“Thank you for listening to me and not laughing. I’m glad you asked me what I want.” His gaze drifted toward the wall, and his features fell into sadness. “I’m always told what to do, never asked.” Scott’s eyes skirted back and forth, as if watching a scene play out in his head. He finally took a calming breath, straightened in his chair, and looked her directly in the eyes. “I want to stay by myself. I don’t trust the others. There’s something wrong with them.”
Unsure if he was talking about the psychiatric inmates or the others jockeying for control of his skull, Keely nodded and stood.
“No problem. I’ll make my recommendation that you remain in solitary for a little while longer. If you change your mind, just let the authorities know, and we’ll reevaluate your situation.” She started to step away from the table and then hesitated. Knowing this was probably a long shot, she seized it anyway.
“Scott, by any chance do you know a Monica Sewell, Donald Brown, or a Bryan Foster?”
She watched carefully as he digested the names she’d provided. He shrugged and shook his head. I don’t know them. Should I?”
“No. I was just wondering if you’d talked with them at any point. Don’t worry about it, Scott. You won’t have to be around anyone. Just forget I asked.”
Scott’s smile lit his face. He gazed up at her, his features peaceful. “Will I be able to see you again, even if I stay in solitary? I like talking to you, Keely.”
Crap. He must’ve heard Adam call me by name. “Sure. Yeah. Just let someone know when you need to talk. We’ll arrange something. I have to leave now. Are you going to be okay?”
“Oh, yes. I’m perfectly fine. Have a good night, Keely. Make sure to lock your doors. There are some very bad people out there. Will you do that for me?”
Keely fought the shiver that gripped her muscles. The man may appear calm, yet this persona still hadn’t grasped the severity of his crime. She was glad he’d volunteered to remain in solitary.”
“Yes, I’ll make sure to do that. Thank you for your concern. Get some rest, Scott.”
“I will. Bye, Keely.”
Slipping out of the room, Keely leaned against the wall and began pounding on her computer screen. The case file for Wharton appeared, and she hungrily searched the information. She’d only been given the summary document listing the main event at Rhia’s home regarding Scott’s actions and the violent outburst at the jail, but nothing about his claim of Meron disappearing. The police report hadn’t been completed by the time she’d made her two initial visits. She was disappointed to find that it still hadn’t landed in their system. Looking up, she caught Adam staring at her.
“What’s wrong, Keely? Did he say something bad to you? I’ll knock the shit out him if he did.”
Keely shook her head. “No, he was a perfect gentleman. Do you have the police report? My records are skeletal. I’ll need the details.”
“Sure. I don’t have it on me, but when I get Wharton back, I’ll send it to you. Is your e-mail the same?”
“Yes. Well, I have to go. Thanks for everything, Adam. Oh, and he needs to stay in solitary. I’ll write up the report as soon as I get back to my office.”
“No problem, I’ll let them know. I don’t mind helping. Anything you need, Keely, just ask.”
Mind still reeling at hearing yet another instance of a man with the ability to turn ghost, Keely gave him a quick smile to mask her angst.
“Thanks, Adam. Good night.”
Seconds later, she was punching the elevator button and wondering if someone in the jail was feeding all of these inmates this wild story. Despite Webb’s warning to stop digging her own professional grave, Keely couldn’t wait to get the full police report. Her thoughts took a one-eighty when the smell of woods, mint, and musky man hit her nose. She sniffed her coat sleeve and realized her wish had come true. She’d smell them for the rest of the night.
Stepping out of the elevator, Keely glanced around and wondered if she’d missed an opportunity, one that may never come around again. Shaking her head at the insane thought, she headed for her office.
“Get a grip, Keely. One look under your clothes, and they’ll run for the hills. They’re way too perfect for the likes of me.”
Chapter 3
“Ah, shit! I told you I smelled dead bodies.” Baruch frowned when he heard his mate’s laughter filling the empty corridor.
“Damn, Baruch. That’s just a sign pointing the way to the morgue. If you’ll look closely, it says fourth floor. We’re on the third. Quit freaking out. I swear I’m going to kick Ludo’s ass for letting you watch that zombie show. Here’s the lab. We’re almost done.”
Baruch couldn’t help the full-body shiver that claimed control of his muscles. He felt Makar’s fingers squeeze the top of his shoulder, the lighthearted voice helping to alleviate some of his growing angst.
“Start remembering the smell of violets. That ought to redirect your thinking.”
Glancing to the right, he stared into Makar’s warm eyes and gave him the grin he was expecting. “Good idea. Violets and sexy-as-hell female. Best recipe to knock the stench right out of the air. Let’s do this.”
His mate was right. The image of Keely grinning at them through the closing elevator panels and her scented desire engulfing his senses would stick with him for a lifetime. It was enough to chase any nasty shit right out of his head. When her pretty, white teeth had flashed, and those gorgeous sea-green orbs lit up, he’d felt his heart claimed and boxed up for delivery. There was a banked fire inside that female. One that she tried valiantly to control. He wanted to kick the flame into high gear, and soon. So caught up in the vision, he almost ran Makar down when he halted ten meters from the lab doors to ensure they were out of range of the security camera mounted on the ceiling.
“Ready?”
“Yup.”
They easily melted into pure energy, drifted down the hallway, and under the metal door. Confirmed that no other electronic eyes scanned the interior of the lab, they reformed. Makar gestured toward the rows of refrigerated glass cases along the wall.
“I’ll grab the package. Stay by the door and keep watch. You got that number Cato wrote down?”
Baruch dug in his front pocket and handed him the slip of paper. “That’s a lot of blood bags. This is going to take forever.”
Makar grimaced. “I hope not. Cato said it should be in the second to last one if the staff kept them in the right sequence. He’s already deleted the record out of the system, so the chance is slim that someone already pulled it.”
“Good, I don’t feel like hanging out in here all night.” Resting against the door, Baruch watched Makar start the hunt for Rhia’s donation. Several minutes ticked by, and he couldn’t hold his tongue any longer.
“Makar.”
“Yeah.”
“What’s the plan?”
“Simple. We snag the bag and haul ass.”
“No, I meant the plan for Keely.”
Makar pulled another tray out and glanced over his shoulder. “First we have to get to the festival. Afterward, we can ask the emperor for some additional time off. I figure he’s going to stay put on Insedivertus for a while.”
“I thought the same. We got one problem, though…the Nawiens.” He wasn’t surprised by Makar’s eye roll and soft curse.
“I forgot about them. Let me think.” He closed the case and leaned back against the unit. “Well, the emperor would have to be part of the ceremony to release them from their obligation, so I figure he’s either going to put them off for a while, or he’ll ask them to come to Insedivertus. I’m banking on the latter since he has a new mate. They’ll understand. Worse case, we’re looking at four days delay if we have to go to them.” He shrugged and started pulling trays out again.
“Okay, I can live with that. Now, about the second problem.”
“What’s that?”
“Keely. You heard her. She seemed concerned that we’re a package deal. She definite
ly threw off a pure desire scent, but that doesn’t always play out to full acceptance or that it was meant for us both.”
Makar shrugged again and continued to flip through the bags. “Her initial hesitation doesn’t surprise me. Unless a female has grown up in a household with multiple partners, then her first instinct is to run. Earth women are taught from a young age that there’s only one true monogamous mate—their prince charming, if you will. Multiples are sometimes viewed as just a sexual kink or associated with cheating. We’ll just have to convince her that her heart is big enough for two.”
“How do you know that?”
“I’ve been reading, as you should.”
Baruch snorted. “Yeah, I took a look at their Internet. There’s so much crap out there, I didn’t know where to start.”
“Everyone’s different, Baruch. We’ll just have to be cautious and not scare her. Perhaps we’ll take the same steps we did with Tianus. That worked well for us, obviously.”
Heat flew up the back of his neck, and Baruch tried to temper his voice. It didn’t work. “Fuck that shit! I’m not going to watch you woo our little minx and then gradually introduce me into the relationship. It took forever last time. Nope. Either we come in as a pair, or we’ll just walk away.” He snapped to the fact that Makar was looking at him with a raised brow. “What?”
“I didn’t realize that my strategy with Tianus upset you so much. Of course, we can do this together. We’ll adjust our approach so that everyone’s comfortable.”
Nodding, Baruch resumed his position against the door. “Good. That’s good. Okay. I appreciate it.”
“No problem.” Makar chuckled and pulled a bag from the drawer, compared the numbers on the paper, and shoved it back into place. “Besides, Keely’s nothing like Tianus. She’s more mature. Despite the obvious discomfort she was feeling as we cornered her, she handled it remarkably well. I think I was more nervous than she was.”
“Yeah, me, too. Makar, I have to ask you a question, and I want you to be honest, okay?”
“Always.”
“Are you really ready to take on a new relationship? Is there room in your heart to love Keely?” He was surprised when Makar swung around, his golden eyes boring into his own.
“Yes, Baruch. More than you know. Tianus has been gone a long time. There will always be a place reserved for her in my heart. But, our life with her is in the past. We have to move on. However, I’m tempering my enthusiasm. The pretty doctor might not be compatible, and all of this worry could be for nothing.”
Baruch knew his response was fast, but it was how he felt.
“She’s the one. I feel it. There was too much happening to my body not to sense the recognition. When we slipped into the elevator with her, it took all my willpower to keep from reforming and checking a pulse point. I didn’t give a shit if I flopped around like an idiot or not. Don’t kid yourself, Makar. She’s it. I don’t consider this luck. It was inevitable. Our ancestors ensured we were present here so we could find her.”
Glancing down to his boots, Baruch bit his lip to stop his roll. He didn’t have the heart to tell him that Keely had triggered a greater response than even their beloved mate had. He was still trying to work that through his mind, so no use sharing now until he could speak of it intelligently. He didn’t even want to think of the possibility that Keely wasn’t their Occasio.
“I think you’re still rattled by the morgue sign, amici. Cato made sure we were here. I don’t believe we’re related, and he’s certainly not in the spirit world.”
Baruch snorted. “Bite me. You know what I mean.” He couldn’t help but smile at Makar’s teasing chortle, immediately glancing up upon hearing his ecstatic shout.
“Finally! I found it. Here, come double-check to make sure I’m reading this correctly.”
Loping across the room, Baruch stared over Makar’s shoulder as he held the bag up for his inspection. He analyzed the numbers written on the label as his mate read them off.
“Yup. You got it. Let’s go.”
“Wait. Look in that closet over there. Cato said the inventory listed five small coolers. There should be a refrigeration unit in there, too. Grab three of the gel bags and toss them inside. That’ll keep the blood at the same temperature until we can get it to Kallon.”
Blood bag nestled within the blue packs and lid sealed, Makar accepted the container.
“Okay, we remain in mist form all the way out. No one needs to see this thing or us on any of the cameras. Ready?”
“Yep.” Sliding easily under the door, Baruch halted in the middle of the corridor. Shit. I forgot. Left or right? This gods damn place is a freaking maze.
To the left. I remembered that your morgue sign was hovering over my right shoulder when you went psycho on me.
You just had to remind me, didn’t you? Makar remained silent, and Baruch realized his energy had stopped moving forward. When he did finally speak, it was in a low, reverent manner.
“Ah, would you look at that. I’m beginning to believe in your ancestor theory, Baruch.
Baruch enjoyed the high-frequency ripples running through his energy grid as Makar slid up close. The sight of their potential mate stepping off the elevator and into the hallway kicked off an equally delicious shimmer that had them both fighting from reforming.
Groaning, Baruch tried to control himself. Inferni, just a glimpse of her and I’m losing it. Damn, does she look prettier than earlier? How’s that possible? Uh-oh, move over to the wall, she’s heading this way. He admired her focused determination as she made her brisk clip past them. Sensuous green eyes were narrowed, and a crease formed between her brows as she concentrated on whatever was flitting through her beautiful head. Dreaming of the moment that he’d be allowed to tap into that brilliant mind, he failed to notice that his mate was breaking away from his energy.
Let’s follow her.
Snapped out of his stupor, Baruch easily caught up, totally on board with Makar’s urgent call. My thoughts, exactly.
Their pursuit didn’t last long. Keely flew by the lab they’d just left, passed through a set of double doors identified as Austin Psychiatric Services, and entered the third door on the right. A small, gold nameplate next to the frame clued them that she’d led them to her office.
Swirling in behind her, they butted up against the pale green wall and admired the beauty rounding the small desk. She plopped down onto a blue chair, clamped her fingers onto the armrests, and became still. Several seconds passed as she stared straight ahead, her thick lashes fluttering rapidly while she worked through whatever internal dilemma had captured her attention. Blowing out a hard breath, she straightened, smoothed her dark hair to ensure no strays had escaped the severe bun, and scooted close to the desk. Within seconds, she was pounding on a computer keyboard.
Baruch drifted closer to study her features. She seems disturbed about something. He sensed Makar moving around the back of her chair.
Yes. Perhaps it has to do with the man she visited. She’s a doctor of the mind, and he was wearing shackles. I can only assume that there’s some criminal element associated. I’m sure she’s concerned for his well-being, despite the circumstances.
True. Hey, have you noticed anything about her office?
Makar floated over the desk and joined him on the other side. Like what?
There are no pictures, not even on the walls.
You’re right. It’s rather bland. Perhaps she feels she can do her job better if she keeps her personal life from intruding. Imbrus is like that.
Good point. He’s a total stiff when he’s in uniform, too. Perhaps this is why she wears her blouse buttoned to the top and her beautiful hair in such a binding manner. Gods! I’d love to see that mass falling about her shoulders. Just the thought of her wearing one of our shirts and a pair of tight jeans just does something to me. Can you imagine? I wonder what color her toenails are.
Enough, Baruch. Don’t even lead me down that path. I’m trying to conc
entrate. Quick, start looking around for anything that might clue us to her life.
Chuckling, Baruch sifted around her desk, but found nothing more than patient charts. A quick glance into the trash can had him smiling. Look here. There’s a Styrofoam coffee cup from one of those popular stores. He felt Makar slide up next to him.
That’s a start. What’s on the lid?
What do you mean? It’s just a white lid.
Move it around, there has to be something written on the side. I watched Luna reading the lids when she brought all of us coffee to the shop.
Reaching inside, Baruch reformed his hand and adjusted the cup. Oh, now I see it. Decaf plain. Ah, our girl’s perfect. I’m liking her more by the second.
Well, at least we know where she gets coffee. Might be a good spot to accidently run into her again. They both startled when she spoke.
“What the hell? It should be dissipating, not getting stronger.”
Puzzled, they looked up in time to catch Keely sniffing the arm of her jacket. Her eyes widened. Neither of them was prepared for her next move. She leaped up from the chair, scurried around the side of the desk, and passed right through their grid.
Crap!
Makar’s curse joined his own as Keely gasped, halted in her tracks, and performed a full body shiver. Vigorously rubbing her arms, she frantically searched the room with wide eyes.
“That was weird.” She walked slowly to the door, leaned out, and glanced to each end of the hallway. Stepping back into the room, she shook her head and leaned against the jam.
“Geez, Keely. Get a grip. Those two are long gone.”
Excitement lit up Baruch’s emotions. He felt the same ripple across his mate’s. Ah, did you feel her energy? It was potent.
Indeed. She was thinking of us. Do you smell the violets?
Oh, yeah. She’s got it bad for…oops, she’s closing the door. Move. This one looks a lot tighter than the lab. I don’t feel like going through the air vents.
Had they been fully formed, Baruch knew they’d both have stupid grins on their faces as they watched Keely take one more peek down the hallway before closing the door.
Fueled by Lust: Makar and Baruch (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 3