“I can’t contact the team. I don’t even know if…” His voice trailed off but his gaze hardened. “We need to leave.”
She reached out to stroke his face, but he jerked back, leaving her fingers to linger in the empty air. His rejection hurt, but she steeled her spine. This wasn’t about her. Cain suffered the way any man in his position would.
“Okay, we’ll go. First, you need to shower. The blood…” Katie bit her lip. “The blood would cause too much of a stir.”
She expected him to argue, but he didn’t. He lifted his hands and lost himself in the dried smudges.
“He’s strong.” She placed her hands over his. “I know he survived. You have to believe it, too.”
Cain’s eyes focused on hers. Anger and fear clouded his gaze. She nodded and squeezed his fingers. He returned the gesture before turning away and walking to the bathroom.
“Hey,” Katie called, “I’m gonna buzz the hospital and check on Jon.”
“Good idea.” He disappeared in the bathroom.
With the receiver in hand, she dialed. By the second ring, she twirled a lock of hair. By the fourth, she tapped her feet. Her hand glued to the receiver to her ear. After three additional rings, the line picked up.
“Jon? Jon, you there?” Katie’s pulse ramped up speed. “It’s me, Tiny Terror.”
A slow release of breath on the other end.
She pulled the receiver away, eyeballed it, and then returned it to her ear. “Hey, can you hear me, big brother? It’s Katie.”
“So it is. Hello, Tiny Terror.”
Her blood turned to sludge at the unfamiliar male voice. She darted a look to the partially closed bathroom door. “Wh-who is this?”
A low chuckle. “We haven’t met. I’m Dravyn.”
“I don’t know anyone by that name,” she lied.
“I’m the dark elf who wants you dead. Better?”
Her mind screamed for Cain, but he didn’t come.
“Is the half-breed with you?” Dravyn asked, his tone curious.
Katie’s tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, thick and dry.
“Grunt once for yes and twice for no.”
“H-he just left.” She prayed to keep her tone level. “Where’s my brother?”
“Sound asleep.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. Images of Jon dead filtered behind her lids, shooting adrenaline through her limbs.
“I want to talk to him.” Spasms exploded across Katie’s body, causing the phone to shake. “I want to talk to Jon. Now.”
Dravyn tsked. “He’s been sedated. Imagine my disappointment that we couldn’t be properly introduced. After all, I did blow up his fire station.”
Her brain latched onto the comment. He blew up the station? Not Abel? Her vision blurred and she continued to stare at the bathroom.
“Are you Cain’s whore?”
Katie expelled the air in her lungs in a hard rush. “My brother—”
“Is still alive.” Dravyn sounded annoyed. “Answer my question.”
“I’m no whore. I care about him.”
“Do you?”
A lengthy silence followed, fracturing her sanity. She had no idea what to say because every clear thought evaporated.
“Your brother will remain as he is on one condition,” Dravyn said. “Bring Cain to me.”
Katie’s mouth dropped open.
“You will bring him, and him alone, to an address I shall provide.”
“I’m not taking him anywhere so you can hurt him, and there’s no chance in hell I’m helping you.”
Dravyn hissed into the phone. “Then your hero brother will take Cain’s place.”
Katie bit back a cry. Forced to choose between the honorable assassin or family, there was only one answer. The tears she’d been holding back tumbled down her cheeks. She’d have to trust Cain to hold his own against his twin and the elf. She’d have to trust that he’d forgive her for hastening the confrontation.
“What’s the address?”
…
Cain turned off the shower and reached for a towel. He rubbed the flimsy white cotton over his hair and along his chest before snaking it down his back. His skin remained damp despite his efforts.
Tying the cloth in a loop around his waist, he listened for conversation from the other room. First, he planned to take Katie to the Logan family cabin. He’d get a new phone since he’d ditched the old one along with his earpiece, and try again to reach the team. The lack of contact, the lack of knowing his father’s fate, left him unsettled.
He found Katie sitting on a chair with her legs drawn close to her chest, rocking back and forth. She chewed her thumbnail, but her skin had a sickly sheen. Cain immediately went rigid. Had Jon…? He was beside her in seconds, rubbing her back that had turned damp with sweat.
“What’s happened?” he asked as gently as he could.
She faced him with a blank stare. The vibrant green eyes he’d lost himself in were blown wide and lackluster. He’d seen victims of shock. Katie exhibited most of the signs.
“I called Jon.” Her voice came out hollow, the lifeless tone of a person who had lost all hope. “Dravyn answered the phone.”
Cain’s body heated.
“He made me choose between you and Jon.” Tears spilled from her. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Choose between her brother and me?
“I have to take you someplace, and that asshole will be waiting for you.” She crushed her legs with her arms. “I didn’t want to do it, but…Jon’s my family. Dravyn would have killed him, I just know it.”
Cain closed his eyes for a second, imagining the conversation between Katie and the mysterious elf. She was loyal to the people she cared about, and he believed he was now included in that small circle. Dravyn had used the perfect weapon against her.
“I’m glad you kept Jon safe,” he said, tucking her loose hair behind her ear.
Katie fell against him, sobbing her heart out.
“Shh.” Cain kissed the top of her head. “That son of a bitch didn’t give you a choice. Jon’s your sibling and that gave him leverage. You did nothing wrong.”
Her sobs shook them while he cradled her in his arms. When all that was left were sniffles, Cain bent his head to see her face.
“Please call the team,” she said. “Tell them what’s going on. Maybe they got away. Maybe they can help.”
Cain wished he could find the team, but he wasn’t a fool. With Tanis down, Jarrid, Nesty, and Kas had surrendered to get medical aid for their father. He felt gutted. If they were in trouble, he should be with them. He glanced at Katie and understood her position perfectly. “Dravyn wants me to come alone, right?”
“I’m supposed to take you.”
“No.”
Katie’s eyes sparked with renewed life. “He said if I didn’t, he’d hurt Jon. I’m going, Cain.”
“Goddamn it. Didn’t you wonder why he made that stipulation?”
“He knows, or guessed, about me.”
Cain searched her face. “Knows what about you? That you’re a witness to Abel’s crime? We already came to that conclusion.”
“Dravyn asked if I was your whore.”
Rage burned behind the cool swirl of Cain’s Grace. He glanced at the stubborn tilt of Katie’s head, the raised brow and pursed lips. Talking sense into her wasn’t on the table. Son of a bitch.
“As soon as we arrive, you run like hell. Get to the cabin and stay there. Do not tell anyone where to find me.”
Katie crossed her arms. “Why not?”
“The fewer targets, the better,” he said through clenched teeth. “You run, damn it, and don’t look back, no matter what.”
Chapter Nineteen
The Rivertown Luxury Apartments was the last place Katie expected to find a crazy dark elf. She rechecked the address Dravyn had provided, and then she frowned again at the manicured landscaping. This wasn’t a den of evil. Lilacs and rose bushes didn’t smell like sulf
ur and brimstone.
She and Cain entered the deserted lobby. At four o’clock in the morning, the rent-a-cop was off duty and the front office had a Closed sign with a happy face on the door.
Cain stopped at the elevator. “Leave now.”
She pressed the button and waited for the stainless-steel doors to open. “I have to show up so he can see me.”
“That asshole.” A growl rumbled from his covered chest. She’d made him stop at a convenience store so she could buy him a T-shirt. “You know this is a fucking trap.”
Yeah, she figured. Still, Katie planned to complete her end of the deal. Jon’s life depended on it. They rode the elevator in silence, and part of her heart split in two. Her brother’s life was worth more than her own, but Cain’s? The past few days with him were the scariest, most exciting, most unimaginable moments she’d ever lived.
The elevator dinged at the penthouse level, and the doors opened to reveal a marble foyer decked out with a tall bronze planter and a flowering ficus tree. A lemon-fresh scent wafted through the air, coating the entryway with a homey vibe. Only one door waited on the other side of the short corridor.
Katie peeked at Cain’s face. His lips were drawn tight and the skin around his eyes was pinched. Heat rolled off his body, hot enough to start a fire.
He glanced at her. “Remember what I told you.”
She nodded. As soon as Dravyn opened the door, she’d beat a hasty retreat. The elevator should still be waiting, unless a resident summoned it from another floor. Cain walked up to the door and knocked.
Time cranked to a halt. Only the endless drumming of Katie’s heart against her ribs seemed to function.
Abel opened the door. She gaped at him, unable to peel her eyes from the man who was the spitting image of her protector. However, up close, Katie zeroed in on a small scar near Abel’s left eyebrow and a knick on his chin. Both were such minor differences they would have been easy to miss, except she had memorized every inch of Cain’s flawless face.
“I don’t have to ask if you like what you see,” Abel said. “Although, if you’d like to compare our skills in the bedroom…”
“Insult her again and I’ll cave your teeth in.” Cain blocked her view. “She’s leaving.”
Abel scoffed. “But I’ve poured refreshments.”
“Shove them up your ass,” Cain replied. “Where’s Dravyn?”
The mask of hospitality drained from Abel’s face. “I don’t think so, brother. Either we share a drink, or the elf promised to inject an overdose of morphine into the fireman.”
Katie gasped and clutched Cain’s shirt. She felt his muscles bunch under her hands.
Without another word, Abel made a sweep with his arm, indicating they should enter the penthouse. Her legs felt like putty, but she squeezed past the safety barrier of Cain’s broad back and walked into the room.
The place was a bachelor pad out of Maxim. Brown leather couches, modern style tables and chairs, a flat panel LED television as wide as a twin-size mattress on one long wall. The plush, cream-colored area rug softened the cold marble floor. A half-dozen drum pendant lights in assorted sizes hung from the ceiling.
Abel crossed to the kitchen and poured a dark liquid into three glasses. He raised two expectantly. Katie turned to Cain. His hostile expression was focused on his brother. The pulse at his temple ticked in a rapid beat, and his silver-eyed glare could melt iron.
She took one cautious step after another toward Abel. He wanted her to have a drink. Fine. She’d suck it down and get the heck out of there. She reached out a trembling hand to accept a glass.
“Appleton Estate’s Limited Edition,” Abel said. “The world’s oldest barrel-aged rum.”
Katie eyed the beautifully dark mahogany color and sniffed.
“Don’t fret. I wouldn’t stoop so low as to diminish this kind of quality with rancid poison.” He tipped his head and swallowed his drink.
She peeked at Cain as she sipped. The smooth oak flavor and a sweet hint of molasses exploded her taste buds. The liquid evaporated on her tongue and sent warmth tunneling down to her stomach.
“She’s had her drink; now call off your dog,” Cain said, not bothering to hide his displeasure.
Abel pulled a phone from his back pocket. He thumbed a button and raised the device to his ear. “They’re here. Leave the fireman alone.” He ended the call and placed the phone on the counter.
That was Katie’s cue to leave. She all but tossed the rum glass on the counter, turned, and speed-walked to the door.
“Stop.”
Abel’s voice slammed into her like a Category 5 hurricane wind. Katie’s body stiffened even as her legs threatened to buckle. She’d felt this once before. When—
“Snakes all over you.”
“No!” Cain cried out behind her.
She screamed. Dozens of slithering creatures suddenly appeared in her hands. Scaly skin rubbed against her legs and crawled across her shoulders. Katie shoved at the snakes on her chest. One hissed in her ear. A flickering tongue brushed her neck.
“Snakes inside you.”
Oh my God!
Her stomach bulged, the outline of a snake stretching her skin. Though her throat was raw, Katie belted out a scream worthy of an opera singer. She collapsed on the floor, clawing red streaks on her body. Her legs flailed as the mass covered her.
Another wave slammed into her mind.
“They’re gone,” Cain yelled. “You’re fine.”
Katie threw up.
…
The moment Katie heaved the contents of her stomach onto the shiny white tiles and passed out, Cain whirled and sent a dagger on a collision course with Abel’s chest. Superb training, or pure goddamned luck, made his twin dodge before it hit. Cain’s fury engulfed him, driving out all sense of brotherly love, of family.
He was an assassin. Time to act like one.
“All this for a woman? I barely touched her mind.” Abel ducked as two more daggers whizzed past, stabbing the wall behind him.
Cain summoned his Grace and fired at his brother. “Drop to your knees.”
Abel stiffened and shook. His right knee slammed into the marble floor. Before Cain’s eyes, his brother growled and broke through the command. Then a wave packing the power of a nor’easter crashed into him. “Slice your arm.”
For the first time in his life, Cain knew how his targets felt when his mind-control power gripped them. A small part of his brain clicked off, the synapses no longer under his influence. He tracked his hand pulling a dagger from his chest holster, fingers tight on the hilt.
Shaking, he raised his left arm and pressed the blade to the exposed skin, the deadly silver glistening under the artificial light. Cain pushed his Grace forward just as he dragged the sharp edge across his muscles. Blood swelled in the cut, oozing in a crimson flow. On a cry, he broke through the mind lock.
“I know about the binding on your soul,” Abel said, his face twisted in interest.
A second pulse hit Cain, squeezing his brain like a grapefruit.
“We can blast each other all evening, but eventually your power will fizzle and abandon you.”
Despite the building pressure inside his head, Cain squared his shoulders. He stared down his twin. “Wanna bet?”
Abel’s brow rose and he smirked. “I’m stronger, better-looking, vastly more intelligent, and I have an inexhaustible supply of angel juice. Did I leave anything out?”
“You were trained by Renegades, bro,” Cain said. “Those dicks lost the battle. Tells me a lot about your fighting skills.”
Abel threw his head back, surprising Cain with a laugh. “Are you baiting me, brother?”
“Let’s see how you do with the basics.”
In a blink, the compression in his head clicked off. Before Cain could react, his brother’s fist drove into his jaw in a blur of movement, whipping his head back. He stumbled. Ears ringing, he shook his head. Now that Abel wanted a brawl, he was happy to comply. He
surged forward and landed a blow. The punch connected with a crack.
“Better?” Cain asked, wiping blood from his split lip.
The epic battle had begun.
Cain and Abel ran at each other like bullet trains on the same track. He grabbed his brother’s head and slammed his knee into his twin’s chest. The air spewed from Abel’s lungs in a whoosh, but the Nephilim wasn’t easily beaten. His elbow clipped Cain’s nose. Fists pounded his midsection.
Cain took the pain and leveled more of his own. He and Abel switched between offensive street fighting and brutal counterattacks, Krav Maga style. Fuck avoiding conflict, he was ready to rip Abel apart. He targeted his twin’s most vulnerable points: the eyes, throat, face, solar plexus, groin. The son of a bitch blocked every move, zeroing in on Cain’s ribs, feet, and fingers.
“You hurt Katie,” Cain shouted. “She did nothing to you.”
“Collateral damage,” Abel yelled back on a grunt. “This is family business.”
They crashed into furniture, slammed into walls, and cracked two of the thick penthouse windows. Their blood splattered the room as red as the fury burning in Cain’s veins. Sweating and bleeding from countless wounds, he knew there was only one way this fight would end.
“Is this what the Renegades saved you for?” He coughed up blood. The room spun. “Is this what you want? To help those assholes?”
“I want…” Abel pushed off the wall, looking as ragged as his shredded T-Shirt. “You…to suffer.”
The final thread of hope unwound from Cain’s soul. The brother he’d once loved had truly died centuries ago. He whipped off his confining shoulder holster and then tensed for the jab aimed at his abused kidney. He flinched as another of his ribs cracked.
“You left me.” Abel’s second punch flattened his large intestine like a sausage patty. “Mother died because of you.” The kick to his chest flung Cain into the granite counter in the kitchen. “While you lived in Heaven, I was sentenced to life in Hell.” Abel threw him over the dining bar as if he weighed less than a bag of sugar. “When I’m done with you, the Renegades will pick off that brotherhood of yours, one by one.”
This wouldn’t end with his brother. With a surge of strength, Cain rammed his hand up. The clawed strike bashed his twin’s exposed throat. Abel coughed, tripped over an ottoman, and careened across the floor.
Angel Kin Page 17