“But you have some idea don’t you?” Chloe asked hesitantly.
Daniel suddenly stood, holding out a hand to help her up as he moved them toward the front door. “I asked him for a small blood sample. I’ve got a hunch, but before I share, I want to check it out myself. It may be nothing.”
Chloe’s eyes went wide with surprise. “And he agreed to do that?” she asked incredulously.
Daniel shrugged. “Yeah, he did. For now he’s got it in his head that we’re part of some covert government agency and with him being ex-military,” Daniel shrugged, “guess he figured it was part of the drill. Although I don’t know how long he’s going to be able to keep convincing himself of that. He’s not stupid. Anyway, I’ll let you know what I find out.” He pulled her into a quick hug, then set her back away from him. “In the meantime, don’t share anything more with him than what we did tonight. He bought our cover and, for now anyway, is willing to help us. We’ll let him…to a point. But don’t trust him with more, Chloe. Promise me.”
She gave him a shove on the shoulder and feigned consternation. “Please, Danny. You don’t really think you have to remind me of that, right?”
He chuckled and gave her shoulder a friendly shove back. “Hey, you did well tonight. You’ve got some mad skills there, Chlo.” He smiled and chucked her chin with his fingers. “Lock up and set the alarms. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and left, closing the door behind him. Once again, the silence was deafening.
* * * * *
Hours later after showering and changing into her comfy night clothes, Chloe wandered the rooms, her gaze traveling over her familiar surroundings. She laughed half-heartedly as she realized this place actually felt more like home than her rooms back at the castle. And just how sad was that?
As she passed the sideboard, she stopped and picked up a photo of her and Mina. They were laughing, arms around each other’s shoulders. She remembered that day. They had taken one of their day trips into Seattle and ended up at Pike Place Market, tossing fish with the tourists. So many memories. Happy memories. Now all but shredded, just like her red Versace bag.
She moved to the kitchen to pour herself another glass of wine. She had long ago surpassed her two-glass limit, but come on— this had been one hell of a day. She deserved it.
She stopped at the kitchen table, taking another look at the note that had been left on her door earlier. Daniel had given it to her at her insistence. Soon, my pet was all that was written. Closing her eyes, she suppressed a shudder. Who the hell is doing this? She couldn’t figure out the connection, knew she was missing something. She needed to talk to Killian. Go over all the details so they could figure this out. She could handle this, damn it. She could. She would not fail.
She took her glass in hand, wrapped her fluffy white robe around her and made her way out onto the deck. She flicked the switch to bring the gas flames to life in the stone-enclosed fire pit, feeling the warmth immediately. Lowering herself into the lounge chair, she stared up at the stars. The sky was incredibly clear, the moon bright and high, casting shadows from the snow-capped peaks of the Olympic Mountains. She heard what sounded like a lone wolf howl in the distance, which brought back memories of home. The air was cold enough that she could see her breath but she was already numb from the inside out, her emotions all over the place.
She looked out over the bay to see the glow of Christmas lights from far-off houses reflecting off the dark water, once again reminding her of the impending holiday and that she would be spending it alone. Chloe sighed as she turned her attention to the large planter pot located at the corner of the deck. She slowly rose, took careful steps, and felt around the base. There. She pulled out the small box and opened it. Inside were four damp cigarettes. She closed the box and brought it to her chest. Mina’s hidden stash. She took a healthy drink of her wine, then began to laugh. Softly at first, but it built and built until her sides ached as she made her way back to the lounge chair. God, how she missed her friend.
She dropped into a heap, shoulders still shaking with laughter until finally the laughter turned to tears. Big, fat tears. Tears at all she’d lost. Tears at what she would never have—a true sister, a true home, a true love. Tears for the chilling fears that were tearing at her insides, trying to break free, but which she forced down out of necessity. My god, had she really fought two Valta warriors tonight? She shivered at the memory.
Her phone vibrating brought her out of her hysteria as she sat up and pulled the device from her robe pocket. Checking the caller ID, she stilled. Killian. Daniel must have already turned in his report. Just another emotional complication she couldn’t deal with right now.
The way he looked at her, stood within her personal space, found ways to touch her and remind her that he was not her General… Chloe blew out a frustrated breath. Regardless, he was her boss and there was no way she was ready to even contemplate him as anything more than that. She definitely wasn’t in the right frame of mind to discuss tonight with him. She was too shaken by the parking lot incident and knew there would be no way in hell to hide that if she spoke to Killian right now. Chloe knew she had to keep her fears and weaknesses hidden or risk being pulled off the assignment. She couldn’t allow that to happen. She’d call him in the morning. She hit the ignore button and rose to return inside. She hated crying, hated showing that kind of weakness. After resetting the security alarm, she made her way to the third floor room that was now hers, removing her robe and melting into the downy softness of her bed.
Now, in the safety and comfort of her bed, cuddling under the blankets, Chloe allowed her fear to creep in. She knew she had to be strong around the men if they were going to respect and accept her. A lone tear fell down her cheek. Who was targeting her and why?
She could sure use her big brother right about now but knew she couldn’t talk to him about everything that had happened. He’d always been overprotective where she was concerned, so the fact she hadn’t talked to or heard from him since before she left Germany told her he wasn’t aware of the details of her assignment. But still, it would have been nice if he’d at least called to check on her. Could I be any more pathetic and needy? She berated herself as her eyes watered. Cursing her own weakness, she brushed the tears aside, reached for her phone and pressed the speed dial she kept promising herself she wouldn’t use again. But right now she needed to hear the strength of his voice. One last time, she promised herself.
“Yeah?” his deep voice answered on the second ring.
As usual she remained silent.
“Chloe?” A long sigh. “Talk to me.”
She hit the end button, powered the phone off, burrowed under the covers and prayed for a dreamless sleep.
Chapter Twelve
“I’m taking care of some personal business, Mother. Then I’ll head down to New Orleans just as we planned. Our timeline won’t be altered, you have my word.” Luca held the phone away from his ear, barely hearing Valencia’s usual tirade. When the diatribe ceased, he returned to the phone just in time to hear, “Maybe I need to come there myself just to see what has your undivided attention.”
Luca stiffened. “No need, Mother. I’m just tying up some loose ends. My work here is almost done. I’ll check in soon.” He ended the call. Bitch. Luca threw the phone across the room, where it bounced off the closed office door and landed on the plush carpet below.
A soft knock sounded. “Enter,” Luca yelled, still burning with irritation after the call with his mother. The door slowly opened, revealing Ryker and his second, whom Luca didn’t feel inclined to become familiar enough with to learn his name. The flunky bent to retrieve Luca’s phone from the floor and passed it to Ryker.
“What the fuck happened to you two?” Luca bellowed as Ryker and the other man approached his desk, the low light from the lamp accentuating the damage to their faces.
Ryker extended his hand, offering the discarded phone, then shifted uneasily from one foot to t
he other. “We ran into a bit of trouble tonight that I thought you should know about.”
Luca could feel his tension building. He was so close to gaining the perfect revenge. Too close to accomplishing the ultimate payback and claiming his prize. Too close to ensuring his enemies, and his mother, would never underestimate him again. If these two fucks had done anything to cause a setback in his plans… Luca let his thoughts drift, imagining the pleasure of exacting punishment for such failures. “Just what kind of trouble are we talking about, Ryker? And don’t bother leaving out any of the details.”
Ryker relayed what had happened earlier in the clinic parking lot. “Through our surveillance, it was obvious Chloe was getting comfortable in the clinic, letting down her defenses. I was told her bodyguard wasn’t there. I know you didn’t give the order but I thought it would be a good surprise for you. It was going to be an easy snatch and grab.” He nodded to his second. “Slater and I had everything under control, but she had help, sir. We had her and she would have been back here tonight if those Coteri fucks hadn’t come to her rescue. They caught us off guard.”
Luca sneered at the imbeciles in front of him. “Did those ‘Coteri fucks’ come to her rescue before or after the female sliced your face to shreds? And don’t bother denying it, Ryker. I know female claw marks when I see them. It looks to me like she’s not the one who needed rescuing.”
Ryker took a step back, obviously uncomfortable relaying this news. “She doesn’t fight like any female I’ve been around. We didn’t think we needed to shift, since she’s just a female, but she knows her shit, I’ll give her that. Plus she wasn’t alone and the human male with her was a distraction.” Ryker seemed to gather some courage and took a step forward, lifting his chin. “But she won’t be able to surprise me next time. I’ll be ready, Luca.”
Luca slowly rose and moved from behind his desk to stand directly in front of Ryker. They were almost the same height but Luca carried his muscular build on a much larger frame. He placed a strong hand on Ryker’s shoulder and shook his head. “I’m afraid there won’t be a next time, Ryker.”
Too quick to allow for any reaction, the hand on Ryker’s shoulder moved to grip Slater’s throat. Luca’s eyes never left Ryker’s as he smoothly moved behind the other man, tightening his hold. “You see, Ryker, I simply won’t tolerate incompetence. And you, my obtuse friend, have not only gone against my direct orders again, but allowed a fucking female and a human, no less, to best you in hand-to-hand. And your surveillance is obviously not as reliable as you think.” Luca’s grip tightened as Slater struggled for air. “Now tell me, Ryker, just what use could I possibly have for such an utter failure?”
Before Ryker could even respond, Luca drove his iron-coated dagger into Slater’s heart, slowly turning the handle as he looked directly into Ryker’s wide-eyed gaze. Luca smiled as he continued shifting the blade until in a quick motion he drew the dagger diagonally down Slater’s torso, the hilt never leaving contact with his body. Luca shoved the man off his blade, forcing Slater to land in a pool of his own blood, eyes fixed and lifeless. Luca bent to wipe his blade clean on the dead man’s pants just as his cell went off.
Moving to his desk, Luca checked the display before answering. “Tell me you’ve got news.”
“Yes, sir. It’s done. Just as we planned. No one here suspects, I’m certain. What are your next orders?”
Luca hastened a glance at the worthless piece of shit on his carpet then moved to a stunned-faced Ryker as a slow smile emerged. “I have no need for you at the castle now. You will join me in Washington. I seem to have a sudden opening for a second-in-command and you have more than earned that honor. Make whatever excuses necessary but I expect to see you soon. There is much to be done here within a short amount of time.”
A breathless silence, then, “Yes, sir. I’m honored, sir.”
Luca disconnected the call and pressed a com button on his desk phone. Moments later, one of his lieutenants arrived, standing at attention.
Not bothering to look up from his computer screen, Luca motioned to the front of his desk. “Get rid of this shit. And send someone to clean the carpets.”
After a long silence, Luca noted Ryker, who was still standing in marbled stone stiffness. “Oh, Ryker, you’re still here. You’re dismissed until I decide what to do with you.”
Ryker robotically turned to leave the room. As he reached the door, Luca added, “And Ryker, don’t disappoint me again or a demotion in rank will be the least of your worries.”
Ryker didn’t even turn around. He hastened a soft, “Yes, sir,” and left the office without a glance back.
* * * * *
Talon shifted back to his human form as he returned from his search for Simon in the surrounding woods and villages. How had the fucker disappeared without a trace? There was no sign of the man anywhere. He needed Tre here, damn it. Although they had dozens of Coteri aiding in the search, he’d feel more confident with Tre by his side. And why the hell hadn’t he heard from the man? His gut was churning. As he stomped through the stone hallways leading to his quarters, Talon figured he had just enough time to shower and change before his meeting with Roderick and the others.
Closing the door behind him, he began shedding his clothes as he headed to the shower. He placed his phone on the counter and paused. Those calls. Those damn calls. He felt in his gut the anonymous calls were Chloe. He knew it. But the caller never said a word. Hell, maybe it was Luca or one of his cronies just messing with his head and it was only his overactive imagination hoping the calls were from Chloe. After all, why in hell would she want to hear his voice after all the vile shit he’d laid on her? But god, how he prayed it was her. Pathetic.
Stepping into the shower, he let the warm water wash over his aching muscles. He’d been going nonstop in search of the king’s guard, knowing the sooner he could find the bastard, the sooner he could bring Chloe home. Head down, he imagined Chloe in there with him. Water cascading over her silky skin was becoming a familiar fantasy of his. His hands caressing each of her seductive curves as he pulled her to him. Eyes closed, he pictured his rigid length sliding into her wet folds, the grip of her pussy tightening around him in a fiery clasp. Breaching the barrier he had felt with his fingers, knowing he was the recipient of that singular gift. He was burning alive.
He took himself in hand, continuing the fantasy. Hooking one of her long legs around his hip, he pushed her back to the wall and drove deep into her core, eliciting a strangled cry of pleasure from her while she moaned his name in ecstasy. He slowly pulled back, almost free of her center and bent his knees, the rush of sensation on his cock almost unbearable. His grip tightened and his strokes picked up pace.
Burrowing his head at her throat, licking and suckling that sweet skin, he grabbed her other leg to pull it around his waist and slammed home in a relentless pistoning action that drove them both higher and higher until their joined climax had him shattering under the utter intensity.
Talon’s head rested against the wall, the water now turning cool. As his heart rate regulated, he shook his head as if in a daze. Shit. She wasn’t even here and she was driving him insane! He quickly washed away the remnants of what had become a recurring fantasy. He shut off the water and dried his body before walking naked into his room to dress for his meeting. He had to get his head on straight where Chloe was concerned. She would never be his. He couldn’t allow it and more to the point he didn’t deserve it. But he would see her safely back here where she belonged, even if it killed him.
He dressed quickly and returned to the bathroom to retrieve his phone. He looked at the received call log. Unknown, unknown, unknown. Cursing his juvenile imagination, he shut down the phone, dropped it in his pocket and headed to the king’s study. Fucking pathetic.
* * * * *
The mood was somber as he entered the study. His muscles tensed in warning. Roderick sat behind his desk, forehead resting in his hands. Mina sat on the couch, clutching her rounded
midsection, head down. Mathias was pacing in front of the fireplace, fists clenched, jaw tight. Talon strode purposefully to stand in front of Roderick’s desk, hands clasped behind his back. “Okay, what did I miss?”
Roderick lifted his head and rose from his chair. “Talon, any luck in the search for Simon?”
Mina exploded off the sofa. “Who the hell cares about that right now? We need to get to Chloe.”
Talon’s brows furrowed in question at Mina’s remark. “Has something else happened?”
“Answer my question, Talon. Is there any sign of Simon?” Roderick asked again as if Mina hadn’t spoken, bringing Talon’s attention back to his king.
“No sign of him in Germany, sir. My gut is telling me he’s left the country. I’ve already dispatched more warriors to expand the search,” Talon replied in an even tone, shifting his gaze to Mina who was now standing, hands clenched at her sides.
The tension in his muscles tightened further as he looked between the three of them. An icy coldness filled his veins. Something had definitely happened. “Tell me,” Talon stated simply.
It was Mathias who spoke first but it wasn’t the answer to the question Talon had asked. “Have you had any contact with Chloe?”
Talon thought about the mysterious unknown calls but decided to say nothing. “No. I’ve tried to call her several times but she either ignores my calls or lets them go to voicemail,” Talon replied evenly. “You?”
Mathias stepped closer to Talon, jaw still rigid. “My own sister won’t accept my calls, Talon. I’ve left message after message. I’ve even gone so far as to call Killian to relay messages. Nothing.” He began to pace again. “Mina has called and left messages. Nothing.” He stopped directly in front of Talon and crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes turbulent in their fury. “I want to know exactly what happened between you two and what was said the night she left. That’s an order, Talon.”
Infinite Surrender: 2 (Blood Feud) Page 12