by Elisa Adams
Sam didn’t even look at her. “Nowhere. We’re going for a walk.”
“Where?”
“No questions right now, Faith. Just trust me and get out of the car. Keep quiet.”
Her heart kicked into overdrive, her stomach clenched in a knot. She grabbed her purse and followed him out of the car. He made a quick stop to pull his bag from the trunk before he led her away from the lot into the ghostly, empty darkness of the quiet streets. The scent of ocean water filled the air. “What is this place?”
“New Jersey. Shoreline.” He picked up the pace, dragging her along with him. “Come on. Let’s get moving. We don’t have much time left here.”
“Is this safe?”
“I think we’re okay for now. It won’t last long, though, I’m sure. The trackers after us are pretty good. Excellent, even. And now with the police involved…”
She froze. “Police?”
“They seem to think I kidnapped you.” He gave her hand a tug. “Come on. We have things to do, Faith. You didn’t leave anything in the car you needed, right?”
She glanced at him, her eyes narrowed. “Why?”
He shrugged. “Just curious.” He stopped in front of a small blue house. “Wait here for a second.”
“Where are you—?”
He silenced the rest of her sentence with a short, hard kiss. And then he was gone.
She waited, alone on the deathly silent street, fear twisting her stomach in time with the chirping of crickets and the rustle of the cool breeze through the trees and bushes. What was he doing now? She could swear if she was quiet enough, she’d be able to hear her knees knock together. Come on, Sam. This isn’t funny. I don’t like being left out here alone.
The roar of an engine turning over made her jump. She shot a glance around the neighborhood, looking for a place to hide. The car backed out of the carport attached to the blue house. She stood frozen, unable to move, while it stopped next to her and the window rolled down. Sam sat in the driver’s seat.
“Get in.”
“What are you doing?”
He shook his head. “Get in before someone sees us.”
She scrambled to open the passenger side door, slid into the seat. He backed out of the driveway and headed away from the house. They hadn’t driven more than a couple hundred feet when a loud crash echoed behind them. She spun in the seat just in time to see the sky go up in flames.
Her eyes widened. “What was that?”
“My car.” Sam turned onto another quiet road, this one less populated than the first. He switched on the headlights.
“What? Your car? What the hell did you do?”
“We have to cover out tracks. It’s the only way we won’t be found.”
“But how? A bomb?” She shivered at the thought.
He shook his head.
“Then how did you do it?” Fear welled up in her throat, threatening to choke her. She tried to push it away, but it wouldn’t be forgotten so easily this time. “How did you manage?”
A small smile curved his lips. “It doesn’t matter. It’s done. We were sitting ducks in that car. In this one, we’ll be safe for a little longer. By the time anyone notices the car missing, we’ll be in another state.”
She glanced behind them again. “You did it with your mind, didn’t you?”
He let out a breath. “Yeah.”
“You can do things like that?”
“Sometimes. But it takes a lot of energy. I’m going to do whatever I can to keep you safe.”
The ominous tone of his voice sent a shiver down her spine. Safety was such a relative term. She’d learned that well in the past couple of days. “Where are we going now?”
“The man we need to see is in Georgia. The head of Marganis Pharmaceuticals.”
She froze, glanced at him through narrowed eyes. “Why do you want to see him? Shouldn’t we take this to the police?”
“He isn’t a man the police will be able to stop.” His hand fell on her knee, squeezed gently. “This is something we have to take care of without the involvement of the law or government.”
She gulped, her heart beating a rapid thump against the wall of her chest. Why did it feel like time was running out?
* * * * *
Faith didn’t sleep any more that night. She sat facing the window of the stolen car, watching the trees flash by at a breakneck pace as Sam led them toward the one place she never wanted to go. The longer they rode, the colder she grew. Hours upon hours passed until everything faded into one big blur. Desolate forests, suburban neighborhoods, busy city streets…after a while, none of it mattered. They drove all day, into the next evening, making only a few quick pit stops for food and gas along the way. Fear and frustration warred inside her, struggling to break free.
He wouldn’t stop, wouldn’t rest until they’d reached Georgia. His gaze stayed fixed on the road, his mouth set in a grim line. He seemed different than she’d ever seen him. Cold. Professional. Calculating. This is the man you’ve been the most afraid of. The one who could hurt you, kill you, and never look back.
He’d barely said a word since telling her where they were headed, still hadn’t spoken to her since they’d rented a room at a tiny bed and breakfast in the Georgia mountains. The fact worried her more than it should.
This is about the bargain. You seem to have forgotten that yet again.
No. There was more to it than that. Much more he hadn’t yet told her. What was he hiding? She needed to find out. Needed to feel some sort of emotion from the man. Anything.
She moved across the room, stopped beside him. Dark stubble again covered his strong jaw, his gaze weary and focused. Intense. She let out a breath, put her hand on his shoulder. He flinched, glanced at her as if he’d just noticed she was in the room. “Huh?”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.” His answer was no more than a whisper.
“Sam?”
He sat down on the edge of the mattress of the only bed in the room. “What?”
“What’s next?”
He heaved a sigh. “Now we wait for the time to be right, and then we take care of the problem.”
Her eyes widened. “What are you planning to do?”
He shook his head, ignored the question. “Let’s get some rest before the real work starts.”
“Do you think the desk clerk recognized us?”
He shook his head. “We’re far enough outside of New England that it shouldn’t be a problem.”
He stood up and took a quick step toward her. She jumped, backed away.
“What’s the matter?”
How could she explain to him all she feared, all she felt inside? All the worry his cold distance had caused? “You can kill people, or…things just by touching your hand to their heads, you can blow up things with your mind, read my thoughts…” Her stomach churned. What had she gotten herself into? She shook her head, refusing to think any more about it tonight. If she did, she might jump out the third-story window just to get away. “I need to go to bed. I can’t deal with this right now. It’s very late, and I’m tired.”
She pulled back the covers of the king-sized bed, stripped down to her underwear, and climbed between the soft white sheets. Sam came up behind her, his hands gripping her waist. He leaned in and brushed a kiss over her shoulder.
“Sorry, Romeo. Not tonight.” Without waiting for his reply, she climbed into bed and tugged the covers up to her chin.
Shutting her eyes did nothing to ease the fears dogging her every step.
Chapter Nine
Sam sat in the chair in the corner of the room, watching Faith sleep as the sun came up all around them. She’d turned him away. He didn’t blame her, and the fact that he deserved to be shunned did nothing to ease the disquiet raging inside him. His gut ached, his cock throbbed. He needed something only she could provide. Her body. Her blood.
Her love.
The thought made his gut clench. He’d never
have that. She wouldn’t allow him to take that much of her. And he wouldn’t allow himself to be held back by such human emotions.
His fangs elongated, the tips biting into his tongue. If he didn’t feed soon, he’d be as out of control as the time he attacked her in the woods. Maybe more so. It would be so easy to slip into bed next to her, to take what he needed while she slept on. But he wouldn’t do that. He’d already betrayed her trust in too many ways, used her and took advantage of her. Never again.
The chirp of his cell phone broke through the silence. He flipped it open, lifted it to his ear. “Kincaid.”
“It’s Eric. I have the info you wanted.”
“Hold on.” Sam stepped out onto the small balcony, slid the door closed, and took a seat in one of the wicker chairs. “Okay. What’s up?”
“I’ve got an address for you.”
“Go ahead.”
Eric rattled off the address. “Are you going to be okay with this?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure? I can come help you, if you want to.”
“Ellie would kill me if anything happened to you. I’ll take care of it.”
Now, more than ever, Sam wanted to see this thing through. Anger burned in his gut, the thirst for vengeance stronger than ever. Tomaz wouldn’t get away this time. He would finally pay for all he’d done, to so many people.
“Sam, listen to reason for a second,” Eric said, his tone harsh. “You need someone else there, someone without such a high stake in this. You aren’t going to be able to look at the situation through objective eyes. You’re tied up in this too personally.”
“All the more reason to do this. I’ll follow through. I’m going to protect Faith, whatever it takes.”
And it would give him a chance to seek his revenge on a demon he’d been trying to destroy for years.
His father.
* * * * *
Aiala stood at the white picket fence that surrounded the sickeningly cute little inn. How sweet that he would find such a place to bring his new love, even in the middle of all this discord. She sneered at the thought. Sweet? Not likely. Sam Kincaid didn’t understand a thing about sweet or caring. He only knew how to destroy. So much like herself.
They were perfectly matched that way, she and Sam. Two rivals, brought together by the same things that drove them apart. Anger. Hatred. The overwhelming need for vengeance. But Sam sought vengeance against Tomaz. She smiled.
She sought vengeance against Sam.
Not much more than a year had passed since he’d tried to destroy her. He’d almost killed her, sent her into hiding for months while she nursed her wounds and her injured pride. She’d survived, come out of the experience even stronger than before. And now she would get what she deserved.
Sam’s body, and then his soul.
She would enjoy his cock, just as much as she would enjoy taking him apart piece by piece. And if all things went as planned, he wouldn’t be able to do a thing to stop her. The little human was of no consequence to her. She’d leave her to Tomaz. He had plans for the woman, plans she wanted no part of. The real prize lay with the man who had maimed her face and body in such a hideous way, and ruined her fun a year ago. Once she’d had her fill of him, she’d destroy him the way she should have so long ago, when he’d first shunned her advances. He’d made a big mistake then, not taking what she offered. He wouldn’t get the chance to make it again. And this time, she knew just how to destroy him. His love for the human woman would be his downfall.
With Sam out of the way, that would leave her with only one problem. Tomaz. She was still weak, had lost a lot of power from her injuries, but it wouldn’t stop her from doing all she needed to do to get rid of him. He’d held his control of her over her head for far too long. That stopped now. Today.
Kincaid had come to Georgia to remove Tomaz from the picture. He wouldn’t make it that far. He had no idea how big of a mistake he’d made in trying to protect his woman. He and his little girlfriend were about to walk right into a trap. She laughed. Could it get more perfect than this?
No. Everything would go exactly as planned, and he would be powerless to stop it now that it had been set in motion. She turned and walked away from the little inn. Soon, Kincaid. She’d been at his mercy for far too long. It was well past time to turn the tables and put the man in his place.
* * * * *
Something heavy and warm landed on Faith, yanking her from a turbulent, dreamless sleep. She opened her eyes and pushed the offending objects—her clothes—away to find Sam standing over her.
“Rise and shine. Time to get up.”
She yawned. “Already?”
“Already? It’s nearly noon.” A fleeting smile passed over his lips, disappeared as quickly as it appeared. “I think we need to have a talk.”
Uh-oh. Her breath stuck on her throat. She lifted herself up to a sitting position, stretched her arms over her head. Her gaze flashed to the clock on the small table tucked in the corner. Eleven-fifty. She swung her gaze back to his. “Why did you let me sleep so late?”
He shrugged, turned away and grabbed his shirt off the end of the bed. “You needed it.”
“And you needed the space.”
He froze in the process of pulling the shirt over his head. “I guess you could say that.”
His deep, harsh tone and impersonal demeanor made her stomach clench. He was a study in extremes—one minute tender and loving, the next cold and professional. Which man was the real Sam? Do you really want the answer to that question? “Are you angry about something?”
“Do I have a reason to be angry?”
Not in the mood for a challenge, she let it drop. “No. What are we going to do now? We can’t very well go joyriding in a stolen car.”
“Jesus,” Sam muttered. “Do you think I’m stupid? I know what I’m doing. For once in your damned life, will you just trust me?”
She bristled at his tone, rolled her eyes. Her hands clenched into fists, itching to strike out at him for hurting her yet again. “Fine. Whatever you say, Oh Great Master.”
He stopped and turned to her, amusement warring with irritation in his gaze. “Don’t say that unless you mean it.”
“You wish.”
His gaze raked her body in a way that pebbled her nipples and dampened her panties. He shook his head. “Nah. I like you just the way you are. But you really need to get dressed. You’re too much of a distraction to me the way you are.”
“Distractions aren’t always a bad thing.”
“No, but in this case, they could be. We have some things to discuss. If you still want to be a distraction afterward, I’ll be more than happy to take you up on the offer. But I doubt you’ll still feel the same in a minute.” His eyes darkened to nearly black. “You might decide to renege on your part of the deal.”
“I wouldn’t. I made the offer, and like you, I don’t go back on my word.”
He cupped her chin in his hand, kissed her hard and fast. “In this case, you’ll want to make an exception.”
She brought her fingers to her tingling lips, dropped her hand and tugged her shirt over her head. Her pants quickly followed and she sat cross-legged on the end of the bed. “Okay. You want to talk. Go for it. I’m ready to listen.”
“Don’t you want to get something to eat first?”
Her stomach churned so hard that if she put anything in it, it would likely come right back up. “No. I have a feeling this is going to be bad. Let’s just get it over with and get on with our lives.”
Sam heaved a sigh, propped his hip against the footboard of the high bed. “Okay. First, I have one question for you. Do you know a man named Thom Nicholas?”
She shook her head.
“You don’t? Are you sure? Did Paul ever mention that name?”
She sucked her lower lip into her mouth, rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “Nope. Sorry. It doesn’t sound familiar. Why are you asking me this?”
“Apparently
he’s the man who heads Marganis Pharmaceuticals.”
“Why should that mean something to me? Paul and I never talked business.”
“Maybe you should have.” He sat down on the mattress a few feet away from her, his face expressionless. She shivered.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re going to tell me something I don’t want to hear?”
A small laugh escaped him, the coldness in his eyes softening for a moment. “Maybe you’re psychic. So you have no idea why Thom Nicholas is after you?”
She shook her head. “All I know is what Paul told me.”
“He’s partly right. Nicholas does want the formula. He thinks you have it.”
She gulped. “Oh, really? What would make them think that?”
“Probably because they can’t find it anywhere else.” His gaze searched hers for endless seconds, making her pulse kick up a couple of notches. “Where is it, Faith?”
“What makes you think I have it?”
“Do you know what you’re carrying for your husband?”
“A cancer cure.” Her voice lacked conviction. She cleared her throat. Oh God. Had she been wrong to put her trust in Paul? “That’s what Paul’s big discovery was. A cure for cancer.”
Sam shook his head, a slow, nearly imperceptible movement. “Sorry, honey, but that’s a lie.”
The sudden warmth, compassion in his eyes made her scoot back on the bed. Her back hit the headboard with a soft smack. Her brow pinched into a frown, a thousand emotions running through her mind. What did he mean? Paul wouldn’t have lied to her. They’d trusted each other with their deepest secrets. Didn’t they? “No. It isn’t. It’s not a lie. Paul wouldn’t have done that to me.”
Sam moved toward her, rested his big palm on her knee. “But he did. He wasn’t trying to cure cancer, Faith. That was never his goal. Thom Nicholas paid him a great deal of money to do something else. An experiment that, if Nicholas got a hold of it, would change the world as you know it.”
A lump formed in her throat, nearly choking off her air supply. “No. You’re wrong. Paul was trying to cure cancer. He’d been working on it for years. Years. He promised he would cure my mother, but she died before he finished the formula.”