by M. Malone
My nose hadn’t been broken, but damn he packed a punch. But despite all the pain, it was as if he’d done everything he could not to kill me. Even as he’d strangled me. There’d been control…barely leashed control, but still.
The question was, why?
I’d seen it in his eyes. Every hit, every kick, every movement had been carefully calculated, as if he wanted to draw out the kill. Or, as if he wanted to keep me alive. But that was ridiculous. Why would someone associated with the Family want to keep me alive? The Family was filth— the worst of the worst. But it was clear that Perseus had held back once he realized I was female.
In my experience, anyone associated with them was pure evil. And I didn’t know how Blake Security fit in to all of this, but if they had someone the Family wanted, I had to operate as if they were pure evil as well.
I’d done my research on them. Their backgrounds were as expected; law enforcement, military, etc. Bland; nothing stood out as red flags. Of course it wouldn’t. That was their cover.
Stop overthinking it. Get the job done.
From my purse, I pulled out a handkerchief and ran my thumb over it. God, this was going to hurt something awful. I hoped I got the dosage right because I needed enough time to put the handkerchief back into my purse before they found me. And I couldn’t just stage myself because if I was right, there were cameras up above in the elevator, watching me, tracking my every move. I made it a point to fidget, to adjust my clothing… to shake my shoulders as if I were crying. If only there were Academy Awards given out for fake clients, I would certainly deserve one.
The thing was I didn’t have to fake, my fear. I knew I was going to see that guy again. I knew I was going to have to look into the blackness of his eyes. I knew that if he ever found out, if any of them found out, I was as good as dead.
But Andromeda had trained me. I knew how to do this. Get in. Get close to the target. Get out.
The mission statement on their website said, “Blake Security thrives to provide the ultimate security service for all clients, no matter your circumstances. We believe in protection for everyone. If you have a problem, call us.” Well, I did have a problem. Too bad they didn’t know my problem was one of their own.
The elevator flew past the 15th floor and I braced myself. The penthouse was next. I made a production of scratching at my nose with my opposite hand, careful not to put the chloroform up into my nose too early. I scratched at it and wiggled my nose and tossed my head back so that the camera would catch me. It was all about the show.
I wiggled my nose again and scratched at it and then made a production of sneezing into the handkerchief before I inhaled deeply. Quickly, I tucked the chloroformed handkerchief back into my purse and forced myself to take a long breath. Just as the door to the elevator opened, I stepped out.
In front of me was hardwood floor. To my right was what looked like a reception office or something. To my left was the door I’d come in through when I broke in the previous evening. In front of me was a glass entrance to the foyer. Because it was business hours, the door opened easily.
Just as my head began to spin, I looked around and saw someone big with dark hair coming toward me. He frowned. “Can I help you?”
I tried to nod. My head spun. Oh God. My stomach lurched and I knew it was going to be bad. The chloroform was starting to do its work. How was it I always forgot the effects of chloroform on me? I was going to be sick.
The blackness edged in on my peripheral vision, and despite needing to feel weak and incapacitated, I still fought it. The part of me that was a fighter—the part of me that understood that while unconscious, I couldn’t fight for my life; the part of me that knew I was going to come face-to-face with the man I was supposed to kill—fought the drug. But fighting it was no good because I was going to go out. And just like that, as the dark-haired man frowned and reached for me, I collapsed and darkness took over.
6
Matthias
I had just gotten settled behind my desk and opened my laptop when my phone chimed. It was tempting to ignore it but with everything going on, I couldn’t afford to. With my luck, something else was on fucking fire.
Noah—Need to see you. I’m in my office.
I groaned. There were only a million things I needed to do right now after such a massive security breach, but Noah was the one person I couldn’t ignore. And I definitely didn’t want to give the other man a reason to come looking for me. Most of the crew avoided my rooms, giving me the isolation I needed to function. But if I didn’t show up, Noah would have no problem hunting me down. My mentor was a smart guy and had razor-sharp intuition. He’d probably figured out that I had overheard his conversation with Rafe earlier.
Whatever.
I shoved back from the desk in annoyance. They weren’t a bunch of hens that needed to stand around talking about their bloody feelings all day. Rafe thought I was a psychopath. So what? I swallowed the lump in the back of my throat. It shouldn’t matter to me if the guy thought I was a psycho. Hell I’d been called much worse.
I’d even thought much worse myself.
But it did matter. I rubbed a hand over my face in frustration. It was unusual for me to give a shit what anyone thought of me. Making friends and being liked hadn’t exactly been high on my priority list. Ever. But Rafe was someone Noah respected, even when he wanted to kill the bloke. No matter how you swung it, the dude was a badass. Not only that but Rafe had managed something that only a handful of others had done: he’d built a successful life outside of ORUS.
Yes, Noah had done it, but that was different. I snorted. My friend would balk at the descriptor but Noah wasn’t like the rest of them. Assassin or not, he was good; a true protector and the hero type. I just wasn’t cut from that cloth. I’d always had a streak of darkness even before ORUS cut out what was left of my soul.
My phone rang then, and I grunted. “I’m coming,” I muttered but didn’t bother answering. I just walked out into the hall.
The first thing I saw was Rafe cradling a woman gently in his arms. Her dark hair was covering her face but what I could see of her skin was covered in bruises. My steps quickened until I paused and knelt next to them on the floor.
“Is she all right? Is Breckner on his way?”
Rafe glanced over at me briefly before looking back down at the woman. “Can you call him?”
I pulled my phone out and sent a message to the doctor we kept on call for various emergencies. Considering all the shit that had gone down over the past two years alone, I figured Dr. Breckner had more than earned the outrageous salary Noah paid him for his services.
I put my fingers to her pulse, pleased to find it beating sure and strong beneath my fingers.
“She came off the elevator and just collapsed. It’s obvious why she’s here.” Rafe’s face darkened as he motioned to the bruising on her arms and neck.
Just then the woman stirred, tossing her head from side to side as if she was in pain. Her eyes opened and locked on me.
I’d seen enough movies to have seen the traditional bullshit romance scenes where an atypically attractive guy and girl locked eyes and moved in slow motion as they discovered they’d found their soulmate.
I’d always thought it was the corniest bullshit ever but in the space of a heartbeat, I discovered that maybe this was one thing the movies didn’t get completely wrong.
My breath stuttered in my chest as her eyes roamed over me. It was strange, but I found myself unable to move as she made her mental evaluation of me. It was suddenly vitally important that I not do anything to scare her. I wasn’t sure where this sudden protective streak came from, but it caught me completely off guard.
Then she blinked and the breath I’d been holding left my lungs in a great rush of air. She coughed slightly and let out a little wheeze.
Rafe moved to sit her up, and his movement alerted her to where she was. She glanced at him in alarm and then struggled against his hold. Her soft whimpers struc
k me right in the heart.
”Leave her alone. You’re hurting her,” I growled.
Rafe narrowed his gaze at me. “Take it easy, kid. I’m not trying to hurt her. We need to move her so the doctor can look at her.”
I looked around, stunned to see the doctor had arrived and I hadn’t even noticed. Noah stood with Dr. Breckner watching us with interest. Heat rushed to my face, but it didn’t stop me from taking her into my arms and carrying her over to the couch in the living area. By the time I placed her down gently, she’d passed out again. My heart accelerated wildly at the thought that she might be hurt even worse than we’d thought.
“She passed out again. What does that mean? Could she have a head injury?” I demanded as the doctor appeared at her side.
Breckner placed his black bag on the floor next to the couch before peering at her. Just seeing him kneeling next to the girl, who seemed even more helpless lying on the couch, made me twitchy.
“Just be careful with her, understand?”
The doctor blinked several times in surprise but nodded slowly before I stepped back. I looked over in time to catch Noah and Rafe exchanging glances but didn’t have time to care that they were probably wondering what the hell was up with me.
All my focus and attention was on one raven-haired girl whose name I didn’t even know.
It was torture to watch her go through the exam. She cried out and woke briefly when Breckner palpated her ribs. I almost had my hand around the doctor’s throat before Noah caught me around the chest.
“Whoa, dial it back. Let him do his job.”
I closed my eyes, hating the feel of my friend’s arm around me but needing it at the same time. Noah was good, but he was also strong. Strong enough to keep me from doing anything crazy.
It was frightening to realize that I wasn’t in charge of my own control center right then. Something about this woman fired all my protective instincts. She reminded me of someone. She’s not Gigi.
I’d hate to put the good doctor in a coma when all he was doing was checking her out.
“Vitals are strong. Nothing appears to be broken,” Breckner said shakily, keeping one eye on me even as he spoke to Noah. “Bruises on her collarbone, ribs, thighs. They look to be about a day old, roughly.” He turned back to the woman. “Ah, you’re awake.”
We all paused and looked down at the woman lying on the couch. Both eyes were now open and fixed determinedly on me.
“All right, love?”
Her eyes widened at the sound of my voice before darting around the room. She probably had no idea where she was since we’d moved her to a different room than the one she’d entered.
“It’s all right. You’re safe now.”
And I’d do whatever was necessary to make sure she stayed that way.
Gemma
I fought to breathe. Every inhale took concentration. Then I could focus on my body, which currently felt loose. Disconnected. Voices nearby filtered through.
Even though I couldn’t open my eyes yet, I could hear them. Distinctly male voices that I didn’t recognize.
They were talking about me. Bruises on her collarbone. Ribs. Thighs.
As if the words touched me physically, I became suddenly aware of the soreness in each of the affected areas. Aching pain radiated from every inch of my skin and my heart rate increased as my fear increased. I had to wake up. Now.
It was like swimming to the surface of a lake. I struggled against the lethargy currently making me feel like I had an elephant sitting on my chest.
My eyes opened and I blinked frantically. Where was I? I was resting on something soft, and the man I’d heard talking was alarmingly close. He said something to me, but I didn’t hear. All of my attention was on the man across the room.
The target.
My brain was still a little foggy, but I suddenly had a vision of him carrying me. Had he been the one to catch me when I passed out? No, that didn’t make sense. I distinctly remembered the man who’d been waiting in the hallway when I’d gotten off the elevator. He’d been older. Insanely hot, but definitely older.
This guy, the target, I corrected myself, didn’t look much older than I was. Which was interesting. He didn’t look like he’d been alive long enough to be on the Family’s shit list.
Then he spoke and things started to make sense.
“All right, love?”
His accent was just like the one I took such great pains to conceal: British. East End. Maybe south London. That made a lot more sense then. He must have had dealings with the Family and then come over here to the States to hide out. Maybe the hot older guy was a cousin who was hiding him or something. I made a mental note to find out the dynamic going on behind the scenes. It would only make things easier if I understood what I was up against.
“It’s all right. You’re safe now.” His dark eyes held mine and I felt the conviction of his statement through and through. No matter what else happened, I’d be okay as long as he was there.
My head swam, and I thought back to earlier. I must have used too much chloroform. It was only supposed to make me passing out seem more convincing. I wasn’t supposed to be unconscious for very long. But the heaviness in my head was getting worse instead of better. Panicked, I sought out the man who made me feel safe. The one who would protect me.
His dark eyes were worried as they locked on mine. While his lips were moving, I couldn’t hear anything. But he looked worried. Strangely enough I didn’t like that. Part of me wanted to put my hand to his brow, smooth the worry line there.
The next time I woke, I was in a bed.
“You’re awake. Good. I was starting to get worried.” The target was sitting next to me on the bed. This close, I could truly see how young he was. But he had strong features and his eyes… I swallowed nervously. He had the kind of eyes that could see right through you. I would have to be careful what I said around him. This wasn’t the kind of man you could lie to without penalty.
“Where am I?” I asked, feigning confusion.
“Blake Security. Do you remember coming to see us earlier?” He leaned over and picked up a glass of water from the nightstand and offered it to me.
I took a careful sip from the glass. My throat felt like sandpaper. “How long was I asleep?”
“A little more than an hour. Your body needs time to recover.” His gaze darkened as he looked down at my bare arms.
If only he knew the truth. The bruises that horrified him were ones caused by his hands. I almost felt guilty working his sympathy this way. I definitely wasn’t a wilting rose by any means. But I had a mission and if this was my only way in, I would take it.
“There are a lot of things my body needs,” I murmured.
His face flushed immediately, and I giggled nervously at the double entendre. He really was unbelievably good looking with his strong features but boyish expressions. The scowl on his handsome face seemed out of place. Almost like he was trying to temper his good looks and youth.
Hell, maybe he was. If he was involved with the Family in any way, he clearly wasn’t a choirboy. They were a ruthless organization but they were smart. Most of the people on their shit list were just as dirty as they were. After all, messing with ordinary citizens just increased the chances of being on law enforcement’s radar. Which was something the Family preached they must avoid at all costs.
“Um, I just meant that I need a safe place to sleep for the night. That’s why I’m here. I heard Blake Security helps people like me. People who need to hide.”
He nodded. “We do. One of our core missions is to shelter those who need it. If someone is threatening you, we can protect you and help you establish a new life under a new identity. If that’s what you want.”
I smiled. Over the course of my ORUS training I’d had multiple names and identities. Not that he knew any of that.
“I would appreciate that. My father has no idea where I am, and that’s how it needs to stay.”
His jaw cl
enched. “Your father did this to you?”
I didn’t answer. Better to let him assume as much as possible. Harder to get caught in a lie that way.
“You don’t have to talk about it yet. Rest. I’ll bring you something to eat. There’s time enough for all of that later.”
I leaned back against the pillows with a sigh. “Thank you for all of this. Really.”
He paused next to the bed and watched me with the strangest expression. If I’d known him better, I almost would think it was fondness.
“It’s what we do. Miss—I don’t even know your name.”
“Gemma,” I whispered, using my ORUS-issued government identity.
He nodded, not remarking on the fact that I hadn’t provided a last name. “Well, Gemma, you don’t need to thank me. Us. The whole team. We’re happy to help.” He flushed slightly and then turned to go.
“Wait!” I sat up suddenly, my hand out as if to catch him. “You didn’t tell me your name.”
He paused briefly at the door and looked over his shoulder. “Matthias, Matthias Weller.”
I sagged back against the pillows but there was a smile on my face. Matthias. A nice name for who I knew was a very dangerous man.
7
Matthias
I watched her sleep, wondering even as I did it why I couldn’t seem to take my eyes from her face. She was beautiful, that much was apparent even with the motley assortment of bruises covering her cheek and nose.
Her dark hair was thick and looked like it would be soft if I buried my face in it. Not that I’d ever done anything like that. I shifted, uncomfortable with the direction of my thoughts. Sexual thoughts were normal for guys my age, sure, but with the kind of sick shit I’d grown up seeing, I’d tried to deaden that part of my humanity as much as possible.
