by G. K. DeRosa
His eyes met mine, something dark and unreadable flashing across the surface.
What if he already felt nothing for me but didn’t want to admit it since I’d almost died? I had to know. I had to ask him even if I sounded like a stupid lovesick fool. I opened my mouth to do just that, but a knock on the door snapped my jaw shut.
Vander poked his head in, looking awkwardly from Talon to me and back. My ex-blood-bonded-dragon released my hand, and a pang of hurt streaked across my chest. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he mumbled.
“No, of course not.” Talon shot up and patted Vander on the back. “Feel any better after the fresh air?”
He rubbed his hands together and blew out a breath. “Not really. It’s freezing up here, man. I don’t know how you guys tolerate it.”
“We don’t get out much,” I interjected.
Talon pointed between Vander and me, and a hint of crimson stained his cheeks. “Oh sorry, guess I haven’t officially introduced you two yet.”
I sat up straighter and adjusted the pillows on my bed. “We already met. I talked to him during one of my bouts of consciousness while you were passed out on the chair.”
“You did?” Talon balked before shooting Vander a questioning look.
“Guess I forgot to mention it.” The werewolf slunk over to his side of the room and folded his large frame onto the thin mattress.
“What else did you forget to mention, Vander?” Talon stalked toward his brother and stood over him, arms folded across his chest. “You’ve been acting strange ever since we brought you back. Are you going to tell me what’s up?”
I shrank down and pulled the covers up to my chin. This seemed like a conversation I should not be a part of.
“I can’t,” Vander gritted out.
“Why not?”
“Because it was part of my mission.” He threw his hands up and huffed. “But maybe it doesn’t even matter anymore. Who knows how many secrets I spilled while I was imprisoned in Thax’s castle.”
“What happened while you were down there, Vander?” Talon’s tone simmered a notch as he sat beside his friend. “Please, just tell me.”
I hazarded a peek at the pair as they talked. They were too focused to pay attention to me anyway.
Vander dragged his hands across his face. “I don’t know. They had me on so many damned potions and serums I was out of it most of the time.”
“Delacroix claims Thax knows you’re an SIA agent, and you were feeding him information on Azara.”
“I’m so screwed. Maxim will never let me back in the agency. I messed up big time.”
“What was your assignment anyway?”
Vander ticked his head in my direction, and I dropped my gaze to my lap. “Azara was my assignment.”
“What?” I pushed the cover back and leapt to the edge of the bed. Mistake. A streak of pain raced across my back, phantom wounds reopening. I gritted through the intense sensations and focused on Vander. “What does that mean?”
He loosed an exasperated breath and glanced from Talon to me and back. “A little over two years ago, Maxim called me to his office and asked if I wanted to go undercover. He told me it was an upper level assignment with a high value target. I didn’t get a lot of details, just that there was a girl I had to keep an eye on in the Nether Lands.”
“Me?” I blurted.
He nodded.
“That’s why you were at the Fae club that night?” Talon asked.
“Yup.”
The brothers exchanged a glance, and Talon blanched. His brows slammed together and again I cursed the absence of the blood bond. What had I missed? I pushed the wayward thoughts aside and refocused on an important point in the conversation. “So I didn’t try to suck out your soul?”
“No, you didn’t. I got nabbed by some demon and dragged to the Underworld while the agents called in were trying to apprehend you. It was a total cluster.”
My shoulders sagged in relief. One less person at least. “Wait, Delacroix knew about this—he mentioned you specifically. That’s why Thax had you kidnapped, to get information on me? Why didn’t he just grab me instead?”
“Not sure, but my best guess would be that throwing you in prison would be a much less obvious move. A kidnapping would’ve set off alarm bells he didn’t want rung.”
“He’s right,” said Talon. “That has to be it.”
I glanced up at Vander, studying his light hazel eyes and the set of his jaw. There was something familiar about him. I’d thought so from the moment Talon rescued him. But I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that this guy had been skulking in the shadows watching me for two years. Why?
“Did Maxim tell you anything else?” I finally asked when he caught me staring.
“He said you were important and had to be protected.” He shrugged. “That was it.”
My gaze swiveled to Talon whose hands were clenched in his lap. “Maybe you could talk to the director to find out more?”
“Sure.”
I had about a million questions for Vander but from the tense set in both brothers’ shoulders there was more to this story than they were willing to share right now. I’d felt something off even without the blood bond. Then there was the Talon thing—did we even have a thing anymore? We’d all been through hell the past few days and maybe taking a beat would be for the best. I dragged a hand through my disheveled hair; I really needed a shower.
I ticked my head at the bathroom on the opposite end of the room. “I’m going to hop in the shower and let you guys do some catching up.”
They both dipped their heads, Talon offering me a smile and Vander something else. It wasn’t exactly a smile or a frown, more like confusion. I feel you there, buddy. As I staggered toward the shower, I felt the heat of two piercing gazes drilling into the back of my head.
When I reached the bathroom, I couldn’t shut the door fast enough. What the hell had my life turned into? Maybe I should’ve just called my parents when I first got arrested. A swell of homesickness bubbled up inside as I peeled off my clothes and turned the shower faucet. Now that Delacroix confirmed I’d been set up and as soon as my assignment with the SIA was official, I’d come clean to my parents. They deserved the truth, and now I wasn’t too ashamed to give it to them.
Muffled voices in the other room caught my attention, pulling me from my inner musings. I leaned up against the door and put my ear to the timber.
“… so she’s the one?” asked Talon.
The one? What the heck? I pressed my cheek closer. No answer from Vander. Either that or he gave some nonverbal reply.
“I can’t believe the chances,” Talon continued. “Two whole years.”
“Me neither, man,” Vander huffed out. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you about any of this sooner. I wanted to, like a million times. And listen, T, after what you told me about her, forget what I said, okay?”
“It’s not that easy, brother.”
“Sure, it is. It’s nothing, I swear. Whatever the two of you have going is more important.”
Talon grunted and then more silence pervaded. I waited for another few seconds but when no one spoke, I dragged myself to the shower. I wasn’t sure how long the hot water would last, and I couldn’t miss the chance at the heavenly steaminess. As I soaped and lathered up, I ran the guys’ conversation over and over in my head. What in the world were they talking about?
Chapter Twenty-Three
“You didn’t have to walk me back to my cell. I’m feeling a hundred percent back to normal.” I glanced over at my gargoyle escort and gave him a reassuring smile.
“I’m glad to hear that. You don’t know how worried you had me. Ryder would’ve murdered me if I’d let anything happen to you. Hell, I’m pretty sure your mom would’ve done worse.”
“I’m sorry for making you lie to my parents. But the good news is, soon I can tell them the truth.”
He squeezed my shoulder before we turned down the steps to th
e first floor. He must’ve seen the anxiety painted on my face. “They’re going to be proud of you, Azara. You’ve really made the best of a terrible situation, and I’m sure they’ll see that.”
“I hope so.”
We reached the first floor and passed two guards on our way to the atrium. The two dragons shot me matching nasty glares as they trudged by, and I recognized them from my arrival at Darkblood Prison. “By the way, when are your gargoyle guards coming in?”
“Next week, finally.”
I’d be thrilled to be rid of the guards under Delacroix’s thumb. Then maybe I’d finally feel a little safer in here. Or not. With the near-death experience and all, I’d forgotten we’d failed our mission and now the demon mob boss would likely want payback. “Does Delacroix know I’m back?” I whispered as we passed the line of inmates at the commissary.
“Possibly. I’ve never been able to figure out who exactly is on his payroll.”
“Great,” I muttered. “I better arrange a meeting and get it over with or my miraculous recovery will have been for nothing.”
“Maybe… but don’t do anything yet. Once my new guards come in, we may be able to keep Delacroix on a tighter leash and you can avoid any future run-ins with him.”
“With him, maybe, but how about his minions? The inmates are another story, and there’s no easy way to turn all of them.”
We walked under the archway of Block One, and a swarm of butterflies took off in my gut. I hadn’t seen Talon since yesterday, and Vander had been there the whole time. We needed to finish our talk, and as much as I wanted to get it over with, I also dreaded it.
When we finally reached our cell, my racing heart sagged in relief. Talon was there but so were Hayden and Dallas. His Triad brothers’ presence would put off the awkward conversation for a little longer.
Logan flashed his wrist over the scanner, and the glass door slid open. To my surprise, he walked into our cell right behind me.
“Hello, little pumpkin! So nice to see you up and about.” Hayden wrapped his big arms around me, and I couldn’t help but snuggle into his warm embrace. I wouldn’t be standing here right now if it weren’t for my angel savior. Fallen or not, his healing power was still pretty miraculous.
He eventually released me, and Dallas pulled me in for a hug next. “We missed you, precious. Don’t ever scare us like that again!”
Talon shot me a smile from his perch on the top bunk then looked down at my gargoyle shadow. “What’s up, Warden?”
“I just got off the phone with the SIA director and wanted to bring you all up to speed.”
Talon jumped down from the top bunk and moved to my side. No familiar tingle when his shoulder brushed mine. I bit back the sigh building in my throat. After cursing that blood bond for weeks, I never thought I’d miss it so much.
“What’s going on?” Talon asked.
“Given that Vander’s cover has been blown, it will be difficult for him to assume operations within the SIA.”
Talon’s shoulders drooped, and this time I didn’t need the bond to read his feelings.
“However, in speaking, we came up with an idea that could work for now. He can remain here at Darkblood Prison and help out with our little demon problem.”
“But Delacroix already knows he’s an agent,” I interjected. I wasn’t sure how I felt about having Vander here. Which was selfish, but still, the guy spied on me for two whole years. It was weird.
“I don’t think he knows what Vander looks like,” said Logan. “Regardless, I’m fairly sure he knows about the whole Triad. For whatever reason, he’s chosen not to share that information with the rest of his crew. So for now, we’ll hope that holds true.” He shrugged and let out a slow breath. “Unfortunately, there aren’t many options left for Vander right now. It’ll take a while for the SIA to build him a new backstory and discredit Thax’s claims. Hopefully, in a few months he’ll be able to return to active duty, but for now, it’s the best we’ve got.”
From the corner of my eye, I glanced up at Talon. I thought he’d be happy to have his brother around, but his face was an undecipherable mask.
“Let me guess, I’ve got a new bunkie?” asked Dallas with a smirk.
“That’s right, my friend.” Logan shot him a smile right back. “I considered putting him in staff quarters, but he said he preferred to be down here with you guys.”
What if he was still spying on me, and this was all part of the plan? It was a stray thought, but it flitted through my mind, nonetheless.
“Let’s meet up in the coming days and go from there. I know Talon and Azara will be spending more time at SIA headquarters for training, so Vander will be a good addition.”
We all nodded, and Logan headed toward the door with a quick wave.
Hayden dug his elbow into Talon’s ribs and winked. “Dallas and I have some training to do, so we’ll leave you two to figure out your own entertainment.”
“Thanks,” Talon muttered.
The butterflies came back ten-fold as I stood there watching my vampire and angel buffers saunter out of our cell. Traitors!
Talon nudged me and ticked his head at my bed, and the mad flapping only got worse. “So we can sit and talk,” he said as if he’d suddenly realized what his gesture had provoked in my gut. I nodded stupidly and sank into the squeaky mattress. Talon folded down next to me, and the entire left side of the bed dipped beneath his weight. “It’s good to have you back.”
“Thanks. It’s kinda strange to say, but it’s good to be home.”
He smiled, but a hint of sadness lined his strong jaw.
I steeled my nerve and spat out the sentence I’d been practicing in my head since yesterday. “Look, I know the blood bond made us feel certain things that maybe we wouldn’t have felt otherwise…”
He shifted beside me, his thigh rubbing up against my leg. I waited with bated breath for the tingles, but they never came. My chest tightened, the hollow in my core intensifying.
“I don’t want you to feel obligated to anything,” I continued when he still didn’t speak. His eyes were locked on the glass straight ahead, that tendon in his jaw working but never actually saying anything. His silence spoke volumes. It obliterated my last shred of hope that there was anything more than the blood bond between us. Or at least on his side.
So I slammed on the brakes and did what I knew how to do best. Run. Despite the crushing pain in my heart, I forced the words from my mouth. “Because I don’t feel anything anymore, so you don’t have to feel obligated. I know that must be a big relief for you.” I plastered a smile on my face as he slowly turned to face me.
“You don’t?”
I whipped my head back and forth, keeping my gaze trained to my fingers clenched in my lap.
“Okay then.” Talon stood, and my heart ached as I watched his broad shoulders move farther away. He turned back before he reached the door to our cell and hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “I’m going to grab a quick workout with the guys then. I’ll let you get some rest.”
“Umhmm.” I didn’t trust myself to speak or look him in the eye, but somehow at the last second, my gaze met his. The storm of emotions brewing beneath the molten steel in his irises stole my last breath. Had I been wrong? I dragged the blanket over me, unable to keep the tears at bay any longer.
As I slid beneath the crappy covers, the whoosh of the cell door closing released the flood gates. Tears streamed down my cheeks as my chest heaved. I sobbed, salty tears streaking down my face and soaking my pillow. If I ever doubted whether my feelings for Talon were real, now I knew. Bond or not, I really cared about that surly dragon. Was I in love with him?
I swept the tears from my cheeks and shook the dismal thoughts away. It didn’t matter if I did or not. Talon didn’t feel the same anymore. If he had, he would’ve said something, right? Burying my head in the pillow, I sucked in a mouthful of crappy polyester and forced the tears back. I needed sleep; maybe tomorrow everything would go back to norma
l again.
Then why did it feel like I’d made a terrible mistake?
Chapter Twenty-Four
Nope, today was not better. In fact, it was infinitely worse.
Talon and Vander sat on either side of me in the mess hall while Dallas and Hayden took the seats across the table. With the appearance of the fourth attractive member of the Triad—or Quad now? Every inmate, male and female alike, had their eyes on us. With the suffocating silence that had descended over our table, I could hear every single whisper and comment from the prisoner population.
I dropped my spoon into the half-eaten oatmeal and clapped my hands over my ears. The rumor mill had kicked into high gear, and I was tired of all the speculation. Most of all I was annoyed with how many of the females hated me. They really thought I was hooking up with all four of these guys?
I shot a pointed glare at the group of Fae at the table across the way. “I’m not sleeping with any of them!” I growled.
Hayden burst into a chuckle, his wide shoulders bouncing up and down. As much as I did not think this was funny, at least it lightened the tension encircling the table.
“Oh girls, she couldn’t handle all of us,” Dallas interjected, throwing the sullen Fae females a flirty smile.
I chucked my spoon at the vampire, but he ducked and it sailed over his head.
“You gotta work on your aim, precious.” He leaned in and lowered his voice. “They’re not going to keep you long at the agency with that arm.”
“Bite me.” I stared at my lumpy oatmeal and pushed it away.
He flashed me his fangs and chomped down. “I’d be happy to.”
“Enough, Dallas,” Talon muttered.
“What’s got you in such a foul mood today, brother?” Dallas leaned back in his chair and shot Talon an innocent smile.
“Nothing.”
Hayden elbowed the vampire in the side and gave him a subtle headshake. Whatever point he was trying to get across must have worked because Dallas stood and grabbed his tray. “As fun as this snooze fest has been, I’m heading to the boneyard.”