by Cynthia Eden
“Luke…” Leo said, a warning in his voice.
What? He’d spoken the truth. He was getting damn sick of Leo always warning him and cautioning him. He didn’t need that crap. Luke put his hand on Julian’s chest. He focused all of his power on the shifter. You don’t get to cut out of this world so easily. It was much easier to heal a dark creature than it was to bring someone back from the dead, but he would have brought Julian back, no matter the cost.
He had few enough friends as it was.
The bullet slid from Julian’s head. The terrible wounds to his head and face closed. Julian’s lips parted and he sucked in a deep breath. Then his eyes flew open—his gaze full of fear and desperation and he roared—
“Rose!”
Rose? Luke pulled back his hand. “It’s rather customary to say thank you.”
Julian jerked upright. His frantic gaze shot around the cell. “Rose!” Then he was grabbing Luke’s shirt, his hands fisting in the material. “Where is she? What did you do with her?”
Rose. It was a name from Julian’s rather bloody past. And, while—once upon a time, Luke had done something to her—this time, he had no clue about the woman. Luke turned his head and stared at a profusely sweating Timothy Lang. “Ask the agent here. I think he may know.”
Instantly, Julian was on his feet. Claws burst from his fingertips as he shoved his hand against Timothy’s throat. “What happened to my vampire?”
A gurgle was the only sound Timothy made.
Luke rolled his eyes. “Speak, man. Prove to us that it’s better to keep you alive.”
Timothy’s breath whooshed out. “Garrick took her. He wants to—I heard him say he wants to use her. He’s never had a vampire in his program before. Said she was…special.”
Julian’s claws were drawing blood. “She is.”
Luke put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Ease back.”
He saw the look of surprise that Leo threw his way. What? Did the guy really think they were just mindless killing machines?
Agent Lang is the one that Mina liked. She said he was kind to her. Luke would repay that kindness. “Cut the ropes off him, Julian.”
Julian sliced through the ropes.
Then Luke bent forward until he was eye-to-eye with the human. “Did you enjoy watching the paranormals suffer?”
His brother moved to stand at the man’s back. Leo put one hand on the guy’s shoulder. When it came to his precious humans, Leo had a special gift. He could always tell when they spoke the truth, as long as he touched them when they spoke.
“I-I didn’t,” Timothy answered. “Made me…sick.”
Leo nodded.
“Then why did you stay?” Luke demanded.
Timothy’s eye lashes fluttered. “We were supposed to be the good guys. I thought…I thought we were helping the weak.” He licked his lips. “Too late, I saw what we really were.”
And, once more, Leo nodded.
“If I let you go,” Luke said, “what will you do?”
“Run as fast as I can,” the guy blurted.
He didn’t need Leo’s confirmation of that truth.
“And will you try to rejoin Garrick’s merry crew?” Disdain dripped from Luke’s voice.
“No.” Timothy’s voice had gone hoarse. “I never want to see them again.”
Leo nodded. Another truth.
“Do you know what atonement means?” Luke tilted his head to the side.
“Y-yes…”
“Good.” He nodded. “Because you’re going to fucking atone for your crimes. You’re going to tell me everything that you know about Garrick and his men. You’re going to help me make sure that any paranormals they have are freed. You are going to help me put all of this right again.”
Timothy nodded. “You…aren’t killing me?”
“Not right now.”
Leo’s hand remained clamped around the agent’s shoulder.
“Who is Garrick’s boss?” Luke asked.
“I-I don’t know.”
His gaze snapped toward Leo. And, dammit, his brother nodded.
Snarling, Luke stepped back.
“But-but I know the guy is connected to the vampire!”
That desperate outburst had Julian snarling once more.
“Connected?” Luke asked, attention caught. “How?”
Timothy’s wide eyes were on Julian. Or rather, on Julian’s claws. “I don’t know for certain—I swear, I don’t. I just know that Garrick said his boss is the one who told him about Rose Kinley. The boss is the one who said we had to bring her into the program.”
“Your boss is a dead man,” Julian promised. “You bastards starved her!”
“I didn’t!” Timothy cried out. He lifted his wrist to reveal an old bite mark—two small circles. “I gave her my blood when the others weren’t looking. I wanted to help her!”
And that small act was helping to save his ass right then. “What else do you know?” Luke asked him. This guy was their lead. He’d pry all the information out of Timothy’s head.
Timothy’s hand dropped. “I-I know where the other paranormals are being held.” He licked his lips. “I can give you a list of the locations.”
Good. Luke intended to free all of the others. He turned to Julian. “Take Timothy back to the island. Once I’ve dealt with Garrick, we’ll need those locations.” Then he headed for the door. There was another blood trail to follow in that hell-hole. He had to get to—
“No.” Julian’s voice was flat. Hard.
And it was the first time the guy had ever refused an order from the Lord of the Dark.
Luke stilled. He didn’t look back. “Excuse me?”
“Rose is out there. I saw them hurt her. I have to find her. I have to go after her, right the fuck now.”
Luke’s shoulders were tight with tension and fury. Carefully, he turned to face Julian. “I just pulled your ungrateful ass from the jaws of death.”
“She is out there. They starved her. Kept her prisoner. My Rose.” His hands were clenched at his sides. “You don’t know what it’s like to care about a woman this way. You don’t understand and I can’t make you, but I have to help her. She needs me, and I won’t let her down again.”
I understand plenty. He was walking around without his heart. Trying to do one job. Eliminate Garrick McAdams and the threat that his “agency” posed because Luke could never allow them to go after Mina again. She had to be safe.
Always.
Luke blew out a slow breath. “I will bring your Rose back.”
“She needs me! She—”
“She’s on the boat with Garrick,” Leo interrupted.
Luke fired a glance his way.
Leo shrugged. “I trailed them earlier. I told you this already. Remember? The boat that left thirty minutes ago? I saw them and it would have been rather hard to miss a vampire being carried around in a coffin.”
Julian flinched.
“She’s on the boat, traveling far and fast.” His twin was just the helpful one with information. “And, unless I’ve missed something in the last bit, panther, you can’t sprout wings to find her so you’re going to be grounded on this one.”
Julian took an aggressive step toward Luke. “I need her. I will trade anything to make sure she’s safe. Get me on that boat. Help me, and I’ll make any deal.”
That wasn’t the way this situation would work. He whirled away and rushed out of the cell. He followed the lingering scent of blood into what looked like a small medical ward.
A man’s still body lay on one of the makeshift beds. Long, thin, pale. Tubes and machines were hooked to the man. They beeped steadily.
“I don’t see your spiders, Eli,” Luke said as he approached the bed. He put his hand on the other man’s chest, much like he’d done with Julian. Only this time, Eli was actually much better off. He looked like shit, but it appeared as if the humans had tried to patch him up before they’d hauled ass out of there.
Eli’s eyes
opened as the machines beeped louder.
“Luke.” Leo’s voice was sharp. “We really need to get out of here. You know they left these men here for a reason.”
Yes, he knew. He wasn’t an idiot. They were all bait.
“And the fact that no guards are around?” Leo pressed. The guy had followed him—everyone had followed him in there, even a nervous, foot-shuffling Timothy Lang. “Doesn’t that give off warning signs in your head?”
Luke lifted his hand off Eli’s chest. “You aren’t done yet.”
Eli gave him a tired smile. “Didn’t…think I was.”
Luke helped him to sit up.
“Wh-what will I owe you?” Eli asked.
He gave that a moment’s thought. “I could use some new whiskey. Seems some fool agent destroyed my last shipment.”
Eli laughed. A spider tattoo had appeared on his throat. It seemed to move, just a bit.
“We need to get out of here!” Leo thundered.
Luke sighed. “Yes, you’re right. The building is probably going to blow up any moment.”
“What?” That terrified cry came from Timothy.
Luke hoisted Eli over his shoulder, despite the man’s protests. “You were all left behind for two reasons.” He motioned toward Timothy. “Leo, he’s human and since that makes him yours, you carry his ass out.”
Leo gave a curt nod.
Luke let his wings spread behind him. “Where was I?” he muttered. “Ah, yes. My reasons. One…bait. Garrick knew I’d come looking for you. He left a nice blood trail for me to follow so I would come deep into this building and get you all. I’m betting he had sensors and cameras and all sorts of things rigged to watch me. So he knew the minute I arrived. That was the minute that he probably gave the order for this place to blow.”
Julian sidled closer. “Uh, to blow?”
Luke nodded. “Reason two, you see. You were all loose ends. I was a loose end, too. If we all die in the explosion that’s about to happen, then Garrick walks away scot free.” He now had Eli over his shoulder, and one hand clamped on Julian’s arm. “Not happening, by the way.”
Leo was already hurtling straight up, going through the ceiling, making a nice exit hole as he dragged Timothy up and out with him. Luke’s wings fluttered and he shot into the air, following fast.
The explosion rocked beneath him seconds later. One explosion, another, then another…The rush of flames raced after them as the building itself seemed to erupt. The heat surrounded him but he just flew faster. Harder.
And Garrick’s grand plan? Not very effective. Try harder next time, you sonofabitch. And don’t ever use fire against a dragon.
Luke flew back to his island. He dropped off Eli right next to a stunned looking Rayce.
“As many whiskeys as you want,” Eli promised him quickly. “Forever.”
Leo lowered Timothy onto the ground. The guy looked queasy. Humans never seemed to adjust well to paranormal speed.
Luke pointed at the agent. “Rayce, don’t let him out of your sight. We’ll need this one later.”
“Right.” The wolf nodded quickly. Then he cast a nervous glance at Leo.
“Are we fucking ready now?” Leo asked. “Or do we have a few more dozen pit stops you want to make while McAdams gets away?”
My, my. Someone was getting pissy.
Luke still had a strong grip on Julian. Ignoring his brother’s fury, Luke said, “I’ll take you to your vampire.” Someone should get a fucking happy ending.
It sure wasn’t going to be him.
But then, it wouldn’t be Garrick, either. That man wasn’t going to ever get a happy ending. Instead, he’d just get a slow death. Luke’s wings spread wide and—
“Wait!” Timothy yelled.
Luke glanced at him.
“He’s…he’s on the boat because he’s going after her.”
Luke felt his blood begin to ice.
“Garrick McAdams has always been obsessed with Mina James. He can’t let her go.” Timothy was speaking fast, the words coming out rapid-fire. “When he had that collar designed, he made it to include a tracking device because he never wanted to lose her again.”
Luke’s jaw had locked. He forced it to unclench as he gritted, “I destroyed the collar.”
“But not until after the Ori had already deployed its stinger. The tracker was attached to the stinger. The tracker is in her. I heard Garrick talking to Madeline when they tied me up…he had Mina’s signal. He was going out on the boat because he was getting her. He isn’t going to stop, not until he has her again. I don’t…I don’t think he can stop.”
Luke’s gaze jerked to the ocean. Mina was out there and she was being…hunted? No. No.
“The boss you’re after—the man in charge of all the agents—he was the one bringing the boat.” Timothy’s shoulders sagged. “Now I know why they were saying all that stuff in front of me. They were sure I’d be dead and you’d never learn about any of this…”
But he knew everything now. Garrick and the mysterious boss are together. Time to end them both.
He flew into the air and the shift swept over him again. Soon it wasn’t a man’s hand holding tightly to Julian. Instead, a dragon’s talons curled around his friend. Fast, faster he flew and the ocean blurred beneath him.
If Garrick hurt Mina again…if that bastard dared to touch her…
I will pry the flesh from his body.
Chapter Eighteen
A boat was approaching her, moving so fast and leaving a giant wake in its trail. She stared at it, her eyes narrowing. So strange…she could recognize a boat but she couldn’t remember her own name. When she tried to see her past, her head ached. A fog seemed to settle around her mind, and the ocean would pull her in deeper as if saying…Don’t worry about that. It doesn’t matter. Only the moment matters.
But when she’d heard the growl of that boat’s engine, curiosity had pulled her up. She almost felt as if she were looking for…
Something.
Someone?
Now her eyes raked over the boat. A large vessel but…
Not the one.
The name of this boat was Seaman’s Journey. That…didn’t seem right to her. It’s not the boat I was looking for. It’s the wrong one. Not a prize at all.
But…why would she be looking for a boat?
She started to ease beneath the water.
“Mina!”
The cry carried easily over the water.
“Mina, I know you’re here! Mina!” There was so much desperation in the man’s voice and…
That’s my name. My name is Mina. Certainty filled her. It should have made her feel good to at least have that—a name—but she was suddenly very afraid.
That big boat was closer to her now. She didn’t want the man calling out to find her. Every instinct she possessed screamed at her that he wasn’t the right man.
Then who is?
Mina turned away and her tail splashed the water as she headed beneath the sea.
***
“There is no way Mina James is out here.” Madeline stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at the water. “We’re sixty miles from shore. Yeah, I get that the woman is a good swimmer and all…” She lifted a brow as she turned to Garrick. “But no one is this good.”
“The signal is tracking right here.” Frustration seethed through his blood. He was staring at his control panel and the damn thing showed Mina. She was— “Moving,” he snapped out. “Fast.” Exceptionally fast. Too fast. “Turn this boat around!” Garrick bellowed, but then…
No, I have a better idea.
“Stop!” His voice thundered out.
“Turn the boat around, stop—why don’t you try making up your mind?” Madeline muttered.
His gaze raked over her. She was increasingly getting on his nerves. Maybe she wouldn’t be making it back to the mainland. If the boss weren’t on board, he would go ahead and just shoot the woman. But since the fellow was there, Garrick had to play
things a bit more carefully.
Later, he’d kill her.
The captain stopped the boat.
“Shut off the engine,” Garrick ordered. He rubbed his throat. That damn panther had bit him, but luckily, the freak had been stopped before he did any permanent damage. Excitement had Garrick’s heart drumming in his chest. He could still see Mina’s signal, moving fast away from them. But soon enough, she’d be turning around. She’d be coming straight to him. “And bring up the coffin.”
Two men on his right—newer agents—turned and hurried to obey.
Madeline tilted her head. “What are you planning?”
He smiled at her. “I know Mina’s weakness.” And he’d use it against her. “She didn’t have the heart for killing.” That was why she’d run from him. She hadn’t liked doing what needed to be done. She’d been too soft on the inside. “She can’t watch others suffer.”
Understanding lit Madeline’s eyes. “Bait.”
“I do enjoy using it.” His chest puffed out a bit. He was ninety-nine percent sure that his last baited plan had gone off without a hitch. He’d seen Luke Thorne in the security feeds right before that Naval Air Station had been blown to bits. Try to come back from that one, you bastard. His boss was on the radio right then, talking down below as he got his contacts to spread the word that there had just been a training accident at the station. No terrorist attack or anything like that. Nothing for the public to fear. His boss was very good at PR cover-ups.
And I’m good at making traps. This time, he’d use the perfect bait to lure Mina to him.
“Aren’t you a bit curious about how she can swim so fast?” Madeline asked.
He was. He’d learn that secret, once he had her on the boat. But first, he had to get sweet Mina to turn around and swim toward him.
The two agents were returning, a coffin in their hands. It wasn’t a wooden coffin because that would have been too easy for the vamp to break. Like the cell that had housed her in Key West, this coffin was made of very special glass. He could see the battered vamp inside. She was weak, and wounded, but still alive.
For the moment, anyway. He figured it was a good thing that his boss had seemed to lose interest in her of late. This way, the guy wouldn’t mind if she had to endure just a bit more pain.