by Cecilia Lane
But if he could watch the curve of Annika’s spine as she bent to drag on her tight jeans or the way her breasts moved when she tugged on a lacy tank top, he’d be late for his own funeral.
She looked healthier with each passing day. The luster of her hair had returned and he took every chance he got to run his fingers through the silky strands. Her skin nearly glowed. Gone was the sallow pallor, and the lickable honeyed bronze had returned.
She caught sight of him in the mirror. “Stop that.”
He grinned and tossed the rest of the whisky down his throat. “Not in the rules. I never said anything about not looking at ya.”
True to his word, he had pushed and prodded at her. They shared a bed but he didn’t press himself on her. A hand on her thigh, coaxing her closer in the middle of the night wasn’t against the rules. She hadn’t allowed him as close as he’d gotten on the beach, which was another strike against Mariko. Watching her change after her shower was just one more way to push her buttons.
As if she didn’t drop that towel specifically to torture him.
Every single day since Mariko tried to steal Annika away was a lesson in abject denied desire. He woke hard and he went to bed with a cock as hard as a fooking diamond. No amount of taking care of himself lessened his need. The next second he caught sight of her shirt riding up or got a peek of the soft mounds of her breasts—impossible to miss in the tank tops she preferred—his zipper threatened to give from all the strain against it.
It was almost enough to wish for the days before her, when not a damn thing interested him. Almost.
Oh, he’d tried, of course. In his younger days, back in Edinburgh. After a few drinks with the boys and they slipped off with their dates for the night. But no matter how much he tried, nothing got his engine going. Nothing until he locked eyes with Annika. He thought he would faint away like a little lady from the sudden rush of blood straight to his cock.
He could thank his hidden dragon heritage for that bit of torture.
“I’m adding it now.” She pulled her long hair over one shoulder and made quick magic with her fingers. Even with sisters of his own, he was still amazed at how women could tease their strands into such intricate designs.
“No amendments. This isn’t parliament.”
She shot daggers at his reflection and he rolled his eyes. If she wanted to play coy, then he’d play with her. He set the glass down on the nightstand with a hard clink and covered his eyes with both hands, still obviously looking through his fingers. Her laugh was his reward.
His flat had been too fooking quiet without her. He’d fooking kill Mariko for nearly quieting it again.
“Did I like this life?” she asked suddenly.
“Ay, you did. I think you like a little bit of danger.”
“That’s what I like?”
She didn’t sound convinced. She was edging into dangerous territory. He couldn’t predict how she would take learning a snippet of herself. Cold quiet or calm acceptance or panic attack were equally likely. She desperately yearned to know about her past and sometimes lashed out when she had to be given the answers.
He was certain he was the only person just as desperate for her to regain her full memory and not just because he wanted to renew their mate bond.
He’d jumped the gun before. He needed to know what secrets her head held.
“Ya aren’t the girl to stay at home. Ya need something more. Something… active.”
Active like what she’d done to Mariko and her goon. Dragons loved their martial training, he heard. Not that there were many living off Patomas. And not that those few exiles were talkative. But he pressed to learn what he could of himself and his powyrful kin in the last year. Annika’s family seemed to keep those fighting traditions, if she’d been able to hold her own in her condition.
If it wasn’t all a lie. If, if, if. There were many questions and few answers.
“And that’s what you want?”
He let his eyes roam down her body, taking in her plaited hair and tight clothes and the wicked heels she latched onto her feet. Her cheeks were flushed when he drew his eyes back up the path of her curves. “Do ya think I’m the type of man who wants a church mouse at home?”
“No. I think you like a little danger, too. And if you don’t hurry up, I’ll let Gio throw you in the cage to get a taste of that danger.” The threat came with a smile.
He stood but pulled her flush against his body. She could nearly meet his eyes in her heels. “No need tae go anywhere. I can get a taste of your danger right here.”
She laughed again and pushed at his chest. He didn’t miss the sweet smell of her arousal under her feeble protest.
He was winning her over, slowly but surely. She’d be his again in no time.
The warehouse had been utterly transformed by the time they arrived. The crowds were pouring in and a line had formed outside. Shifter fights were an attraction for human and powyrful alike.
A full week would potentially give him the distraction he needed to put Mariko to rest forever.
The cage dominated the center of the warehouse. Thick, double panels of fencing extended from the floor to the ceiling. There was enough space inside for two shifters to draw on the Wyrd and change shapes, but that would mean disqualification. Part of the challenge was taking a beating without a full transformation. Partial shifts were allowed only because of the strength and skill they demonstrated.
Eoghan led Annika through the crowd vying for floor space near the cage. The seats on the bleachers lined three sides. His box took up the fourth. Stairs were guarded by two big soldiers to keep anyone from entering unless he requested them.
“Odds are looking good tonight,” Gio said as he bustled up next to them. He rubbed his hands together with near giddiness. “Lots of bets being placed. Big turnout.”
Eoghan grinned. “Good. Let’s make some money, my friend.”
Talk of odds had him scanning the crowd for one gambler in particular. His little rat suddenly had full access to the files Eoghan requested after he’d been told he wouldn’t be allowed to gamble on any of the fights if he couldn’t provide his services.
The threat and the pull of luck brought Donovan out on the first night. He nearly bounced on his toes at the bar. Eoghan shot Donovan a warning look and the man was smart enough to not approach.
Eoghan turned to Annika and nodded to Gio. “Let Gio get ya a drink and take ya upstairs. I’ll meet ya there soon.”
Her eyebrows shot together but she didn’t fight him. He was Don, after all. She wasn’t privy to all his business, especially something concerning her.
He signaled Donovan to follow and he waded through the crowd toward his office. It, too, was off limits to the visitors and guarded by more soldiers and sturdy locks.
Inside, Donovan handed him a thick envelope he pulled from his jacket. “I included your file, too.”
Eoghan eyed him. “That wasn’t requested and won’t knock anything further off yer loan.”
“I know. I just…” Donovan shut his eyes and exhaled. “You should read the file.”
He didn’t have time or patience for worrying dramatics. “Off ya go, then. Tell the bookies tae clear it with me if they question ya.”
With Donovan gone, Eoghan eyed the envelope like a poisonous snake rattling its tail at him. He needed to see what was inside but he didn’t want to disturb the precarious balance he had with Annika.
He took a seat at his desk and drew out the bottle of whisky and glass hidden away in a drawer. He poured a good measure and spilled out the two files.
There was no squirting milk back up the udder, his ma used to say.
Eoghan swallowed a mouthful of whisky and flipped quickly through Annika’s file. Each page was stamped across the top and bottom with various warnings.
Confidential.
Do not remove without permission of department head.
Bile rose in his throat as he turned back to the first page and read. I
t contradicted nearly everything she’d told him when they first met and confirmed what she’d whispered while she detoxed.
Under the basics of her name, physical description, and familial relations started the good stuff. She schooled early with her siblings and then participated in an education co-op with some surrounding families starting at the age of fourteen. She had high marks in everything she studied and joined the service of the Delphina and Pythian as soon as allowed.
Eoghan nearly whistled when he read through her training. She had more than a little experience in several forms of martial arts. Off the mat, she could dig into a computer system with ease. She was middling to fluent in a handful of languages.
The final pages were why Donovan included his file.
Half-blooded dragons and those without the ability to shift were able to slip out of the magical lockdown on Patomas. With a human father, Annika’s blood status allowed her the freedom to move around. Reports of the Dragon Court’s enemies raising troops off the island were enough to send operatives to make sure those mercenaries never found their way to the island chain.
Annika Leeds was assigned to Baltimore. The Shadow Don was seen meeting with a representative from Clan Sillas. Should Eoghan Gilchrist agree to supply mercenaries, Annika had the right to kill.
The next page was a breakdown of updates sent to her handler. It was a cold, hateful account of their relationship. Annika secured a job in one of his bars. She made contact with her target and added a note that he bore a striking resemblance to the Pythian. She was getting closer and suspected Eoghan had somehow masked the powyrful side to him. She was kept apart from any business involving Clan Sillas but Eoghan didn’t speak highly of Andon when they were alone.
The last update happened before they mated and none were made after.
Eoghan Gilchrist’s status as a dragon remains visually unconfirmed but all signs point to him being powyrful. Support for the Delphina and Pythian’s enemies seems unlikely but will be monitored for further development.
Current assignment and status: unknown.
Eoghan shoved the folders away from him and slammed a fist on the desk.
Donovan wouldn’t lie. The man was scared of his own shadow. He wouldn’t risk adding to his admittedly small gambling debt by passing off fake documents.
Which meant what he read was true. What he suspected when she turned back up was true. Annika was a spy. He just had her allegiance entirely wrong.
What to do.
If it’d been anyone else, he would act immediately. Kill to protect.
But fooking Annika? His mate? He’d tied himself into a knot with this one.
The fury he expected to feel didn’t rise. He felt as empty as his whisky glass.
It was better that way, wasn’t it? He could think clearly and figure out his options.
He could stand by her if she didn’t remember her past or their time together. The past didn’t matter. Just as he told her, they could make new memories together.
She lied to him. From the first moment until she disappeared. It was all one fooking huge lie after another. That, he couldn’t stand.
She would have killed him.
He’d been right to accuse her of spying. He was just a year and a mating too late.
The office door opened Lenore slipped inside. Her eyes widened innocently when she caught sight of him.
Lenore wasn’t the wholesome woman she presented herself as. There was too much cunning in the eyes she flashed at any male that passed. He couldn’t count how many fights he needed to break up because of her. She manipulated and batted her lashes and played men against each other until they erupted into brawls.
But right then, he needed the distraction of mindless flirtation that usually accompanied her. The tiny sting of betrayal wasn’t anywhere close to what Annika had done to him.
“What do you want, Lenore?”
She slunk to the desk and leaned against it, much too close to him for it to be accidental. “I just wanted to see if you needed anything,” she said breathlessly. She inserted just enough of a pause before her last word to let him form his own conclusions as to the anything she offered.
He wasn’t fooking stupid. She didn’t lust after the men she made fight over her. She wanted power. Power over them and power over him. Through him.
Too bad he was already mated. She would have been a ruthless companion. Probably would have smothered him in his sleep. But fook it, Annika would have killed him, too.
He couldn’t get away from murderous birds, it seemed.
“I don’t need anything, Lenore,” he said a little more sharply than intended.
She smiled and rolled her shoulders back in an obvious ploy to shove her tits in his face. She was usually better at her games.
“Everyone wants something.” She traced her lower lip with her fingers and giggled. “And I know what you want.”
“What is it you think I want?” Eoghan rolled back and eyed her. He sure as hell wouldn’t have a future with an honest woman, from her or Annika.
She knelt by his side. Her hand slithered up his leg and squeezed his cock. “You want me. I see how you look at me. You should be ashamed,” she teased in a sultry tone.
He snagged her wrist and jerked it away from his dick. She’d played her game and he was done with it. “You would already be mine if I wanted you.”
She snarled and lashed out with a quickness he hadn’t expected. Her nails raked down his cheek and he snapped back before she could do more damage.
“You’re a bastard, Eoghan Gilchrist. You’ll never be anything more than a low-down, dirty bastard. You don’t deserve my love.” She spun on her heel and left the office in a huff.
Eoghan touched fingers to his face and was surprised to feel blood. He shook his head and poured himself another whisky, Lenore already forgotten. He had a spy to root out of his life.
Lenore knocked on the hotel door and tapped her foot while she waited. She hurried straight to Andon as soon as she finished her task.
It’d been even easier than she imagined. She watched and waited until Eoghan was separated from Annika. On a fight night, it was only a matter of time. The crowds helped make meetings seem like chance and hid any business that needed to be kept secret.
She hadn’t been sure that Eoghan would refuse her. It was her experience that men could be made to put aside anything for a quick fuck as long as no one would find out. But not Eoghan. Even pissed as hell at whatever took place in the office before she arrived, he refused her.
It was even more proof that she needed to get rid of Annika once and for all. The bitch clouded Eoghan’s mind and kept him locked away from someone who truly deserved him.
Lenore rapped her knuckles against the door again. Andon needed to hurry up. He changed the terms of their agreement and threatened to expose her when she resisted. She couldn’t kill Annika without bringing down Eoghan’s fury on herself but she didn’t think he’d mind if Andon disappeared. She would see someone dead, even if it wasn’t the one she wanted.
Finally, she heard steps treading toward the door. Andon opened and blocked her from entering.
She glared and held up her hand. “You said you wanted a blood sample.”
Andon’s lips lifted in a slow smile. “Very good, Lenore. Very good.”
He ushered her inside and she took a seat on the bed while he pulled out a couple test tubes and swabs. She would have been spooked if she didn’t know what he intended.
She let him clean Eoghan out from under her fingernails. “That’s it, then. You’ll kill her now?”
Andon clicked his tongue. “Patience, Lenore. There’s a time and a place for everything. You’ll get what you want just as soon as I know the truth contained in these samples.”
12
Annika shoved her bed to the side and unscrewed the electrical socket from the wall. She reached inside and pulled the cell phone out of its hiding spot. A new message flashed on the screen when she powere
d it on. The single question mark was sent from an unknown number but she knew Jaya was requesting a report.
It didn’t take her long to reset the scene, lace up her shoes, and jog a few blocks away to a 24/7 convenience store. She paid for a burner phone with cash and dialed the number she knew by heart. Better safe than sorry, if anyone was tapping her everyday phone or discovered how Jaya passed her messages.
Jaya picked up the phone on the second ring. “Go.”
Annika recounted everything she heard since they last spoke. Don Gilchrist was a busy man. He visited his various businesses at random to check on how his family was progressing. It made hearing the details of his activity difficult. But he had also taken to regularly visiting the bar where she worked. And there was still no sign of the Clan Sillas representative, though he was still in the area.
“Press as far as you dare. Have you gotten any closer to figuring out if our intel is wrong and he has access to powyr?” Jaya asked.
“He’s masking it somehow, if it’s there. One moment I can almost feel the powyr inside him or scent some smokiness about him. Then it’s gone. Like the memory of a memory.” There was something about him that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. But the Department file on him said while he was adopted by werewolves, he didn’t have a drop of powyr in his blood.
“Well, that’s something to monitor in addition to the Clan Sillas representative. Has he tried to make advances on you?”
Annika hesitated and blood flushed her cheeks. Just that night, she’d gone upstairs to deliver a new bottle of Scotch whisky and Eoghan’s eyes nailed her in place. He spilled her into his lap and skimmed his lips across her collarbone before plundering her mouth. “We’ve… kissed.”
“Work with that. Listen, I’m not going to tell you to whore yourself out but keep in mind that sometimes people talk in bed.”
