by Lara Adrian
Eyes that bore a striking resemblance to Devony’s.
Holy hell. It couldn’t be.
And yet it was.
He didn’t know how it could be possible that her brother was alive and well after all these months, but since he’d stated his intent to harm Devony—Christ, to kill her in cold blood—his miraculous resurrection was going to end here and now.
On a crazed bellow, Harrison Winters plowed into Rafe’s injured midsection, taking both of them down to the floor. Devony’s not-so-dead brother pinned Rafe beneath him. Spittle gathered at the corners of his snarling mouth as he brought his hand up to Rafe’s chest.
No fucking way.
Rafe dodged the other male’s siphoning touch and threw him off. Winters came at him again, his bare hands curled like claws. He took a swipe at Rafe, trying to latch on to him.
Rafe was faster. And he had another dagger sheathed on his weapons belt. He pulled it free and flipped it around in his grasp, then brought the razor edge down between his attacker’s third and middle fingers.
Winters roared. His left hand gushed blood, nearly split in half. “Now, you die, warrior.”
Using his right, he slammed his fist into the side of Rafe’s skull.
His vision spun as he staggered down onto one knee. Across the foyer, Devony had the death squad thug by the throat, draining away his power. But while that killer began to slump in her grasp, his partner had found his legs.
“Devony, behind you!”
The thug lunged for her, knocking her into the wall. Plaster and millwork cracked with the terrible impact of her full-body crash against it.
Rafe felt it too, her pain. Her terror. Her fading hope that they would get out of this alive.
In that same moment, he called upon every ounce of speed at his command and pulled one of his guns free from its holster. He squeezed off a shot, hitting the big bastard between the eyes. He put a bullet in the second one’s skull just to keep the son of a bitch down for good.
But that still left the problem of Devony’s brother.
Winters clamped his huge hand on Rafe’s shoulder and squeezed. Rafe couldn’t dodge the connection fast enough this time. He felt the other male’s power begin to siphon away his own.
No.
Ah, fuck. He had to hold on.
Winters grinned, his eyes crazed and bright as lava. He reached for Rafe’s weapon, using his mangled, bleeding hand to pull the weapon out of Rafe’s slackening grasp.
Damn it. No.
Winters lifted the gun, his movements awkward after Rafe had nearly cleaved his hand in two.
Rafe watched the gun rise toward his face. He couldn’t fight back now. He could hardly maintain consciousness as the barrel of his own patrol weapon was aimed point-blank at the side of his skull.
He heard the gunshot.
It exploded like cannon fire in front of him.
But as his vision wobbled in and out of focus, he realized it wasn’t his head that had been cracked open by the discharged round.
Harrison Winters dropped to the floor, lifeless.
And standing behind him with one of the death squad thug’s guns in her hand was Devony.
“Rafe,” she gasped, setting the weapon down as she scrambled next to him on the floor. Her hands were cool and trembling as she ran them over him, emotion welling in her eyes. “You came after me. You saved me.”
He gave a halting shake of his head. It took all his strength to lift his hand and rest it gently against her bruised cheek. “No, Devony. You’re the one who’s saved me.”
CHAPTER 29
Somewhere over the Atlantic, Rafe woke up with Devony in his arms. They were aboard the Order’s private jet, lying naked together in the bedroom cabin of the spacious aircraft.
Mathias Rowan and his team had reported to the Darkhaven to retrieve them and contain the situation following Rafe’s call. The Order would take care of the bodies and the cleanup of the property. They would also clamp a lid on the stunning revelations about Devony’s brother and his involvement with Opus Nostrum.
Rafe still couldn’t believe how heinously Harrison Winters had betrayed his duty, his JUSTIS colleagues, and his family. That he had been willing to add Devony’s life to that brutal tally made Rafe wish he had been the one to kill the bastard. Slowly. Excruciatingly.
The fact that he had arrived with only moments to spare before anything worse had happened to Devony made his heart clench.
He’d gone after her to try to save what they had together, but in the end it was she who saved him.
Not only with the power of her blood after her brother’s attack had almost leveled him.
Her love was a gift he would cherish and protect for as long as he drew breath.
Now that Devony was safe in his arms again, he would spend the rest of his days, and all of his nights, striving to deserve her.
Nestled in his embrace, she stirred. Her quiet hum as she woke vibrated against his chest. “Are we almost there?”
“We still have a few hours to go.” He dropped a kiss to her upturned forehead. “How do you feel?”
“I’ll be okay,” she said softly. “In time, I’ll be okay.”
Her injuries tonight had been healed with his blood too. But they weren’t talking about physical wounds now. They were talking about the horror of what her brother had done. The horrors that had yet to occur, if Opus Nostrum was allowed to continue with their plans for war.
“I want to say I’m glad it’s over,” she murmured. “But it’s not, is it? It won’t be over until every member of that twisted organization is rooted out and unmasked.”
Rafe nodded. “With any luck, that photo you have will help us do that.”
They had already transferred a copy to the Order while they were in London. Devony’s father had made the right call in ensuring the image ended up in his savvy, courageous daughter’s hands. Rafe only wished Roland Winters knew how instrumental she had proven already in the quest to thwart this new evil.
“If men like that could get to Harry, they can get to anyone, Rafe. They’re worse than monsters. I don’t think I realized that until I heard my brother tonight.”
He stroked Devony’s bare arms, tracing the flourish of one of her pretty glyphs. “I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner. It kills me to think how close I came to losing you.” He lifted her chin on the edge of his fingertips. “I don’t mean just a few hours ago with your brother and those goons. I mean before . . . because of the way I hurt you.”
Her warm bourbon gaze reached inside him like a caress. “You can’t lose me, Rafe. I love you.”
“Thank God.” Although their bond told him as much, he didn’t realize how much he needed to hear her say the words until just now. He’d needed to feel her forgiveness and know that he would have a lifetime to prove himself worthy of it.
Lowering his mouth to hers, he took his time kissing her, savoring the soft press of her lips against his. His blood ignited even though his intent had only been to comfort. Devony’s pulse answered with a thrumming heat of its own.
“I’m sorry for everything I did,” he murmured, stroking the side of her lovely face. “You were right. I should’ve trusted you. I love you. I should have chosen you, not my mission.”
She frowned, slowly shaking her head. “It was unfair of me to say that, Rafe. It wasn’t fair for me to ask—”
“I choose you.” He slid his hand around to her nape and drew her closer, his mouth brushing over hers. “That’s what I told my commander earlier tonight before I came to find you. I choose you, Devony.”
“What are you saying? That you quit the Order?”
“I tried to. Chase wouldn’t let me. But I will, if that’s what it will take to have you.” He kissed her again, more deeply this time, his heart belonging solely to this woman. “I love you, Devony. You’re my partner, the only one for me now. And I’ll do anything to prove that to you. Including giving up the Order.”
“No.” She shrank back from
him. “That’s not what I want. That’s the last thing I want for you. The Order is your life, your family.”
“So are you.”
Her fingers caressed his jaw with tender care. “I want you to have both, Rafe. I want something more than that, actually.” Her gaze searched his, steady with the strength and resolve he loved about her. “I want to share that life with you. All of it. I want to be part of this in whatever way I can be.”
“What are you saying?” His brow furrowed. “You want to be part of the Order?”
At her nod, he blew out a sigh and rolled onto his back.
Devony moved up next to him, her head propped on her hand as she stared down at his bewildered face. A challenging gleam lit her gaze. “Before you try to argue, I’d like to remind you that you just said you’d do anything for me.”
“I did say that, yes.”
“But what?” She frowned. “You don’t want to put in a recommendation for me?”
He turned toward her, gently cupping her face in his palm. “What makes you think I haven’t already?”
“You did?” She blinked, clearly astonished. “When?”
“Before we left the London command center, I spoke to Lucan Thorne and Commander Chase. I told them we were heading back, but we were a package deal now. If you wanted it, that is. Those were my terms. And they agreed.”
“You did that for me?”
“I did it for us.” He smiled, caressing her pretty mouth as the smile broke over her lips. “I did it because nothing would make me prouder, or happier, to have you at my side, Devony. As my partner, my lover. My mate.”
“Rafe.” On a quiet sob, she grabbed his face and kissed him, no gentle melding of their mouths, but a fiery claiming.
He loved that about her, how she could be both vulnerable and tender, yet the hottest, most exciting woman he’d ever known. She was headstrong and fearless. Innocent, yet wise.
But most important of all, she was his.
On a possessive growl, he rolled her beautiful body beneath him on the bed.
She was already wet and ready for him when he entered her, her tight sheath gripping his shaft as he sank to the hilt inside her heat. Devony cried out, her short nails raking his shoulders as they moved together in a rhythm they both knew well now, their shared need for each other both urgent and tender.
Earlier tonight, they drank from each other’s veins for healing. Now, it was desire that ignited their mutual thirst. It was need that brought Rafe’s mouth to the side of Devony’s neck as he rocked against her. It was pleasure that made him shout in erotic torment the instant her fangs sank into the muscle of his shoulder.
God help him, he would never get accustomed to the intensity of their bond.
He bit down on her delicate throat, moaning as the sweet taste of her blood roared over his tongue. Her climax swelled into a wave that broke against him as his own release reached its peak too.
And it was love—bright and hot and eternal—that powered through his veins and into every particle of his being as he wrapped Devony in his arms and prepared to take her over that steep edge with him again.
They had hours before they would touch down in Boston.
He was going to make the most of every second.
CHAPTER 30
“Relax. You’ll do fine.”
Rafe’s reassurance as Devony stood in front of the mirror in their quarters at the Boston command center helped soothe her, but she was nervous. She couldn’t help it.
They had arrived from London yesterday, and tonight everyone was gathering to meet her and welcome her into the fold as one of their team.
She smoothed her palms down the front of her new black pants and V-neck top, the outfit a gift from Carys and Tavia. As soon as they’d heard Rafe was bringing her back with him, the two women had stocked half of the large closet with brand-new clothes, boots, and every other item she could possibly need in order to be comfortable when she arrived.
She’d never had a sister, but Carys seemed excited to step right into the role. Even Jordana had been gracious and forgiving, so much so, she’d actually hugged Devony upon meeting her despite the terrible way they’d first been introduced at the museum.
But in just a few minutes, Devony would be meeting her teammates and some of the Order elders in the command center’s war room.
Rafe came up behind her and pressed a kiss to the curve of her neck and shoulder. His aquamarine eyes met her gaze in the mirror’s reflection. “You look beautiful. And you’ve already got a room full of support down there. Gideon’s been raving about your fieldwork to anyone who’ll listen.”
She smiled. “I just want to make you proud.”
“You already do, so cross that worry off your list.”
She turned around to face him, unable to resist putting her arms around him. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
He smirked, pulling her against the hardness of his body. “I think I have some idea, but why don’t you give me a hint right now?”
He didn’t have to ask her twice. She caught his mouth in a passionate kiss, her veins lighting up with the pleasure of his mouth on hers. When she drew back from him, he groaned, his eyes glittering with amber.
“I think I’m getting the idea now,” he said, his lips curving. “I’m getting several interesting ideas, in fact.”
She kissed his squared chin. “Is that right?”
“Mm. The best ones involve a lot fewer clothes than either one of us is wearing at the moment.”
“Sounds intriguing so far.”
From behind them at the open doorway, someone cleared his throat. The deep voice belonged to a big Breed male with golden-blond hair and eyes of the same leaf-green shade as Tavia’s. A dimpled grin broke over his handsome face. “Bad timing?”
Rafe grunted. “The only kind you have.”
“You must be Devony.”
She nodded. “And you must be Aric.”
“Ah. My reputation precedes me,” he said, crossing Rafe’s quarters to greet her. She expected a handshake, but got a brief embrace instead. “It’s great to meet you, Devony.”
“You too, Aric. Rafe’s told me so many nice things about you.”
Rafe chuckled. “All lies, obviously.”
Aric glanced at Devony. “You really like this dickhead, huh?”
“I love him.”
“I guess someone has to.” He shook his head and reached for Rafe’s hand. As soon as he had a hold on it, he pulled him in for a tight hug too. “I heard what happened in London. You gotta stop almost getting your ass killed, or I’m going to need to find a new best friend.”
Devony’s nerves calmed as she watched the two men catch up. After a moment, Aric’s attention returned to her.
“Everyone’s already gathered in the war room, but I wanted to catch both of you before you head down there. Especially you, Devony.”
She nodded. “All right.”
“I don’t know if Rafe told you, but I’ve been recruiting for a special unit these past few months.”
“The daywalker team,” she said. “Yes, I’ve heard.”
“Good. Because I’d like you to be part of it. If you’re interested, that is.”
She could hardly hold back her excitement. Except . . . “I’d love to, Aric. But I don’t want to be part of a team that doesn’t include Rafe.”
“Yeah, I had a feeling you were going to say that.” He swung a look at Rafe. “I’ve got a spot for you too, if you want it. The team will be based here in Boston, but our assignments can take us anywhere our specialized skills are needed.”
“Sounds interesting,” Rafe said, wrapping his arm around Devony.
Aric nodded. “We can talk about it some more after the introductions downstairs. Lucan just arrived with Gabrielle and Gideon and Savannah. Your parents are here too.”
Devony stared at Rafe. “I’m meeting your parents tonight?”
“Of course. They’ve been dying to meet you sin
ce I told them about you.”
Oh, God. Now, her nerves came back with a vengeance.
“Wait a minute,” Aric said, a strange look coming over his face. “You mean, Tess hasn’t seen Devony yet?”
Rafe shook his head and his friend arched a brow.
“Why?” Devony asked, worry washing over her even though Rafe’s blood was utterly calm. “What’s going on?”
“Some time ago, my mother saw a vision in a seer’s eyes. Mira’s eyes.”
“One of the Order members from Montreal,” Devony said, recalling Rafe mention some of the other warriors’ names since they’d arrived in Boston. “What did your mother see?”
“I don’t know. A vision of me with my mate, apparently. And our children.”
Devony gaped. “You never told me this before.”
He gave her a nonchalant look. “Didn’t I?”
“No.” God help her, she wanted to throttle him. “Rafe, what if I’m not her? What if you’re supposed to be with someone else? What if we—”
Rafe silenced her with a slow, toe-curling kiss. When he drew back, the love shining in his gaze was undeniable. “There is no one else for me, vision or not. Whatever my mother saw makes no difference to me. You’re my mate, Devony. You’re my heart.” He pressed a loving kiss to her temple. “Now, are you ready to go say hello to them?”
She blew out her breath and looked into his confident, affectionate gaze. “Okay. I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
“That’s my girl,” he said, lacing his fingers through hers.
With Aric accompanying them, she walked into the war room holding Rafe’s hand. His grasp was her lifeline, her steady anchor as she met the expectant, friendly gazes of Rafe’s teammates, friends, and family.
They were hers now too.
She felt it as the introductions were made and she was welcomed into the fold by everyone from Lucan Thorne and his beautiful, auburn-haired mate, Gabrielle, to each member of the Boston command center. Aric brought his gorgeous mate, Kaya, over to meet her, then motioned for two hulking Breed males and a pretty female to come forward.
“Devony and Rafe, meet the rest of the team: Grayson, Jade, and Lachlan.”