The words did nothing to soothe Joni’s panic but the touch did. Together the two of them had been through the worst. Sylvie had her back and Joni would always trust her.
“Sorry, Lissi. You really scared me.” Joni exhaled. “What happens next? How soon before the teams come back?”
Lissi stood, keeping her hands on her children’s blonde heads. “As soon as the alarms sounded, Jaron would have been alerted. The closest team will respond and head back.”
Joni blanched at how those men would react to their Chosens being in danger.
“Shit!” Faye gripped the ends of her dark hair and yanked. Color had returned to her cheeks. “Not being able to communicate makes this so much worse. We have no way of letting them know the situation.”
Joni could only imagine. She knew the intensity the Jutak warriors tackled any mission. Directing that energy toward the protection of their home and the women who were their Chosens meant things could potentially get very dicey.
“Alright. Nothing we can do now except wait.”
Sylvie spoke up, no longer looking as distraught. “Who would be so bold as to attack a Jutak unit home base?”
“Lothar,” Lissi spat, surprising everyone with her vehemence. “He’s determined to stop the Jutaks from destroying his criminal empire. My brother’s Unit has been particularly successful in thwarting the Marenians efforts of late.”
Making them a target for retribution. Joni clapped her hands together. “Well, never let it be said we don’t live a dramatic life.”
They all stared and then one by one big smiles spread over everyone’s face until they laughed. It didn’t matter that the sound was tinged with relief. Even the children grinned.
Chapter 9
The moment their ship landed, icy calm descended over Kyele and his teammates. None of them gave away a hint of what they felt as they raced by hover-car to their home. Thoughts flew through his head and Kyele imagined every horror possible.
What greeted him was almost anticlimactic. Silence. They crouched across the street studying the front of the facility. The four story building appeared untouched by enemy fire.
Creed pushed up his mask, revealing a dark frown. “Should I check the back?”
After a moment, Kyele nodded. “Take Stefin with you.”
Within seconds, Creed commed them all. “We’ve got bodies.”
Bile rose in Kyele’s throat as the world spun. He braced a palm on the ground from his kneeling position and blinked back the burn of tears. Fear held Kyele in its merciless grip. It took a moment for him to focus on the rest of the words being spoken in his comm.
“Three dead, blood appears to belong to the victims only.” Straight and to the point from Stefin.
“The females?” Kyele barked, fighting the urge to leap to his feet and charge forward.
“No sign. Food and blankets scattered about. Two males down by knife to the throat.”
In the midst of his terror, the corner of Kyele’s mouth curled up. Joni.
“Two by laser blast to the head,” Stefin chimed in on a rough chuckle. “These fuckers are dead.”
The need to release the desperation building inside of him became harder to hold back. But not until he knew for sure the women came out of this alive.
“Total count six.” Creed spoke with a measure of pride.
Kyele must have made some sound, a low snarl of frustration because Savi and Markus glanced his way. He shook his head to reassure them he was okay.
“Want me to take the front?” Markus asked the question evenly but worry glinted back from his blue eyes. The usually calm Enotian wasn’t handling this any better than Kyele.
“No.” Kyele shoved his hooded mask back and studied their surroundings. The Jutak facility was in an out of the way part of the city. No one came remotely close to their residence who wasn’t attached to the government or military in some manner. Even then Torkel tried to steer most meetings at Jutak headquarters with the Commander and not near the home he made with his Chosen.
In Kyele’s gut the sensation of disquiet continued. He narrowed his gaze and focused on what felt off to him. At times like this he wished for Arak’s animal senses or Rydak’s uncanny intuition. Without their innate abilities, he had to rely on his training.
Kyele shifted his gaze to Markus. “Scan for electronic devices, filter out our comms and anything from within our building.”
Markus pinned him with a questioning stare but whipped out his data pad and attached a probe to it. He set the box on the ground as they crouched around and watched the indicator flicker back and forth. A curving wave in silver filled the black screen until Markus punched in several codes. Not as good as Jaron and without Bane’s genius, Markus still managed to pinpoint a stationary blue dot that had pulsing circles flowing from its center and several smaller circles.
Tension flared to life at what it represented.
“A tracker chip.” Savi chuffed out a breath and tapped the ground with a gloved finger as he issued a foul curse.
Tracker chips were geared to activate and record the moment it heard voices. Kyele didn’t respond immediately as he took in the position of the tiny blue dots. Someone had an interest in their Unit. Was that the reason behind the attack? To distract and misdirect as they secreted their listening chips on the property.
“Only three,” Markus said.
But it was enough. Every mission planned, ran through the walls of their home whether they were in the Comm Center or in Torkel’s meeting room. There was no way to place such devices inside. A leak of any kind could jeopardize their roles especially for Team Three.
More anger seeped into Kyele’s skin down to the bone. Urgency rose along with his need to assure himself of Joni’s safety. “Handle it, Markus but save them for Jaron when he returns.”
He couldn’t wait any longer. Rising to his feet, Kyele strode toward the entrance. Determination marked each step and Savi was right behind him.
He paused when he reached the front door and looked up. Through the glass he could make out the white lobby on the first level. Red lights blinked from discrete black boxes mounted on the ceiling. His gaze flickered. The alarms were back online. He entered his code in the panel to the side of the door and pressed his palm to the scanner. The light ticked green and a latch clicked.
Markus rejoined them, clenching his fist and dropped the neutralized chips in one of the deep pockets of the black uniform pants he wore. “Should we wait?”
Wait while Joni and the others could possibly be bleeding to death inside? Kyele snorted and tapped his ear piece. “Creed, I’m entering with Savi and Markus.”
Murmured voices reached Kyele’s ears as soon as they entered. Female voices. He couldn’t make out the muffled whispers but the heavy weight bearing down on him eased. Kyele signaled to the others and they split, Savi and Markus going to the left while he headed right. Both halls led to the back where the sounds emitted from.
“Affirmative. Stefin and I will come in from the back.”
Kyele slid his laser into his hand. Back to the wall, he followed the path down the tiled floor and tried to consider a plan of action if the females were not alone. All the while hope beat a pounding rhythm in his chest.
A sharp cry followed by a high pitched scream sent him racing around the narrow corridor until he exploded through the doorway to the back door vestibule. What he saw brought him to a sudden stop. Savi and Markus had rounded the corner ahead of him. Each of them aimed their laser at the small group of females then yanked the barrels toward the ceiling when realization sunk in.
Sylvie swung a weapon in Kyele’s direction fear blaring from the depths of her shadowed blue eyes. Her blonde hair hung in strands about her face. Lissi stood with her arms about Boid and Aya, her stance protective. Kyele exhaled. Any harm to the pretty female would have destroyed Torkel and unleashed the tight control Rydak maintained on himself.
Creed and Stefin barreled through the back door from the ou
tside, shock flashing in their eyes when confronted by Joni. She kicked Stefin in the chest, causing him to crash into the doorway and had her knives to Creed’s throat before anyone could speak.
Emotion threatened to overwhelm Kyele and he would have killed his teammate if he made any attempt to disarm her. Creed held his hands up and out. “Easy, Joni.”
She gasped and stepped away as she recognized them then flushed scarlet as Stefin got up with a muttered curse. She fell back into the wall behind her. “Sorry.”
“I’m pleased as punch to see you all,” Faye announced.
His Unit Leader’s Chosen’s smile wobbled. Her words made no sense but Kyele got her meaning.
***
“Are you alright?”
The low, raspy quality of the question sent shivers down Joni’s back. Trembling, she straightened from her slouch against the wall, her gaze jerking in Kyele’s direction at the entryway. She blanched from the look on his face. If death had a feel to it, she figured this was it, icy cold and calm. His green stare took in her appearance from the top of her messy hair down to the broken heel of her shoe then did it again for good measure.
“I’m fine.”
He stared a moment longer, a crackling energy forming between them before he turned and addressed the two men casting wary expressions her way. “Any survivors, Creed?”
The other member of Team Two shook his blond head.
“Take the others and do a final walk around. I want to know everything you find. We identified three listening trackers in the front.”
Kyele gave a few more orders, power and authority radiating from him. Joni’s lower region clenched as she fought to resist his magnetic draw.
It was Sylvie who interrupted the flow of commands issuing forth. “Where are the others?”
“On their way.” Kyele answered her but his gaze landed on Joni again.
Nerves tickled, and Joni busied herself with putting her knives back into the thin straps on her thighs she used as a sheath. The burning heat of Kyele’s stare stayed on her the entire time. When she glanced back up, she wished she hadn’t.
He didn’t look pleased. Far from it. Her lips parted to say something but Kyele turned his back on her. He pressed his finger to the black disc in his ear and bowed his head, staring at the floor. “Jaron, this is Kyele.”
A pause. Joni didn’t pretend not to listen and a quick look showed the other women doing the same.
“Yes.” Kyele glanced back. “They are good.”
He listened and after a grunt she couldn’t decipher, ended his call. His green eyes met hers briefly then turned to Faye. Joni bit her bottom lip sensing undercurrents but unable to put her finger on it.
“The teams will arrive shortly.”
Lissi winced. “Team Three as well?”
“Yes.”
That couldn’t be good. If Joni remembered correctly Team Three wasn’t due back for days. She leaned back against the wall, knowing there was nothing more to say. She kept her attention on Kyele, who crossed his arms over his chest and stood sentry. When the other members of Team Two returned from their check outside, his gaze shifted to them.
Creed nodded. “Clear.”
Joni absorbed the expression on the men’s faces now that her fear had dialed back. Creed, Savi, Stefin and Markus appeared one step from losing it.
Lissi cleared her throat. “I am glad you returned so quickly, Kyele.”
His dark brow lifted, but his expression remained unchanged.
“We did good though, right?”
Sylvie’s chirpy voice caused Joni to wince. She waited for Kyele to snap something rude except he gave her friend a simple nod.
The next thirty minutes dragged by and Kyele along with the Team Two members didn’t let them move from the small alcove near the rear door. Any attempts to leave were met with dark glares.
“How much longer before they get back?” Faye asked from her corner where she’d taken up residence.
“We are here now,” a low voice snarled.
Torkel stormed in, bee-lining for Faye and burying his face in her hair when he reached her. One hand cupped the back of her head as he held her to him and the other rested on her flat belly. The other men of Team One and Team Three came barreling in next. It was like a stampede with the large men forcing there way through the single doorway. Arak shoved everyone to the side in his efforts to grab Sylvie from beside Joni.
“Don’t do that ever again,” Arak growled.
Joni almost didn’t understand his guttural words. He bared his fangs as he glared at his mate. Sylvie showed true bravery by curling into Arak’s arms. He might only be half-cat shifter but no way could you miss his animal side.
Torkel glanced up from hugging Faye, though from the wince on her face he didn’t loosen his arms. “What happened? The outer perimeter alarms were turned off.”
Since he stared her way, Joni answered. “Men came out of nowhere and rushed us. At least four or five.”
Her memory fuzzed on the number.
“How did they get in?” The question came out low and reasonable but Kyele’s green eyes flickered with rage. He stepped toward Joni and she braced her feet to keep from moving back. His gaze narrowed, turned assessing.
“They didn’t get in.” Her words trembled. Joni inhaled and tried to calm her racing heart. She craved the security if only fleeting of being held in strong arms. Kyele’s arms. “We were outside having a picnic then they dropped from the trees and rushed us.”
Arak’s rumbling growl broke through the silence following her words.
“What is a picnic?” Jaron asked, cool gaze lighting with a brief glimpse of humor.
Joni chewed her bottom lip, checking the expressions on her friends’ faces. In hindsight turning off the alarms had been the first mistake. She tipped her chin up and accepted responsibility. They’d discover the truth anyway. “It’s a meal eaten outside. On the ground. We do it for fun on Earth.”
“You are not on Earth.”
Kyele’s biting tone was anything but calm. Joni flinched. A layer of anger danced through his usually bland words. Tension tightened her shoulders until they hunched about her ears. She attempted a brave front in the face of the stares turned in her direction but the moment she met those orbs blasting green fury, she jerked her gaze away.
The odd two-step between Kyele and her couldn’t be defined. Sylvie said it best once: they both wanted one another but refused to act. Joni kept him back with one imaginary hand while mentally drowning from the desire she didn’t want to acknowledge.
And Kyele respected those boundaries for whatever private reasons he had. Sure he stared, smoldering her with his dark and sexy looks. Looks that made promises he didn’t move on. Thank goodness for that. Joni wasn’t sure how she’d react if he pressed the growing need connecting them.
She risked another glance at him and swallowed past the thickness in her throat. But never in all their dealings had Kyele ever been truly angry toward her as he was now.
“No, I’m not on Earth any more, am I?” Joni’s mouth twisted up. She battled back her grief. “Not exactly by choice how I ended up here though. Right, hot shot?”
“Enough,” Torkel said. He leaned away from Faye, reluctance in his step as he put his Chosen back to confront them. “We need to get the females settled. Did the intruders escape?”
“They are dead,” Kyele said through clenched teeth. He crossed the hall and carefully moved to the side so as not to brush against Joni as he shoved the door to the back open. “Creed counted six on the premises.”
Torkel pointed to the blond brothers Geile and Gregir. “Follow him and find out what happened here.”
“Markus has the listening trackers we discovered out front,” Kyele tossed over his shoulder, not bothering to wait for the men to accompany him.
Joni let out a soft sigh once the potency of his presence dimmed with his exit.
The men hugged the special women in their lives and
Joni stood aside. Alone. Trust came so hard these days, but she pushed for it. If for no other reason than she deserved to get past her abduction and anything less meant the Marenians won. Those bastards wouldn’t take anything else from her. And yet there was no one to hold her in this moment.
Rydak stepped away from Lissi and his children. He grasped Joni’s fingers lightly in his gloved hands. The gray of his eyes darkened with thunderous intent, but his voice was kind as he spoke. “Lissi told me what you did. She and our children are all the blood family I have left. I can not repay you for that.”
Uncomfortable with the attention, Joni tried to brush it off. “It’s not a big deal.”
His lips tightened and not even that annoyed expression could detract from his gorgeous features. Blond hair pulled back in a sleek tail, smooth golden brows above gray eyes held her riveted to the spot. He was a serious contender for most beautiful man in the world. “It is a very big deal as you say to me.”
He squeezed her fingers once, then let go and nodded. “Anything you need, Joni.”
“Um…yes, well I did what anyone else would have done.” It never crossed her mind not to fight when the attackers burst from the trees and charged forward.
Lissi came over and slid an arm around her Chosen’s waist. Joni couldn’t miss how his weight shifted naturally to embrace her. Almost an absent gesture he was long used to making.
“You saved my life, Joni. Our children too.” She peeked up at Rydak. “Maybe I should start training in combat.”
Rydak whirled her around in his arms, one hand gripping the back of her head, burying his fingers in the tousled blonde waves as he pressed his forehead to hers. “I wish I could tell if you were joking with me.”
“Maybe.” Lissi’s retort contained a sassiness Joni totally approved. Rydak’s tortured groan dragged a smile from her as well.
Chapter 10
“What’s gotten into you?” Geile asked Kyele as he hefted a body and threw it to the growing pile they’d started.
Kyele paused after checking the pockets of the fourth man. They’d removed the masks of each one, but their faces offered no clue to their identities. Random mercenaries. “Why would you think something is wrong with me?”
Kyele's Passion: A World Beyond Book 4 Page 7