The Touch

by Jaymie Holland

  Gone.

  Chandra did have the chip. She must have taken it right before he arrived at the vendor’s booth.

  He glanced toward Adam’s body and back to the house where Valdez lay. It would take precious moments, but he had to get as much of the Exposal off his body as possible if he was going to be able to get that chip back from Chandra before she gave it to Psion.

  At the same time he needed to get out of here before any cops arrived, in case his neighbors had called them after hearing the shots.

  With the chemical on his chest, the exertion had taken a lot out of him. His body ached and muscles threatened to give out as he made his way to his bathroom. He tucked Valdez’s Glock in his waistband at his back as he walked.

  When he reached the bathroom he grabbed the hem of his T-shirt. Goddamn but it hurt to take it off. After he pulled it over his head, he grabbed the hidden jar of the antidote to Exposal, unscrewed the lid, and poured some of the fluid onto his hand. He almost dropped the jar, but managed to set it on the countertop, while rubbing the fluid on his chest with his other hand.

  Relief poured through him in waves. He was by no way ready to shift, and his body felt like he’d had the shit beaten out of him, but in a while the antidote would begin to work.

  It took more effort to work his way back to the great room, grab his keys, and head outside to his truck. By the time he had his truck in drive, his vision was blurry despite the antidote. His arms shook as he guided the vehicle out of his driveway and through the winding streets of his neighborhood.

  Fields was so cocky that Wade was sure he knew exactly where the bastard was. In Fields’s own home north of Phoenix.

  Mike was going down.

  ***

  Chapter 9

  Chandra felt jittery, like she’d had half a dozen shots of espresso. Her whole body trembled and it was as if something crawled under her skin. Richmond still watched her with a hungry expression and every now and then would say something suggestive to her. Like how he couldn’t wait to fuck her. To watch all the men take her.

  She shuddered at the thought. Being exposed like this and so completely vulnerable made her stomach sick with fear.

  When Mike walked into the room with a scowl twisting his face, Chandra’s heart hammered against her breastbone. The coin burned at her chest, and she was almost afraid he could see right through it to the chip on the other side. She gripped the arms of the chair so tight her knuckles ached.

  Richmond cut his gaze from Chandra’s breasts to look at Mike. “Any word?”

  “Not a damn thing.” Mike propped himself on the arm of one of the couches and studied Chandra. Without taking his eyes off of her, he continued, “Valdez isn’t answering his cell. Branson isn’t either.”

  “Shit.” Richmond got to his feet and gestured to Chandra. “What if he doesn’t give a damn about the slut? What if he’s already returned the chip to the PIA? Hell, what if he sells it to Psion?”

  Chandra went stiff in her seat. What were they talking about? Her employer couldn’t have anything to do with this.

  Mike rubbed his hand up and down his face. “Could be this piece of ass was trying to get to the chip first, so that she’d get all of Psion’s asking price. No better way than to fuck the man responsible for getting it back into the PIA’s hands.”

  Her eyes widened and she barely kept from shaking her head. No. Psion wouldn’t get involved in any kind of crime.

  At the same time her mind played devil’s advocate. What if Psion wanted the chip? What if all this time she’d been building up public relations for a company that was led by criminals? The mob even?

  Richmond folded his arms across his chest. “Psion had the chip—they blew it when Branson’s team stole it back for the PIA.”

  Chandra’s heart thumped harder as she looked from Richmond to Fields again, and it hit her like a blow to the belly. All along she’d been working for a bunch of criminals. And here she was, the bargaining piece for the microchip that burned hot against her chest.

  Mike’s scowl darkened as his gaze met hers. She tried to keep her face as blank as possible. What if he could read her expression? What if he could tell she had it?

  Now she was being paranoid.

  Who wouldn’t be when they were and naked with a bunch of mercenaries, and not to mention actually had the chip they were looking for?

  A shrill sound came from Mike’s jacket and he glanced down as he pulled a cell phone from his pocket. “It’s Branson,” he growled as he looked at the Caller I.D.

  He pressed a button on the tiny device and held it up to his ear. “Fields.” His expression was unreadable as he said, “Where’s Valdez?” He was still for a moment, then his eyes met Chandra’s. “She’s here. You’d better have the chip, Branson.”

  The door exploded inward.

  Chandra screamed and covered her face with her hands.

  The sound of a gunshot and Richmond collapsed, landing across a coffee table and causing it to crash to the floor.

  The two women operatives slipped from the hallway and stationed themselves in the room like cool professionals. One stood beside Chandra while the other moved to the side of the front door. Mike was at the other side.

  Where were the two remaining men?

  #

  Wade took deep breaths as he paused at the side of the house, just around the corner from the back door. His blood rushed through his veins and his heart pounded.

  He focused on shifting. His body trembled and then relief and almost a sense of pleasure flowed through him as he shadow shifted.

  In shadow form, Wade slipped alongside the house to the backyard. No one would be coming for him from the front—instead they’d try to get him from the back. Likely they’d never expect him to have overcome the Exposal.

  His darkness rippled over rocks and dirt in Fields’s backyard. Two men exited the house, their handguns raised. Each man kept his eyes trained on a corner of the house as they pressed close to the back wall.

  Wade crept along in shadow form, silently slipped past one of the men. When he was between the two, he slowly rose and shifted, his Glock in his hands.

  With cool calculation, he shot one of the men in the back of the head, whirled, and sent a bullet to the heart of the other man who’d spun around at the sound of the gunshot.

  He heard shouts from inside the house as he shadow shifted and slid along the linoleum toward the direction of the voices.

  Chandra was standing. One of the women operatives had her AK-47 aimed right at her.

  The moment he shifted and rose up behind Mike, Chandra’s mouth fell open.

  Mike must have caught her expression because he shadow shifted and ended up at Wade’s feet.

  Chandra dropped to the floor, braced her hands on the carpet and swung one leg out in a roundhouse delivery, hitting the backs of the agent’s knees—the one who guarded her with the rifle—causing the operative to fall back on her ass.

  Wade shot the other remaining agent in the chest and she collapsed face first on the carpet.

  His blood thrummed and he sensed Mike shifting and rising up behind him.

  At the same time Wade whirled and grabbed Mike’s gun barrel with his free hand and tried to wrestle it from Mike’s grasp. The two struggled and Wade lost his grip on his Glock which tumbled to their feet.

  Chandra grabbed the rifle from the woman she had downed. Mike aimed his Berretta at Chandra, but when he shot she dropped and rolled with the grace of much practice, and he missed.

  The woman Chandra had knocked down was an obvious professional. She flipped Chandra onto her back and slammed her fist into the side of Chandra’s face.

  Her head snapped back. She shouted and the rifle was ripped from her hands by the operative.

  At the same time, Mike’s arm snaked around Wade’s throat and he choked against the sudden pain. Mike tried to wrench Wade’s head to snap his neck.

  Wade was ready for him. He flung the bastard over his sho
ulder and pinned him to the floor, twisted the Berretta in Mike’s hand and aimed the gun at the last agent.

  Just as she snatched up her AK-47, Wade shot her between the eyes and she collapsed, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

  Mike flipped Wade on his back and rammed his fist against Wade’s jaw. Stars burst in his head and for a moment his eyes unfocused.

  Mike took control of the Berretta again. With a look of absolute fury, he pointed the gun at Wade’s forehead.

  Something flashed through the air.

  Chandra planted her foot firmly on the carpet and rammed her other foot at the side of Mike’s face, so hard the agent went flying off Wade.

  Mike tumbled onto his back, rolled, and sat up with his weapon still in his hands.

  Wade grabbed one of the rifles scattered on the floor and dropped just as a shot snaked by his ear.

  Wade knocked off several shots as he flipped from his back to his belly.

  He shot Mike in the chest five times.

  The operative fell back, blood pouring from his wounds and his mouth.

  For a moment neither Wade nor Chandra moved. Adrenaline continued to rush through his body and his heart still pounded like it was going to explode.

  The room smelled of blood and death. The carpet was soaked with blood. The only sounds were his and Chandra’s hard breathing.

  She pushed to her feet at the same time he got to his. They stared at one another for just a moment before they met in the middle of the room.

  Chandra flung her arms around Wade as he grabbed her by the waist. Her tears wet his neck as she sobbed, and her body trembled against his.

  He brushed her hair with his hand and spoke softly. “It’s all right, baby. You did good.”

  “Sonofabitch.” Chandra sniffed and shuddered. “See if I ever go out with you again.”

  Wade squeezed her tighter. He held Chandra a long, long time, until her body stopped shaking, and his heartbeat slowed.

  ***

  Chapter 10

  After all was said and done, after a day filled with reports and constant grilling by several agents, both Chandra and Wade made it back to Chandra’s apartment.

  They had collapsed with sheer exhaustion into Chandra’s bed after scrubbing themselves in the shower, washing away the filth of the day.

  When she woke the next morning, her hands and knees still hurt from the glass cuts, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her head. It burned like the mother of all fires.

  The pain was not only from the visions she’d seen when she touched the agent and Mike, but from the fist that had slammed into her face. She was certain her skin was mottled black and blue. The woman who’d hit her had been incredibly strong.

  At the thought of all the death she’d witnessed, Chandra’s stomach churned and she was tempted to turn in Wade’s arms and cling to him.

  Chandra did just that and snuggled in Wade’s embrace. He smelled so good, his musky scent surrounding her. They had taken a shower together, but after washing one another they had tumbled into bed and had fallen asleep immediately, both naked.

  Now, after getting some rest, a tingling sensation erupted in her abdomen. His morning erection pressed hard against her belly. So what if she’d just had the day from hell yesterday? She still wanted him.

  Wade pressed his lips to her hair and she heard his deep inhale. “I love your scent, baby.” His hand settled on the curve of her waist. “And your skin is so soft.”

  Chandra smiled and looked up at him. His dark eyes grew even darker as her nipples rasped his bare chest and his erection brushed her belly.

  When he began caressing her breasts she took a deep breath and said, “Stop.”

  He raised an eyebrow but let his hand fall away, between them. She still felt his erection and it was all she could do to hold herself back from wrapping her fingers around his cock and sliding him inside her.

  Her chest rose and fell as she took a deep breath. “You have a lot to tell me. Begin with who you really are. What you really are.”

  Wade studied her for a long moment. Before he spoke he brought his hand up to her face and brushed his thumb across her lips. The touch was so sensual she shivered. “I’m a man.” He trailed his finger along her jaw. “But I also happen to be a shadow shifter.”

  Chandra frowned. “I’ve never heard of shadow shifters.” Memories of him dissolving into darkness and forming again sped through her mind, along with thoughts of the shadows she’d seen in her visions when she’d touched him and Mike.

  “Just like you and your family, we stay out of the PIA’s sights whenever we can,” he said.

  She frowned. “But you work for the PIA.”

  “True.” His finger moved from her jawline to her ear and she shivered again. “I work at the PIA to protect those with paranormal abilities. I’m after any of who have turned and work for anyone other than our government.”

  Chandra drew away from his touch, her frown deepening. “You condone using paranormal abilities for our government?”

  Wade sighed. “The government doesn’t know I’m a shadow shifter. I work from the inside, freeing those who don’t want to work for the government, and stopping those who would use their talents for other governments or corporations. Like Psion.”

  She rubbed her forehead with the heel of her palm, her head aching with her next thought. “Psion really is on the wrong side?”

  “Yeah.” He started to reach for her hand but dropped it away from her before their fingers touched. “They wanted the microchip because it lists every known person with paranormal abilities. It was stolen from the PIA so that the names and locations of every last person could be sold, allowing them to be exploited.”

  “The chip should have been destroyed.” She clenched her teeth before continuing, “Then the PIA wouldn’t have the knowledge either.”

  Wade rose as he propped himself on one elbow, his arm on the bed. “They have a huge database and backup copies,” he said. “The microchip was one of the copies that were stolen from the PIA. My team managed to get it back, but we ran into some problems and had to return it to the PIA in a roundabout way.”

  “Some roundabout way,” she muttered. “So what is a shadow shifter, anyway?”

  Wade smiled and settled his warm hand on her hip. “You saw for yourself. We have the ability to shift into shadow form which allows us advantages that others don’t have.”

  “What about the stuff they sprayed on you?” she asked.

  “Don’t remind me.” He grimaced and brought his hand to his chest and rubbed it. “The spray is made up by a chemical created to keep shadow shifters from transforming. The PIA has used it to control our kind.

  “I free those on the right side of the law,” he continued, “and help track down those who aren’t. Only Mike knew I’m one—he was a shadow shifter, too.”

  “But he turned out to be one of the bad guys,” Chandra said.

  Wade drew her into his embrace and kissed the top of her head. “I’m so sorry you got in the middle of it.”

  She tipped her head up to look at him. “I was meant to—I saw that I was supposed to help you in some way, I just didn’t know how.”

  He lifted his hand to her chest and fingered the penny pendant that no longer had the microchip affixed to the backside as it had been turned in to PIA HQ. His fingers were warm against her skin. “Why did you take the chip?” he asked as he raised his eyes back to meet hers.

  A shrug would seem too casual so she merely said, “When I touched the painting I had a vision that I was supposed to take it. So I did.”

  His mouth quirked and she couldn’t tell if he was trying not to smile. “You have visions that tell you to steal things?”

  Heat flushed over Chandra’s skin. “This was the first time I had a vision while touching an inanimate object. I don’t know what compelled me, but something did.”

  Wade smiled. “Enough of all that.” He slid his thigh in between hers and she ru
bbed herself against him.

  Every single thought left her mind as desire took over her body and her hand found his cock. “I need you.”

  He kissed her forehead. “Are you certain you’re ready?” He drew back and their eyes met again. He brushed her hair from where her face was bruised. “You were hurt. Your face, your hands…” He looked at her hand resting on his erection, but didn’t reach for it.

  “I’m fine.” Chandra slowly slid her fingers up and down his erection. “What about you?”

  He grinned, and the next thing she knew, she was flat on her back and he was between her thighs. His cock pressed against her bare folds and she moaned. “Does that answer your question?”

  She smiled then gave a sigh of pleasure as he captured one of her nipples in his mouth. He licked the hard nub, then lightly bit it before moving to her other breast and sucking on it and nipping. She arched into him, her body responding to him instantly. More moisture dampened her folds, and she ached to have all of him.

  Chandra slipped her hands into his clean, soft hair. “I want to feel you inside of me. I don’t want to wait. I want you to take me.”

  He gave a low growl as he rose up on both hands so that the muscles flexed in his biceps and the power of him surrounded her. He stared into her eyes as she reached down and guided his cock to her core. She arched her hips, wanting him inside her as fast as possible.

  His jaw was tight as if holding himself back. “Where did you get your beautiful violet eyes?” he asked, surprising her.

  “It often comes with the Touch,” Chandra said, wriggling beneath Wade. “Fortunately that knowledge wasn’t something the PIA paid attention to. Stop talking and take me now.”

  With a powerful thrust, Wade buried himself deep inside her.

  Chandra gave a cry of sheer pleasure at the feel of him filling her, his cock thick and hard.

  Slowly he began moving in and out, watching her the entire time with an expression that told her how much he wanted her.