
“Periwinkle? That sweet horse you gave to Blossom? He’s their foal?”
I nodded.
Everyone stared at me as though I’d grown a second head. “What?”
Anatoly nudged me in the ribs. “Don’t say such horrible things about such a nice horse. Blossom brought him over earlier this week hoping you were feeling better, but you weren’t well enough to see anyone. We all had a look at him. He’s not only beautiful, he’s good tempered and smart. Everyone wants a horse just like him. We were trying to figure out where you found him. Are you seriously telling us two blacks threw a palomino?”
“Blossom was here? Trust me, it surprised me, too. Their other foal is black.”
“She’ll be around again soon. She’s eager to see you and, for some reason I can’t fathom, show off the horse you gave her. Also, I’ve been informed I have to pay for the horse.”
I frowned. “No one has to pay for him.”
Anatoly laughed and prodded my ribs again. “That’s not what Blossom has been telling us. The deal was she would buy the horse from you. She’s very adamant about this. I’ve also been informed, since I’m the chief troublemaker, I have to be the one to spend the money. So, how much is that horse worth?”
“Hey, Gentry?”
My uncle narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re scheming something, little girl. What are you scheming?”
“If I turn myself in for that bounty, do I get paid half a million?” Everyone in the room burst into laughter, except me; I scowled. “I do not see what’s so funny.”
“Blossom already anticipated your idea and filed a bounty claim, which I’ve approved. I’ve also determined all conditions have been fulfilled. Your half of the reward is being held for you.” Gentry grinned at Anatoly, who growled and refused to look at anyone. “He’s mad his clan sibling outsmarted him at his own game.”
“What?”
“You’re free and clear of the bounty, and you’re a quarter of a million dollars richer. The desperate man behind the bounty has been whining over the unfairness of it all for the past week. I’ve rejected four pitiful attempts to issue a new one.”
Turning to Anatoly, I balled my hand into a fist and drove it into his gut. “You freak!”
Instead of doubling over like I wanted, he grinned at me. “You only have yourself to blame. You never know what will happen when you pull a tiger’s tail. You’re going to have to try a lot harder than that to get rid of me.”
Gentry and Todd were forced to work together to keep me from strangling Anatoly to remove the smug, satisfied expression from his face.
The President evicted Anatoly from the Oval Office with a roar so loud she broke several glasses, gave everyone a headache, and knocked books off her shelf. With several snarled demands, she sent Randal and Simmons with him to keep him out of trouble, and she didn’t have to say a word to convince the rest of the Secret Service to make themselves scarce.
I envied them.
Todd tried to leave, but Gentry cleared his throat, and the stallion sighed, taking over Anatoly’s spot on the couch beside me. “Why do I have to stay?”
The President’s glare landed on the stallion. “I’d rather not have to repeat this conversation.”
Instead of arguing, Todd lifted his hands in surrender. “All right.”
“I’ll go first,” my aunt said, resting her elbows on her desk and leaning forward, her attention sliding from Todd to land on me. “After the Hope Diamond’s theft, I contracted Jesse for an assassination. Before the documentation could be finalized with her formal acceptance of the contract, she was kidnapped—by her mark. Both Abraham Adams and Edmund Fitzgerald Adams were legally assassinated according to the terms of that contract, which will be retroactively signed and formally authorized.”
Gentry sighed and rubbed his forehead. Todd made himself comfortable, stretching his long legs out beneath the coffee table. Neither man said a word, although I caught them both stealing glances at the First Gentleman.
“Furthermore, since we have mystic-verifiable evidence regarding the theft of the Hope Diamond, the kidnapping of someone under Secret Service protection, and a long list of other crimes my lawyers were happy to propose for submission to the courts, the Water Viper’s flawless contract reputation remains intact. If you have any issues regarding this situation, speak now.”
Todd snorted, and while his posture suggested he was relax, I was aware of the tension in his body. “Yeah, I have an issue with this. You contracted your niece to kill your brother.”
His words shattered my pretense of secrecy. I weaved my fingers together and clenched my hands. My knuckles paled, and when it began to hurt, I relaxed my grip. I opened my mouth to protest, and Todd raised his hand to silence me.
The President met Todd’s gaze, her expression chillingly neutral. “I know. When I pieced together her identity, I decided to approach her instead of someone else. She had no prior acquaintance with either of them. I trusted her to establish his guilt or innocence beyond a shadow of a doubt. The last thing I wanted was to carry the guilt of having my brother killed for a crime he didn’t commit. I wanted her to prove his innocence. I looked over the case hundreds of times, Todd. When I went to her, I was confident of his involvement and guilt, yet still I hoped she would prove me wrong. What I don’t understand is why he did it.”
If I told them the truth, it would hurt, but I was so tired of hiding behind lies. “He wanted President Wilson to return to his role of President of the United States. He wanted things to go back as they were before you were elected. I believe he wanted the United States to return to its method of governance before Starfall.” To soften the blow I dealt with my words, I added, “I think he wanted to free you from so many responsibilities.”
“That’d be like him, the misguided fool.”
The silence grew heavy, and I prepared myself for the long explanation they needed, shoving the ruins of my pride aside for their sake. After an entire lifetime of lies, I found some comfort in being able to speak the truth, although I still worried about the consequences. When I finished, would everything change?
Or would I find acceptance despite my many lies?
There was only one way to find out. “I can’t tell you which one came up with the idea. I don’t know why the horses were sick. After they drugged me, they switched horses every day, up to three times a day. There were always three horses tethered somewhere in the woods. It was well planned. All the animals were sick. A lot of them died on route. The ones who survived, they stripped of tack and set loose.”
The President sighed and gestured in Gentry’s direction.
“We know. We found an unbelievable number of dead horses between Charlotte and Fort Lauderdale. Your mare is the only survivor. We put down at least thirty we found on the brink of death. I think the mystics would have put yours down, too, if Anatoly hadn’t been adamantly against the idea. He was the one who finally talked Cleo and Henry into trying to save her. He wisely told us if we killed one of your horses without your consent, you’d probably hate us until the end of days.”
&n
bsp; I would have to thank Anatoly later. While I wanted to tell the truth, my throat tightened and I couldn’t force myself to admit to them that without that stubborn, sick little horse, I might not have survived at all. “I killed Abraham when a chance presented myself. I had the stiletto in my boot. They didn’t check me for hidden weapons—or they didn’t care I had the stiletto. He underestimated me because my hands were still tied. Edmund Fitzgerald was the one who broke my sword and cut my shoulder. I think I killed him, but he might have survived. I only had one real shot at him.”
Todd reached over and pried my fingers apart. “Stop that before you hurt yourself. Both of them are dead. Their bodies washed up before we found you. We tossed them back in the ocean for the sharks. Serves the bastards right. I don’t know when they sacrificed reason for madness, but they gambled, and they lost. We’ll probably never know what they meant to do, but it’s over. That’s the way these rebel groups work. Once you cut the head off the snake, the whole thing falls apart.”
“But he was—”
Todd silenced me by pressing his palm to my mouth. “It’s over, Jesse. Let it go. Anyway, tossing them into the ocean was Gentry’s idea. Let me teach you this very important lesson right now, Jesse. Don’t trap yourself in the narrow thinking that blood is thicker than water. Friends are the family we choose, and for most of us old, grumpy shifters, that family trumps all, even our relatives. Did you really think we would choose someone who had betrayed us all over you?”
I had, and because I had, I burst into tears.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Apparently Todd believed I’d stop crying if he restored my sense of normality, so he herded me to the mayoral palace’s stable and shoved me into Devil Spawn’s stall.