by Frost Kay
“I’m not having him in my head.” A shudder worked through her. Just the thought alone seemed like it would spawn nightmares when she finally crashed. “It’s bad enough that he’ll be seeing everything that I see. I won’t wear it.”
Sid’s black lips thinned, and he slowly pocketed the listening device. “He’s not going to like it.”
“We don’t always get what we want,” she snapped. Sid glanced away, giving her a better view of the side of his head, specifically his ear, and a horrible thought struck her. “Is he listening right now?”
Sid shook his head. “No.”
“But you have an ear comm?”
“Yes.”
“How did you block him?”
“I can hack just about everything. He controls many things, but I wanted to have this conversation as privately as I could.”
Meaning their conversation wasn’t completely private. She stared hard into Sid’s eyes, looking for any sign of the contacts. Was Sloven watching them even now? A shiver worked up her spine. Sid was just as much a prisoner as she was.
“And I feel like I should let you know that when I hacked into your apartment—”
“What?” she exploded, launching onto her feet. “You’ve been watching Jer and I?” That was so stinking creepy. “You know that makes you a total creeper, right?”
“Well, before you cut me off,” Sid bit out, “I was going to say that I had a heck of a time. The interference kept us from listening much. Which leads me to my next revelation.”
Allie groaned, rubbing at her arms. “No more secrets. My skin is still crawling from the last one.”
“We weren’t the only ones listening in.”
Allie gaped. “Are you serious?”
“Like a heart attack,” Sid deadpanned.
“Who?” she demanded, and then held her hand up. “Never mind.” She already knew who it was. The darn, dirty Av Lock sector. “This is getting ridiculous!” she shouted. “Why is everyone trying to spy on me? I don’t have any secrets!”
Sid watched her impassively from the couch. She glared at him for being so calm, so compassionless. Did he even have a mate? Was that just another lie to get her to do what he wanted?
“Are you telling me the truth about your mate?”
Sid nodded and gestured toward the pattern on his neck. “This is my marking.”
She nodded and clasped her head between her hands as thought after thought bombarded her. What did everyone want with her? Why was she so special? Or was she just at the wrong place at the wrong time? How could she sort through everything and discover the truth? Everything was so tangled. It seemed impossible.
“You’re stronger than you know, baby girl. You can do anything you set your mind to.” Her mama’s voice filtered out all the negative thoughts and grounded her. She could handle this.
“So, what happens now?”
“You go on with your life, and if you receive any summons, you come running.”
“Lovely,” she said. “Like a dog.”
“Something like that. You may also receive assignments.”
“Okay,” she said weakly, trying to process everything and figure a way out of the mess.
“It’ll be okay,” Sid said, reaching for her hand.
Allie stared down at her white hand interlaced with his onyx, scaled fingers. He’d hurt her, but she didn’t have the energy to be angry. She rubbed at her chest and stared at the cyan lines. “How long until I feel better?”
“It’ll get worse for the next twelve hours, but it’ll get better after that.”
She nodded and stared down into his eyes, her mind abuzz. She frowned as he turned his head to stare at the wall, clearly upset. Again, her eyes were drawn to his ear, and a thought entered her mind.
“Sid,” she said softly. “He can’t hear us right now, right?”
His gaze flew to hers. “Yes.”
“But he’s watching all the same?”
He nodded, brows slashed together in confusion. “Where’s this leading?”
“If your threats hadn’t worked with me, what would you have done?”
His jaw clenched, his fangs peeking out. “I was supposed to seduce you,” he growled, “but I went a different route.”
Her smile widened. Her next actions would make Sloven believe she was playing right into his hands. She leaned closer and brushed her fingers along his jawline, startling Sid.
“What are you—?”
She placed her index finger over his lips and knelt on the couch next to his legs. Carefully, she turned his face, so he was staring at the wall.
“So, he can’t hear me?” she murmured into his ear.
“No.”
“And now he can’t see what I’m doing?” If he couldn’t see her, he couldn’t read her lips from the video feed.
Sid stiffened and turned to stare at her, astonishment clear on his handsome, alien face. She grinned and kissed his cheek before turning his head away.
“Listen good and well. I will find a way out of this. The king believes his own legend and will make a mistake. In fact, he’s already made one. Me. Can I trust you?”
“I’m in deep. I’ll do what I can, but don’t trust me.”
“I understand, and that’s a good thing.”
He snorted. “I can’t see how.”
“Well, you’re about to become a double agent.”
“For whom?”
“For me.”
A fierce smile lifted Sid’s lips. “Damn, I like you, Allie Sai. You’re a force to be reckoned with.”
“I know.” It was a byproduct of being raised with brothers and rough sisters. “You ready for what happens next?”
“I’m ready to see the damage you’re going to inflict.”
“That’s perfect.”
“What is?” he asked.
“I figured out what we’re going to call ourselves.”
“We have a name?”
“We sure do,” she grinned. “HAVOC.”
That’s exactly what they were going to do: wreak havoc on the king.
15
Never Make a Deal with the Devil
Allie blinked at herself in the mirror. Lord Almighty, her eyes stung.
She leaned a little closer to the glass, staring at her red-rimmed eyes. There was no trace of the contacts she’d put in. They blended seamlessly with her blue irises. She wiped at her burning eyes; they kept watering. Even though she couldn’t feel the contacts, her brain was still telling her that there was something foreign in her eyes that shouldn’t be there.
Allie exhaled and tried not to squirm as she stared at her reflection. Was Sloven watching her right now? The hair at the nape of her neck rose at the thought, but so did her anger. Allie smiled dangerously and gestured rudely at her reflection. Her hands settled on the edge of the vanity as she leaned even closer to the mirror, the tip of her nose almost grazing the glass.
“Listen here, you evil bastard. I’m doing what you want, but I don’t like it. I’m going to make your life so miserable, you’ll be begging me to leave you alone.”
She half-expected Sloven to answer her back and almost jumped a foot off the floor when Jer banged on the door. “You almost done in there? You’re taking forever.”
Allie placed a hand over her racing heart. “I’m almost done, wench. Wait your turn.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Jer grumbled, her steps padding away from the bathroom door.
Allie patted the moisture from her eyes and glanced at the mirror one last time. The redness at least covered the hideous black bags that had taken permanent residence underneath her eyes. Last night had been brutal. She touched the velvet ribbon around her throat and lifted the heart-shaped bottle from inside her shirt. Whatever the onyx liquid was, felt like it was killing her, but when she’d woken, she’d felt a million times better.
She nestled the vial between her boobs and squared her shoulders. She could do this.
Allie exited the bathroom a
nd slipped on her coat as Jer rounded the corner.
“About time,” Jer grumbled, slipping into the bathroom.
“Oh, stop being a baby,” Allie teased. “You and I both know no matter how long you stay in that bathroom, your hair isn’t going to be tamed.”
A snort. “Well, isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black.”
Allie giggled nervously and trembled as she tried to button her coat. Her nerves were getting the best of her. “There’s a difference. Your hair won’t be tamed, but mine defies gravity.”
“Mmmmhmmm … you working tonight?”
“Yep,” Allie called as she slipped on her little blue flats. “See you later.”
“Bye!” Jer called as Allie slipped out of the house.
The sleek apartment door hissed shut behind her, and she paused to stare at Virgil casually leaning nearby. So, he was her guard for the day. A laugh escaped her. Despite their best efforts, Sloven had already gotten to her, and no one had a clue. Goodness gracious, she was unlucky. Luck seemed to hate her.
The alien gave her a big wrinkly smile. “You ready to go, Miss Allie?”
She nodded and followed the alien blob down the hall. It still fascinated her to watch him move. Allie shoved her hands in her pockets and asked, “What’s on the agenda today?”
“Our good doctor Eve wants to do a few more tests.”
The vial seemed to burn against her chest. Poor Eve. She was working all hours of the day to find a cure for her, and she couldn’t even breathe a word of what she knew or possessed.
“What about Sloven?” she asked without thinking.
Virgil glanced at her sharply. “We’ll have to discuss this later.”
She exhaled, relieved that he didn’t give her any information. He was clearly concerned about spies. Her heart squeezed. What he didn’t know was that he should be worried about her. She was literally the eyes of the enemy.
Her jaw clenched, and her fingernails bit into her palms. She had to figure out something, and fast. She wouldn’t be used. There had to be a way out of this. She just had to find it.
The breeze ruffled her hair as they exited the building and climbed into the hover. Her stomach flipped, and she swallowed hard. Sweet goodness, she hated flying. Allie focused on the building above and forced herself not to look down as the hover zoomed away from her home.
Her lips pursed. Well, it had been her sanctuary. Not now. She had a bone to pick with Lev. Come hell or high water, they’d get rid of the surveillance tonight and explain why they were spying on her.
Her mind wandered back to her most pressing problem: Sloven. Her upper lip curled.
“Something wrong, dear?”
Allie shook her head and schooled her expression. She needed to be more careful. And she needed to figure a way out of this mess. She didn’t want to betray everyone. Yes, they’d done some messed up things, but two wrongs didn’t make a right. And the team… Well, they were good people and she cared for them, flaws and all.
The hover weaved through traffic, and her gaze strayed toward the building that housed her team. She diverted her focus to the floor. She didn’t want to give Sloven any information that she didn’t have to.
Her mouth popped open as an idea slapped her in the face. It couldn’t be that simple. Her mind flashed back to her private conversation with Sid. Sloven couldn’t hear her. He could only see what she saw. If she kept her gaze from anything important, well…there was nothing he could do about that.
She smiled.
It wasn’t a long-term solution, but it might be enough to warn her friends.
“You seem quite jittery today,” Virgil said, pulling her from her plans.
She forced her leg to stop thumping like a rabbit’s and shrugged a shoulder. “Oh, it’s just nerves.”
“Nerves?”
She pulled up her left sleeve to expose the blue lines that ran along her arm. “This.”
Virgil patted her knee. “Eve will figure something out, dearie. Don’t you worry.”
Guilt pricked her for not being completely honest, but if her plan worked, everyone would know the truth by the end of the day, and poor Eve wouldn’t be so stressed.
Her stomach flipped as the hover dipped to avoid a bus and then smoothly glided into the sector’s bay. Allie’s heart pounded as the forcefield behind them solidified. Virgil exited the hover and held his hand out to her.
She stared at it for a beat. You can do this.
The stumpy bald lumps that served as what she deemed to be Virgil’s eyebrows rose in surprise when she placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her from the hover.
She smiled at him. “There’s always a time to forgive and forget.”
He choked on a laugh. “Well, you sure can hold a grudge, but you have nothing on the dragoness. I’m glad you forgave me, Allie. I like ya,” he said gruffly.
She smiled at his southern use of ya, and, surprising herself, she leaned forward and kissed his prickly cheek. “Sorry it took me so long.” What he’d done sucked rocks, but she could let it go. Life was a lot more gray than black-and-white, and bitterness and anger only led to an unhappy life.
Allie turned toward the door and walked to it, her eyes on the floor. Here goes nothing.
Her skin tingled as she stepped through the forcefield and focused on everything and nothing. She moved farther into the room, staring at a light in the far corner, trying to avoid looking at anyone.
“Allie,” a warm voice called. “I’m so glad you’re here. My lab is all ready for you.” A pause. “Zune, will you come help me?”
The Kitteran rumbled from Allie’s right and moved toward her. She dropped her eyes to the floor and stared at Zune’s boots.
“You coming, Allie?”
She nodded and fell in step with the giant, forcing herself not to look at him. It was a lot harder than she thought it’d be.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded, focusing on the immaculate white flooring beneath her feet. “I’m fine.”
“You’re acting oddly.”
Didn’t she know it. She flashed a quick smile at him before forcing her gaze back to the floor. “I’m okay, but you know how I feel about poky things…”
A choked laugh came from behind her. “Oh, Allie. Do you know what I could do with that statement?” Kale called.
Allie colored. Leave it to Kale to jump to something inappropriate. “Get your mind out of the gutter.” She scurried into Eve’s medical wing, male laughter erupting behind her. She tripped over the leg of a stool and landed on her knees.
“You okay?”
Zune and Eve both squatted in front of her, and horror slammed into her. She jerked her eyes back to the floor, then closed them.
“Dang it,” she growled, trying to keep the tears from her eyes. She’d given Sloven a good look at two of her friends. He might have known the others, but he didn’t know Eve and Zune. They were scientists, not field agents.
Hands settled at her waist, lifted her from the floor, and spun her into an embrace. She buried her face in Blade’s shirt as angry tears dripped down her face. She had a simple task, yet she’d already managed to bungle it. Blade’s hands rubbed up and down her back in soothing motions.
“What’s wrong, love?” he asked, his deep voice caressing her like black velvet.
“Nothing.”
“I could smell your emotions from across the room.”
Fingers slid underneath her chin and lifted her face, but she kept her eyes closed. He inhaled deeply near her temple.
“Something is really wrong. Your scent is all over the place. Talk to me.”
She shook her head.
“Look at me. Please.”
“I can’t,” she whispered.
A growl rumbled in his chest. “Yes, you can. Let me in.”
Boy, did she want to. Allie opened her eyes but stared over his shoulder at her reflection in the windows. She couldn’t tell him the truth without it being reflected
in the glass. Allie glanced into his face and made a split-second decision. She popped up onto her toes and mashed her lips to his, staring at Blade wide-eyed.
His body locked up; he blinked slowly at her as she kissed him, Allie using his body as a shield from the windows. She closed her eyes and breathed four words against his lips.
“He’s using me to watch you.”
He jerked back, but she hung on for dear life, clenching his shirt in her hands.
He got the hint and leaned close to place a kiss along her jaw and worked toward her ear.
“What kind of tech?” he breathed.
Allie tipped her head back to stare at the ceiling as he kissed her neck. “Eyes only.”
“Eve,” Blade said quietly. “We need to check Allie for bugs. Get Lev.”
The pixie Av practically sprinted out of the room, and Blade spun Allie, pressing her against the glass window.
“Who?” he demanded quietly.
“You know who.”
He cursed and laced their fingers together and pressed his face into the crook of her neck, his body trembling.
“How did he get to you? I was at your door all night.”
She winced and didn’t answer immediately. Sid had a family and she wouldn’t throw him under the bus. Yet. If he double-crossed her, she’d personally be the one to run him over with the bus. “He has ways,” she whispered.
“Has he gotten inside our system?”
Allie didn’t answer for a moment, distracted by his thumb running along the sensitive skin covering her wrist.
“Not that I know of. I’m his asset.”
“Did he chip you?” Blade asked calmly.
“Contacts.”
He hissed, his grasp tightening for a moment. “I’m going to kill him.”
“Get in line,” she barked.
“Does he expect you to wear them all the time?”
“I’m not sleeping with these things in. That doesn’t sound safe.”
He lifted his head and grinned, uncharacteristically boyish. Her heart flipped. The traitor.
“I think I have a plan, but it’ll have to wait until you go to bed tonight. Can you hold on until then?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Zune?” Blade called.