“How can you be so cavalier about this? Doesn’t it bother you that Addison came to me last night after you and she—”
“We really need to work on your language, man,” Shane censored, knowing what word was about to spill from Cane’s mouth but still grinning from his earlier insight. “I’ll admit, I thought it would really bother me. If it were anyone else, I’d probably kill him. But I know how much you mean to her, and seeing how much pleasure you brought to her just by watching was…well, hot. Just think what it would be like with both of us touching her, bringing her to that place, man. Don’t tell me you didn’t get hard watching us last night.”
By Cane not saying anything, he answered Shane’s question. Shane was about to continue when he noticed Cane go still. Cane lifted his head and looked across the street. Shane followed his gaze. Sure enough, John Rafuse stood on the opposite side, hard not to notice with his tattoo. He was staring directly at Cane with hatred that distorted his face into something hideous.
“Let’s get this over with,” Cane said, standing and throwing a twenty-dollar bill on the table.
“Not on a public street, Cane. Too many innocents,” Shane warned, scrambling to catch up with Cane, who was already at the door. “Cane, did you hear me? Not here!”
* * * *
“Something’s wrong. We need to follow them, Theo,” Addison pleaded, walking behind him as he headed to Jagger’s office. Her body was extremely tense for someone who had had multiple orgasms the night before, but the thought of her men out there with no backup was too stressful for her body to take. The differences between the ways Shane and Cane made love to her was astounding, and she wanted more. Addison needed more from them, and she wasn’t about to let one of them lose their life over their pride at going at it alone.
“That’s why Jagger and I have called the pilot back,” Theo explained. “The pilot said he flew them into Aspen.”
“When do we leave? How long until the pilot gets here?”
They walked into the office to see Jagger loading a clip into a handgun. Different types of weapons were laid out on his desk, and Addison watched as Theo walked over to pick one out. Addison was relieved that they were arming themselves, especially since Shane had left empty-handed. Cane always carried his knife around, but would that be enough against whatever they were facing?
“Addison, you’re not going,” Theo clarified. “Jagger and I will be their backup if anything goes wrong. The pilot overheard pieces of their conversation, and it seems some guy wants revenge for something Cane did. We know the Fray aren’t involved.”
“We don’t know that for a fact! What if this lunatic called them? What if it’s some type of ambush?” Addison’s voice rose with each question, and she was seriously thinking of picking up a weapon. “You men can be so dense at times, I swear!”
“If the Fray were involved, I would know,” Jagger explained calmly, which just irked Addison even more. “More and more people join the Sympathizers everyday. The agency is full of them and it’s only a matter of time before the Fray is shut down.”
“Fine,” Addison fumed, “but that doesn’t mean this crazy person is by himself. He could have people working for him, too. What then? You have Reese, who is the perfect weapon, and we don’t even use her power! And shouldn’t I be there as well? I mean, come on, what good is being a Healer if I’m not allowed to heal anyone!”
“First of all, if Reese used her power in the middle of Aspen, that would bring every Fray agent around to the area. That is the last thing we want,” Theo replied. “Her ability is just way too strong for something like this. Do you remember what happened when we rescued you? Reese pretty much destroyed an entire building with her energy. If we are in an all-out war, then yes, we would let Reese do what she needed to do.”
“That doesn’t explain why I can’t go, damn it!”
“Because you can’t heal yourself. If we take you and you end up hurt while someone else is injured, or worse, dying, you’d be useless. Is that what you want?” Theo asked.
“Addison, we know you want to help, but going into a battle when we don’t know what we’re facing is a bad decision. It could get us all killed,” Jagger stated, sympathy shining in his eyes.
“Then let me come, and I’ll stay on the plane,” Addison implored, not caring if she had to get on her knees and beg. They weren’t leaving here without her.
“She’s right.” Addison turned to see Reese standing in the doorway. “I get why me using my power in the middle of a town might not be such a good idea, but even you two would have to agree I’ve gotten better on my control. I can now release little increments of energy without destroying an entire area.”
“Reese, there’s no reason for you to go when we’ve got the situation under—”
“Theo, stop,” Reese ordered, stepping into the room and standing next to Addison. “This isn’t just about us. We’re Nobles. You said so yourself, that we’re at war for our freedom. Is it right for me, the Deity of our generation, to stand back and not help? Is it right to keep our Healer secluded when there are Nobles that would benefit from her hands? Yes, we have a home and a safe haven to protect us. But we can’t hide our heads in the sand either and pretend our powers don’t exist. I know you love me, as I love both of you. But it’s time for us to fight back. And we’re part of that fight, whether you like it or not.”
Reese reached out for her hand, and Addison was never more thankful to have a sister than she was at this moment. They might have missed out on their childhood together, but their bond was growing, and knowing she would always have her sister’s support meant the world to Addison. Theo and Jagger shared a defeated look, and Addison would have giggled if the situation weren’t so dire.
“Fine,” a subdued Theo said, no sign of his dimple showing through the serious expression on his face. “But Addison stays on the plane and you two listen to every word we say, got it?”
Chapter Seven
“I don’t like this, Cane.”
“He’s a coward. This will be a piece of cake.” Cane followed behind their target, who was leading them away from downtown. Rafuse seemed a little paranoid, looking around the area constantly. How dense could this guy be? An irrational human bent on revenge thought he could take on a Noble with paranormal abilities. If all Rafuse wanted was to kill Cane, he could have opened fire on the streets in Aspen and taken his chances of getting away by running. Why lead them to an isolated area?
“What about Max Baker? Rafuse could have him anywhere,” Shane stated, looking around as their target kept walking on Main Street before veering off into a wooded area behind some residential neighborhood. Maybe Rafuse thought he could use Baker as a hostage. If so, Rafuse didn’t know Cane as well as he thought he did. Cane wasn’t one to worry about collateral damage.
“Baker is the last thing on my mind, Sutton,” Cane confirmed exactly what Shane had been thinking. They slowed down and let Rafuse edge a little farther away. Shane fell into step and shortened his stride to match Cane’s. This was Cane’s forte, and Shane would follow his lead.
“Didn’t you just get done saying that you don’t kill innocents? We have no idea where he’s keeping Baker. Well, if you kill Rafuse, Baker is as good as dead,” Shane stated, not liking that Cane was only thinking of killing his prey regardless of any other casualties. The man certainly knew how to make a person nervous. “What would Addison say about that?”
“Damn you, Sutton,” Cane cursed, stopping and turning to face him. “This is why I work alone. I don’t need you talking over my shoulder like you’re my fucking conscience.”
“You need someone propped up there, man,” Shane said.
They came to the outline of trees at the edge of N. Main Street. Rafuse had entered not thirty seconds ago, but Cane kept walking alongside the road without veering off. Looking into the forest, Shane could see nothing but knew that didn’t make a bit of difference. Whatever kept Cane from following was good enough for him. Kee
ping to his left, Shane let Cane be the one closer to the trees, knowing he needed the visual.
“Well, what do you know? Looks like you get your wish to be a savior after all. That should make Addison happy,” Cane said, finally turning into the woods with a determined stride.
“What’s that mean?”
“It means that Rafuse brought along his Locator, and they are both waiting for us,” Cane explained. ”Let’s hope, for Baker’s sake, that he didn’t switch sides and he truly is a victim in all this.”
They both entered the forest, with Cane leading the way. It was obvious to Shane that Cane wanted to catch Rafuse off guard, and when they circled the area twice, impatience started to set in. Shane wanted Cane to confront this guy, and then maybe he could get close enough to compel Rafuse into dropping whatever vendetta he had against Cane. He just wanted this all to be over so he could get back to Addison.
“Latcher, I know you’re out there. Show your face, you coward!”
“Sounds like he’s a little pissed at you,” Shane provoked, wanting Cane to finish this already. A man who had nothing to lose was too unpredictable for Shane’s taste. Rafuse was liable to just shoot them and run, although seeing as how he hadn’t already done that, that scenario was unlikely.
“That he does,” Cane agreed. “Go around again and come up from behind. I’ll confront him and draw his attention towards me. If you have a chance to compel Rafuse, do it,” Cane ordered, then gave Shane a sideways glance. “And don’t look so surprised.”
“I’m just happy to see you turning over a new leaf over.” Shane smiled. “Addison will be happy to know that you’re adjusting your ways and trying new things. Like not killing people outright.”
“Shut up, Sutton. I want to make absolutely sure he didn’t rat me out to the Fray. And we also need to figure out how he found Max. Someone spilled their guts about Max’s abilities, and if they gave it up for money, the Fray won’t be far behind.”
“Just do me a favor,” Shane requested. “Don’t get us killed.”
Shane did as Cane asked and started to walk around the perimeter again. For Cane being such a pessimistic kind of guy, he was certainly being optimistic in his hope that Shane could get close enough to compel Rafuse. He heard Cane announce his presence, which made it easier for Shane to pinpoint where he needed to be. Shane listened to what Rafuse had to say as he worked his way around.
“What gives you the right to send us in on a mission after the Deity when you knew we were going to die!” Rafuse screamed.
“Isn’t that what you signed up for when you went to work for the Fray?” Cane asked calmly, his voice low.
“I joined the Fray to get rid of shit like you! I don’t care if the Fray wants you alive,” Rafuse raged. “They want to run tests on you and set you up in some damn facility while you eat their food and sleep in a bed you don’t deserve. You know what? Ain’t gonna happen!”
“So, what, you think you’re going to kill me?”
Shane finally worked his way into position and could now see the three men. Rafuse had his back towards Shane, his barbed-wire tattoo showing above his olive-green, ratty T-shirt. His camouflage pants weren’t in any better condition, with pockets torn and mud streaks running down the side. He was pointing a gun at Cane, who now gave a slight nod of his head in acknowledgement of noticing where Shane was positioned. Max Baker was standing off to the side, facing both Cane and Rafuse. He, too, saw Shane coming up from behind and started to look a little nervous.
“I’m going to make you suffer first,” Rafuse taunted, a hint of pride in his voice that made Shane wary. Shane stopped his advance upon hearing what spilled out of Rafuse’s mouth. “You thought I was stupid, but I saw you sniffing around the labs like you were looking for someone. I tried to warn them, but they wouldn’t listen. Said you were the best Tracker to find the Deity. It wasn’t until the explosion near Billings that I put two and two together. You wanted the Deity’s sister.”
This wasn’t good. Shane stood a few feet behind Rafuse, who was too caught up with adrenaline to even notice him. Cane now had his hand resting on the handle of his knife, and Baker looked guilty as hell. Rafuse had figured out that Cane had something to do with Addison’s rescue and assumed that going after Addison would torture Cane. Rafuse was spot-on. Too bad for him he hadn’t banked on there being two men who would lay down their lives for her, though.
“So let me get the facts straight,” Cane said, buying them the time they needed for Shane to take those last few steps. “One, you’ve got a grudge against me for sending you on a mission the Fray hired you to do in the first place. Two, you find a Locator and keep his existence hidden from the Fray. Three, instead of telling the Fray you found me, and possibly the Deity’s sister, you’re going to kill both of us. Do I have those facts straight? Because it sounds to me like you’re signing your own death warrant with the Fray. Guess I’ll have to take care of that for you.”
Shane figured he had two seconds in which to tackle Rafuse from behind and wrestle his gun away. He should have known that wasn’t what Cane had in mind, though. At the last word in his sentence, Cane’s hand whipped his knife out of the sheath and threw it with such precision, the impact into Rafuse’s shoulder had him flying back into Shane. Within seconds, Shane took his gun and laid Rafuse on the ground, who was now crying out in pain.
“Shut him up, will you?” Cane ordered, before walking over to where Max stood frozen, staring at Rafuse writhing on the ground. “Did you tell him where Addison is? Focus, Baker.” Cane snapped his fingers in front of Max’s face to grab his attention. “Does he know where the Deity’s sister is?”
“H-he gave me a watch that a woman had w-worn,” Max stuttered, most likely afraid that Cane was going to kill him. “I s-swear, I didn’t know she was the Deity’s sister! I had no choice! He was going to kill my girlfriend.”
“I’ll repeat the question. Does he know where she is?”
“Yes! She’s at some private airstrip. It’s—”
“You’re too late, Latcher.” Rafuse laughed through the pain, only caring that he got to Cane. “She’s as good as dead.”
Cane would have killed Rafuse if Shane hadn’t stepped in front of him. The last thing they needed was for Cane to let his emotions rule the situation. Shane had to get control and find the answers they needed. Why was Addison at the airstrip and not on the mountain? Jagger and Theo would never have let her come alone. Did she talk them into bringing her here? If so, Addison had walked them right into a trap and they needed to get to her immediately. Shane grabbed Cane’s arm and brought him close. “Get a hold of Addison on the cell phone, Cane. Better yet, call Theo or Jagger and see where they are. Tell them to keep her inside that plane,” Shane murmured to Cane before releasing him.
“Baker, is someone else working with Rafuse?” Shane asked, tucking the gun he had confiscated in the waistband of his jeans. Shane did his best to compartmentalize the situation and not go rushing out of here. Right now, his first instinct was to get to Addison as fast as he could, but he knew that wasn’t what would help her in the end. They needed to obtain as much information as they could.
“He made a call not thirty minutes ago telling someone where she was. I don’t know anything else, I swear.”
Shane knelt on one knee and grabbed Rafuse’s T-shirt in his fist, pulling him upwards, not caring that he screamed out in pain. Cane’s knife still stuck out of his shoulder, blood dripping down his arm. Shane stared into his eyes and pulled energy into his to compel the answers they needed.
“You will stop screaming. You will answer our questions truthfully, do you understand?” Rafuse’s pupils dilated until his dull hazel irises couldn’t be seen and then shrunk back to a normal size, indicating to Shane he was underneath his compulsion.
“Yes.”
Shane’s victims mostly answered in one-syllable words, which made his task of obtaining information easier under these circumstances. He gave a sideways glance t
o see Cane pull his cell phone out to dial. Turning back to Rafuse, Shane concentrated on getting the answers they needed. “Is the Fray, in any way, aware of your actions?”
“No.”
“Did you call someone to go to the airstrip?”
“Yes.”
“Who did you call?” Shane asked, searching Rafuse’s pockets for his cell phone. Finding it in a leg pouch, Shane released Rafuse and let him fall to the ground. Hitting a button, the screen lit up, and Shane searched for recent outgoing calls. He ignored the shaking in his hands. Highlighting the last number entered, Shane hit redial.
“Friend.”
“What were your instructions?” Shane listened to the other end of the line. It rang and rang, but the receiver wasn’t answering.
“To kill whoever was on the plane.”
“Theo, don’t get off the plane,” Cane instructed, yelling into the phone after having finally having reached one of the guys. “Do you hear me? It’s an ambush. Rafuse has someone waiting to—”
Shane saw the shock come over Cane’s face and knew whatever Theo was saying wasn’t good. He hurriedly leaned down and said, “Leave here. Forget this ever happened. Go to the Fray and tell them you heard underground chatter than Cane Latcher died at the hands of the Deity for his betrayal to the Noble race.” When Shane was satisfied Rafuse would do as he was instructed, he turned just in time to hear Cane lose it.
“Get back to the plane! Do you hear me? Get back to that fucking plane and make sure she’s safe!” Cane leaned down and yanked his knife from Rafuse’s shoulder, ignoring his shriek of pain. He took off running, not bothering to see if Shane followed, which he did. Shane couldn’t stop the panic from building in his chest at the thought of Addison being hurt. She might be the Healer of their generation, but it meant crap if she couldn’t heal herself.
“Baker, get out of here. We’ll be in touch,” Shane yelled over his shoulder. “Cane,” Shane called ahead, trying to get his attention. “Cane, stop the first person you see!”
Noble Healing [Nature's Nobles 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 9