The agent in the driver’s seat spoke. “We will follow you there.”
He shook his head. “No. I need you to stay here and make sure Uriel doesn’t return. Drew is a witness, and I doubt he would leave him alive. Meet me at the house once we know he’s safe.”
The agents whispered to one another then nodded in agreement.
Once Kaden got into his truck, he sent text messages to both of his brothers, asking them to meet him where Uriel’s ship had landed. If he was lucky, they would get there around the same time. He had a better chance of taking Uriel out if he had help from his brothers. Uriel was powerful and resourceful. He was not to be underestimated. It was a mistake he would not make again.
Even if it cost him his life, he would get her back.
Chapter Thirty-One
The pain coming from the back of her head brought her out of her sleep.
The warm sun shone down on her as she opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, but she quickly figured out she was no longer in her bakery. When she tried to reach up, she realized she was lying on her side with her hands tied behind her back. Every horror movie she had ever watched raced through her mind. The scents of grass and dirt filled her nostrils. Once she could see clearly, she glanced around. Someone had taken her to a field surrounded by forests in the middle of nowhere. Without needing confirmation, she had no doubt Uriel was to blame. He had brought her out here to kill her.
Fear chipped away at her.
No, she refused to be the victim. If he was going to kill her, she wasn’t going to make it easy for him. It was up to her. No one knew where she was, which meant no one was coming to her rescue. She needed to get her bearings and find out if her captor was here. Using her hips, she rolled onto her other side. Her mouth fell open. About twenty feet away, she saw an alien spaceship the size of her apartment. It was unlike any other flying contraption she had ever seen. For one, it was crystal clear. She now understood how these aliens had landed on her planet without being seen. Except for the parts making it function, the ship was nearly invisible.
No wonder her government wanted their technology.
“Impressive, isn’t she?” Uriel said, coming into her view. “Your human technology has nothing close to compare.”
“Uriel, why did you bring me here?” she asked, trying unsuccessfully to hide the panic in her tone.
“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked as he rubbed a cloth over his greasy hands. “I needed to get Kaden to follow me.”
“What for?” she asked, tugging at the ropes binding her hands. A ping of hope shot through her when she felt them loosen slightly. All she needed was more time. She had to keep him talking.
“I am setting a trap for him. If I’m lucky, he’ll have his brothers with him.”
“You can’t take all three of them at once,” she said, deliberately egging him on so he might reveal the rest of his plan.
“You’re right, which is why I need to use you as bait.” Uriel bent down next to her, using some kind of laser tool. Mechanical parts fused into place. “While Kaden frets over freeing you, I will trap all three of them. Then I will force him to watch as I kill each one of you.”
Her stomach churned as she imagined the pain that would put Kaden through. “You don’t have to do this.”
“You think you know him, but you do not. My sister may have joined with him out of obligation, but her heart eventually beat for him. And that love is what caused her to lose her life.” He shook his head as if he was watching her death in his mind. “Kaden will soon know the pain I feel, and I will leave him alive to live with it, just as I do every day.”
“You’re wrong,” Annabelle said, managing to hoist herself into a sitting position. “He tried to save your sister.”
“Liar!” he shouted, slapping her across the face.
She fell to her side from the force of his hand, and blood seeped out from inside her mouth. Dazed and in shock, it took her a minute to collect herself. She couldn’t allow him to use her as bait. She tugged at her bindings. Somehow, they had loosened on their own. Maybe from the weight of her fall. Wiggling her hands one more time, she got her hand out of the ropes. Uriel went back to work on his trap. While he wasn’t paying attention, she scanned her surroundings. Her best chance—and only option—was to run into the woods. She prayed she’d find a busy road or truck stop or a convenience store.
She stayed quiet while he worked, waiting for a chance to make a run for it. Anticipation filled her belly. Her opportunity came when he got up to get something from his ship. It was all or nothing. With all her might, she stood and bolted toward the tall trees. There was no time to think. No chance to see how much of a lead she had on him. All she could do was run. Wind rushed through her hair. Faster was all she kept repeating to herself.
The back of her head ached from the blow that knocked her out at the bakery, but she didn’t slow. Stopping only guaranteed her death. She sensed that he was behind her, but she didn’t dare look. He yelled, promising a painful demise if she didn’t return, but she ignored him. As she reached the edge of the forest, the muscles in her legs started to burn. The woodland gave her no sense of direction, so she just kept moving forward, running harder than she ever had in her life. Twigs and dried leaves snapped beneath her shoes, and branches smacked at her face.
Then something tripped her.
She lost control and fell to the ground with a hard thump.
Overgrown trees lined the dirt road that led to the open field. There was nothing down this way. No development of any kind. A place where someone might go if they didn’t want to be found. It was the perfect spot to land a spaceship. There was no human residence for miles in every direction. The ideal space for Kaden to end Uriel without his FBI friends looming about. Although the government had found his ship, they had chosen not to seize it. They were right to assume Uriel might return to it.
Kaden had no doubt this was a trap, but it was also his only opportunity to save Annabelle.
He sensed that she needed him now more than ever. Rage built in his chest. All he could think about was finding Uriel and killing him, watching the life leave his eyes as he choked him with his bare hands. The thought made his palms sweat. But he wouldn’t let his anger consume him. That’s what Uriel wanted him to do. Even the smallest mistake could allow his plan to come to fruition. He tried to calm himself down by controlling his breathing. No way could he get through this without a level head.
Deep breaths, in and out.
He pulled his truck over on the side of the road. Inside the bed of the truck there was a reconfigured laser gun hidden beneath a tarp. It hadn’t been tested on anything with a pulse, but no time better than the present. Based on the Google maps, he would need to enter the forest here and walk about five miles to reach the field. The trees would be an advantage for him. Uriel would not see him until he was a short distance away. Before he entered the forest, he sent another text message to his brothers. He only had one bar glowing on his phone, which meant his signal was weak. It would’ve been smarter to wait for them to respond—the plan was to attack Uriel as a group—but Kaden had no time to wait.
Annabelle was still alive, but for how much longer?
Powering his gun into full-blast mode, he entered the woodland. The scent of pine whiffed into his nostrils. The area was silent, except for the occasional crackling of twigs as he made his way through. The tension was building with every step he took. Each minute felt like an hour had passed. He increased his pace to a sprint, careful not to make too much noise. Taking out Uriel wouldn’t be easy. On his planet, he had been the leader of their military. He was smart, cunning, and skilled.
Uriel had a plan—and probably several other contingency plans.
After about thirty minutes, Kaden reached the field. As expected, Uriel’s ship was there and intact. It had been years since he had seen one of those. They had destroyed their ship after they landed. Hayden thought it would be best to erase the evidence of thei
r existence. Just days later, their DNA combined with human forms and they walked among them. The last two years had gone by so quickly. Kaden often wondered what had happened to all those other ships. Had anyone else escaped from their planet, as Uriel had? Had they made a home on a planet similar to this one?
He would probably never know the answer.
Kaden scanned the area, but there was no sign of Uriel or Annabelle. Hidden behind a row of bushes, he waited to see if he returned to the ship. He was startled out of his thoughts by a scream. Peering through the bush, he saw Uriel emerge out of the forest. It appeared as if he was dragging Annabelle by her hair.
Fucking asshole. I will kill him.
Rushing in could get Annabelle killed.
Take a breath. Be smart.
Surprise was his best weapon. Uriel opened the ship’s staircase and hoisted her inside. This was his chance. As fast as he could, he raced toward the ship with his weapon ready. A voice inside cautioned him to wait for his brothers, but there was no time.
He couldn’t give Uriel the opportunity to hurt Annabelle again.
Slowing his pace, he approached the ship. The steps were still down. All he had to do was quietly walk up without being heard. Uriel would never see it coming. As he was about to place his foot on the landing, an alarm went off. It blared so loud it could probably be heard for miles. His whole body tensed. Before he could run, an electric pulse raced through his limbs. An invisible force field had encased him, knocking the weapon out of his hand. He couldn’t move a muscle. It was as if he had been frozen.
Uriel strolled down the steps without Annabelle. “You’re a fool, Kaden. Did you really think it would be that easy?”
“Let her go, Uriel,” he said, struggling to move. “Your fight is with me.”
He chuckled at his plea. “She will be gone soon. You’ll watch as her last breath leaves her body.”
Pain seared through his muscles each time he tried to move. His body weakened with each attempt. Still, he had to fight. He tried to use his power to interrupt the force field. It didn’t budge at all. As he continued to struggle, Uriel went back inside the ship. Kaden heard Annabelle scream, and he lost it. With all his strength, he fought against the shield. It was enough to bend the encasement, but the effort cost him the energy he had left. He fell to his knees, unable to stand.
“Kaden?”
He glanced up and saw Annabelle. Uriel had her hands tied behind her back. She was bleeding from a cut on her forehead, and her bottom lip was swollen. Tears welled in her eyes. “Are you all right?” he asked, although he already knew the answer.
Uriel held a knife to her neck.
“Please don’t do this. Take me instead,” Kaden begged.
A wide grin appeared across Uriel’s face. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this moment.”
Annabelle struggled to free herself.
Uriel sighed. “How does it feel to be completely helpless?”
Kaden clenched his teeth, and he continued to fight against the force field. An electric pulse shot through every muscle in his body. It was as if his skin was on fire. But he wouldn’t give up, wouldn’t stop fighting to save her.
Annabelle thrust her foot into Uriel’s knee, releasing his hold on her. She turned around and head-butted him. Kaden’s mouth hung open as she kicked Uriel in the face, knocking him to the ground. “Now who’s helpless, asshole?”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cam approaching. “Damn, and I thought we were going to be the heroes.”
Annabelle smiled at him. “I don’t need a hero.”
Cam pulled Uriel into a sitting position and placed his hands on the sides of his head. Uriel screamed in agony. He was using his power to electrocute him. Uriel’s body straightened. Cam continued to zap him until steam rose from his body. He had burned him from the inside out. Cam released him, and his body crumpled to the ground. “I almost feel sorry for him,” Cam said, rubbing his hands together. “It’s a hell of a way to die.”
“He deserves what he got,” Hayden said, appearing at Annabelle’s side. He removed her bonds. “I have no sympathy for him.”
“Thank you both so much,” Annabelle said as she hugged Hayden and then Camden.
The knot in Kaden’s chest loosened. All the people he loved were safe, and since Uriel was dead, they had nothing more to fear. Things could finally return to some sense of normal. As the celebration continued, Kaden realized he was still enclosed within the force field. “Did you happen to forget about anyone?”
They all laughed as Hayden went to work on the force field. Once he was able to release him, Kaden fell forward. Annabelle reached for him, placing his head in her lap. “I could never forget about you. I’m so happy you’re okay.”
Her lips were on his, and the rest of the world melted away.
“Stay where you are,” someone shouted.
Kaden glared into the distance. At least twenty agents came rushing out of the forest. Within moments, they were surrounded. All their guns were pointed at them. Hayden and Camden held their hands above their heads. Annabelle didn’t move.
James was the last person to come into view. Before he spoke, he took in the area. There was no question he was pissed. “One of you better start talking, and fast,” he ordered.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The shit had hit the fan.
Annabelle didn’t like cursing, but if there was ever an appropriate moment for it, that time was now. She didn’t know what to do. The agents had caught her kissing Kaden. If they hadn’t heard his megaphone apology from the alley last night, there was no way they missed this. Her heart pounded so hard against her rib cage it hurt. They knew he had broken the rules. What would they do to punish him? Would they send him away? Would they kill her to silence her, like they did in the movies? A million options raced through her mind. All she wanted to do was cower with her head on Kaden’s broad chest, but that would only make the situation worse.
Kaden had somehow managed to get to his feet, but he was wobbly. Cam came to his side and helped him to steady himself. “Uriel had to die. We had no other option.”
Hayden stepped forward. “He’s right, James.”
James stood out among the agents. Unlike the others, he appeared a bit disheveled. He wasn’t wearing one of the black suits or those funny earpieces. Instead, he wore jeans and a button-down white shirt. He also seemed to be in charge. “I specifically told you not to kill him. You went against everything we had agreed on.”
“Uriel wouldn’t listen to reason,” Kaden said directly to James. “He was far past the point of rehabilitation.”
“That wasn’t your call to make, Kaden,” James said. He glared at Annabelle. “And apparently, we have another more serious matter to discuss.”
“Annabelle isn’t any of your concern,” Kaden said gruffly. “She knew nothing until Uriel pulled her into it. I had to tell her the truth.”
Annabelle wrapped her arms around her waist as James circled around her.
“Before we allowed you to leave our facility, we made it clear that you could not ever establish a romantic relationship with any human woman,” James said. “It’s very obvious you have broken the rule, and we have no choice but to take you back to our facility.”
It sounded like James wanted them to leave Germantown. To abandon their lives and never return. Was that his punishment for falling in love with her? “No, please, don’t make them leave. Their secret is safe with me. I won’t ever tell anyone, I swear,” Annabelle insisted.
Hayden stepped in front of James. In a soothing tone, he said, “Up to this point, our relationship has worked out for everyone involved. We share our knowledge with you, and in turn, we get to live out our lives on this planet.”
James stared at Hayden. “Rules were broken.”
“The rules need to change,” Kaden argued. “Annabelle is my mate. It’s nothing I planned to happen, but it cannot be changed. I will not stay away from her.”
“I cannot allow this,” James said sternly. His eyes narrowed at Hayden.
Hayden put his hand on his shoulder. “If we are not free to return to our home, we will leave this planet immediately.”
As Annabelle watched James, his eyes seemed to glaze over. It was as if he were in a trance. Her mouth hung open, totally astonished by what she was seeing.
“I think we’re all being a little hasty,” James said, his voice relaxed. “There’s no reason for you to leave the planet. If Annabelle keeps your secret, we will allow this relationship to continue.”
“I won’t tell anyone,” Annabelle replied. “I promise.”
One by one, Hayden approached each of the agents, whispering something she couldn’t make out. Each glazed over like they were zombies. Once he finished, he sent them away like they were his soldiers.
Kaden had told her about Hayden’s ability to control emotions, but seeing it was something else entirely. “Is anyone else freaking out? Because I am totally freaked out.”
Kaden took her hands in his. “The agents will be fine. The effect will wear off in a few hours. They will only remember the new deal they agreed to.”
“Has he ever done that to me?” Annabelle shrieked.
“Absolutely not,” Kaden quickly answered. “I’d kill him.”
Mind control. Healing power. Her head was spinning. So much of this still didn’t seem real to her. They were real aliens. Aliens with great power. And yet, they had become her family. She glanced at what was left of Uriel’s burned body, then at Camden. “Is mind melting your power?”
“No, mostly I give orgasms.” Cam wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Lots and lots of mind-blowing orgasms.”
Hayden and Kaden shook their heads in unison.
Annabelle laughed. “That actually explains a lot.”
Kaden grabbed her by the waist, tugging her against him. “Are you okay?”
Seeing the brothers in action gave her a whole new perspective, but she didn’t want to think too much about it. Not now. The day had already passed the point of insanity. Once things settled, she’d ask Kaden more about their abilities. For now, she was just happy to be alive and to still have the man she loved. Or the alien she loved. Whatever. Labels weren’t her thing, anyway. “I love you, Kaden Chance. That’s all that matters.”
Under His Skin Page 18