by I. T. Lucas
“Welcome to immortality, Syssi. To completely transition will take up to six months, but the major change has already taken place. Your body heals itself fast, and it will just keep improving.” Bridget smiled at Kian and Syssi’s relieved faces. “You’re the second one I’ve welcomed today.”
“What?” Kian eyes shot to her.
“I have Michael in the next room, suffering like a trooper through growing venom glands and fangs. I offered to knock him out and spare him the pain, but he refused. Told me he wants to witness his change. I wonder how long he’ll hold out on the painkillers when he realizes it may take up to a month for these beauties to grow.” She beamed proudly—as if she had just delivered two new lives into the world. And in a way she had.
“I’m so happy…” Syssi sniffled, returning Kian’s gentle embrace.
“Can I take her upstairs now?” Kian asked. If he never had to see the cursed sick room again, it would be too soon.
“Let me just take a few blood samples, and then you’re free to go, Syssi. But take it easy until you feel stronger. Small liquid meals to start with, and then nothing heavy for the next twenty-four hours. After that, eat as much as you can stuff into your stomach. You’ll need the fuel.”
Kian brushed his hand over Syssi’s hair. “I’m going to step outside for a minute and tell everybody the good news. They all kept vigil for you, sweetheart. None of the Guardians left this corridor unless they absolutely had to…” He smiled at her and kissed her hand. “It looks like they all have fallen under your spell…” He paused. “My mother flew over to be with you as well, and she wants to meet you as soon as you’re up…” He stopped when he saw Syssi’s terrified expression.
“She is here?” Syssi whispered. “I can’t see her now! I must look like a wreck… Oh my God! She already got to see me looking like this, didn’t she?”
“You’re being silly. She said you’re lovely…”
“I don’t care. I want to shower and get dressed before I meet her. Please, Kian, don’t let her see me before I do…” Syssi pleaded.
“I won’t. I promised to let her know as soon as you were awake, but I’ll tell her you want to freshen up… Deal?”
“Thank you!”
Later, after Bridget was done with her tests and released Syssi into his care, Kian carried her all the way up to his penthouse, despite her protests that she was okay to walk on her own.
Then when he let her down in the bathroom, she shooed him away like some annoying pest. For some inexplicable reason, the mulish woman refused his offer to wash her, insisting she was well enough to do it by herself.
As if that had anything to do with it.
He wanted to take care of her… needed to…
Eventually, he dropped the argument only because he didn’t want to upset her so soon after all she had been through.
Waiting, Kian sprawled on his bed, stretching his stiff body as he listened to the sounds percolating from under the bathroom’s door; ready to jump to her rescue in case she needed him after all.
But his worry for Amanda pressed heavily on his chest, preventing him from getting any measure of rest, and as his cellphone vibrated in his pocket, he quickly fumbled to pull the thing out; hoping for some good news. “What do you have for me?”
“Kian, we have a situation down at the lobby,” Onegus told him. “Martin, the dayshift’s security supervisor, called. There is a guy down there, Andrew Spivak, claiming to be Syssi’s brother. He demands to see his sister or either Amanda or you. He is making a scene and threatening to bring a SWAT team to storm the building if refused. What do you want me to do?”
“I’m on my way. Tell Martin I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Kian dropped his legs down the side of the bed and hung his head for a moment. He was so depleted that he couldn’t even bring himself to be angry with Syssi for disclosing their location to her brother.
Just another situation for him to handle, he sighed. What else could go wrong? Pushing off the bed, he trudged to the bathroom and opened the door. At the sight of Syssi’s delicate body wrapped in a big blue towel, and her long wet hair dripping on the floor, his frustration flew out the window. She looked even smaller and more fragile than before.
With a muted curse, he took her in his arms, and a sense of profound gratitude washed over him as he realized that despite how frail she looked, she was here, alive, and practically indestructible.
Oddly, though, as he held Syssi he felt as if her small, soft body was infusing him with renewed energy, and instead of him lending her his strength, she was his power source.
He kissed the top of her wet hair, filling his lungs with her unique fragrance. “I don’t want to rush you, but I just got a call that your brother is down in the lobby and is demanding to see you. I’m going down to talk to him,” he said softly.
Syssi seemed just as surprised as he’d been. “How did he find me? Had he had me followed? He must’ve… after I left the restaurant. I’m so sorry…”
“Well, somehow he has found you. The question is, why is he here? What does he want?”
“He is probably worried about me. I began feeling sick at the restaurant, and he must have called to ask how I felt, then had a conniption when I didn’t answer his calls. He is very protective…” Syssi chewed her lower lip, looking troubled. Though Kian wasn’t sure what disturbed her more; being the cause for the breach in security or the source of Andrew’s angst.
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. I’ll deal with him. Everything is going to be all right.” Kian wasn’t sure how exactly he would accomplish that, but while she was recovering from her ordeal, he didn’t want her upset over anything.
“Maybe I should go down and reassure Andrew that I’m fine. He wouldn’t rest until you let him see me anyway. Don’t underestimate him, Andrew has his resources. He is an undercover government antiterrorism agent, and before that he was Special Forces.”
“In this case, I’ll better not have him wait any longer…” Kian smiled at her. “Get dressed. If he wouldn’t be satisfied with talking with you on the phone, I’ll bring him up here.”
“Thank you, I know he’ll want to see me.”
CHAPTER 46: ANDREW
Down at the lobby, Andrew paced restlessly, shooting murderous glares at the security people watching his every move. He was beside himself with worry after calling Syssi nonstop for the past two days and leaving urgent messages on her voicemail—to no avail. How sick could she be not to answer any of them, or check her messages? Did this new boyfriend of hers do something to her?
And where was Amanda? He was so sure the woman would take care of Syssi. Why didn’t she pick up Syssi’s phone?
Andrew’s hand went to his concealed weapon.
Don’t be an idiot. He dropped his hand back to his side and went back to glaring at the bank of elevators, waiting for the boyfriend to show up, so he could tear him a new ass.
As he waited, several loads of people got out of the elevators. It didn’t escape his notice, however, that only two out of the three served the general public. And as soon as the doors of the third one opened, revealing an extraordinarily good-looking man, Andrew knew it was his guy.
It wasn’t that Kian and Amanda looked alike, they didn’t; Amanda being a brunette and this guy being a reddish, dark blond. But it was the towering height and the level of physical perfection they shared that made it obvious the two were related.
His good looks aside, the man appeared tired, and his haggard appearance made Andrew’s gut clench with worry. Dispensing with polite introductions, he pounced on the guy. “Where is my sister? Is she all right?”
“Syssi is fine. She was unwell, but it is all over now, and she is getting better. I’m Kian.” The man offered his hand.
“I know.” Reluctantly, Andrew shook what he offered. “Andrew Spivak, as I’m sure you were informed by your goons. But although I’m happy to hear Syssi is feeling better, I need to see her with my own eyes…”
&
nbsp; CHAPTER 47: KIAN
As Kian assessed Andrew, taking in the steely determination and the barely contained aggression wafting off him, he realized Syssi had been right. Her brother would never back off or be placated with a mere phone call. And what’s more, Andrew Spivak didn’t seem like the type to issue empty threats he had no way of backing up either. Kian had no doubt that if denied audience with his sister, the guy would come back with a SWAT team and storm the building.
“I sympathize. I have three sisters of my own… Come, I’ll take you to see her.” Kian led the way toward the elevators.
He couldn’t believe he was allowing a practical stranger into his sanctum-sanctorum.
Well, whatever. He could always thrall the man to forget the place later. And besides, this was Syssi’s brother, which made him part of the family… Sort of.
And yet, even though these were all valid excuses for his easy acquiescence to Andrew’s demands, Kian suspected the real reason behind his caving in so quickly was his fatigue. He was just too tired to argue.
As soon as the doors closed, Andrew pinned Kian with a hard stare. “Sorry about the goon remark, I know your people were just doing their job. But why the high level of security? What kind of business are you running that demands it?” he asked, his eyes holding Kian’s with relentless scrutiny.
Kian countered, leveling Andrew’s unflinching stare with a hard one of his own. “I assure you there is nothing nefarious about our conglomerate, besides enemies who wish to destroy it and my family along with it.” Kian crossed his arms over his chest, his hard frown daring Andrew to further his insulting insinuations.
“Okay then.” Andrew nodded his acceptance of Kian’s brief explanation, then mirroring Kian’s pose, leaned against the elevator’s wall and crossed his arms over his chest and his legs at the ankles.
“That’s it? No more questions? I would’ve expected more from someone like you.” Kian exited into the penthouse’s vestibule, holding the elevator’s door open for Andrew.
“For now, it will do… I know when people lie to my face, and you were telling the truth…”
Kian opened the door to his home and motioned Andrew to go ahead. “That’s a very useful talent to have.”
“I know.” Andrew looked around the place with appreciative eyes. “Nice place you got.”
“Thank you.” Kian closed the door behind them. “Please, make yourself at home while I get Syssi.” He pointed to the couch.
Andrew was about to sit down when he got caught with his butt in midair as Syssi rushed in at full speed to hug him fiercely. “I’m so sorry I had you worried. They held me for observation down at the clinic, and my phone was up here. Kian was with me the whole time I was sick, so no one heard it ringing. We just came back up here a short time before you showed up and didn’t have the chance to check yet…”
“That’s okay; I just need to know how you’re doing now.”
“I’m all better. It was just a nasty twenty-four-hour bug.”
CHAPTER 48: ANDREW
Syssi had lied.
Though looking her over, Andrew had no idea why, and about what. He was there when she had gotten sick, and it was obvious that she was recovering from something. But aside from looking tired and thinner, Syssi seemed fine. There were no visible bruises or other signs of injury he could detect.
“By the way, Andrew, how did you find us? Syssi tells me that she didn’t share with you where she was staying…” Kian sat down on the couch and stretched his arms on its back.
Shit. I’m screwed.
Rushing over, worried and angry, he hadn’t thought of coming up with a plausible story.
Fuck! Syssi was going to blow up. Except, there was not much he could do about it now. He was cornered into admitting the truth.
“I checked your location, Syssi, right after you called me with that story of working from Amanda’s place. There is a tracking device in the necklace I gave you for your sweet sixteen. The one you swore you’ll always wear.” Andrew frowned. “The one I don’t see around your neck. Where is it?”
Syssi gaped at him, then as the implication of what he had told her sank in, she narrowed her eyes and flushed red.
Andrew winced. Syssi looked so furious that he wouldn’t have been surprised if she grabbed something and threw it at him.
“You always do stuff like this. I’m really sick of it. When are you going to start treating me like an adult?” Syssi pushed up from the couch and turned her back to him.
Andrew suppressed a smile. Ever since she’d been a toddler, Syssi would always do that; refuse to look at him when he made her mad. “I don’t know why you’re so angry with me… It’s just a location tracker. And it’s not like I’m spying on what you’re doing or listening on your conversations. In my opinion, everybody should have one. Even I have a tracker on me at all times… It’s a perfectly reasonable precaution.” Andrew pushed up from where he was sitting and placed his hands on Syssi’s shoulders.
She shrugged them off.
“Some help here?” He shot Kian a pleading look, hoping the boyfriend might hold more sway.
“Andrew is absolutely right. I wish I had Amanda wear a tracking device. I wouldn’t be sitting here helpless if I had.” Kian grimaced.
Syssi turned to Kian, her face suddenly lined with worry. “Why? What happened to Amanda?”
“Yes, where is Amanda? What’s going on?” Andrew echoed, his gut clenching.
Kian’s pained expression confirmed his fear. “After she left the restaurant where you three had lunch at yesterday, she was abducted. We found a recording from a surveillance camera at the jewelry store she was taken from, so we know it was one of our enemies who took her. But that’s all we have. We don’t even know where to begin looking.” Kian sank into the couch cushions, hanging his head on his fists.
The distressing news sliced through Andrew like a serrated blade, tearing up his gut. He knew all too well what could befall such beautiful woman in captivity—the images, unfortunately, made vivid by the many others he had witnessed during his time on the force.
“Oh my God. Oh my God…” Syssi repeated frantically, her hand flying to her throat.
“Oh! My! God!” she exclaimed more forcefully as her eyes popped wide open.
Bewildered, Andrew glanced at Kian, whose questioning expression echoed his own.
“Amanda has my necklace, Andrew! My sweet, overprotective brother! You’re my hero!… She was wearing my necklace! You can find her!” Syssi jumped on him, hugging him with all she had.
It took a few seconds for her words to sink in, and as they did, Andrew felt Kian’s hands on his shoulders, twisting him around and pulling him into a brief embrace.
“I’ll be forever in your debt for this. Thank you!” Kian sounded hoarse.
Overwhelmed by Kian’s infectious hope, Andrew took a step back. “I haven’t found her yet…” A hope he was loath to disappoint. Unfortunately, experience had taught him that not every rescue mission ended with success.
“I’ll assemble a team with some of my buddies from my old unit. That was what we did, hostage retrieval. I will get her back for you,” Andrew offered, praying he would be able to deliver on that promise: more for Amanda’s sake than Kian’s. But it had to be handled with extreme care. In a situation like this, even a seemingly insignificant mistake could have fatal consequences.
Kian placed a hand on Andrew’s shoulder. “I truly appreciate the offer, but all I need from you is her location. My men and I will handle the rest. We have reason to believe her kidnapper is acting on his own behalf, and no one else is involved. It’s not like we have to invade another country or storm a stronghold and need a trained commando unit to do the job. He is just one man.”
Andrew’s anger bubbled up like hot tar. Was the idiot concerned with honor or appearances when his sister’s life was on the line?
“You listen closely now, as I’m going to say it only once.” Andrew got in Kian’s face. “I�
�m heading the rescue with my people, and you can tag along… if you can follow orders. This is not a job for amateurs, regardless of any combat training you might have, or how much you care about Amanda, nor how easy you believe it would be. My men and I are trained and experienced in exactly these kind of situations. If anybody has a chance to bring her back in one piece, it is me. Don’t you dare indulge in playing power games when the stakes are this high. Do we have an understanding?”
CHAPTER 49: KIAN
Kian gritted his teeth, knowing Andrew was right and resenting him for it. It was irrational, even stupid, to feel this way about the man with the means and knowhow that were crucial for Amanda’s rescue. But he loathed the necessity to relinquish control over the situation to an outsider.
“Fine! You lead, and you can bring two of yours. But I’m coming with two of mine… You need us; there are things only we know about our enemies,” Kian growled, and pulled out his phone. “Tell me what you need and I’ll arrange for it.”
“I’ll call my friend, have him swing by my place and bring my laptop. Once we know more about where the perp is holding her, we can form a plan of action. We’ll need a private room for our people to meet and plan the mission.”
“Have your guy come to the lobby. I’ll have a room ready by the time he gets here.”
“Good.”
As Andrew stepped out to the terrace to make his calls, Syssi tagged behind him. “I need a cigarette…” She grabbed the pack that was still out on the side table next to the chaise.
Andrew arched a brow but said nothing. Turning his back to her, he kept talking with his man in a hushed voice.
Joining Syssi on the lounger, Kian wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “It must’ve been difficult to grow up with a badass like him.” He smirked. “Compared to Andrew’s raging bull style, I’m merely a housebroken bulldog. Not that I’m not grateful beyond words for his help…”
