Tangled

by Rebecca Zanetti

  She didn’t struggle, as if she could. Instead, her smile widened. “Actually, it is. Please get back to me with your answer soon, Jack.”

  Heat rushed down Theo’s back. The woman thought he was so daft he wouldn’t figure out what she was trying to sell? He had an idea of what information she was looking to get rid of, and that ended right now. “There’s a chance your deal might be dead in the water,” he said evenly.

  Jack’s green eyes twinkled. “Perhaps.” Then he sobered, his gaze moving to Theo’s hand. “Let her go.”

  Jesus. The woman brought out the defender in everybody. Even criminal middlemen who were well known to broker anything—legal or illegal. “No,” Theo returned.

  “You are so very sweet to worry about me.” Ginny patted Jack’s arm with her free hand. “Theo and I are old friends. No need for concern.”

  Old friends, his ass. Theo didn’t bother to smile. If she wanted to play the polite game, she could damn well do it by herself. He didn’t play games. Ever.

  Jack’s eyes narrowed. “You certain?”

  “I am,” Ginny said softly. “Theo and I have some business to conduct as well. It was lovely to see you, Jack.”

  Theo might just throw up. “Bye, Jack.”

  The shifter nodded, gave him one hard look, and turned on his polished loafers. Seconds later, he’d disappeared into the throng.

  Ginny sighed. “Kindly remove your hand.”

  “Not a chance in hell,” Theo returned, drawing her nearer. “And I’m warning you. You try to create a scene, you cause any problem, and I’ll not care about collateral damage for once. You’re coming with me, and we’re retrieving the Benjamin file. Right now.”

  Her eyes widened fully, and she planted a small hand against her bare upper chest. “The Benjamin file? What in the world is that?”

  He barked out a laugh. Truly, he couldn’t help it. “Ginny, from day one, your act hasn’t worked on me, and you know it.” That was why she’d chosen his older brother to manipulate and use a century ago. Jared had fallen for her helpless act, thought he was in love, and had had his heart broken when she’d mated another male instead of him. Well, he’d thought it had been broken. Now that he’d found his true mate, he knew the difference. “So knock it off,” Theo finished.

  “Theo,” Ginny whispered. “I truly do not know anything about a Benjamin file. What in the world is that?”

  It was the computer file that detailed all of Theo’s family’s holdings and dealings…even the illegal ones. It could bring down and bankrupt his entire family, and most importantly, his Uncle Benjamin. Benny was a crazy thousand-year-old vampire who would easily cut off Theo’s head for losing the file. “I don’t have time for games. Where’s the flash drive?” he asked quietly.

  She shrugged creamy shoulders. “You know I don’t understand computers.”

  The woman could lie. Well. But Theo knew better. “You firebombed our entire system, and now that flash drive is the only record we have. It proves ownership of everything we have.” It also held files they’d used to blackmail others during the years, which was an acceptable way of doing business in the immortal world. He leaned down until his nose nearly touched hers. “I’m losing patience.”

  Pink bloomed across her high cheekbones. “Really, Theo. Ownership records are easy to find these days. Obtain the title deeds in every place you own property. Stocks and businesses have records.”

  He breathed out, his lungs heating. Many records had no paper trail, and she knew it. The blackmail info, and the family history, were both hidden on purpose. And even so, he didn’t have time to traverse the world looking for what legitimate documentation he could find. “Where’s the data?” Hopefully she’d been too busy running from him and trying to sell the files that she hadn’t had time to really go through them.

  He had to get the Green Rock file before anybody else read it. The damn thing might result in his entire family being killed by their current allies. It’d also break his brother Chalton’s heart if he learned the truth. The Realm, his adopted family, would turn on him. “Tell me, Ginny. Now.”

  The witch sighed. “I’m getting a headache. Would you please just stop stalking me?”

  He barely kept from glaring at her. This close, he could see dark circles beneath her eyes. Beneath his hand, her arm trembled. Running from him had taken a toll on her. He tried to steel his heart against that fact, because she’d use it against him. “Let’s go to my hotel and have a nice meal.” Maybe if he got some food into her, the color would return to her pretty face. “We can talk about the file there.”

  “No.” Her pink lips turned down in a pout.

  “Does that look actually work on people?” he asked, truly curious.

  Fire flashed in her intriguing eyes.

  Ah, he’d gotten to her. “I guess it does.” He faulted his gender for being easy marks. Not once had he ever understood why she played at being so helpless. Why not be straight up? Hell, if he didn’t need to get that file back, he’d probably be an easy mark for her if she was honest with him for two whole seconds. “You don’t need games with beauty like yours, Ginny.”

  Surprise, the genuine kind, tilted her lips. “I thought you hated the way I look.”

  Right. Vampires always hated beauty. “No. I dislike the way you pretend to be something you’re not. The way you look is…good.” Unbelievably stunning, to be honest. But he couldn’t give her an inch, or he’d be letting his entire family down. And probably signing their death sentence. “So drop the act, would you?”

  She shook her head as if she was in on a joke he couldn’t fathom. Regret darkened those blue eyes for just a second, enhancing the tired circles beneath them. “You only see what you want to see, Theo.”

  What the hell did that mean? He leaned in. “Explain.”

  Her slim shoulders went back. “I can’t. But you’re right. We do need to talk. Let’s go discuss this somewhere else.”

  Good. She was finally going to work with him. He looked toward the nearest exit. “I agree. Let’s get out of here. Why are you caring about otters, anyway?”

  She blinked. “Otters?”

  He gestured around.

  She laughed, the sound spontaneous and so sexy it hurt. “Oh, Theo. This is a fundraiser for Other Tracks. An international nonprofit that fights the sex trafficking of children across the globe? I donate every year.”

  He straightened. Was she lying? “Oh.” That did seem a lot more important than otters. He studied her, fighting the urge to believe her. She was so damn good at tricking men. Right now, he had other worries. “Let’s go.”

  She sighed, her shoulders hunching. “Very well.” Pivoting, she stumbled into him.

  Pain flared through his arm. Heat rushed through his veins, and his head grew heavy. Gravity claimed him, and he started to fall.

  “Sorry,” she whispered, helping him down to the floor and setting his back to the wall.

  He blinked, his tongue thickening as he saw the small syringe in her hand. The last thought he had before passing completely out was to wonder where such a curve-hugging dress had pockets.

  Then he was out.

  Chapter 2

  Ginny rushed into the suite in her ancient hotel, running for the bedroom to quickly pack. She’d been waylaid too many times on her way out of the ball, but she’d had appearances to keep up. This identity was one she cherished, and she’d fight to keep it. She considered it her good one. The one that did honorable things like help organizations like Other Tracks.

  Oh, Theo would only be out for a short time. The sedative she’d brought had been created for shifters, just in case Jack had tried something. It would take a vampire like Theo down, but not for long.

  She threw clothing into her suitcase, trying to keep her energy up. After working the ball for two hours, she was spent and needed rest. Grabbing her sparkly flats, she quickly exchanged them for her three-inch heels, packing those in the bag. Where the heck should she run? She had to
stay close in case Jack was able to broker a deal. Her final deal. Then she was out.

  The hotel was in the seedier side of town, so no way would Theo look for her there.

  Theo Reese couldn’t be allowed to screw this up for her.

  Damn that vampire. He was far too smart and sexy for her peace of mind. Not once, not once, had he ever fallen for the character she most often played in life. While that intrigued her, totally against her will, she didn’t have time to explore it. Not now. Not when she was so close.

  She grabbed her suitcase and the laptop bag, running into the living area.

  The door crashed open and banged against the wall. Twice.

  She halted, her lungs seizing.

  Theo Reese stood in the doorway, his tux askew, fury across his hard face. All vampires had hard faces. Yet Theo’s was a rock-like formation chiseled into rugged planes and fierce angles that had haunted her dreams more than once through the years. His body was muscled and tight, yet he moved with the grace of a panther shifter. Deadly and sure. His thick brown hair was several shades lighter than his midnight black eyes, which right now swirled with an anger that stole her breath.

  She swallowed, looking for an escape.

  “In that dress, you’ll never make it down the fire escape.” He stepped inside and shut the door behind himself. Well, he shut what was left of the door. “Your sedative didn’t last long.”

  The bastard probably had the metabolism of a demon. Damn vampire. “I said I was sorry.” She dropped her bags and let her voice go breathy. “But…but I had no choice, Theo.” Yes. Good tremble on the last.

  “Bullshit.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest, staring down from at least an additional foot of height.

  She coughed. Nobody swore at her. Ever.

  He lowered his chin. “I swear, Ginny. If you don’t drop the fucking act, I’m going to lose my temper. You don’t want that.”

  No. She truly did not want that. Why hadn’t she taken time to change out of the ball gown? It was nearly impossible to fight in the darn thing. No wonder it had taken so long for women to reach equality in this new world. Their very clothing had held them back. “Theo, there’s no need to get nasty,” she said, her mind spinning for a plan.

  “You haven’t seen nasty. Yet.” He cocked his head to the side and focused on her laptop bag. “Is my flash drive in there?”

  “No,” she said honestly. “I have no idea what flash drive you’re talking about.” Aye, she lied that time.

  His focus slashed back to her face. “Ah, baby. That’s the first time we’ve had this type of conversation. I have a baseline for you now. You have a tell when you lie.”

  “I do not,” she burst out before she could stop herself.

  His smile was slow and somehow dangerous. “You do.”

  “I’m a natural redhead,” she spat, forgetting all about how tired she was.

  “Lie.”

  She breathed out. “I once climbed Mt. Rainier.”

  He blinked. “Truth.”

  Damn it. “I was very much in love with your brother.”

  Red flared across Theo’s face, and he took a minute before responding this time. “Lie,” he said thoughtfully.

  “I love garlic,” she said, her heart speeding up.

  “Lie,” he said instantly.

  God. How was he doing that? “I am nearly addicted to Irish whiskey,” she said quietly.

  He glanced down her dress. “Truth, but that’s hard to believe.”

  Was he guessing? So far, he’d been correct every time. “I want to sleep with you,” she whispered.

  He grinned, making him look almost boyish. “Truth.”

  Her breath relaxed. “Wrong.”

  “No.” He moved toward her. “Feel free to lie to yourself, lady. But that was the truth.”

  She couldn’t help but take a step back. Sure, she’d thought about him. More than she should have. But she did not want to have sex with the damn vampire. “You’re such a bastard.”

  “True sentiment but a lie overall. My parents were married and mated,” he returned, continuing slowly toward her as if he had all the time in the world.

  She stumbled back and held up a hand. “Stop.”

  “Why?” he asked, not stopping.

  “You’re scaring me, Theo,” she said, trying for simpering.

  He stopped cold. “The wimpy tone is bullshit, but I am scaring you.” His lip quirked as if he wasn’t quite sure what to do with that information. “If scaring you gets me what I want, then I’ll do it. I’m prepared to do almost anything, Ginny. Don’t make me.”

  Now he was telling the full truth. Just how far would he go to get back the Benjamin file? For the first time, she actually doubted her ability to get a job done. “I really don’t know what flash drive you’re talking about.” She kept her voice level this time and looked him right in the eye.

  “Lie,” he whispered, slowly shaking his head but somehow managing to keep eye contact. “Oh, you’re good. But that was a lie.”

  She breathed in and settled her stance beneath the long gown without giving her intent away. “Why don’t we call Jared?” Maybe big brother could talk some sense into Theo.

  “He’s on his honeymoon,” Theo said.

  She tried to drum up some sense of hurt, but truth be told, she was happy for the vampire. Jared was a good guy, and he deserved happiness. The vamp in front of her was not a good guy, and he had a hell of an ego. Anger pushed through her fear. “I’m not dealing with Reese junior here.” If she could get him angry enough, maybe he’d make a mistake. “Send in the older boys, would you?”

  Theo’s smile was predatory, plain and simple. “Sorry. My brothers are busy. You’ll have to deal with me.”

  His dark tone licked right across her skin. For years, she’d tried to avoid Theo Reese. He was too smart, too strong…too male. The born soldier in the family. Her damsel act had never worked on him, and that was damn unfortunate. Men were usually idiots, which suited her purposes just fine. Normally. This male…did not suit. “You’re unreasonable, and you won’t listen,” she said softly, breathing in to push out her breasts over the top of the bustier.

  His eyes flared, and satisfaction heated through her. Her breath sped up along with her heart rate. When was the last time a man had provided a challenge for her? He might read lies, but she read people, and this male wanted her. She could use that. As much as she might not want to do so, she had a job to do. A critical one. This time, she stepped toward him. “Listen to me, Theo.”

  His head lifted, while a veil drew down over his eyes. “I’m listening.” His voice lowered to a hoarse growl.

  Her abdomen heated, and her breasts grew heavy. “I—”

  He wrapped a warm hand around her neck, stopping her words.

  She stilled. How had he moved so quickly? Her gaze snapped up to meet his.

  “No more lying,” he said softly. Way too softly.

  A tremble shook her that had nothing to do with fear. Her nerves flashed to fully alive, and her skin sensitized. What the hell was happening to her? Her clothes were suddenly too restrictive. She licked her lips.

  His gaze tracked her tongue. Tension exploded around them, rolling through the room.

  She wanted to retreat a step, but her legs wouldn’t cooperate. “Theo—”

  Pressing his thumb and forefinger beneath where her jaw met her neck, he drew her toward him. “You don’t speak unless it’s the truth. Got it?”

  Fury speared through her. “Think you can stop me?” She lost any hint of helplessness.

  “Yes.” His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Try me.”

  God. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? Her mind fuzzed. No. This couldn’t happen. She knew. She just knew that being kissed by Theo Reese would change her world. Considering her world was full of intrigue, pain, and lies right now…that might not be so bad. But getting involved with him would be a disaster. Especially right now. “Release me because this
is a very bad idea,” she whispered.

  A muscle ticked in his jaw. “That wasn’t a lie.”

  “No.” It wasn’t.

  “Where’s the Benjamin file?” His gaze traveled up from her lips to her eyes.

  All Saints, she could get lost in those midnight black eyes. This close, she could see different shades. Were there different shades of black? She hadn’t thought so before. Now, she could see them. Ah. Vampire eyes. Wait a minute. The vamps had tertiary eye colors that came out in times of stress or great emotion or supposedly during sex. Jared’s were just a darker black, which she’d seen once when he’d been in a fight as a kid. Chalton, the middle brother, had a deep blue that was almost black and didn’t look much different from his normal color. She only knew that because of a background file she’d read on him. There was no such background file on Theo. Unfortunately.

  Theo leaned closer. “Ginny?”

  “What other color are your eyes?” she blurted.

  He blinked. Once and then twice. “The only way you’ll ever know that is if you’re naked.”

  Naked. He said naked. She gulped down a swallow. Images of Theo sans clothing, over her, slid through her mind, down her body, and landed hard between her legs. Was it possible to faint from desire? Oh, she was a master at pretending to faint. But now, her knees actually wobbled. “How improper,” she said, fighting her hardest to keep her voice mild.

  “The last thing in the world you need is proper.” His voice was even milder.

  He wanted to play? Fine. She could play. “What do I need, Theo?” she asked in her flirtiest voice, trying to toss her head at the same time. His firm hand made it difficult, but she gave it a good effort, sending her thick hair tumbling down her back.

  A growl rumbled up his chest and heated the air between them. “Not something you’d enjoy,” he said, his hold tightening just enough to give warning. “Why the hell aren’t you burning me? Are you that desperate to appear weak?”

  The words slapped her in the face. Only training kept her from reacting. “You’re not worth the effort.”

  His head tilted just slightly, in a curiously dangerous way. “That hurt you. What I said. Why?”