“Why is he naked?” Luther’s gaze narrowed, and he froze. “Well, fuck.”
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
Luther shook his head. “Why did your vision bring you here?”
“They know Oscar.”
“They?”
Victoria pointed to the open bedroom door. “Constance is getting coffee.” Was it her imagination, or did Luther relax some after he found out there was a woman here with Nic. “They know about the Knights, too.”
“I bet they do.”
Before Victoria could question Luther further, Constance strolled back into the room. “Coffee is on. Won’t take long.”
Nic grabbed his cell phone from the nightstand and dialed a number. “It’s me. I’m putting you on speaker so Constance can hear.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Why do you assume there’s something wrong? Maybe I just want to hear your cheerful voice,” Nic taunted.
“Do you know what fucking time it is?”
“Hi, Tarrant.” Constance’s greeting was tentative.
“Hi, sweetheart. What do you need?”
Constance grinned at Nic. “We’re worried about Oscar.”
“Where is he?” Just like that, the man they’d called Tarrant was all business. Victoria didn’t understand the connection between the people here or how they knew Oscar, but it was obvious they were all close.
Luther moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her, lending her his warmth and his strength. She leaned against him. Time was running out. She could sense it.
Nic gave Tarrant the pertinent information. Victoria could hear clicking in the background, like Tarrant was using a computer.
“I’ll keep a watch on things,” Tarrant told them. “Does Oscar have a tracker?”
“Yes. He’ll also make sure there’s one on the vehicle he’s in,” Nic confirmed.
“Then I’ll track him. Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Now I’m heading back to bed.”
Nic chuckled. “Give Valeriya our love.”
“No, I’ll give her my love.” The line went dead, and Nic tossed his phone back down on the nightstand.
“There’s nothing more you can do.” Constance took Nic’s hand and led him toward the door. “This is Oscar’s choice.”
Victoria wanted to follow but was being pulled backward. Luther tightened his arms around her, and she knew he was experiencing the same thing.
The room went dim, and Victoria was sucked into the darkness once again. Only this time, she wasn’t alone in the void. Luther’s hold on her was unbreakable. The shadows weren’t as scary with him here.
Then she was back in bed, opening her eyes. Luther was sitting in the chair staring at her. “What the hell was that? I drifted off for a few minutes and was sucked into this dark tunnel that took me to you.”
He was angry and rightfully so. “I don’t know.” She shoved her braid over her shoulder. “I’ve never brought anyone into a vision with me before. I’m sorry.” Who wouldn’t be upset at being dragged into something like that? He certainly hadn’t agreed to it.
God, her gift was always driving people away. She wouldn’t blame Luther if he left and never spent another minute in her company.
Luther pushed out of the chair and glared at her. She glanced away, unable to bear his scorn.
Then the side of the bed depressed, and his hand cupped her cheek. “Look at me, sweetheart.”
She faced him and buried her emotions. She’d never let him see just how much this hurt her.
“Don’t hide from me.” He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip, the gesture both sensual and oddly comforting. “I was surprised, sure, but I’m glad as hell you weren’t there alone.”
“You are?” That was the last thing she’d expected him to say.
“Hell, yes. I don’t want you around some naked guy, even if he doesn’t know you’re there.”
“He was very big and handsome.” She peered straight into his eyes. “But he wasn’t you.” That was as close as she’d come to saying she might be falling in love with him.
He groaned and glanced at the clock. “If we weren’t already running late, I’d crawl back under the covers and spend the day making love to you.”
“After.”
He tilted his head to one side and seemed confused. “After what?”
“After this is over.” She placed her hand over his, trapping it against her skin. “I want to spend all day in bed. With you.”
His nostrils flared, and his eyes seemed to gleam in the early morning light. “That’s a promise.” He stood and rolled his shoulders. “First, we have to deal with the situation at hand. You need to get showered and dressed.” He slipped his shirt on and began to button it.
“What about the conversation we overheard?” She wanted to know more about the people they’d watched, who they were, and how they were related to Oscar.
“I think we can safely say Oscar is no friend to the Knights of the Dragon.”
She went still in bed. “What will you do?” One word from Luther, and Oscar was dead.
“What do you think I’ll do?” He was efficient and was already fully dressed.
“You won’t tell Temple.” Of that she was sure. There was a core of goodness in Luther. He was with Mr. Temple for his own reasons, just as she was.
She belatedly realized she’d done all the talking while Luther hadn’t really shared anything with her. She knew no more about what was driving him than she had yesterday or the day before.
Was that intentional, or had he gotten caught up in the moment as much as she had? It was frustrating to be in the dark, to not truly understand what his motivation was.
Yet she trusted him. Luther wasn’t the type of man who would harm another, not without a good reason. And holding a drakon captive so he could drink its blood was not a good reason. She had no doubt he could kill to protect someone he cared about. Had probably done so. But she didn’t really want to think about that.
“I’ll come for you,” he told her. “Wait until I do.”
“I will,” she promised. She didn’t want to face the others alone. It was getting more difficult each day to hide behind her facade of the ice queen. Her carefully constructed persona was in danger of fracturing. And it was all because of Luther.
He’d pried open the door to her emotions, and there was no closing it again. She felt again, more than she had since she was a child. And she was greedy for more.
She wanted to have sex with Luther, wanted to walk in the park with him, maybe go to a movie, spend hours sharing stories of their lives and past, know his hopes and dreams.
She was falling for him. She gripped the covers in her hands and focused on her breathing. She couldn’t think about such things. Not now. Not until their job here was finished. If they were both somehow able to do what they needed to do and break free of Mr. Temple and the Knights, maybe there was a chance for them.
It wasn’t realistic in the least. The more likely scenario was they’d both end up dead. But for the first time in years, Victoria had hope.
Luther started to leave but came back and leaned down. “No matter what happens over the next few days, trust me. You may not always understand what I’m doing, but you can damn well trust I’m doing it so I can get us both out of here alive. Can you do that for me?”
Could she? She had no choice, and deep down she knew she had faith in him. “I can.”
He nodded and headed toward the door. “Remember, wait for me. I’ll come for you.”
Then he was gone. Victoria glanced at the clock and swore. She bolted from the bed to the bathroom. She only had a short time to get ready.
Chapter Twelve
Luther opened the door and stepped out of the SUV. Victoria remained where she was. He’d already given her a lecture about doing exactly as he said. She was nervous, and the mostly silent, hour-long drive hadn’t hel
ped her settle. She’d only eaten a slice of toast for breakfast, fearing she wouldn’t keep down anything else. She could use a cup of coffee right about now. The few sips she’d had earlier weren’t enough to keep her awake. Sleep had been in short supply last night.
Luther strode forward and met the guard at the gate. There were several more of them standing off to either side. All of them carried automatic weapons.
Oscar was driving the vehicle she was in, and he spoke without taking his eyes away from the road in front of them. “Remember to stay with me or Luther at all times.”
“I will.” It was an easy promise to make. She had no intentions of being alone with either her boss or the reclusive Evan Caine.
She longed to ask Oscar about the people she’d seen in her vision but didn’t dare. She had no idea how he’d react to such a thing. She’d wait and bide her time. There would come a time when the information would be useful. Of that, she had no doubt. And if what she’d overheard last night was correct, Oscar had likely put another tracker somewhere in the vehicle, assuming that Luther wouldn’t search it again, not after finding and discarding the original one. Someone who was on their side knew where they were. That was a small comfort.
Luther strode back toward them, the tail of his long wool coat flapping in the breeze. He looked self-assured and in control. She wished she were half as confident as he appeared.
He slid back inside the vehicle but didn’t speak. He’d barely looked at her or spoken on the drive here. The gate opened, and the lead SUV with Mr. Temple, Saunders, and Jenkins headed in. Oscar followed.
Victoria tried to look around without appearing to do so. This place seemed more like a military compound than a company headquarters. Whatever they were up to here had to be either very sensitive or very illegal. She imagined it was a bit of both.
In the digging she’d done on Caine prior to the trip, he appeared to control businesses in both pharmaceuticals and weapons development and had many powerful contacts within the government, not to mention lucrative contracts. She doubted the government had any idea of what truly went on here.
Secrets. They all have so many secrets.
Oscar stopped in front of a low, squat building that didn’t look the least bit impressive, which meant the bulk of the facility was probably underground. That wasn’t good. Less chance of escaping if things went wrong.
Luther got out and scanned the area before opening her door. Oscar left the keys in the ignition and came around to join them. She shivered as the bitter wind whipped around her. The surrounding area was desolate. It was not the type of place that got uninvited visitors. The isolation pressed down on her.
Luther leaned down and whispered in her ear. “You’ve got this.”
She had no choice. There was no running away from the situation. She stood tall and put on her most professional face as she strode toward her boss. He was already waiting at the door.
As soon as Mr. Temple saw her approaching, he gave a curt nod and entered the building. Saunders and Jenkins followed him. She was very aware of Oscar and Luther at her back.
Security was strict. Big, silent men dressed in black, all holding automatic weapons, surrounded them. All of Mr. Temple’s security team had to surrender their guns. They weren’t happy about it, but Luther had briefed her on what he figured would happen, so she knew he’d been expecting this.
Then their group was led through metal detectors. Caine’s men were taking no chances on hidden weapons. As soon as they were through, their coats were taken. She hadn’t bothered with a purse, as she’d assumed it would be confiscated as well.
When they’d all been screened, one of Caine’s men pointed them toward an elevator. “That will take you to Mr. Caine.”
Left with no other choice, they all stepped inside. There were no buttons, but the door slid shut, and they began to move downward. She tried to get a sense of how many floors they were descending, but it was difficult to tell. At least three, maybe more.
When the door opened, it was to another lobby. Once again, several armed guards waited. One of them pointed to the right. She could tell Mr. Temple was beginning to lose patience. She expected him to make some snide remark, but he turned and walked down the hall.
She had a bad feeling about this. Mr. Temple never held back, was always in control in any meeting he was a part of. That he’d defer to Caine’s blatant show of power without saying anything at all was a sign of just how dangerous Caine was.
Her heels clicked on the tiled floor, the only noise to break up the silence. The room they entered was carpeted in slate gray. A long conference table sat in the center with about twenty plush leather chairs around it. Several bookshelves filled with books and pieces of art lined one long wall. There was a small kitchenette off to the opposite side and a bar as well. It wouldn’t have looked out of place in any Fortune 500 headquarters.
“Herman.” The man who greeted them was tall with a lean, athletic build and brown hair. But that wasn’t what had her stopping in her tracks. She couldn’t breathe. Caine was the man in her dream, the one who’d taken Sergei and his wife.
The walls began to close in around her, and the ceiling began to push down. They were underground. There wasn’t enough air. Only years of training, of learning to hide her true feelings, allowed her to keep herself under control when what she really wanted to do was attack their host. Caine was a monster.
Luther nudged her, a gentle reminder she had to pull herself together, that she wasn’t alone. She had to get a grip on herself. Too many people were depending on her. Not just Sergei and his wife, but Luther and Oscar as well.
They were no doubt being monitored. She knew that, could almost feel it. She couldn’t afford to act out of the ordinary. There were too many lives on the line, hers included. She wished she could tell Luther that Caine was the man from her dream, but she figured he must already suspect as much given her reaction to him.
She moved farther into the room as though she had iron weights wrapped around her ankles. Each step was a victory.
“Caine.” Her boss extended his hand and the two men shook.
“And who have you brought with you?” Caine smiled, but it reminded her of a crocodile, all teeth just waiting for the right moment to take a bite. There was more a sense of anticipation and expectation than sincerity.
“My assistant, Victoria Marshall. And of course, my security team.”
She forced herself to walk closer to the two men. Having Luther with her was the only thing keeping her from running screaming from the room.
Subterfuge wasn’t her strong point. Or maybe it was. She’d been doing it for two years and was still alive. And hadn’t her whole childhood been based on hiding her true self and appearing normal, whatever normal was? Her entire life had been built on deception. And isn’t that depressing?
She shoved aside her thoughts and nodded to their host but didn’t offer her hand. “Mr. Caine.”
“Please, call me Evan. We’re all friends here.” He motioned for her to take the seat next to him. She glanced at Mr. Temple and he nodded at her.
Before Evan could pull out her chair, Luther was there. As she sat, he set her briefcase in front of her. Then he stepped back.
She kept herself ramrod straight and waited until the two men seated themselves. Luther and the others were left standing along with four of Caine’s security men. She didn’t want to call him Evan. He was a monster and he had her friend.
That pulled her focus back to the task at hand. She needed to learn if Sergei and his wife were being kept here. That would certainly justify all the security in place. But she couldn’t assume anything. Caine could have similar complexes in other parts of the country. Maybe even all over the world.
“I was surprised when you reached out to me, Herman,” Caine began.
“No, you weren’t.” Temple leaned back in his chair and studied the seemingly younger man. Now that she knew the blood of a dragon could prolong someone’s life
, she had no idea just how old either man was.
Caine laughed. “You’re right, of course. But you’re also not the first one to contact me. The others I put off.”
“Then why I am here?”
“Because you have something I want.” Caine stood. “I’m being a bad host. Would anyone like coffee?” He looked at her as he asked.
As much as she’d kill for a cup, she shook her head. “I’m fine, thank you.”
“So formal.” He shook his head. “But so beautiful.”
She could feel Luther stirring behind her, but thankfully, no one else seemed to notice.
“Let’s get down to business.” Mr. Temple leaned forward in his chair. “You have something I need, and I’m willing to pay for it.” When he motioned to Victoria, she pulled out a thick file from her briefcase and slid it across the table to Caine.
“Herman, Herman, I have no need of money. I have more than enough of that. And it’s easy to make more. What I need is access to the brilliant scientific minds that work for you.”
Her boss seemed excited. “You’re close.”
Caine laughed. “As close as we’ve ever been. I’m in no rush, you understand.” His smile turned crafty. “But think of the money I could make, the power I could wield if I discovered the secret.”
Was he close to finding a way to preserve dragon blood, or worse, replicate it? If they discovered how to do that, they’d kill her friend. There would be no reason to keep Sergei or Katherine alive.
She couldn’t let that happen.
Caine glanced in her direction again. “I’m also in the market for a new assistant, and you seem to have a stellar one.”
Oh God, he’s going to leave me here with Caine. She concentrated on keeping her breathing even.
“She’s only aware of my legitimate business concerns,” Mr. Temple told him.
“Is that so?” Caine seemed even more amused. “Well then, I think it’s time we took a tour.” He glanced at her boss. “I’m sure you want to check things out to make sure they’re in order.”
Mr. Temple practically bolted from the table. “Of course.”
Drakon Unchained (Blood of the Drakon) Page 13
