Chapter Twenty-One
Later that evening Chloe sat at the kitchen table with Talon, Tre, Daniel, and David. The rest of the guys were patrolling and following some new leads that looked promising. Killian was a no-show and for that, she was grateful. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to keep her anger in check after what he’d done this morning.
Daniel drew everyone’s attention as he set a large accordion folder on the table and began removing a stack of papers. “What’s all that?” Chloe asked.
“I found some interesting information today that we need to review,” Daniel said, still removing papers. “I think I may have found our link or at the very least, gotten us a hell of a lot closer to the link we’ve been looking for.”
Daniel handed Talon a stack. “These are records of all of the missing and found victims who had ties to the clinic. Take a look and let me know if anything jumps out at you.”
Talon glanced at each report, moving through the pages quickly. His sharp gaze lifted to Daniel. “Son of a bitch.” He slammed the reports on the table.
Daniel lifted his lips in a sardonic smile. “Yeah, my reaction exactly. Only you caught it a hell of a lot quicker than I did.”
Tre moved to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer. “You guys care to enlighten the rest of us any time soon or is this gonna just remain a bro-fest between you two?” he asked, giving Chloe a wink as he returned to his seat.
Daniel’s gaze turned to Chloe and she felt a shiver go up her spine. Somehow she knew she wasn’t going to like what he’d found. Daniel slid the reports to her.
“Check out the names of the primary physicians, Chlo,” he stated almost somberly.
Chloe went through each page, faster and faster, not wanting to believe what she was seeing, and shaking her head. “No, this doesn’t prove anything. It’s a fairly small clinic. This could be total coincidence. We can’t jump to conclusions on this.” Her voice rose with each statement as her heart began to pound.
David took the files from Chloe and began to scan through them. “No fucking way. He’s been playin’ us all along.”
David passed the files to Tre while Chloe rose and went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. She unscrewed the cap, took a healthy drink and closed the door just as Tre read aloud.
“Attending physician, Doctor Sean O’Connor. Attending physician, Doctor Sean O’Connor. Attending physician, Doctor Sean O’Connor. Damn, every single victim from the clinic? How the fuck did you all miss this?” he asked heatedly.
Chloe gripped the side of the granite countertop, her back still facing the group. She couldn’t wrap her brain around the implications of what she was hearing. She knew Sean. She trusted him. Her instincts couldn’t have been that wrong. There was no way he could be involved in this. Could he?
“We never suspected a human could be involved,” Daniel said with a shrug. “We did a thorough background check on all the clinic personnel and nothing out of the ordinary stood out.” His tone was ripe with frustration. “Son of a bitch. Bottom line is we missed it. And I don’t believe in this many coincidences.”
Chloe gripped the counter harder when suddenly she was wrapped in a warm embrace from behind. Recognition hit immediately. She leaned back into Talon’s chest, needing the comfort and hating herself for it at the same time. Her heart was breaking. Sean couldn’t be involved in the torture and killing of innocent women. He just couldn’t.
“Use your instincts, Chloe,” Talon whispered in her ear. “You’re here for a reason. Use your intelligence and your gut to think through all the possible scenarios before reaching your conclusions.” He tightened his hold and placed a gentle kiss on her neck before releasing her and moving back to the table.
Chloe took a deep breath, grabbed her water, and returned to the table as well, surprised and grateful for Talon’s encouragement. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. I admit, it doesn’t look good but as I said, it’s a small clinic so it could very well be coincidence. Don’t forget, Sean fought back during the attack in the parking lot. If he was involved, why would he do that?”
“We also all wondered how in the hell he survived that parking lot attack, Chloe,” David offered. “Maybe that’s not such a big question anymore if he’s in bed with the enemy.”
Chloe shook her head, refusing to believe Sean was involved with the Valta without hard evidence. “You didn’t see him, David. You didn’t see his initial reaction to the threat.” She sighed. “Look, it’s a good lead and definitely one we need to follow but we can’t be rash in our judgments.”
David let out a blustering breath but finally nodded in agreement.
Chloe reached to pull the files to her and started going through them again, slower this time. After several minutes she looked at Daniel. “Did you also notice that four of these women’s files included previous psychiatric evaluations?”
“What are you talking about?” Daniel questioned as he reached for the files.
Chloe continued. “The psychiatric records are from different doctors but they indicate that all of the women claimed to have mental abilities ranging from precognition to mind reading and even telepathy.”
Daniel looked through each of the reports. “Son of a bitch.”
Chloe turned her gaze to Talon. “My gut is telling me this is the key to their victims. The Valta must believe they have a better chance of successfully reproducing when using human females with mental or psychic abilities.”
Chloe took a sip of her water and drummed her fingers on the table in thought. “It would certainly explain why they’re after Sam, if Sam’s claims about her ‘feelings’ are true, but it also makes me wonder if Mina’s mother may have had any such gifts. It could also explain why she and Roderick were able to conceive Mina.” She rose from her chair and paced the kitchen, wishing she could ask her friend about her theory.
“It definitely makes sense but whether or not it’s plausible is another thing,” Tre added.
Daniel looked to each man around the table before setting his gaze on her once again. “Come and sit, Chloe. I’ve got another little wrinkle to share.” He slapped a manila folder in front of her as she took her seat.
“Oh god. Not another manila folder…please,” Chloe begged, and dropped her forehead into her hands.
Daniel chuckled. “No, it’s not like the last one, I promise, Chlo.”
Tre and David shared a confused look. “What manila folder?” David asked.
“Never mind,” Talon growled and she was thankful Daniel had obviously not shared the contents of the previous folder with the team.
“I’ll fill you in later,” Daniel told the two men before turning back to Chloe.
“This is the file on Samantha, Chlo.” His voice was hesitant, which made her uneasy for some reason.
Chloe sighed. “Just tell me what you found, Danny.”
Daniel ran his fingers through his shaggy blonde hair before dropping his hands on the table. “Attending physician on her original Seattle attack…Doctor Sean O’Connor.”
Chloe’s breath hitched and she locked gazes with Talon. She turned back to Daniel. “Sean does monthly rotations at Seattle General. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that he continued Sam’s care when she moved here after the attack, right?” she asked hopefully, looking for anything positive to quench her growing feelings of unease.
Daniel continued. “Wait, there’s more.” He started almost hesitantly. “I tried to verify Sam’s current address. It’s fake. It doesn’t exist. I even used the GPS and it takes you to the shoreline about twenty miles north of here. There’s nothing there.”
Chloe tried to steady her breathing. “Okay, she may have used a false address because of the paranoia after the first attack, right?”
Daniel was shaking his head. “I tried to verify her prior Seattle address, Chloe. Same thing. It doesn’t exist. Why would she use a fake address before the first attack? The hospital records indicate they got her address off her driver�
��s license and verified it with her when she was brought into the emergency room.” He shook his head again.
“And I couldn’t find any proof of the existence of a Samantha Peterson prior to the Seattle records. No birth certificate, no social, no known address, nothing.” He paused and stared intently into her eyes. “Samantha Peterson doesn’t exist.”
The ring of Talon’s phone stopped all conversation. He looked at the display then answered, “Yes, General.”
Chloe knew of only one person who Talon would address in such a way, her brother. She watched as Talon rose from the table and moved into the living room. She hadn’t talked to Mathias since before she left Germany. So much had happened since they last spoke. With the investigation, everything Daniel had just shared, and the unexpected developments with Talon, her emotions were tangled mess. And she realized at that moment, just how much she missed her big brother.
After several minutes she heard Talon reply, “Yes, General,” then watched as he came back into the kitchen, pushed a button on his phone, and set it on the table.
“You’re on speaker, Mathias,” Talon confirmed.
“Let’s hear it, then,” her brother’s authoritative voice ordered.
She listened as Talon and Daniel relayed everything they’d learned so far. They started with Tre’s arrival, Killian’s deceptions, the recent breach to her office, the discoveries about Sean and Samantha, and finally the presence of the king’s guard, Gabriel, who was apparently out on patrol with the rest of her team. His presence was a surprise. She’d need to ask Talon about that later.
She noted her brother seemed fully supportive of Talon’s presence in Washington. Which meant Killian’s accusations earlier this morning regarding the king’s reaction to that fact had to be exaggerated, right? She prayed that was the case as she listened in silence to the entire conversation.
Her brother’s booming voice came over the line once again. He was in full general mode now. “I want daily updates. I’m through being kept out of the loop or waiting for delayed reports. Are we clear gentlemen?”
She looked around the table. Daniel and David looked a bit uncomfortable, obviously feeling torn between their loyalty to Killian and the orders given by her brother. Mathias must have sensed the uncertainty even through the phone connection.
“Daniel, David, I’m not asking you to betray your general. I’m simply reminding you that I’m the king’s general of the Royal Guard, which means technically I outrank Killian. But more importantly, that’s my baby sister you’re working with. And I’m sick and damn tired of finding out information piecemeal or not at all because of Killian’s designs. Are we clear, gentlemen?”
Daniel and David looked at one another then both answered, “Yes, General.”
She watched as Tre and Talon shared a grin. Score one for big brother.
“Now, Talon,” Mathias said.
“Yeah, boss?” he replied.
“Take me off this damn speaker and put my sister on the phone,” Mathias ordered.
Talon grabbed the phone and did as instructed before handing it over to Chloe. She was literally shaking as she took the phone from Talon’s hand and moved out the doors to the back deck. It was cold but she knew she needed some privacy for this conversation. She flipped the switch to the fire pit, bringing the bright flames to life, before placing the phone to her ear and addressing her brother.
“Mathias?” she began cautiously.
“Hey, Bunny. How are you doing?”
Chloe had to fight back the tears that threatened to spill over at the sound of her brother’s voice. It had just been the two of them for so long and he was the only family she had left. She shored up her resolve before answering.
“Hey, big brother. I’m fine. I think we’re finally making some headway here. Tomorrow we’re going to focus in on—” She was abruptly cut off by her brother’s harsh voice.
“Just stop, damn it!” he bellowed. “Don’t you dare sit there and prattle off mundane information about this case like nothing has happened. I don’t give a shit about what’s happening in the investigation. I haven’t talked to you since you left home without a word. Now I asked you a question and I want a straight answer, little sister. How are you doing?”
Chloe wrapped an arm around her stomach, struggling to hold back the sobs she couldn’t allow to escape, before sitting on the chaise. “I told you, Mathias, I’m fine. I’m handling things. I have a great team and we’re making headway.”
“Yeah, I heard how you handled things with those two bastards who attacked you in the parking lot.” He growled in annoyance. “God, Chloe. When I think about what could have happened to you. Damn it, you’re only supposed to be doing intel work, not fighting for your life against Valta warriors.” His voice softened as he continued. “Come home, Chloe, please.”
She tried to ease the worry she heard in her brother’s voice. “Hey, I handled myself pretty well out there thanks to my instructor’s excellent tutelage. I may not be a warrior but I definitely held my own.” She sighed. “You taught me well, Mathias, and I’m fine. I promise.”
“The point is you never should have found yourself in that position to begin with, Chloe. You’re only job was to gather information for the team and Roderick only agreed to your role in this assignment under the strict requirement that you be protected at all times.” Mathias let out an exasperated breath. “You found yourself in that situation due to Killian’s refusal to let you know the danger you were in so you could take proper precautions. And trust me, sis, when this is over he and I are going to discuss this…personally.”
She let out a breath, desperately needing to change the subject. “I heard Mina is pregnant. Congrats, big brother. How is she feeling?”
Unfortunately her brother wasn’t fooled. “I know you’re trying to change the subject, Chloe, so fine. Mina’s doing okay. She’s been trying to reach you. She’s sick with worry about you and I’m afraid her worry and stress could affect the baby.”
Chloe inhaled sharply. “That’s a low blow, Mathias. I had a problem with my phone after I arrived and wasn’t receiving any calls.”
“Thanks to Killian,” he interrupted.
She continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “But you and I both know how Mina feels about my betrayal so there was no point in me trying to make contact with her.”
Chloe curled on her side and wrapped the blanket from the bottom of the chaise around her. “Trust me, Mathias. I know you’re her mate but I lived with the woman for years. She doesn’t forgive easily, especially when her trust is breached, and I hurt her probably more than you even realize.”
She couldn’t help the flow of tears that now fell freely but silently down her cheeks. “I miss you, Mathias and I miss my sister more than you’ll ever know. But this is where I belong. This is my home now. And this is where I need to stay.” Her breath caught. “It’s better for everyone this way.”
The silence on the other end of the line was deafening until she wondered if she lost the connection.
“Tell me, Chloe. Does Talon have anything to do with your decision to remain in the States and away from those who love you?”
She refused to answer.
“Did he hurt you, Chloe? Is that the real reason you left?” Mathias asked in a soft voice that didn’t hide his anger in the slightest.
Chloe shook her head. “Talon is none of your business, Mathias. And I told you my reasons for leaving. I love you and I love Mina. Please tell her that, and hopefully in time she can forgive me and we can begin to repair the damage I caused.”
“Bullshit. I told you, Mina has been trying to reach you. She wants to talk to you and is worried sick about you. You need to call her, sis.”
There was a long pause before he continued. “You forgot to mention that you’re in love with Talon,” Mathias stated calmly, then let out a sigh. “Look, I know you’re all grown up and you’ve been infatuated with him for years but just do me a favor and protect your he
art where he’s concerned. I don’t want to see you get hurt and I really don’t want to have to kill my best friend.” He let out a long breath and continued. “I’ll give Mina your love but promise me you’ll stay safe, in all aspects of what’s happening there. Promise me, Chloe.”
Chloe smiled, refusing to acknowledge his statement on Talon. Her brother always did think he knew what was best where she was concerned. Although annoying as hell sometimes, it was one of the reasons she loved him so much. “I promise, Matty.”
“Talk to you soon, Bunny. Love you.”
“Love you too.” Chloe powered off the phone and curled farther into the blanket.
* * * * *
Talon watched as Chloe slowly paced back and forth across the deck, talking to her brother. She had wrapped one arm around her midsection as though hugging herself and then stopped to lower herself onto the chaise. He could see her shoulders slump forward, then by the light of the orange flames from the fire he saw tears streaming down her cheeks. It was all he could do not to go to her and offer comfort.
“Damn it,” he muttered to himself. If Mathias was saying anything to upset her or to try to make her stay away from him, he’d have words with his friend when he returned home, General or not. Of course, I might have to wait until I get out of prison for treason to have those words, he thought sardonically.
A hard hand came down on his shoulder. “T, dude, she’s fine out there. Get your pussy-whipped ass back in the kitchen and let her talk to her brother in peace,” Tre goaded.
Talon took one last look out at Chloe then slowly turned to his friend. Without warning, he pulled Tre into a headlock and forcibly walked him back toward the kitchen. “Pussy-whipped my ass, pup.” They laughed as they both slammed into the kitchen, knocking David’s beer down the front of his shirt.
David reacted as expected, dropping his shoulder and driving full boar into the two of them, knocking all three men into the living room. Daniel got in on the action and did a flying pancake on top of the three men, knocking over the sofa table in the process.
Infinite Surrender: 2 (Blood Feud) Page 22