by Jami Gray
Headlights cut through the inky night and illuminated the yard. As the sedan came to a stop, recognition hit. The door opened, and a shadowy figure emerged. Slowly he turned, scanning the shadows. “Raine, why are you outside?”
Mulcahy’s unexpected presence tipped her tension level up a notch. Her uncle never came out to her place, and for him to be here now? Yeah, that wasn’t good. “I needed some air.”
He paused at her obvious sarcasm before nudging the car door shut. The dull thud followed him as he moved across the yard only to pull up short. “Vidis. Cheveyo.”
She caught the wary coolness in her uncle’s greeting and wondered at it.
He stopped at the foot of the porch steps, one hand brushing absently over his dark suit. “Shall we go in? I believe we have some planning to do.”
She waved her arm toward her home. “After you.”
Mulcahy made quick work of the stairs and headed in. Vidis fell in behind him. Cheveyo waited for Raine to join him. Watching her uncle and Vidis head deeper into the house, she appreciated Cheveyo’s solid presence beside her.
She sighed deeply. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Raine’s kitchen had never been quite so full. At the table, Mulcahy and Vidis sat opposite her and Cheveyo. Vidis was quietly listening to Mulcahy share Raine and Gavin’s investigation, going so far as to lay out their various conjectures. When he finished, the silence flowed back like a thick blanket.
Raine broke it. “Chet was betrayed by a Wraith.” She wasn’t intending her statement as an accusation, but feared she failed miserably.
“Not a Wraith, McCord,” Mulcahy corrected. “But an employee of Taliesin? Highly probable. However, my prime suspect is dead.”
“Are you sure?” Maybe exhaustion and tension exasperated her need to provoke her uncle. Either that or, her inner beast wasn’t as tightly leashed as she thought.
Unruffled Mulcahy calmly answered, “Since you killed him, yes.”
His admission sent her reeling. A surge of anger, so deep it was almost hate, washed through her. One of the Wraiths’ cardinal rules was anonymity, especially when it came to elimination jobs, their names only known to Mulcahy. His blunt statement in front of these two high-ranking members of the Kyn community blew that anonymity to hell.
It was one more cut to her growing collection of wounds, inflicted by a man who considered her nothing more than a tool. His obvious disregard of her rank and responsibilities in front of the other two men was a wicked blow to her already lacerated emotions.
If he wanted to trade hits in front of Cheveyo and Vidis, so be it. Tonight she had no problem with it. “And which job would that be, sir?” she asked with a vicious politeness.
Seeming to realize how she interpreted his words and actions, Mulcahy raised his hands and rubbed them over his face, a frustrated gesture she never before seen him use. “My apologies. That was out of line.”
She stayed silent, unable to believe him.
He grimaced. “It was Quinn.”
“Quinn wasn’t a Wraith.” The tone of Vidis’s voice wobbled on the thin line between accusation and statement.
Catching a flash of discomfort crossing Mulcahy’s face, an awful thought hit Raine. Before she could reconsider voicing it, she blurted, “It wasn’t about him taking out those college students, was it, Mulcahy?”
His face stayed blank, except for a small flinching around his eyes, indicating she scored a direct hit.
“Why did you have me kill him?” Her voice went soft and cold. “What else did he do?”
For the first time ever, her uncle’s legendary control faltered. “He was behind those deaths, of that there is no doubt. He was the last person they were seen with. However, he obtained information on a number of the Wraiths.”
“What kind of information?” She refused to back off.
He held her furious gaze. “Information such as their names, where they lived, and their weaknesses. He used that information to persuade me to allow him to join the Wraiths.”
Truth rang through Mulcahy’s explanation, easing some of her tension. Quinn had always been a bit cocky—sure he could win in any situation. He was not above a little blackmail to get what he wanted. “He threatened to make it public knowledge?”
“Not just that, he threatened to expose us.” Something flashed across his face, and had her realizing he was no longer talking about the Wraiths now, but their relationship, the one he refused to acknowledge.
That he was so close to disclosing their blood ties in front of Cheveyo and Vidis left her shocked.
Not missing her expression, he braced his arms on the table and leaned in. “Warrick won’t tell and Cheveyo already knows.”
Such a simple sentence to shatter years of secrecy. A thread of hysterical laughter threatened to choke her. She waited years for him to admit to being family and now that he was, she wished he would shut the hell up.
Underneath the laughter was a rising tide of hurt. That Mulcahy shared her past with Cheveyo was one thing. However, him now acknowledging their blood ties in front of Vidis made her question why. In all their years together, he made it painstakingly clear their relationship must remain a secret. Her uncle never made a move unless there was something in it for him.
Dark paranoia lifted its ugly head. There was something else behind her uncle’s strange behavior. Since it couldn’t be worry over her, it had to be something near and dear to his heart. He lived for his position at Taliesin. If he wanted to strengthen that position, he would need to remove perceived obstacles. Her mind took a sickening turn. Could he be behind tonight’s attacks? Could this deadly night be about power? Unable to shake the disturbing thoughts, she held his gaze and asked, “Who did you bring with you?”
Cheveyo and Vidis froze, an eerie silence filling the room. Their reactions revealed she wasn’t the only one harboring such suspicions. It was almost funny to discover she wasn’t the only one who had issues trusting her uncle. If Mulcahy wanted to get rid of possible competition and tie up loose ends, now would be the time. No way could she defend herself or Cheveyo and Vidis against Mulcahy and whatever team he brought in as back up. Considering tonight’s mess, opportunity didn’t need to knock. It could waltz right in.
Mulcahy’s head jerked back, his eyes widened. “Is that what you think of me, Raine?” His harsh question snapped the tension like a rubber band.
At her continued silence, he shook his head, pushed away from the table, and paced.
“I had you kill Quinn because he was blackmailing his way into the Wraiths. It would’ve only been the beginning. With that one action, he proved himself untrustworthy. No matter what decision I made, he would always go to the highest bidder.” He stopped behind his chair, gripping the back. “He signed his own death warrant. I had to make sure he wouldn’t be a threat to Taliesin ever again.”
She wanted to believe him, and any other night, probably would have. Right now, her world was so on edge she had a hard time believing anyone. Too many hits with too much damage to her emotions left her questioning not only herself, but everyone around her.
“How do you tie a dead man in with Chet’s death then?” Vidis’s voice slid in between Mulcahy and Raine.
Mulcahy sat back down, regaining some of his formidable control. “There were rumors Quinn had a lover.”
“Do we know who the lover is?” Vidis rose from the table and took his cup to the kitchen sink.
Mulcahy shook his head. “No, that’s part of the problem. The information about his lover came from Chet. Chet’s death leads me to assume this lover has access to the same information Quinn held. I believe whoever it is, is sharing it with whoever is taking out our people.”
“I don’t understand.” She was either slow, or there was something Mulcahy was leaving out. “Why would Chet know about Quinn’s lover? Quinn worked on a personal security detail that Chet headed.”
“He wasn’t supervising Quinn, he
was following him. The security detail served as a cover so Chet could keep an eye on Quinn’s routine.”
“And?” she prompted.
“He found Quinn was leaking information, but he never found out to whom.”
She took in his rigid posture. There was something more to this story. “Who was Quinn supposed to be covering?”
Self-directed rage burned deep in Mulcahy’s eyes. “Erica Cawley.”
It started to click into focus. Laying it out verbally so Vidis and Cheveyo could follow along, she said, “So Quinn wanted to be a Wraith, and was pissed when you told him no. He decided to get inside information on the Wraiths, and use it as a bargaining tool.” She shook her head. “That was stupid. Blackmail wouldn’t work with you.”
“No one said he was smart,” Cheveyo noted.
Her lips twitched. “You put him on a cushiony security detail with Erica Cawley so Chet could watch his movements. However, Chet wasn’t able to find Quinn’s contact, so you decided to neutralize Quinn before too much damage could be caused.”
“Then I got the call from Talbot to look into those deaths,” Mulcahy added. “Which put you and Gavin onto Polleo and raised enough warnings to make someone go after you unprepared.”
Gavin’s name brought a flare of pain. “They didn’t know we were Kyn at that time,” she mused. At Cheveyo’s steady look, she explained, “Tonight they used iron bullets. That night they used regular lead bullets. Either it was a rush job, or they didn’t know who we were.”
Mulcahy nodded in agreement. “We found nothing strong at Polleo. Just a tease about Rimmick, then Mayson’s murder, which was quickly followed by Rimmick’s body.”
“They were cleaning up behind themselves.” Frustration leaked through as she traced the edge of her teacup. “They’re staying one step ahead of us. What about Dr. Lawson’s little announcement? Was the run-in between Gavin and me and the Cawleys planned?”
“Maybe. I don’t know.” Mulcahy rubbed his chin. “If the military is looking to make the ultimate army, then setting you and Durand onto Lawson’s research would be enough bait to set up a Wraith, based on the information Quinn or his lover gave them.”
Vidis leaned against the counter between the kitchen and the dining room.
Raine agreed with Mulcahy’s conclusion. She and Gavin had been set up, which meant Lawson, Cawley, and possibly Talbot had information on both of them. A thought struck and she narrowed her eyes. “Mulcahy, how much information did Quinn have on me?”
He shrugged. “He knew you were my niece and a Wraith.”
“Nothing about my past?” she prodded.
He shook his head. “No.”
She felt a grim smile stretch her lips. “Then we’re one up on them.”
“How do you figure?” Cheveyo asked.
She turned to him letting her anger and determination fill her gaze. “I’m much more than they anticipated.”
“We need a plan, and you going off half-cocked is not going to work,” Mulcahy’s tone was sharp with reprimand.
She bared her teeth with a growl. “We don’t have time to fuck around, sir.” Heavy sarcasm coated the last word. “We know who has Gavin. Both you and I know what he’s going through right now.” She refused to let anyone stand between her and Gavin, including her boss.
Her uncle’s gaze was shuttered. “Perhaps.”
“There is no perhaps. Whether you want to admit it or not, we have to get him out.”
“That’s going to be a little hard to do since we have no idea where he is,” he snapped back. “Get yourself under control.”
It was one challenge too much. A red curtain of rage hazed her vision, but before she could respond, Vidis slipped behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. “We can track Gavin.”
Turning, she took in the Lycan leader’s lethal expression and understood his unspoken suggestion. Vidis didn’t care about anything but killing those who had murdered his shifter. “Who are you thinking of?”
“Xander.” Vidis’s smile was more a snarl of white teeth.
Her wild side surged in answer to his baring of teeth. A fierce hunger awoke and ran under the excitement of an eminent hunt. She needed to move. Instead, she held still and forced herself to hold Vidis’s gaze. The scrape of a chair snapped their silent communication.
She blinked to find Mulcahy watching her, lines marring his brow as he witnessed the strange byplay between her and Vidis. A small sense of relief welled at her uncle’s concern. At least she wasn’t losing her mind. She slid a glance to Cheveyo, only to find him watching all three of them, his thoughts hidden.
“You want to send out a hunting party, Warrick?” Mulcahy’s voice was back to his impersonal best.
Vidis nodded. “I do. You and I both know Xander is the best tracker, next to me.”
“If you’re the best, why don’t you come?” Cheveyo asked.
Vidis barked out a laugh. “Because I am the least politically adept head of house at Taliesin. We want our hunting party to bring back someone or something alive for questioning. Plus, we don’t want to leave anything behind, that would bring the humans to our door with questions. When our prey is found, I cannot guarantee either outcome.”
Raine’s respect for Vidis rose. It was rare to hear any Kyn admit to a failing, much less a head of house. Perhaps the stories about Vidis walking a thinner line between animal and man weren’t exaggerated. Typically those with Lycos blood faced the wonderful challenge of dealing with a dual nature, man and animal. Some managed to keep the man aspect first and foremost. Strong emotions, such as anger, pain, or the thrill of the hunt, tended to bring the animalistic nature to the fore. Vidis’s frank admission showed a leader who knew his own strengths and weaknesses—a rare but admirable trait.
Mulcahy nodded. “Xander, Cheveyo, and Raine, then. I will ask Natasha for her suggestion and have her send them to Taliesin.” He rose from the table and turned to Vidis. “You’ll contact Xander then?” At Vidis’s nod, he gestured to Raine. “Get yourself armed and meet me at the office. I want you to find out who is behind this and bring them to me. Alive.” The last was direct order. He turned and walked away, pulling his cell phone from his suit pocket. The front door snicked quietly closed behind him.
She stared at her hands on the table as the wilder side of her soul calmed and settled. She should be tired, and maybe she was, but too many emotions coalesced inside, leaving her unable to consider sleep.
Tonight she claimed someone as hers. Maybe not out loud, but she wouldn’t lie to herself. Gavin was hers. The possessiveness shocked her into momentary stillness. Wonder sparked at how far she let him in. Instead of pushing the feelings aside, she held them close, needing the small warmth. Maybe there was still hope that she wasn’t completely lost yet.
To get Gavin back, she needed the ruthlessness of the dark, twisted part of her. Out of the two men still with her, Vidis would have the least qualms about who and what she was. What Cheveyo would think, she refused to worry about. He already witnessed her earlier handy work tonight. Besides, this was no time for a personal crisis of conscience.
Gavin was out there and she needed to him back before she lost him for good. She had no idea how much he could take before he broke, but she held tight to the belief he was stronger than most. She refused to accept anything else.
Time to embrace her full nature. Vicious humans made her into a weapon, and she was ready and willing to turn it back on them. No one would ever again hurt someone who belonged to her. Promise made, she released her grip on the chain holding her civility together. Her mental cage collapsed, setting her free. .
Cheveyo touched her hand. “Ready?”
Both men were on their feet, watching her with unspoken demands. A fine edge of trembling energy, a sense of something barely contained, emanated from them, calling to her. They were hunters, warriors, and it was time to do what they did best.
She felt a feral smile twist her lips. “Oh, yeah. Let’s go hunting.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Raine followed Cheveyo’s black Jeep to Taliesin. She could have gone with the two men, but she wanted her own car. The areas under the mat in the back held more hidden weapons, which were a bit less conspicuous than if they loaded them into Cheveyo’s Jeep. No sense in taking a chance on butting heads with local law enforcement if they happen to be pulled over. A high probability as she broke most of the speed limits heading back into Portland. Parking next to Cheveyo in Taliesin’s parking lot, she noted a sleek black Ducati bike parked near the doors.
Stepping off out of the elevator and flanked by Cheveyo and Vidis, she strode toward Mulcahy’s office. The door was open, framing the small, curvy figure of the only other female Wraith Raine knew. An intricate tattoo ran from temple to chin on the right side of the delicate face, adding to mystique of her hazel eyes shot through with gold.
Spikey blonde hair tipped in metallic purple topped a sleeveless shell in the same color. The shirt stopped above a silver and diamond stud, piercing a small belly button. Smooth, shiny, vivid green pants looked painted on and disappeared into heavy steel-toed bike boots decorated with silver chains and buckles.
Xander’s ability to create a unique fashion statement no one else could ever dream of pulling off amazed Raine. “Damn, Xander, I will never understand how you get colors like that to work.”
“You know how it is, Raine. Some have it and some don’t,” the husky voice coming out of the small frame was like aged whiskey. Xander moved back to let Cheveyo and Vidis through, waiting for Raine before closing the door.
Mulcahy placed his phone back in the cradle. “I’m having the GPS in Gavin’s car traced. Ryder will call and let us know where it signals from. You, Cheveyo, and Xander can go meet him at the car. Warrick and I need to be at Chet’s to deal with The Division.” Mulcahy was back to his normal stoic self.