Wicked Edge

by Rebecca Zanetti

  Daire nodded. “We’ll get you a jacket.” Their car must be right outside the door.

  His nape tickled. A scent wafted on the breeze. He turned and set Felicity back on the stairs. “Get back into the plane. Now.”

  She turned, confusion crossing her face.

  Men in black poured in the large open door of the terminal, guns out, wearing masks. Daire planted his body between the stairs and the soldiers. “Get back inside,” he ordered under his breath, his hands up.

  The soldiers secured the area, taking posts all around. The nearest one stalked up and ripped off his mask.

  Ah, hell.

  “Zane!” Felicity pushed past Daire and barreled into her eldest’s arms. “What in the world are you doing here with guns?”

  The leader of the demon nation smoothly set his mother behind him. Zane Kyllwood was six and a half feet of muscled killing machine. His eyes were green, his hair black, and his face scarred down the jaw.

  “Give me one good reason not to cut off your head right now,” Zane said.

  Daire bit back a sharp retort.

  Zane leaned in, and the men around them tensed. Make that the demons around them. “You take my mother to the Caymans to rob a fucking bank?”

  Daire kept silent.

  Felicity slid to the side and shoved her son in the ribs. “You mind your manners.”

  Zane blinked.

  Daire fought a chuckle.

  “Mom, please let me handle this,” Zane said.

  Felicity shook her head. “The bank robbery was my idea. Daire just came along and wouldn’t leave.”

  Zane glanced down at her. “Don’t try to cover for him.”

  “Nobody has to cover for me,” Daire said, more than a little curious. Felicity barely reached Zane’s shoulder. How in the world had the petite woman birthed three such hulking sons? “The bank robbery was my fault.” He should’ve put the brakes on the entire affair and not allowed Felicity to join in. “But I have to admit, your mom can create a hell of a good plan.”

  Zane’s eyes flashed black through the green. “She was injured.”

  Man, the kid had great Intel. He must’ve already gotten the videos of the robberies. “How did you know it was her?”

  Zane cut him a hard look. “Once I figured out she wasn’t on a cruise, thanks to Nicholai, it wasn’t that hard to track her down . . . and watch her get shot.”

  “Aye. Her injury is on me.”

  Felicity scoffed. “Don’t be silly. It was one little bullet.”

  Zane paled. “One bullet is all it might take.”

  Daire winced. “Again, my fault.”

  Felicity shook her head. “No, it wasn’t. For goodness’ sake. Daire was shot three times in the chest.”

  “Good,” Zane spit.

  Felicity grabbed his arm. “Now you knock it off. My getting shot was no more Daire’s fault than was the polar bear mauling. And I assure you, I healed from both.”

  Zane stilled. His gaze slowly moved from Daire to Felicity. “Mauling?”

  She nodded, her cheeks rosy. “Yes. Before the helicopter accident but after I fought with a witch on the ice.”

  Zane rocked back on his heels.

  Daire could almost feel sorry for the guy. “As you can see, your mother is fine.”

  Felicity lifted a shoulder. “You should also probably know that we mated.”

  Tension roared through the hangar. Daire braced himself just in time to take the impact from Zane’s fist. Pain ripped through his skull. He stepped back and accepted the ringing in his ears. The demon hit hard. “That was one, demon, and it’s all you get.”

  Zane smiled then. “The fuck it is.” He moved forward, and Daire settled his stance, more than prepared to go to the ground. He couldn’t really beat the crap out of Felicity’s kid, could he? And he sure as shit couldn’t lose the fight. So he’d have to contain Zane, and that wasn’t going to be fun and would probably put the demon and witch nations on another path to war.

  “Stop it right now.” The crack of command in Felicity’s voice echoed throughout the entire building. “I mean it, Zane.”

  Zane lowered his chin. “Mom? I’d like to speak with you alone. Outside.”

  She clasped her hands together. “Excellent idea. Daire, I’ll be right back.”

  “Absolutely not.” He stepped forward. Enough people in her life had forced her into boxes, and son or not, Daire wasn’t going to allow Zane to do the same thing.

  Felicity smiled, winking an adorable dimple. “It’ll be okay. I promise. Please give me a moment with my son.” Turning, she led the way toward the opening outside.

  Zane glared. “We’re not done here.”

  Daire kept his expression blank. “It’s cold outside, and she doesn’t have a jacket. Find her one.”

  Chapter 22

  Felicity’s cheeks burned as she walked past all the soldiers outside. She probably shouldn’t have just blurted out the information about the mating, but her mind was spinning, and she’d just gone with it. The breeze slapped her face and rain sprinkled down, but she followed the metal hangar around another corner, her stockinged feet slapping the wet concrete. Trees covered the area past the concrete, silent in the breeze.

  Zane followed right behind her.

  She finally stopped and turned around.

  For the moment, she could only gape. How was it possible the sweet boy who’d picked her flowers had grown into such a strong man? So big and dangerous looking. But his green eyes were soft nonetheless.

  She smiled, her heart full. “How are Janie and Hope?”

  He blinked. “Fine. Mom—”

  “Fine?” She put her hands on her hips. “How are the girls, Zane?”

  He shook his head, his dark hair spraying rainwater. “You just saw them a month ago at Hope’s first birthday party. They’re fine.”

  Men. Even when you had known them their entire lives, they still didn’t know how to communicate. Felicity nodded. “Thank you. What would you like to discuss?”

  His eyes widened. “Seriously?”

  She bit back a grin. “Let’s just nip this in the bud now. You have an entire nation to worry about, and I can take care of myself.”

  A vein in his neck filled. “Mom. I have no idea how Daire Dunne got you to go along with this ridiculous mission, but I promise I’ll take care of it. And him. You don’t need to stay mated.”

  What a sweetheart. “I will decide whether or not I want to stay mated.”

  “Ah, no.” Zane grasped her arm and tugged her closer to the building so the eaves shielded them from the rain. “I’ll take care of it.”

  Wow. Sometimes her kid was a little dense. “I’ve got things under control.”

  Zane took a step back. “Control? Are you kidding? You just robbed a bank.”

  Warmth fused through her. “Yes, I did. Quite successfully.” She leaned in, even though the rain surely masked their voices. “I had two other banks robbed at the same time. I’m telling you, Zane, if the demon nation ever needs cash, I have some ideas.”

  He shook his head like a dog with a face full of water. “We’re good,” he bit out. “No cash problems.”

  Truth be told, the answer was a little disappointing. “All right.”

  He crossed his arms. “What were you saying about a polar bear attack?”

  “Oh, that.” She dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. “I was checking out the mines on Fryser Island and ended up in a little scuffle.”

  He jerked. “In Norway?”

  “Eh, close enough. I think there might still be some dissension about who owns the island.” She wiped rain off her cheeks. “We done here?”

  “No,” he exploded, his cheeks turning a deep red. “We are not done here. What was that about a helicopter crash?”

  She winced. Nobody wanted their mom to be in a helicopter wreck. “Daire and I flew from the island, but enemies shot at us and we went down.”

  “In Barents Sea?” Zane s
houted.

  “Well, close. Sjenerøse Island is actually in the Arctic Sea.” She tilted her head. Her eldest son usually kept a much better rein on his temper. His face had now lost all color, and he was looking at her like she’d completely lost her mind. “I’m fine, Zane.”

  He took several deep breaths. “I’m going to kill Dunne.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  Zane’s chin dropped. “Why? Well, how about his extreme bad judgment in taking you to the Arctic and getting you shot at, attacked by bears, and then in a wreck? Or how about his getting you shot in a bank robbery. Or how about his getting you shot at all?” By the end of the statement, he was yelling again.

  She couldn’t very well tell Zane that she was on her own mission and had been lying to him most of his life about Ivan Bychkov. Zane had a baby and mate to worry about, and this was her fight. But she also couldn’t let Zane blame Daire. “I’m not working for Daire.”

  Zane stilled. “You are working for somebody?”

  Ah ha. “Yes.” She grabbed on to the idea the way she would a lifeline in the middle of the Arctic, easily creating a little cover story and lie. “I’ve been hired to do a job, and part of that includes researching the planekite situation.”

  Zane frowned. “And bank robberies?”

  “Yes.” She smiled. “I needed to get into a couple of safe-deposit boxes for my, ah, job.”

  “You don’t need to work.”

  She shook her head. “Honey, I’m only a hundred and twenty-five. That’s younger than most demons are when they first get mated. I can’t just sit around and goof off.”

  “But, Mom, you’re—”

  “What? What am I?” Anger and hurt careened through her. “Weak?”

  “No.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “Crippled?”

  He sighed. “Of course not.”

  Water soaked her socks, and she fought a shiver. “I can’t attack minds or teleport. So what exactly am I, Zane?”

  His gaze softened again. “A grandmother.”

  Well, geez. “Only because I had you incredibly young, and then you had Hope very young. I’m not ready to retire from life, Zane Kyllwood.”

  “I’m not asking you to retire. I am asking you not to get shot at.” His shoulders seemed to vibrate as he tried to control himself. “Who are you working for, Mom?”

  “Can’t tell you,” she retorted.

  “Is it the Coven Nine?” he asked.

  She smiled. “Nope.”

  “Then why is Daire Dunne apparently accompanying you on every insane mission?”

  Footsteps sounded around the corner. “Because she’s my mate,” Daire said evenly, a jacket in his hands. “Now stop bugging her.”

  Zane tensed and his hands fisted.

  “There will be no fighting,” Felicity ordered. Her phone buzzed in her back pocket. Thank goodness. She needed an update on what deeds had been discovered in the other two bank robberies. “Excuse me for a minute. You two play nice.” Without another word, she opened her phone and sloshed through water to a few feet away. “Hello?”

  “Felicity. I can’t believe how soon we’re going to meet. Finally,” rumbled a hoarse voice.

  She squinted. Adrenaline zinged through her blood. “Ivan?”

  “Ah, how nice you remember my voice.” He chuckled.

  She pressed the phone closer to her ear, a chill clawing through her. “How did you get this number?”

  “Oh, it was in a phone I borrowed,” Ivan said.

  Her breath whooshed out, and her head lifted. Oh God. “Whose phone?”

  “That opens up our next issue. I have something of yours.”

  No. She swallowed. “Is that a fact?”

  “Yes. Here.”

  A small scuffle sounded, and then the crunch of bone being cracked. “Fucker,” hissed a low voice.

  Her heart stopped. “Logan?”

  Ivan chuckled. “Your youngest has a head stronger than rock. I’ll enjoy chiseling through it. I’ll be in touch.”

  Tears burned her eyes. She turned, her mouth agape, her heart shattering. Daire and Zane stared at her, both frowning.

  She coughed, fear piercing right through her breastbone. “They have Logan,” she whispered.

  Daire caught her before she fell and lifted her up. “Bychkov?” he asked.

  She nodded, tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t think. I just didn’t even consider he’d go after Logan. Why didn’t I think?”

  Daire hadn’t considered Logan being in danger, either. “It’s okay. We’ll figure this out.” He turned and headed for the SUV waiting quietly for him by the doorway.

  Zane grabbed his arm. “Who is Bychkov, and where is Logan?”

  Felicity wiped tears off her face. “Bychkov is an enemy, and I don’t know where Logan is. Yet.”

  Zane opened his mouth and Daire held up a hand.

  “Meet at my penthouse in thirty minutes to figure out a plan. For now, reach out to every ally you have and prepare them for war. Once we find Logan, we’ll need to go in and fast,” Daire said. He didn’t wait for a response but jogged through the rain to place Felicity in the front seat. She trembled, and her face had gone so pale that light blue veins could be seen under the skin. “We’ll find him, baby. I promise.”

  She lifted tear-filled eyes and basically sliced his heart in two. “What was I thinking?” she asked, dazed.

  He lightly shook her arm, struck by how fragile she appeared. “On the ride to the penthouse, you need to concentrate. I want you to tell me absolutely everything there is to know about Bychkov by the time we get home.” He shut the door, wanting nothing more than to gather her close and soothe her fears. If he was going to find Logan, the cuddling would have to wait.

  Running around the car, he barely took note of Zane moving his soldiers out. He twisted the ignition, already barking orders into his phone for reports on Bychkov and his consortia. He also put on ready all Coven Nine forces before making a call to Garrett Kayrs.

  “Yo,” Garrett answered.

  Daire swerved to avoid an idiot in a minivan. “Garrett? We’ve had reports that Logan has been taken by Ivan Bychkov. Do you know anything?”

  Garrett sucked in air. “No. We hit the bars last night, scouting for Apollo distributors, and Logan went home with a redhead. Sexy woman.” Rustling came through the line and then running footsteps. “He’s not in his room.”

  “Where are you?” Daire used one hand to steer around a kid on a scooter.

  “Simone’s penthouse. She’s the only one with food in the cupboards.” A door slammed shut. “Who is Bychkov, and why would he have Logan?”

  Daire rolled his shoulders and tried to keep his mind calm. Terror flowed from his mate, and he had to block some of the emotion to keep his brain engaged. “We’ll have a full debriefing in thirty minutes in my penthouse. For now, you try to trace where Logan went last night.”

  “You got it.” Determination and irritation filled the vampire’s young voice. No fear. That was good.

  “And Garrett? Be careful.”

  “Copy that.” The kid hung up.

  Daire glanced at Felicity, who huddled with her arms around her legs. “Garrett will call all their friends and then trace Logan’s movements last night. The kid is a bloodhound.”

  She nodded and rested her chin on her knees. “I was so stupid.”

  He frowned, much preferring her spunky, slightly crazy attitude. “Trust me, mate. It’ll be okay.” He cleared his throat and punched in another phone number, a call he had to make for both diplomacy and his peace of mind.

  “Daire?” the king of the Realm asked.

  “Hi, Dage. Quick update. We think Ivan Bychkov kidnapped Logan from a Seattle bar last night. Garrett is fine and is investigating, but I figured you’d want to know.”

  “Do you need troops?”

  Daire shut his eyes. The question came from a friend and not an ally, and there had been no hesitation in the offer. “Not
until we have a location.” Daire purposefully refrained from explaining more, not wanting to alarm Cee Cee.

  “You think he’ll be moved from Seattle?”

  “Aye.” If Daire had to guess, Logan was already on a plane bound for a more secure location. Maybe on the East Coast? The kid had been gone at least fifteen hours, so he could be anywhere. “If your computer gurus wouldn’t mind finding out everything you can about Ivan Bychkov, I’d appreciate it.” If all his allies were looking into Bychkov, the better.

  “Not a problem.” Dage cleared his throat. “Did Zane find you?”

  “Aye.”

  Silence ticked across the line. “Well?” Dage asked.

  Damn vampire was the nosiest person on the planet. “Well, we had a nice talk, found out his brother had been kidnapped, and we’re going from there.” Daire sighed. “And I mated his mother.”

  Dage coughed. “You did what?”

  Daire pressed harder on the gas petal. They had a limited time to trace Logan before he disappeared, and Seattle traffic was pissing him off. “You heard me. I’ll be in touch.” He clicked off.

  Felicity reached across the seat and took his hand with her chilled fingers. “Please make me a promise.”

  “Anything,” he said, fully meaning it.

  “When Ivan calls to trade me for Logan, let me go.”

  Chapter 23

  Felicity stepped over the threshold and followed Daire into his penthouse. Smoke still clung in the air from the flash grenades, but the broken window had been boarded up with rough plywood. She bit her lip, noting a scorched area on the leather sofa.

  “Man,” Zane breathed, following her inside. He’d arrived right on the heels of the SUV. “What happened here?”

  “Your mother happened,” Daire retorted, dumping several of the bags from the robberies onto the damaged sofa.

  Zane’s lips pursed and he slowly scouted the room, his brows drawn down. Then he cut his eyes to her. “What in the world have you been doing?”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Watch your tone.”

  “Who’s Ivan Bychkov?” he returned evenly.

  She sucked in air.

  Daire cleared his throat. “I’ll go grab Simone and some drinks. I’m all out.” He nearly passed her and then paused. Slowly, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before pinning Zane with a hard look.