by Hope Hart
Rob leans back in his chair, eyeing Blake. “That was harsh.”
“Harsh? Everyone in this room knew that she had bad history with these people except us. We looked like idiots and having her here could cost us the cooperation we need to get the first shot at these guys.”
I snarl, and Blake growls right back. “You stay out of this. Don’t pretend like you have any interest in Eve’s feelings. You’re only here so you can get back into your lab.”
He’s not wrong, and I nod. Eve’s life is none of my business.
Blake stalks out of the room, and we follow him downstairs and outside where multiple human vehicles are being loaded. I sigh. I was not built for tiny human pods. They do not even fly.
Briggs is currently helping Eve into some kind of vest. It overwhelms her small frame, and she straps on a helmet.
“You want one?”
One of the human police officers is holding out a vest for me.
“What does it do?”
“Helps protect against bullets. We’re not armed, but that doesn’t mean these guys haven’t managed to hold onto some guns.”
I frown. “I do not need one.”
Arcav are in no danger from human bullets unless surrounded and fired upon continuously for a period of hours, gradually overcoming our ability to heal the damage.
The human nods and walks away to talk to Blake.
The humans from Harlow’s guard have blasters, but the rest of the FBI are armed with what Eve calls ‘piece of shit Tasers.’ She pulls another blaster from a holster in her ankle and hands it to one of the other humans, and Nathan, Rob, and Blake all do the same.
Nathan gestures at Vazta, who steps in to give the humans a quick blaster lesson, and it appears that the few humans who are armed will be on the front lines for this mission.
I should leave my weapons with the humans and return to the ship. The more time I spend near Eve, the more she brings out my protective instincts. Instincts that should only appear for my mate.
But as I watch her climb into the tiny human vehicle, I realize that I am completely incapable of allowing her to walk into danger without me. I grit my teeth, scowling as the humans take one look at my face and move further from me.
And then I follow her into the vehicle.
Eve
The trip is almost silent, with none of the usual joking and laughing that typically appears when humans are about to face potential death. Instead, faces are blank as the feds make it clear that we’re outsiders.
I jump out of the van while the equipment is getting set up, stretching my legs until the infrared cameras can show us exactly where everyone is. HGA has chosen a large warehouse in an industrial area, making it easy for them to see any vehicles that shouldn’t be there. We all watch as a SWAT truck drives past, a team hidden in the container.
This will be fast.
I get back in the van and we all stare at the screen. There has to be a hundred people in there. They’re all in the largest room, with a tall man standing in front of them, likely going into detail about how the Grivath will protect Earth better than the Arcav ever could. Idiots.
I wonder if it’s Liam.
I shut that thought down. It’s time to go. We creep forward, surrounding the building. I’m facing the back door with Rob and Vazta, while Blake and Nathan are around the front with Korva. Thanks to the fact that not only are we armed, but we know how to use our weapons, we’ll be going in first.
We’ve all been given a photo of the undercover cop who managed to infiltrate this group, and we need to make sure no one shoots him.
It’ll also look better that way in their report. I can see the headlines now, which will minimize FBI and police involvement, making it seem as if hundreds of Arcav appeared out of nowhere for this raid.
My heart beats faster, but I’m in the zone, my mind clearing of everything except this moment.
“Blue team, check in,” Blake’s voice is a murmur in my ear.
“Blue team a go.”
“Alright boys and girls, let’s get this done.”
Vazta hits the door with his hand, smashing it open like a horned version of the Hulk. And then we’re through, racing toward the main floor of the warehouse, which has been sectioned off for this little meeting.
Our weapons are on stun, and we immediately begin using them as humans jump to their feet, reaching for guns. I hear a shot and take cover, hitting the floor behind some old tires.
“What the fuck man, what’s happening?”
“It’s the fucking Arcav, kill them and send a message to the King!”
I roll my eyes. “Hey dickheads, put your fucking weapons down.”
Bullets hit the tires, and we move further back, ducking behind a wall. We’re moving again as soon as the bullets stop, and Rob takes five of them down before they even know we’re there.
I kick their guns further away just in case they manage to shake off the stun. The cops move in behind us and immediately pull out zip ties, rolling the suspects to their stomachs and cuffing their hands behind their backs.
A voice cuts in from above us, and we all jolt, raising our blasters.
“You think we don’t have plans in place for this kind of shit? I can blow this place to smithereens.”
Marcus. The unofficial leader of the New York HGA. He’s hiding behind a column, and we take cover, Rob cursing like a sailor behind me.
“Now would be a good time to negotiate with him,” he tells me.
I sigh. He could definitely be bluffing, but there’s also a chance that this place is wired with explosives. How did the FBI not get that intel? Unless they did, and they were hoping the explosion would take all of us out so they could wipe their hands of the entire situation.
We need to buy some time while the rest of the HGA members are rounded up. I don’t give a shit about the new members, but we need to be able to interrogate anyone who has been communicating with the Grivath.
“Hey Marcus, come out with your hands up and I won’t blow your head off.”
Rob lets out a long-suffering sigh beside me while Vazta shakes with laughter.
“Get fucked.”
I spot a shadow on the upper level, creeping toward Marcus. Too short to be Korva. Either Nathan or Blake.
“You know, this whole setup was a bad idea. What did you think was going to happen when you decided to work with the Grivath? You think the Arcav are gonna let that shit slide?”
“Fuck you, Arcav whore.”
“You’re not the brightest bulb, are you Marcus? We’ve got your family. They’re going to spill everything they know about your activities here.”
I’ve got no idea if we have his family, but that encourages Marcus to throw a tantrum.
“Liam,” he screams, and my heart stops. “Get over here!”
Then he leans around the column, careful to keep his head covered, and lays down a stream of bullets.
“This shit is pissing me off,” Rob mutters. “Can’t we just take him out?”
“We take a head shot, even on stun and we risk killing him. He’s too important. We wait for Blake or Nathan to get a clear body shot.”
I hear a low, familiar voice, and my heart, which I’ve carefully pieced back together, cracks down the center.
“You need to get out of here. You’re worse than dead if they take you.”
“We’ve got this place surrounded,” I call out. “Where do you think he’d go?”
Silence.
“Everly?” A low, sardonic laugh, “I should’ve known.”
Blake finally gets into position, and I hear a crash as both men hit the ground.
“About fucking time.”
Fields’ voice sounds in my ear, telling us we’re clear, and I stand, stretching as I take in the sight.
HGA members are either knocked out, gritting their teeth as they wake to pain, or screaming for a lawyer.
I snort. A lawyer. Sure, we’ll get right on that.
I
t’s like my feet have a mind of their own as I pull off my helmet and make my way up the stairs in the corner of the warehouse. The top floor wraps around the inside of the building, and I blow out a breath as I take in the humans on the ground, surrounded by cops and feds below.
It’s almost over.
My feet carry me toward Liam. I pass Korva, who is holding his weapon on a well-known member of HGA while the man is cuffed. He’s a school principal, and he spits in my direction as I pass.
Liam and Marcus are still knocked out, handcuffs on their wrists. I don’t know what I was expecting to see, but Liam hasn’t changed at all. He needs a shave, his hair is slightly longer than usual, but while he’s asleep, he looks like the same man I went to sleep next to every night for three years.
Korva steps up next to me, and I move away.
Then Liam groans and his eyes open.
“You bitch,” he says. “Of course you’d be here for this. Tell me, who’d you have to blow to be allowed within a hundred feet of the FBI?”
I smirk. “Anyone and everyone.”
I shove my blaster back into my holster, and Liam’s eyes widen as he stares at my hand. I look down at the delicate bracelet on my wrist. He gave it to me for our third anniversary and I never took it off. A small daisy, it matches the tiny tattoo I got on my butt after a dare when I was eighteen.
When I stormed out, I threw my engagement ring in his face. But I kept the bracelet, and today, I wear it as a reminder. A reminder that even those closest to you can’t always be trusted.
He meets my eyes, and for a second, it’s as if we’re back in our house, arguing over who should make dinner, planning our next weekend away, or discussing our latest cases.
Then his gaze shutters, and he looks over to where Marcus is slowly coming around.
“He had a clear shot, but he can’t shoot for shit,” Liam says. “If it’d been me, I would’ve shot you in the head.”
Chapter Five
Korva
Every step I’ve taken, every single action has been with one thought in mind. Getting my mate back.
Every action except one.
Once I was lucid enough to be allowed out of my luxurious prison beneath the palace, I allowed human women to visit me night and day. Some of them, like Harlow and Meghan, were actually welcome. Others, like the women hoping to be mates, simply came to stare.
Eve never visited.
This was likely due to the way we met, when a human attempted to assassinate Varian, Harlow, and anyone unlucky enough to be in the palace. When I noticed the Eve sneaking past me, as if she would try to tackle the female with the bomb, my every instinct demanded one thing.
Protect.
I grabbed her, shielded her, and eventually, I heard the bones in her hand crunch when she punched me in retribution. If I could take it back, I would have never touched her. But I had just gained some form of lucidity, and my brain wasn’t functioning at full capacity. I was ruled mostly by urges.
I snort. What has changed?
And so began a dangerous fascination with a female who is nothing like my mate.
I must do one thing on this trip. Comply with Varian’s guidelines and return home to my lab and the only hope I have left.
Something hits my arm and I frown, the world coming back into focus.
Eve is screaming at me, and I feel my eyes widen, even as I meet the hate-filled eyes of her human lover.
Ah, that’s right.
He told Eve he would have killed her. I must have blacked out again, because I’m holding him by his throat, pressed against the wall, enjoying the way he squirms.
“Let him go, Korva, or so help me…” her voice trails off.
The human is turning purple, and I study him dispassionately. It would be so easy to break his neck. A mere flick of my wrist.
I turn to Eve, who has actually reached for her weapon, I frown at her. We both know she won’t shoot me.
At least in public.
“I swear, Korva, I will put you down right now.”
“Let him go,” Blake echoes and I sigh.
“You will have dinner with me,” I say to Eve.
She blinks. “What?”
“If I do not kill this man, you will have dinner with me.”
“Oh, for the love of—” Blake throws up his hands and then reaches for his own blaster. “If you don’t put him down, I’ll stun you. He’s a key witness.”
“He’s a criminal and a traitor,” I correct, but loosen my hand slightly, even as I give him a little shake.
“What will it be?” I ask Eve.
“Kill him,” she says. “He broke my heart. I don’t care.”
I grin at her. This is what the humans call ‘chicken.’ Why a battle of wills would be named after a strange Earth-bird, I have no idea.
“Okay.”
The human gasps, his eyes shifting from rage to terror before my eyes as I tighten my hand.
“Your death should be slow,” I tell him, even as Eve steps forward, elbowing me as she attempts to pry my hand off him.
“Okay! I’ll have dinner with you, you giant jackass!”
I smile at the human, even as I slowly release him. He leans over, slumping to his knees as Blake curses and calls for a healer.
“Whore,” the human gasps out, then his purple face turns white as my horns straighten in fury.
“Do you have a fucking death wish?” Eve asks him, stepping in front of me.
I growl. “Do not talk to him.”
“Then stop trying to kill him!”
“Do you still love him?”
A choked laugh escapes her, and she cuts it off, staring at me.
“Are you serious?”
“Good to know where we stand,” the human says, struggling awkwardly to his feet with his hands still trapped behind him.
Blake turns, calling for Brin.
“You ruined my life,” Eve says lowly, backing away even as the human shakes his head.
“You did that yourself. Just couldn’t leave it alone, could you.”
“Fuck you.”
“You haven’t changed at all.”
She sneers at him, but I can see the pain written all over her face, and if I can, so can the human.
“Neither have you.”
Eve
“Are you serious? We’re leaving in three hours. You’re really going to go off on your own right now?”
It’s been a long, hard day. It’s almost midnight and we have hours to spare while the prisoners are rounded up and loaded onto the ship. The last thing I need right now is Blake getting in my face.
“I’m not an idiot,” I snap. “I’ll be back with time to spare. While I’m gone, why don’t you figure out what’s crawled up your ass and pull it out before I get back.”
“Oh that’s nice. You’ve fucked up all day today, and suddenly I’m the one with the problem?”
“Yeah, actually, you are. You’ve been an asshole ever since we got on that ship. I obviously had my reasons for not being Miss Sunshine, but if you’re going to poke around in my business, why don’t you tell me just why you were so insistent that we come to New York and not Chicago? You don’t have friends or family you want to see? You don’t have someone waiting for you at home?”
When we’ve gone on training camps together, I’ve heard him crying out in his sleep, begging a woman for forgiveness. I haven’t mentioned it, because unlike Blake, I don’t believe I’m entitled to everyone else’s trauma.
It’s a stab in the dark, but I know I’ve struck gold when Blake’s face turns grey. Strangely, it doesn’t make me feel any better.
“Stay out of my life.” His voice is bitter.
“Then stay out of mine.”
I get in the car and head to Brooklyn. The drive is familiar, and even though I’ve been away for over a year, I fall straight back into routine, turning on the radio as I drive over the bridge.
Nothing has changed. This is no longer my home.
I tell myself that, even as I pull up to the townhouse that Liam and I shared. I walk up the same steps I walked up at the end of every workday and find the spare key— still under the tacky green porcelain frog that Liam hated.
I let myself in and take a moment to stare. He hasn’t changed a fucking thing.
The sweater I forgot to take with me is still hanging over the back of the sofa. I slowly walk into the kitchen and flinch as I see the photo from our trip to China, still on the wall. I run a hand along the scarred table that Liam refused to get rid of and stare at the kitchen counter where we once fucked, hard and rough, the day I moved in.
But I see other things in that house. I see the kitchen chair where I cried, begging Liam to tell me that I was wrong, that he wasn’t dirty. I see the mark on the wall where he threw his coffee cup, which shattered just as suddenly as our relationship. I see him ignoring me for weeks as I struggled to work out where to go from there. And I see the mark my suitcase made when I scraped it against the wall as I left, on the way to tell Fields everything I knew.
I was an idiot. Stupid, naive, and certain that the people I worked with, the superiors I idolized would have no idea about the dirty deals, the corruption, the secret bank accounts, and the false testimonies.
I was wrong.
I torture myself and visit our bedroom. The bed where I thought we told each other everything. Where we made plans for a wedding, a family, a life together. Then I see it.
My engagement ring, on his bedside table. Sitting in the center, where he obviously placed it after I threw at him. Still here, eighteen months later.
He was my lover, my fiancé, and my best friend. I thought we’d be together for the rest of our lives. I’m a trained profiler, and I never saw it coming.
I laugh bitterly and wipe away a stray tear as I walk out of the house.
Chapter Six
Korva
Daliz grins up at me, even as I frown back.
“You know I have to take this trip. If I do not go, they will give it to someone else, and my research will be credited to someone else.”
