His cock strained against his jeans but he forced himself to think of her as fun, not a permanent thing. Derrick couldn’t do permanent.
It was usually best for everyone involved.
Yet a little play couldn’t hurt. He let the tone of his voice drop just a touch, aiming for subtlety. “I did mean to swing by later and pick it up. But…I didn’t know if Rob would have had it or if you’d assume it belonged to some lame groupie.”
She laughed, then cleared her throat. “About my brother…”
“Yes?” He waited, patiently hoping the human would just let things drop like they did when met with silence. Or keep talking, in which case he would have to time to come up with something more plausible than, Oh, hey, we knew each other from school.
Sonja didn’t say another word.
The silence hung between them. Thankful for his spy training, Derrick made no move to show interest in the subject or encourage her to continue.
“You’re not helping his cause.”
Now he laughed. “I’m sure I’m not. What about him?”
“Friend from school, hmm?”
Derrick nodded ever so slightly.
Max snorted.
Derrick shot the Goth wannabe a dirty look.
“Afraid you’re busted, pal. He told me this morning that you’re one of the regulars in his bar. Seems a little odd.”
“I have to go somewhere after this place closes.”
“Indeed.” The wry smile returned to her lips and she laughed again. “You’re very amusing.”
Her laughter held a musical quality that seemed to seep into Derrick’s skin and make him tingly. Energy crackled in the room between them, the air heated, charged full of powerful lust.
Sensual darkness.
She wanted him. Perfect.
The other pumas gasped. Even Erick froze before resuming his relaxed yet stoic position in the chair.
He leaned forward, pressed a hand to her muscled thigh. He appreciated her strength but found her femininity even more of a turn on. “You’re doing it again, dear.”
Rocky stood, made his way toward the door. “She’s a danger. I told you, I felt it! You all felt it!” His cigar shook in his trembling hands. “I told you! She—”
“Rocky settle down. And shut the fuck up. You’re paranoid anyway. The world is out to get you, remember?” Michael’s words made Rocky stop and blink.
He calmed down and resumed his position in his chair, though his eyes darted back and forth between Sonja and Derrick.
Derrick turned back to face Sonja. “I take it you don’t have full control over your power yet?”
Sonja shrunk back into the chair. The tilt of her chin and flutter of her eyelashes gave her a softer, more feminine look that made her appear smaller. She bit her lip and looked at the ground before speaking. “I’m still learning.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Derrick watched Max’s response. The other pumas gave no sign of emotion, but Derrick knew he’d seen something. Max never missed anything. Still facing Sonja, he gave her thigh a squeeze. “It’s okay. We’re all a little stronger than humans.”
She lifted her head and stared at him, pursing her lips together. “So am I.”
He grinned playfully. “I gathered that.”
She seemed less bold, now that he’d discovered her secret.
Derrick leaned in and rubbed her thigh again, keeping contact with her. “It’s okay. Is there anything we can do to help?”
Her shoulders stiffened. “No. It’s all me. But I feel…”
An idea formed in his mind. Slowly, Derrick relaxed, pouring sexual tension into her. He figured out quickly last night that if he could control his emotions then he could help her. No place relaxed him more than his favorite cigar lounge. He met her gaze with kindness of his own, trying to calm his mind and the flow of information the body conveyed.
She blinked slowly, then normally.
Derrick’s smile softened. Energy steadily flowed from him to her.
Then it rushed through her eyes, a clarity of some sort. “How did you?”
He held up the cigar. “This is relaxing for me.” He pointed at the half-full glass of port, still able to smell the raisin notes though her scent floated closer to him than the port. “I figured out last night, when you hit me with all the extra baggage from your crowd, I needed to stabilize myself. It took some thought. Pumas are notorious loners. We get used to being with our own subconscious messes, so it becomes easier to deal with others when we can separate the two.”
She caressed his chin.
“But we survive. And…” He let the thought trail off.
She moved in closer, her face now mere inches from him.
Did he lean forward and initiate the kiss?
Or did she?
It didn’t matter. Her lips pressed softly against his, swiping her tongue across his lower lip and stealing his coherent thoughts. Derrick smiled into the kiss, glad for another taste of what he considered perfection. There it was, the sweetness of her lips combined with the heady scent of her arousal that he was sure his friends could smell.
If any one of them so much as made a move, he’d tear his throat out.
She pulled back, her eyes half open, irises dancing with obvious lust. “We could take this somewhere else. Finish what we started.”
He saw her entire face. The way her hair fell on both sides emphasized the roundness of her face and the sparkle of her eyes. “I’d love to, just as soon as I finish my smoke. Tobacco Nazis abound outside this establishment. And this, while not a rare treat, will help us with anticipation.”
“So hurry up!” Defiant confidence returned along with her demanding tone. Yup, her power had been sated with sexual energy and the peace this place inspired. She was just a regular human now, not charged with extra baggage. She smelled of the shower; he could pick out her scent even through the thickness of tobacco smoke.
Oh, and of course, he’d never mistake the aroma of unmitigated lust that was just her.
Despite his body’s reaction, Derrick managed a polite smile. Then, he waved his hand behind him at the large wooden wine storage unit. “I’ll hurry. Port? Wine? My treat.”
By this time, Rocky had resumed his natural, somewhat pretentious posture but showed his unease by flipping the top on his torch. “You sure that’s a good idea, Derrick?”
“Let the girl have wine if she wants.” Erick rolled his eyes and spoke in a deep, menacing tone.
She chuckled nervously. “Someone here has faith in me.” Her eyes darted back to Erick and then to Derrick.
The cloud of arousal that seemed to flood the room dissipated. He took her hand in his and felt warmth and strength, yet there were underlying currents present. Scents he could only smell as a puma lightly tinged the air. Derrick leaned back in his chair and gave her a gentle squeeze. “It’ll be fine.”
She started to open her mouth, but her posture stiffened.
Rocky and Erick remained unmoved.
Then Derrick felt it.
He recognized the scent in the air: an igniter fuse close by. “We’ve got to get out of here. Now!”
Before she could respond, he yanked her to her feet and against him. Throwing them against the closest wall, he blanketed her body with his.
Then he heard the click.
Rocky and Erick had disappeared.
Max hid behind a chair, clenching his fists.
The explosion came with a loud crash that blew smoke and fire through the entrance of the shop, sending glass and tobacco products everywhere. Wood splintered and flew through the air. The shop owners and other patrons took cover behind the large cabinet by the wall nearest Derrick.
Splinters of wood flew into Derrick and cut exposed skin. He cursed and continued to shelter Sonja from the blast.
Staccato gunshots rang, shattering more glass and causing panic amongst everyone. A few seconds passed, seeming like an eternity. Derrick turned toward the smoke-filled entrance. He
surveyed the rubble, heard footsteps. Three men, in heavy boots and army gear, he guessed. Shoving Sonja behind the chair next to Max, Derrick knelt and blinked.
The other puma nodded.
Sonja looked perplexed and parted her lips to speak.
Power built up around them. Crap. She may have given away their position. With quick thinking, he caught her hand. “No.” He shook his head. “Not now. Trust me.” He mouthed the words.
She clenched her teeth and narrowed angry eyes at him, but seemed to understand because the power pulled back.
They must be here for her. That’s the only explanation that this extraction team would use so much force. He nodded once again and looked over his shoulders for something to distract the hostiles from their breach. Only one thought came to mind.
The frightened look on her face let him know that she sensed what he was about to do. “Don’t kill them,” she whispered.
He shuddered. He had to protect Sonja.
Derrick had no intention of making things worse.
It took another three seconds for the sound of clips locking into place to reach his ears. Then the chambers loaded with shells.
Derrick lunged forward, shifting into a puma in midair. His large paws clapped against the shoulders of the first intruder. He stood on his hindquarters and snarled.
Derrick tore the man’s throat out, silencing the scream-turned-gurgle. In this form, his only thoughts were primal, dangerous. Protect, eat, fuck, repeat.
Now someone threatened the puma’s territory.
Before he could leap away, a bullet pierced his hindquarter.
He yelped and roared. Then a boot kicked him in the ribcage, sending him flying back against the wall.
His massive strength blunted some of the pain. He rolled to his side. Quickly, Derrick flipped to his feet and prepared to leap at his attacker.
A woman screamed.
Derrick froze. Suddenly, the click of a bullet loading into the chamber of a piece echoed in his head.
Derrick closed his eyes.
Russian voices spoke in hushed whispers. The dampened sounds of a female crying and struggling against her captors caught his attention.
With the gun pressed to his temple, he didn’t dare move. Shifters were stronger than humans, yes, but a bullet to the head could stop just about anyone. Even the puma had enough sense to know the attackers outmaneuvered him.
“Very good,” spoke a deep, rich voice filled with a heavy Russian accent. “You do not move, kitty. Or she dies.”
Derrick’s heart pounded against his chest yet he didn’t so much as blink. The feel of the barrel against his skull gave him a clue about what type of weapon it was. The puma wanted to strike out in rage, but enough of Derrick’s human mind permeated the animalistic haze guiding him.
It was a large enough caliber that it would splatter his brains all over the shattered humidor if he moved.
Pumas weren’t quick enough at this range.
He cursed.
Erick, Rocky, and Max must have been knocked out or preoccupied because he didn’t smell them here.
The press of the barrel against his forehead eased up. Then like the wind, the intruders vanished.
Derrick shifted back into human form, bones broke and reformed, fur disappeared, and his vocal cords became human again. The wound in his leg would leave a nasty mark, but shifting managed to shove the bullet out. Preternatural healing would kick in.
He had failed to protect his territory. Then he’d failed to protect Sonja. He clenched his fists, ground his teeth together, and started to turn around.
A hand caught him on the shoulder.
Derrick spun around quickly, meeting Max’s silver eyes. “It’s okay. We know who they are.”
“What?” Derrick’s jaw dropped.
“Yeah.” Max nodded again. “They left this.” He held up a familiar looking shell casing. “The organization is the group that wants her and is the only one I’ve seen that uses these outdated rounds.”
Derrick took the round, rolled it between thumb and forefinger, and picked up the scent of gunpowder. “I thought we took them out before my last mission.”
Max sighed heavily. “So did I.”
“So how could it be them?”
“I’m sure someone’s paying them a lot of money to kidnap Sonja. I’d guess they’re funding the re-grouping of the organization in order to perform whatever fucked-up agenda they had prior to our dismantling back in ’03. But I’m certain this is a shell from one of their guns.”
Derrick nodded. “So we can get Sonja back?”
Rocky emerged from the rubble, dusting himself off. “Has anyone seen Erick?”
Max shrugged. “No, he disappeared quickly, though I can’t tell how. He’s always moved too fast for even my eyes to keep up with. What the fuck was up with that?” Max turned to face Derrick, his eyes expressing unspoken fears. “I expect one of us will receive a phone call soon telling us what the ransom is.”
Derrick’s jaw ticked. “You seem to know a lot about ransoming and this situation.”
He grinned wide and set a hand on Derrick’s shoulder. “I told you last week, it’s what I do. Besides, we started tracking her a few months back when the band grew in popularity.”
Derrick sighed. “I have to ask…” He didn’t want to know the answer, didn’t want any involvement in being a spy anymore. That part of his life had ended and nearly cost him what humanity he was born with—what little the shifter arm of the CIA left him with when they trained him. But he had to know. “Did you orchestrate this meeting with her brother?”
Max shook his head. “Nope. Just dumb luck you’re a regular in his bar. No surprise the two of you hooked up.”
Derrick snorted. “I’ll ignore that bit. We haven’t hooked up yet. It’s all been a flirtation, a game designed for a cover ID.”
“Lie to yourself all you want. Bottom line? You’re out, man. You wanted out, you’re out.”
Derrick looked hard at Max, narrowing his eyes. “I wish I could believe that, Max. I really do.”
“Trust me.”
Derrick didn’t like putting his trust in another when it came to an innocent woman, especially one with Sonja’s abilities. What choice did he have? He shrugged and faked a smile. “I hope you’re right. So what’s our move?”
Max shoved his hands in his pockets. “We wait.”
Chapter Three
Sonya woke, her temples pounding. Somehow, she’d been greeted with the blunt end of a bat.
She moved her head carefully. Her temples throbbed so much that the pain threatened to blind her. Exhaling slowly, Sonja closed her eyes and envisioned a healing white light. Starting around her head, it seeped into her skin, warming her as it surrounded the rest of her body and cleared her thoughts.
Discomfort subsided but there would be a bruise for a few hours afterwards. Sonja let out a careful sigh then opened her eyes and studied her surroundings. She noticed the iron manacles clinging to her legs.
At least her arms were free.
A fraction of light from the tiny window high up in the wall showed just how dismal the room truly was with peeling gray paint, a small wooden table beside an iron cot that held a lamp, a glass of water, and a first aid kit probably lacking anything remotely usable as a weapon.
She needed to get out of here. Of course she had no idea where here was. Or who had kidnapped her.
The last thing she remembered was being shoved against the puma with silver-tinted eyes and short, black hair.
Then the emotional wall slammed into her. Anger focused on one goal, along with mixed feelings of sorrow, had knocked her off balance and into Max’s arms. She didn’t like that as much as being held by Derrick but it didn’t really matter now, did it?
Max had whispered something in her ear she couldn’t remember.
Overwhelming sensations of focused anger hit her a second time, pounding into her with the force of a gale. Then something else happened,
probably the bat to the head, and she blanked out.
Would Derrick come for her?
Did he know he became a part of her destiny when she first laid eyes on him? The first time she saw him was at a metal show—one of her favorite nu-metal bands had come to town—and she spotted him from across the bar. She sensed something different about him and realized when she got closer that she smelled earth, raw power, and cats. Feral, primal, and sleek, she found the puma inside him right away by searching his aura.
He had worn a black trench coat that night and lingered by the bar. Hair hung down in curly waves past magnificent shoulders perfect for gripping. His rugged jaw, cat-like stare, and the hard set of his body frightened her, but arousal eclipsed the fear.
Then he knocked back a drink and went head first into the mosh pit to pick a scrawny kid up off the floor before he got trampled, or worse.
His actions conveyed who he was: a trustworthy man who looked out for the weak.
She hadn’t seen him since then, until her show two nights ago. She’d accidentally used the power of her voice to call him to her. The frenzy of how much energy she’d taken from the crowd gave her a rush. Combined with her unstable nature, that burst of lust-filled energy went out into the crowd, searching for Derrick.
Luckily, her brother had stopped him, otherwise she’d have control over yet another shifter; she certainly did not want that. She’d have to learn to better control her power, or else she’d end up with a small fan-boy and -girl army. Sonja didn’t possess the drive for such nonsense.
She didn’t even know if Derrick had noticed her until she saw the way he looked at her. For a brief second while onstage, she’d been distracted enough while making eye contact with him to notice just how she captivated his attention.
She yearned to explore the potential between them.
First, she had to escape. Sonja looked around the room, listened, waited.
Footsteps thudded against the wood floor outside the door and hushed voices spoke.
She couldn’t make out the words.
Then the footsteps ebbed as quickly as they arrived.
Perhaps her assailants figured they had knocked her out for longer than they had. Did they know about her witchcraft?
Slow Burn Page 4
