by Dianna Love
He’d taken over Quinn’s role of Maistir and had now teleported Quinn at a moment’s notice.
No questions asked.
Paying that man back would require ... he couldn’t fathom how to do it and had told Daegan as much, to which Daegan replied, “Bring your daughter home. That will be payment enough.”
Daegan was earning loyalty from all of his followers. The Beladors had a true leader.
Quinn hoped this was the place Lanna had seen. Now he just had to locate a faded yellow building with NO TRESPASSING signs. If everything Lanna had observed was accurate, that could be in any of four directions.
He dismissed any doubts. With more of a lead than ever before, now was the time for action.
He waited as people walked along Frisco Avenue in both directions. Thankfully, no event appeared to be scheduled at the dome for tonight. As soon as humans were out of the way, he used kinetics to leap across the wrought iron fence wrapping the back half of the sports complex.
Due to dealing with troll raids and the like in Atlanta, Quinn had been wearing dark-green cargo pants and a black T-shirt when he’d come to the meeting with Lanna. Storm had loaned him a hooded gray jacket, which allowed Quinn the ability to hide his Triquetra blades for easy access.
He could only hope that between those razor-sharp, triangular throwing blades and his Belador powers, he was prepared for whatever he went up against.
Didn’t matter. He was getting his child away from her kidnappers.
He struck out in an easterly direction toward downtown Tulsa, covered a mile, then crossed over to a parallel street and headed back to the BOK Center. This was a tedious, but pragmatic approach to covering a mile out in all directions from the center.
It would be simpler and faster if he could use his Belador powers, which allowed him superhuman speed, but he had to do his part to protect the preternatural world from humans.
Not that he had much control of that at the moment. If Queen Maeve and her followers kept up their antics, they would all be exposed to humans.
He kept moving out and back on the parallel streets, using a counter-clockwise direction around the BOK Center.
On his third trip out, he had taken the cut-across to the next street heading back to the center again when his senses picked up energy moving somewhere ahead of him.
Two young men were walking toward him on the opposite side of the street, but they kept going without slowing down. Humans.
That strange energy could be any type of being these days, with trolls and the Medb coven on the move plus Dakkar’s bounty hunters added to the mix, but when Quinn keyed in on the power, it dissipated.
Was the being moving away from Quinn?
Or had he been made and the being now hid its power signature?
He continued, walking quickly along the empty stretch. Not much foot traffic. During a game or event at the sports center, all the parking lots he passed would undoubtedly be full.
The odd energy stroked past his senses again.
He paused, turning slowly to see if he could pinpoint where it came from.
A vibration of energy pulsed hard, as if the being started powering up for something. Quinn picked up his pace and started to cross North Denver Avenue when a movement off to his right caught his eye.
Buildings and embankment walls bordered each side of the avenue, which ran beneath a railway bridge five hundred feet away.
Quinn had stopped at the corner and now eased into a dark area, then stood very still. He saw nothing at first.
Seconds later, there it was.
A dark figure emerged from the shadows and prowled along the narrow walkway that ran along the avenue, protected from the highway by a two-foot-tall concrete divider.
Any question he had about energy coming from that person disappeared when the being paused beneath the railway track bridge and leaped straight up at least ten feet.
He had nothing but instinct to go on at this point. Finding a preternatural being in this area raised his suspicions enough to take a closer look.
Quinn followed, found an opportunity to use his kinetics to leap the ten-foot height, then closed the distance between them. He allowed for a reasonable space to prevent being spotted. As he approached, the deep shadows spit out another figure, much larger.
The new player moved like a troll. At that size, a troll would have claws as long as Quinn’s fingers.
In two long strides, the troll lifted its arms, preparing to attack the smaller person Quinn had been following.
Quinn raced forward.
The potential victim spun and lashed out with a whip of power that sliced horizontally across the troll’s chest.
The troll made a nasty groaning sound, then toppled over.
But Quinn had lost the advantage of being clandestine since his footsteps gave him away.
The victor of the battle took off, running down the tracks.
Now, with no humans around, it was time to use his Belador speed.
Advantage Quinn. He rushed ahead in a blur. His prey was quick, but not quick enough. Quinn saw his opportunity. Someone working on the tracks had stacked a short pile of railroad ties on the side.
When he got within a hundred feet, he used kinetics to spin a wooden tie across the tracks into the path of his prey, sending the lithe figure flying through the air and landing in a tumble.
He barreled up and stopped just short of running over the now-prone body that was heaving air in and out.
Hair that could be red or brown spilled out as her cap fell off. Good goddess.
He stared down at a face he’d never expected to see again. “What are you doing here, Reese?”
Shock washed over her face for a split second before she shut it down to that blank expression he remembered so well.
“I’ve got business here.”
He offered her a hand.
Instead of accepting his help, she jumped to her feet and backed away. “What are you doing here?”
She’d been in Atlanta, hunting Kizira’s stolen tomb and never said why she wanted it. Now she was not only in Tulsa, but in the area where Phoedra should be?
A coincidence by definition was an extraordinary concurrence of events or circumstances without an obvious causal connection.
He had yet to believe in coincidence, especially when on a mission.
“What business do you have here, Reese?”
“I didn’t tell you?” she said innocently, then snapped her fingers. “It’s because I figured out a long time ago not to explain things to people. Otherwise they start thinking they’re entitled to know everything I do.”
That smart mouth verified he had the real Reese.
But what was she doing here?
“Tell you what, Quinn. If you tell me why you’re here, I’ll tell you why I am. But if you try to bullshit me, I’m gone.”
“I believe we’ve established that I can outrun you.”
“You think that’s all I can do?”
The minute she referenced her powers, he scanned her neck for the leather thong holding the medallion she’d worn last time. There it was. For some reason, she could access her powers with that medallion, which meant whoever had taken away her use of them had not given them back fully.
“Who has you dangling at the end of puppet strings, Reese?”
Her cocky smile fell away at that. “I’m busy and I’m on a tight time frame so either meet me halfway or leave me alone.”
“I have a third idea.”
“What’s that, sport?”
“I could use that baling wire over there to tie you up until I finish what I came to do, then take you back to Atlanta with me where you could finally answer my questions.”
“You can’t teleport.”
“No, but I have someone on speed dial who can. Remember the dragon?”
She took a step back.
Shit. He hadn’t planned on her calling his bluff.
Chapter 17
Using he
r peripheral vision, Reese took in her surroundings while keeping Quinn in front of her. He looked the same and yet different. Quinn had a way of being imposing no matter if he wore a suit or jeans. The hoodie might downplay him to a regular guy on the street, but only from a distance.
Anyone who got close to him would sense a level of power. Even a human would.
One look at this man, and a woman would start calculating ways to get him in the sack. Not that she was, because she’d already calculated about a thousand different scenarios.
Not one of them looked anything like this minute.
She could not use her remaining teleportation just to get away from him, but that left her few options. She’d seen enough during her trip to Atlanta to know he could back up his threat to contain and teleport her.
He probably had that blasted dragon on telepathic speed dial.
This wasn’t how she’d envisioned facing Quinn again. Not that she’d planned to actually see him in person, but in her fantasies he was so happy to see her, he declared his undying love.
Okay, not really, but there was lots of great sex.
She’d definitely envisioned that part.
Threatening to tie her up would sound a lot better in a bedroom with silk scarves, not rusty wire.
Not the time to fantasize, Reese. Why was Quinn here anyway?
Did it have to do with Phoedra?
If Quinn wasn’t here because of Phoedra, this was pretty damn coincidental.
He couldn’t be involved in her kidnapping. The idea of that made Reese sick for the split second it took her to dismiss it. The alternative was ... that Quinn came here hunting Phoedra for someone else.
That would be even more disturbing if not for one simple fact. Reese had left Kizira’s body in Quinn’s care because this man epitomized honor. He wouldn’t be hunting the girl for any bad reason.
The niggling, ugly, green-eyed monster poked at Reese now, reminding her about Quinn and Kizira’s involvement, and how much he’d obviously cared for the Medb witch.
At least she was sure of one thing. Phoedra couldn’t be his child, because Reese had spent enough time around Quinn to believe he would not have left Phoedra without a father.
Reese knew, firsthand, the kind of man who abandoned his own flesh and blood.
Maybe Kizira had somehow left Quinn a message asking him to protect her daughter.
Reese brightened at that thought. Her gut latched onto that explanation for now.
Still, her cynical side wouldn’t shut up. She had to determine whether Quinn really was hunting Phoedra, and if so, why.
Not that any reason would overrule Reese’s commitment to Yáahl, but she’d sleep better confirming Quinn was still one of the good guys.
She’d been the bigger person about Kizira’s body and walked away empty-handed last time, but not this go-round.
Quinn watched her with an expression that said he was unwilling to let her leave until he had what he wanted. “Reese, please don’t push me to do something I’d rather not.”
“Let’s put our cards on the table,” she suggested.
“I’m in no mood for games.”
“Makes two of us.” She gave him a serious look to sell her point. She’d knocked aside the damn nonhuman bounty hunter who’d tried to grab her, then teleported away. Then she’d had to fight a freaking troll when she arrived in Tulsa. As much as seeing Quinn made her heart pitter-pat, time was a wastin’ and she needed to get moving. “Tell you what. You start first because I was here first.”
Sometimes an illogical argument was the best way to go.
He crossed his arms and eyed her with confusion.
Time kept ticking away.
She finally said, “Fine. I’ll start first, but I’m trusting you to do the right thing and tell me the truth about why you’re here.”
He made no sound of agreement.
She banked on the fact that this man who had fought beside her against an army of demons, and stood in front of her when it looked like they were going to die, still had a core of honor a mile wide.
Brushing off her jeans from the tumble and shoving her hair off her face, she stood with her feet shoulder-width apart and hands on hips. “I’m looking for someone.”
His lips parted then closed into a firm line. “Who?”
“See? You’re not playing fair. You’re supposed to tell me what you’re doing now.”
“Fine. I’m here for the same reason. Now, who are you looking for?”
“A young girl who got kidnapped.”
“Why are you after her?”
Reese picked up some seriously suspicious tones from him. “If you’d just tell me—”
“You’re looking for Phoedra,” Quinn accused, clearly done with twenty questions.
Damn.
“Yes, but that must mean you’re hunting her, too. Why?” Reese shot back at him.
“I have my reasons.”
She hated this endless circle jerk. “How well do you know her?”
“That has no bearing on what I’m doing.”
Her heart sank at his cold reply that sounded like business as usual. Evidently, she didn’t know Quinn as well as she’d thought. If he’d at least indicated he was doing it for a friend, she could have lived with that, but nothing about his demeanor said this was personal.
Well, it was to her.
He’d just ruined the best fantasy lover she’d had in years.
Too many years.
Slamming her fist into her hand, she said, “Unbelievable. I help you get Kizira’s body back and leave it with you when I had a lot on the line for delivering that body to someone who wanted to protect it. But I thought I was doing the right thing. My radar for men is so far off I can’t even fathom it.”
Quinn’s eyebrows shot upward, but she wanted answers, dammit. On a roll, she demanded, “Who’s paying you to hunt down this girl? Must be big money considering they sent the Belador Maistir. I will not let anyone mess with Phoedra so just back off and go home.”
“You think I’m here to kidnap her?”
Reese offered her duh look.
Quinn snapped, “I’m not here to harm her.”
“Oh, really? Then give me one reason to trust why you’re here right after she’s been kidnapped?”
His face lost its stern countenance. “Phoedra is my daughter.”
Ah, hell.
Just ... well ... hell.
Reese’s mind had been connecting dots between Kizira’s ghost and Quinn being so possessive of Kizira’s body, trying to show her this had been more than a quick tryst. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t suspected something intimate between Quinn and Kizira, but to be honest she hadn’t wanted to accept that a powerful Belador had been actually having an affair with a powerful Medb. An affair based on real, deep, one-of-a-kind love.
She’d seen the evidence of his love for Kizira by the way he’d put his life in jeopardy to protect the witch’s cold body.
But ... he’d had a child with her?
And he had clearly not been in Phoedra’s life.
How many times am I going to allow a man to make me feel like an idiot?
Quinn crossed his arms. His eyebrows dropped low over his eyes and his voice had a chilling sound when he asked, “Did you know Phoedra was Kizira’s daughter the whole time you were in Atlanta?”
“No.” What happened? A minute ago she’d had the upper hand, but now Quinn was on offense, questioning her. If Phoedra really was his daughter, and she doubted he would say that if it weren’t true, he might tune up his mind lock trick and dynamite Reese’s head.
“Who are you working for, Reese?”
“No one.”
“You show up again, with that medallion you use to access your powers, and want to convince me you answer to no one?”
“I’m here on my own. The situation with my powers is my personal business.”
“You showed up in Atlanta with some kind of blood that draws demons. Phoedra�
��s safety is more important to me than anything in this world. How am I supposed to trust what you are when all I know is that you apparently have demon blood?”
That made her sound like a preternatural skank. “I can’t help what kind of blood I have, but I’m not a freaking demon, if that’s what you’re implying.”
Her short tone must have gotten through to him. Quinn said, “I have no issue with you as long as you don’t get between my child and me. Stand aside. I’m going after Phoedra.”
She would not let him see how he’d hurt her. “Oh, you’re going all fatherly now when you haven’t been around for the past thirteen years?”
His eyes flared at that hit.
Too bad. He had no reason to treat her like some demon that would kill Phoedra when he hadn’t been around at all. “You do what you want, but I’m heading out, too.”
A thought crossed his face. “Do you know where Phoedra is?”
“Oh, now you want information? Really?”
He cupped his chin as if processing something. “Do you know anything about her kidnappers?”
“Why, yes, Mr. Belador Maistir. I was the one who fought them to get her back. I can identify two of her kidnappers and the van they were in when they went through what looked like a bolthole.”
“It was a bolthole.” He said that as a statement, not a question.
Reese recalled how Quinn had needed her help in Atlanta to find Kizira’s stolen tomb. How did he know it was a bolthole, and furthermore, how had he known Tulsa was the place to find Phoedra without Reese’s remote viewing help?
She glared at him and rattled off, “Yes, that’s exactly how they escaped and I was there to observe it, but I’m just some lowly grunt with demon blood, so you might not want to take my word for it.”
He muttered something that sounded like a curse in Russian. “If you truly care about Phoedra’s safety, let’s put our differences aside and share information.”
She started to point out that there had been no differences until he’d treated her like a second-class citizen.
Reese scrubbed her hands over her face, trying to wash away her anger, because he had a point, damn him. “I’ve been here almost an hour.”
“How’d you get here so quickly?”
“I have friends in low places,” she shot back at him. “Anyhow, I’ve been covering the area around BOK Center to find the van, because I saw it go past the center.”
