“Good evening,” the guard said when Jon rolled down his window and presented our invitations. The guard scanned the vellum card with a handheld scanner, then did the same with our IDs. I should have known Father’s security would be tighter than the freaking Pentagon.
Jon moved forward when directed. “You OK?” he asked softly.
“Fine. Great.” He glanced my way. The parking lot lights reflected off the side of his face. “Be careful,” I said. “You can see your wire when the light catches it.”
He ran a few fingers through his hair, adjusting the nearly invisible cord of his earphone. “Better?”
“Yeah.” I pulled down the mirror to check my face and make sure my own earphones weren’t visible. Everything was in place. Now if I could just stop feeling like I’d throw up any second.
When he cut the engine, I took a moment to steady myself. I looked up at the shiny new building before us. There was a sidewalk that led from the parking lot to the main entrance. We’d have to walk nearly a quarter mile, past two brightly lit fountains and up two flights of concrete stairs, to get to the row of glass doors that opened to the lobby. Every light in the building seemed to be on, making the entire place glow like some sort of capitalist beacon.
“Quite a testament, huh?” Jon said, staring up at the building with narrowed eyes. “Like lie enough, cheat enough, and kill enough, and you too could run a corporate palace of your own.”
I sniffed a laugh. “Don’t forget about the power thing. You have to have supernatural abilities and a complete lack of moral code as well.”
He smiled tightly. “Right. How could I forget that?”
We got out of the car, and my feet felt like lead. Don’t think about it. Just stick to the mission. Focus.
Jon offered me his arm, and we started our walk toward the fountains. The sidewalks were packed with late arrivals hustling in their fancy dresses and churchgoing suits. The average executive didn’t exactly have a variety of tuxedos or ball gowns hanging in his or her closet. I could feel the excitement of the people around us. This was nothing more than a party to them, a rare and fun occasion to get dressed up and celebrate the efforts of the past year. They had no clue that all the work they did—whether it was answering customer complaints over the phone, or selling a new product line, or coming up with some new medication or new kind of dish soap—was nothing more than a means to secure Father’s economic power. Oh sure, they might notice that Bob, the onetime VP of marketing, suddenly wasn’t with the company anymore. But it would never occur to them that Bob had been gutted out in the estate’s north barn because he’d asked too many questions about overseas shipments.
We got halfway up the front steps when the air changed. My feet stopped moving. Something felt wrong. I reached out with my senses, and the power inside me suddenly jumped. Like someone had hit my supernatural side with defibrillators, bringing that dark, bloody place inside me to new life. Oh God. Strength in the bloodlines—how could I have not expected this? The closer I got to him, the stronger my dark powers grew. I was a fool for coming here.
Thick and cold, power vibrated everywhere. My body trembled. I fought to continue pushing back my power, and it grew hot inside me. My vision began to shift; a light-pink hue tinted the glass doors in front of us. For the first time in months, that bloody place inside me was in the presence of the same darkness. All the rage and pain and hate rose instantly to meet the new power head-on.
Jon took my free hand in his to move me along, then quickly jerked away as if burned. “Shit,” he hissed. “What the hell?” He stared down at me, and when I turned to him, he was pink and turning darker. His eyes grew wide. “You need to calm down, Magnolia. Right now. For Christ’s sake, get control of yourself.”
My anger spiked before I could push it back, my vision darkening to nearly red. “Don’t you fucking talk to me about control,” I growled.
He stepped back and shifted his stance, got ready to defend himself. In my ear, murmured voices from the surveillance station grew frantic. I couldn’t hear any of them over the throbbing of hate and rage pounding in my ears. They were all so fucking clueless. They thought they could lead a team against my family? My family? They were nothing. I could kill Jon and everyone else here with a mere thought, and they wanted to pit themselves against the supernatural force that spawned me? I laughed. A dark, terrifying sound that I didn’t even recognize.
It was the laugh that brought me back.
Oh God, no. I was stronger than this, more in control than this. I closed my eyes tightly and willed my powers back. But when I opened my eyes again, my vision stayed dark, everything almost crimson now. Jon looked to where my hands were fisted at my sides. My fingers popped and curled on their own. They hadn’t shifted yet, but I felt the itch of my nails growing longer.
And that part growing inside me welcomed the change.
“You folks are cutting it close.” A low, serious voice carried from the open lobby doors. “The presentation and slide show are about to begin.”
I whirled my head with a snarl. And stopped. Theo. He stood framed by the glowing light of the main lobby, the scent of a freshly lit clove wafting around him. I couldn’t really see him past the glare of the lobby lights, but I knew his eyes were sharp and locked on to me like a laser. It was all I needed. The power of my family had been stronger than any supernatural I’d ever heard of. But it was nothing compared to the connection I had with Theo.
Look at me, Mag. His voice whispered through my head. Nothing else. Just me.
Our connection had called out to him. Just like when I’d been hurt. He’d sensed my moment of panic, the surge of power that came with it, and he couldn’t help but come to me. I blinked and rubbed my eyes. Finally, the red began to fade. It was Theo who was clear. Beautiful. With the light at his back, he glowed golden. A bright light in the sea of red. We held each other’s eyes, my breathing slowing to match his. In and out. In and out. Together, our connection pushed the powerful rage back to that place inside me where I had total control.
Go back to Thirteen, Theo’s thoughts demanded as he moved closer. We can do this without you, Mag. Go back.
He wanted to touch me. I could feel his desire as strong as mine. In his perfectly fitted tux, his dark hair brushed back, emphasizing the strong jaw. All I wanted to do was crawl inside him until we couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began.
Thank God my mind was clear enough now not to give in to that feeling and tackle him to the sidewalk right there.
Jon murmured into his earpiece, and I pulled him to a stop.
“No, Jon. Don’t abort because of me. I can do this.”
I took a deep breath. My power was raw, but I’d managed to dampen it again. I flexed my fingers, and they were completely normal. I was back in control. And now I knew what to expect. With a subtle push, I stretched my power out, reaching out to the monstrous energy that had slammed into me when we’d hit the front steps. Father was frantic. My power surge hadn’t gone unnoticed, but it was muted now. He couldn’t tell from which direction the power had come, just that it had appeared somewhere on the grounds. He would have to search for the source of it, just as we’d planned.
“I’m good, Jon,” I said, confident now. “Let’s do this.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. After a long moment, he said, “OK, we’re a go.”
Voices through the earpiece sighed in relief and began their play-by-play once again. With renewed focus, I let Jon guide me through the building’s front doors. I looked up at Theo when he held the door for us. I’ve got this.
His thoughts growled. You don’t have to do this.
Yeah, actually, I do. I reached out to touch his arm, then hesitated. I was in control, but touching Theo might send my powers off the charts again.
He stepped back, understanding that distance was best. I’m here the moment you need me.
I was wrong, I thought back. It’s not just me. We’ve got this.
He s
miled a cocky half grin that I couldn’t help but return. Then, with a quick nod to Jon, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the reception area, moving into his first position. Guards moved purposefully through the lobby, looking hard for anything out of place—Father’s doing, I was sure. He was searching for the source of the power he’d felt, already distracted enough to call his security guards away from their designated positions. Jon nodded to a pair of them as he moved me deftly through a second set of doors at the opposite end of where Theo had disappeared.
We stepped into the enormous reception room, packed with people talking, laughing, and eating. Over it all there hung a force in the air that no one could feel except me. Cold and heavy. I breathed it in and held a tight rein on my own power, still aching to rise and meet it.
A focused slice of Father’s power passed over me, searching. I just smiled. Not this time, old man.
CHAPTER 24
Over two thousand people filled the enormous reception area. The floor we walked in on was one level above the main floor, overlooking the reception. Thirteen had loved that part of the layout. It meant I’d be able to see the entire room from my designated post without being down in the mix with the masses. The room’s ceiling stretched five stories high. At each level, a glass-railed balcony allowed guests to see hints of the various color schemes on the different floors. Tasteful, oversize artwork had been expertly arranged to give the whole area a feel of wealth and success. It was an absolutely incredible room, and it filled my mouth with disgust.
“I’m going to head over to the bar before the presentations start,” Jon said casually. “Would you like anything?”
“Vodka tonic. Please.”
His brow lifted infinitesimally in surprise. As if I didn’t know how to keep a cover. He slid his hand down my shoulder, then turned and began his slow walk across the length of the room, setting into motion the first part of our evening’s plan.
OK, here we go.
Chang had confirmed that Father was being escorted from his offices to the reception area and would be taking his place onstage in a matter of moments. My next partner was moving into position, ready to lead me to the executive elevators for our plan’s next steps. I concentrated on three things simultaneously: First, I scanned the minds of everyone in the room, looking for the slightest hint that someone might suspect what we were about to do. No problems there—everyone was totally clueless. Second, I pinpointed the whereabouts of my fellow agents, making sure everyone was in place. So far, so good. Finally, I continued holding back my power to a level that Father’s seeking energy couldn’t recognize. I’d already felt the icy brush of his power slide over me twice more since entering the room.
The chandelier lights dimmed, then brightened. Dimmed again, brightened again. The montage slide show was about to start. I scanned the room again quickly. Jon leaned against the far bar directly in front of where Chang was stationed as security. Theo and Cordele were already gone, moved on to position two. All I had to do now was wait for my designated partner to escort me to upstairs and—
“Hello there, beautiful.” Shane’s voice was a tight murmur in my ear. “What do you say we get out of here before the boring part starts? Have a little party of our own?”
His hand brushed the tendrils of hair away from my neck. His fingers trembled as they caressed my collarbone. I closed my eyes as his ache sliced through me. Thirteen was the one who had decided how we would be paired up to move from position one to position two. For some unfathomable reason, he had chosen Shane and me to be partnered, to sneak away once the montage started. The man must be insane.
I made a point of pretending to look around for Jon. I mean, if I was going to play the role of two-timing girlfriend, the least I could do was be a discreet two-timing girlfriend. I turned in to Shane, rested my hands on his chest, and slowly smiled. His heart stammered, and for a moment his eyes went dull. I dug my nails into his shirt until he blinked himself back into focus.
“Sure, baby,” I purred, just loud enough for the nearby eavesdroppers to have a listen. “Got somewhere in mind?”
His lips twitched in a sorry attempt at a smile. He had to swallow twice to get out his lines. “I have a passkey to some of the work areas,” he finally managed. “Ones that aren’t on the tours.”
I trailed my finger along his bottom lip, cursing the way he so obviously loved and hated the sensation. A man passing by snickered, his thoughts blaring images of what he imagined Shane and I would be doing in the next couple of minutes.
“A passkey? So you must be pretty important, huh?”
He snaked his shaking arm around my waist. “Gold Star important, baby.” Sweat beaded on his face as he glanced around, making a show of being sneaky. The guy who had just walked by met up with his two friends. All three of them held up their glasses in a toast to Shane as he directed me toward a private elevator near the lobby doors. I should give them each an aneurysm. We stepped into the elevator, and a cold brush of Father’s power touched me again. I shivered.
When the doors slid shut, I turned to Shane. “OK, so when we get upstairs—”
I hadn’t even seen it coming. One moment I stood in the middle of the elevator, ready to confirm our secondary escape route, the next I was plastered against the wall, Shane’s heavy body pressed into mine. His mouth crushed my lips. With both hands, he gripped my hips and ground himself into me.
Holy shit! For a moment, I was completely stunned. I’d been so focused on holding back my power, getting my scripted lines correct, and trying to keep track of Father’s searching energy, I hadn’t even realized the depth of my partner’s instability.
With a push against his shoulders, I flung Shane away from me, slamming him into the opposite elevator wall. The cables above us shook, but the elevator didn’t stop. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
He slumped against the wall, head down, hands on knees. He panted as if he’d just sprinted a mile. After a moment, he lifted his head and glared at me. “I hate you so much,” he gritted out.
A stab of sympathy stuttered through my heart. I knew he couldn’t control how he felt about me. And tonight everything seemed magnified because of my proximity to Father. Shane had known that our touching and flirting was just part of the cover, but tonight it had just been too much.
“I know you hate me, Shane. I get that. But you are stronger than this. And we have a job to do. So either suck it up or get the fuck out of here!”
Voices buzzed through my earpiece again. I was just causing all kinds of fun back at the surveillance stations tonight. The elevator doors opened, and a hot blast of power swept through the car and into my bones. For a moment I thought for sure Father had found me. I spun with my power ready to defend.
Theo. Shit.
He didn’t even spare me a glance. He just pounced. Moving faster than any normal human should, he fell on Shane. Fists pummeled; teeth gnashed. Footsteps pounded toward us. Jon and the others. I blocked the doors from shutting with my foot, then stretched over and grabbed the back of Theo’s tux coat and yanked hard, ripping the coat at the seams. I stumbled back and then went in again, grabbing hold of both his shoulders. I gasped at the sudden shock of our contact but finally managed to pull him off Shane. Dear God, was all his power from our connection, or was there something else going on with Theo that I didn’t know about?
“What the hell is wrong with you people?” Jon hissed when he got to the elevator doors. Cordele stood at his shoulder. I’d only seen her from across the reception downstairs, but she looked really lovely. A fitted green sequin gown, her blonde hair back in a tight wrap. She’d even touched up her roots. She quickly moved past Theo to help Shane get to his feet. I held Theo against the wall, my back to his chest, my arms splayed out to keep him back. When Shane stumbled past into the corridor, Theo growled low in his throat, sending an instant shiver down my spine. I leaned back into him automatically. Would that noise ever not turn me on? His hand slid around my waist, holdi
ng me to him. For a moment, I let myself enjoy the feel of him against me. The warmth, the rightness. Then the space around us began to brighten. Crap. Our glowing with power was so not what this situation needed right now. I took a deep breath. My muscles actually cramped as I fought hard to hold back everything inside me.
“You two get out here,” Jon gritted out at us. “Now.”
We all stood in a huddled group in the middle of a darkly tiled lobby. Silver-and-glass chandeliers dimly lit a sitting area of leather and velour settees. Chang had already disengaged the motion sensors on the floor as well as the elevator locks. And just as Thirteen had planned, the guards that should have been posted just here were off somewhere else, following Father’s frantic orders to find anyone who didn’t seem to belong.
“Now listen up and listen good.” Jon was seriously pissed. “We’ve lost precious minutes and have to move fast. Security has already recognized the cameras being off at the exit points. Cordele scoped out two guards at the CEO suite, but expect more to come quickly. Theo, Shane, head out to your stations and be prepared for approaching security. Cord, secure the exit point. Everyone think they can handle that?”
Nods all around. “Good. Let’s go.”
We broke apart. The minute Theo’s arm slipped away, an emptiness washed over me that made me stumble. Our contact had made the energy inside me heat up, my control stronger than ever. Now that he was gone, Father’s icy energy was quick to take its place. Our touch had given my power the amp-up that Father had needed to pinpoint my location. Here. There. His power was all around me. It was all I felt now.
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