Infinite Surrender: 2 (Blood Feud)

by Gayle Donnelly

  Talon moved slowly, his muscular thighs tightening with each fluid step. When he reached the door, he placed his hand above hers on the thick wood and gently closed and locked it, resetting the alarms before he turned to her. Those eyes, she thought. She could get lost in those damn blue eyes of his, especially the way he was looking at her now. Heat mixed with regret, if that was even possible.

  He came to her then, using his fingers to lift her chin to his gaze. “I’m not going anywhere, Chloe,” he said softly, his deep voice gliding over her senses.

  He enfolded her in his arms, placing her head against his chest as he stroked her hair with one hand and gently rubbed her back with the other. After the initial shock, she forced herself to relax in his embrace. He hadn’t held her like this since she was young, at a time when he thought of her more as a little sister, when she would hurt herself playing too rough with the boys and needed consoling. It felt nice. She felt safe, protected. At that moment, it didn’t matter that he believed she wasn’t good enough for him or that he didn’t believe in her. She knew he felt obligated as a Coteri warrior to protect her because she was female. That wasn’t love or even caring. That was duty. But she could take this small moment in time and just feel. Feel his arms around her. Feel his strength. And take this moment to just be held, to be comforted.

  Taking a deep breath, she placed her forehead on his chest as his hands moved to her shoulders. Her pity-party time was over. She had to be strong. She straightened and took a step back from him. “Thanks, Talon, but I’m fine. You really should go now.”

  He crossed his arms over his insanely broad chest and braced his feet apart as he stared down at her. “Not happening, Chloe. If you refuse to go home then you just got yourself a new roommate.”

  His grin was wicked and it did things to her senses that she couldn’t handle right now. She stiffened and placed her hands on his hips, from content to aggravated in zero-point-five seconds. This man lit her fuse like no other, in more ways than one, unfortunately.

  “I don’t think so, Talon. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time now and I’m damn good at it.” She lowered her hands to her sides and shook her head before softening her tone. “Look, I appreciate you coming all this way to check on me but you really should have just called. I could have told you on the phone that I was fine and could have saved you the trip. And thanks for letting me know about Luca’s threat. Trust me, I’m not Mina. She was unaware of the danger and untrained. I blame myself for that by not being honest with her but believe me, he won’t get to me.”

  That quickly, Talon moved to her and cupped her shoulders with his large hands. She felt the heat from his touch burning through her sweater. “It most certainly wasn’t your fault that Mina was taken, Chloe. That fault lies with me since she was taken on my watch. And I did call, damn it. Time and time again, as did your brother and Mina,” he growled.

  She startled at that. “What? You all called me? Mina called me?” She shook her head. “Wait, I haven’t heard from anyone back home since I’ve been here. Don’t lie to me, Talon.”

  He gave her a gentle shake. “Lying takes too much damn effort and you know me better than that, Chloe. I’m telling you we’ve all called, repeatedly. Mathias even left messages with Killian when he couldn’t reach you. We’ve all been trying to contact you to make sure you understood the danger you were in here. We learned of Luca’s threat to you before you even touched down in Washington, damn it. And that information was relayed to Killian on the plane.”

  She could only stare back at him in stunned silence. She had a sick feeling rolling in her gut. She trusted her instincts and after what she learned earlier tonight, her instincts were telling her she was being played, and not by Talon. And she was not anyone’s toy. Hadn’t she been proving that since she arrived here? Fury suffused her veins as she jerked away from Talon and headed into the kitchen. She pulled a beer out of the fridge and tossed it over her shoulder to him, knowing full well he would follow her, before pouring herself a fresh half glass of wine. She replaced the cork and returned the bottle to the fridge before turning to face Talon, who was indeed standing in her kitchen with beer in hand.

  She moved to the counter and grabbed her phone, punching in the number with much more force than necessary. It only rang twice when the familiar voice answered. “Killian, I’ll be in your office first thing tomorrow morning. We need to talk.”

  She disconnected the call without waiting for a response and took a deep breath. She needed to calm down. She knew she did. Killian was still her superior but either she was a part of the team or she wasn’t. There could be no in between, which meant full disclosure was a requirement. Yet a part of her still couldn’t believe Killian would deceive her like this. What possible reason would he have to justify not telling her Luca had made her a target? What possible reason would he have tampered with her phone? It just didn’t make sense and she was getting a headache trying to figure it all out. Her phone rang, startling her out of her musings. She hit the ignore button when Killian’s name appeared on the display and powered down the phone. She needed time to think before she confronted him.

  She poured her untouched wine out in the sink and rinsed the glass before turning once again to Talon. As she looked at him in her kitchen, she couldn’t help where her thoughts immediately turned. Did she dare take advantage of the mutual attraction that was obvious between them? Knowing it could only end with her broken heart? Could she keep her emotions removed enough to simply enjoy what little time she had with him? Was she strong enough? One thing she knew for sure, she wasn’t in any shape to make those decisions tonight.

  Talon seemed to sense the jumble of her thoughts and took that moment to intervene. “Chloe, you don’t have to decide or figure out anything tonight. But know this—I’m not going anywhere until this situation is resolved.” He moved closer to her then. His deep voice caressed her senses. “Now tell me where you want me to sleep and let’s get some rest.”

  Her body was screaming at her to say, “Sleep in my bed, sleep in my bed!” but thankfully, her brain took control of the decision as she answered after a long moment. “Second floor guest room. It’s the third door on the left.”

  That was her old room. The one she couldn’t allow herself to use once she had returned to this house and all its memories. At least someone would get good use out of the room, she thought.

  Talon surprised her again as he put down his beer, stepped in close, and cupped her face in his hands. Heat once again infused her body at his touch. Her nipples brushed against his hard chest as she placed her smaller hands on his wrists. He lowered his forehead to hers and inhaled deeply, his eyes closing. “I could have lost you, damn it,” he whispered, then gently took her lips in his for a soft kiss.

  Her knees literally went weak as she gripped his wrists to stay standing. He pulled away too quickly and turned for the stairs. Grabbing a black duffle she hadn’t noticed at the foot of the stairs, he ascended quickly. He looked over his shoulder as he reached the second floor landing.

  “Chloe?” he called softly.

  Her gaze met his across the open landing.

  “I’m sorry. For everything I said and did back in Germany. I…” He paused and looked down before meeting her gaze again. “Good night, Chloe,” he murmured before disappearing into her old room.

  Chloe turned out all the lights and checked the alarms before heading to her own room, which was directly above Talon’s. Her mind was a jumble of emotions with everything that had happened tonight. She washed her face and brushed her teeth then quickly changed into a comfy night shirt before sliding into her bed, the downy softness surrounding her. Before turning off the light on her bedside table, she reached for her phone, turned it back on then hit the contact number she was so accustomed to. His low voice answered.

  “Hello?”

  Chloe remained silent as always but only for a moment before she whispered, “Good night, Talon.” She closed the phone and
turned off the light.

  * * * * *

  Hours later, Talon looked at his phone log. Unknown. It had been her all along. He’d known it. Placing the phone on the nightstand, he tossed and turned, punched at his pillow, struggled to find a comfortable position to sleep, if just for a few short hours. The fact that he was trying to cram his large frame into a full-sized bed was only part of the problem. He was used to his oversized king where his damn legs didn’t hang off the bottom of the bed. Frustrated, he flopped to his back and bent his legs at the knees, throwing an arm over his forehead.

  Damn, she was directly above him. He swore he could smell her essence. He kept replaying the scene at the restaurant and then on her front porch—her in the arms of another man, her kissing another man. And what was his response to all this? To basically attack her in her own kitchen. He had lost control and damn it, he didn’t do that. Ever. He knew instinctively when he kissed her it was meant to wipe all thoughts of any other man from her memory. But when his lips met hers for the first time, he was lost.

  Her lips were full, silky soft, and fitted to his as if especially made for him. Her body molded to his perfectly and the little sounds she made drove him insane. He’d wanted nothing more than to strip them both bare and take her right there on the kitchen table.

  He was here to protect her, he reminded himself. To ensure she finished her assignment and made it safely home to her family. That was all.

  Earlier that night, he’d seen the utter devastation in her eyes when she learned of Killian’s betrayal. It had taken everything in his power not to go to her then and wrap his arms around her in comfort. But that would have been the wrong move, especially in front of her team. She was trying to prove something here, start a new life, one without him or her family. But through the pain he also saw something else, something deeper, an anger and determination that flared in her beautiful green eyes. She would not stand for deception and her will was definitely stronger than he’d ever imagined. She’d definitely grown up since she’d been away and she definitely wasn’t a “little girl” anymore. And frankly, that fact scared the shit out of him.

  Talon stilled as he heard movement above him, then a soft moan. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up, listening intently. More movement then a throttled cry rang out. Without stopping to dress, he reached for his blade under the pillow and took the stairs three at a time, reaching Chloe’s room in a matter of seconds. The door wasn’t locked, not that it would have made a difference, as he pushed his way into her room only to find her thrashing at her covers, fighting an invisible attacker.

  He strode quickly to her side, placing his blade on the nightstand before sitting on the edge of the bed. She was having a nightmare. He placed his hands on her shoulders to stop the thrashing and she immediately calmed and turned toward him. The moonlight from the large windows allowed him to see the tears that streaked down her cheeks and god help him, he couldn’t stop his next reaction.

  Talon lowered himself to the bed and cradled her, gently brushing the tears from her face and the riotous curls from her forehead. He pulled her onto his chest as he held her close, gently kissing the top of her head. “Shhh, you’re safe, baby. I’m here. You’re safe.”

  He lay on top of the covers but as she immediately molded into his embrace, he cursed himself for not taking the time to put on his damn pants. Her small hand was placed directly over his heart, her fingers gently curling into the dusting of hair on his chest, as she nuzzled her head on his shoulder. He didn’t think anything had ever felt so right. He continued to stroke her hair and her back until she calmed enough to fall back into a deep sleep. “My soul,” he whispered, placing a final kiss on her forehead before gently removing himself from the bed and returning to his own room.

  As he stared into the darkness from his own bed, his head was spinning with emotions. He wanted to be back in her bed, holding her throughout the night, touching her, keeping her nightmares at bay, bringing her pleasure. And wasn’t that just a fucked-up place for his head to be, considering it was the last thing he could allow to happen. As his thoughts continued to swirl into dawn’s first light, he realized he might not be able to stay away from her. And god help them both if that happened.

  Chapter Fifteen

  As they rode the elevator up to the top floor in silence, Chloe’s nerves were in overdrive. Talon refused to let her meet with Killian without him. She hadn’t slept but a few hours the night before, tossing and turning, thinking of Talon in the bed directly below her. She’d had another nightmare but unlike the others, this one shifted and she was suddenly safe and warm, enfolded in Talon’s strong embrace. The dream was so vivid she swore when she awoke she could still smell him on her sheets. She shook her head at her own foolish flights of fantasy where he was concerned. She needed to be focused, ready for her confrontation with Killian and Talon was definitely a distraction.

  The elevator pinged and the doors opened to the impressive vestibule she remembered from her previous visits. They quickly made their way down the narrow hall to the corner office. The door was open. Killian was setting two cups of steaming coffee on the small table that sat closest to the kitchen area when his gaze caught hers and her guest’s.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Talon?” Killian barked.

  Talon strode farther into the room, exuding confidence as he replied, “Same as Tre. Just here to lend a helping hand with your little problem.”

  The fury in Killian’s gaze could not be missed and Chloe absently wondered at the cause. The reasons were inconsequential, however. She needed answers from Killian and she wasn’t going to leave this room until she had them.

  Chloe stepped forward, drawing Killian’s attention. “Chloe,” he began. “I spoke with Daniel last night and I assume you have some questions you’d like to ask me?”

  She took a seat at the small table but remained silent. Killian looked at Talon once again. “He’s not part of my team, Chloe. We’ll talk in private or not at all. Your choice.”

  Chloe turned to look at Talon. His jaw was tight but other than that, he showed no other outward signs of his tension at being summarily dismissed. He came to her then, cupped the back of her neck and leaned in and placed a gentle kiss to her temple. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.” He straightened, then exited the conference room swiftly, silently, but left the door open.

  Chloe turned to face Killian, who had taken the seat next to hers, and noted the heated glare in his gray eyes as he tracked Talon’s exit. She waited until his attention was once again on her. “I’ll get right to the point. I need to know, Killian, why didn’t you tell me about the threat from Luca?”

  Killian dropped his head for a moment before he met her gaze once again. “I’ll be honest, Chloe, I’m not used to explaining my decisions. However, since you’re new to the team I will. We didn’t know for certain if it was a legitimate threat. At least not until after you were attacked in the parking lot of the clinic. I needed your focus where you were most effective, on the clinic and its patients, not on some supposed threat. You’re doing incredible work and I needed to ensure that continued. It was my call and I stand by it, although I think we can all safely assume now that the threat from Luca is indeed legitimate.”

  His gaze centered on hers as he continued, “I had already made the decision to tell you, Chloe. Your safety is paramount and all of our information points to the fact that Luca is indeed the one orchestrating these threats against you. You would have been told,” he promised, “without Talon tainting your opinion of me.”

  Chloe schooled her emotions, not letting any of her features react to his words. The parking lot attack had occurred weeks ago, she reminded herself. Just when was he going to tell her?

  “And you didn’t have enough faith in me to believe I could have been made aware of the threat and still focus on my assignment?” She was pissed and knew her tone reflected her anger but she didn’t care. She had trusted him and thought he
trusted enough in her abilities to be completely honest with her. She could feel the heat of her anger rise to her cheeks and knew her mask of indifference was slipping.

  “Again,” Killian repeated in a harsher tone. “It was my call and I was planning to tell you, whether you believe that or not, Chloe.” He let out a long sigh and shook his head. “Look, the decision not to tell you had been made before you had proven yourself. You were new to my team, new to field work. I had to be sure you could handle it and you had proven that to me, especially after your latest attack. You were going to be told.”

  His voice became more heated with each statement. Chloe noted his gray eyes turned darker as his own temper rose, more than likely at having his decisions questioned by a member of his team, a female member no less.

  She slapped her phone on the table. “And my phone? Want to explain why I haven’t been receiving calls from anyone in Germany since I arrived when I know for a fact calls have been made? I want it fixed. Now.”

  Killian quickly grabbed the phone and flipped off the back cover, removing a flat circular disc from underneath the battery casing before putting it back together and sliding it across the table to her. He rose from his chair and moved to the windowed wall that displayed the gorgeous Seattle skyline. His back was to her and she noted the tense set of his shoulders as he spoke softly after a long silence.

  “I know what they did to you, Chloe. I know how they made you feel. I witnessed part of the confrontation you had with Talon in the training room that night we left.” He sighed heavily and lowered his head as she stood from the table and moved to stand directly behind him. She had suspected as much.

  “You deserve better than that, Chloe. You’re talented, capable, beautiful, and resourceful. You deserve better than to be made to feel inferior and unworthy.” He breathed in deeply then exhaled but still kept his back to her.