Smoke and Fire:

by Donna Grant

  Still no sign of Ulrik. Where was he? Ryder couldn’t help but think they were missing something that was right in front of their faces.

  There were still sections of Ireland to be scanned. While that worked, he checked on the mortals on Dreagan. The software program he’d written that captured all the information about the humans was collecting data at a rapid rate, cataloging it perfectly.

  Ryder scanned the list. Over fifty agents on Dreagan. Surely MI5 wouldn’t continue to keep such numbers on Dreagan when there were other threats across Britain.

  Something kept nagging at Ryder. He began to read over the data on the agents more closely.

  There was a tap on his shoulder. He blinked and looked up to find Kinsey standing beside him. The annoyed look on her face had him asking, “What is it?”

  “You did it again.”

  “Did what?” he asked, glancing around before he paused the music.

  She pointed to the three monitors he had taken over. “You got engrossed. You’ve been staring at those screens for three hours. I’ve left twice without you even hearing me.”

  Ryder slid a hand down his face. Damn. He was supposed to be keeping an eye on her. If he was going to take responsibility for Kinsey, he couldn’t allow himself to become so absorbed in his work.

  “Don’t worry,” she said as she rolled her head from side to side, stretching out her neck. “I went to the kitchen and the bathroom only. What are you looking for?”

  “I’m no’ sure. Just a feeling that something isna right.”

  Kinsey put her legs together and bent forward, placing her hands on the floor to stretch. “You said MI5 was used against you before. Perhaps that’s what you’re thinking about.”

  He watched as she remained in that position for a moment before she straightened, flipping her long hair over. “Possibly. My feelings are no’ usually off.”

  “All right.” She came to stand beside him. “Since I’m still searching through tens of thousands of e-mails of crapola, give me something else to think about for a bit.” She read over the data on one screen. “Wow. That’s a lot of information.”

  “I wanted to make sure we had everything.”

  “What about pictures of these people?”

  Ryder cut her a dry look. “It’s the first thing taken.”

  “Show me.”

  With a few punches of the keys, he pointed a monitor toward her. The faces of the MI5 agents began to play through one by one every three seconds.

  “Stop,” Kinsey said.

  Ryder quickly halted the rotation. His mouth dropped open in surprise.

  “Your instincts weren’t wrong,” Kinsey with a sad look. “What are you going to do?”

  Ryder looked into the face of Esther North. She wore colored contacts, making her eyes brown, and dyed her hair black. Not even the fake nose and chin could hide who she was.

  “Whoever taught her is good,” Kinsey said.

  “MI5 trained her.”

  Kinsey looked down at him. “Is she with MI5 then after what we saw in her file?”

  “That’s a good question. I’m going to need to show Con and Henry this.”

  “Henry has already been up here twice. He tried to get your attention to see if you found anything about his sister.”

  For once, Ryder was glad he’d been too preoccupied to know someone was there. “You didna tell him?”

  Kinsey shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know him. I figured it’d be better if it came from a friend. But he suspects we found something.”

  “You can no’ lie to a spy, especially one as good as Henry.”

  “Thanks for the reminder.” She began to walk around the rows of monitors when her mobile rang. Kinsey halted, her gaze going to Ryder.

  His head followed Kinsey as she rushed to her phone. Her face lost color when she read who the caller was.

  “It’s my boss,” she said.

  Ryder stood, drawing her gaze. “Put it on speaker and answer it. Stay calm. Doona let them know you know anything.”

  She gave a nod and hit speaker as she answered, “Hello?”

  “Kinsey. It’s Cecil. How is everything going at Dreagan?” came a nasally British male voice over the line.

  Kinsey licked her lips and sat in her chair. “It’s going good.”

  “Are you finished yet?”

  Ryder gave a nod when she looked at him.

  “Almost,” Kinsey answered.

  Cecil chuckled over the line. “That’s my girl. Have you upsold them on anything?”

  “Not yet. I’m almost at that point.”

  “They’re powerful and the company is loaded,” Cecil said. “I don’t care what you have to do, but get something sold.”

  Kinsey held Ryder’s gaze. Her violet eyes held worry and anxiety. “Their system is pretty good, and they know it.”

  Ryder gave her a smile of encouragement. They needed her to stay, but it couldn’t appear easy. She needed to have a reason.

  “No system is bulletproof. You’re the best we have, Kinsey. Find their flaw and use it against them. Make them see how vulnerable they are.”

  Ryder wanted to roll his eyes. Vulnerable, his ass. Dreagan was the most secure system on the planet. It was more secure than any intelligence agency in the world.

  “Yeah. Okay,” Kinsey answered. “They don’t leave me alone for a second, Cecil. I’m actually in the bathroom talking to you so I could have a moment alone.”

  Her boss made a sound over the link. “That means they’ve something to hide. Have you seen anything about dragons?”

  Kinsey continued to hold Ryder’s gaze as she said, “Dreagan is Gaelic for dragon. Of course there is dragon stuff all around the estate.”

  “Have you seen a real dragon?”

  She hesitated. Ryder didn’t move as he waited to see what she would do. Kinsey was smart. She knew she was being used by her company, though she wasn’t sure who was pulling the strings. She might fear him, but she comprehended she was safer at Dreagan.

  “No. There is no such thing as dragons,” Kinsey said with a chuckle. “Nice joke though.”

  Cecil released a long-suffering sigh. “I was hoping you’d have better news. I fully expect you to e-mail me later with an order from Dreagan.”

  “And if they don’t take my recommendations?”

  “Break something,” Cecil stated in an irritated tone. “You need the sales. Brian has already outsold you for the month. And quite frankly, I’d rather not have Clarice bring me into her office again. Save us both, Kinsey. Get another order.”

  He disconnected the call. Kinsey sat back in her chair with her eyes closed and her hands on her head.

  “Do you believe him?” Ryder asked.

  She cracked open one eye. “It’s very competitive at Kyvor. We get paid a nice salary, but we have goals in place. We meet those goals, we get a nice bonus.”

  “And those goals are up-selling clients on things they might no’ need.”

  Kinsey closed her eyes and shrugged. “It’s the way of businesses. Brian wasn’t close to outselling me last week. He must’ve gotten a huge order recently. Cecil is a bit slimy, but I don’t think he’s part of this plot.”

  “Perhaps no’, but someone could be pulling his strings.”

  At that she dropped her hands and looked at him. “Meaning, they want to make sure I stay at Dreagan.”

  “Has Brian ever beaten you before?”

  “Never.”

  Ryder twisted his lips. “There’s a reason they want you to remain here.”

  “And I don’t like it. It means they want me to do something for them.”

  “Or they’re going to frame you for something.” Either way, Ryder didn’t like it.

  Kinsey turned her chair to face him. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “I’m no’ going to let anything or anyone hurt you. Trust me, Kins, and we’ll get you through this.”

  She stood and walked to the window. “You’re askin
g a lot of me.”

  “I know.” Ryder quietly rose and walked to stand behind her. “We need to know this enemy. Same as you.”

  “The enemy of my enemy is my friend?” she asked with a wry smile.

  He was so close he could smell the lavender from her shampoo. “Yes.”

  “These people have been watching me. I don’t like that at all. I don’t owe them anything, and to know they put me in this situation willingly infuriates me.” Her voice broke, as the full impact of her situation fell upon her.

  Without thinking, Ryder took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. He wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes with delight when she rested her head on his chest. “We’ve been through rough situations before with the females that are here. We’ll get you through this one as well.”

  “Thank you,” she said with a sniff and lifted her face.

  Ryder gazed into her violet eyes as her dark hair brushed the back of his hand. He’d wanted her in his arms for so long. Now she was there, and he yearned for her kisses.

  His head began to lower. Kinsey pulled out of his arms the same time the door opened and Con and Henry walked in. Ryder had no choice but to release her.

  Her rebuttal stung, but for just a heartbeat, he’d witnessed the hunger in her eyes. She wanted his kiss. That’s all he needed to see.

  “Tell me,” Henry demanded from the other side of the monitors.

  Ryder sat in his chair and cleared the monitors that had Esther’s pictures from Ulrik’s store, MI5, and Dreagan. Then he motioned both him and Con around the monitors. “It’ll be easier to show you.”

  “Don’t hold anything back,” Henry stated.

  Ryder shared a look with Kinsey before he showed the recording of Esther at Ulrik’s. “After finding this, Kinsey got into MI5.”

  “Show me her file.” Henry stood still as a statue, his face set in hard lines.

  Ryder pulled it up on one screen with her picture taken at MI5 on another. “She wasna with MI5 long, apparently.”

  “I was with her that day,” Henry said in a hoarse voice. “I took her to lunch, then dropped her off for an interview. She lied to me.”

  Con put a hand on Henry’s shoulder. “She probably knew you would’ve talked her out of it.”

  “Damned straight I would’ve,” Henry said with a frown. He then checked the date on her file and that on the recording at Ulrik’s. “Why did they relieve her of duty? Just two weeks later she was at Ulrik’s.”

  This was the part Ryder was regretting having to show Henry. “There’s more, unfortunately.”

  “More?” Henry asked with raised brows. “How much bloody more can there be?”

  Ryder pointed to the screen that was collecting the data on MI5 agents on Dreagan. “As soon as MI5 arrived, I began gathering every bit of information from the humans possible. It’s recorded and filed away to be sorted out as needed.”

  “Smart,” Henry admitted.

  Con gave a nod. “Always thinking ahead.”

  “My instincts told me I was missing something.” Ryder motioned to Kinsey. “She wanted to see the pictures of all the agents. That’s when we came across a woman with an MI5 ID stating she was Phillipa Carlisle,” he said and put up the picture of Esther.

  For long minutes Henry didn’t say anything as he stared at his sister’s picture. Finally, he said, “I’d recognize her anywhere under any disguise, but this is very good.”

  “I think it’s time we talk to her,” Con said.

  Henry faced Con. “No. It’s time I talk to her.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kinsey watched Henry’s face become as stoic as she’d seen Con’s. It was eerie how they could appear so indifferent with a flip of a switch.

  Where the hell was her switch? Because she was still heated from Ryder’s touch earlier. Damn her traitorous body.

  “Where is Esther?” Con asked Ryder.

  While Ryder looked over the data that logged in every visitor, Kinsey studied the four monitors that had six camera feeds on each screen.

  Ryder let out a sound as he typed something. “She didna log in under the same name as before, but I picked up her fingerprints.”

  Kinsey was impressed. Fingerprint scan as well? When had Ryder done that? And how?

  Her need to continue to learn and grow her skills made her itch to have him teach her. In their year together, Ryder had taught her so much, which helped to make her one of the best in the business.

  At one time Kinsey actually thought she was catching up with him. She nearly snorted aloud at the thought. Ryder far surpassed everyone. If she were an immortal dragon, then she would probably be just as good.

  Henry said, “Is she alone?”

  It took but a moment for Ryder to answer, “Aye. She’s walking around the store inspecting the outside.”

  “I’ll go to her.”

  Con put out a hand to halt Henry. “She’s your sister, so I agree you should talk to her. However, if you want her brought—quietly—then you better let one of us do it.”

  “Agreed,” Henry responded immediately.

  Con’s black gaze swung to Ryder. “Let’s go.”

  Kinsey released a breath when Con and Henry walked from the computer room. She needed some time alone to compose herself after she’d nearly given in to the urge to kiss Ryder.

  What was wrong with her? What happened to that talk she gave herself earlier where she would stand like an oak against Ryder’s pull?

  “I was a freaking twig,” she murmured.

  “I’m sorry?”

  Kinsey wondered what she had to do for karma to side with her instead of against her. She turned her head to Ryder and said, “Just talking to myself.”

  Ryder pushed his chair back and got to his feet. “You coming?”

  “Uh…” What did she say? She was curious, but this had nothing to do with her. “I think the less people standing around Esther the better.”

  “Kins. Come on.”

  It was pointless to argue with Ryder when he had that stern look in his eye. She jumped up and hurried to catch him. They were several steps behind Henry and Con.

  “Why?” Kinsey asked. “Is it because you think I’ll find something on your computers?”

  “No.”

  Well. That stung. She was certainly good enough to hack through any firewall or protection Ryder put in place.

  “The only one who can allow you access is me,” he said.

  He didn’t trust her then. Not that she blamed him after how she came to be at Dreagan. She wouldn’t trust her either. “Then you want to see if Esther recognizes me.”

  “No.”

  Now Kinsey was out of ideas.

  “Ulrik is smart enough to make sure that none of his people know each other so they can no’ compromise him or his objective,” Ryder explained.

  Kinsey gave him a quick look out of the corner of her eyes. “You sound like you admire him.”

  “I appreciate the time it took to put this plan in place. I also value his thinking in setting it all up. I respect his skills in battle.”

  “Battle?” she repeated. “We’re not in battle yet.”

  Ryder looked at her as they reached the bottom of the stairs and turned right. “We’ve been in battle with Ulrik since the moment he was banished from Dreagan. It’s taken some of the other Kings longer to realize that.”

  “Did you no’ tell them?” she asked, her curiosity growing in spite of her inner voice warning her not to dig too deep. She was in a perilous situation with only an ex-boyfriend who promised to keep her safe.

  Ryder shot her a half-smile. “I did.”

  In other words, no one believed him. Or rather, Con hadn’t believed him. Kinsey stared at the back of Con’s blond head. He might be almost as gorgeous as Ryder, but there was a coldheartedness about him that made her want to keep her distance.

  At all times.

  As if he knew she was thinking about him, Con paused at the door
and looked directly at her. Kinsey raised a brow. With someone like Con, she couldn’t show a hint of fear. Otherwise, he would pounce.

  While she shuddered a bit inside, outwardly, she exuded calm and arrogance. Something a man like Con would recognize and most likely respect.

  One side of his mouth lifted in a quick if-you-blink-you-miss-it smile. But those chilling black eyes of his said something altogether different. There was a warning there.

  When Ryder put his hand on her lower back, Kinsey didn’t step away. Whether Ryder knew it or not, he gave her the courage to continue following Con and Henry when all she wanted to do was run back to the computers where she felt safe.

  “Ignore him,” Ryder whispered near her ear. “Con likes to make people uncomfortable.”

  Kinsey turned her head slightly to Ryder and lowered her voice. “He does a bloody brilliant job.”

  That’s when she made the mistake of looking in Ryder’s hazel eyes. Gold, blue, and green mixed together so it looked like one color bled into the other and then another. They were mesmerizing, compelling.

  Hypnotic.

  Kinsey should’ve known better than to be that close to Ryder after their near-kiss. She shivered when their fingers grazed, and she wished their fingers were entwined.

  “Watch,” Ryder began as his gaze darted over her shoulder.

  Kinsey realized what happened a heartbeat too late. Because she was so engrossed in Ryder, she didn’t pay attention to where she was walking and tripped over the raised threshold of the door.

  She felt herself falling as everything slowed to a crawl. Henry turned and started back toward her while Con simply stood and watched her.

  But it was powerful, familiar arms that wrapped around her, yanking her up before she could hit the ground.

  Kinsey’s heart was beating double time. She lifted her face to thank Ryder, but words deserted her. His mouth was mere breaths from hers.

  Her hands were splayed on his chest where she could feel his heart beneath her right palm. Without meaning to, she swayed against him.

  One large hand was pressed against her back, right above her butt. The other held the back of her head. His wide lips were parted, and his gaze refused to release her.

  She knew what it felt like to be kissed by Ryder. How with just a touch he could make the world fade away, how he could fill her mind with just one thought—him.