She hurried to add. “The Alliance is getting search warrants for all his properties.”
Peyton nodded. “If your aunt is anywhere, she’ll be on the ranch. Collectors secure their prizes immediately. Disappear them.”
KT plucked at her skirt and then flattened her fingers against the fabric. “Makes sense, but in this case, I don’t think so. I saw her in the car with Torne.”
Peyton’s gaze sharpened. “You’re sure? It’s easy to make a mistake in that kind of situation.”
She shook her head again. “I know what I saw. It was Patricia.”
“So, he has her.”
“Or,” KT’s throat threatened to close, but she forced the words out, “or she’s part of this.”
One of Peyton’s eyebrows lifted. “I seem to remember you thought I was the one in league with the Collectors.”
“What else could I think, when you said you were Massey’s partner?” she shot back. She stopped and gave a little laugh when she saw his smile. “I do seem to be a conspiracy freak, don’t I?”
“Not exactly a conspiracy freak, but understandably paranoid.” He chuckled and then winced.
KT started to reach out, but quickly forced herself back. She wanted to touch him, to feel his skin were-normal, not feverish, beneath her fingertips. She clenched her jaw and curled her fingers together in her lap.
“Maybe you should get some sleep,” she suggested.
He shook his head. “I’ve been asleep for, what, an entire day?” He tapped the empty cup on the rumpled sheets. “What else’s been done to find Torne?”
KT latched onto the topic with relief. “The Alliance and the Feds are working together on this. Father said he’d add Patricia’s information, in case she’s still with him, as hostage or partner.” She looked down at her hands. “He’ll send word as soon as they check Torne’s ranch, probably later today or tomorrow.”
“So, when do you go back to the compound?”
The words hung in the air and she tried to get a sense of their meaning, a feel for any deeper question, but there was nothing, just words. The silence stretched far beyond comfortable. She pushed aside her turmoil to present a calm expression when she looked up.
“I wanted to make sure you were out of the woods before I returned to the compound. My father’s sending the jet for me day after tomorrow.”
He turned aside to set the empty cup on the table. She leaned forward to help, but his reproving glance stopped her.
He grimaced as he filled the glass. “You didn’t have to stay.” When he settled back against the pillows, his face looked a little paler than before. “You’d be safer back on your compound. If Patricia saw you, then she’ll know you were part of this and Torne’ll set his sights on you, too, for blowing his little scheme. If anyone appreciates payback, it’s Torne.”
“It’s only two days. I’m sure Torne’s too busy avoiding capture to be bothered with me.” KT forced a lighter tone into her voice as she stood up. “Listen, I think the nurses should know you’re awake. I’ll be right back.”
She walked out of the room, her steps unhurried. She went to the nurses’ station and told them he was awake. One of the nurses immediately headed for his room. KT leaned her elbows on the counter and rubbed her forehead.
This was ridiculous. She was a grown woman, for god’s sake. She stared down at the surface of the counter. How could she feel this way about a man she barely knew? And, aside from that one instant outside the hangar, he certainly didn’t appear the least bit interested in her.
Maybe it was only the effect of sharing a life-threatening situation. There was a psychological term for it, but she couldn’t think of it. Was she wrong? Was Andi wrong about him?
Human emotions! Andi’s disdain almost brought a smile to KT’s lips. I know him. He’s our alpha.
Not if he doesn’t want me. KT cringed at the whine in her inner voice and gave herself a mental shake. Marants did not subscribe to the concept of self-pity, or so her grandmother had said to her more times than she cared to remember. If he didn’t feel it, then so be it. KT pushed herself away from the counter and walked back to his room, slowly.
Now, she just had to convince herself to do the same.
Chapter Nine
“So, you’ve decided to join the land of the living.”
Peyton looked up from the tiny mirror in front of him as Colonel Hamilton “Ham” Brilling stepped into the hospital room. Just a touch under six feet, Ham seemed taller with his military carriage and brisk no-nonsense air. Dressed in Protectorate uniform, khaki and black, Ham’s crisp-edged presence only aggravated Peyton’s mood.
Max paused from his virtual grooming and sniffed once before returning to his work.
Disrespectful cat, Peyton chided his jag and then looked back at his reflection and growled. “I would’ve been out of here before now if that fool doctor hadn’t pumped me full of drugs. He wants to keep me one more day for bullshit observation. Observation! And then the nurse wasn’t going to let me shave myself.” Peyton gave a final scrape at his chin and threw the razor in the plastic bowl, ignoring the twinge at the abrupt movement. “When am I getting out of here, Ham?”
Ham grinned. “When the doc says you can leave. Contrary to patient opinion, the docs here know their stuff. If they say you’re not ready, you’re not ready.”
Peyton used the ridiculous excuse for a washcloth to wipe the last of the shaving cream from his face, plopped it on top of the razor in the bowl, and pushed the tray aside. At least now, he looked more like himself, even if he was dressed in a baby blue hospital gown.
“So, what’s the word on Torne?”
Ham put his hat on the deep window ledge and sat in the bedside chair. “Not much. We’ve got warrants for all his properties. Teams have been sent out. We should be hearing back from them soon. Not that we’ll find him at any of them, but I’m hopeful we’ll find some of the kidnapped paranormals.”
“And Patricia Tercelon?”
“Her info’s been sent and the teams have been told to give her a priority if they find her.” Ham lifted one foot to rest it across his knee. “I hear the Marant girl thinks she saw Patricia Tercelon in the car with Torne. Her father insists she’s a credible witness.”
Max’s hackles rose and Peyton stifled the urge to snap at Ham’s use of the term “girl” to describe KT. Hadn’t he been calling her “princess?”
Until you got to know her, Max interjected.
Don’t start, Peyton said. He could feel where Max was going and he wasn’t having any of it.
He focused on Ham’s comments. “KT Marant’s pretty sharp. If she thinks she saw her aunt, then I’m inclined to think she saw her aunt.”
Ham’s eyebrows rose toward his crew cut. “KT, is it?”
Peyton sensed his friend’s speculative interest and shifted uncomfortably against his pillows. He shrugged. “That’s what she goes by.”
He was saved from further comment by the hesitant entrance of a nursing aide. She was the same one who’d tried to shave him. She gestured toward the tray. “Done with your shaving things?”
Peyton had to smile as he nodded. “Thank you, yes. Despite my roar, I won’t bite.” He rubbed his hand across his chin. A faint rasp accompanied his fingers, but it was the best he could do with what he’d been given.
She lifted the bowl, fastidiously wiped up the little pool of water he had sloshed out onto the tray, and left.
Peyton shoved aside the topic of KT Marant. “We almost had him, Ham. I still can’t believe Torne slipped through my fingers like that.”
“No one’s been able to pin a Collector connection to Torne until last night.” Ham leaned forward, his own satisfaction a palpable presence in the room. “This is finally going to bring down Mr. Untouchable. I guarantee it.”
Peyton nodded, relaxing a little. “Any leads on his location?”
Ham leaned back and flicked an invisible speck of lint from his pant leg. “We’ve put the word out
and have been getting conflicting reports. Most credible ones seem to have him heading north.”
Peyton pushed himself up against his pillows, then grabbed the control to adjust the angle of the bed. Over the whirr of the motor, he followed the thought. “Could be, but something doesn’t feel right about it. Benny might have something for us.”
Ham jiggled his foot where it crossed his knee. “I remember him from your reports. Pricey informant.”
“You get what you pay for. Without his backing, I’d never have gotten as far into the Collectors as I did. I’ll have to call him myself. He’s the nervous type.”
“But he’ll talk on the phone?”
“If Benny’s lines aren’t clean, no one’s are.” Peyton reached into the bedside table drawer and pulled out his cell. “The Protectorate itself probably can’t touch his security systems.”
Ham snorted as Peyton slid the phone open and punched in Benny’s number. After three rings, a familiar voice rumbled into Peyton’s ear.
“Lofland’s.”
“Do you carry any of Laney Toliver’s work?”
Benny never missed a beat. “I’m sorry. Could you repeat that?”
“Do you carry any of Laney Toliver’s work?”
“Please wait while I check.” There was a pause and several barely audible clicks. Benny’s voice came back, tinny but clear. “Peyton, I heard you were dead.”
“I was. I didn’t like it.” Peyton frowned at Ham’s chuckle. “Douglas Torne’s in the wind. I need to find out where he’s headed.”
Benny gave a snort of his own. “Don’t ask for much, do you?”
“He’s not travelling alone. I’m thinking a mid-size private jet.”
“I’ll have to do some checking.” Benny paused and then added, “It’ll cost you.”
“It always does.”
Peyton cut the connection and set the phone back on the table. “We should hear something soon.”
“He’s that good?”
Peyton nodded. “He’s that connected.”
“And you trust him?”
Peyton’s smile tightened. “As far as I can throw him. But he’s been reliable so far. Besides, he knows what’ll happen when it comes out that he’s been helping the Alliance.”
Ham dropped his foot to the ground and stood up. He held out his hand to Peyton. “Well, let me know when you hear something. Glad you’re feeling better. Next time, duck.”
Peyton smiled. “Believe me, I will.” Ham’s tighter than normal grip conveyed his concern more than the casual words. Peyton gave a little nod. “I’ll feel better when you get me out of here.”
Max perked up at the distant chime of the elevator. Anticipating why, Peyton tensed when he recognized KT’s voice. She was talking with someone, maybe a nurse, their voices drawing closer.
“I’ll see what I can do about that.” Ham scooped up his hat and clapped it down over his crew cut. “Oh, and I’ve posted a man outside your room, just as a precaution.”
Distracted, Peyton nodded, uncomfortable with how Ham would take KT’s arrival. Hell, he wasn’t sure how he felt about KT Marant, but he certainly didn’t want Ham speculating about it. However, it didn’t look like he’d have an option.
She’s alpha, Max said.
She’s a princess, and I’m not interested, Peyton said.
Yes, you are.
Ham’s last comment penetrated and Peyton sat up. “What?”
Outside, a man asked KT for identification.
Ham frowned. “Torne’s a nasty customer. I don’t want any surprises.”
KT stepped through the doorway and stopped when she saw Peyton wasn’t alone. “Oh. I’m sorry.” She looked from Peyton to Ham. “Am I interrupting something?”
Peyton could practically hear the defenses slamming into place around her as the KT he knew disappeared into a poised politico. Her smile cooled to take on a high-profile gloss while her dark gaze measured the stranger in front of her. Her shoulders tightened, her balance shifted, settled. En garde.
Ham swept his hat off his head and under one arm as he stepped around the bed to hold out his hand. “I’m Colonel Brilling of the Protectorate and, no, Ms. Marant, you’re not interrupting anything.”
KT shook Ham’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Colonel. My father speaks highly of your leadership of this investigation.”
She dropped his hand and crossed her arms over her chest, the motion speaking volumes of her private insecurity. “Have you heard anything about Torne or my Aunt Patricia?”
Ham shook his head. “I’m sorry, Ms. Marant, I have nothing new, but we’re working on it.” He turned back to Peyton. “I’ll speak to you later. I’ve got a few more visits to make before I head back to headquarters.”
Peyton winced inwardly at the additional gleam in Ham’s gaze. Instead, he returned to Ham’s earlier comment and glared at his friend. “I don’t think a guard is necessary, Ham.”
“Well, I do, and I outrank you.” Ham turned enough that KT wouldn’t see him as he waggled his eyebrows at Peyton. “I’ll check back later.”
Unwilling to respond to Ham’s obvious goading, Peyton’s fingers clenched in his sheets, and Ham’s smile broadened. He turned to give a short bow to KT. “Again, a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Marant.”
“Thank you, Colonel Brilling.”
KT watched Ham leave before turning back to Peyton. “He seems nice, for an officer. A friend of yours?”
Peyton wondered about the first part of her comment, but stuck with the question. “My superior.”
“And a friend. He’s worried about you.” KT pushed the door slightly closed before she crossed the room and pulled off her coat to drape it over the back of the chair. “Father said they’re sending teams to search Torne’s properties.” She sat on the edge of the seat. “He’s going to call me as soon as he hears something.”
“Your father is well-informed.”
“He’s Anton Marant.” KT said it as if that explained everything, and Peyton had to admit that perhaps it did. She slid her hands down the fabric of her jeans, the nervous movement removing the last traces of the professional image she’d presented to Ham. Her smile relaxed along more natural lines and her shoulders loosened.
She looked at him. “Did you rest well? You look better, sharper.”
“Amazing what a good night’s rest and a shave can do.” A man could lose himself in eyes that dark and that open. “Doc said just one more day and I’m out of here.”
KT’s gaze flickered before she looked away. “That’s good. I’m sure you’re raring to get back into the hunt.”
Peyton grunted. “Damn fool doctors. I should have been out of here today.”
“Well, I suspected confinement would be getting to you, so I have a proposition for you.” She turned and dug through the pockets of her coat. The fabric of her shirt pulled tight across her torso, emphasizing the lines of her body.
Don’t! Peyton caught Max before he could respond, though the jag’s reaction only echoed his own.
KT straightened and held up an unopened pack of cards and two rolls of pennies. “I thought we’d wait together. I can’t stand sitting in the penthouse all day wondering, and I’m sure you’re not a daytime soaps fan. So, do you play?”
She bent her head and ran one fingernail along the seam to split the cellophane. A lock of blue-black hair fell forward to mask her face, the dark mass of waves accented the ivory curve of her cheek.
He fought off a desire to reach out and push the hair aside. He settled for a quick laugh. “I’m a soldier. Of course, I play cards. Question is, do you play blackjack?”
She looked up and smiled, a flash of white that shot straight to his groin. “Not yet.”
Chapter Ten
Morning stretched into afternoon, nurses bustled in and out of Peyton’s room doing annoying nurse things, and still, no word.
KT resisted the urge to glance at her phone, again. What was taking so long? She compared her cards, an
ace and a deuce “in the hole” with four and ten showing, to Peyton’s seven showing and then tapped the rolling tray table once.
Peyton flipped a card over. “Nine of spades. Busted.”
He set the deck aside to slide the pile of pennies to his side of the table. “You’re about the worst blackjack player I’ve ever had the pleasure of fleecing.”
“Whatever happened to beginner’s luck?” KT muttered. She gathered up the cards and began to shuffle. She hated losing, but she knew it was due more to being distracted than to bad luck. How could she hope to master the game when she was torn between her concern about her aunt and the battle to ignore her irrational attraction for the man in front of her?
She tried to keep her gaze focused on the cards as she shuffled them instead on the man on the bed beside her. Nothing could be less sexy than a man wearing a ridiculous hospital gown, right? But the fabric stretched tight across his shoulders only accented their width, and the short sleeves barely contained his upper arms, the muscles sliding beneath his tanned skin with every move. Even the drape of the sheet outlined the length of his legs. She snapped her attention back to the cards. Thankfully the rolling table was positioned across his lap, saving her from making a total fool of herself.
Watching his fingers putting the pennies in neat stacks on his side of the table only made her remember the feel of those fingers, warm and strong, wrapped in her hair outside the hanger the other night. She had wanted so badly to rub her cheek against his palm to inhale his scent, but now, just as then, the thought was ridiculous. He wasn’t interested in any high-blood princess as he’d told her in the apartment. The scorn in his voice still burned.
And yet, thanks to her hormones, and Andi’s insistence, she kept wondering. She muffled a sigh and once more focused on the cards in her hands.
The tinny imitation of a jaguar’s coughing roar erupted from her cell phone, the special ringtone she had assigned to her father’s number. She slapped the deck down on the top of the rolling tray table and snatched up her phone. “Finally!”
She slid the cover open and clicked on the text message from her father. Ranch searched. Patricia not found. Torne still out there. Come home.
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