Breaking Ice (The Jendari Book 2)

by Delwyn Jenkins

  Closing the door behind him, she followed him through the narrow entryway and up into the living room. When he turned to face her, it was her turn to check him out. “That’s some outfit.”

  “These are my battle-leathers. They’re made of a special material we call dragon skin. It’s hardwearing, stain resistant, weatherproof, and offers a degree of protection against most weapons.”

  Winter nodded, only half listening. Kasim filled out his clothes like nobody’s business. His boots were heavy, and buckled up to the knee. His leather pants clung to his legs, hips, and ass like a long-lost lover. The long-sleeved tunic looked sprayed on and did fabulous things for his broad shoulders and barrel chest.

  Kasim’s hair was pulled back into masculine bun which threw his angular features into sharp relief. His ice-blue eyes held hers, and before she thought better of it, she moved forward and laid her hand on his bearded cheek. “I like the battle-leathers. You look good in them.”

  He smiled, leaned forward, and took her lips in a long, slow, semi-chaste kiss. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too.” Returning his smile, she stepped away before she did something that would demonstrate just how out of her mind she was over him. “I have to leave soon. Did you bring my gear?”

  “Of course.” Kasim withdrew a small cloth pouch from his pocket. Opening the bag, he pulled out a handful of sparkling stones and spread them over his palm.

  “Wow.” Winter moved closer, peering down at the diamond and ruby choker. “That’s gorgeous.” She lifted her gaze to his. “There’s no way the woman I’m pretending to be could afford that.” Hell, neither could Winter.

  “If anyone asks, tell them it’s costume jewelry.”

  She stroked a finger over the flashing diamonds. “No one with eyes is going to believe this is fake. Perhaps I can say it’s on loan.” Her friend Melody had lots of contacts in the fashion industry. It was conceivable there’d be a jeweler she could call on for a favor.

  The choker was a lacy scrollwork of platinum-set diamonds and a good three inches in width. At the very center sat a large, round ruby set in diamond-encrusted flower petals. For such a large piece, it looked light and delicate.

  Kasim tapped the ruby. “This will transmit all audio and visual information to us. If you see or hear it, so will we.” Gathering the choker in both hands, he stepped behind her and fastened it around her neck. “The heat from your skin keeps it live. Don’t take it off because then it will stop transmitting.”

  “Okay.”

  All of a sudden, Winter’s nerves kicked in. She wasn’t taking this event lightly, and she’d approached it with care, caution, and as much preparation as she could manage. But now, with a surveillance devise attached to her body, it felt real in a way it hadn’t before.

  Her stomach rolled in a slow, sickening lurch. Closing her eyes and breathing deep, she eased back against Kasim’s chest.

  “You okay?” His hands settled firmly on her waist.

  “Yes. Just last-minute nerves.” She hoped.

  “I’ll be with you every minute.” He turned her around and cupped her face in his hands. “You say the word and I’ll come and get you.”

  “I know.” She could see by his expression that he meant it. What he didn’t realize was that she’d never risk him in a room full of the HEC faithful. He’d barely survived the first time they’d had him, and she couldn’t risk him being captured again.

  Apparently satisfied with her answer, he stepped back and reached into the little cloth bag again. This time he drew out two rings, one diamond and one ruby. “These are the tagging devices.” He picked up the ruby and turned it top to bottom. “Press the stone against any part of your target’s skin, and put your thumb here.” He pointed to the base of the platinum band. “That triggers the chemical tag. You can use either ring.”

  Taking first her left, then her right hand in his, Kasim slipped the rings onto her middle fingers.

  They were the perfect size and design for her hands. “How did you know my size?”

  “Winter.”

  She looked up at him.

  “I’ve hand my hands and mouth over every inch of your body. I can certainly size your jewelry.”

  “Of course.” Winter didn’t have the heart to tell him that human men could be with the same woman for years and still have no clue about his partner’s size or style.

  “Last piece of tech.” Kasim handed her a silver cuff, inset with small black stones. “It doesn’t match the rest because this piece isn’t officially sanctioned.”

  She frowned. “Meaning what?”

  “Meaning I asked for this to be supplied to you but I was denied.” He shrugged. “So I found a go-around.”

  His ice-blue eyes gave nothing away, but Winter understood what he wasn’t saying. In order to give her the best protection he could, he was going against a direct command. She looked at the cuff. “I’m not supposed to know about this tech, am I?”

  “No. And if it fell into HEC’s hands, we’d be in the kind of trouble we couldn’t step around.”

  And by “we”, Kasim meant him. She was sure he’d deny it if she asked, but he was risking his position in the rhe’hashan for her.

  “So, what does it do?”

  Taking the cuff from her, he slipped it over her wrist. “Just give me a second to code it.” Kasim took a small, hooked tool from a pouch in his belt and pried it into a notch on the cuff. There was a beep and the tiny stones lit up. Kasim pressed them in what looked to her like random order before gently grasping her forearm. “Give me your free hand.”

  She complied and he folded her ring and pinky fingers under her thumb. Then he pressed her middle and pointer fingers onto the top of the cuff, as though she was taking her pulse on top of her wrist instead of the bottom.

  There was another, longer beep and Kasim released her. “This is a last-ditch, emergency-only defense. The necklace and ring are passive, so you can use them without anyone knowing. But once you use this”—he tapped the cuff—“all bets are off.”

  “What does it do?”

  “It will paralyze any human within fifty feet of where you’re standing. They’ll be aware, they just won’t be able to move.”

  Christ on a crutch. No wonder Jendari hierarchy didn’t want her to have this particular toy. If it got out that the aliens had this kind of tech, every human on the planet would be joining the HEC.

  Taking a step to close the distance between them, she put her hand over Kasim’s heart. She was gratified to note that he didn’t flinch. “I understand the importance of keeping all your tech safe. And I’m aware of the risks you’re taking in giving me the cuff. I won’t abuse your trust, and I’ll do everything in my power not to let you down.”

  Placing his hand over hers, he curved over her until their foreheads touched. “You have shown me a level of trust I never thought I could have. The tech is a small thing when compared to that.”

  Winter’s heart melted, and her mind very nearly followed. They were so close, physically and emotionally, that it was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she loved him.

  The urge spread through her chest and climbed her throat, and she gritted her teeth together to stop it coming out. She wasn’t ashamed that she loved him, she just knew it couldn’t go anywhere.

  Kasim cared for her, and that was all she could ever expect from him. She had no desire to embarrass him, or herself, by declaring her unrequited affections.

  As soon as she’d firmed up her resolve, she eased away from him and picked up the black, floor-length opera cloak that Melody had loaned her. Swirling it over her shoulders, Winter settled the velvet and secured the frog-fastenings from neck to midriff. She picked up her tiny silver purse and turned to Kasim.

  “I’m ready.”

  He nodded. “There’s a taxi waiting for you in the alley. Deasun and Tallis are already in place outside the venue. Hadar and I will follow you in our own vehicle.”

  �
�Okay.” Winter fisted the lining of her cloak with nerve-sweaty hands. “Let’s go.”

  ****

  As the taxi made its way to East 27th, Winter tried unsuccessfully to settle her nerves. The gala benefit was being held in the Prince George Ballroom, which had been recently renovated to its former glory. According to her research, the venue had been built in 1904, in the Beaux Arts style. In the ensuing decades, it was one of the favorite gathering places for the New York elite. But as time marched on, the Prince George lost its grandeur, and in the 1980s, the owners contracted with the City to house homeless families there. In the early 1990s, it closed down all together and remained vacant for almost a decade.

  In recent times, the Prince George had undergone a massive renovation and the ballroom now reigned in all its Neo-Renaissance glory. All proceeds from venue hire, included tonight’s event, went to a non-profit geared toward helping homeless and low-income single adults. Which was good for the non-profit, and very clever of the Humans for Earth Coalition. Using their fundraiser to help another charity was good PR.

  As the taxi pulled up to the front steps of the Prince George, Winter tied on her mask and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. After being assured by the driver that the fare had already been paid, she slid out of the taxi and made her way to the front entrance.

  The small foyer was crowded. Before she even had a chance to worry about finding Ben, he appeared by her side. He secured a firm, possessive arm around her waist. “Wendy. You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you. You look very handsome yourself.” Ben was a good-looking man and he was in great shape. He’d warned her he was going to wear a tuxedo tonight rather than a costume. He didn’t want to risk appearing frivolous or comical when he shook hands with the HEC elite. Winter didn’t blame him. His tuxedo provided him with a layer of protection in the same way her costume protected her.

  They hovered in the entrance for a good ten minutes, slowly making their way toward the doors that led into the ballroom. Then, as if a cork had been pulled, everyone started flowing into the main room.

  The vast space had been turned into an upmarket fairyland. Long, flowering vines, festooned with tiny lights, wrapped around the columns that marched the length of the hall. Fairy lights hung from the decorative ceiling and sheer silky curtains were draped at intervals around the room. The round, ten-seater tables were brimming with flowers, crystal, and flatware. Colored lights housed high in the ceiling reflected off the tablecloths, turning white into green, then blue, then purple, then red.

  Ben grinned at her. “It’s something else, isn’t it?”

  “It’s gorgeous.” Winter hardly knew where to look first. The room was amazing.

  Grasping her lightly by the elbow, Ben led her to a table in the top left corner of the room. Right near the kitchen and as far away from the podium as it was possible to be.

  Winter could tell he was disappointed and probably a little embarrassed to be in such a shitty piece of real estate. But Winter was so grateful to be on the outer edge she didn’t have to fake the encouraging smile she gave him.

  They took their seats, introducing themselves to the other couples who were already seated. As the table filled, the conversation didn’t stray from the small talk of strangers.

  After a while, Glen Tucker—unmasked and wearing a dinner suit—came to the podium to welcome everyone and officially kick of proceedings. Then the first course was served.

  Winter’s table was the last to be served, and she was so hungry she practically inhaled her lobster bisque. As soon as she was done, she nudged Ben into asking her to dance. Sitting way out in the boonies wasn’t going to get her any useful information. She was hoping the dance floor might prove a little more helpful.

  Ben was a good dancer, but he seemed more interested in whispering in her ear than he was in introducing her to anyone important. Of course, she had to concede he may not know anyone important. Not at this level anyway.

  Main meal followed the same pattern, and by the time dessert arrived, Winter was ready to throw in the towel and go home. Just as soon as she polished off the salted caramel, chocolate, and ice-cream food porn that had appeared in front of her.

  She had no idea what they paid their chefs, but it wasn’t enough. It was, without doubt, the best dessert she’d ever had. And she was a sweet-tooth of Olympic standard.

  Placing her spoon on the empty plate, she gathered her napkin and dabbed at her lips. Smiling, she turned to Ben. “Is my face clean?”

  “Your face is beautiful.” He leaned in for a kiss and Winter braced herself. She liked Ben, even if she didn’t agree with his politics, but she hated being kissed by him. Although, if she was honest with herself, she hated the thought of kissing anyone but Kasim. A mindset she’d have to get over if she was ever going to have any kind of romantic life in the future.

  Just as Ben’s lips lifted from hers, a hand came down on his shoulder. Winter looked up to see yet another masked and tuxedoed man. But there was something dangerous about this one.

  “If you two would come with me, please?” It wasn’t a question, and in an instant Winter’s body flooded with adrenaline. As she made to rise, the stranger moved to pull out her chair for her. As she turned, she pressed her ring to the back of his hand and triggered the tag. Then she scooped up her purse and let herself be led out of the ballroom.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Kasim sat on the roof of the Prince George hotel, his eyes glued to the palm-sized screen in his hand. Every sense he had was focused on the feed he was getting from Winter’s necklace. Hours of boring nothing had passed while he’d been crouched on the dirty roof. So far, Winter had experienced nothing more dangerous than a glass of wine. Yet the monotony of the evening made him more anxious, not less.

  Deasun’s voice came over the comm. “Those bastards are patient, I’ll give them that.”

  “There’s no need for them to rush.” This from Hadar, who was on another rooftop two buildings over. “They have Winter and her date under their control.”

  There was a pause as an announcement came out over the ballroom sound system. Glen Tucker, the HEC spokesman, was about to give his key address. Kasim leaned forward. If the HEC was going to make its move, now would be the time. All the key players were in full view and their leader was in the spotlight, watched by almost three hundred people.

  Sure enough, a new voice came through the audio, and when Winter turned, Kasim’s screen showed yet another tuxedoed man. But this human wasn’t like the others. The way he moved, his air of authority, the way he posed a question as a command—this was the man they needed to watch. Kasim rose to his feet, responding to the danger as the man led Winter and Greavy from the ballroom.

  “This is it,” he said, trying to sound controlled rather than terrified. “Look sharp.”

  His heart pounded fast and hard as he watched the feed. Winter followed her escort along the wall of the ballroom, through a doorway and then up a flight of stairs. They walked along a gallery before going through a nondescript door which in turn led to a corridor. The utilitarian surroundings seemed to indicate the party was making its way through the staff-only section of the venue.

  They entered a small room devoid of furniture.

  Then Winter cried out in surprise and the feed wobbled and tilted until all he could see was the ceiling. “They’ve knocked her out.” He was running before he even finished the sentence. Pushing through the rooftop access, Kasim raced down the emergency stairwell. “Dea, you got optics?”

  Deasun was stationed in the SUV, and one of his jobs was to hack the surveillance cameras in the Prince George. “I have a camera in the corridor, but there’s no surveillance in the room.”

  Kasim kept running. “What about Winter’s necklace?”

  “It stopped transmitting just after she hit the floor.”

  Fuck. “Get me into that room, Dea.”

  “On it.”

  With Deasun guiding him, Kasim made his wa
y down to the gallery level, using emergency stairs and maintenance access points. It was slower than he wanted, but he’d be no good to Winter if he was caught by the HEC or shot dead by an overzealous security guard.

  As he neared his destination, he had to slow down even more. With Dea’s voice in his ear, Kasim moved forward in stop-start sprints that tested every bit of discipline he owned.

  When he finally ran into the room where Winter had been, he was almost sick with anxiety. Closing the door behind him, he surveyed the empty room.

  Not quite empty. “Badria have mercy.” Hurrying over to a pile of red silk in the corner, Kasim fell to his knees. He gathered up Winter’s dress, breathing in the delicate scent that clung to the fabric. Under the dress, her shoes lay in crooked abandon, surrounded by the contents of her purse. Her jewelry sat in a glittering pile next to her discarded wig. He suspected they’d stripped her to make sure she had no recording or tracking devices on her. Which just proved what Kasim already knew—the highter-ups at the HEC were smart and careful. Too careful for Winter, as it turned out.

  Kasim was always cool under pressure. He kept his head in the heat of battle, and he always had a strategy to put into play. But now, when Winter needed him to think, he couldn’t get his mind to work. He was so overcome with fear for her, the only thing his brain could cling to was the fact that she was gone. The enemy had her, and they’d smashed Kasim’s promise to keep Winter safe.

  “Kasim.”

  He turned, shocked to see Hadar standing in the doorway. Kasim lurched to his feet. “What the fuck are you doing in here?”

  “I came to check on you. You’re not answering comms.”

  “Fuck.” Now he was risking his friends as well as himself. He gathered up Winter’s possessions, wrapping everything in the skirts of her gown. “Let’s go before someone sees us.”

  They exited the Prince George in the same rush-and-stop pattern that Kasim had used getting down from the roof. Finally, they slipped out a side exit and made their way to the SUV.