by Lucy Leroux
That was true. But in Nina’s defense, Kate didn’t always act like an adult. Something told her that might be about to change. At least she hoped so.
“Then let’s go get you a drink.” She gestured for Kate to follow her to the bar, so they could join the others.
Kate got to her feet. “Oh, before I forget, I brought grandmother’s needlepoint pillowcases for you. I left the bag in the trunk. I don’t know why Mom thought I would want them now that I’m married. They don’t really go with anything in our new place. But you always liked them. Do you want to take them with you?”
Nina thought about the intricately stitched scenes. Her grandmother had taught her how to sew and knit. She owed her precise surgical sutures to that training. “I’d love them.”
Nina waved to Dmitri, pointing to the door to let him know she was stepping out with Kate. She followed her sister to the side of the building. The narrow alley allowed for a single row of cars to park at a slant. They had to wait for a car to make the turn before reaching the sporty little coupe her parents had bought Kate.
Her sister was chattering cheerfully now. Nina let the conversation wash over her, making a mental note to remind Kate’s cardiologist to keep her apprised of any changes in her sister’s condition.
The roar of the car engine came out of nowhere. It was so loud she snapped to attention, expecting to see a speed demon barreling down the cross street. But it was turning at the corner. It raced toward them, showing no signs of stopping.
Time slowed down as a half-ton of black steel tore down the alley. Kate was safe next to the driver’s door. She’d gone there to pop the trunk from the front seat controls.
Nina had just enough time to register those details before the world blurred. Warmth enveloped her as colors bled and blended. The sky raced above just before her body landed, the impact jarring her senseless.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The shriek of grinding metal on metal and breaking glass nearly deafened Dmitri as he cradled Nina in his arms. To his relief, she groaned and swore under her breath.
He was on his back, holding her to his chest. He was bleeding from the glass embedded in his back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the SUV veer into the wall of the adjoining building, cracking the brick and mortar. Then it backed up and continued down the alley as fast as the damaged engine could go.
Kate was screaming her head off. He winced at the ear-splitting noise, but he didn’t let go of Nina to cover his ears.
He was oddly numb. It was either the shock of nearly seeing Nina mowed down or the fact he’d vaulted over a car to get to her, pulling her out of the oncoming vehicle’s path. They’d landed on the rear windshield of what he guessed was Kate’s car, cracking and flattening it like rock candy someone had stepped on.
“Can you stop that, please?” he asked Kate. His mate’s sister was one of those talented humans who could hit the frequency that made ears ring without even trying.
Dmitri had been calm when Nina stepped out with her sister, pleased the interaction was going well for her. It made him feel better that she could forgive the younger woman. It told him she had truly moved on.
He didn’t know why he tensed when the door closed behind him, but the second Nina disappeared from his sight, he was on his feet, following. Dmitri was still alive because he always listened to his intuition. And now Nina was, too.
Except she wouldn’t have been in any danger without me and my brilliant plan.
Tears were streaming down Kate’s cheeks as she grabbed at Nina. “Are you okay? That crazy asshole nearly killed you.”
Nina groaned again as he set her on her feet next to the car. “Ow. I feel like I got hit by a brick wall.”
“You pretty much were,” Kate wailed, waving at his chest as their party rushed out of the bar.
They were surrounded by the others. Dmitri was forcibly reminded they were all doctors and nurses as stethoscopes and penlights appeared.
“I’m fine,” Nina assured Jesse as Dmitri pushed an unknown doctor’s light away.
“You might have a concussion,” Dmitri protested as he crowded Nina, pushing closer to her sister.
Kate’s eyes widened as he came to a stop next to them. “How did he do that?” she hissed, her eyes on him even though the words were clearly meant for her sister.
He ran his hands over Nina, double checking she hadn’t broken anything. He fished out his keys before pressing them into her palm.
“Take your sister and go to your parents’ house,” he said in her ear before pulling back.
Her frown was immediate. “Where are you going?” she asked sharply.
He walked backward, wanting to keep her in sight as long as he could. “I’ll meet you there soon. Wait for me.”
“Dmitri, don’t you dare leave!”
He flinched, but didn’t turn back. By the time he got to the street, he was running.
“Where do you think he went?”
Nina hummed noncommittally, staring out the window of her parent’s house. They had a mid-sized townhouse in Cambridge, but both were away for the weekend for a friend’s wedding in North Carolina. Dmitri must have forgotten that detail when he sent her here.
“Nina, is he normal?”
She turned to frown at her sister. “Is who normal?” she asked, her mind on Edward Lawrence and the mess he’d made.
Why hadn’t he let it go after having Dmitri shot? Had he decided that killing her was adequate revenge or was he going after Dmitri, too? Would he keep coming after them?
Regardless, Lawrence had just signed his own death warrant. She barely felt bad about it anymore. Almost dying has a way of changing your perspective.
“I mean Dmitri, of course,” Kate said. “Is he on steroids?”
“He’s a werewolf,” Nina muttered, her eyes still on the street. How long was this going to take? Were they going to have to go on the run after this?
Screw that. There was no way she was doing that.
Kate sighed and stood. “Fine, don’t tell me. I’m going to call Matt and make some tea.”
Nina whirled around. “Don’t call him.”
“What? Why not?”
She walked closer, putting her hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Don’t call him. Text him, but don’t mention me or where you are, okay?”
Kate scowled. “What’s going on?”
I didn’t want to do this. “I have to tell you something, and you’re not going to like it.”
“What is it?”
Nina braced herself. Please let her believe me. “Today wasn’t an accident. Someone tried to run me down. Maybe you, too. I’m not sure.”
Kate paled. “On purpose?”
“Yeah.”
“Who?”
“I have reason to believe it was Edward Lawrence.”
Kate’s face twisted as if she had smelled something sour. “What? Why?”
“It has something to do with Matt getting that fellowship. He hired Dmitri to get him something that was supposed to give Matt an edge—this was before I met him. When Dmitri met me, he decided not to give it to him. Now Edward is angry.”
“What is the thing?”
“It’s a device,” Nina said, deciding to leave out the magical aspect. “It’s something that can save people when they’re at death’s door.”
Kate was perplexed. “It’s a machine? Not a drug?”
“No. It’s definitely a thing.”
“Oh.” Her sister glanced away, her brow creased. Kate put her hand on the counter, mulling it over.
“They’ve been going through a lot of the latter lately,”she offered eventually with a little shrug.
Nina was incredulous. “Do you mean Matt and Edward? What drugs have they been using?”
“None. It wasn’t for them. The drugs were for Constance.”
“Matt’s stepmother?”
“She’s ill. I think it’s serious.”
Nina stared at her sister uncomprehendingly.
Constance was fourteen years younger than her husband. She was also old money, from a prominent New England family. Nina had never warmed to her. She was too much like Edward.
Kate coughed. “I’m sorry. I should have said something but I was trying to be supportive. I thought Matt and Edward would appreciate me more if I was discreet.
“But she seemed fine at your wedding.” Nina hadn’t spoken to Constance much that night. It had been too awkward.
Kate nodded. “I don’t think they’ve known very long. I noticed she was starting to tire easily when we were planning the reception. She was all over everything in the beginning, but then kept backing off and letting me handle more and more of it as time went on. That was a huge red flag given what a control freak she is. But I don’t have to tell you what she’s like.”
A control freak was putting it mildly. Damn it. If only she’d been speaking to Kate when they were planning the reception. She would have learned this detail long ago.
This changes everything.
“I didn’t think Matt knew about the device,” Nina said carefully, “but if this is true—if Constance is gravely ill—then I’m not sure of anything anymore.”
Kate appeared troubled for a moment, but then her expression cleared. “I don’t think he does. He’s been warning me for months that he wasn’t going to get the fellowship and that we should start looking for houses out of state. He kept saying the same thing right up until you quit, and they gave him the job. He’s been really quiet ever since. He doesn’t say so aloud, but I know he feels bad about the way things went down. He’s been drinking more.”
“Good.” Nina sagged under the weight of her relief until she caught the glint in Kate’s eye. “I don’t mean it’s good he’s drinking. But at least you don’t have to get a divorce.”
Kate smiled, but it was grim. “That is good, I guess.” She sighed. “I’m not that fond of Constance, but I don’t want her to die. Maybe they should use this device.”
“What if I told you that using it would cost another life in exchange?”
“Like a sacrifice?”
“Yes.”
Her sister stared at her skeptically.
“It’s true,” Nina whispered, infusing all her conviction into the few words.
Her sister’s face blanched. “Holy crap.”
Kate touched her chest, fingers over one of the many scars she had from the many medical procedures she’d undergone as a child and in her teens. “Then no. They can take their chances on Western medicine the way we had to. Or they can try acupuncture or Eastern medicine. But not something like that. Not at that price.”
Something tight and anxious unfurled in Nina.
Even now, Kate lived with the constant threat of her condition worsening. She could have pleaded for Nina to try to use the collar to cure her.
Most people would kill for that. Nina was grateful Kate was not one of them. Yes, she could be selfish, but she was still decent.
At least for now. If Kate took a downturn, would her attitude change?
And despite his doubts at the wedding, Matt was still with her. Under other circumstances, it could have easily been Kate that Edward was trying to cure. What would she have done then?
“What is Dmitri going to do now?” Kate asked. “If the machine is broken, then there’s nothing Edward can do about it, right?”
“No, I guess not.”
Dmitri had sabotaged the necklace to save lives, undoing a great evil in the process. She didn’t want to think about what it had taken to make it in the first place.
What would it take to restore such a thing?
More death, no doubt. Suffering. And someone capable of channeling those negative acts, trapping them in stone and metal.
It would take a wicked witch.
Wood splintered under Dmitri’s hand as he drove his fist down on the shining surface of Edward Lawrence’s desk.
The computer on it was gone. So were Lawrence and his wife. The house was empty, closed up as if they were about to move. Half-packed boxes stood in every room, sheets covered some of the pricier large pieces of furniture.
Whether his ploy had been discovered, Dmitri didn’t know. It was possible Lawrence had somehow detected the hidden files and thrown the whole lot away.
It wouldn’t solve the problem entirely. One didn’t frame a person for securities fraud without evidence. Facts had to be verified out in the real world. But without the files he planted on Lawrence’s computer prosecution would be that much more difficult. Not impossible, but damn harder.
In the meantime, Lawrence had run, or at least retreated.
It could be a feint. Never forget what Sun Tzu taught you. War is an art.
Impulsively he yanked opened the top desk drawer. A sheet of paper fluttered over the tray on pens and paperclips. He snatched it.
Give back the ruby or be prepared to lose her.
Dmitri swore aloud. Lawrence wasn’t done going after Nina. She was still in danger.
Chapter Thirty
Nina’s noodles were cold.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Kate asked. “You’ve barely touched it.”
They hadn’t fixed anything to eat until nearly midnight. Kate had texted Matt, told him that she was going spend the night with Nina, to help her pack.
Nina pushed the plate away. “I was starving, but I guess I’m done now.”
Her own voice grated on her nerves. Outside, the slight wind seemed like a howling torrent. I hope wolf hearing isn’t contagious. Her human senses might be duller than Dmitri’s, but if this what a little wind sounded like when you were mated to a werewolf, she’d have to invest in earplugs.
Nina got to her feet, starting to go to the window before backing away quickly. Staying out of sight was the first thing Dmitri would tell her to do. Rubbing her arms, she went to the kitchen to put the kettle on.
“What’s wrong?” Kate asked, rising to follow her.
She’d done a much better job of clearing her plate. Despite not living with her for several years, Nina still checked.
Nina had no idea why she was suddenly so hypersensitive. She was like a guitar string that was wound too tight. Any second now and she would snap.
She reached for the box of teabags on the shelf. Kate shook her head, taking the box of Earl Gray away.
“I don’t think so. You’re already on the edge, and it’s starting to make me nervous. Try the chamomile.”
Nina smiled. Kate was taking care of her for a change. It was a nice feeling, albeit an unfamiliar one.
She was making tea for them both when she heard it.
Glass was breaking somewhere in the house. It wasn’t the kitchen or the dining room—it was farther. The living room.
She whirled, grabbing Kate by the arm. “Get in the basement,” she hissed, shoving her sister in direction of the door.
“Wh—” Kate began. She hadn’t heard the subtle crack at all.
Shit, my hearing is better.
“Go.” She pushed Kate harder, opening the door to the basement. Her sister paused on the top step, her crystalline eyes huge. There was another crash—this time from the salon on the other side of the living room.
Whoever it was, they weren’t trying to maintain their stealth. “You have to hide, too,” Kate said, holding onto her sleeve. Nina shoved the restraining hand away.
“I love you, but for God’s sake be quiet,” she said, shutting the door. With luck, they wouldn’t look down there.
She had just enough time to grab a knife from the butcher block before the intruder burst into the room.
He was tall and muscled with broad shoulders. All his clothes were black, the better to blend in with the night. His heavily muscled form filled the space, making the large kitchen seem small.
Without the extra thickness at the waist, she might have confused him for Dmitri. They were the same height and almost the same weight. And both could intimidate with a single glare.
Terror stiffened
her muscles. It was almost painful, but she pressed back against the kitchen counter.
Please don’t let this be another werewolf.
Nina might be able to escape a human assailant, but she knew in her bones that if this man was a shifter, she’d never make it out of this alive.
“Are you the one who tried to run me down earlier?” she asked. Her voice was high and thin, but it didn’t waver.
She could only see the man’s eyes. He wore a half mask over his mouth, but she could see his eyes crinkle up when he smiled.
“That was merely a warning. If I’d wanted to hit you, I’d have succeeded.” He took a step toward her. The only thing between them was the square butcher-block island in the center of the room.
She held the knife higher. To her relief, it was steady.
“I’d put that down if I were you.” She could hear the laughter in the stranger’s voice. “You might hurt yourself.”
If he comes another step closer, he won’t be laughing for long.
“I’m actually exceptionally good with knives. Years of training.” She edged closer to the door, but she knew running would be a mistake.
He’s not like Dmitri. She didn’t know how she knew that. He was still a predator, however, of the human variety. She wouldn’t get far.
The man seemed amused by her bravado. “I’m shaking in my boots. But there is no need for dramatics. I need you alive. This is going to be a simple exchange. You for the item in your fiancé’s possession.”
“Edward wants to trade the ruby for me?” Would putting it back in the collar work…or had the evil been undone by the act of removal?
The man’s lashes fluttered, and she realized he hadn’t known what Edward wanted. He was hired muscle, not a confidante.
“Your employer didn’t tell you what this was all about?” she asked. “The stone he wants is this big,” she said, holding her finger apart. “It’s worth a fortune—several fortunes.”
Yes, it might suck his soul out of his body, but right then, that didn’t seem like such a bad idea.