by T. S. Ryder
Moments later Arabella was next to them. She bent over Henry, then shook her head.
"Vest stopped it," she said. "You're lucky she didn't aim at your head, you idiot!"
"I feel like I was kicked in the chest by an ox," Henry gasped out.
"Getting shot close-range will do that." Arabella snatched the thing Kennedy had dropped and peered at it. It was a key with a tag attached to it. She read what the tag said and stood. "Storage locker. You should get him to a hospital in case he cracked a rib. I'm going after the kids."
"I'm going with you." Grayson scrambled to his feet. "They’re my kids."
Arabella shook her head. "No. She could be setting another trap."
Grayson grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. "Don't you remember how you survived last time?"
She hesitated and licked her lips. Her glance went to Henry, and the other dragon grunted.
"This isn't bad," he said. "Broken rib? It'll heal in no time. Don't use me as an excuse."
"I'm going with you," Grayson repeated, his voice low. "They're my children."
Arabella ran her hands through her hair, then nodded. "Okay. But you do what I tell you to. If Kennedy and I end up fighting, you need to take the children and run. Understood? No waiting around. Just get them out of there."
"Yeah," Grayson agreed, though his brow furrowed at her earnest expression. "I understand."
***
The storage locker was easy enough to get to. The information to find it and get in was all written on the tag attached to the key. Grayson kept the gun Arabella had given him in his hands and they walked down the line of lockers. It was an indoor locker, but worry still twisted Grayson's gut. Were his children warm enough? Had Kennedy fed them? What if the locker was air-tight? Dread filled him as they got closer to the locker number Kennedy's key would open. What if they weren't there? Or worse. What if they were there, but . . .
"Arabella," he blurted, hands shaking, eyes wide.
She knew what he feared, he could see it on her face. She swallowed hard, then with a shaking hand unlocked the door. Grayson's heart slammed against his ribs as she raised the locker door.
Inside was a single crib sitting in the middle of the room. The black hair of his children could be seen through the slots, but when he tried to run in, Arabella grabbed his arm, pulling him back. He remembered her earlier admonishment and stayed where he was, though it was physically painful not to run to his children. She slipped in at the side and viewed the crib from every angle, checking it closely.
"You can come in," she said, and both of them rushed to the crib.
Olivia and Hudson were inside, curled up against each other, eyes closed, chests rising and falling softly. Tears poured down Grayson's face as he tried to gather both of them into his arms. They had a single blanket over them and a stuffed bear at their heads. Arabella picked up Olivia and cradled her while Grayson hugged Hudson to his chest.
"Wake up, Daddy's here," Grayson said, tears running down his face. "Wake up, Hud."
"I think they've been drugged," Arabella said softly, checking Olivia's vitals. "We have to get them to a hospital right away to make sure they're alright."
Grayson nodded. He hurried out of the locker, Arabella close behind. He had to resist the urge to just fly them to the hospital, but Arabella couldn't hold both unconscious children while riding on his back, so they drove. Hudson was beginning to wake by the time they got there, and Grayson hugged him tightly, sobbing in relief.
If he hadn't gotten them back, he didn't know what he would have done. There would have been nothing left for him to live for.
"Dada," Hudson mumbled. "Dada."
"I'm here," Grayson whispered, his heart so full of relief to have his children back he thought it might burst. "I have you."
Hudson smiled and drifted back to sleep. Grayson smiled up into Arabella's eyes. She smiled back and a rush of gratitude filled him.
It didn't matter what her past was. She had already gotten shot because she didn't want the twins to come to any harm. She had already turned against the organization that trained her to get them back. And it didn't matter if the reason she came to him was a lie.
The love they had found afterward was real. And he was going to help her see that, no matter what.
***
There might be legal repercussions to kidnapping and threatening to torture Senator White, but Grayson didn't care at the moment. White was still in jail right now, and by the time charges were brought against Grayson and Arabella, they'd have a plan to confront them. Right now he just wanted to be with his children.
It had taken them hours to bring the twins home from the hospital since the police were called and they had to tell their story a hundred times. Grayson, as anxious as he was to have his babies safe and sound, understood their precautions. Bringing two drugged toddlers to the hospital was bound to raise red flags, and the staff was only looking out for the twins' well-being. But the kids were safe now and there would be no lasting damage from the drugs.
Once they were back home, Grayson spent hours just holding his babies, listening to Olivia chatter. Kennedy hadn't hurt them at all besides drugging them, and neither did the kids seem to have any psychological trauma from the ordeal. At least, nothing that was readily noticeable. Both went to their beds just fine when the night started to fall. Grayson disabled the elevator, locked the windows, and made sure the house was secure.
"I'll keep watch from outside," Henry promised. "Anybody who tries to come in will have to deal with my fire."
Grayson clapped a hand to his shoulder, grateful that he hadn't had to ask his friend for help with this. It would have made him feel guilty, especially since Henry still had all his health problems. But Henry loved the twins as much as he did and Grayson knew him enough that if he tried to talk him out of keeping watch, Henry would do it anyway.
"I'll take over at midnight," Grayson told him. "You still have to take care of yourself."
Henry shrugged. "I haven't had an attack in a couple weeks. No biggy. These blood transfusions I've been getting have really helped me bounce back. Doctors say my kidneys might start functioning again on their own."
Grayson shook his head but let it slide. Henry went out to the flight patio and shifted, lifting into the air. Grayson locked the door and went back in to find Arabella. She stood in the doorway to the twins' room, looking in on them. Tears streamed down her face, her arms wrapped around her middle.
"Hey." Grayson slid an arm around her.
She tensed briefly before turning and flinging herself into his arms. Sobs wracked her body and she clung to him like he was a life raft. Grayson pulled her closer, rubbing her back and whispering soothing words into her ear.
"They could have been killed and it's my fault," she whispered. "I don't care about her going after me. With the organization, I don't have a future anyway, but the twins—"
"No." Grayson pulled back slightly so he could look into her eyes. He kissed her gently and shook his head. "This isn't your fault. They're safe and that's because of you. Because you knew what to do. And as for you not having a future, that's ridiculous. You have a future here. With me."
Arabella shook her head, more tears streaming down her face.
"Yes, you do. Because I love you, Arabella. I never thought I'd love again, but I love you. And I will always protect you."
He kissed her again, and this time she melted into his arms. She kissed him back fervently, and Grayson picked her up, heart singing with the joy of having his family back together, and carried her to his bed.
Chapter Fifteen – Arabella
She wanted this more than anything.
The twins were safe. Grayson's arms were around her, and at that moment she didn't care about anything else. She wrapped her legs around Grayson's waist as he laid her down on his bed, her fingers seeking out the buttons on his shirt. His kisses varied from soft to passionate. Each one left Arabella breathless. Every cell in her body cried out to be joined
with Grayson's, her core tightening as his hands coasted along her body.
"I love you," he murmured again.
"I love you, too," Arabella whispered back. Warm, giddy relief swept through her as she admitted the truth she had been trying to deny to herself. "I love you. I love you."
She couldn’t remember ever telling anybody that before. That warmth and giddiness stayed with her as she pulled him down over her. The pain and barriers choking the space between them melted away. Her eyes fluttered closed and her hands worked automatically, yanking the shirt from his shoulders and exploring his body with greedy fingers. His muscles were smooth, his skin supple, his touch perfection.
Everywhere his skin met hers, sparks erupted just below the surface. She had never experienced this before. Was it because he was a dragon? Or because she loved him?
He undressed her slowly, almost reverently, and she opened her eyes again to watch the building lust and awe in his gaze. A tender smile remained on his face, even as his pupils darkened and his gaze swept over her naked body. She wrapped her hands in his hair as he returned to kissing her, this time trading kisses between her body and mouth. A hand slid between her thighs and she reached for him.
Arabella's core tightened even more. Her head fell back as trembles ran up and down her body, her heart pounding in her ears. A glance at Grayson showed him grinding his teeth, a look of exquisite torture on his face. Using her body as her tool, Arabella flipped him onto his back.
The dragon grinned up at her, a chuckle bursting from his throat. Arabella rose a brow at him as she began to swivel her hips, grinding against him. His chuckle turned into a moan and his back arched.
"What's so funny?" she asked, her voice husky.
"Nothing. I'm just—" He grasped the bedclothes beneath him and let out another moan. His face turned red, chest heaving. "I'm just so—I love you!"
Arabella threw herself over him, kissing him fiercely, as she found him with her hand again. She eased him inside and sat, starting a steady rhythm. Grayson's hands shot to her hips, fingers digging in. He matched her rhythm. Everything continued to tighten inside of her, and it was all she could do to hold on. Bright lights flashed before her eyes, her jaw hung slack, and her shoulders shook back and forth.
Everything came undone. Pleasure ripped almost violently through her body, exhaustion chasing quickly after it. Her body thrashed, held in place only by Grayson's grip. She collapsed over him and he flipped her back around, thrusting hard while he cried out in her ear. Arabella clung to him as he pushed her higher and higher, filling her with more pleasure than she thought was possible.
She cried out and he collapsed. Sweat cemented their bodies together. For a long moment, all they could do was just lie there, moaning and panting. Eventually, Grayson moved onto his side and Arabella peeled herself away from him.
A smile passed over his face as he touched her lips. "Wow."
"I agree."
His eyes fluttered closed, his whole body relaxing. "You love me."
"I do." Arabella kissed him. "I love you."
He drifted off quickly, the stress from the last few days having taken their toll. But the twins were back, and he could sleep now.
Arabella longed to follow him into sleep the way he had followed her to completion. But as she lay in the dark room, Grayson's soft snores beside her, the peace and contentment that had filled her when Grayson first started kissing her trickled away.
The twins were back, but they weren't safe. Kennedy was still out there. She had already eluded the organization this long, who knew how much longer she'd be able to do so? As long as she was at large and Arabella was alive, the Alexander family could never be safe. There was only so much security Grayson could have.
Not to mention that Arabella herself would be considered rogue by the organization at this point. After all, she'd delivered Senator White, the man who was pushing legislation that favored the same mining companies that had hired the organization to kidnap Grayson's children, to jail. They wouldn't like that one bit. The organization would be sending agents after her. Maybe after the Alexander family too, if they couldn't get to Arabella. The fact was that the family she had come to love so much would never be safe as long as she was with them.
So she would find Kennedy and kill her, and then she would go after the organization. Take out as many heads as she could. Maybe gather enough information to release to the public so that they could no longer operate in the shadows. It was the only way to increase the likelihood that they never came after Grayson and the twins again.
No matter what she did, Arabella doubted that she'd be alive by the end of the year. Her chest ached as she dressed, a physical pain that she hadn’t thought was possible. Knowing she would never have a moment like this again almost left her breathless. For the first time in her life, she felt loved, and now she was going to have to give it all up.
But they would be safe once she was gone, and that was all that mattered.
Arabella paused to load up on weapons, then enabled the elevator again and headed down to the forest floor. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths as the elevator moved her swiftly away from the family she thought of as hers. She would never have this again, but at least she had been able to learn what love really was. Grayson, Olivia, and Hudson had given her something to fight for besides herself, and for that she would be eternally grateful.
And if there was something that came after death, then maybe one day they would all be together again. Hopefully Christine wasn't the jealous type. Arabella had seen the way Grayson spoke of his late wife and the love he had for her was clearly evident. She wouldn't mind sharing him with someone he loved that much as long as Christine loved him an equal amount. Maybe the other woman would be willing to share as well . . . assuming something came after this life.
Henry waited for her at the base of the tree, eyes narrowed, hands clenched.
"Where do you think you're going?" he snapped. "I just started to trust you."
"Kennedy wants me dead," Arabella replied. She wasn't going to lie to Henry, not when stakes were so high. "Grayson and the twins won't ever be safe until her threat is eliminated. I'm not going to sit around waiting for her to come for me."
Surprise flitted across Henry's face followed by suspicion and then weariness. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. After a moment, he sighed. "So you're going to let her kill you?"
"I'm not going to let her. But it might happen." She started walking away, then stopped and turned back. "There's more. Kennedy isn't the only threat. They'll never be safe as long as I'm with them. Please tell Grayson I'm sorry."
Henry kept his gaze on her for a long moment before nodding once. Arabella let out a breath of relief and turned her back. It was time to protect the ones she loved. By any means necessary.
***
The bomb strapped to her chest was well hidden by the loose shirt she'd chosen to wear. She had spent a long time agonizing about the best way to take down Kennedy, and in the end, she realized that she had to make sure that if Kennedy killed her, Kennedy would go too. And so she had crafted up a bomb and wired it to a device measuring her heartbeat. If her heart stopped, the bomb went off. Kennedy would die one way or another.
Arabella followed the coordinates Kennedy had texted to her. They led her to a rest stop off the highway that was hidden by trees. Good. Less chance of casualties and witnesses. She stepped out of the car and scanned the area quickly, keeping herself down to avoid any sniper fire. There was no sign of Kennedy, though.
Pulling a gun from her holster, Arabella crossed the open area to the outhouse. The forest was silent and still; no sign of Kennedy anywhere. Arabella tried the door. It was unlocked. She kicked it open – and gasped, her heart jumping to her throat.
Kennedy hung from the ceiling rafters. Her body was limp, a rope around her neck. It was thrown over the rafter and tied to the sink where it looked like she had jumped from. But she would never take her own life.
<
br /> The organization had caught up with her at last.
Arabella turned to run, and a man stepped out from around the outhouse. She raised her gun, but it was too late. The man plunged a needle into her neck. Instantly, everything went black.
Chapter Sixteen – Grayson
An annoying buzzing noise drew him out of bed. Grayson had spent so many sleepless nights that waking up after being so relaxed was a difficult task. He stumbled around the room, searching for his pants and the source of the buzzing. He finally found his phone and sat on the edge of his bed, yawning. It was just getting light outside. Was this Henry asking him why he hadn't relieved him at midnight?
Grayson suppressed another yawn. "Hello?"
"May I talk to Grayson Alexander, please?" a cool, controlled feminine voice said.
"Speaking."
"Ah, good. I do hate wasting time." The woman sounded pleased. "Mr. Alexander, I'm afraid I have bad news. I regret to inform you that Arabella Grant will no longer be living with you."
Ice flooded his veins. He turned to see, for the first time, that Arabella wasn't in the bed next to him. The sleep vanished from his eyes and adrenaline spiked in his blood. He had secured the house. They couldn’t have come in and snatched her while she was sleeping.
"With Senator White in jail due to your actions, you are to turn your attentions to making sure that the bill he was trying to pass gets through. If you do not do as we say, then Arabella will be killed."
Grayson ran to the twins' room. They were still inside, sleeping peacefully. No sign of Arabella. A quick search of the house showed she wasn't there. The woman on the phone hummed pleasantly while he searched, as though waiting.
"Where is she?" he demanded.
"She will be released as soon as you have done us this little favor. You will take immediate action. I will contact you this afternoon for an update," she said, then hung up.
Grayson was left frozen. He thought this was over. He thought they could live happily together now, only for this to happen. How many more phone calls like this would he have to endure? Even if he did give into their demands, would they release Arabella? Their demands might never be met. His mind flashed to a dozen possibilities. She might already be dead. But how had they gotten her?