“I think you should hear what the HCA has to say.” He held up his hand, stopping my response. “They’re a good organization. I had my contacts look into their leader and operations. Everything is legit, even the underground operations they are judiciously keeping secret from the public.”
A soft knock stopped his speech, but I kept my gaze locked on him. Underground operations. That piqued my interest. “Come back to see me when the representative leaves.”
“Sure thing.”
As Conner left, a woman walked in. She looked to be in her early 20’s and petite, barely tall enough for the top of her head to reach my shoulder, but she exuded confidence. Her hair was the color of pine needles and pulled back into a complicated braid. Her indigo eyes sparkled as she marched to my desk with her hand outstretched.
“Hello. I’m Jean Patterson, President of HCA chapter at NTU.” Her tiny hand was hard pressed to wrap around mine, but her handshake was firm.
“You’re a new one.” I crossed my arms and gave her my best smile, hoping to unnerve her a bit. Her cheeks tinted pink, but as she continued, her voice kept its business neutral tone.
“Yes. I am aware that you usually meet with Ethan and Austin. They are great recruiters and a prime example of what the HCA is all about.” I tipped my head in agreement. The brothers, one who was Caelian and the other a norm, were raised together instead of being separated. Most norms refuse to raise a Caelian child. Most Caelian children born to norm parents are given up at birth and sent to one of the many orphanages across the country.
“Are they out recruiting members for the cause?” I leaned forward, knowing that the muscles in my arms and chest would bulge from the movement. I tilted my head and quirked my lips into a seductive smile, letting my body language tell her I was interested. Her eyes darted to my pecs as her tongue darted out to wet her lips. Since Gordon’s lessons in using sexuality to garner more information, it had become second nature.
Her laugh was throaty and very sensual. Her professional demeanor was slipping and the way her eyes flashed with understanding—she knew it. Her back stiffened and she clasped her thighs together. She gripped her hands on her knees to stop the shaking.
“No, Mr. Lane. I’m here to formally invite you to an HCA get together on campus next…”
“No.” My tone flattened as I straightened in my chair. Her use of my family name set me on edge. It was common knowledge that I defected from the Lane family and everyone knew you didn’t address me by my former family name.
“There’s more to discuss. If you will just…”
“Get out.”
“Mr. Lane?”
“GET OUT!”
She squeaked before scurrying out of the office. Before the door slammed shut, I could see Conner staring at me from his desk. Disappointment was etched on his face, but he didn’t make a move to confront me.
The HCA. They’d been after me for weeks, ever since I had solved the elderly couple case. Seven years ago, Sam and Martha Brown had disappeared without a trace. They were squeaky clean except for their involvement with the founder of the Human Purist Coalition, a hostile organization who strove to keep the purity of the human race. The hate group had been under watch by multiple organizations, but they had never showed their nefarious side to the public.
Many stories were whispered in my ear about the HPC and none of them were good. They were suspect in many Caelian disappearances and deaths, but no evidence to stick.
In my gut, I knew the HPC was responsible for the disappearance of the couple and a month after Gordon’s death, I began strategically placing myself around people I knew were involved with the HPC. It was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do. Since my golden hair and mauve eyes were dead giveaways of my Caelian heritage, it took weeks of kowtowing and spouting self-deprecatory hate before anyone in the organization took notice.
Since I was Caelian, I never met any of the important members or the leader, Dean Kerrington, but the two months I had spent hanging out in HPC affiliated bars, getting myself jumped a few times and almost blowing my cover when one guard took things a little too far—I had a breakthrough.
It was then I befriended a guard who didn’t fall for my antics. Now that I think about it, I don’t think any of the HPC loyalists did, but the guard didn’t try anything like the others. Instead, he would occasionally pass along sensitive information. We never talked beyond HPC secrets and the occasional “how are you.” It killed me not to ask why he was in the HPC if he was willing to betray them, but I figured he was either a spy planted from another agency like the HCA or he had a serious case of joining-a-crazy-cult remorse and was in too deep to leave.
Either way, I needed him and without his help I wouldn’t have discovered the identity of the hitman responsible for the deaths of the elderly couple. Both the guard and I believed the hit was assigned to another member of the HPC from one of the higher ups, but I had no evidence to prove it.
At least the couple’s family had closure now and the culprit was behind bars.
Unlike my previous undercover jobs, information leaked to the media about how Gordon’s Detective Agency was involved. They didn’t have to look too deep to see that I was the one who had been MIA for large blocks of time. Although I didn’t confirm my involvement or the agency’s, business boomed. We had so many clients that we had to turn some away, but the biggest shock were the elite clients who began to pour in. With Dr. Sokoloff’s referrals and the HPC case making the news, I was inundated with jobs that paid in both cash and favors.
Gordon would have been proud.
It has been a month since I returned from the HPC job and I began to feel the itch again. The cold case files were tucked away in a locked drawer inside my desk and they pulled at me. The elite cases were great and I had accumulated favors from plenty of influential people, but I felt unfulfilled. The choice to hand off all the elite clients to Conner and Emma was easy.
I looked around my office. It was rare occurrence when I showed up at the agency since I had decided to only take on the elite jobs when necessary. My lips curled as I saw the stack of papers to be signed. They were the reason I was in. With a deep breath I dug in, reading the notes from the office manager, signing where necessary, and thanking the stars above that Gordon had competent people already on staff so I didn’t have to worry about that stuff.
The mundane work calmed my earlier temper and before long, I was finished. My back cracked as I stretched out. It was only one in the afternoon, plenty of time to grab something to eat and get back to work on the current case I was investigating.
A quick knock rattled the door before Conner stepped back in the office.
“Conner, can you hand these papers to Karen? I’m going to skip out and have lunch. Don’t expect me back.” I handed off the stack of papers. He nodded, but didn’t move away from the door. His usual stoic face was pinched in concern. Unease churned in my stomach.
“Conner?”
“Hey boss. Uh… another representative from the HCA is here to see you.”
Chapter 8
Annoyance bubbled back to the surface, but I forced it down. Two visits in one day—they must be getting desperate.
“Send them in,” I growled.
As Conner turned to leave, his eyes met mine. “Boss, listen to this one.”
I grunted in answer and moved to sit behind my desk as I pushed all thoughts of investigating my case to the back of my mind.
A rough knock shook the frosted glass in my door. Someone is aggravated.
“Come in,” I shouted, in an attempt to hide the amusement in my voice. My mind was picturing the tiny female from earlier coming back to give me a piece of her mind, but that wasn’t who walked through my door.
No, this norm was the opposite of those who had visited me in the past. I crossed my arms as we assessed each other. He was my height with broad shoulders and muscles that rivaled my own. His unruly russet hair paired with his faded t-shirt and jeans
indicated that he was most likely a college student, but the way his hazel eyes narrowed at me said something else entirely.
“They sent the muscle this time. Are you here to force me into aligning with the HCA?”
The norm took a deep breath and released it in a slow, measured pace. The muscles in his shoulders loosened and he unclenched his fists. “No. That is not how we work, but the powers that be sent me because of your verbal attack on the last representative who visited.”
“I wouldn’t call raising my voice at someone who refused to leave my office a ‘verbal attack’.” The norm’s body tightened again, showing his aggravation. My lips curled into a cocky smile. He was just as easy to manipulate as the others.
“Making my friend feel uncomfortable and then yelling at her for no reason was an asshole move. Her mission was clear—she needed to relay her message and because you are a dick, she didn’t get the chance. So here I am. I don’t want to be here. Your little temper tantrum ruined my plans to meet with a friend so you’re going to hear the message so I can get back to my life.”
Silence permeated the room as we stared each other down. Although the norm’s body language indicated that he was beyond angry, he kept a calm, steady voice. He was restrained enough to not act on his impulses like a good soldier. The familiar stirrings of respect began to churn—it was an emotion I didn’t feel often in my field. I motioned for him to take a seat.
“Sounds like this friend is special. I bet she’s beautiful.”
“I’m not even going to ask how you knew I was visiting a girl.” He paused a moment, looking at me as if I would explain, but I just waved my hand as if it were no big deal. Which it wasn’t. It was a lucky guess, but I liked to keep a little mystery in my dealings so I didn’t explain. His stoic face pinched in thought before he continued. “She is as special as she is beautiful, but she’s only a friend. She and my brother dated for years before he was killed by the HPC right in front of her. She’s in a fragile state right now and I’ve taken it upon myself to make sure she’s okay.”
“That’s noble of you.”
“I love her like a sister. Taking care of each other is what family does.”
I closed my eyes at his comment. The resentment and sorrow that usually accompanied any mention of family bubbled up, but this time it was laced with jealousy. When I reopened my eyes the norm stared at me with a knowing look. He saw though my stone-like façade. It annoyed me.
“Listen…”
“Michael.”
“Yes, Michael. Listen, I am at the end of patience with your organization and with you as their representative. Get to the point of this meeting.”
He stared at me for a few more seconds that seemed to drag into minutes. It was unnerving and I had to force myself to keep my face impassive. For some reason, this norm was getting under my skin with his stare that felt like he could see through every wall I put up.
“The HCA wants your special set of skills both as an investigator and as a Caelian on their side. The higher ups have been watching you and are impressed with what they have seen.” His eyes roamed me as if he saw me lacking. I’m sure it was supposed to be intimidating, but everything—the idea of some mysterious powers thinking they knew enough about me to be impressed and this organization thinking a norm could intimidate me to rush down to their offices in order to enlist was hilarious.
So I laughed.
And laughed.
Michael sat across from my desk waiting until my breaths became shorter and the laughing died down to hiccups.
“Are you done?” He asked.
“I haven’t laughed like that in years.”
“Glad to be of service.” He reached to the strap crossing his chest, pulling it over his head and placing a rough-looking messenger bag I hadn’t noticed earlier on my desk. He sat forward while lifting the flap of the bag before pulling out a stack of papers.
“What’s all this?”
“Everything we have on you.” My body jerked to attention. “Don’t worry, Kian, we are not here to bribe or intimidate you into joining, but we wanted you to know that we have done our research. You are a unique individual. A child born into privilege who leaves it all behind to live with a norm grandmother on a farm. Most of your career you have sought cases that were deemed impossible to solve, but you solved them. For the last year, all of your jobs have been focused against organizations like the HPC and the Koenig families.”
“What?” I interrupted. “Give me a minute.” My mind whirred with what he had said. Did I really unconsciously seek out those cases that would stop those organizations? Every case I picked, I picked because they pulled at me. I felt like I would be doing something worthwhile.
“Kian.” Michael’s voice broke through my thoughts. “We know about the boy.”
The world stopped with his declaration. Sound was muffled and my lungs stopped taking in air. Seafoam green eyes flashed in my mind. Those eyes weren’t as bright as they used to be, but they still made the ache in my chest flare up.
“Then you know what kind of monster Miles Koenig is.”
“We do.”
“Who knows?”
“Only a few of the higher ups and myself. I was told before I left in order to catch your attention,” he paused, giving me another annoying look of understanding. “Just so you know, I won’t tell a soul.”
“Good.” I was struggling to breathe. It had been months since I had had an attack of this magnitude. The memories of that night pushed themselves out of their cage and flashed like a silent film. “You need to go.”
“I have more to say.”
“No.” My fist slammed into my desk, cracking it in half. The two halves crashed to the ground, kicking up dust in the air. Michael jumped up and took a step back, but didn’t leave. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at me.
“I have more to say and then I will go.”
My Talent surged and I felt every cell in my body speed up as I moved. I saw his eyes widen as I blurred from my spot behind the desk to stand in front of him. My secondary wasn’t common knowledge and apparently the HCA wasn’t aware of it either. Until now.
“You will go, now. You have no idea what kind of demons you just unlocked and I doubt your frail body could handle what my Talent could do to it.”
He nodded. “Okay. Next Friday a HCA recruiter and two council members will be at NTU for a party. They hope you will meet with them to discuss how you can help stop the atrocities going on at GenCorp, and you know stopping them will bring down the Koenig family, too.” Michael stared at me as I stood before him, my entire body tensed. His eyes narrowed in consideration before he dipped his chin as if he had decided something before he turned and walked toward the door. He stopped for a moment to lay a slip of paper in the outgoing mail box screwed into the wall before resuming his exit.
He didn’t look back.
Chapter 9
All week Michael’s words swam throughout my thoughts, leaving me less than useless. I tried focusing on my cases, but all I could think about was whether the HCA’s offer was legit. Could I help take down GenCorp? There were so many reasons beyond my personal revenge for the ruin of GenCorp and if I were an altruistic man, I would have said that the millions of people who would benefit from the downfall of the corporation and the Koenig family would be the best reason.
But I was a selfish man. The only reason I was considering signing myself over to the HCA was to finally put those seafoam green eyes to rest and maybe the ghost they belonged to would stop haunting me.
“Boss.” Conner’s voice echoed throughout my darkened office. When did the sun go down?
“Yeah, Conner.” My unused voice cracked with each syllable.
“Are you going to that party tonight?”
I snickered. When Michael had left my office last week, Conner had come in and we had talked about the HCA and their invitation. An organization as big as the HCA hosting a party on a college campus made me instantly distrustfu
l. Conner on the other hand, thought it was brilliant for the organization to target the students. They were more likely to be on board with the idea of change than the older generations.
“So you’re still undecided then?” He grunted as he sat across from me.
“I would ask what you would do, but I already know the answer.” I paused to massage my temples. “A large part of me wants to be a part of what they’re doing, but an equally large part is disgusted with belonging to their organization.”
“Can I be honest with you, boss?”
“You always are.”
“They’re not going to force you to join. You have a complicated past, with your parents trying to pressure you to become some political puppet for your mother and then your dealings with the Koenigs and HPC. Those experiences have given you a tainted view of the world. I don’t think you see the good in the alliance because you’ve been victimized by the Caelian family system. In your eyes, the HCA is just another type of family. You should go and at least hear what they have to say.”
Conner kept his gaze settled on my face while I considered what he had said. He was right. I was looking at the HCA through my experiences with other organizations. If that were the only reason I was hesitant to go, then it would be easy for me to at least hear them out.
“I hear you, but that isn’t my only hang up. Hypothetically, if I go and what they have to say is something that I am willing to help with, then what happens to the agency? Gordon left me his company because he knew I would do my best to keep it operating. I’m not comfortable giving up my responsibility for their cause.”
Conner leaned forward in the chair and placed his meaty hands on my new desk. His lips curled into a small smile. “Then you will have to make sure that you’re able to come back often enough. I’m sure having the agency on their side would be an asset to their cause and they would want to take actions to keep the company going. You leaving for months at a time is something everyone here is used to anyway.”
The Caelian Cycle Boxed Set Page 39
