Unexpected Vows

by Paige, Victoria

  She disappeared and the glass shattered on the floor.

  I instantly felt bereft, as if I were missing a part of me.

  “Come back,” I whispered.

  * * *

  Colt

  A sound jolted him awake. He thought he was dreaming of breaking glass. He thought he heard someone speaking, but it was so faint, it could have been the sounds of the night. He touched the cold bed beside him and vaguely recalled Kate telling him she was going to get water. But a sixth sense had Colt bolting out of bed. He padded out to the hallway and saw Kate in front of the kitchen staring at the living room.

  “Babe?”

  No answer.

  A trickle of fear skittered down his spine as he cautiously approached her. Did she sleepwalk?

  When he stopped right beside her, she didn’t even acknowledge him. “Kate?”

  No response.

  Fuck no.

  The trickle of fear turned into a flood of panic as a sense of déjà vu gripped him and took him to that time when she’d been unresponsive for several weeks. He waved a hand in front of her.

  Nothing.

  Desperate, he stepped in front of her, gripped her shoulders, shook her and roared, “Kate!”

  Her eyes rolled back and she lost consciousness.

  Fuck!

  He scooped her up and hurried back to the bedroom. Laying her on the mattress, he switched on the bedside lamp. He quickly checked for vitals—breathing, heart rate—which appeared normal. His mind raced as to what to do next. Was this the effect of the spindle? Was it poisoning her brain? Was that why she lost consciousness? Could the effects be this fast?

  Think, Colt!

  He didn’t have Romanov’s number. Where the fuck was his phone? He’d have to call Porter. Dumbass, call Lucas. He was with Romanov. Then he’d take Kate to the hospital. CIA, be damned.

  Colt pulled on jeans and went looking for his suit jacket. He recalled leaving it in the living room when he’d gotten too warm among the crush of people. Sprinting to the living room, he grabbed his jacket and extracted the phone, scrolling through his contacts to call Lucas. But when he stepped back into the room, Kate wasn’t on the bed.

  “Kate?”

  He heard movement behind him and turned too late. Pain exploded at the side of his head.

  Colt fell to his knees, his eyes blurry, probably from the blood of a head wound. Kate’s outline appeared before him.

  “Babe …” The edges of his vision dimmed, but he fought against it.

  “Die, you miserable prick.” Kate’s words lanced through his chest as another blow cracked against his skull.

  Blackness.

  * * *

  Gray Room Kate

  Arms raised, ready to bring down the heavy candlestick holder for a third time, the weak woman inside me paused, begging me not to finish off my treacherous husband. How could I forgive him for killing Piper? I couldn’t even remember why I agreed to marry him. His body rutting over mine on our wedding night made me want to throw up. But something stilled my hands and I couldn’t bash his head in to end his life.

  It would have been so easy.

  Furious with myself, I stalked out to the hallway, passing the kitchen and moving into my bedroom then returning with my duffel. At least, when I agreed to be a guardian to those brats, I had the presence of mind to bring these essentials. Maybe, subconsciously, I wanted to have the choice to leave them when I couldn’t stand them anymore.

  But a beacon called to me—my ally—Nikolai Zorin. He told me he would come for me. That I would be able to escape the lies the CIA perpetuated in my mind. The agency created me and when I was no longer needed, they wanted me put down like a broken race horse. Nikolai said he would help me exact revenge on the country that had betrayed me.

  He also wanted Olivia. I didn’t know why he wanted that brat. Such a handful. Well, she’d be his problem. I just had to deliver her.

  But first, tie up this bastard. I took out my set of handcuffs and locked his wrists behind his back. Then I picked up his phone and smashed it to pieces. Satisfied he wouldn’t be alerting anyone soon, I left the room and went to his office where I knew there was a land line. I destroyed that one, too.

  Now how to pick up Olivia. I needed weapons, but to hide them I needed a coat. But it had to look like I’d rushed out of here. I wore my leather jacket over my sleeping shirt, hiding a switchblade and some flex ties in my jacket’s many inside pockets. I stuffed a few clothes and shoes into the duffel and left the house.

  I took Colt’s Suburban, glancing at the bunkhouse, gratified to see it was all dark. Hopefully, Mac and the ranch hands were so drunk they wouldn’t notice anything. My only worry was Colt’s extra security. I was sure they had to stay sober to monitor the ranch. I factored that into my plans. Trent and Cassie’s house was about seven minutes from the ranch, so I prayed Colt wouldn’t be discovered by then. The gate opening would alert them, but would they check?

  The drive to my sister’s house felt like forever. When I arrived at the turnoff from the main road, I almost forgot that they also had gates.

  Shit.

  I rolled down my window and punched the call button.

  I noticed the lens of the camera move so I changed my facial expression to one of panic.

  “Kate?”

  Trent.

  “Oh, God. Something happened!”

  “Where’s Colt?”

  “He has him,” I cried. “Are the twins okay?”

  The gates opened. Bingo.

  I floored the gas and sped down their long driveway. I slammed on the brakes and parked haphazardly for good measure. I kicked off my slip-on shoes and scrambled barefoot on the ground. Small pieces of gravel and asphalt cut my feet.

  Motherfucker.

  The porch light turned on and Cassie raced down the steps as I collapsed into her arms.

  “What happened?” she asked urgently as she tried to hold me up.

  Trent appeared by our side and scooped me up, carrying me inside.

  “I think it was Nikolai and his goons,” I cried. As he lowered me to my feet, I pretended to sway. Cassie helped me to the couch. Meanwhile, Trent whipped out his phone and before I could stop him, he thumbed a number.

  Shit.

  “How did they get in? I thought Colt had security,” Cassie asked.

  “Maybe Alex is working with Nikolai after all.”

  “That son of a bitch!” my sister exclaimed. “Wait, isn’t he with Lucas?”

  “That doesn’t make sense,” Trent said. “Colt’s not answering. Let me call Mac.”

  I needed to think quick.

  “I think they got to the bunkhouse first. Please send the police.”

  “You haven’t called 911 yet?” Cassie asked, confused.

  “Colt told me to get out of the house. I forgot my phone.”

  My sister stepped away from me. “So you ran? Left Colt and his men at the mercy of Zorin?”

  “My concern is for the twins,” I said stiffly, but I was beginning to see the unraveling of my plans. Cassie was looking at me with disappointment. Well, fuck her! She wasn’t the one who was left behind at Chrysalis to burn and die.

  “You didn’t think Trent and I could protect them?” she asked incredulously. “Why did you leave them with us in the first place?”

  “Mama?”

  My little blond brat appeared at the entrance of the living room.

  “Olivia. Go back to your room,” Cassie said urgently.

  “What the hell?” I glared at my sister as I made my way to Olivia. I knelt down in front of the girl, deliberately giving Cassie and Trent my back to reassure them that my concern was all for my daughter.

  “Are you okay, sweetie?” I asked, kissing the tip of her nose. She nodded, then looked past me at my sister and the sheriff.

  I stood and put myself behind Olivia, facing the other two in the room. “I’m taking them with me. Misty Grove is not safe for them.”

  “Now
wait a minute. What the fuck has gotten into you?” Trent growled. He and Cassie exchanged a quick glance and I knew they were preparing to jump me and steal Olivia from me.

  Trent’s phone buzzed.

  He didn’t even look at it, not taking his eyes off me.

  “Oh, fuck it,” I said as I grabbed Olivia with an arm across her throat and backed away. I retrieved the switchblade from my pocket, snapped it open and held the point to her neck.

  “Kate, calm down,” Trent said, holding up his hands.

  I laughed. “I’m calm. Looks like it’s both of you who are nervous.”

  “The spindle is messing with you,” Cassie said. “It’s poisoning your brain.”

  “Is that the hogwash Romanov told you?”

  “You believed it too, Kate.”

  I was out of time. If that was Colt calling Trent. They were less than seven minutes away. I kept my knife on the girl’s throat and threw the zip ties at them. “Cuff each other. Those are double-cuff so it should be easy.”

  “You wouldn’t hurt her,” Cassie challenged.

  How foolish of my sister. I nicked Olivia at the chin and she whimpered, her little body started shaking.

  Cassie looked at me in disbelief and I smirked.

  My little girl started crying. “Please, Aunt Cassie, I don’t want to die.”

  Trent’s jaw was so tight, I thought he’d break it. “All right! Jesus Christ, Kate. Fuck!”

  They moved slowly at first, so I nicked Olivia on the other side of her chin.

  “Faster,” I said.

  “I swear, if I get a hold of you, I’m going to kill you, you psychotic bitch,” Cassie snarled as she secured Trent’s cuff and they turned their back against each other to pull and tighten them.

  “Can’t wait to see you try.”

  “It’s not her,” Olivia sobbed. “It’s not my mama.”

  “Shut up!” I jerked her toward the entrance and opened the door, leaving it open. “Both of you kneel and drop on your chest. Do it quick.” This time they complied, grunting as they hit the floor. “If I see you get up, I’ll bleed this girl dry. You can keep the other brat.”

  I dragged Olivia down the steps and put her into the Suburban. I checked on Cassie and Trent as I rounded the SUV. They were still flat on the floor. I gunned the engine, backed up, turned the truck around, and tore out of there.

  Time to fulfill what I was meant to do.

  28

  Colt

  Colt’s head throbbed like a motherfucker. He had a cut on his temple and what promised to be an egg-sized lump on the back of his head. Mac found him unconscious when his security alerted him that Kate had left the ranch alone.

  “You sure you don’t need me to come along?” Mac asked when Colt got into the Raptor. “You could have a concussion.”

  “I’m okay,” Colt said. “Something’s going down. I feel it. I need you to keep an eye on things. Get in touch with Millie. Put her on alert.”

  “Okay.” The older man searched his face. “I’m sorry, Colt.”

  Mouth set in a firm line, he gave a tight nod and maneuvered the pickup to leave the ranch. When he got to the main road, he called Lucas on a burner he got from Mac.

  Cassie’s twin answered on the second ring.

  “It’s Colt.”

  “Fuck, man, what happened to you? Trent just called me.”

  “I’ll explain when I see you. Romanov?”

  “We’re on our way to Trent’s.”

  “Is that where Kate went?”

  “Yes, but she got the jump on them. Left with Olivia.”

  Colt fought the urge to close his eyes. His head was killing him, but more than anything, he was afraid for Olivia. Afraid for Kate because if she killed her daughter and they managed to pull her out from whatever state she was in, she would never come back from this.

  “Meet you at Trent’s,” he said curtly and ended the call.

  He got to the sheriff’s house first. Cassie opened the door and her already pissed-off face turned even pissier. “Kate did that?” She lifted her chin toward his head.

  “She’s not herself, Cassie,” Colt sighed, moving past her and seeing Trent hovering over something with Josh.

  “I know that,” she snapped. “Doesn’t make me any less angry. She cut Olivia.”

  Colt’s blood ran cold. “What?” he whispered.

  “Okay, it was a nick. Well, two nicks.”

  “She hurt her just for the hell of it?” It was worse than he thought. If she was hurting people for sport—his thoughts cut off when he saw the guilty look on Cassie’s face.

  “Okay, we might have challenged her that she wouldn’t hurt Olivia.”

  “We?” Trent raised his head, casting his wife a look.

  “Okay, I did.”

  “How long ago did she leave?”

  “Ten, fifteen minutes.”

  He saw the flexi-cuffs on the floor and determined what had happened. There were more pressing issues than finding out how Kate got the jump on them. Hell, she got the jump on him. “Please tell me you have someone looking for my Suburban.”

  Trent shot him an exasperated look before returning his attention to a piece of paper. Colt walked over to them because whatever they were staring at better be more important than Trent going after Kate. “What are you two looking at?” He glanced at Josh. “I’m glad she didn’t take you, too.”

  “Her interest was in Liv,” Josh said. “Liv told me to hide and not to come out no matter what. She gave me this.”

  He pointed to a sheet of four-inch-by-eight-inch bond paper. It was a kid’s doodle of houses and streets. “She told me I need to give this to you or the sheriff or you’ll never find them.”

  “Olivia knew this was going to happen?”

  Josh was fighting tears, breathing through ragged inhales. “Yes.” He wanted to give the boy a break, but they needed information.

  “Why didn’t she tell anyone?”

  “She said it needed to happen so this will end.”

  “What will end, Josh?”

  “I don’t know. She didn’t say. Mom was already here.”

  They heard another vehicle as headlights flashed over the windows. Less than a minute later, Lucas walked in with Romanov and Murphy.

  “Any news?” Lucas asked.

  Colt shook his head.

  “We think we know what happened,” Romanov announced. All eyes turned to him as he handed Colt some photographs.

  Trent looked over his shoulder. “That looks like Edington Mall.”

  “From the transcript of the research recording, that’s when the Beacon activated Kate,” Romanov said. “Has she been acting erratic …?”

  Colt shook his head. “She’s been told the brain spindle could poison her … I’d say her reactions were as expected.” He paused. “Wait a minute. The mall …” He turned to Josh. “Did anything happen? Your mom was unusually agitated that day.”

  Josh thought for a minute and then his eyes widened. “The escalator. She got irritated with Liv and shoved her.”

  “That’s right,” Colt agreed and turned back to Romanov. “So what now?”

  “She’s been summoned by Zorin. We need to find her.”

  “Why didn’t Liv stop her like she did at the festival?” Lucas asked.

  “Josh said Liv told him it needed to happen,” Colt said in a tone fraught with frustration.

  Romanov nodded. “From what I gathered from Nikolai’s research, the spindle is at its most vulnerable when it has control of the host. It’s the best time for Liv to reprogram it without the spindle putting up its own defenses.”

  Trent answered his phone and the darkening of his face wasn’t reassuring. “Keep looking. Scan the stolen vehicle reports. Find any witnesses.” When he ended the call, he looked at Colt. “Found your Suburban. They must’ve switched cars. There’s an APB all the way from here to Atlanta. They’re changing the parameters now because of the changed vehicle. They could have a third
passenger.”

  Everyone looked grim. It was what wasn’t said that weighed heavily on everyone’s minds. If Kate killed someone and dumped the body when she stole the vehicle, whether she was in her right mind or not, it would have dire repercussions.

  “Our only hope is figuring out where this is.” Trent pointed at the drawing. “I have a feeling that’s where Kate and Olivia are heading.” He sighed. “Anyone here familiar with deciphering kids’ drawings?”

  No response.

  * * *

  Gray Room Kate

  We drove two hours in a stolen Camry and were on the outskirts of Atlanta. Olivia had been quiet, not even questioning that I knocked out a person, tied him up, and stuffed him in the trunk of his own car. He’d been drunk anyway. He dropped his keys several times trying to get into his car. If I didn’t get to him first, some mugger would, or he’d have ended up in a wreck.

  “He should not be driving anyway,” I told the girl beside me.

  She shrugged. “It’s okay.”

  “I am not trying to explain myself to you.”

  “I know.”

  A sheriff’s cruiser with lights blazing, but no sound, sped by us in the opposite lane.

  “Are they looking for us?” I asked my little precog.

  “I didn’t pick up anything.”

  I was irritated with her lack of response. She didn’t seem afraid, just bored, and I was baffled as to why I expected any response in the first place. This annoyed me more. “Giving me a cold shoulder? You could have fought a little harder if you wanted to stay.”

  “You cut me twice.” This time I could feel her glare, some emotion at last instead of the cold detachment she’d afforded me during our entire drive from Misty Grove to Atlanta.

  “Is that what this attitude is all about? You are a telepath. You knew I would not harm you more than that and you cried like a big baby? What is the matter? You are a little hurt because Mommy nicked you?” I taunted. “How could you be a child of mine?”

  No response.

  “I didn’t have a choice to be your mother.”

  “I know—”

  “I was not even pregnant with you.”