by Lisa Kessler
We followed Vance out to a white Ford sedan. Adam muttered under his breath, “This doesn’t look like a Nero transport.”
Vance grinned. “Told you I’m not on the clock.” Once we were all seated, he pulled into traffic. His smile faded. “As far as my employer knows, I’m still in Sedona, readying the Pack there.” His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. “Your man Asher is covering for me if anyone comes calling.”
I glanced at Adam and back to Vance. “So why are you here?”
He focused on the road again as the light turned green. “Sebastian told me about the girl.”
“Fuck.” Adam shook his head. “I thought he was smarter than this.”
Vance glanced at Adam in the mirror. “There’s no way you’re going to be able to get your little girl out of there without some help. Sebastian is good, probably the best, but there are over two hundred civilian employees and almost a hundred trained jaguar shifters. This isn’t going to be easy.”
I leaned forward. “So what’s in it for you? This could get you killed.”
He didn’t laugh it off like I’d expected. I’d rarely seen Vance so stern. “Antonio Severino isn’t getting any younger, and my comrades were choosing sides—some supporting Damian as the heir to the throne, others for Sebastian. With Damian out of the picture now, loyalties are in flux.”
He paused, his gaze meeting mine in the mirror. “Sebastian offered me my freedom in trade for my help. So, yeah, it could get me killed, but if this doesn’t work and Sebastian dies, so does my only hope of leaving Nero behind me.” He broke eye contact, his tone dropping. “I’d rather die than spend the rest of my life killing for a madman.”
Adam and I shared a silent glance before Adam spoke. “So where are we headed?”
“I got a couple rooms across town. When Antonio discovers Sebastian came home, he’ll send out feelers to be sure his son came alone. Even though the hotel room is under a fake name, it was still on Sebastian’s personal credit card. Won’t be too much trouble for Antonio’s diggers to find it. Since no one knows I’m here yet, you should be safe over here.”
Adam rested back against the seat. “Thanks for helping us.”
I stared out the window, my stomach churning. Sebastian was risking everything for this little girl he’d never been allowed to meet. This went against every assumption I’d ever made about him.
My heart warmed in spite of my best efforts.
Vance pulled into a nondescript Hampton Inn, and I chuckled. “I bet we’re not in the presidential suite anymore.”
“Nah, but I’ve got two adjoining rooms, so you’ll have a little privacy.”
“What?” I froze for a second. “How’d I score my own room?”
“The boss insisted.” Vance got out before I could ask anything more.
Adam followed. “I’ll get another room. I’m not staying where two Nero operatives can kill me in my sleep.”
Vance chuckled. “Mate, if that was my mission, I would’ve taken you out as soon as you got in my car. No need to wait until you’re asleep.”
I slammed my car door and managed to catch Adam’s elbow before he jumped Vance. “He has a weird sense of humor, but he’s loyal to Sebastian, not Antonio.”
Adam sighed, shaking his head. “I’ve never been on the same side as Sebastian before. This is all making me a little nuts.”
“Understandable, but Vance is right, if they really wanted you dead, it would have happened already.”
Adam looked down at me. “I never imagined I’d be working with the heir to Nero.”
“Then we’re even.” I stepped through the lobby doors. “Because I never imagined he’d be my mate.”
Once we got into the rooms, I opened the adjoining door and peered inside. Adam and Vance were seated at the small table, but no one was talking.
“I just realized I left my damned bag up in the suite.”
Adam nodded. “All my stuff is over there, too.”
Vance glanced my way. “Any word from Sebastian yet?”
“No.”
He leaned back in his chair. “Then we don’t go anywhere.”
Adam frowned. “If we’re all working together on this, I think we should know what you’re planning.”
I wandered in and sat on the edge of the bed. “I want to hear this, too.”
Vance settled all the chair legs on the floor again. “When we hear his father didn’t kill or imprison him for leaving his post in Sedona, then it’ll be safe to go retrieve your things. If we don’t hear from him by five p.m., my instructions are to assume the worst and get you both back to Reno.”
Adam stood up, his chair toppling over behind him. “I’m not going anywhere without Madeleine.”
His entire body was tense, a vein pulsing in his neck, and the room filled with…power.
And right on cue, my phone buzzed.
Did Vance find you?
I glanced at Adam and Vance. “It’s Sebastian.”
I fired back.
With him now.
I held my breath, and finally it buzzed again.
Tell Vance it should be safe if you need to go back to the hotel.
“He says you can get our bags.”
My fingers flew across the phone keyboard.
When will you be here?
I immediately regretted hitting the send button. Shit. I sounded needy, and the last thing I wanted was for him to know I was worried about him. Bad enough he knew about the whole mate fiasco.
While my mental frenzy billowed, my phone vibrated again.
Hopefully soon.
Before I could stuff my phone in my pocket, it buzzed one last time.
Tell Adam I have video confirmation his daughter is unharmed.
I looked over at Adam. “He’s seen Madeleine. She’s not injured.”
Adam picked up his chair and sat down. “Thank God.”
He leaned forward, resting his head in his hands.
Vance stood. “I’ll go get your things.” He placed a card on the table. “If I’m not back in an hour, call this number.”
After the door closed, I took Vance’s chair. I grabbed the card and frowned. “General Miller Sloan? Is he a relative?”
Adam straightened up. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
He took the card, staring at it like he could will it to change. Adam tossed the card back onto the table. “I’ve met him before. He’s my uncle. My father’s twin brother.”
My eyes widened. “So he’s a…”
“Werewolf.” He nodded. “Yeah. Short version is Allen Caldwell was their Alpha when they were young.”
“Wow.” I crossed my arms. “Small world. So the psycho we killed in Sedona got your dad and your uncle mixed up with Nero?”
“I don’t know how Caldwell and Severino met, but Severino had won a defense contract from the government that involved top-secret genetic testing to make supersoldiers who could move behind enemy lines and take out targets. Caldwell sent the younger generation of his Pack to Nero for Operation Moonlight. My dad and the others escaped and settled in Reno. Miller Sloan was the only one who stayed behind.”
“You think he’s in Nero’s pocket?”
Adam shrugged. “I don’t know what to think. I didn’t even know he existed until my father died. A whacked-out werewolf who could shift without the full moon came onto my territory. Turned out he was the sole survivor of Nero’s latest experiment. Miller showed up to collect him, but he was too far gone by then.”
God, what the hell was Sebastian mixed up in? More importantly, did I even want to know?
Adam got up and grabbed the complimentary water bottle and two plastic cups. “So your sister tells me you two might have a Nero connection, too? Did you find what you were looking for?”
I took the cup from him. “Yeah. Sebastian filled in the rest of the blanks for me. My dad worked for Nero, and my mom was a clairvoyant.”
“Severino’s breeding experiment.” His attentio
n zeroed in on me. “But you and Raven were bitten, right?”
I sipped the water, nodding. “Apparently we were failures. We weren’t born shifters.” I chuckled. “Ironic that we were supposed to be jaguar shifters but ended up bitten werewolves instead.”
“I don’t believe in coincidences anymore.” He set his cup down. “I’m still trying to figure out why fate chose Sebastian for your mate.”
I didn’t say it out loud, but when Adam laid out all the connections between his Pack and Nero, it almost made sense. I wondered if my mom had seen it.
“I’m not really a true-love kind of girl, so…” I stared at my water. “When we bring Madeleine home, I may relocate to Reno to be closer to my sister. She’s all I have left.”
Adam sobered. “Trust me on this. I’m no fan of Sebastian, but running isn’t going to solve this. One of my wolves tried to run from his mate. He got two states away, and the pull of the wolf brought him back to us.”
“So you’re saying I’m stuck.”
He shook his head. “I’m saying that I don’t understand why this happens, but I’ve grown to trust that destiny will play out in spite of our best efforts.”
I sighed. “I guess I’m worrying prematurely anyway. We have to live through this mess before I need to wonder which Pack will take us in after they find out who my mate is.”
Adam’s gaze wandered over my face like he was reading some manuscript I couldn’t see. Finally he whispered, “I wish I could bring you into my Pack with your sister, but it wouldn’t be wise. Sebastian isn’t welcome, and I wouldn’t want to get between a mate bond.”
I stood up, not quite understanding where the smoldering embers in my belly were coming from. “Are you saying Sebastian is good enough to risk his life and future to save your little girl, but not to live in your zip code?”
Adam shook his head. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Yeah, I think you did.” I snagged my cup of water off the table and distanced myself. Standing at the window, I stared out at the parking lot. “I found out he was my mate when I was trying to kill him, so I understand why your Pack doesn’t like him. I get it.” I took a swallow, searching for the right words. “But there’s good in him. He’s in a bad spot, but he cares about his sister even though she hates him.” I faced Adam. “And my sister and I would probably be dead if he hadn’t kept us off his father’s radar.”
Adam raised a brow. “How so?”
I brought him up to speed on my mother’s connection to Brightwood Academy and Nero. And finally asked the question I almost didn’t want to know the answer to. “If my wolf recognized Sebastian as my mate, what happens if he’s not interested?”
Adam leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. “First, I need to tell you something about Sebastian.”
“Okay.” I braced myself.
“He’s different now.” His gaze locked on mine. “I’m assuming it has something to do with you.”
“Different how?”
He shrugged. “He’s less of a dick.”
I laughed. Hard. The door beeped behind us, silencing me. I reached for my gun.
Vance came in with our bags hanging from his shoulders. “Sounds like I missed the joke.”
I relaxed and got up to grab my bag. “Nah, just talking about Sebastian.”
“And it made you laugh?” He glanced at Adam. “What are you telling her?”
Adam took his duffel. “Nothing I’m sure she doesn’t already know.” Adam turned my way. “Fate doesn’t make it easy, but it’s never been wrong.”
I headed for the adjoining room, calling over my shoulder, “Fate’s a bitch.”
This time Adam was the one laughing.
Chapter Thirteen
Sebastian
I parked the car and walked toward the cold, gray-block building. It was three stories at the ends, resembling a fortress, with a six-story tower in the center. Impressive to the few military generals and high-ranking officials we entertained here.
They had no idea we had another five floors below.
The main building housed the core of Nero’s business. The scattered outbuildings on the compound were an urgent care—since hospitals were out of the question for shifters—a communications center, an armory, and the holding tanks for anyone who broke my father’s rules. Weeks in solitary confinement usually led to the conditioning he demanded. Enforced loyalty for those who survived. And death for those too weak-minded to endure the punishment.
No one was fired from Nero. They were eliminated.
The stone lions on either side of the fifteen-foot glass entry doors bore the N on their foreheads, matching the mark on my wrist. Seeing them used to fill me with pride. My heritage. But lately, they’d been more ominous.
Less of a reminder of who I was, and more of a burden of who I needed to be.
The moment I stepped inside, an operative met me. “Mr. Severino sent me with a message.”
“I’m certain he did.” I continued walking down the long marble hallway while he struggled to keep up.
“He wants you to report back to Sedona right away.”
“I’m sure he does.” I jogged up the first flight of stairs. He couldn’t trap me in the elevator if I never got in it.
Three more men in dark suits awaited me at the top of the stairs. I pushed through them. “Get the fuck out of my way.”
Only one got physical. He brandished his Taser, his voice betraying his fear. “Your father doesn’t want to see you.”
I didn’t wait for him to deploy the Taser. Catching his wrist, I spun behind him, pinning his arm and deploying it into his back instead. I dropped him on the ground and glanced at the others. “Anyone else?”
They descended the stairs. Good. I’d heard the rumors. They all believed I lived for the kill. Only I knew the truth—I didn’t enjoy killing. It was nothing more than a necessary evil in my world.
My sin was being very good at it.
I left the downed operative on the floor and continued to my father’s office. His assistant stood behind her desk as I opened the door. “Natasha, is my father inside?”
Most people underestimated Natasha, which was exactly why my father kept her close. Her long blond hair, beautifully articulated features, and slim build didn’t hint at her true talents. Natasha was a weapons expert, and after my father had her bitten, she now had heightened senses on her side.
She flipped her braid over her shoulder. “I’ve been ordered not to kill you, but I can hurt you until you wish you were dead.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t have time for this dance.”
She moved to block the door to his office. Her piercing blue eyes met mine. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
I leaned into her personal space. “I’m also not supposed to be lied to. Now get out of my way.”
Her voice softened. “Cut me a break, Sebastian. I don’t want to hurt you.”
I grabbed her so fast she didn’t have time to scream. She struggled, landing an elbow to my ribs and stomping her heel into my foot, but my sleeper hold was solid. When she was limp in my arms, I lowered her to the ground.
“No breaks from me today,” I whispered.
I straightened and stepped in the door.
My father looked up from his desk, eyes narrowing. “Damn it, Sebastian. You have a mission. Go finish it.”
“My mission was to overtake the Pack in Reno and bring you Lana and her children, but it seems you’ve beat me to it.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I stormed to the edge of his desk. “Oh, please. You know these walls talk. I’ve already seen a video of Madeleine in the holding tank.”
He opened his hands on his desk, his expression softening. “Why are you here?”
“Because I’m not one of your assets, I’m your fucking son!” My voice echoed through the office. I hadn’t meant to shout. The lack of self-control rattled me. “You can lie to every
one else, not to me.”
I cleared my throat. “You didn’t come to Sedona because you were concerned about my loyalty. You came out to be sure I wouldn’t get in your way when you kidnapped your granddaughter.”
He shrugged. “You failed me when I sent you to collect Lana, I didn’t want to risk you disappointing me again.”
“Then we’re finished.” I shook my head. “There’s no reason to attack the Pack in Reno. You already have what you wanted.”
“Except Adam Sloan’s head.” He picked up a pen. “Go back to Sedona and finish the mission.”
Shit. I had to find an excuse to stay. If I walked out of the compound, he’d move the little girl to a satellite facility somewhere across the country, and we’d never find her. “I’m not going anywhere. I have Sloan. He’s willing to trade himself for his daughter.”
“You work fast.” He slid his tongue across his white teeth. “So Sloan came to you?”
“What does it matter? I have him, and he’ll do anything to free his daughter.”
My father chuckled. “Too bad I have no use for a worthless wolf.”
“But he doesn’t know that.” Lying to my father came easy, like breathing.
He raised a brow. “I could have them both.”
“Exactly.”
“I’m impressed. Maybe you’re better groomed to take over than I realized.” He smiled and came around the desk to grip my shoulder. “Well done, Sebastian. Where is he?”
When I was younger, I’d soaked up what little praise I could get from my father. These days, it was empty and meaningless. “I have him in safekeeping. He’ll insist on assurances that his daughter is unharmed before he’ll come to us without a fight.”
“Assurances?” His lips pinched in disgust. “He’s in no position to make deals.”
“All he wants is a video of me with the girl to prove she’s safe. Then he’ll come willingly. We can force him to tell her this is her home now.”
“I’ve worked with more wolves than you have. We can torture him to the edge of death, and he won’t bend to our will. We would have to hurt the child to get what we wanted from her father, and right now I need her trust, not fear.” He waved his hand. “Gather two riot squads to accompany you, and we’ll take the wolf by force.”