His mate chimed in from her office. “I heard that. And exercises first.”
Diesel crossed his eyes and grinned.
SE laughed. “You know, I think I am.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Reyn dialed three on the mansion’s phone, ready to listen to yet another message from some crazed, panicked civilian who was sure they were about to be taken by Toltec. Then an odd voice came on the line.
“Yo, listen up. This ain’t no emergency call.”
“Help me, help me, a Tolie shifter’s gonna get me!” a high falsetto voice yelled in the background.
Who the fuck?
“We got what one of you wants. She’s safe for now, but we’re using her as leverage to make a deal. The deal is as follows: you give us immunity, meaning you will not come after us now or in the future or the female bites it. Those are our terms. Take it or leave it, but if you want that New Breed to keep his marbles, I suggest you take it. We’ll be in touch.”
Fuck.
Reyn dialed Xavier. “I need to see you yesterday, bro.”
Jesus Christ. This is just what they needed. It wasn’t bad enough he had one brother down and another off chasing kidnappers? Now these douche bags wanted a deal? Like that was going to happen. They were killing civilians left and right. They weren’t even bothering to dispose of the bodies, for Chrissakes.
There was a knock on the door jamb. “Whassup, boss?”
“Quit calling me that. Listen, we just got a call from the rogues that have the female Troy’s out looking for. They want to trade her for permanent immunity from us. I need you to start monitoring all calls coming in. There’s no way we can do the deal, we need to locate these chuckleheads.”
X nodded. “I can do that. And my man Troy’s on their asses. Don’t forget that. They’ve pissed off the best tracker we’ve got.”
Reyn ran his hand through his hair. “But how long will it take him to find her? He’s good, but this is the city. It’s going be tough terrain for tracking, even for him.”
“Yeah, it’s not going be easy, but if anyone can do it, he can, dig?”
“I got you. I still want to provide some back-up from this end. The rogues have involved the whole of the Order in this. Let’s monitor those calls and see if you can’t pick up a trace. And there’s another thing. The rogue mentioned something about Troy not being able to deal with losing her. Just how close to this female is he exactly?”
“Like I said before, he knows her from high school. I don’t want to speak to his feelings for her one way or the other. I’ll continue to try and get us an addy.”
“Thanks, X. Let’s see if we can help him out.”
Xavier sighed as he walked down the compound corridor. Now he was lying to Reyn. Perfect. It was by omission and the boss hadn’t pressed the issue. Still. He stroked his goatee and checked his watch. He was due to meet Troy at the library in a few minutes. Not the best timing on the part of the brother. Books could be very heavy. Especially shelves of them.
He gleamed to his usual section and started to walk through Bates Hall. The long, rectangular tables that lined the main aisle were filled with people on their laptops. Over a hundred and fifty years of history mingled with today’s technology. Now that was a thing of beauty. He never got over the sight, no matter how often he was there. Out of nowhere, he hit something with his right side. He was horrified when he looked down and discovered it was a person. “Oh, ah, excuse me. I wasn’t paying attention.”
Books went everywhere and he started going for them. He stacked books on the table next to him then bent down for more.
“I shouldn’t have gotten up so quickly.”
He looked up to apologize again and the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen looked back at him. “I’m Xavier.”
Hold up. Did he just introduce himself? As Xavier? Without the ‘everyone calls me X’, which for all intents and purposes had been his last name since he was like fifteen? “Can I help you get these somewhere?”
“Oh, I was actually just going to get a coffee downstairs.” Her lovely Asian features arranged themselves into a quick smile. “Please excuse me.”
She turned and walked along the tables toward the stairs. X noticed she was wearing her hair up to reveal the most extraordinary Japanese crane on the back of her neck. It wasn’t the usual black tribal deal. It was soft, like a water color, and delicate, the red on the bird’s crown in color. And it wasn’t a tattoo. He had picked up on her high level of k’ul almost as soon as he bumped into her. She was a shifter.
He was studying it so hard he almost walked right by Troy who was scanning his laptop at one of the tables. “Hey, X. What are you lookin’ at?”
He pivoted in his seat. “Not a female.”
X glared at him and pulled out the chair across from the brother. “Shut it. You and I need to talk.”
Troy continued to look at his monitor. X reached across and pushed it halfway shut. “Now.”
“Hey, what gives?”
“You are such a PIA sometimes, you know that?” He lowered his voice. “Reyn just told me that the rogues holding Evy are asking for a swap. They want to free her in exchange for immunity from the Order.”
“They called the fuckin’ hotline? Man, this just gets worse by the minute.”
“You think? Damn it, Troy. The boss asked me how involved you are with her. I told him it wasn’t my place to speak for you. If he pushes the topic any further, I’ll have no choice but to tell him that Evy’s human. You wanna be dismissed, because you’re on your way?”
“’Course not, but Evy’s the most important thing right now. I can’t worry about anything else.”
“I understand that, bro, but I had to give you fair warning. We’re also down another brother. Diesel fell through three floors last night. Helen and I had to amputate his leg below the knee. I would push things as little as possible right now, dig?”
Troy’s eyes widened. “Jesus Christ. Is he gonna be okay? Will he be able to fight? Man, it’ll be wicked hard on him if he can’t.”
“Yeah, he’ll be fine. He’s healing quickly. No doubt he’ll be back out there sooner rather than later. Listen, I’m monitoring calls into the mansion to try and pick up a trace. How’s the tracking going?”
“I found their first stopping point much faster than I thought. I don’t think they were there long. They’ve moved her already. I need to track in Wolf form tonight.”
“Just don’t get caught, Troy. That shit’s dangerous in the city, dig?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll do whatever I have to do to find her.”
X leaned in. “You eating? You getting any sleep? You look like hell.”
“I can’t. Not ‘til I find Evy.”
“You can’t let yourself fall apart. You’re no good to her like that.”
Troy nodded. “I hear you.”
“I gotta work with Dies on some PT in a few minutes. You need anything else from me?”
“Naw, I’m cool. Thanks.”
X pushed back his chair and stood up. “I’m out.”
“Hold up, I got something for you though. Her name’s Rose. She teaches history at Harvard.”
“Who?”
“The hottie you almost flattened back there. She’s here a couple times a week like clockwork.”
X strutted off toward the stairs.
Like he cared.
Evy heard the key in the lock to the apartment. Thank God. She never thought she’d say that about a kidnapper, but at least when Seth was there she had some company. She’d been chained to the couch, alone, for hours. At this point, the chain was taking off skin as it constantly rubbed at her ankle. She needed relief from her own thoughts. But when the door opened, it was Nick who came in. Right away she started to shake. Nick wasn’t like Seth. Seth was no Boy Scout, but Nick was a bad seed. She’d sensed it from the moment he’d tried to put his arm around her in the back seat of the car.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here? I tasty l
ittle shorty all tied up, just for me.”
Evy futzed with her chain, curled her legs under her, and pushed into the back of the couch as far as she could. Goddamn short dress.
“Where ya goin’ little hottie? I’m not gonna hurt you. What I’m gonna do to you, you’re gonna like.”
Oh, God. Every instinct in her was telling her to fight, but if she did, he would hit her for sure. Or worse. He moved to the front of the couch and bent down. This is it. When he touched her, she could not flinch or move away.
He leaned in, took her by the neck, and put his mouth to her ear. “You’re so beautiful. I wanted you the moment I saw you. Do you want me?”
She forced herself to answer. “Yes.”
“Do you want me between your legs?”
“Yes.”
“All in good time.” He kissed her hard and slid his hand inside her dress, shoving his hand up under her bra.
Seth, where are you?
He leaned back and started to unbutton his pants. She closed her eyes. All she could think was that she didn’t want her first time to be like this. And then her thoughts went to Troy. It was somehow automatic and it didn’t have anything to do with his saving her from what was about to happen.
Not for you.
She heard it so clearly this time without the noise and confusion of the club. The voice was clear and very clearly not her own.
A moment later, she heard the key in the deadbolt. Seth came in holding grocery bags and froze. He moved so quickly Evy could barely see it. It hit her right then. Whatever these things were, they weren’t human either. He shoved Nick straight over the coffee table.
“What the fuck are you doing? Put your dick back in your pants while you still own it, asshat. She’s not here for that.”
“Sorry, man, I was just—”
“Shut up. Joey’s been tryin’ to call you for ten minutes. Get the fuck out and call him back.”
Evy watched as Nick left the apartment. When it hit her that she was safe, at least for the time being, she started to shake even harder.
Seth picked up the groceries he’d dumped and put them on the counter in the little galley kitchen. Then, he came over and sat on the coffee table. He held out a pint of Haagen-Dazs and a spoon. “You like cookie dough or are you one of those chicks that lives on air?”
She shook her head and took the ice cream.
He looked her in the eye. “You won’t be alone with him again.”
With that, he stood up and disappeared into the kitchen.
Victrixa walked over to the window of Toltec’s main lounge. Cerberus. Late again. Not that it was any great shock to her, but he was standing on the one nerve she had left. The day had started out badly and was only getting worse. Thanks to finding a hidden spy cam in her office, they were stuck holding this little tête-à-tête in a conference room. She had no idea how long it had been there or what had been overheard. It could very well be an inside job. Toltec’s elite members were not to be trusted. They were an ambitious and jealous lot. Unless…as things clicked into place, the picture became all too clear. Her wretch of a daughter knew exactly where her office was. If what that pathetic soldier had told her was true and Ana was, in fact, a New Breed, she would have the power to gleam. Instant. Access. Her headache ratcheted up two notches.
The door to the room opened and she wheeled around. “There you are. Just exactly how long did you expect me to keep waiting?”
“This long. Now what is the big emergency? Need another head sent parcel post?”
She squinted. God, she hated him. She wished she could do a little mailing of her own and send the evil bastard straight back to hell with the tip of her boot. “I found a mini cam in the wall of my office this morning.”
“That’s it? That is your emergency?”
Did she really have to explain this? Really? “I have no idea how long it’s been there or what has been overheard.”
The demon shook his head. “I fail to see what can be done about that now.”
The sigh she released was more of a hiss. She’d love to sick Cobra on him right about now.
He fixed his lifeless, blue eyes on hers. “Victrixa, it was obviously planted there by the Order. Have you moved it yet?”
“No.”
“Good. Then they are unaware that you know. Why don’t you use it to your advantage? Stage something. A meeting, perhaps. Give them false information, lead them into a trap. These kinds of things work both ways.”
Of course. She had let her anger cloud her judgment. The New Breeds had taken out close to a hundred hellions in the blast at the warehouse. Two could play at that game. Their numbers were far less and there was nothing she liked more than revenge.
“I will obviously not be taking part. I cannot allow my image to be recorded. I’m sure Roman would be more than happy to oblige.”
Victrixa hardly heard him. Delicious scenarios were already running through her mind. One in particular. Her face pulled tight from her scar as it formed into its version of a smile. She waved her arm dismissively. “Yes, yes, whatever.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Diesel smiled and closed his laptop as his mate walked into the recovery ward. “Hey, Doc.”
“Are you watching more extreme wheelchair videos? Is there somewhere I can send you for that? Like Wheelchairs Anonymous?”
He smiled. “Come here.”
She leaned down and brushed his lips with hers. Then, all business, she moved down the bed. “Check-up time.”
“That was just harsh, female. You treat all your patients this way?”
“I don’t sleep with all my patients.”
He barked a laugh. “Thank God for that. Things would get pretty ugly around here.”
She pulled down the sheet. “Okay, let’s have a look.”
He rolled his eyes. Cue laptop. He opened it back up, hit the play button, and ignored the futzing with the bandages thing. Been there, done that.
“Holy fuck.”
O-kaaay. That wasn’t a word he heard from his mate very often. He pushed the top of his laptop down. “What?”
Eyes wide, she shook her head. “It’s almost totally healed. It’s been less than forty-eight hours.”
He grinned. “Must be a New Breed thing.”
“Ya think? Have you had any pain since we stopped the pain meds this morning?
“Not much.”
She shook her head again and started to wrap him up. “Well, it looks great, my male. I’ll take the sutures out in the morning. We’ll need to work to keep the swelling down for your prosthesis. There’s a renowned center right here in Boston with all the newest technology. X is having a field day. You’ll get your popcorn yet, Dies.”
“Sweet.”
“Okay, you’re good to go. I’ll be in the lab for a couple of hours if you need me.”
“Shit, I’m supposed to meet X in the gym.” He gleamed himself from the bed and into the wheelchair across the room.
“You know, I’m having serious second thoughts about giving a wheelchair to someone addicted to speed.”
“Too late.” He wheeled down the corridor going way too fast for common sense, blew past X in the gym, popped a wheelie, and stopped in front of him.
X shook his head. “Thank God you’re gonna be out of that thing.”
“You aren’t kidding.”
“You ready to get started?”
“Hell, yes. Let’s do this.”
Helen stripped the sheets off their makeshift double bed in the surgical ward and threw them in the hamper. The extra blankets were next. She glanced at her watch and decided to let all of the monitors stay where they were for the time being. She could take care of those in the morning. Geoffrey and Mary were making a special dinner for Diesel and it was about to start. Where had he gotten to? Diesel being late for dinner was about as natural as the earth spinning clockwise. Especially tonight. Roast beef was his favorite. He couldn’t have gone very far in a wheelchair, in the mid
dle of winter. Scratch that. He shouldn’t have gone very far.
“Yo, Doc.” X came through the swinging door and held it open. “You lose somebody?”
Diesel came through the door with a huge smile.
“Crutches!” Tears of pride came to her eyes.
“What? These old things?”
She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck.
“Whoa, easy, female. I’m liable to face plant with little to no warning.”
She put her hands on the sides of his face and kissed him.
“Good surprise?” he whispered in her ear.
“The best.”
The three of them took the elevator up to the mansion and made their way to the drawing room. The whole of the Order stood quietly around the big drawing room table. Helen took in all of their faces as they waited for her male to make his first appearance since the accident. The energy in the room was full of love and warmth and she suddenly felt so grateful she hadn’t left it all behind. Home would always be wherever Diesel was, but for now it was here and she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. As she moved aside and he walked to the table on his crutches, the room was filled with clapping and cheering.
Dimitri gave him a bro hug. “Good to see you, man.”
“It’s good to be seen, my brother.”
Pax held up his cell. “Smile, Dies.”
He looked at the camera and crossed his eyes.
“Someday they’re going to get stuck that way, my male.”
He kissed her forehead. “If only.”
James checked out the pic and chuckled. “Nice, Dies. This’ll make you Facebook famous for sure.”
Diesel gave the male a fist bump. “You guys can all say you knew me when.”
When everyone was seated, Reyn began to speak. “I thought we could all take a moment to remember the brother who can’t be here with us tonight. I feel his absence keenly, as I’m sure the rest of you do. Troy has become a true member of our family over the last few weeks. It’s something I think we all hoped for in quiet moments and moments that maybe haven’t been so quiet. Let’s ask the Goddess to protect him while he’s out there.”
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