The Touch

by Jaymie Holland

  Fighting, blood, death.

  Some of the pain in her head subsided when Mike released her hand. The Touch had been almost crippling that time, and she could barely stand. Yet what she’d seen…

  He put his arms around her shoulders, held her to him, and her shirt fell open to expose her naked breasts. Her face warmed at the same time he pressed the mouth of his handgun to the bottom of her chin. She swallowed and the metal pressed deeper into her flesh. He smelled of sweat and a metallic scent.

  Heated embarrassment flooded her this time when Mike cupped one of her breasts in his free hand and pinched her nipple. “Maybe we should all take turns fucking your squeeze toy. Is she a good lay, Branson?”

  Wade’s gaze met Chandra’s. She saw a world of fury in his dark eyes, yet concern for her at the same time. “It’ll be delivered first thing in the morning,” Wade finally said, anger in his voice as his gaze cut back to Mike’s.

  Mike dropped the gun from Chandra’s chin and she looked up at him to see an incredulous look on his lean face. “You don’t have the fucking chip?”

  “Like I said,” Wade’s jaw worked as if he was grinding his teeth, “I arranged for delivery in the morning.”

  “You’re lying,” Mike growled. He tightened his arm around Chandra so hard he squeezed her breasts. “You’re supposed to have it here, tonight. Then take it to PIA headquarters in the morning.”

  “Exactly. That’s why we made the change, in case the original plans leaked out.” Wade started to lower his arms and Mike didn’t stop him. “One of our operatives has it hidden safely.”

  Chandra swallowed. If anyone in this room knew she had the chip, she was positive she and Wade were as good as dead.

  When Wade’s arms were down he added, “You know the agent won’t pass over the chip unless I’m here to take it.”

  “Fuck.” Mike pushed the barrel of his Berretta against Chandra’s chin so hard she flinched. Her eyes watered and she swallowed hard.

  “Why are you doing this?” Wade asked as he fisted his hands at his sides.

  This got a grin out of Mike and he let the barrel fall away from her chin. When she glanced up at him, he actually looked handsome.

  “Why else?” he asked. “You’re not possibly that dense. A hell of a lot of money from the sale of that microchip will be mine.” He glanced at the men and women surrounding them. “Ours.”

  “Do you really think it’s worth it?” Wade said quietly. “You won’t be able to return to the States. You’ll be hunted, always having to watch your back.”

  Mike smiled and Chandra couldn’t believe how normal he looked, as if he was having a pleasant everyday conversation with a friend, instead of threatening to kill them as well as steal the chip.

  “You’re going to be blamed, friend.” He drew Chandra near him again and kissed the side of her face. She couldn’t suppress a shudder. “As far as the PIA will know, you and your woman stole it and sold it before we could stop you. A shitload of money has already been pumped into your account to show that you were getting an advance on delivery.”

  “Isn’t that cliché, Mike?” Wade asked. “Especially for you? I thought you were a lot smarter than that.”

  Mike shrugged. “Why break what works?”

  “We take the woman and as soon as the chip is delivered we’ll make an exchange—the chip for her.” Mike’s tone turned harder yet. “Even if she was a one-night fuck, I know you, Branson. You won’t let her die. And that’s exactly what’s going to happen if you don’t have the chip by noon.”

  Fire burned in Wade’s eyes and his face was dark with anger. “Where?”

  “You’ve got my number,” Mike said. “Call as soon as you have it. You know the drill. No one else involved.” He shifted behind her as he said, “Richmond. Do it.”

  Chandra barely had a chance to blink when Richmond drew out a bottle. He sprayed the contents at Wade’s chest.

  A smell like dirty laundry hit her just as Wade shouted and dropped to his knees, then his haunches. He fisted his hands on his thighs and his jaw was tight as he stared at Fields. Horror seared Chandra’s belly. What had they put on Wade? His shirt smoked where the fluid had hit him.

  Or was that his body? He seemed to fade away before solidifying again.

  What?

  Even as terror for Wade ripped through her, her eyes widened at the sight. Was she imagining things, like when he’d stumbled from the trap door?

  Fields chuckled, a sound that churned Chandra’s stomach. “The Exposal will keep you in line,” he said. From her side vision she saw him nod to Valdez. “Stay with Branson. As soon as he has the chip, call me.” Fields turned his gaze on a couple of the other operatives. “Fix that fucking door so that it doesn’t look like it’s been damaged.”

  Wade remained on his haunches and Chandra could tell he was gritting his teeth from pain at the same time concern for her was in his eyes. Raw fury twisted his expression.

  Mike yanked her sideways, the gun still under her chin. In that moment the pendant flipped over and her heart went still. Her eyes met Wade’s and shock registered in his gaze before his features turned to stone again.

  When Mike jerked her fully around, the pendant turned back over so that the chip was to her chest again. No one said anything—they simply followed her and Mike out of the room.

  She breathed a sigh of relief. Obviously no one but Wade had noticed.

  The irony of the situation hit her. She was being kidnapped by Mike to be exchanged for something he already possessed.

  #

  The operatives filed out of the room but Wade was in too much pain to move. Not to mention too stunned.

  Chandra had the microchip.

  The whole time she’d had the chip. There was no doubt in his mind it was the one. It had been color coded, almost iridescent.

  “Get up, asshole.” Valdez kicked Wade’s thigh as he gestured toward an armchair that had been shredded and lay on its side. “Pick it up and get your ass on it.”

  If Wade hadn’t just been sprayed with the chemical made to control shadow shifters, Valdez would be a dead man. Regardless of the chemical, Wade tried to shift as he stood, but Fields had done a good job of it. There was enough Exposal on him to last a week.

  Unless he could shower and get the Exposal off with a good scrub. Only heavy-duty soap designed by shadow shifters to get at least most of the chemical off would work. It didn’t take much to be enough to allow them to shift again.

  Wade managed to get to his feet without trying to tear Valdez’s head off. Not that he could at that moment as crippled as he was from the pain of being sprayed with Exposal.

  Why had Fields betrayed him? He’d always thought of Mike as a friend, and he was a fellow shadow shifter.

  Shit. No question Fields was planning to sell the microchip to Psion and he’d be a wealthy man. The other mercenaries wouldn’t do too badly, either.

  Wade’s muscles ached, his chest burned, and his body felt like it would burst into flame. Valdez nudged him with the barrel of his AK-47 and Wade had never wanted to kill a person more than he did at that moment. Several persons.

  It took most of his remaining strength to right the fallen chair. When he sat in the padded seat, a part of him cried out with a tiny bit of relief. The rest of his body continued cramping from the chemical.

  In just a matter of moments, using a length of rope that had been secured to his own utility belt, Valdez had Wade’s arms lashed to the armrests, his ankles tied to the chair legs so tightly that Wade couldn’t move them if he’d even had the strength to try.

  Wade’s mind churned over the fact that Chandra had the chip and that Mike had betrayed him. He leaned his head back against the wall, looking at the ceiling and ignoring Valdez. It would be a few hours before Wade could move freely again, and by that time the messenger would’ve delivered the painting—without the chip.

  He ground his teeth harder as he leveled his gaze on Valdez. The man positioned himself
on Wade’s bed, the rifle pointed straight at him. Valdez’s expression was cold, calculating.

  Would Chandra turn over the microchip to save her own life? Or was she in league with Psion, her employer, and planning to sell the chip for her own benefit?

  Wade clenched his jaw. He had to find out and he had to get that chip back.

  ***

  Chapter 8

  Mike tried to shove Chandra in the backseat of one of two black Hummers in front of Wade’s home. It was nearing dawn, but still dark enough that it was difficult to make out things clearly.

  The floorboard of the Hummer was high and she stumbled and pitched forward. Mike caught her by the back of the shirt she was wearing then lifted her under her arms and pushed her into the vehicle.

  When he had her in the seat, her shirt flopped open and her body was bared. She kept her knees pressed tightly together and folded her arms across her chest.

  Mike slapped her so hard her head snapped to the side. Her face burned as she slowly turned back to look at him, and tears from pain stung the backs of her eyes.

  “Keep your arms at your sides, and your legs, spread, slut.” His tone was dark and cruel.

  She raised her chin but forced herself to comply. Her shirt fell completely open again, and cool air stroked her.

  This time he grinned as he reached across her and pinched one of her nipples hard. She winced at the same time she stared at him with murder in her expression. He deliberately ran his arms over both breasts as he put her seatbelt on and latched it.

  When her seatbelt was fastened, Mike paused, dipped his head, and ran his tongue around the nipple he hadn’t pinched. Heat flushed her body as her nipple turned hard despite the fact she was ready to kill him. He laughed before he slammed the door shut and strode around to the driver’s side of the vehicle.

  A woman climbed into the front passenger seat and cast an amused expression over her shoulder at Chandra before turning and putting on her seatbelt. The man called Richmond got inside the Hummer, shut his door, and slowly raked his gaze over Chandra’s naked form.

  “Can we play, boss?” Richmond asked. Chandra’s heart chilled when she saw his erection pressing against his black pants.

  Her eyes met Mike’s as she swung her gaze to the rearview mirror. She didn’t like the smile on his face one bit. “Maybe later,” he said. “Depends on how well she behaves and how fast that chip is delivered.”

  Chandra refused to look at Richmond or Mike as he guided the Hummer away from Wade’s home. Instead, she stared out the window.

  It was still pretty dark, but thanks to streetlights and signs she could tell which way they were traveling. There weren’t many parts of the Phoenix valley that she didn’t know, but soon Mike was heading north on the Black Canyon Freeway, taking her farther away from territory she was familiar with.

  Cool air from an open window continuously brushed her bare breasts and her stomach felt sick as she felt Richmond’s lustful gaze.

  Her thoughts returned to Wade as Mike drove. What kind of substance had been sprayed on him? Did she really see his form waver then appear almost transparent before becoming solid again?

  Her head swam with everything that had happened. Her knees and palms ached from the glass cuts and her cheek stung. She’d never felt so completely vulnerable as she did at that moment. Naked, tied up, being driven someplace where she’d be held for ransom—for something they’d never get because she sure as hell wasn’t going to turn the microchip over to them.

  It took a while, but they finally reached a plain ranch-style home that stood in the middle of several acres of desert. It looked like the closest neighbor was a good mile away. Chandra’s shoulders sagged. Wade would never find them out here. If he would even look for her.

  But he knew she had the chip.

  He would try to find her, if only for that. What kind of secrets did the microchip hold that were so valuable?

  Once they had parked, Mike climbed out then forced Chandra out of the car and toward the house. Rocks bit into her feet before they reached the smooth sidewalk leading to the house, and then she felt coarse carpet as they entered the home.

  When they were inside, Mike pushed her into a recliner and she winced as she automatically braced herself and her hands hit the arms of the chair. The moment she was down, he pushed her shirt completely away from her body and pried her legs open with his knee.

  “Spread your legs again, bitch,” Mike said as he shoved them apart. “And leave them that way.”

  More tears ached at the back of Chandra’s eyes as she was forced to obey, but damned if she was going to cry—even when every man and woman who walked into Mike’s home took a good look at her body.

  Her gut clenched and she swallowed hard. She’d never been so humiliated and mortified in all her life.

  Mike ordered Richmond to stay while the rest of his mercenaries went with him into another room. “Keep your hands off the bitch,” Mike ordered. “Just keep an eye on her.” His gaze raked her naked body and he smiled. “For now.”

  Richmond smiled.

  Chandra’s heart stuttered and fell to her stomach.

  When Mike left the room, she saw that Richmond had an erection that seemed to grow bigger as he pointed his incredibly large rifle at her.

  She looked away and studied the stucco on one of the walls. If she tried hard enough, she could see patterns in the paint swirls.

  But her mind kept returning to the mess she was in, her nakedness, the fact that she might be raped and wondering what would happen with Wade. When they discovered he didn’t have the chip after all, would he be murdered? Would she?

  The thought chilled her. Maybe she should tell Mike she had it.

  No. That was a sure way to get both her and Wade killed.

  Her blood continued to rush in her ears and she was having a hard time breathing. She didn’t want Richmond to see her breasts rise and fall and perhaps excite him more. He just might ignore Mike’s warning about not touching her without his permission.

  Chandra narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t tied up and she was could do some serious harm to the bastard if he did get close to her.

  Still, Chandra let out a sigh of frustration. How was she going to get out of this mess?

  #

  Time seemed to drag on interminably, yet when four thumps hit his front door—the signal it was Adam—Wade’s heart started pounding hard.

  Like he’d wished a thousand times, he wanted to shift into shadow form, a form in which he could slip out of his bonds, a form in which he could not be harmed. Then he’d be able to get to Valdez, shift back, and kill the bastard.

  Instead, he was forced to grit his teeth against the continual pain and wait to be released. And wait for Valdez to find out there was no chip to be delivered.

  That was if Chandra hadn’t already turned it over to Mike.

  At the sound of the doorbell, Valdez set his rifle on the bed. He pulled a Glock from his utility belt with one hand, while drawing a knife from his boot with his other hand. He approached Wade, his expression grim.

  “Don’t fuck with me.” Valdez’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll kill you and whoever is at that door.”

  Wade kept his expression as neutral as possible as Valdez cut the ropes from Wade’s ankles, then wrists. Valdez’s grip and aim of his Glock never wavered from Wade’s chest.

  When he first stood, his legs almost didn’t hold him up. The Exposal was still strong in his system and he was weak as hell. He gained his bearings, but stumbled when Valdez shoved him toward the front door. Wade managed to keep to his feet—barely.

  He knew Adam, the operative delivering the painting, was as good as dead unless Wade found a way to take out Valdez before they opened that door.

  Valdez gripped the door handle and tugged as he pressed the release. He snarled as it stuck, then gave when he yanked it open far enough for Wade to meet whoever was at the door. At the same time Valdez managed to keep his gun trained on Wade.


  Adam was a new operative, but sharp. The young man had already tossed the painting under a bush and stood to the side of the door, out of range, his gun drawn.

  “Adam,” Wade said, his gaze darting to the door and back to the operative. “Hand it over.”

  The young man gave a sharp nod and aimed his handgun at the crack in the door.

  A sharp retort of gunfire pierced the air.

  Adam went down.

  Shit.

  Ignoring the pain from the Exposal, Wade whirled to face Valdez. Before the man had a chance to react, Wade grasped Valdez’s arm, forcing the Glock from his face at the same time he brought his knee up. He slammed the man’s forearm down on his thigh. Bones snapped. Valdez screamed. The gun went flying across the room.

  Adrenaline pumped through Wade and the pain from the Exposal lessened. He balanced on one leg, brought his other up and jammed his boot into Valdez’s gut with a powerful side kick.

  The man gave another cry as he flew back several feet. Wade dove for the gun.

  Pain fractured through his body from the Exposal as he landed on his side, skidded to the Glock and grabbed it with both hands. He swung it around as he twisted his torso from his position on the floor aimed the handgun at Valdez.

  Valdez was pushing himself to his feet, his arm cradled to his chest.

  Wade gritted his teeth. He didn’t have a choice.

  He shot Valdez in the head. Twice.

  The man flew backward again, his body landing with a thump at an unnatural angle, glazed eyes wide open.

  Wade rolled to his feet and staggered to the door where he saw Adam lying motionless in the same position he had fallen when he’d been shot. A hole gaped in his chest that was soaked in blood, his head turned to the side. Wade checked the young operatives pulse. He was dead.

  Wade pinched the bridge of his nose. The kid didn’t deserve this.

  He forced himself to stumble to the painting. He dropped to his knees beside it, picked it up and turned it so that he could view the back. He ran his finger under the gap between the frame and the canvas.