by I. T. Lucas
In the silence that followed, Amanda's eyes widened with consternation and her tall body began to tremble. She slapped a palm over her mouth as if she was about to retch.
On a surge, Annani got up and reached for her daughter, pulling her into her arms. Too short to reach over Amanda's shoulder, she leaned sideways to glare at Kian with eyes that could freeze lava. "Explain the realities of war to my son, Andrew," she bit out.
It was an exceedingly awkward situation. On one hand, Andrew's rival had been dealt a potentially fatal blow. Score one for Andrew. On the other, Kian was being a total jerk, and Amanda looked devastated.
The facts of war, as Annani had so succinctly put it, were that shit like this happened. Warring factions made peace, and former enemies became allies—often to join forces against a common adversary. But be that as it may, in this case, it was too close and personal.
"No one needs to explain the facts of war to me," Kian grated as he heaved himself off the sofa. "Come, Syssi, let's go home." He offered her his hand.
With an apologetic glance at Amanda, Syssi let him walk her out.
"I am sorry you got caught up in this drama, Andrew." Annani sighed. "I just want you to know that I am grateful for all your help. It was fun…" She smiled a little before leading Amanda out of the room.
Letting himself out, Andrew walked up to the single elevator door and punched the button to call it up. The few things he had left over at Kian's could be picked up some other time. This evening, it was time to go home and do some serious thinking.
Or soul searching as it were.
Question was, would he do the right thing and try to talk some sense into Kian? Or would he do the selfish thing and let Kian cool down on his own?
And while Kian was taking his time to come to terms with the situation, Andrew's rival would be temporarily out of the race, giving Andrew the opportunity to make his move for Amanda.
It might be his only chance.
CHAPTER 20: AMANDA
The storm of conflicting emotions that kept Amanda tossing and turning all through the night eventually had given her one hell of a headache.
Or maybe it was all that crying before she'd finally fallen asleep. After Kian had forced her to face the fact that her paramour was responsible for her nephew's murder, she'd cried for hours.
To be frank, the thought had flitted through her mind before, but she'd shoved it aside, doing the cowardly thing and refusing to let it sink in. And until Kian had shoved it in her face, she'd gotten away with it.
Same way she usually got away with ignoring almost everything she considered potentially disturbing.
After her son's tragic death… was it almost two centuries ago? It still hurt so bad… it had been the only way she'd managed to keep herself afloat and not sink into depression. Except, with time, she became so adroit at this strategy that anything disconcerting or unpleasant no longer registered at all.
It was like she was wearing a coat of Teflon—nothing stuck.
And nothing got absorbed either.
Which, come to think, might have been the reason behind the hollowness she felt inside.
Nothing about her was real. She was a made-up persona. Most of the time she thought nothing of it; on the contrary, she thought of herself as larger than life. But the truth was that she was kind of cartoonish.
Pretty on the outside, empty on the inside.
Trouble was, she had no idea who she really was.
After pretending for so long, she had forgotten. And what's worse, Amanda feared she wouldn't like the real her if she ever found her.
The persona she had created was great, and she liked being that woman. Carefree, dramatic, lustful, smart, not to mention beautiful… pretty cool, if she may say so herself. Unfortunately, the pretense didn't run deep enough—more than skin deep but not all the way down to her shriveled soul.
With a sigh, she gave up on sleep and got up.
Dawn was on the horizon, the wispy rosy-pink like a whisper of hope against the backdrop of gloomy darkness. Donning a warm robe, Amanda opened the sliding door to the terrace and stepped out into the chilly air. As the cold seeped through the fleece, giving her goosebumps, she tightened the robe against her body.
A faint ocean scent was riding on the breeze, cutting through the morning fog and evoking a strange longing for the sea—a voyage that would take her far away from this place and the hard choices that were weighing her down.
Choices.
Not really, more like lack of.
Now that Mark's murder was firmly pinned on Dalhu, Amanda couldn't stomach the idea of being anywhere near the guy.
Trouble was, she couldn't imagine going back to her old life either. Or living without what Dalhu had given her…
The intimacy, the sense of connection, the mind-blowing pleasure…
The unrelenting devotion.
What were the chances of her ever finding something like this again? A man who made her feel like a princess for real? Forever…
Andrew?
Yeah, there was some attraction there. But she was well familiar with this kind of superficial connection. Amanda had nearly two centuries of experience with it.
It didn't reach all the way down to the essence of her.
Heck, it wasn't even skin deep.
And though Andrew might believe differently at the moment, it wasn't the real thing for him either.
Trouble was, until he found it, Andrew would not know that this wasn't it, and would keep trying to win her.
If only she had never crossed paths with Dalhu, she wouldn't have known better and could've been happy with Andrew.
Everything would have been so much simpler then…
Until… one of them happened to find the real thing, and then their lives would've turned into a nightmare…
Yeah.
Syssi had been absolutely right when she'd said that relationships were complicated, people were complicated, and not everything could be resolved with great sex.
Amanda leaned over the railing and breathed in, searching for the faint ocean scent that was quickly dispersing along with the morning fog.
She needed to get away.
But five o'clock in the morning was too early to make calls.
To pass the time she took a long bath and then spent a couple of mindless hours shopping for shoes on the internet.
At eight, she phoned Alex.
Still too early for a guy that worked nights, but whatever, he owed her.
As the phone kept ringing and ringing, she almost hung up, but then Alex finally answered. "What's going on?" he rasped.
"Morning. Sorry to wake you up, but I need a favor."
"Amanda? Thank the merciful fates you're okay. Everyone was looking for you. I didn't know you've been found. What happened?"
Damn, she didn't know how much he knew. "Yeah, they found me. Though I wish they didn't." It wasn't a lie, wasn't the truth either, but good enough. "That's why I'm calling. Can I borrow your yacht for a few days? I need some time alone, and with my intrusive family that's not going to happen unless they can't reach me. Like in the middle of the ocean."
His answer came after a short pause. "Sure, though I'd appreciate you telling them where you're going this time."
"I will. Promise. So is it okay with you? Or do you have plans for it yourself?"
"No, not for the next couple of weeks. How long do you need it for?"
"Only a few days, less than a week for sure. On Monday, I'm going back to work. So I'll be back Sunday evening at the latest. Does it work for you?"
"Yeah…" he hesitated.
"Don't worry, you know I'll cover all the expenses." Alex was such a miser. On the other hand, fuel for a boat this size was expensive, and she shouldn't expect him to pay for it. Loaning her the boat with its crew was enough.
"Good, but that's not the problem."
"Then what?"
"You know my crew is all female, right?"
"No, I didn'
t know that, you naughty boy."
"And although I have no problem with you there, I would appreciate it if you didn't bring any guys with you. My girls are not for sharing."
"No worries. It's actually perfect for what I have in mind. I'm taking a break from men."
Alex snorted. "Why? What happened?"
"Long story, but yeah… no guys."
"When should I tell my captain to expect you? And where would you be heading? She needs to stock up on supplies."
"I don't really care where, just out to sea. Maybe down the coast toward Baja. Would a couple of hours be enough time for her to prepare?"
"I'll call Geneva right away—not the city, my captain—and if she needs more time, I'll call you."
"Wonderful, thank you. The name of your yacht is Anna, right?"
"The one and only, my pride and joy."
With that settled, Amanda scribbled a quick note for Annani and left it on the kitchen counter.
Hopefully, her mother would understand why she needed to get away and forgive Amanda for not spending more time with her during her rare visit.
Amanda promised to make it up to Annani as soon as she regained some sanity.
Half an hour later, she was out the door with a large satchel over her shoulder and a carry-on rolling behind her.
Thank heavens the penthouse's elevator could be made to go straight down to the lobby without stopping at any of the other floors. The last thing she needed was for one of her relatives to come along for the ride and start asking questions.
Waving the security guys goodbye, she hurried into the taxi waiting for her in front of the building.
"Good morning, Miss. Marina del Rey? Right?" The cabbie verified the destination she had given his dispatch as he loaded her luggage into the trunk.
"Yes, thank you." She waited until he opened the door for her.
Once the taxi pulled out, Amanda relaxed into the seat.
Mission accomplished, she was free.
Fates, it felt good.
To be free to do whatever she wanted. With no one to censor her, no one to criticize her or her choices, and no one to answer to.
No angry brother. No enemy lover.
Free as a bird.
What a shame Captain Geneva couldn't head out to sea right away.
Well, the important thing was that she managed to flee the coop without getting caught, and she didn't mind spending the hour or so eating breakfast in the café overlooking the water while the captain and her crew prepared the Anna for the trip down to Baja. Or maybe to Catalina, she could decide later. As long as the boat was out of the marina, with her onboard, the destination didn't really matter.
CHAPTER 21: SYSSI
"Don't go." Syssi caught Kian's arm as he tried to sneak out of bed.
"I'm just going down to the gym." He bent to kiss her cheek, expecting her to let go. Instead, she grabbed on and pulled him back.
Wow, cool. She hadn't expected him to budge.
Hey, this was new. She was growing stronger. There was no way she could've done this before her transition. Still, she was pretty sure that if her new and improved physique hadn't taken Kian by surprise, it wouldn't have been so easy. Next time, he would be ready for her increased strength.
"You're not going anywhere. I hate waking up in an empty bed," she pouted and snuggled up to him, her hands going to his warm, bare chest.
Last night, Kian had made good on his word and then some, and the only reason she wasn't sore all over this morning was the venom's magical healing properties.
Or maybe it was her new, better, and stronger body.
Hey, she might be faster too. She should join Kian in the gym and test her speed on a treadmill.
"I thought I exhausted you last night."
"What gave you that idea?" Her hand trailed lower.
"The T-shirt and panties said it all."
"Yeah? What did they say?"
"Get away from me, you brute. I need to sleep, you insatiable sex machine…" he said in a high-pitched voice.
Syssi laughed. "True. True. And how surprisingly perceptive of you."
He rolled on top of her, bracing his weight on his forearms. "When you returned from the bathroom wearing these things, crawled into bed and started snoring right away, it would've been impossible even for an insensitive jerk like me not to get a clue."
"I don't snore." Syssi felt her cheeks warm. Bummer, she thought Kian's sexcapades had cured her of her embarrassing tendency to blush, but apparently not.
"Yes, you do. And your little kitten snores are as cute as the rest of you."
"A cute kitten? That's what you think of me?" She took hold of his erection and began stroking. How about that for cute…
Kian smirked before dipping his head and taking her mouth in a hungry kiss. That was all it took for her nipples to pebble and her cotton panties to get moist.
"How about my little sex kitten?" He nuzzled her neck.
She pushed up her hips to rub her hot and achy core against his shaft. "That's better…" she breathed as he scraped his fangs up and down her neck.
Damn, Kian knew all of her triggers by now, every erogenous point. He could probably get her from zero to orgasm in under a minute.
"My kitten is hungry for more?" Kian's hand trailed under her T-shirt to palm her breast.
Suddenly, she didn't want any barriers between them. "Take it off." She wiggled under him in an effort to free the shirt from under her butt.
"Hungry and impatient. I like it…" He gave her nipple a little tweak before helping her out of the shirt.
Once he bared her, Kian took a moment to ogle her nakedness. "I can never have enough of this. If I had my way, you would wear nothing when we are alone… all day long."
"Absolutely nothing? Not even stilettos?" she taunted.
His erection twitched. "Uh, that's one hell of an image, you naughty girl. I'll allow the high heels, and a diamond wedding ring and choker to go with them…"
The vivid picture he painted in her head had her flood her panties. "Is that a pervy proposal?"
"I'm not asking, I'm stating a fact. You're mine." He cupped her through the soaking wet cotton.
"And I have nothing to say about it?"
"You already did…" He sneaked a finger under the edge, stroking her swollen, wet flesh before pushing the thick digit inside her.
Syssi moaned, arching, her hips going up for more.
"I'll take it as a yes…" Kian's voice deepened with his arousal. He didn't wait for her answer. Instead, he dipped his head and took a nipple between his lips, suckling and finger fucking her into a frenzy.
"Yes, oh yesss…" Syssi hissed as his teeth gently closed around her nipple.
She was going to come like that, but it was okay. Before this was over, her wonderful man would make her come again. And again…
CHAPTER 22: ANDREW
On his way to the office, Andrew stopped by the Beverly Hills mansion.
"Hello, Edward." He flashed his inspector badge again. "Remember me? I'm Inspector Wyatt with the health department. I was here yesterday to collect mold samples."
"What do you want?"
"I need to collect a few more samples."
"Why?"
Without Annani to scramble the guy's brain, he wasn't as eager to cooperate. Well, maybe the Doomer would respond better to a different approach.
Dropping the condescending mannerism, Andrew ran his fingers through his hair. "Who the hell knows. The guys in the lab don't give a shit if I need to drive an hour out of my way to collect some more dirt for them to play with. You know how it is. I'm just following orders."
The Doomer still didn't give any indication that he was going to let Andrew in. Evidently, friendly wasn't going to cut it, but a threat might.
"Look, Edward, the test results came inconclusive. I either bring them more samples to test, or they are going to put in a request for the guys in hazmat suits to quarantine the house."
That did the trick. "Okay, but be quick about it."
Problem was, with the Doomer breathing down his neck throughout the inspection, Andrew barely managed to plant one tiny listening device in the living room.
Better one than none, though.
With the anticipated reinforcements arriving soon, someone would no doubt make contact with Dalhu's remaining crew. And when it happened, Andrew might learn something.
It was a shame he had not thought of the idea until this morning. It would've been easier yesterday when all of the Doomers had been busy drooling over Annani.
But no harm done.
From now on, Andrew's little spy would keep transmitting, and anything that was said in its vicinity would be recorded.
Hopefully, he could learn of the Doomers' new location.
Andrew felt a twinge of guilt over the unauthorized use of government resources for his private sting. But it wasn't as if he could tell his bosses what was going on and get them on board the fight against this new and bizarre threat.
He'd be sent to a psych evaluation and suspended from his job before his boss finished rolling his eyes.
But the clan needed his help.
Andrew didn't have the whole story yet, but it was obvious his new relatives were outnumbered and outmuscled by their enemies. They could really use his particular expertise.
Perhaps he should quit the agency and go work for them.
Kian would love to have him, and the pay would most definitely be better.
Some of the operatives he had known had chosen to move into the private sector. Instead of accepting a glorified desk job once they were deemed too old for the field, they were still out there and making shitloads of money.
But if he quit, he would lose access to the most valuable of resources—information.
True, he had friends that would do him a favor here and there, but it would be just crumbs. Compared to the vast pool of data he had access to with his high-security clearance it would be a drop in the bucket.
No, quitting the agency wasn't an option. But Kian would have to fund some equipment. Using his access to government data to help the clan was one thing, using its gadgets was another.