Retribution [Federal Paranormal Agency 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove)

by Olivia Black

  Reyes went to the sitting area and fell back onto the couch. Leaning his head back, he stared up at the ceiling, following the lines and swirls with his eyes.

  “What am I going to do?” He felt so lost and alone, a naïve little fool that trusted the wrong person.

  Devin was a killer. He’d killed other vampires. He’d been hunting them down, one by one. This whole ordeal could’ve been avoided. If only he’d known the truth from the beginning, Reyes might’ve been able to do something. Now, it was too late. The damage was done, innocent lives had been taken. Reyes scrubbed his hands down his face. He couldn’t sit still, not when he was being held prisoner.

  He stood up and walked over to the window, looking out over the pristine yard. His mind flashed back to his childhood. During the winter, they played in the snow, making forts and having snowball fights. In the fall, he helped his dad rake up the multicolored leaves, before jumping into the piles, and making a mess. He helped his mother in the garden during spring and in the summer, Reyes and Devin played outside all day and night.

  The backs of his eyes burned as they filled with moisture. Tears leaked down his cheeks, as memories ran through his mind. They’d had a beautiful life until the fire. One tragic accident changed everything. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, staring out blankly.

  When a car pulled up behind Devin’s vehicle, Reyes sucked in a sharp breath. He could see Evan and another agent, one he’d met briefly, Ian. The two men sat inside their car, staring up at the house through the windshield.

  Reyes started slapping the window, pounding against the fake glass. “Evan! Evan!” He shouted out the man’s name, hoping to get his attention.

  Evan opened the passenger side door and stepped out. He looked up at the window and his eyes clashed with Reyes’s. Evan closed the passenger side door and started walking toward the front door. Relief at seeing Evan quickly gave way to fear. Devin might not hurt him, but he would kill Evan. Reyes knew what his brother was capable of.

  The other agent tried to stop him, his mouth moving rapidly, but Evan brushed him off.

  “Evan! No! Get back!” Reyes yelled out. “Devin’s the killer!”

  Reyes looked down, turning his neck at an awkward angle, as he tracked Evan’s progress. He caught a glimpse of the front door, watching as it slowly swung open.

  “Get back! Evan! Evan!” Reyes continued to yell, hitting the window with as much force as he could.

  One second Evan was standing, and in the next, he flew backward onto the gravel driveway. Reyes watched in horror as blood soaked the front of Evan’s shirt, spreading rapidly.

  A heavy weight landed on Reyes’s chest, preventing him from drawing in any air. Gripping his chest, Reyes dug his nails into the skin above his heart. Panic and fear twisted his gut into knots. He couldn’t lose Evan, not like this. There was a loud grinding sound and Reyes looked around, trying to figure out where it was coming from. He didn’t have long to wait. Thick metal blinds came down, blocking out all the windows, preventing Reyes from seeing anything.

  “No! No!” He shoved his hands beneath the blinds, trying to stop them, but it was useless.

  Dropping to his knees, Reyes let out a shrill cry of pain. He wrapped his arms around his middle, rocking back and forth. “Evan…Oh gods…”

  * * * *

  Bang…Bang…Bang…Bang…Bang…Bang…

  The impact of the bullets sent Evan’s body flying backward. He hit the ground, the wind rushing from his lungs. Lying on his back, Evan stared up at the blue sky.

  He couldn’t believe what just happened, but he shouldn’t be that surprised. Rushing toward the house wasn’t one of his better ideas. He was a trained FPA agent, but instead of using that training, he’d acted purely on emotion. When his eyes landed on Reyes, all logical thought fled. His only goal at that point was to get to his True Match.

  Ian warned him. The other agent told him they needed back-up when they pulled up to the house, but Evan didn’t listen, and he was now paying the price.

  Bullets flew and Evan had no doubt that Ian was returning fire. “It’s fucking bulletproof,” Ian said, anger lacing his words, and Evan assumed he was talking about the front door.

  “You fuckin’ idiot,” Ian chastised. He shoved his hands underneath Evan’s armpits, and dragged him behind the car.

  “Reyes.” He breathed out, trying to lift his head.

  “Don’t worry about Reyes.” Ian laid Evan on the ground. He loomed over Evan before ripping his shirt open. “I’ve got to get the bullets out,” Ian told him, right before his fingers sank into Evan’s chest.

  Grinding his back teeth together, Evan growled. “Motherfucker!”

  He could feel Ian’s fingers moving around. Ian showed him each bullet as he pulled them free, dropping them to the ground beside Evan.

  “Damn it, Evan. I told you we needed back-up.”

  “Yes, you told me so…” Black spots danced before his eyes. “Thank you, Ian.”

  “I’m calling Abram as soon as I get this last bullet.” Ian twisted his wrist and Evan cursed.

  When the bullets were removed, his skin was able to knit itself back together, his wounds healing rapidly. Evan slowly sat up, leaning against Ian’s car. He looked down at his bloody shirt and shook his head. What a mess.

  “You’re fucking lucky that psychopath didn’t have silver nitrate bullets.” Ian tsked. “You just made a rookie mistake.”

  “I get it.” Evan groaned. “I fucked up. I’m sorry.”

  “You’re too close to this case.” Ian pulled out his cell phone and pressed a few buttons.

  Evan could hear the concern in Ian’s voice. His words weren’t malicious or unkind, just the truth. Evan was too close to this case. The moment he laid eyes on Reyes, the case became personal. He should’ve stepped aside immediately, but he didn’t. He only wanted to find the killer and close the case.

  “We’ve got to get Reyes out of that house.”

  “Devin’s not going to hurt him, Evan. He wants Reyes. Everything he’s done has been for his brother. You almost got yourself killed. Think of Reyes. If you die, he dies.”

  Evan blew out an agitated breath. Ian was right. As much as he wanted to rush the house with guns blazing, he refrained. Devin was prepared for battle and the last thing Evan wanted was for Reyes to get caught in the middle.

  Slowly rising to his feet, Evan looked back up at the window where he’d seen Reyes, but something was blocking his view. “Damn it,” Evan muttered. “We need a plan.”

  “The front door is bulletproof,” Ian confirmed. “Even the sides of the house are reinforced with something strong enough to stop a bullet at close range.”

  “Great.” Evan growled.

  His eyes swept around the property, looking for any sign of weakness, but couldn’t find any. The house looked like all the others in this area, completely unassuming. But, there was a dark secret hiding inside this one.

  “Abram wants us to back off and set up a perimeter.” Ian walked around the car. He started the engine and Evan opened the passenger side door, and climbed in. “Reyes’s safety is our number one concern. Abram’s on his way. He’ll make contact with Devin.” Ian reversed down the gravel driveway and parked a short distance away.

  They stayed close enough to keep the house in view while creating enough space so that Devin wouldn’t feel threatened.

  Chapter Twelve

  Devin Caliar typed in the security code, locking the house to prevent anyone from entering or exiting. He’d spent years rebuilding and modifying his home using top of the line security measures that even the White House didn’t possess. He spared no expense, knowing that something like this might happen. Luckily, he was prepared for any situation. He even took the time to drain the vampires he’d killed, collecting their blood, in order to store it in the cellar for later use.

  The only thing he didn’t count on was Reyes finding his True Match before Devin could get to him. It was unfortunate consi
dering that his brother belonged to him and him alone.

  Reyes would need that vampire’s blood to live, which meant Devin needed the bastard to come back to the house. It wouldn’t be hard to accomplish considering the other vampire also needed Reyes’s blood to survive.

  “He’s not yours.” Devin stared at the closed door.

  The anger and jealousy at seeing Reyes’s True Match at their home struck a nerve. He overreacted by emptying the entire magazine of bullets into the FPA agent, but he was pissed. He wanted to punish the man that had marked and claimed Reyes. The bullets wouldn’t kill the vampire, but they would hurt like hell. Devin’s lips twitched, a smile forming on his lips. He hoped that bastard was in pain.

  Devin had been away from the coven for years, but he could still remember everything as if it happened only yesterday. He moved to the city with his brother when they were young, after watching their parents die. The event brought him closer to Reyes. They spend all their time together, just the two of them. He’d held Reyes while he cried and wiped his tears away. Whenever Reyes got hurt, Devin was there to kiss it better. His life revolved exclusively around Reyes. They even shared their own language.

  Love, tenderness, and affection grew between them as they got older. Devin knew that Reyes was his true love, but a group of vampires within the coven tried to keep them apart. They pushed him out, cutting him off completely from contacting Reyes. They said they were too close, but that wasn’t true. Fabian kicked him out of the coven, forcing him to leave, but not before a group of vampires beat him to within an inch of his life.

  The coven turned against him, forcing Devin to leave the only person he loved. Devin cut all ties, staying far away until he was strong enough to protect Reyes from the coven that kept them apart. He trained his mind, body, and soul to become a lethal predator capable of hunting and killing.

  Devin didn’t make his presence known until the house was complete. Only when he was ready did Devin start to hunt down the coven members that had hurt him. Each of them deserved the punishments they received. And when the coven tried to hide their dirty little secrets from the outside world, Devin started dropping the bodies off in various places around the city, drawing attention. Places that meant something to him and Reyes.

  A muffled, pain filled cry rang out and Devin glanced up. Reyes. My Rey-Rey. Was he already in love with the FPA agent? No. Devin rejected the thought as soon as it entered his mind. It was just the True Match blood bond forcing Reyes to feel affection for the other vampire. With a little time, Reyes would start to remember the love they shared. He would come around and the two of them would live happily ever after.

  * * * *

  Reyes laid on the floor in the fetal position, his arms wrapped tightly around his shins. It didn’t matter if his eyes were open or closed. Reyes kept seeing Evan’s body hit the ground. It played through his mind over and over again, as tears ran down his cheeks. The blood…there was so much blood on the front of Evan’s shirt. He only just found Evan and now, he’d lost him. His beautiful True Match was dead and it was all because of Devin.

  A loud sob rose in his throat, the cry of a broken heart, spilling from his lips. The noise took him off guard for a moment. He sounded like a wounded animal, but it truly was the only way to deal with the pain he was feeling.

  Evan, oh, Evan. What am I going to do without you?

  With one look, his life changed. Evan walked into the conference room and Reyes had known that they belonged together. An invisible rope seemed to wrap around his heart, pulling him to Evan, tying them together.

  The locks on the bedroom door disengaged—metal sliding against metal—and Reyes dropped his arms. When the bedroom door opened, Reyes slowly rose to his feet. He stood, his feet planted on the ground as Devin stepped into the room.

  “You shot him.” Reyes pointed an accusatory finger at Devin. “How could you do that to my True Match?”

  “He’s not dead.” Devin shook his head. “I wouldn’t do that to you, Rey-Rey. You need his blood to live.”

  “Please don’t do this, Devin. Just let me go.”

  “I can’t.” Again Devin shook his head. “The two of us belong together.”

  Reyes didn’t know how to get through to Devin. This wasn’t the same man he once knew. “If you really love me, you’ll let me go.”

  “It’s because I love you that I can’t let you go.”

  “Devin.” Reyes sighed. He held out his hand and Devin took it. Reyes led Devin to the sitting area and sat down on the couch. “The way you feel for me right now is nothing compared to the love you’ll feel for your True Match. When you meet the person meant to be yours, you’ll forget all about me.”

  Devin shook his head, rejecting Reyes’s words. “That’s impossible. I could never love anyone more than I love you.”

  “I only just met Evan…” Reyes took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure how Devin was going to react to what he was about to say, but it didn’t matter. Reyes needed to be honest. “I love him. The moment our eyes met, I knew I wouldn’t be able to love anyone else. We were made to be together.”

  Devin jumped to his feet, anger rolling off him in thick waves. He grabbed the collar of Reyes’s shirt, yanking him from the couch, shaking him violently. “You love me!” Reyes grabbed Devin’s wrists, trying to pull the man’s hands free. “You belong to me.”

  “I don’t belong to you.” Reyes didn’t mention Evan this time. He learned his lesson. Just mentioning his True Match sent Devin into a rage. The look in Devin’s eyes froze him in place. He was afraid that any sudden movement might provoke Devin further, and Reyes wasn’t a big fan of violence. He usually avoided any sort of scene.

  “You know that’s not true,” Devin said, and brought his mouth down on Reyes’s, hard.

  With Devin’s lips against his, Reyes felt his entire body rebel. Bile rose into his throat and he quickly swallowed it back down. Everything inside him said this was wrong and shouldn’t be happening. He shouldn’t be kissing anyone but Evan. Devin’s mouth continued to move against his. Instincts Reyes didn’t even know he possessed kicked in. He needed to get away from Devin. Reyes pulled Devin’s lower lip into his mouth and bit down. Devin cried out in pain, pushing Reyes away.

  Turning his head, Reyes spit out Devin’s blood, needing to remove the bitter copper taste from his mouth.

  “Everything I’ve done has been for you.” Devin licked his cut lip, removing the blood from around his mouth as he advanced.

  Reyes scrambled to get away. He rolled off the back of the couch, putting as much distance between him and Devin as possible. “I don’t want to be with you.”

  Reyes whirled around and ran toward the open bedroom door. He shot past the threshold, sprinting. He was almost to the stairs when he was grabbed by the back of his T-shirt. Devin swung Reyes around as if he weighed nothing, flinging him backward into the wall. He crashed into it, crumpling to the floor, breathless.

  Devin walked toward him. He appeared calm, but the look on his face told a different story. The man was terrifying. His eyes were completely black, his facial features harsh and sharp.

  Reyes’s only goal was to get out of the house. He needed to get far away from Devin. In this moment, he knew that Devin was a dangerous killer and Reyes could easily become his next victim.

  When Devin reached for him, Reyes pushed himself up off the ground. Using every bit of strength and speed he possessed, Reyes kicked out his foot, connecting the soul of his shoe with Devin’s stomach. He fell backward. Reyes grabbed the closest object, a large porcelain vase, and threw it at Devin’s head. He didn’t stick around to see if the vase connected with Devin’s skull. He took off, sprinting down the stairs.

  Reyes heard footsteps behind him and panicked. Fuck, fuck, fuck. There wasn’t enough time. He reached for the door knob and grabbed it, twisting frantically. But, the door was locked. “No!” He slammed his fist against the door, but it too was metal. It seemed that Devin really had thought of
everything.

  He was trapped and there was no way out.

  Spinning around, Reyes looked for another exit. He couldn’t remain still for too long, not with Devin approaching fast. Reyes started running toward the back of the house. There was a flash from his peripheral vision and he knew without a doubt that it was Devin. His brother rushed him, slamming his body into his, tackling Reyes to the marble floor. Reyes cried out in pain and his body crashed to the ground, Devin on top of him. It was like being hit by a wrecking ball, their bodies denting the floor, as they slid across it.

  Reyes fought, hitting and kicking, anything to get away from Devin, but the man was an unmovable force. Devin brought his arm down, and backhanded him across the face. Blood filled Reyes’s mouth and he heard bone crack. The pain was intense. Reyes continued to fight. Lifting his knee, he connected with Devin’s gut over and over again, but it was like hitting the metal door. Devin was too powerful.

  Devin grabbed Reyes’s wrists, forcing them down onto the floor.

  “Rey-Rey.” He tsked, breathlessly. “Fighting with you is like foreplay, baby.” Devin leaned forward and planted kisses along Reyes’s swollen cheek and jaw. The pain from the slap slowly dissolved as the bone and skin mended itself, knitting back together. “Don’t fight me. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Devin’s tongue licked up the blood on Reyes’s face. He shuddered, his stomach turning violently. “Can’t you feel it? We belong together.”

  Reyes shook his head. He would never be able to say what Devin was so desperate to hear. Even saying I love you seemed like an impossible task. The connection he’d felt toward Devin disappeared in a cloud of smoke. This man wasn’t his brother, not any more. Reyes stared into the eyes of a stranger and his heart broke.