by Carly Fall
for it. Perhaps that was why she latched on to Blake so quickly. He was kind to her and
accepting, and at the end of the day, didn’t we all just want to be loved? Yes, they cared for each
other, but it wasn’t the feelings of lovers, of that she was certain.
Cohen had groaned and she pushed her fingers through his soft hair. She didn’t
understand her feelings for the male who had been so awful to her. She cared deeply for him, and
him coming forward and explaining himself only deepened that feeling. She had heard that SR44
males fell in love hard and fast, and perhaps that was true of SR44 females. What she did know
was that she had never felt this way about another male before—or anyone for that matter.
Before she had lost her sight for the daylight hours, she grabbed a washcloth and wetted
it down. Every now and then she wiped his face with the damp rag. Otherwise, she lay behind
him, not really sleeping, as her hearing became so acute with the loss of her sight. The Platoon
was a noisy bunch as they went along with the daily activities upstairs. She heard the muffled,
deep rumbles of voices, some laughter, and their heavy footsteps.
“Call them. Now,” Micah said, his voice laced with impatience and anger.
In the daylight hours as she lay in bed, her thoughts had shifted. If she could keep the Six
Saviors away from The Platoon, no one else would be hurt. She and Cohen would simply be
collateral damage, and there was too much at stake for everyone else within the Six Saviors’
realm. She didn’t like this option, as perhaps she and Cohen could find peace within themselves
and in their relationship now that Cohen had explained his feelings for her. However, the rest of
the Six Saviors, except Talin, had mates. Her and Cohen were alone and might very well always
be. They could sacrifice for the greater good, because she didn’t see a way out of here with
Cohen in the shape he was in.
As she turned and looked at Cohen, who was curled up on his side, his bare, broad
shoulders glistened with sweat, she realized that he hadn’t exactly said he was on board with the
idea. In fact, he’d said nothing at all as he was still unconscious. Having said that, his breathing
was labored and his face was flushed. She was making the decisions for both of them.
She looked back up at Micah.
“Last time, Annis. Call them.”
“No.”
She saw his big hand coming, but did nothing to stop it. Her head swung as his open palm
connected with the side of her face. Closing her eyes, she let the pain run through her, giving her
strength.
After a few seconds, she looked up at Micah.
“Like I said, Annis, call them.”
She said nothing.
Micah nodded to Jael, who withdrew the pistol from his waistband and pointed it at
Cohen.
“I’ll kill him, Annis. Make the call.”
Annis was surprised at Micah’s words. The look in his eye told her that he was dead
serious. She couldn’t watch Cohen be killed.
Grabbing the phone from his hand, she decided which number to dial: Liberty or Blake’s.
It was a simple decision. Annis knew Liberty would be worried, as would Blake. However,
Blake had the training to keep a level head, whereas Liberty didn’t.
Annis needed to talk to someone with a level head who would listen to what she had to
say.
The phone rang twice. “Hello?”
Annis couldn’t help but smile at the deep voice.
“Blake, it’s Annis.”
“Where are you?” She could hear the concern in his tone, and she also noted a bit of an
edge.
“I’m in Phoenix, although I couldn’t give you an address.”
“Is Cohen with you?”
“Yes.”
“Has he hurt you?”
“No. But I need you to listen to me, Blake.”
“Because if that cocksucker has laid a hand on you, I will—”
“Blake. Cohen has been injured.” She looked up at Micah. “He was shot by The Platoon.
We are . . . guests of theirs.”
There was a long stretch of silence. “Are you kidding me?”
“There is nothing funny about what I have said.”
Annis looked back down at the floor.
“Guests?”
“Yes.”
“Well, if you’re a guest, then leave if you want to.”
If only she could. “I guess I used the wrong word.”
There was more silence. “So you are a prisoner.”
“I suppose that would be an accurate term.”
She listened as Blake let out a string of colorful curses and yelled for Hudson.
“What do they want?”
Annis inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. “They want Noah and the rest of the Six
Saviors.”
“Oh, fuck.”
“Yes.”
Chapter 29
Blake paced the War Room, staring at his cell phone on the black marble table. Hudson
sat on one side and Talin on the other. Hudson tapped his fingers on the table while Talin stared
into space. They were waiting for Noah, Jovan, and Rayner to call so Blake could deliver the
news of what had happened to Cohen and Annis.
He shut his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose. This was getting fuck-all ugly.
Micah was still under the impression that the Six Saviors were responsible for the
decimation of SR44 and was hell-bent on getting his so-called revenge. What a dumb-shit.
He especially wanted Noah, but to make him really happy, he wanted all the Six Saviors.
Blake really didn’t see this ending well.
He knew from his run-in with The Platoon that Micah was lacking in common sense and
probably a few brain cells. The guy was dumb, and dumb was dangerous. Dumb didn’t have the
ability to think things through and see consequences for actions. Dumb just acted.
There wouldn’t be any sit-downs to talk things through.
The intercom beeped on the table, and Talin reached over and hit a button on the black
box, bringing the War Room in Phoenix to life on the big, white screen. Jovan, Noah, and
Rayner all sat around the black marble table there as well.
One thing Blake appreciated about the Six Saviors was that they kept things standard. He
couldn’t tell the difference between the War Room on the screen and the War Room he sat in. He
liked the consistency.
“Hey, guys,” Noah said with a smile. “Just got the message a little while ago that we
needed to have some face-time. What’s up?”
Blake looked at the three on the screen. All were leaned back in their leather chairs either
with their hands behind their head or their legs stretched out in front of them, lazy smiles on their
faces. Their SR44 colors glowed from their eyes.
Then he looked at Talin and Hudson. Both sat ramrod straight at full attention, their faces
dead serious, their eyes also glowing.
Contradiction, anyone? Their lackadaisical attitude bugged the shit out of him, but he had
to remember that they hadn’t heard the news yet.
“I heard from Annis,” Blake began.
“Yeah, we saw her leave the party with Cohen last night,” Noah said.
“This seriously isn’t about that, is it Blake?” Jovan asked, leaning forward. “I mean, if
she left with Cohen on her own, she’s pretty much made her choice. We’re not going to interfere
in her—”
“They were captured by The Platoon,” Hudson interrupted. “Blake got a call about an
hour ago from Annis. Cohen’s been shot.”
All the once-relaxed men on the big, white screen sat up at full attention. Gone were the
lazy smiles and kicked-back postures. Nope, full business mode had taken over, and Blake was
happy to see it.
“What did she say?” Noah asked. “Is Cohen alive?”
“She said they were being held by The Platoon, Cohen was still unconscious, and that
those rat-bastards had some demands,” Blake said.
Jovan’s eyes narrowed. “I bet.”
“And?” Noah said.
“And they want you, Noah. They specifically want you, and the rest of the Saviors would
be a nice bonus.”
Noah was quiet and looked down at the table.
“Well, we know that’s not going to happen,” Rayner said. “We need to find a way to get
them out. Where are they?”
Blake shook his head. “Annis didn’t know. At the end of the conversation, Micah said he
would call back tomorrow. He didn’t give a time.”
Talin stood up and went over to the bank of computers.
“Talin, put a trace on Blake’s phone and let’s see if we can pinpoint where these fuckers
are,” Noah said, still looking down at the table.
“On it,” Talin said.
“How’s Beverly?” Noah asked Hudson.
“Better.”
Noah turned toward the door. “Abby!” he yelled. A moment later he said, “Hey, honey,
can you get a plane for Hudson and Talin down here?”
Blake heard muffled talking, and Noah turned to the screen. “Blake, you don’t need to
come. It would be like walking into a hornets’ nest. You stay tucked away up there.”
Blake shook his head. “I’m going down there, Noah.”
There was a beat of silence. “Are you sure you want to do that, my friend?” Jovan asked.
Blake nodded. “Dead sure.”
He and Annis might never be lovers, but he cared deeply for her, and he was certain he
always would, even if she couldn’t return the feelings. His life would be empty without her, and
he would fillet The Platoon to get her back.
Chapter 30
Cohen lay on the bed in the middle of a heavy fog. He didn’t know where he was, but he
knew in his heart that the fog represented his vow to Mia.
Someone was walking toward him. He could hear the swish of fabric caressing skin, but
he couldn’t see anyone.
He was dreaming again, right?
After a moment, Annis broke through the fog and came toward him, her golden gown and
eyes shimmering. It was a breathtaking sight, one that made his heart and body ache, and he
realized that his feelings for Annis ran deeper than just lust. He admired her greatly, and he had
watched and listened to her from afar. He had gotten to know her, even though she knew very
little about him. Had he gone and fallen in love? Was that what this ache in his chest was?
She said nothing but stared at him. A red-rose haze formed around her like a second skin.
It slowly grew outward, pushing away the fog so it formed a bubble around Annis.
As Cohen watched it morph, he got the strangest sensation that he was being watched. He
looked around, but saw nothing beyond the fog, the red-rose haze, and Annis. It was an odd
feeling, but this was a dream, and weird shit could happen in dreams.
The haze kept expanding and growing until the fog was almost gone, and there was
nothing but Annis in a large, red-rose haze, her golden eyes and gown shimmering.
“Let it go,” Annis said.
Cohen woke up, but didn’t open his eyes.
Guilt raged through him as he thought about the dream. The fog had definitely
represented his vow to Mia, of that he was certain. The rest of it he didn’t have an idea, except
for the feelings. Yes, he knew that he cared deeply for Annis.
He tried to roll over and realized that he had a couple of things going on. First, there was
someone in bed with him, and second, his back hurt like someone had set the damn thing on fire.
Whoever was behind got up from the bed and a cool cloth was placed on his forehead a
moment later. He was a sweaty, fevered mess.
Opening his eyes, it all came back to him. He had been shot, and The Platoon had thrown
him and Annis into a car.
Oh, shit.
“I’m so glad to see you finally open your eyes,” Annis said as she dabbed his forehead
with the cloth.
Cohen looked around. “Where are we?”
Annis shrugged. “We’re in a house that belongs to The Platoon. We drove for quite a
while, but I couldn’t tell you where we are or what streets we took to get here.”
Cohen struggled to sit up but failed. Pain lit up his back.
“You should stay still, Cohen. They removed the bullet and mended the wound, yet it
looks like it may be getting infected.”
Cohen nodded. He could feel the fever. But he did need to use the restroom, so he needed
to get vertical.
“Can you help me up, Annis? I need a toilet.”
“Of course.”
Annis stood and took his hand to help him to a sitting position. She then sat next to him
and put his arm over her shoulder and stood up. She was solid and strong, and he felt as if she
were as capable as one of his fellow Warriors. They slowly made their way to the restroom and
stopped at the doorway. Their eyes met, and she turned her back but didn’t shut the door.
After relieving himself, Cohen flushed the toilet, then splashed cold water on his face.
Meeting his own dark eyes in the mirror, the pain from the fever and wound raged on, almost
making him dizzy. He wished he could take out the blasted contacts because his eyes felt like
they were swimming in sand. Behind him, Annis turned around and met his gaze in the mirror.
She still had on her gold dress, but her face was make-up free. Her hair was pulled back
into a ponytail, and she took his breath away as she cocked her head to the side.
“Cohen, what does a Healer do when injured?”
“Natwa powder,” he said.
Her brows furrowed. “I’ve never heard of it.”
Cohen nodded. “You wouldn’t unless you were a Forest Dweller. You city folks don’t
know about that stuff.”
Annis smiled. “And I don’t suppose you have any on you?”
How he wished. He hated healing on human time. If this fever didn’t get him, he
wouldn’t be up and around for a good few weeks at the minimum.
“No.”
Annis nodded, and Cohen noted her shoulders sagged a little bit as if he’d just delivered
bad news.
“Ready to get back to bed?” she asked.
“Yes.”
Once he was back in bed, he threw his arm over his eyes and felt the mattress dip as
Annis sat down next to him.
“What’s the deal here, Annis?” he asked in a low voice.
She sighed. “They made me call Blake, who in turn was going to call Noah. They want
Noah. Micah wants all of you, but especially Noah.”
“Still?”
“Yes.”
“How stupid is this guy?”
“I believe humans have a saying of ‘all brawn and no brains.’”
Cohen laughed a little, but Jesus that hurt. “That about sums Micah up. He’s built like
Godzilla.”
Annis snickered, and Cohen r
emoved his arm from his eyes so he could watch her. He
loved the way her smile lit up her face, the way her eyes crinkled slightly at the corners, and the
dimple in her right cheek.
They grinned at each other for a beat, then Annis looked away as though she were
uncomfortable with the situation.
“Would you like something to eat?” she asked, moving over to the dresser, her hips
swaying softly beneath the gold dress. “They gave us some microwave soup and a microwave.
It’s definitely not Hudson’s cooking, but it fills the stomach.”
Cohen didn’t feel like eating, but he figured he should get something in his gut. “Sure,
thanks.”
As Annis unwrapped the plastic from the Styrofoam cup, he thought about what he had
said before he had been shot.
Man, he had really laid it out on the table for her—just let it fly. He had poured his guts
out, and there was really very little left to say except that he cared about her, and he hoped that
one day she would forgive him for the way he had treated her.
He actually felt pretty good about clearing the air with Annis. Yes, he’d been a complete
jackass, but he had put his pride aside and not only apologized, but gave her the why’s behind it.
It was tough carrying around such a strong dose of self-hatred, and to let someone know about it
brought him a little bit of relief.
The microwave dinged, and Annis wrapped the cup in a paper towel. Turning to him, she
gave him a slight smile. “Can you sit up to eat? Perhaps we can put some pillows to your back so
there isn’t so much pressure from the headboard?”
Cohen nodded, and this time was able to sit up on his own. Annis hurried over and put
the soup down on the nightstand. Reaching across him, she rearranged the pillows.
As her arm brushed his chest, little electric currents danced across his skin. He inhaled,
her scent reminding him of the fresh-cut lilacs Abby had brought home one day and set in a vase
in the Great Room. The air had been permeated with the smell, and Cohen had enjoyed it
immensely.
“Okay, I think that will support you,” Annis said, straightening up. “Do you need help
moving back against the pillows?”
He thought about saying yes just so she would have to touch him again. “Nah. I think I
can cover six inches.”
She sat down on the bed next to him. “Can you eat?”