“It will hold you back if I stay, and you haven't done anything illegal; I have. You belong in the East. You should stay, and I should go.”
Cat circled the table, kneeling on the floor in front of Jenira. She'd never seen her sister so lost or uncertain. “Absolutely not, Jenira. We've been together since the beginning, our entire lives. If you go, I go too. There will be other places I can work, and I won't let you leave on your own. We might not always be inseparable, but I can't imagine being separated by the border or even several miles. No; not happening.” Cat remembered the times they'd stood together against the bullying kids in the village, their last fight against Marcus, and the months they'd struggled to survive on the streets. Tears loomed hot behind her eyes.
“Ok, Cat, we won't split up. As for staying, I'll think about it.” Her words weren't what Cat wanted to hear, but she understood it was all Jenira could commit to at the moment. This was a scary place for her sister; Jenira didn’t know how to relax after the life they’d lived. She considered letting down her guard a failure.
A knock at the door startled them, and Cat rose to her feet. The male security guard ducked his head with an apologetic glance.
“Excuse me, Miss Cat. Mr. Wallace is here to take you downstairs.”
Cat swiped at her face. “I'll be right out.” She turned back to Jenira. “I need to go to work. Enjoy the apartment, Jen. Eat the yummy food and exercise your butt off in the fancy gym. I'll be back around two, and maybe we can convince one of these meatheads to take us shopping.”
“Meatheads,” Jenira repeated with a tired smile. She squeezed Cat's hand and nodded. With a final glance at her sister and the last bite of her bagel, Cat grabbed her coffee and slipped her shoes on. Andrew waited in the hallway, and his face lit up when he saw her. Cat returned his greeting shyly. Did he see her soft and shiny hair or notice she was wearing the same clothes she wore two days ago?
“I wanted to escort you today since you haven't received your badge yet.” Andrew spoke as if yesterday had never happened and she wasn't a glorified prisoner in her uncle's building. Did Davin trust his nephew enough to fill him in on the details? He responded as if he read her thoughts. “My uncle explained things. I'm glad everything worked out fine.” Cat wondered what Andrew’s definition of fine was. She didn't know what Davin planned to do with her and Jenira, despite his reassurances the night before.
“The group is excited to talk to you,” Andrew continued, “they've been working on your idea, and some stayed late yesterday.” Although Cat knew he was just trying to cheer her up, it worked. She hadn't lied to Jenira; she looked forward to more advanced involvement in the project.
They walked the rest of the way in silence, Cat uncomfortably aware of Andrew's gaze on her at various times. She didn't possess Jenira's talent of reading men's intentions. She couldn't tell if he was judging her past or if she had something in her hair.
The team was waiting, and Cat dismissed her concerns about Andrew's opinion. The group welcomed her warmly, sharing information or asking her assessment on new plans. She dived eagerly into the work, computing tech parameters and drawing on her experiences with Jenira to aid her work with the mages. Each team member harbored different questions and unique viewpoints.
She became so engrossed in the plans, the day passed quickly. A secretary from another floor delivered sandwiches for lunch, and they continued to work on their computations while they ate. Cat worked until weariness gnawed at her.
“We should call it a day.” Andrew interrupted her third yawn in as many minutes. They were discussing a schematic redrawn with the dimensions of the new components. She stretched, surprised to see it was past the scheduled quitting time.
Cat agreed reluctantly. She wasn't prepared to stop working, but she was exhausted. She was also curious to check in with Jenira after their conversation that morning. Andrew had been in and out of the office, offering his advice when needed and complimenting their advancing plans, and some of the team members were still busy wrapping up calculations. Only Natalie had left at the appointed time.
“I'll walk you back to the apartment, ok?” Cat nodded to Andrew, though she didn't believe either of them had a choice.
“I'd hoped to go shopping,” she told him as they walked towards the door. “I'm out of appropriate clothes for work.”
“I can talk to Davin. Maybe afterward we can have dinner together?” She gaped at him, running into Thomas and almost sending the young techie to the floor. Andrew steadied her elbow as she fumbled to keep from dropping her chaotic armful of papers. She apologized to Thomas, but he scurried away as if he hadn't even noticed the interaction.
“I don't know. You’re my boss.” Cat politely shrugged off Andrew's gentle touch.
“We can discuss work if you want.”
“I just don't know,” she repeated, flustered. The proper etiquette for a nice rejection escaped her. He bobbed his head, avoiding her eyes. “Andrew,” she cleared her throat, mustering some semblance of courage. “I'm hopeless at being social. I didn't have a conventional upbringing, and my life is crazy.”
“I understand. So, not dinner or not yet?”
“Not yet,” Cat hedged. Andrew was friendly, but Cat wasn't interested in a relationship. She was too absorbed in her work. He smiled as if she hadn't just rejected him and chatted all the way to her apartment.
“I'll arrive in the morning to escort you again.”
She nodded and left him in the hall, sinking onto the sofa with a sigh. Life was just her and Jenira; it had always been that way. She didn't want a significant upheaval, even if Jenira and Davin's relationship continued on the same explosive track and brought change.
Pushing all thoughts of Andrew aside, she opened the folder she had carried back with her. Tech diagnostics were easier to understand than people. Davin had given her permission to bring the documents to the apartment, so she would drown her disturbing thoughts in numbers and code until Jenira returned. A loose pile of notes and schematics formed the mess of paperwork, and while she attempted to organize the collection, a small piece fluttered to the floor. She stared at the unfamiliar handwriting, her heart beating fast.
----Death to Mages and Techies who seek to Integrate. If you want to see your sister alive again, meet me at Washington Quarter warehouse #315 in 30 minutes. Tell no one. ---
Cat's hands shook as she re-read the message several times. “Jenira?” she called out. A sinking sensation settled over her, and a quick search of the bedrooms for either her sister or a note brought up nothing. She cracked the exterior door, but it was conspicuously empty of guards. Someone had guarded the hall continuously since she had first arrived, and the vacancy reinforced the sense of wrongness seeping through her.
Her clammy hands braced her body against the door frame as her mind spun with options. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the new sense of fuzziness she attributed to fear. Could Andrew help her? The significance of the note's location prodded her. It had either been placed in her folder at the end of the day or during her trek to the apartment. Was Andrew involved? Was Davin? Davin could have convinced her sister to follow him and dismiss the guards. Her limbs shook. Mentally calculating the time to the docks, she needed to leave immediately to comply with the note's demands.
Her blood pounded as she changed her heels for sneakers and placed the threatening note in a conspicuous place. While it warned her not to tell anyone, it didn't say she couldn't leave it behind. She desperately hoped someone remained on her side, and that someone would see the note.
With a lingering shake in her legs, she sped down the hall to the elevator. The usual guard wasn't present, increasing her mounting fear. The lack of guards further implicated Rennert, and Cat’s heart sank into her stomach. Jenira possessed a fighting chance against anyone but Rennert; she would be caught off guard, and she would never trust anyone again.
The elevator stopped, and she scanned the quiet lobby in growing confusion. The security guar
ds and the receptionist occupied their usual positions, but they didn't move. They didn't even glance her way when she stepped onto the marble floor. She crept closer to the nearest guard, but he didn't appear to register her presence. Though he still breathed, he looked like he was in a trance, not unlike the dead mages Jenira had filmed. Her mind clouded again, thoughts of her sister being captured and tortured whirling through her brain. She needed to hurry.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jenira
Jenira slammed a fist into the punching bag, bouncing on her toes as it swung away. Sweat soaked her clothes and ran down her face. The gym was eerily quiet; likely because of the security guards who watched her every move. They had attached themselves to her the moment she'd left the suite. Now, they propped up the walls, their eyes vigilant. She felt like a prisoner.
She hit the bag again, pouring her anger into the effort. Her rage stemmed from the lack of a real fight and Davin's handling of her. She hadn't seen him since he'd left the apartment the night before, but his presence echoed in the heavy step of each security guard. The gorillas had refused to spar with her, so she contented herself by beating the shit out of the sandbag. Her muscles burned and her knuckles stung. She delivered a roundhouse kick and prepared herself for another flurry of attacks.
“Had enough?” Jenira whirled, swinging. Davin, always as fast as her, caught her fist with one large hand before it connected with his firm jaw. His answering grunt slightly satisfied her.
“Don't interrupt me when I'm in the middle of a fight.”
“Fair enough.” He released her hand. “You have a powerful right hook. I might have gone down if I wasn't faster than you.”
“You're not faster than me.” She used her discarded hoodie to mop her sweaty face. She'd removed it when it became obvious no one else would enter while the goons remained. Her soaked gray tank top clung to her curves. Davin's eyes swept her body, his appreciation unmistakable. She swallowed hard, adrenaline rushing her veins. The physical need to fight shifted into a different hunger. She clenched her jaw, tired of the constant battle between her magic and desire. Something needed to change or she would go mad.
“You're right. I'm not faster than you.” He leaned closer, his whisper causing her skin to shiver. “You can phase, but I can sense a person’s movements before they happen. An opponent's adrenaline enhances their intentions.”
Jenira's processed his words and his proximity. The realization delighted her, and his cinnamon scented magic tickled her nose. “I knew you weren't faster than me,” she smirked. Her eyes narrowed. "You can't keep us here.”
Davin's expression changed, and he made a motion behind his back. The guards shuffled from the room and shut the door, leaving them alone. He centered himself in the middle of the sparring mat, his legs spread wide. The thick muscles in his thighs strained against his tailored pants. His gaze sparked with intensity and heat
“Come on. You've been itching to hit me since you met me. I'm certain your desire has only increased.” His mocking grin suggested he wasn't only referring to her desire for violence. Her anger simmered, and she prowled toward him, her eyes dimming to cobalt.
“How is it fair if you can sense my movements before I make them?"
“You won't always have a fair fight, Jenira,” he growled her name and her sex throbbed intensely, like his magic had driven straight to the center of her. “Remove your knives, though. I prefer my blood inside my body.”
Jenira unstrapped the thigh holster with its daggers, draping it over a nearby bench. She met him on the mats, her feet planted in a ready stance. His eyes raked her body with predatory interest.
“Where did you learn to fight?”
She circled him, assessing his form as an opponent and not as a woman, though erasing those thoughts proved difficult. His broad shoulders complemented well-proportioned legs and a narrow waist. It was almost unfair that so much perfection was wasted on only one man. He perched on the balls of his feet, ready for her.
“My dad was my main teacher; I think he knew I would need to defend Cat. He reinforced over and over that I couldn't always rely on my magic. I learned more from the dock thugs in York after we moved east.”
Davin's eyebrows rose. “Those aren't the nicest teachers.”
Jenira swooped in, targeting his right kidney. He pivoted, aiming a kick to her ankles, and she danced out of reach at the last second.
“Maybe not, but I appreciate what they taught me before they died.” She approached him again, broadcasting her intended move in her mind. He bent to block. She phased away before she made contact, appearing behind him. Standing on her tiptoes, she circled his neck with a strong arm, his back flush with her chest.
“Very nice.”
“Evidently, your powers don't extend to my phasing.”
“Evidently not,” he agreed, flipping her over his head before she could react. Her back hit the mats, and she released a grunt as the breath left her lungs. He fell on her, straddling her hips. His massive forearm covered her throat, but it didn’t press upon her windpipe. He was only trying to prove a point, not actually hurt her. Her deep breaths caused her nipples to brush his chest, and the stimulation caused her stomach to flutter with anticipation. His eyes glowed amber, his eager magic sought hers, and Jenira's vision tunneled.
“I win,” he gloated. She bucked her hips in an attempt to dislodge him, but his body was heavier than she imagined a boulder would be. “You might want to stop doing that.” His rough words caused her sensitive flesh to prickle.
“Why? A little distraction works in my favor.” But he wasn't the only one affected by the position. Her lungs labored to draw breath, and her magic, ever the needy slut around this man, strained to reach his. Tendrils of power extended from her aura to embrace the golden glow of his energy. Jenira didn't resist when his mouth fell on hers. She melted beneath him, her lips moving against his in frenzied hunger. He tasted like mango and coffee, and his tongue sparked a fire as his teeth nipped her bottom lip, eliciting a hungry moan. When his muscles relaxed, she flipped him over and broke the kiss.
“If I had my dagger,” she panted, “you'd be dead by now.”
His lips quirked upward, beckoning her to taste them again. “I'd die happy.” His throaty voice fed the pool of heat in her lower belly. He made no move to relinquish his position beneath her, and she couldn't resist rubbing the hard thickness of him against her hot, wet core. Every breath and movement reminded her of his beautiful body and enchanting magic. Her lust-fogged brain struggled to remember the reasons she shouldn't sleep with him as her thighs clenched around his hips. She ached to pull off their clothes and impale herself on his length. She knew he wouldn't disappoint.
“The longer you fight it, the stronger it will become,” he whispered.
She thrust against his hard length again, arguing with herself, when a shaft of pain speared the center of her chest. She staggered to the floor beside Davin as agony pierced the flesh below her collarbone. Her vision darkened. She glanced down, expecting to see a weapon piercing her, but the skin remained whole and unmarred.
“Jenira?” Davin realized immediately that something was wrong. He hovered over her, his expression tight with worry.
Jenira struggled to take a deep breath, curling over her torso. “Cat,” she gasped. Her chest still burned, but the pain was receding. One final jab stung her as the amulet's protection spell shattered. Her sister screamed through its last breath before the connection severed. “Cat's in trouble!” She sprang to her feet, pausing only a second to grab her daggers. Davin followed and together they burst from the gym and bolted up the stairs.
The hallway outside their apartment was empty. Davin cursed behind her, but her mind was entirely focused on reaching the apartment. Throwing herself through the partially open door, she searched the rooms. Her sister wasn't there.
Davin stopped in the middle of the living room, drawn by the piece of paper resting like a gift in the center of the floor.
He picked it up, cursing again. Jenira snatched it from him. “The mage killer! He has her! That sick bastard has my sister. I need to go!” She squirmed, trying to break free of Davin's iron hold on her arms.
“Jenira, stop. Think! You're ready to run out of this apartment without a plan. It's obvious he's using her to lure you. He knows about you, and he's waiting for you. He won't kill her or hurt her until you arrive.”
Jenira froze, her eyes wild. “How do you know? Where are your guards, Davin? Who gave her this note? She was at work. Your men and your nephew were supposed to be guarding her. What the fuck, Davin?” She pounded a fist against his unyielding chest.
Davin pushed an agitated hand through his hair and beckoned to the security guards who had followed them from the basement. They struggled to catch their breath, the run up the stairs affecting them far more than it had affected Davin or Jenira.
“Chance, find Rock and Andrew. Send them to my office, now. Charles, find Stuckley and Case. They had the afternoon shift of guarding this door. See if anyone saw the woman leave the building.” Both guards ran for opposite ends of the hallway.
“Jenira, come on. Let's go to my office.” Jenira twisted, struggling to escape. She needed to go after her sister, not have a tea party. Davin pressed his lips to her ear. “This room could be bugged. We don't know who's involved.” It wasn't his words but the murderous rage in his tone which returned some measure of rationality to Jenira's brain.
She forced herself to stop and think. Seeing her senses return, Davin released her. She slammed her fist against the wall, the pain releasing the fog around her brain. If she burst into the warehouse without preparation, both of them would die. If the killer realized they found the note, she might die sooner. She jerked a nod at Davin and retrieved her short sword from her room. She strapped on her weapons as she followed him from the room.
Worlds Collide (Magitech Book 1) Page 20