by Ciana Stone
“He wasn’t.”
“How do you know?” she shot back at him.
“I checked.”
She moved around him with her arms crossed tightly in front of her chest. “It’s my fault,” she admitted in shame. “I’m responsible for his…death.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it.” He turned and took hold of her shoulder to turn her around.
“Is it?” She shrugged his hand away as she faced him. “If it weren’t for me he wouldn’t have been there in the first place.”
“And if he hadn’t set you up in the first place he wouldn’t have been there.”
Senna’s eyes widened and she stepped back from him. “How can you say that?” Her voice was filled with scorn at the idea he would try and blame Ryan for what had happened after Ryan had given his life to protect her.
“Easy.” He seemed untouched by her contempt. “It’s the truth. He was the one who insisted on the meeting and the meeting place. He lied to you about why he wanted to see you and where you were going. It was a set-up.”
She didn’t want to listen to him. He made sense but she didn’t want to believe that Ryan would have deliberately put her in danger. “That’s ridiculous. What could he possibly have been setting me up for?”
“You were the bait.”
“Bait?” she scoffed. “You make it sound like he was going fishing.”
“In a manner of speaking he was. He was trying to trap the man who called himself Southgate. The police figured out that he wasn’t really with the Bureau and set up a sting. You were the bait to get him there.”
“Why me?” She felt a queasy feeling begin in her stomach.
“It was you he wanted.”
“Me? Why?”
“I suppose the same reason Slater wants you. He wanted what’s in your head.”
His answer made her think of Marcus. “Where’s my purse?”
“What?”
“My purse! Where is it?”
“In the car.”
“I have to get it.” She started for the door.
“Hold on.” He took her arm and stopped her. “What’s so urgent about your purse?”
Her eyes darted away from his. Marcus was the only person she was sure of at this point, the only person she could trust without qualification. She could not tell Konnor about him. At least not yet.
“I don’t know,” she said lamely then put her hands over her face. “I don’t know anything anymore, it seems.”
Konnor pulled her to him. At first she tensed. Something about the way he had showed up earlier made her uneasy. She didn’t know what he had done to Paige, if she was even alive. And he certainly didn’t feel any sadness for what had happened to Ryan. Not to mention the fact that he had knocked her out. She was beginning to think that she didn’t know who he was at all.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered against her hair. “I know you cared for him and I know it hurts, but there’s nothing you could have done to prevent it.”
She looked up at him. “He died for me, Konnor. Do you know what that means?”
“Yes,” he nodded. “He loved you.”
She nodded miserably and he added softly, “So do I.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me what’s really going on.”
Konnor sighed and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. “I will explain. I promise you that. But right now I have to take care of something.”
“Like what?”
“Like making sure we can get out of the city.”
“Why shouldn’t we be able to?”
“There’s a little matter of us being wanted for eight counts of murder.”
“What?” Her voice rose almost to a squeak.
“Detective Landers gave quite a story. Seems like the two of us are responsible for taking out eight men. Even as we speak the hunt is on.”
Senna felt as if the rug had been jerked out from under her. It seemed that her life was becoming more of a nightmare with each passing moment. And Konnor was not helping. One moment she was sure he was lying to her and she could not trust him and the next she was feeling as if he were her only lifeline. She felt close to losing control and becoming hysterical or just plain crazy.
“Don’t leave me,” she whispered and clung to him. “Please, don’t go.”
“I have to.” He disengaged himself from her hands. “But you won’t be alone.”
“Someone else is here? Who?”
“Someone I trust above everyone else. Someone you can trust.”
“Who?”
“Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
She took his hand and together they left the bedroom. He led her into a small cozy den where a fire burned brightly in a stone fireplace. A man rose from a chair in front of the fire and turned to look at her. As his face came into view, time seemed to come to abrupt halt. Her throat constricted and a weak cry escaped her lips a moment before her eyes rolled back and she lost consciousness.
Konnor caught her as she fell and carried her to the couch. “Senna!” He patted her face. “Can you hear me?” She didn’t respond and he looked to Shen for help. “What’s wrong with her?”
“She will be fine.” Shen didn’t seem to be concerned. “Go and take care of the tasks at hand. I will take care of her.”
“Why did she keel over like that?”
“She has suffered much trauma of late. Perhaps her mind simply needed to withdraw in order to assimilate.”
Konnor looked at him doubtfully. “Maybe I should stay with her.”
“Do you doubt my ability to safeguard her?”
“No.” Konnor felt ashamed at the reproach he heard in Shen’s voice. “Of course not.”
“Then go.”
Konnor nodded then leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead as he ran his hand down the side of her face. Then he straightened up and walked out.
Shen looked down at her and his eyes narrowed. He wondered what dreams were being played out in her mind.
Senna was in the past, in the bedroom of the villa where her father, Lucas, and her uncle, Marcus, were staying. It was late but she could not sleep. She had spent the day with her father at the site. Even thinking about it made her head hurt. Each time she had accompanied him to the site she had returned with a splitting headache. What was worse, she could not seem to form a clear picture of the site in her mind. She could describe it verbally, even write down a detailed description of it, but she could not summon a visual image and that bothered her.
She wished her father hadn’t refused to let her go with him tonight. She didn’t like being alone in the villa. Marcus was locked away in his study as usual, working, and there were no servants. She felt lonely and isolated.
Without warning the entire structure of the villa lurched violently. Her first thought was “earthquake”. It was the only explanation her mind could come up with for the shaking and the horrible noise. She ran to the window and looked outside. The night sky was blotted out by the enormous fireball that shot up from the earth.
Screaming, she ran to her bedroom door. It was locked. Pounding on it, she started screaming. “Marcus! Marcus! Can you hear me? Marcus! Let me out!”
There was no reply to her calls. After a minute she gave up and went back to the window. As she looked outside she saw figures running across the lawn. Drawing back, she looked around in fear. Her jeans and T-shirt were draped across the chair. Pulling off her gown she threw on her clothes and crammed her feet into her sneakers.
Just as she was tying the laces the sound of gunfire made her jump. It was coming from inside the house! A whimper came unbidden to her lips. Hearing the sound of footsteps pounding up the stairs, she backed away from the door.
“Come on!” she heard a voice behind her.
Jumping at the sound she looked around. “Come on!” The man held out his hand to her from the window. “We have to get out of here.”
“Who are you?” She
backed away.
“Come on, Mouse,” he said gently. “It’s time to run.”
His words triggered something in her mind. Suddenly she knew him. She knew she could trust him. Her father had told her she could. Aside from him and Marcus, this man was the only person she could trust. She had to do what he told her.
Putting her hand in his she let him help her out of the window and onto the ladder.
Senna moaned and thrashed around as the vision faded to be replaced by a new one, one she didn’t want to remember. But she was not strong enough to resist its pull. Whimpering and tossing around she sank into the memory.
Konnor entered the room and saw her. Immediately he went to her side. “Senna!” He slapped her gently on the face. “Wake up! Do you hear me? It’s Konnor. Wake up!”
His voice penetrated into the vision. Like a narrow beam of light in an otherwise dark vista, she clung to the sound of his voice. At last she penetrated the barrier and opened her eyes. As soon as she saw his face she threw herself into his arms. “Please hold me,” she whispered frantically. “Please.”
“It’s okay.” He smoothed her wet hair back from her face. “I’m here. You’re safe now. You’re safe.”
She nodded against his shoulder and opened her eyes. She saw Shen watching silently from across the room and her entire body went rigid.
“What’s wrong?” Konnor asked at the sudden jerk.
Senna drew back and pointed at Shen. “Ask him.”
Konnor turned and looked at Shen with a confused expression. “What’s going on?”
Shen looked from him to Senna. “It has been a long time.”
Hate welled hot and venomous inside her. “Not long enough, Kitaro.”
The only reaction Shen made to her remark was a slight narrowing of his eyes. Konnor, on the other hand, looked at her like she had lost her mind. “You’re confused. This is Shen.”
Senna’s head started to swim and she grabbed Konnor’s arm to steady herself. “Why are you doing this to me?” she croaked, trying to stem the dizziness.
Shen walked over in front of the couch. “I must assume that not all of your memory has returned.”
“Enough to know that I hate you!” She pressed back against the couch to put as much distance as she could between them.
“Senna, you’re talking crazy!” Konnor intervened. “You don’t even know Shen. It’s just the shock of what you’ve been through making you—”
“No, it’s not,” she interrupted without looking at him. “I know exactly what I’m saying. His name is Kitaro and he…” She could not bring herself to admit what had happened. It was too terrible.
“Perhaps if you look closer you will see that I am not Kitaro,” Shen suggested.
Konnor stood up to make way for Shen even though Senna reached to stop him. She tried to disappear into the cushions of the couch in an attempt to move back from Shen as he perched beside her.
“Look at me,” he commanded in a soft voice.
“No.” She averted her eyes. “Not this time.”
“Senna, look at me.”
She didn’t want to but she couldn’t stop herself. It was as if his voice held some kind of power over her. Turning her head she looked into his eyes. For a brief moment she was seized with panic. All she wanted to do was run and hide. But the panic faded as recognition flared in her mind. In a burst that threatened to overwhelm her the memories returned.
“Shen?” She raised one hand hesitantly and reached out to him but retracted it before she touched him. “Is it really you or is this just another trick?”
“It is I.” He took her hand in his. “Do you remember now?”
She nodded and tears sprang from her eyes. “I thought you were…I was afraid he…”
Konnor watched in surprise as Shen gathered her in his arms and held her close while she cried. She clung to him tightly and only when the tears had stopped did she draw back and look up at him. “Why did you make me forget?”
“To protect you.”
“But you made me forget you.” Her voice broke and it took a moment for her to compose herself. “And I thought…you told me that you…” She looked over at Konnor. She had almost forgotten he was standing there.
“I did.” Shen answered her unspoken question. “That is why you had to forget. I could not bear to see you suffer with the memories of what he had done to you. It was the only way to ease your torment.”
“I loved you so much,” she whispered. “It hurts to remember.”
“Loved?” Konnor blurted and looked from one of them to the other. “Would one of you like to tell me what the hell you’re talking about?”
Shen disengaged himself from her and stood. “I will leave you alone. You have much to discuss.”
Senna wiped at her face as he left the room. Konnor remained standing, looking at her with a suspicious expression on his face. “Well?” he asked harshly.
She looked up at him and it was as if she were seeing him clearly for the first time. She knew who he was, perhaps better than he did himself. And she knew that she loved him. “Please…” She held out her hand to him.
After a moment he walked to her. “There’s a lot I need to tell you,” she said as soon as he was seated. “But before that, there’s something I need you to know. I love you, Konnor, more than I’ve ever loved anyone and I’ll never love anyone but you. It’s important that you know that.”
“Is there a but in there somewhere?” he asked. “As in, I love you but I want you to get the hell out of my life, or something to that effect?”
“No. Quite the opposite. I’m afraid that when I tell you what happened you might not… Well, your opinion of me might change dramatically.”
“I doubt it,” he argued and took her by the arms. “I told you that I love you. That’s not something I say easily but when I do say it I mean it. And if you love me then we can face whatever it is, together.”
“I hope so.” She drew a deep breath.
“So tell me.”
“I will. I promise. But not now, okay? There’s time for that tomorrow. Tonight I don’t want to think about any of this. I just want to be with you and try and pretend that tomorrow won’t come.”
“What’s so secret that you can’t tell me now?”
“Please,” she pleaded with him. “Can you please just grant me this one thing? I swear to you on my life that I’ll tell you everything. Just don’t make me do it now.”
“Do you think it will be any different in the morning?”
“Probably not. But at least I’ll have had tonight.”
Konnor regarded her for a few moments. “Okay,” he agreed. “I’ll wait. But what do you want to do until then?”
“I want to make love to you.”
“Here?” His eyes widened. “Now?”
“Yes.”
“But Shen—”
“Is gone,” she interrupted.
A frown came on his face and he got up. She didn’t move as he left the room but she heard him going through the house and calling Shen. When he returned there was a look of confusion on his face. “How did you know he was gone?”
“That can wait, too.” She stood and walked to him. “Right now we have other things to attend to.”
Konnor opened his mouth but she put her fingers to his lips. “Please. Just for tonight.”
Her fingers traced along his bottom lip then across the side of his face and behind his head. As she pulled him down to her, she pressed against him. Their lips met and parted. Konnor’s arms moved to engulf her and pull her tighter against him.
The kiss enflamed her hunger. The memories of her lost years had provided her with more than a simple filling in of the blanks. She had been liberated from a prison she didn’t know she had been confined to. All of the hidden passions she was unaware she possessed were freed. Her hands moved between them, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. When that proved too slow a task she simply grasped the material with both hands a
nd pulled.
Fabric tore and buttons popped loose but neither of them paid it attention. All she could think about was the feel and taste of him. She drew back from the kiss and slid his shirt down over his broad shoulders. Her fingers traced from the curve of his neck down. By the time her hands reached his belt her lips had begun their own trek across his skin.
Konnor’s hands tightened on her arms as her hand slipped down lower. She looked up at him with eyes filled with desire. “I want you,” she whispered, squeezing him firmly in her hand.
His eyes seemed to glow like dark jewels as he looked at her. Abruptly he released her and grabbed her top. In one fluid move he pulled it over her head. His hands moved to her breasts and she closed her eyes with a groan of pleasure. Konnor swept her into his arms and crossed the room. With her still in his arms he sank down onto the carpet in front of the fire.
Senna thrilled to his touch as he divested her of the rest of her clothes then watched with lustful enjoyment as he stripped off his own. When he came to her she pulled him down on her, savoring the feel of his hard body pressing her down against the floor. He wound his hands in her hair and held her captive for a long kiss.
Her body responded, moving against his. He raised his head and looked down at her. “Tell me what you want.” His voice was rough with desire.
“To be yours,” she responded without hesitation.
A smile that was part adoration and part animalistic lit his face. His lips moved to her breasts, licking and teasing. She gasped as he bit lightly on one nipple. Her body ground against his, feeling his hardness pressed against her belly.
After a time he sat back on his heels and traced his hands down her body. His fingers dug into the tender flesh of her inner thighs as he spread her legs. A shiver of delight ran over her as his fingers parted the delicate folds and probed deeper. They emerged wet with her need.
Konnor pulled her to him. She cried out as he impaled her, a mixture of pain and pleasure. Her body arched as he moved against her. Everything else faded away. All that existed was their joined bodies and their need.
Night gave way to dawn and the first streaks of light across the sky found them still in one another’s arms. Konnor groaned as the pent-up need was released and Senna wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him, feeling the vibration run through his body. When he relaxed in her arms she kissed him gently. “I love you, Konnor.” She whispered softly.