I caught Leo turning his head to look at me from his chair and saw his hands tighten into fists.
“Christian, my guard, charmed Logan into choosing a Chitah mate. We’d hoped that Tarek would release me if he saw his plans fall through. I counted on this, even knowing I would be giving up a life with Logan. But Tarek had also planned for me to work as a spy for the Mageri. I had to get away from him or he would have blackmailed me for the rest of my life.”
Slander without evidence was a serious offense. There was no proof of the conversations exchanged between us, but then an idea came to mind.
“If you want to question me using a Vampire to pull the truth, I just want you to know I’m willing.”
He smiled a little and tilted his head. “I can scent truth better than any man in this room.”
That was a relief. “He would have tarnished the reputation of your leadership if he had remained in power.”
“And no one knew of this?” the Overlord asked, fingers still interlocked on the table.
“Only Christian, but that could hardly be helped. I was to tell no one about the threat. Later that evening, I escaped with Christian and we were separated. I tried to get myself arrested by the human police so they would lock me up and I’d be safe from Tarek’s reach. The cop thought I was a battered woman and took me to his home to keep me safe until I found a place to go.” This part of the story piqued his interest and the Overlord leaned forward. “Tarek showed up and murdered him in cold blood.”
“Tarek murdered the human?” the Overlord asked in surprise. One of the elders to his right got up and stood beside me, taking short puffs of air.
“I can confirm she speaks the truth.”
I stepped closer to Christian because someone smelling the truth out of me gave me the creeps.
“The cop was a decent man. He didn’t deserve to die the way he did, execution style.” I bit down on my quivering lip as the sounds of his death filled my head. “Tarek ripped him apart for the key he’d swallowed to keep me safe inside his house. Then Logan was forced to listen over the phone as Tarek threatened to kill me, and Logan challenged him. That’s what happened.”
“We are aware of some of the details you’ve pointed out from tracing phone calls and hiring a Sensor to investigate the crime scene. But we were not aware that Tarek had killed the human.”
My eyes narrowed. “You thought Logan did it?”
The Overlord shrugged. “It’s not customary to play witness to something you did not personally see. Logan has a black mark on his record and Tarek does not.”
Their laws infuriated me. “Why not question Logan? Surely that would clear up this matter and he’d tell you the truth.”
His brow arched. “Would he?”
“Would it matter? You could scent it out of him.”
The Overlord didn’t care for my tone by the way his cheek twitched. “We could scent the truth or a lie, but that would not tell us what the truth actually is. I am familiar with Logan Cross and his reputation.”
“Hire a Vampire”
“It’s not our custom,” he countered. Then he blinked away a flicker of amusement and glanced at the men to his left.
“I realize the Pride is suffering a loss, but it would be generous to set up a donation to a battered women’s shelter in the name of the fallen officer. He saved me and took me into his home. Stone held the key that would have saved his life, but he chose to protect me and died as a result. That’s pretty damn noble and I think deserves to be recognized. I didn’t know the guy, but everything I’ll ever need to know about him I learned in the last five minutes of his life.”
“The murder of human law enforcement is a serious offense, punishable by death. Even as Lord, Tarek would not have been above the law if this were proven.” The Overlord rested his arms over the table and turned to the elders. “Unfortunately, this crime does not justify the death of a Lord at the hands of a lower-ranked Chitah.” They nodded in agreement and he looked up. I didn’t see sympathy or malice. He was simply a man carrying out the laws. “We will take all you have said into consideration, but in the meantime, we must make arrangements about setting a new challenge with their Pride.”
“Wait,” I said as the Overlord began to rise from his seat.
“Yes?” he asked with curious interest.
“Is that it? Nothing I’ve said will convince you that Logan is innocent?”
His long fingers splayed out across the desk before him and he leaned forward just a little bit. “If it were that easy, then no man would be punished. We must abide by the laws, and the investigation will continue. As I’ve just stated, your testimony will be taken into consideration.”
I took a single step forward as I reached beneath my shirt and pulled out a slip of paper. The guards rushed over and grabbed my arms. Christian moved toward the guards with a rock-solid pace.
“Wait,” the Overlord barked out. “Release her.”
Hands slowly peeled away from my arms and Christian shoved one of the men down.
“I wanted you to see this.” I handed him the folded-up paper and he carefully opened it. He licked the tip of his finger and touched the corner to see if there was a second page. His eyes briefly flicked up to mine and I nodded. The Overlord turned his attention to the elders and guards.
“I want everyone to leave this room. Guards, on my command, leave. The only person I’m requesting to stay is Silver.”
“Sire,” one of the elders argued.
He snapped a hot gaze at him and the man lowered his head, following the others out the door. The Overlord stepped around his desk and sat on it, looking as tall as the Empire State Building.
“Is this public knowledge?”
“No. That’s only part of what’s been going on with the experiments.”
“Logan will not be admonished of his crime based on unrelated evidence. Why bring this forward?”
“Because…”
“Yes?” he pressed.
Now or never. “I was part of those experiments. My mother was a Chitah.”
He blinked rapidly and glanced at the paper again. “It does not state this here.”
“And it won’t. I have no written evidence, only the confession of one of the scientists involved, and we scrubbed his memory. The reason I’m telling you all this is because Logan has put claim on me as his kindred spirit.”
“Impossible.”
“So I thought. You’ll scent the truth on him if you ask. I can’t explain it; I only know that it must have something to do with my birth parents. If we’re kindred spirits, then his challenge would be justified.”
“Speculation is not fact, therefore I cannot consider this.”
“Not just that,” I interrupted. I looked at the Overlord pleadingly. “Interbreed mating is not recognized by any law, but I want you to see that if I’m part Chitah, then I have as much right to claim him as he does me. Should we officially marry—or mate—I want it to be legal.”
He folded the paper and handed it back to me. “Do not share this information with anyone if you value your life. Continue your investigation carefully, young Mage.”
“So there’s nothing I can say here that would make a difference?”
“Self-sacrifice is held in the highest regard among Chitahs, and you are an exemplary Mage who has protected many lives with your actions. You’ve shown compassion for the officer who was slain. I will see that a substantial donation is given to the appropriate charity in his name.”
The Overlord walked around the desk and solemnly sat in his chair. “I cannot guarantee your safety, but I will speak to the Youngblood Pride and try to compensate for their loss. Do not think what you’ve shared tonight was in vain, but also understand that in many regards, my hands are tied. If you can provide sufficient evidence of your claim, then I may be able to grant a pardon, should our investigation not turn in his favor.” He tapped his finger on his chin and looked me over. “I daresay it is a most curious pairing. I
t is obvious by the manner in which you speak of him and the fire in your eyes that you love him. It’s a look I am very familiar with,” he said with a smile. “You are free to leave.”
And that was it.
He seemed like a generous and fair man, even though I’d made no headway in getting Logan off the hook. Leo thought my words might help Logan’s case, and I knew he’d do anything to help his brother. I turned to leave and the Overlord spoke once more.
“I cannot make a formal statement on this tragedy until tomorrow, but I will place six of my guards with you for a twenty-four-hour period,” he said, lacing his fingers together and keeping his eyes on me. “It’s all that I can offer. They are out for blood and I cannot stop them until I have reviewed the case in detail and made an official statement on the crime. For your protection, I will announce that anyone who seeks vengeance before a decision is made will be acting against my direct orders.”
***
Leo drove me to Logan’s condo and the guards followed in front and behind. I didn’t want them split up between Logan and me, so I thought it would be better if we stayed together for the night. I thought about hiding out in his cave, but Chitahs were excellent trackers and a cave would offer no protection.
Christian hooked his arm around my waist and rushed me inside the building, choosing the stairwell instead of the elevator.
When Logan opened the door, I was surprised to find Levi was there, along with someone I’d never met before. His hair was onyx-colored and short, but those bright Chitah eyes were unmistakable. His features were familiar and masculine, and his build was somewhere in the middle of Levi and Logan. Logan was svelte with rock-solid muscle and strength, while Levi was thicker all around and strong.
“Silver, I’d like you to meet my youngest brother, Lucian.”
Lucian made no gesture to shake my hand, as that was a human custom. He merely nodded once and kept his position by the wall with his arms folded. I tried not to notice his black hair, because it was not a common feature among Chitahs. Bright eyes and hair color were favored.
Levi twirled me in a small circle. “Hey, honey. Looking beautiful. Did you cut your hair?” He brushed his hands through it and then scratched his bristly jaw. “Yeah, I like it,” he said in a deep voice.
Christian closed the door behind me and tucked his hands in his trench-coat pockets. We stood next to the open kitchen and Logan placed the flat of his hand against my back.
“What are you guys doing here?”
“We’re here to protect you and Logan,” Levi said, glancing over at Logan.
“It’s not necessary,” I insisted. “You shouldn’t put yourselves in harm’s way. We have guards assigned by the Overlord.”
“For twenty-four hours,” Christian reminded me. “After that, you’re a sitting duck. Quack quack.”
“Maybe someone needs to invent Chitah radio or something. Spread the word, why don’t you!”
Christian rolled his eyes dramatically.
Lucian made a quiet suggestion, pointing at the sink cabinet. Leo patted him on the back and pulled out a few boxes of tin foil and they left the room.
“I really don’t like that all your brothers are here,” I said to Logan. If he was a target, then anyone near him was too. He kissed my temple and went into the hallway to speak with Leo.
“Honey, you couldn’t get us out of here with a five-alarm fire, so just sit down and enjoy the Levi specialty.” He put a saucepan on the stove and opened a canister of cocoa. I smirked and walked to the doorway when he suddenly rushed in front of me. “Sit down; let the men do their thing in there.”
I sat in the chair, reaching around to braid my hair into a loose knot to get it out of my face. “So Levi, how many boyfriends you got these days?”
Levi’s laugh was full of body and sin. Tough as nails but deep down, the biggest sweetheart. “You truly flatter me. The last one decided he wanted to be with one of his own kind. Shifters are like that.”
“The guy at the club?”
He grunted a yes.
“Maybe you need to quit trying to meet your true love in a bar, ever think of that? Go to a library or something.”
A boisterous laugh filled the room and he tore open a bag of marshmallows with his teeth, dumping them on the kitchen island in a giant pile. Levi grabbed a fistful and stuffed them into his mouth. “You slay me. I wouldn’t know what the hell to do with a boy who had a head on his shoulders.”
“Maybe the reason why you haven’t found the right one is because you have an idea of what’s right for you. Sometimes it doesn’t always work out the way you think it will, you know?”
“That’s getting a little too deep for me.”
“That’s what she said.”
Levi hurled a handful of marshmallows at my tacky “Simon” humor. He finally poured our drinks and we sat awhile, sharing conversation.
Leo and Lucian went into the hidden control room, which was a neighboring apartment that had been converted into something out of an espionage movie. From there, they’d be able to keep watch on the building via the surveillance cameras.
Logan filled the open doorway. “You can come on out, Silver.”
“Maybe I’m having too much fun in here with your brother. He’s feeding me marshmallows.”
“Are you trying to make me jealous?” Logan strode in, wearing his ashen sweatpants and no shirt. If the marshmallows on the table didn’t melt by how sexy he looked, they should have. He stuffed a large one into his mouth and leaned against the counter, feeding me small bites.
“Why don’t you two get a room,” Levi groaned.
I flicked one off the table and it bounced off Levi’s head and into his cup. That had us rolling for a good five minutes before I finally got up and followed Logan into the other room.
“Wow, you guys were busy,” I remarked, staring at the windows in the living room.
The Cross brothers had covered them with tin foil from top to bottom. Logan didn’t own drapes or blinds because he liked the scenic view of the street and said he had nothing to hide. Except for his secret room, of course.
Christian insisted that regardless of their extra measures, I avoid standing near the windows. He sat on the sofa and flipped through a magazine as Logan took my hand to lead me to his bedroom.
Levi sank into one of the chairs and crossed an ankle over his knee. “You two behave in there.”
He winked, and I winked back.
Chapter 36
“I think your brother’s trying to poison me,” I groaned, rolling over on Logan’s wide mattress. The foil created a blackout, so he lit a small candle and placed it beside the bed.
“I ate too many marshmallows,” I murmured into the pillow. The Levi specialty was nothing but a concoction of sugar with a splash of rum. As a Mage, I had the ability to heal, but we were not immune to stomach upset.
“Let me rub your belly. Roll over, my mate.”
I smiled against the pillow at his choice of words. Obediently, I turned to my back and Logan carefully unfastened my jeans.
“Hey, wait a minute. You just wanna get frisky.”
“Scout’s honor.”
How I loved the way that he looked at me. Logan was a different man without the long tangles of hair in front of his face, but I always did like it when he pulled his hair back. It allowed me to see the carved features in his jaw, his strong nose, deep-set eyes, heavy brow, and crisp eyes. Not to mention the infamous Cross smile—wide and wonderful.
He tugged the jeans to my hips and softly caressed my lower belly with his large hand. Of course, what I really caught on to was that Logan just wanted to get my jeans low enough so that he could lie there and stare at my tattoo again. He was so damn proud of those paw prints that I think he might have been just as happy if I had gotten them on my forehead.
He smiled up at me and I stroked his choppy hair.
It was time to confess. “My mother was a Chitah human child, and the egg she carried was
from a Chitah.”
Logan didn’t catapult off the bed like I had expected. He circled his tongue around the edge of the tattoo and gently kissed it.
“They weren’t able to find out anything about my father, but I guess that’s the proof you were looking for.”
Logan slid up the length of my body until we were nose to nose. “It matters not.”
“I thought you wanted to know so you could prove your kindred theory.”
“At one time, I did. But I don’t care what you are, Silver. I only care who you are.”
“Maybe you should hear the full story. My mother was a Chitah-human surrogate. The egg belonged to a Chitah and the sperm is unknown. Grady was an Infuser and used his energy to protect the fetus; maybe that’s why I’ve always had a little Mage light in me.”
Logan kissed the corners of my mouth with his soft lips and all down my jaw and chin. “You may hate the genetic experimentation, but I sure as hell don’t hate the results. It brought you into this world—into my life.”
Never could I have imagined such a man existed who could love so unconditionally. My lips pressed against his bristly cheek and I whispered in a gentle breath, “I love you.” It was the first time I’d said the words aloud, but love never needs to be confirmed through words.
Logan eased down the length of my body, dragging his lips across the flat of my stomach. His whiskers tickled my fingers as I caressed his jaw. “You going for the full beard?”
“You don’t like?” he muttered through his continued kisses.
“Well, it’s a little softer than the five-o’clock shadow, I’ll give you that. Maybe now I won’t have sandpaper marks all over my face after we make out.” Logan nipped me again and I squealed as he sat up. “I prefer it when you’re smooth,” I admitted, locking my fingers behind my head.
Gravity (Mageri Series: Book 4) Page 33