Sedona Seduction (Sedona Pack Book 2)

by Lisa Kessler

“He’s freezing,” Kaya whispered. “We need to stop the bleeding.”

  I took off my coat and laid it over my friend as I scanned the woods. “Is Cole with you? He’s lost a lot of blood.”

  She shook her head. “Cole’s at the ranch.”

  My heart sank. Even if we managed to slow the external bleeding, without surgery to close the internal wounds, we’d lose him.

  “It’s too late.” Trager blinked, meeting my eyes. “This is on them.” His voice dropped to a weak whisper. “Not your fault.”

  I couldn’t deal with this, but there was no escaping it. “Who did Duane tell?”

  Trager winced, coughed, and hissed. “Deidra…Harlow.”

  I glanced at Kaya. She shrugged. I didn’t recognize the name, either.

  Asher stepped into the clearing, his eyes widening. He knelt beside me. “What happened?”

  “Duane found out Trager was helping me.”

  Trager wasn’t shivering anymore. His breathing came faster now, shallower. We were losing him.

  Kaya met my eyes. “I sent a text to Cole. He’s waiting at the ranch.” Pity shone in her eyes. “He’ll do what he can, but without a hospital…”

  “I know.” I broke eye contact to stare at Trager’s beaten face. This never would have happened if I hadn’t pushed him for more information. I’d take it back if I could, but it was too late for that.

  Guilt mutated into rage as Trager’s final breath passed his lips. Duane could’ve ended him quickly. He wanted Trager to suffer, and for me to find him.

  Nothing would save those assholes from my vengeance. Nothing.

  I straightened, stumbling back from Trager’s body as I methodically patted each of my weapons, calming my jagged emotions. Anger led to mistakes. If I wanted to live through this night, I needed to distance myself from the rage. As I touched the cold metal of my gun and the smooth slender clips of bullets, a familiar iciness chilled my veins, numbing the pain threatening to drown me.

  “Wait.” Kaya moved between me and the building. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going back in.” I stared right over her head at the open door. “Duane dies tonight.”

  “We don’t need Duane.” Kaya didn’t move. “We have a lead now. A new name.”

  I finally risked a look at her face, memorizing every curve, wishing I could see that dimple in her cheek one last time. “Every second Duane breathes is another chance for someone else to find out who you are and what you can do. It’s too dangerous to let him live.”

  “He’s not stupid.” Kaya searched my eyes. “He won’t tell. He knows I’m his life insurance policy.”

  I blinked, not quite comprehending her.

  She took my hand, the simple touch cracking the ice around my assassin’s heart. “You said Sebastian thinks there are four emperors, right? If Duane is one of them, knowing about me could be his ace, right? If he shares my identity, then the other three wouldn’t need him. He’d be dispensable.”

  Was she right? I glanced over at Trager, the sight of his body, of the beating he’d taken, made the decision for me. This could be Kaya if they got their hands on her. She wouldn’t be safe until Duane was dead.

  I slid my hand free of hers and bent to retrieve my jacket with the extra clips of ammunition. “I have to do this, to finish this.”

  She shoved me backward. “How is dying going to avenge your friend?”

  I shook my head. “I have no intention of dying.”

  Asher came up beside me. “Gage and the others have taken out six of them, you took out one, and Kaya killed the two coming out after you. That’s only nine agents. You know damned well, Duane has more than nine ex-Nero assassins in that building.” His tone dropped, drenched in an Alpha’s compulsion. “We do this together, remember? You’re pack now. Live to fight another day.”

  You’ve lived with wolves too long. Trager’s words echoed through my head as I narrowed my eyes at the building where Duane hid. Asher’s commands pulled at the animal in me, aching to please his Alpha, but the killer, the man, recognized this might be my last opportunity to nail my mark. If I retreated now, he could bolster his defenses.

  His defenses.

  That was it. I didn’t know how I’d missed it.

  I glanced over at Trager. Duane had made sure he wouldn’t die right away. He’d been expecting me.

  How?

  My head snapped toward Asher. “Who did you bring with you tonight?”

  “Kaya, Gage, Ryker, and Shane. Why?”

  “Fuck.” I scooped up Trager’s body. I couldn’t risk someone finding him and calling the police, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to leave him to Duane. “We need to get back to the ranch.”

  Asher raised a brow. “What am I missing?”

  “Duane knew I was coming tonight.” I started walking back toward the cars. “Otherwise, he would’ve just put a bullet in Trager’s head for his betrayal. Duane wanted me to find him.”

  Asher kept pace beside me while Kaya trailed behind. I tried not to pay attention to how much I wanted her close to me, reminding myself again of our new relationship status.

  We didn’t have one.

  “You think he’s watching the rest area?” Asher asked.

  “Oh, I think he has eyes all over Sedona. And if he still has someone willing to pay him for shifters to experiment on, what better time to make a grab for one?” I glanced at my Alpha. “And he should’ve had more agents protecting the base. So where are they?”

  Asher cursed under his breath. “They’re trying to divide us up.”

  “Who’s guarding the kids?” I pushed my legs to walk as fast as I could while bearing Trager’s extra weight.

  “Naomi has the kids, and Cole, Dex, and Deacon are patrolling the property.”

  “Where’s Jett?” I grunted, straining through the rough terrain. “He should be there, too.”

  Jett was the strong, silent pack member who had the dubious honor of being the only werewolf to ever survive one of Nero’s super soldier experiments. Sebastian knew the extent of Jett’s enhancements, but I’d never had high enough clearance. All I knew was, aside from me, Jett was the deadliest member of the pack. He owned his a private security company now. And he should’ve been securing the ranch.

  Asher took out his phone. “He never called back. He’s probably working.”

  Jett wasn’t chatty, but when it came to his pack, he’d be there. Something was wrong. “He might be able to get there before us.”

  Asher was already making the call. I glanced back at Kaya, needing to know she was safe. Then I welcomed the ice back into my veins. Duane had signed his own death warrant tonight, and very soon, I’d come to collect.

  CHAPTER 14

  Kaya

  I stayed a step behind Vance and Asher. The wolf inside me growled, gnashing her teeth and pacing. Suddenly my anger was on a hair trigger. The animal didn’t understand why our mate seemed so eager to put himself in harm’s way. The stench of blood and death stinging my nostrils didn’t help, either.

  What if he’d gone back into the building to hunt for Duane?

  I couldn’t think about it. And I shouldn’t care. My whole life, I’d been so careful to keep my lynx from being discovered. Even when I’d been in relationships, my partners had never had any idea. Then I’d trusted my pack, and now my secret rested inside the belly of our enemies, written in Vance’s own handwriting. Naomi had claimed fate didn’t make mistakes, but maybe it hadn’t known what Vance had done. Surely my wolf wouldn’t have picked him if she had understood.

  If I could turn off my feelings for him, I would. I think. I should, but my feelings were complicated. He was still my friend, and he’d almost gotten himself killed tonight trying to protect me. Besides, giving up wasn’t in my nature even if it might be in my best interest sometimes.

  I stared at Vance’s boots as he took solid strides uphill, carrying the body of his friend. He could’ve left Trager behind, but he hadn’t. That said something a
bout his character. There was more to him than the trained assassin Nero had tried to program to work alone and kill on command. He made me laugh, cheered me on as my restaurant grew, and although I’d fantasized about kissing him for a couple of years, the real thing was a million times better.

  Would I ever be able to trust him again? I didn’t know, but I still wanted to find out.

  I kept pace with him, unable to look away as Trager’s arms hung down, lifeless, a stark reminder that the stakes were high in this fight. Until I’d been bitten, I’d never seen a dead body, but since then, I’d lost people I cared about and killed a few enemies to keep my pack safe. But I still wasn’t numb. Maybe I never would be.

  I wiped a stray tear from my cheek. How did Vance compartmentalize losing a friend? Tonight I’d seen the cold killer in his eyes. That side of him remained a stranger to me, so separate from the man who came to my restaurant with an easy smile and his sweet dog in tow.

  When we reached the rest area, Gage and the others were already waiting. Sweat rolled down my back, and I wiped my brow while Vance and Asher covered Trager’s body in the trunk. Vance tossed his coat in the back seat and got into his car without a word. Asher waited for me by the Jeep, but I hesitated.

  I stared through the window at Vance’s stoic profile, and my stupid heart ached. He had to be hurting even if he never let it show. I sighed and glanced over at Asher. “I’ll see you at the ranch.”

  Before I could change my mind, I opened the passenger-side door and got into Vance’s car. The combination of his scent with Trager’s blood from the jacket on the back seat made my stomach twist, but there was no turning back now.

  He looked my way, his features still unreadable. “What are you doing?”

  “Catching a ride back to the ranch.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Thought you could use a friend.”

  “You’ve seen what happens to my friends. You should go with Asher.”

  As if he could hear us, Asher backed up and pulled out of the lot. I shrugged. “Too late.”

  Vance didn’t smile, and a cold dread crept up from my feet. How many Nero agents had he killed tonight? Were we losing him as he slid back into that life?

  “I’m sorry about Trager.” I paused, but Vance’s full attention remained on the dark two-lane highway. He tightened his hold on the steering wheel, the only hint that he’d even heard me. The silence was killing me. I reached for something to say and blurted out, “I’m sure everything is fine. Jett’s probably already at the ranch.”

  “Maybe.” Vance finally stole a peek at me before he faced the road again. “Not used to having company after…work.”

  “That’s not your job anymore.”

  “The fuck it’s not.” He scoffed. “I was naive to think I could walk away. They’ll never stop coming.”

  “You’re not in this alone.”

  “Don’t you see? That could have been you!” His sudden shout made me flinch. He narrowed his eyes at the highway ahead of us. “Do you have a death wish? You had no fucking business being there tonight.”

  I blinked. His words sparked an ember of anger, and I grabbed it with both hands. “If we’re pointing fingers, you never should have gone up there alone. If I hadn’t been there tonight, those two guys waiting for you outside would’ve killed you.”

  His grip twisted on the wheel as his voice dropped to a husky whisper. “Then we both might’ve be better off.”

  “Stop it.” I wanted to smack him. “If you died tonight, Duane and the rest of his crew would still be coming for me, and you wouldn’t be there to help me stop them.”

  He smirked. Not a smile, but it was a million times better than the cold glare he’d been wearing since we had left the woods. He glanced my way. “You have no idea what it’s like to be a killer, to be good at it.”

  “So enlighten me.” God, did I really want to know? My wolf howled from deep in my soul. Her devotion, her care for her mate, were plain in the cry. This mate thing wasn’t just an instinct; it was a bond I’d never experienced before. She accepted him—all of him.

  And I wanted to, as well. Even if the darker side frightened me.

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “I’m not afraid of you.”

  “I’d like to keep it that way.” He smiled, but I recognized it as the mask he wore to hide his emotions. He cleared his throat. “Sorry about yelling. Tough night.”

  “Don’t.” I clasped my hands in my lap to keep from touching him. “Don’t shut me out.”

  His smile faltered as he faced forward again. “I’m not.”

  “I call bullshit.” I glanced at the back seat. “Look, I know you can smell his blood on your coat just as strongly as I can. Don’t pretend it doesn’t affect you.” I waited, but he didn’t respond. “Talk to me.”

  He sobered without taking his eyes off the road. “Not a good idea.”

  This was getting us nowhere. I stared out the windshield into the darkness. “Until Caldwell’s goons bit me three years ago, I’d never seen a dead body,” I said. “Tonight, I shot two men who would’ve killed you. This wasn’t the first time I’ve taken a life to save someone else’s, but it still makes my hands shake and makes me want to puke.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I don’t even know the names of those guys.” I looked over at him. “But Trager was your friend.”

  “Stop. We don’t have time for this.” Vance punched the accelerator. “The cubs are in trouble.”

  “You don’t know that.” I refused to bury my fingernails in the door handle in terror. Besides, if he crashed right now, the seat belt wasn’t going to protect either of us anyway. “We won’t be able to help them if we’re dead.”

  “Why did you come with Asher tonight?”

  “Because I don’t want to live in a world without you in it.” I blinked, shocked by own confession.

  He didn’t reply, but he did slow the car to a normal human speed. My heart hammered against my rib cage. I wasn’t sure if it was from the high speed or my answer.

  When he turned off the highway Vance finally spoke again. “Smelling his blood and knowing it’s on my jacket in the back seat is fucking killing me.”

  I closed my eyes. In that small admission, he’d let me behind the curtain. Yes, Vance had been an assassin, and a damned good one, but he hadn’t sold his soul. Death still hurt him.

  How had he done his job for Nero for so long without losing his mind? Or worse, his spirit? I let it go for now. There were definitely two starkly different sides to Vance, but his answer placated me enough for now. The assassin was still a veneer, an emotional armor to allow him to stay alive and hide from the pain. He wasn’t numb. Not yet.

  And that gave me hope.

  CHAPTER 15

  Vance

  The ranch was dark. Fuck. I didn’t want to be right this time.

  I turned off the engine and glanced over at Kaya. “Still have your gun?”

  She drew it from her holster. “Yep.”

  “Good. We need to find Asher.” I scanned the other cars. All empty.

  “I’m going to the house to check on Naomi and the boys,” Kaya whispered.

  “No.” She needed to be close where I could protect her. “We stick together.”

  “Vance, I’ve saved your ass twice already. I can do this.” She narrowed her eyes, daring me to contradict her. She was a fucking miracle.

  “All right.” I nodded slowly. “I’ll go after Asher. Text me as soon as you find the kids.”

  We got out of the car, and I jogged around to Kaya’s side. I caught her hand and waited for her to turn my way. When her eyes met mine, I couldn’t find words. Until she had come into my life, my main goal had always been survival, but she made me dare to dream for, to want, more. We were so close to having it all.

  “Be careful,” I whispered.

  She searched my eyes and nodded. “You too.” Time slowed as she leaned in, her soft lips brushed my cheek. “Let’s kick some ass.”

&
nbsp; Before I could respond, she sprinted from car to car, toward the house. I forced myself to stop watching her and took a breath, centering myself and welcoming the cool, focused calm into my veins.

  First, I needed to locate my target. Staying low, I crept away from the vehicles. The still-warm engines gave off their own distracting scents—oil, transmission fluid, gasoline.

  Gas.

  I lifted my head, sniffing the air. The scent lingered, too strong to be one of the cars. Unless… I circled back, eyeing the dirt under each parked vehicle. Liquid was dripping from the spare gas can on the back of Asher’s Jeep and puddled on the ground. I pressed my back against the side of the Jeep, slowing my heartbeat and drawing on my heightened senses.

  The distinctive scrape of flint came from my right. I spun around, snatching the match out of the air before it could land on the drenched earth. The flame hissed as I snuffed it between my fingers and chased after my quarry.

  Overhead, the sliver of moon didn’t offer much light. The scent ahead was definitely a jaguar shifter. I pushed myself, running faster over the rocky terrain. Finally, I caught a glimpse of a long blond braid.

  Natasha.

  She vaulted over the barbed wire fence, and I dove in pursuit, catching a handful of hair. We both hit the ground hard, but I barely noticed. Capturing her was all that mattered. She got to her knees.

  “I don’t think so,” I grunted as I swept her legs and wrestled her to the ground. She connected a jab to my jaw, knocking my head back. Stars lit on the edge of my vision, but my grip remained solid. I pinned her to the ground, sucking air through my bloody teeth. “A fire? Amateur hour.” I stared down at her. “I expected more from you.”

  “Did you really chase me down to critique my work?” She jerked a wrist free, her fingers reaching for a knife on her belt.

  I caught her arm and twisted it back up by her head. “Trager’s dead. Did you have anything to do with that?”

  Her eyes widened with surprise for a split second before she sneered. “I was assigned to the ranch all night.”

  I believed her, but I’d end her if she didn’t answer the next question in the negative. “Did you hurt Naomi or the kids?”