“What?” Declan asked.
“Someone may be impersonating Bane. It’s the only explanation we could come up with.”
“We?”
“Sebastian and I.” Chill cleared his throat. “Like I said, I have to go and see Bane. You’re in charge till I get back.”
“What about the tigers?” Declan protested. “Without you here they’ll take over this place.”
“Sebastian will keep them in line,” Chill replied. “Or ‘Slash’ as he prefers.”
“I thought you didn’t trust him.”
“Well, there could be darker forces at work here. So I’m afraid we’ll have to for the time being.”
“Whoa, whoa…” Declan murmured. “What happens if I don’t hear from you? What if you don’t come back?”
“That’s not going to happen,” Chill said. “Because I’m going to be very careful. The thing is, we could be completely wrong about all this. I certainly hope we are. But I have to look into his eyes. I have to know the truth for myself.”
“I’m coming with you,” Cordelia said.
“What?”
“You heard me,” Cordelia fired back. “If something’s happened to Bane, then something’s happened to Harper too. I need to be a part of this.”
“Don’t be foolish,” Chill said. “If something has happened to them, you won’t be able to do anything about it.”
“You can’t – you can’t just go on your own,” Cordelia said shrilly.
Chill looked sideways to Declan. “Take her home.”
“No!” Cordelia squealed. “No, I won’t let you!”
She rushed up to him and grabbed his wrist tightly. “I’m coming.”
“You don’t want this,” Chill said. “I’m just ruining things for you.”
“Dude! Just – just let me help you! It’s my choice. I’m allowed to make choices, aren’t I?”
Chill looked to Declan again.
Declan looked down to the floor.
“Jesus Christ,” Chill muttered. “Where is Bane when you need him?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Chill had no intention of taking the limousine anywhere. Not to go find Bane, not to take Cordelia home. There wasn’t a vehicle in sight that would leave the clubhouse.
He led Cordelia to a room underneath the clubhouse, reached via a hidden trapdoor in one of the lounge areas.
As they reached the bottom of a series of stone steps, Chill pulled on a chord which sealed both the trapdoor shut, and lit up at the room at the same time with sparkling blue light. The room itself while wide and spread out, appeared little more than a study area. There was a desk and chair by the wall, and a bookcase beside it. They walked across the carpet towards it, Cordelia’s anticipation growing by the minute.
When another lever was sprung and the bookshelf shifted to one side, she expected to see something of the entrance to an underground garage, with some sort of sporting car or motorbike…
Instead what was revealed could only be described as a large oval shaped field of electricity.
“What is that?” Cordelia gasped.
“It’s a teleporter,” Chill replied, taking out his phone. “State of the art.”
“You mean as in … it ‘teleports’ people?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Chill said.
“Well, how did it get here? Did you – did Bane build it or something?”
“No, we had it installed.” He looked away from his phone a moment. “Your government already has access to this technology, although they choose not to reveal its existence, for fear of the repercussions. In other places though, it’s actually common place.”
“What other places?”
Chill shook his head. “Where do you think us shifters come from?”
Cordelia shrugged.
“Well, we weren’t born here, that I can tell you,” Chill said. “At least … a lot of us weren’t.”
He put the phone away.
“Are you ready?”
Cordelia frowned. “I’m not putting my hand into that stuff let alone my entire body.”
“You just walk through it. Like an open doorway. The journey is instantaneous. No side effects.”
“How do you know where we’ll end up?”
Chill patted his pocket. “I just fixed the coordinates.”
“And how do we get back?”
“Well, there’s no teleporter on the other end. So we’ll have to find our way in more traditional means.”
Cordelia shook her head. “Nah. No way, bro. Forget it. Let’s just go by car or whatever now. I don’t care how long it takes.”
“Alright. If you feel that way.”
Cordelia looked back to the teleporter.
She nodded.
Chill smiled. He put his hand through his hair and then pointed to the lever.
“Will you get that for us?”
Cordelia rolled her eyes and then turned to reach for it.
There was a moment where nothing happened. Where her whole body was suspended in time. Reaching out for the lever.
And in that moment, her mind woke up to what was happening.
What he was really doing.
“No!” Cordelia screamed.
Too late.
He’d pushed her through.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“You bloody asshole!” Cordelia shouted rolling about the ground. “I can’t believe you – You really –”
She trailed off seeing her arms and legs were submerged in freezing snow.
“Oh shit. Shit!”
Chill’s shadow erected to the side of her, and he grabbed her hands and pulled her up to him.
“Wasn’t that bad, now was it?” he boasted.
“You tricked me!” Cordelia accused. “That’s bullshit!”
“Calm down, Corrie –”
“Don’t call me that –”
“It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
Cordelia resisted his embrace and pushed him back. She stared out into the darkness of the night behind them, deliriously searching for a way to return.
“Come on, get a grip,” Chill said. “We’re here now. The resort where Harper and Bane are staying is just over the next hill.”
“You’re a prick,” Cordelia muttered.
“You said you wanted to come. It was your choice, remember?”
“Ha, ha,” Cordelia said sarcastically.
“You’re not even mad at me, it’s ridiculous,” Chill said. “Remember we’re on the same side here.”
“Whatever.”
Cordelia took a deep breath and then started marching on through the snow towards the hill.
“Oh, so you know where you’re going do you?” Chill called after her.
She glanced back. “Didn’t you just tell me?”
He smiled warmly and joined her side. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I’m here then.”
“I’m not flirting with you,” Cordelia said. “See this face. Not flirting.”
“But you will kiss me, won’t you?”
“No kissing either.”
“If I ask you nicely, you will.”
“Keep dreaming.”
“If I don’t ask you at all, you’ll definitely kiss me.”
“Shut up, bonehead.”
They reached the top of the hill. The resort, which could now be seen for all its extravagant glory, was still about two hundred yards away.
Cordelia’s knees pressed together, freezing.
“Any reason you didn’t just plunk us right out the front of the freaking thing?” she barked at Chill after a moment.
He stepped out in front of her, his eyes moving up her body.
“If I had done that, then this would never have happened.”
“What?” Cordelia cried.
His arms were already around her. His lips dancing along her neck.
“What – no – no permission, prick!”
She shoved him away.
Chill stepped back,
a naughty smile on his lips.
“Okay, that was just on the spur of the moment,” he said. “But think about all the lovely conversation we’re going to have on the way down there.”
“You can talk,” Cordelia said. “But I won’t listen.”
“Oh yes,” Chill replied. “Yes, you will.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
After a cold and dirty trudge through the yards of snow, a brittle wind almost sweeping them off their feet, the pair reached the resort with newly acquired resolve. Although everything appeared normal inside the opening foyer, Cordelia sensed something wasn’t quite right here. Things were a little too quiet. A little too … still.
They approached the front desk where a woman with long blue nails and matching hair greeted them with an imbalanced smile. “How may I help you?”
“A couple of our friends are staying here. Room 317, Bane and Harper.”
“Yes?”
Chill leaned forward. “Well, we’d like it if you let them know we’re here.”
“Alright. Have a seat over there. What’s your name?”
“Chill.”
“One moment.”
Chill turned away from the desk and nodded to the chairs by the wall. He and Cordelia sat down.
Looking back at the front desk, the woman had one ear glued to the phone while typing. Her eyes were focused on the screen in front of her.
“I don’t like her,” Cordelia muttered.
“Really?” Chill said. “Why not?”
“She’s weird.”
“You ever hear about not judging someone by their appearance?”
Cordelia snorted. “I didn’t say she looked weird. I said she is weird. Appearance is just one attribute.” She looked over at him. “You should learn not to talk down to people.”
“That’s the last time I disagree with you then.”
Cordelia nodded. “You didn’t disagree. You criticized.”
“I criticized your criticism. Why don’t we call it a draw, cowgirl?”
Cordelia racked her brain for a comeback. Nothing presented itself quick enough.
“Whatever.”
The woman was beckoning them back to the desk. They stood up and walked over.
“Bane said he will be down shortly,” she announced.
“Great,” Chill said. He thought a moment. “Didn’t sound upset did he?”
“Not that I noticed,” the woman replied.
Chill nodded to Cordelia. “She doesn’t like you, by the way. She thinks you’re weird.”
Cordelia slammed her fist into his arm.
The woman’s smile didn’t falter. “I know.”
“You know?” Cordelia blurted out.
“I’m not hard of hearing, Miss Ambrose.”
Cordelia stared at her. “Hey … How did you –”
“Hey guys,” a familiar voice called from down the hall. “So good of you to come.”
Cordelia and Chill peeled away from the front desk to meet Bane in the centre of the lobby.
“You don’t seem surprised,” Chill murmured.
“Well, you seemed a little distressed over the phone,” Bane said. “You needn’t have come of course, but now you’re here I guess we’ll be able to better set your mind at ease.”
“Where’s Harper?” Cordelia asked.
“In the shower. She suggested that you two might get a room here, and then join us in the restaurant later. Unless you’ve already eaten.”
Chill looked to Cordelia. She shook her head.
“Great,” Bane said. “Of course, just getting a room doesn’t mean you have to stay the night, but I’m sure Harper would be pleased if you do. There’s so many fun things to do here of a day.”
“We’ll think about it,” Chill said. “What time’s dinner?”
“Well, it’s just after nine now,” Bane said. “We’ll say at nine forty five we could meet for drinks and then dinner at ten fifteen.”
“Alright,” Chill said. “You don’t have any objections, do you Corrie?”
Cordelia shook her head.
“Perfect!” Bane exclaimed. “Just go back to the desk and she’ll sort you out there.”
He forced a smile and then turned his back to them.
“One question, Bane,” Chill called after him.
Bane stopped.
“Why did you hang up on Sebastian and I before?”
Bane turned, his face dark and serious.
“We’ll talk about that too.”
He kept walking.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Upstairs in room 523, Chill and Cordelia entered, the door softly closing behind them. The room was typical – bed in the centre, bathroom on the left. Cordelia went to the window and opened the blinds. It was too dark to see anything outside. Except the falling snow.
“I don’t want to stay here tonight,” she whispered. “As soon as I see that Harper’s okay, I’m outta here.”
“You don’t have to worry about anything,” Chill said.
“Why’s that?”
“Cause you have me to protect you.”
Cordelia turned around to face him. “I’m not a kid you know.”
“Yet, you are still afraid.”
Cordelia tilted her head slightly. Chill sat down on the bed and took his shoes off.
“Did you hear what the blue haired bitch said to me downstairs?” she asked.
“Something offensive, no doubt.”
“She called me ‘Miss Ambrose’. Did you even say my first name to her? How the fuck did she know my last name?”
“Thus are the mysteries of life.”
“You’re so stupid.”
Chill sat up. “What?”
“You’re just … so unbelievably stupid.”
“Keep going.”
“Something isn’t right here. Freaking Bane – did you see that look he gave you? I’ve never seen him look that way before. Not ever.”
“If there’s something happening here,” Chill said, “we’ll soon find out. What I don’t believe is making something out of nothing. You just watch what happens tonight. If something’s up, I’ll break him in two.”
“What?” Cordelia stammered. “How?”
“Never you mind.”
“I haven’t seen you and Bane fight, but I’m betting that he isn’t massively inferior. And that’s if there aren’t other people helping him here.”
“Bane and I won’t be fighting,” Chill said. “I’m not here to mess with what he’s doing. Best friends we might be, he’s still my boss.”
Cordelia shook her head and sighed.
She sat down on the bed. “Well, why are we here then?”
“Because I wanted to be alone with you.”
She turned her head sharply. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Whatever problems Harper and Bane have, they’re their problems. I’d follow him into the fire if he asked me too. Now, maybe there was a chance something else wasn’t right here. But we’ve seen Bane and while his mood might be off, he’s not under duress.”
“Well, okay, but you were joking.”
“Can I tell you something, Corrie?”
“Cordelia.”
“I want to tell you something personal, that might alter your thinking a bit.” He paused. “I know you’re upset. I know there’s things happening here you can’t explain. Things that might allude to something sinister. I get it. But nothing means more to me than what’s between us.”
“Us?”
“Us.”
He held out his hand and spread his fingers apart. He picked up hers with the other and made it so their fingers interlocked.
“You’re scared of being hurt, that’s why you argue with me,” he continued. “You’re scared which is why you try to pretend I’m this sleazing, super flirtatious douche who isn’t worth an hour of your time.”
“How do you know I don’t really think that?”
“Because you’re here with me, instead of Marshall.
”
“I’m here for Harper.”
“Harper doesn’t need you, Corrie,” he said. “I do.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
So much of what Chill was saying was true. Cordelia was scared, and not just for the reasons she’d been telling herself. With Harper gone for so long out of her life, it was frightening first because Harper might’ve been in danger. But then there was something even scarier – that now she had married Bane, Harper didn’t need Cordelia anymore.
It wasn’t just her absence that was unsettling. It was her lack of contact. How could she allow Cordelia to get this worried? How could she not be in touch with home? Bane had consumed her, everything and all at once – and now Cordelia was frightened and alone. Marshall her soon to be ex-boyfriend, God bless him, wasn’t a bad guy at all. They got on well together and shared the same interests. Mostly. But did she feel like Harper did about Bane? Was there anything even remotely that close between them?
Looking at Chill sitting with her on the bed, their fingers interlocked, she knew what he was saying was true. She liked him. A lot. A part of her saw Chill as the answer to all her current problems. He’d fix her loneliness. Her heartache. He’d transform her life beyond recognition to the point where she herself was completely different person. She wanted what Harper had.
She wanted true love.
Still, it shouldn’t have been happening.
With secrets and danger all around them, the pair on the bed, now had their arms around one another, kissing passionately, as if they were the last people on earth.
She ripped the buttons of his shirt apart, pressing herself into his bare chest. Chill’s hands massaged her entire body, as one moved up her neck and through her hair, and the gently streamed along her back.
They continued kissing, their lips creating a glow between them each time they parted, and Cordelia felt herself floating away.
“No,” she whispered.
“What?” Chill managed.
“Not yet,” she said. “Not the whole way.”
They broke apart, Cordelia’s whole body shaking. She adjusted her clothes so everything was in the right place and then moved around the bed.
Chill: Trillionaire Shifter Club Book Two Page 4