Control

by Crissy Smith

  “No, they didn’t.” Kieran stomped back to the SUV then grabbed Bradley. He pulled open the back door and tossed Bradley inside. After he slammed the door closed, he looked at his partner. “Are you coming with me?”

  “Well, you’re not going alone. Someone needs to make sure you don’t kill him on the drive.”

  Kieran only grunted. He yanked open the driver’s side door and was relieved to see the keys still in the ignition. He sat as Remy climbed into the passenger seat.

  “Start trying to get hold of Caspar,” Kieran ordered his partner.

  “Caspar? He should be here by now and he’s going to be pissed.”

  “He’s not here.”

  “Well, not here, but I bet he’s at the office getting his ass reamed by Sparro.”

  “No, not in town,” Kieran said. “Bradley has him stashed somewhere.”

  Remy leaned to peer into the back seat. “That guy had our boss kidnapped?”

  “Yeah,” Kieran replied. “And that’s the only reason he’s still alive.”

  Remy unclasped his seatbelt and leaned farther across the seat. He punched Bradley a few times.

  “What are you doing?” Kieran asked.

  “Making myself feel better,” Remy said and hit Bradley again. “Okay.” He settled back into his seat and buckled up again.

  Kieran backed the vehicle up then slammed his foot on the gas. Remy grunted and slapped his hand onto the ceiling. “Shit, man!”

  “Just start making the phone calls. We need to find Caspar.”

  “I can’t believe this,” Remy said, but pulled out his cell phone. “We finally catch these bastards and Caspar goes missing?”

  “Yeah,” Kieran replied. “They were preparing for us to find them.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that.”

  “About what?” Kieran asked.

  “I’ve been reading the files from the Mount Fauna operation.”

  “Where’d you get them?”

  Remy looked out of the window, avoiding his gaze. Kieran hadn’t even gotten to see the Organization file himself, well, not the one they held. Jackson had hacked in and gotten copies, and Kieran had been going through them.

  “Rem?”

  “Caspar emailed them to me right after he left,” Remy said.

  “Why?”

  “He wanted me to see if I could find anything he might have missed. He suspects Bradley was getting help from someone still inside the Organization.”

  Kieran took a turn too fast and the SUV fishtailed.

  “Damn it, man,” Remy complained. “Slow down.”

  “Caspar thinks someone here is involved, doesn’t he?” Kieran asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s the real reason we were transferred here,” Kieran said, but he was working it out on his own instead of asking his partner. “Caspar wanted us in place in case he found Bradley and Bradley talked. All that bullshit about me being here to find Jackson was just a cover.”

  “Not all of it. He wanted you to have Jackson at your back. He knew you could trust him and he didn’t know who else you would be able to.”

  “Who does he suspect?”

  “I don’t think now’s the time to get into this.”

  “Who does he suspect?” Kieran yelled.

  “Maybe you should pull over and let me drive,” Remy suggested.

  “Tell me right now or I’ll throw you out of this fucking vehicle while I’m still driving,” Kieran threatened. His fangs dropped and the steering wheel cracked under his hands.

  “Sparro.”

  “Fuck!” Kieran hollered as he yanked the wheel to pull the SUV over. He sat there panting.

  How bad could this get? The questions were really starting to pile up. Still, as long as he had Bradley in his hands then they had a chance to figure things out.

  “Why didn’t he tell me?” Kieran asked as he calmed.

  “He didn’t want you ripping Sparro’s throat out before we have proof,” Remy said with a laugh.

  “Good point,” Kieran admitted. “Wait! What about Dare and Gabe? They have the doctor.”

  “No,” Remy said. “I trust them and so does Dakota. I can feel they’re not involved.”

  “Still, we can’t let the doctor or Bradley out of our sight. If we don’t know who we can trust, then we don’t trust anyone.”

  “Kieran,” Remy said. “We need help.”

  “We only trust those who are already working with us. Bradley wasn’t warned this time. It’s why we caught him. No one knew.”

  “Okay,” Remy agreed. “Just us.”

  Chapter Nine

  Dakota pulled at the neck of the shirt she’d borrowed. She couldn’t wait until she made it down to the locker room to shower and dress in her own clothes. But first she needed to finish going over all the paperwork on the rescued shifters they were housing in the medical wing.

  Alex had been taken back to the hotel with Jackson and his men to receive blood and be kept under guard.

  So, it was just the shifters that had been admitted for observation. With the paperwork in hand, Dakota paced the corridor. There was no record of a young cougar shifter. They were missing her.

  “What are you doing?”

  Dakota whirled around. “You startled me,” she told Remy.

  “Sorry.” He held up his hands. “Kieran sent me to find you. He wanted to make sure you’d gotten something to eat.”

  “Yeah.” She waved him off. “I will.”

  “You might want to clean up, too.”

  “Sure.” Dakota glanced down at the files in her hand again. “Was everyone but Alex transported back here?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re sure?” she pressed.

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “I saw a female cougar shifter in the cells. She was the first one I talked to. She was gone when I was helping Max out and she’s not here now.”

  “Let me look.” Remy held out his hand. “Why don’t you go clean up and I’ll see what I can find out? I’ll meet you in the cafeteria in thirty.”

  “Yeah,” Dakota agreed. “That’d be good.” She passed the folders over then turned to go down to the locker room. A hot shower really did sound good.

  “Hey, Dakota,” Remy called.

  “Yes?”

  “Have you seen Sparro?”

  She turned back to face him. “No, I checked in with his assistant when I got back, but she said he’d called in and had some meetings out of the office today.”

  “Thanks,” Remy said.

  “Sure. I’ll see you in a little bit.” She continued her way downstairs. It was weird Remy had asked about Sparro, but it was also worrisome Sparro wasn’t there. This was the biggest case in years and their director was missing.

  Dakota took the stairs instead of the elevator. She thudded down them, thinking about her boss. She needed to talk to Kieran and see if he had any ideas. What if Bradley had somehow gotten hold of Sparro?

  As she ran down the stairwell, she pulled out her phone to text Kieran.

  Sparro missing? Could Bradley have taken him?

  She slipped her phone back in her pocket before hitting the door and slamming it open. The ladies’ locker room was the first door on the right and she hurried through, glad it was empty.

  “Good,” she murmured. The alone time would do her some good and help get her head on straight. She hadn’t slept much the night before and it had been a rough day with the shifting.

  Dakota undressed and dropped her clothes on the bench in front of her locker.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Shit!” She jumped and whirled around. “Don’t scare me like that!”

  Kieran grinned. “You should use your senses better.”

  “In the locker room?” she asked. “In a building full of paranormals?”

  “Especially here,” he said. “I have something to tell you.”

  “I was going to shower. I still smell like that p
lace.” Dakota did her best to hold in a shudder. It would be a long time before she recovered from all she’d seen.

  “Okay.” He pulled his shirt over his head. “Let’s take a shower.”

  “We’re in the women’s locker room. At work.”

  Kieran unbuttoned his pants and let them drop. She watched as he got completely naked.

  “This is a really bad idea,” she told him. Even to her own ears her words held no conviction.

  He strode forward and lifted her off her feet before carrying her toward the showers. Halfway there he started kissing her and Dakota let go of all her worries. She’d just take a minute to enjoy being with him.

  Dakota had her arms and legs wrapped around him as she ravished his mouth. He tasted so good, but most importantly he was alive.

  After what she’d seen done to some of the shifters who’d died, she had a better idea of what Kieran had lived through. She’d seen the scars, felt them under her fingertips just as she did now, and heard Kieran and Jackson talk about their experiences, but she hadn’t known. Not really.

  She ripped her mouth away as he stepped into the tiled shower area. There were six showerheads in the large open area. He walked to the closest one and turned on the spray.

  “I want it hot,” she told him. They both knew she wasn’t talking about the temperature. Kieran would be a lot more successful at making her feel clean than the water.

  “You’ll get it.”

  Her back hit the wall as he covered her body with his. Dakota arched so she could rub up against him. He nipped and sucked at her neck while she rolled her hips. It was obvious she wasn’t the only one feeling desperate for the connection between them. Kieran was already hard as he pinned her.

  “You want me?” he teased as he brushed his fingers up against her clit.

  “Yes,” she hissed.

  He plunged one digit inside and Dakota rocked.

  “More,” she demanded.

  Kieran added a second finger, thrusting them in and out. Dakota let her head drop back as Kieran began to play with her. They ended up in the shower together quite often and she loved it.

  “I need you,” she told him. “Take me.”

  Kieran withdrew his fingers and grasped the base of his cock. Dakota watched him, licking her lips, trying to keep from begging.

  “Hang on to me,” Kieran ordered.

  Dakota tightened the grip she had to his shoulders.

  He threw his head back and roared as he plunged his shaft into her pussy. Dakota cried out in ecstasy and he began to plunder her.

  “Harder,” she ordered. “I can take it.”

  Kieran sped up his thrusts, moving her higher up the wall each time he slammed into her. Dakota’s nails bit into his shoulder and she could smell his blood. Her vision grew sharper and for the first time ever during sex, she was afraid of losing control.

  “Kieran.” She whispered his name.

  “It’s okay,” he reassured her as he stopped. “Let your jaguar come to the surface.”

  “No.” She shook her head. It was bad enough that she’d already let her jaguar rule during the fight, but she couldn’t give the power over during sex. She didn’t want to hurt her lover. “I can’t.”

  “You won’t shift. But now your jaguar knows I accept her, she needs to come to the surface.”

  He sounded so sure. “What are you talking about? How do you know?”

  “Instincts,” he told her.

  Dakota nodded even as she remained unsure. She always loved to feel the jaguar inside, but this new fear changed so many things for her. She could still feel him pulsing inside her and wanted to just let go of her uncertainty to be with him. “Okay.” Dakota could try. Kieran was always telling her that he could keep himself safe. This might end up being the biggest test, though.

  Kieran rested his forehead against hers as he slowly withdrew. “Let me see all of you.” He thrust back in and Dakota kept looking at him. Keeping that connection, their bond, open.

  As Kieran began to drive himself deeper, she felt the electric spark that was always between them sizzle and snap.

  She tilted her head back and howled as her jaguar came to the surface. Her vision was sharp, her hearing precise and her scent better. The water fell around them with steam rising to surround them in their own world. There was a wildness within not only her body but also her mind. This was her man, her mate. He needed to claim her with his seed and she would feel complete.

  Her teeth lengthened, but she didn’t shift. Instead she felt more connected to her animal and to him than ever before in her life. Dakota clung to him. She couldn’t hold back the sounds, small mewing noises she was certain she’d never made before.

  “Look at me!” he demanded.

  She raised her gaze. He was beautiful. Dakota gripped the back of his head while keeping his face close.

  Kieran spread her legs wider and she bucked her hips to meet each of his frantic strokes. He filled her deep each time and Dakota couldn’t hold back any longer. She roared as she climaxed.

  He didn’t stop or slow down. Instead, as her body went limp, he tightened his hold and drove on. She was so slick from her release that each thrust remained velvety smooth. Dakota forced his head back and attacked his neck with her tongue, making sure her sharp teeth stayed covered. She did nip at him when he started to tremble.

  “Mine!” he yelled, coming within her.

  She cried out as he climaxed. Her feelings were swirling around and she didn’t know which to hold on to. The exhaustion edged out all other feelings, though. With his shaky legs, he showed he was just as wiped out.

  They collapsed down onto the tiles, but luckily she landed on top of him.

  “I think you’re trying to kill me,” she muttered.

  “No.” He rolled over before bracing himself on his elbows. “I won’t ever let you get hurt.”

  “I know.” She cupped his face. “I was only kidding.”

  He nodded.

  “That was intense, though,” she said.

  “It was the first time we gave our other halves full range together,” Kieran mused.

  “How’d you know we could do that?”

  “It was just a feeling. Ever since I first went into the caves, my instincts seemed heightened, along with my other senses.”

  “That’s strange. Is it something we need to worry about?”

  “We have enough to keep us busy right now.” Kieran stood, bringing her with him. “Finish cleaning up. We still need to talk.”

  “My bag’s still in my locker. I need my shampoos and soaps.” She really didn’t want to move, but they’d only have the locker room to themselves for so long before someone else came in. Maybe Kieran would take pity on her. The sex had been his idea, after all.

  “I’ll get it.”

  She grinned. He really was amazing to her. As Kieran walked away, Dakota moved back under the spray and let the water wash away the evidence of their lovemaking.

  “Here.” Kieran handed her a bottle.

  Dakota poured some into the palm of her hand before she began to wash. Kieran stepped up behind her with a bar of soap.

  “If you do that, we’ll end up rolling around on the tiles again,” she told him.

  “It’ll save time,” he replied.

  She had to ignore the feel of his hands on her body and that wasn’t easy. Dakota finished cleaning up and twisted the knobs to turn off the water. She grabbed the towel Kieran held out to her.

  “What do you want to tell me?” she asked.

  Kieran motioned his head to the side. “Come on.”

  Dakota followed him back into the main part of the locker room. Her bag was on the bench with clothes lying on top. She wiped off the water as she walked.

  “Caspar is missing,” Kieran stated.

  Fuck. Dakota shook her head. “So is Sparro.”

  “But not for the same reasons.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “We have evid
ence that suggests Sparro has been helping Bradley,” Kieran told her as he dressed.

  “No.” Dakota grabbed her clothes and pulled them on in jerky movements. “I can’t believe you’d even say that. I know you don’t trust him but—”

  “Caspar told Remy. Emailed him the files from Mount Fauna.”

  “The same ones Jackson gave you?” Dakota knew more than she’d let on.

  “Yes,” Kieran said. “It’s Sparro.”

  Dakota yanked her shirt on. “I want to see the proof.”

  “That’s the problem. We have evidence, but not the proof we need yet.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “Let’s go get you something to eat.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.” She grabbed his arm. “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to get the answers out of Bradley and the doctor.”

  “We have trained agents—”

  “No!” he yelled. “No one but us gets to talk to any of them. Dean is handling the shifters in the medical unit and Jackson is coming in to help me with Bradley and the doctor.”

  “But—”

  “I only trust our group. Our friends.”

  She started to argue but thought about what he’d just said. “Our friends?”

  “Jackson, Dean, Gabe, Mitch, Remy, even Damon. Those are who we trust.”

  He might not have noticed the number of people he trusted had grown, but she did.

  “Okay, but there’s something I have to do,” she said.

  He nodded.

  “There was a female cougar shifter in one of the cages. She was gone by the time I got Max, but she’s not here. She never got checked in.”

  “You think she might still be there?” he asked.

  “I have to find out,” Dakota said. “Maybe she shifted and is happily roaming the Red Rocks, but if not, then she needs help.”

  “You don’t go alone.”

  She nodded.

  “And you eat first. You’ll probably have to shift again.”

  “Remy is supposed to meet me in the cafeteria.”

  “Good.” He grabbed her hand and drew her to him. Dakota lifted onto her toes and kissed him as he lowered his head.

  They parted as someone came into the locker room.