Critical Intelligence

by Critical Intelligence(lit)

Holy shit, I’m not only laying claim to her, I’m wanting her to move in with me. I need a drink. No, make that two drinks. Damn it, I need the bottle.

  Missy smiled. “You know that might be best, Mel. That way I’m not holding Roi up or taking Peren away from Lukian. They need time together and I don’t have to be in until nine tomorrow. Unless something comes up, of course.”

  Peren narrowed her eyes on Missy. “I already told you that Lukian knows that you’re like family to me, Mel. If you two keep pushing the issue, I’ll call him and make him come here and tell you both that he won’t interfere.”

  Roi nodded. “Yep, the man would be out of mind to step between you three. Plus, I think he’s a little afraid of Peren. Hell, we all are.” It wasn’t a lie. Peren’s blood was a supernatural cocktail, swimming with known shifter, faerie, and even lower level demon DNA.

  Peren laughed softly and winked at him. “Listen to him, Mel, he’s Lukian’s brother. I think that qualifies him as an expert.”

  “He’s Lukian’s brother?” Missy stared at him as though she were expecting his head to pop off at any moment. “I thought it was weird enough that Eadan is Melanie’s brother. This might be too much for me.”

  Giving her a small nod, Roi looked back at Peren. “Yep, brothers.”

  Peren’s brow furrowed. “Melissa, when did they start making you work weekends again? I don’t know how you do it. Seriously. I told you to go work at one of the countless financial firms that attempted to recruit you. Why you picked them is beyond me.”

  “Talk to Eadan. It’s his fault.”

  What? She works with this guy too?

  “If you don’t mind me asking, who do you work for?” Roi stared down at her, suddenly feeling very uneasy.

  Missy gave him an odd look. “I’m a State Department Employee.”

  Instantly, Roi’s heart thumped madly. That standard response was notoriously used by CIA, FBI and PSI covert agents everywhere. That and analysts. Missy was so young, so tiny and hadn’t really put up any sort of a fight when he’d tossed her backside into a van two weeks prior and took her to a safe house. There was no way she could be an agent with any one of them. No. She was probably a secretary or something.

  Peren gave Missy a hard look. “Eadan mentioned that you guys were busier than normal again. How two systems analysts could have a surge of work to do to the point they work seven days a week is beyond me. Geesh, they have you on call twenty-four hours a day too. And they sure the hell send you two out of town a lot. Can’t they hire more people? I mean, the having to spend a month in Asia was a bit much.”

  A systems analyst? Works seven days a week? On call all the time? A month in Asia?

  Fear for Melissa’s safety ripped through Roi. If she was what he thought and the bad guys shared his suspicions, then it would explain the notation by her name to eliminate her if they couldn’t retrieve her.

  Roi opened his link to Lukian fast. Hey!

  Do you have to do that? It tends to take me by surprise.

  Aw, did you piss on your foot again? Roi asked, silently laughing at the time he’d contacted Lukian with the same urgency, causing him to do just that.

  Lukian growled. Roi hid his amusement.

  I need you to pull open Missy’s file.

  Melissa doesn’t have a file.

  What? We had to write all those damn reports on what happened with Lance and Peren. Of course she has a file. Look again.

  Roi, she doesn’t have a file. Brooks received a call ordering him to shred any documentation regarding the girls. He did it. He didn’t want to alarm me since Peren’s my wife but he suspects that PSI may be having issues with some of its employees. Brooks didn’t hesitate to get rid of the reports. There was no way he was putting their lives in danger.

  Roi couldn’t hide his concern or his aggravation. Something was going on and whatever it was continued to indicate that Melissa was in a great deal of danger.

  Brother, something troubles you. What is it?

  This can go no further than our Team right now, Lukian. Brooks can’t know yet.

  You have my word.

  Knowing Lukian would never break a promise to him, Roi nodded even though Lukian couldn’t see him. I remember glancing over Melissa’s report after Brooks took her statement. I don’t remember her listing what she did for a living. That struck me as odd. The girls are here talking around me. Peren is upset that Missy is on call all the time and has to the leave the country at a moment’s notice.

  Missy’s like a sister to her. That’s understandable. I’ll do my best to keep a lid on that fact, Lukian pushed out, sardonically.

  No asshole, that’s not what’s bothering me. Missy just told me that she is a State Department Employee. Peren then wanted to know why a system analyst had to work that much.

  Lukian didn’t respond right away and Roi knew why. He suspected the same thing--Missy was in deep shit. She didn’t fight any of us when she could have. Maybe we’re wrong.

  The ‘we’re’ wasn’t lost on Roi. Lukian shared his suspicions.

  Yeah, I thought of that too but my gut’s telling me that we’re right. I just don’t know what branch and how far into it she may be. She’s so young. She can’t be…

  Brother, if she’s PSI, which may be possible if she’s supernatural and knows it, they could have recruited her at any age. They don’t exist, remember? They can get away with almost anything.

  The sound of Melanie’s voice drew Roi’s attention from Lukian.

  “I agree with Peren. They ship your fanny off at least once a week and we miss you. Granted, you’re only gone for a night or so usually, but still. You were home less than two hours after we got back from first meeting Roi and the guys before you were running out the door again.”

  Roi noticed Missy’s obvious discomfort and he could understand it. If she truly did work as a covert agent, then she wouldn’t be permitted to share that information with anyone lower than her security clearance level.

  “Eadan and I don’t get a choice.” Her jaw tightened. “If we’re needed at another branch, we go. He’s been with them for twelve years and I’ve been with them for close to nine. We’re the ones they pick to see to it that the job is done.”

  “Close to nine years?” Roi asked, not believing that was even possible.

  Missy nodded. “Yeah, that’s not counting the summers I spent interning for them while I was in high school. When I turned eighteen, I was officially brought on.”

  “I still don’t understand how you carried a full load all through college and worked a full-time job. It’s not like you had to, Melissa. Your parents are more than set for life.”

  Missy rubbed her forehead and looked as though she were uncomfortable.

  Peren snorted. “Yeah, well I can’t believe her father let her start leaving the country when she was only sixteen with Eadan no less. Sure, he’s Melanie’s brother, but still.”

  Roi wasn’t sure he liked hearing all of this. Lukian, whatever she does, Melanie’s brother does it too.

  What’s his name?

  Eadan Daly.

  Shit, I’d offer to see what I can find out but the fact that someone ordered reports with their names on it destroyed makes me leery to put up any red flags.

  Lukian was right. As much as Roi burned to know the all the tiny details about Missy’s relationship with Eadan, he didn’t want to risk her life for the knowledge.

  Roi, have you tried asking Missy? She just might surprise you.

  Yeah, or slap the shit out of me.

  Oh, this is good. You’re afraid of a five foot three woman.

  Hey, Luke, what was that again about you not wanting to suffer the wrath of your mate? She’s what? Five six? You’re a fine one to make fun of me.

  Lukian shut up and pulled away. Roi concentrated on the women surrounding him. Normally, he’d have been all about having three beautiful women at his fingertips. Now he hoped that the other two would leave him to have time alone with Missy. />
  Melanie nodded. “I know, that is amazing, that a father as strict as Missy’s would let her leave the country with Eadan nonetheless. Do you think her dad ever caught on that my brother has been into Melissa since he was like seven?”

  Peren glanced at Roi fast, then looked away.

  Roi was now positive that he didn’t like hearing this. Every ounce of him wanted to find Eadan, tear his head off and parade around the room with it on a stick. Sure, it was odd and slightly immature but it would prove that no man was to touch what was his--Missy.

  There I go claming her again.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Missy watching the two men he’d found trying to convince her to dance with them. The instant he spotted her with them when he’d arrived, he sensed that she wasn’t comfortable and he wanted to hit them too. He’d watched silently from the entrance to see if she would respond to the taller, sandy blond one. It was a no-brainer that she’d turn the one who looked like a seventies porn star down but he wasn’t so sure about the other.

  The second that Missy made it clear that she wasn’t into the man, Roi had decided to act. Since he was doing his best to ‘control his anger,’ he took the calm approach. The walk up and slide his arms around her one. It worked and won him a prize he’d only dreamed of--a kiss from Missy. When he’d pressed his lips to hers, he’d thought for sure that she’d slap his face. Getting to insert his tongue into her mouth and taste her was more than he’d ever hoped for. Having her return his kiss almost left him creaming his jeans. She seemed to have a gift for leaving him on the edge of that often.

  She’ll be the death of me. I should run now. First, I need to kill Eadan for touching my mate.

  Roi shook his head and gave up fighting calling her his mate for the time being.

  “Umm, Missy, are you paying any attention to me? Normally, you’re down my throat about how I’m so wrong about Eadan. You love to go on and on that you and my brother are best friends. Then you like to yell at us for not including him in our mix of three. We try to include him. He doesn’t like hanging out with his baby sister. You seem to be the only person he enjoys being around.”

  “Huh?” Missy sat up a bit.

  Roi watched carefully as Missy glanced at Peren briefly and then back towards the two men. Something was going on. Had she rethought her initial rejection of the tall one? If she had then she was in for a rude awakening. He’d toss her tiny little, hot ass over his shoulder again and claim her. Once that happened, there would be no looking at other men like that. He wasn’t going to share her and the beast that lingered just beneath the surface agreed with him.

  “Sweetie, I’m staying with you,” Peren said to Melanie, pulling his attention off wanting to kill and claim people. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”

  “Fine, you can stay with me. I do appreciate it.” Melanie pushed her plate of food towards Roi. “Hungry?”

  “Always, and thanks.”

  “No, really … I’ll come up with you two, just to make sure you’re all right. Wouldn’t want to be left out of all that great girl time. We’ve got, umm, toenails to paint and then there’s that whole sitting around with our hair in rollers while we watch chick-flicks thing too.”

  Leaning down, Roi licked his lower lip. Missy’s eyes locked on his tongue and a slight grin played across his face. “Nervous?”

  She huffed. “No. Why?”

  “You’re rambling again.”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, Missy wrinkled her nose at him. He would have kissed her then and there if it wasn’t for the fact that she seemed desperate to get away from him. Her insistence to put distance between them hurt but he wasn’t about to let on to that.

  Melanie climbed out of the booth and Peren followed suit. Missy tried to get past him, but he wasn’t about to budge. She was his responsibility now. He’d see her safely to Green’s lab and then he’d get the hell out of her life.

  Just like she wanted.

  “Uh, so how’s the weather?” she asked, nudging him slightly.

  Roi couldn’t help but smile. The fact that she didn’t push past him and was actually entering into a conversation with him was amazing, but hearing her make an obvious joke about the awkward tension between them now that they were alone took some of the sting away from being rejected. “It seems to be a little less frigid.”

  Missy gave him a wide-eyed, fake shocked look. “Hmm, considering its seventy out that’s good to know.” She nudged him slightly again. “But I’ll admit that it may have been a bit cold for awhile there. Sorry about that.”

  Was she admitting she was being too hard on him?

  His stomach tightened and his cock jumped at the idea that it had even a one in a trillion shot at her. The second her tiny hand touched his thigh, he thought he’d come in his jeans. Thankfully, he didn’t.

  “Can I get out for just a minute?” She glanced downward as she rolled her dark brown eyes. “I promise I won’t run away.”

  Roi stared at her and had to fight the urge to seize hold of her. She was so perfect. So delicate yet strong at the same time. So his.

  Mine?

  Chapter Three

  Missy stared at Roi as he watched her intently. The urge to kiss him was right there. It would be so easy to take it. To take him, but she’d only end up hurting in the end. Her ‘job’ wasn’t something she could share with them. They’d think she was crazy for one thing and if they happened to get past the initial shock of what she did, they’d be deathly afraid of her. Hell, she’d even tried dating a co-worker and he even worried too much about her for the relationship to move forward. Luckily, she and Eadan remained friends.

  Yeah, finding out your significant other worked for the government as an agent for their paranormal task force was a bit hard to swallow. It was hard enough for her to deal with what existed out there but to expect the man in her life to understand and embrace the idea that she put her life in jeopardy every time she accepted an assignment was too much to ask for.

  Only a handful of people knew what she did for a living and that’s the way it had to stay. The only nice thing about Roi was that he did something that required secrecy as well. Only his didn’t involve lethal immortals doing their best to kill as many humans as possible. And Roi, unlike her, had a group of men he considered family at his back. Missy was a solo operative. She had a bridge agent and but that was it. Eighty-five percent of the time, she operated alone. Her identity and her job were kept from the majority of the paranormal task force at her father’s wishes. He felt it kept her safer. If any agent turned rogue then they wouldn’t be able to finger her.

  When Roi had tossed her over his shoulder and shoved her into a van with Melanie two weeks prior, she had to decide if she’d fight back or not. Something deep in her gut told her Roi wouldn’t hurt her and that it wasn’t worth risking Peren and Melanie’s lives by revealing that side of herself. The people she worked for didn’t like it when a lot of people knew about what went on behind the scenes. Though, a few things about the incident were still bothering her. Namely, Melanie’s claim that Lance had begun to morph into something that wasn’t human while he came in her. That’s the reason she’d decided to do a bit of digging about Lukian and his men.

  “What do you need to get by me for?” Roi asked in a voice so low and so deep that she had to fight the urge to close her eyes as it wrapped around her.

  Missy glanced towards the table where the two men who gave her the creeps had been. Their sudden disappearance at the same time that Melanie and Peren decided to head up to Melanie’s place wasn’t sitting well with her. “I’d like to grab a drink. For some reason I think being stuck in a booth with you requires liquor.” Smiling slightly, she let her dimples show.

  “Promise not to run?”

  She nodded. It wasn’t a lie. Well, it would be if the guys were up to no good and tried to get away.

  Roi leaned into her and their faces almost touched. “What would you like, sugar?”

/>   The tone of his voice told her he was playing with her, trying to get a rise out of her for calling her pet names. No part of her would be baited by him.

  “Mmm, baby, I’d like a stiff,” she paused a moment and couldn’t help but grin as Roi shifted in the booth, “one planted firmly,” it took everything in her not to laugh, “in my hand.”

  Roi looked as though he’d been punched in the gut. His stomach drew in enough for her to notice. He clutched the table tightly as he stared at her with questioning eyes. “Uh, umm … er … okay. I can give you that … umm … I mean get you that.”

  Turning, he went to slide out of the booth. Missy put her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand, waiting for him to catch on that she hadn’t told him what type of drink she wanted.

  Roi stood and took a few steps towards the bar before stopping and facing her. “You said that to mess with my head, didn’t you?”

  Shrugging, she gave him a ‘who me’ look and waited for him to walk away. The second he was almost to the bar, Missy shot off the seat and went in the direction of the back exit.

  Eadan?

  She waited for Eadan to answer her call back. They’d had the ability to communicate this way since she’d known him but it had become much more powerful after her accident. It was odd that she could communicate with Eadan but not his sister Melanie, but it wasn’t something she dwelled on.

  What’s up?

  The sound of his voice made her smile. I had two men in my sights that felt like they were up to no good. One’s a short ‘wish it was still the seventies’ kind of guy. He has…

  Say no more, Missy-bean. I know who you’re talking about. He’s paling around with a tall sandy blond guy?

  Yes. I lost a visual on them and I’m not sure if they left or not. Melanie and Peren went up to Mel’s and those two disappeared. Too coincidental for my taste.

  Missy waited to hear Eadan’s opinion on the matter.

  I’m not sensing any threats in the building. And I can sense Peren and Melanie above us. They’re fine. Relax and enjoy yourself. I’ll be there in a minute.