Retribution

by Katie Reus

  Declan shook his head. “We don’t know where the body is, if she even killed him and honestly, I’m not involving the fucking cops in this.”

  A healthy dose of relief settled over her. She definitely wasn’t going to argue with him.

  “You want to sit?” Even though it was phrased as a question, it somehow sounded more like an order coming from him.

  “Sure.” She settled on the high-backed stool at the island. She wished she could be with Alena right now but it was clear Andre wanted to take care of her and at this point she’d give the man that much.

  Instead of staying on the other side of the island and keeping distance between them, Declan sat directly next to her and swiveled her seat so their knees barely touched. The expression on his face was undeniably predatory. He was completely invading her personal space but he obviously didn’t care. The truth was, she didn’t care either.

  “I think it’s time you tell me exactly what you are.”

  “I don’t know.” The words were a faint whisper on her lips. She hated feeling vulnerable but by admitting this to him she was opening herself up. She still wasn’t positive.

  For a split second, he faltered. “What?”

  “I…see stuff. When I’m awake or sometimes dreaming, I get visions of people, places, things, you know…stuff. Sometimes it makes sense but sometimes—usually—it doesn’t. Occasionally I’ll get…” She trailed off, unsure what his reaction would be.

  “You’ll get what?” He scooted those final inches closer so that their knees touched.

  It was hard to concentrate with Declan so close. His earthy scent enveloped her, sending most of her coherent thoughts scattering in all directions. Other than her sister and one friend, Nika had never told anyone else about her gifts. Not even her uncle. It was too weird and she hated the thought of Declan looking at her like she was a freak. Though that wasn’t a real fear considering he walked through her dreams.

  “Nika,” he persisted.

  Just the sound of her name on his lips heated her body. “I get flashes of things that haven’t happened yet. In a future tense sort of way. I’ll touch someone or walk by someone and just see what could happen to them. Like, if they might get in a minor car accident, or get stuck in traffic or pick a winning lottery ticket. It’s usually small stuff though. And it’s not always like that. Sometimes I just have dreams that don’t make any sense.” When he didn’t respond, she inwardly cringed, but kept her face impassive. Maybe she’d overestimated his ability to believe everything.

  “Yesterday you said you had a dream, like someone had shot you.”

  “Yeah, so?”

  “Can you describe it?”

  “There’s not much to tell. I entered the vision or dream, whatever you want to call it, in a hospital bathroom. I didn’t realize it was a hospital at first, but once I adjusted to my surroundings I saw there was an IV attached to my arm and I was really groggy. When I stepped out into the room someone was waiting for me. He shot me. I didn’t see a face though, the man was in the shadows.” She wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the sudden shiver that racked her body.

  “How long have you had these visions?”

  She fought back the painful memory of her accident. “Almost five years.”

  “And you just started dreaming out of the blue five years ago?”

  “Sort of. I was in a really bad car accident. I broke both my legs, a few ribs, and had substantial brain swelling. The doctors had to induce a coma and when I came out of it, I was different.” Panic punched through her as she thought back to that torturous time in her life. Back then she’d thought her dreams were just nightmares after enduring such a horrific accident. Then, she’d worried she’d been losing her mind.

  Directly after the accident, she’d had dreams—or nightmares really—all the time, which she’d chalked up to PTSD. Asleep or awake, it didn’t matter. She’d gotten awful visions of people dying and spirits had appeared everywhere. When she was in the shower, when she was sleeping, when she was undergoing physical therapy. And they’d always wanted to talk. About what happened to them, who they’d been when they’d been alive, what they hadn’t gotten to accomplish. Freaking nightmare. She’d continued to pretend they weren’t there and they’d finally left her alone. And once she’d realized what was going on she’d kept her mouth shut about it.

  Then about a year after it had happened she’d met a woman, Ariel, who’d been like her. Ariel had tried to help her understand her visions, but Nika hadn’t wanted to listen then. She hadn’t wanted any part of the paranormal. Even after all the research she’d done on her own, she still had a problem accepting some things.

  “Will you do me a favor?” Declan asked.

  If he looked at her with those dark, intoxicating eyes, she was likely to do anything he asked. “Maybe.”

  “Any more dreams you have, no matter how small, will you tell me about them?”

  “Even the ones that star you?” The almost flirty question slipped out before she could stop herself.

  A slow grin spread across his fallen-angel face. The man just looked as if he wanted to do wicked things—and she’d let him. “Especially those.”

  She should run fast and far away before she fell into his trap but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. Didn’t want to stop herself from wanting him.

  When he suddenly frowned at her, her stomach muscles tightened. “What’s wrong?”

  His jaw tightened and she watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed once. “If I don’t leave this room right now I’m going to do something stupid. Like kiss you. And I won’t stop once I start.” The words were a soft promise.

  “Who said you’d have to stop?” The question popped out before she had a chance to analyze it.

  A low burn started deep in her belly as her gaze fell to his lips. She couldn’t look away, no matter how hard she tried.

  Declan leaned in closer, taking her off guard and not giving her time to stop him. Not that she wanted to. When his mouth crushed against hers, she slid out of her seat so that she was standing between his legs. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned into his body, savoring his strong embrace.

  A tiny voice in the back of her head told her that she needed to be convincing her sister that they should be on the next plane out of Miami but all she wanted was to feel Declan’s naked body against her.

  In real life.

  She wanted more than his fingers inside her or his mouth on her this time. She desperately wanted to feel his thick cock filling her. To see what he looked like as he climaxed. He’d already given her so much pleasure in her dreams and she wanted to give it back to him. It was stupid when they had no future, but she wanted to experience what being with him would be like at least once. If she didn’t, she knew she’d regret it for the rest of her life.

  As she clutched his shoulders, he roughly grasped her hips. His embrace was hard and demanding. When one of his hands crept underneath the hem of her shirt and skimmed her skin, her inner walls clenched involuntarily. What she wouldn’t give to feel him push into her right now.

  The sound of the kitchen door swinging open caused her to jump away from him. It was one of the security guys whose name she couldn’t remember. Hell, she could barely remember her own name at the moment. With wide eyes, he turned on his heel and disappeared back through the door.

  “Shit,” Declan muttered.

  Nika took a step back from him, needing to put distance between them.

  “Nika…” He shook his head and she was disappointed to see he had his game face back on. The intimacy was over and it was back to business. “I need to find out who took your sister. When you had that vision of those two kidnappers, was it like you were yourself or were you your sister?”

  It amazed her that he could switch back to business mode so fast but if he could, she could too. She knew it was important to find out who had taken Alena, but the frustration she experienced was acute. She’d rather be kissing him tha
n talking. And that wasn’t like her. “It was me. It felt exactly like I was there and was watching those guys.”

  “And at the hospital was the same?”

  “Yes. Why are you asking about that dream?”

  “Just curious.”

  “Don’t lie to me,” she snapped.

  For a second she wondered if he’d respond, but he scrubbed a hand over his face. “What I’m about to tell you doesn’t leave this room.” He held her gaze and only continued when she nodded. “One of my men was shot last night in his hospital room. Very similar to the way you described. I refuse to believe that’s a coincidence.”

  Nika held a shaky hand to her throat. The past few months, even before Declan had started visiting her dreams, her visions had become more vivid. She hadn’t known what to do about them though. For all she’d known, they weren’t even real. Her dreams were often so jumbled she couldn’t make sense of them. But that dream—vision—had been real.

  Declan’s strong voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “That’s why I need you to keep me informed of your dreams.”

  She nodded. “I will. Why was he killed?”

  “I don’t know, but I think it had something to do with the kidnapping.” He stood then, putting some distance between them. “I’ve still got a lot to do, but uh…would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”

  “Yes?” She wasn’t sure why it came out as a question.

  A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, softening his features. “Don’t sound too excited. I just figured your sister would be resting or spending time with Andre. Neither you or I are targets and I can take an hour away from here to eat. If you don’t want to, you’re not obligated.”

  “Are you asking me because you want to discuss the kidnapping?”

  “No.” The answer was automatic.

  Something inside her eased at that. “Is this like a date?” She really hoped it was.

  “Yes, but don’t expect to get lucky.” The unexpected humor in his voice made her smile.

  A real one. The action was so relaxing, it surprised her. It had been so long since she’d let her guard down around anyone. For the past year she’d been pretending to be having a good time everywhere she traveled with Alena, but everything about her had been fake. And she hated that. “I’d like to have dinner with you then.” More than she would admit.

  In return, he smiled too. The crinkling action around his lips and eyes made her breath catch. An almost imperceptible dimple appeared on his left cheek. It was out of place, but so…adorable. “I’ll meet you in the foyer at seven.”

  “Okay. Do you know which room Andre put my sister in?”

  “Her room is the one directly next to yours, but I doubt she’s in there right now.”

  “Oh, right.” That nauseous feeling was back, but she ignored it. “Of course. Well, I guess I’ll see you this evening.” Nika slid off the chair and hurried from the kitchen before she could say something stupid.

  She couldn’t believe she’d admitted to him what she could do. In her gut she knew he didn’t trust her, but she wasn’t sure why. There was no possible way Declan could know what she and Alena were planning, but he had been in her head poking around before they’d met. She remembered his visits but she wondered if somehow he’d seen something he wasn’t supposed to. That didn’t make sense though. He would have said something to Andre if he had.

  Shelving those thoughts she hurried up the stairs in search of her sister. Whatever Alena was planning next, Nika needed to know.

  At this point, she wasn’t sure she could go through with their plans. Without even realizing it, Declan had knocked her world off its axis. Most men, even if they knew Alena wasn’t available, didn’t hide their attraction to her sister. Declan was different, though. When he looked at Nika, she knew she was the only woman he wanted. More than that, he knew what she was and believed her and…she genuinely liked him. He’d kept her included in what had happened during the kidnapping, treating her as if she mattered and had a right to know what had been going on.

  * * *

  He slipped one of his many throwaway phones out of his pocket and ducked into one of Andre’s empty guest rooms.

  Rick picked up on the first ring. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Why don’t you tell me? How did the woman escape? I thought you had everything planned perfectly,” he whispered.

  Rick muttered a string of violent curses. “She attacked one of my men. It was…unexpectedly violent. And precise.”

  “Does she know anything…about me or you?”

  “We’ve never taken off our masks and I haven’t spoken about you to anyone here.”

  He took a shaky breath, letting an ounce of calm invade him. Maybe he was still safe. Declan hadn’t acted like he knew anything, but at this point, he couldn’t afford to get careless. “What’s the plan?”

  “I’ve had to change a few things, but keep your ear to the ground. Is Yasha still at the house?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “I’ve been in contact with Yasha regarding the sale of some items he’s acquired.”

  He didn’t even want to know what those items were. It could be people or weapons or drugs. “He’s doing business with you?”

  “It’s not as if he knows my real name.” Rick’s words were clipped.

  “Right, of course. Yasha’s still here but Andre isn’t happy about it.”

  “He’s angry at his father?”

  “As far as I can tell, he hates his father. Until today, I don’t think they’ve spoken in a while.”

  There was a slight pause on the other end. “Call me if you hear anything.”

  “I will…Are you still planning to target Andre again after this?”

  “One way or another, he will die, but his father is my primary target.”

  When they disconnected, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. This cloak and dagger shit was going to kill him. He had no problem hiding in a swamp for three days or being dropped off in the middle of the rainforest with no supplies or communication equipment, but this…sucked. Lying to Declan and the rest of his team made him want to rip his own throat out.

  Unfortunately, he had no choice.

  Chapter 15

  Alena wrapped the plush cotton towel around herself and stepped from the bathroom into Andre’s room. She’d already towel dried her hair and smoothed on lotion. Now all she wanted to do was sleep, but doubted that was possible.

  As soon as she entered Andre’s room, he pushed off the bed. His expression was concerned, but there was no hiding his desire. The man wore it right out in the open. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m not going to break down if that’s what you’re worried about.” She smiled and tried to fight the sudden overwhelming wave of insecurity she experienced. It was ridiculous. She modeled for a living and had no problem walking around in skimpy clothes in front of a crowd. So why was she hesitating at what she was about to do? Andre was a means to an end. Nothing more. Something she felt she was constantly reminding herself of over the course of the last few weeks. The man had been willing to sacrifice a lot of money to save her. A woman he’d been seeing less than a month. She didn’t want to hurt him.

  “Here.” He pulled back the rich gold and blue comforter and sheet.

  In response, she let her towel drop and it took all her control not to instinctively cover herself. Her nipples tightened as air rushed over her breasts. It was as if all the air sucked from the room as Andre’s pale blue eyes darkened. His gaze raked over her body in blatant appreciation, his breath hitching in his throat.

  Wordlessly she took a few steps toward him, covering the small distance. Guilt slid through her like ice, but she ruthlessly shoved it aside and pulled up unwanted, violent memories. Memories of her beautiful mother’s broken, bloody body. Those bastards had practically ripped her jaw from her face. The image was forever seared into her brain. It was buried deep in her psyche. No matter how hard she tried, she cou
ldn’t get rid of it. Even counseling hadn’t helped. Alena had protected her little sister from seeing what those monsters had done to their parents, but she remembered. Even when she didn’t want to, she always remembered. Every fucking detail. And it reminded her of what had to be done.

  Andre’s strong hands settled on her hips. “Where’d you go just then?”

  Feigning a smile, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “What are you talking about?”

  “Just then. You were here, but you weren’t really here. What were you thinking about?” The concerned look on his face made what she had to do even harder. How this man was even related to Yasha was beyond her. She’d assumed he’d be a monster just like his father, but he was so different.

  “Nothing important.” She pressed her naked body up against him so they were hip to hip, making her intentions as clear as she could. Using her body this way to get what she wanted wasn’t something she’d ever done. Sure, she’d gained a reputation for sleeping with rich playboys, but she’d only slept with less than a handful of the men she’d been linked with in the media. And the men she actually had slept with, she’d wanted them, not something from them. This was a new experience and she didn’t know what to make of it. She really liked Andre. He was smart, funny, sexy and she could tell he liked her sister too. Not just for her benefit but he’d seemed to enjoy Nika’s company as well. That went a long way in her book. Alena wished she didn’t like him so damn much.

  His erection pushed insistently against her lower abdomen, but his blond eyebrows pulled down. “I don’t want you doing this out of a sense of obligation.”

  “I’m incredibly grateful for what you did, but I want you. Very much.” At least that much was true. She was very attracted to him. She’d have to be blind not to be. He looked like a Nordic god. But that wasn’t all. The man was just…good.

  “I don’t want your gratitude,” he murmured as one of his hands strayed to her breast.

  When he lazily rubbed a thumb over her nipple, she instinctively arched her back. On one level, she knew she was using him, but nothing could dilute the fact that she still desired him and was growing to care for him. Far too much. In a way, she almost wished he was like his father. It would make things so much easier. She could use him, walk away, and never look back. Unfortunately, nothing was happening like she’d originally planned.