Circle of Desire

by Carla Swafford

  Collin nodded and sipped on the whiskey in his tumbler as he returned to his desk. Nic’s temper was well known and he found it interesting how she never raised her voice to Rex. It was obvious to everyone but Rex that Nic had a crush on him. But his friend still mourned Abby and no other woman existed for him. Collin understood. Though he didn’t love Olivia, he already missed her. She made him feel more alive than he had in years.

  He halfway listened to Rex’s report on their attempt to follow the van. The look on Olivia’s face when he told her she would survive made his insides squirm. He’d struggled with finding the right words to erase the hopeless look on her face. Instead the training he’d received from his father had kicked in and those cold words escaped his lips. Certainly something his father would’ve said.

  As a child, he’d admired his father. Later as an adult, Collin had realized the cold distance his father maintained with the people around him including his family and friends had become dangerous and destructive. So much distrust and anger. There was no wonder someone had massacred him and most of his family.

  His father trained him and his brother to be replicas, but Collin had wanted more. When it came to those he had a personal connection with, he’d wanted to be softer, kinder. Yes. He had a soft spot for Olivia.

  Raising the glass to his lips, he took a long swallow. Though Theo was unlike his father in some ways, he was more treacherous with his fascination with the sword and his warped sense of honor. Collin was well aware of what Theo did to traitors.

  So how long would Theo allow her to live?

  “Collin? Dammit, listen to me.” The big guy eased into one of the chairs facing the desk.

  He blinked and focused on Rex’s furrowed brow.

  “Are you in love with her?”

  Collin wanted to laugh in Rex’s face, but the thought of saying no felt wrong. He didn’t have time to contemplate the ramifications if he admitted that. Did he?

  Even when she wasn’t around, she confused the hell out of him. He carefully placed the empty glass on the desk and pushed it away with one finger. Elbows on the smooth top, he rubbed his eyes and sighed.

  “How I feel about her has nothing to do with tracking down Theo before he orders another hit on our people.”

  Rex stared for a moment and then looked away. “I saw her getting all chummy with Lucian the other day.” His gaze returned to Collin.

  He lifted his head and eyed Rex. “Were you able to hear what was being said?”

  “No. But I stopped Lucian and asked.” The big man chewed the side of his mouth as if he wasn’t sure what to say. “He claimed she had no idea The Circle lied about their operatives’ deaths at the OS’s hands. He also said not to trust her. She’ll betray us in a heartbeat.” He leaned forward. “You have to see she’s dangerous. We should’ve made an example of her when we had her. We could’ve shown Theo what would happen to him.”

  “Rex,” Collin warned.

  “As far as we know, she has told Theo everything. They probably had a good laugh over our gullibility, and in any minute, Theo will attack and kill us all. Is her pussy that good?”

  Collin slammed a hand on his desk and stood. “Fuck you! I’ll keep you and our people safe. I’ll stake my life on it!” He took a deep breath. “All I need from you at this moment is to find where the Main Sector is. Then we can steal the sword and see if the theory of pushing him over the edge will weaken him. We need him vulnerable. At that time, we can eliminate him.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Come in, Olivia.” Theo wore chain mail and an ankle-length surcoat with a huge red cross on his chest. On his head, he wore one of the smaller crowns he loved, more of a coronet. The man did love the medieval period. During the time she’d lived with him, it wasn’t unusual to walk in and see him wearing full-plate armor.

  If not for the queasy feeling in her stomach, she’d laughed at the ridiculous image he portrayed as he tried to act debonair with a sherry glass in one hand and a cigar in the other near the head of a preposterously long dining table. She had to admit, even with his strange getup, no one could say Theodore Owen Palmer wasn’t a distinguished-looking man.

  “Sit here.”

  Since all of her clothes were still at the OS, if Nic Savage hadn’t burned them by now, Theo had his current mistress, seventeen-year-old Marie, provide her with one of the dresses he insisted women wear whenever they entered his inner sanctum. He actually kept a large closet filled with all sizes and colors.

  Tight beneath the breasts and free flowing to the floor, the dress would be considered modest except for two things. One, the bust was cut low, showing plenty of cleavage to the point she was certain her nipples would show if she breathed too deep. The other was the soft blue cotton, so thin it was see-through and revealed her lack of underwear, another crazy rule of his. He claimed he wanted women to feel like women. Strange how having no bra and panties could make a woman feel vulnerable. She hated wearing the gown and resented his male chauvinistic rules. Hell, she was no longer his woman.

  And thank goodness she had enough wit to pull off that feat. Smartest move she’d ever made was squirming her way out of his bed and into a productive position with The Circle. But considering he welcomed her back without any suspicions about her time away, she had to play along and hope he wasn’t setting a trap.

  “Where’s Marie? I would like to thank her for picking out this gown for me.” Olivia smoothed the material beneath her rump as she slid into the seat on his right, remembering to keep her shoulders back so not to spill out.

  His mistress was pencil thin and timid to the point Olivia worried about Marie’s health.

  “I didn’t want interference. You and I have a lot to discuss.” He handed his cigar and empty glass to a female servant wearing in a transparent yellow gown. She’d discreetly entered the room and immediately left.

  Olivia’s fingernails dug into her thighs and her stomach clenched. She hoped Marie was okay. Just as Olivia had quickly and painfully learned when she belonged to Theo, Marie would know better than speak without being first spoken to by her master, and never argue. Olivia had thought she could handle dinner alone with him, but memories of the humiliations inflected by the man sitting nearby ate at her sanity. She wanted to shout at him, inflict the pain he’d inflicted on her. Only it would serve no purpose but ensure her death at his hand. Her plans didn’t include death. So she gave a brief expected grin and remained quiet.

  The servant served each course with efficient ease. Theo spoke only of general current events and some of the small changes he’d made in The Circle’s security. By the time coffee and another cigar for Theo and a tea with lemon for her were served, the muscles around Olivia’s mouth felt strained from smiling at the appropriate comments. Theo believed in waiting until a person had a full stomach before talking business.

  “After A. J. debriefed you, she sent me the report. They appeared to treat you well.”

  “They kept me locked up most of the time.” Had he heard different?

  “Uh-hm.” He sat staring at her.

  She worked at keeping her face clear. Last thing she needed was for Theo to believe she had feelings for the OS’s chief.

  “So what do you think of Collin Ryker?” he asked, pushing back his chair to lean over the offered light from an accommodating servant.

  Had she betrayed her feelings? “I think he’s a dangerous man.” That was true. Every time she’d been near him, she’d felt like a zookeeper with steak smeared over her body in a tiger’s cage.

  He smiled, nodding. “That he is. No mistake about that.” Theo said it as if he was proud of Collin. “When he was growing up, I was certain he would be a momma’s boy. After his parents died, I took him in, gave him guidance and loving discipline. Then what does he do? After all that I did for him? He takes the heart of my organization from me. I’ll never understand his cruelty. He continues to kill my people without rhyme or reason, interferes with my objectives.” Theo stared
at the smoke twisting its way to the ceiling. Then he looked at her with an almost reproachful cold blue stare. “You’ve seen it from the inside. Are his operatives close to rebelling? They must be tired of his unreasonable demands and egoistic ways.”

  She fought the urge to laugh. His descriptions of Collin reflected those of himself.

  “No. What little I saw, they appeared satisfied and respectful.” Walking the verbal tightrope wasn’t exactly her forte, but for her to tell Theo the operatives loved Collin would be suicidal.

  “Hmm.” His eyes narrowed.

  Time to change the subject, and thankfully he loved talking about his collections. She looked around the dining room, seeing the John William Waterhouse’s Lamia on Her Knees he often admitted was his favorite, along with several new pieces of art set in the medieval period. Though she loved the paintings he chose with their vivid colors and romanticized scenes, she never understood Theo’s interest in them. She never made the mistake of believing him to be a sentimental man. When her gaze landed on the usual swords and pikes over the fireplace mantel, they reminded her of Collin’s search for his father’s sword.

  “I see you’ve acquired a couple of new paintings,” she nodded to what looked like a Lord Leighton she’d never seen before.

  “Ah, yes. I was fortunate to come across a few that came up for sale during these unfortunate times.” Theo tilted his head. “So he told you about the sword.”

  A chilled wind blew across her back, taking all the blood from her face. Pulling herself back together, she said, “Actually someone else did. So you have it?”

  She didn’t expect him to admit to it, but figured what the heck? He was going to figure out, even though not at the beginning, she did stay with the OS of her own free will toward the end. He then would kill her sooner or later.

  “Would you like to see it?” he asked, pushing his chair back and standing up, his body leaning toward hers.

  She wanted to step back, to pull away from his suffocating heat. Her vision darkened around the outer perimeter. It wasn’t a good time to faint. What had happened to her during those few months with the OS? Never before had she been such a wimp. Of course, she’d never cared about living and now she did. Collin had shown her what living was really about.

  “Sure.” She stood when he pulled her chair back and fought the revulsion of touching his arm. Even with cloth and mail separating her from his skin, she could feel the ropy muscles others were unaware of.

  “This way.” He led her down a familiar hallway. Each step brought her closer to one of her nightmares.

  She repeated in her head, He’s only showing you the sword; you’re too old for him; he’s only showing you the sword; you’re too old for him . . .

  “I’ve redecorated my bedroom since you were last there.” He made it sound as if she cared and would be heartbroken by the change.

  “Oh, did my blood ruin your carpet?” She bit the side of her mouth. What had gotten into her?

  “Ah, there’s my wild girl. I hate to think Collin stole all your spirit during your time at the OS.” He pushed the large cedar door out of the way and inside appeared to be a crazy man’s idea of a harem. Diaphanous curtains of all colors covered nearly every inch of the walls, blocking off several sections of the massive room she remembered. An open window somewhere allowed breezes to ruffle the material, giving the occupants a feeling of being in a dream. A suffocating nightmare was more like it.

  “Very diaphanous.” There she went again. She bit her bottom lip in the hope she’d keep her mouth shut.

  “It suits my taste for now.” He pointed to a small sitting area with dozens of pillows surrounding one large chair, obviously the master’s. “Have a seat there and it’ll only take me a moment to retrieve it.”

  She made herself as comfortable as a fly could be in a web. Inhale through the nose; exhale through the mouth. She hated this feeling, this room. All the flowing gauzy material felt stifling.

  In less than five minutes he returned. “Here we go.” He had a long stiff strip of black velvet in his outstretched hands. “Come and look. I want to see your expression when you unwrap it.”

  She rose in front of him and lightly touched the soft cloth. A hardness warned her of what was beneath it. With careful movements she pushed back the velvet. Inside nestled the most beautiful sword she’d ever seen. Latin script covered most of it, along with roses and vines etched into the shiny steel. But the pommel held the largest red diamond she’d ever imagined. She’d seen them on the Internet but never one for real.

  “Go ahead. I know how you appreciate weapons. This is one of the finest.” Theo’s eyes gleamed with lust. The thought of willingly being near him should have terrified her, but she knew it wasn’t lust for sex but power. He believed the fable about whoever owned the sword would be in control of The Circle. And like most powerful men, he wanted to ensure no one took what he already possessed.

  She reached out and grasped the pommel. With little effort she lifted it from Theo’s hands. Her eyes widened. The balance between the pommel and the blade was so perfect. It gave the sword a feeling of weightlessness. If she believed in magic, she could easily imagine the sword possessing powers.

  “Careful. Wouldn’t want you to cut yourself.” Theo stood back with a wary eye.

  Only for a moment did she think of using the sword on him. The blade appeared to be sharp enough to slice through flesh and bone without slowing. From her many lessons in self-defense, she knew her upper body strength was not enough to make the downward slice fast enough or the thrust hard enough to kill. She would only make it easier for Theo to exterminate her.

  She carefully ran her finger down the flat surface of the blade, enjoying the cold heat of the steel beneath her touch. Yes, the sword could inspire anyone in trying for more if they possessed it.

  “I love its deadly beauty,” she muttered. The sword belonged to Collin’s father. Collin and the sword belonged together. With a tinge of reluctance, she returned the sword to the velvet sheath and Theo’s hands.

  “You see why so many have died to own such a sword. The diamond is said to be from King Arthur’s crown and brings the owner power and strength and wisdom.” Theo lovingly caressed the pommel. “The gold wire on the grip woven with Guinevere’s hair brings wealth and compassion. She was fourteen years old to Arthur’s thirty when they married.” He wrapped the sword with a reverence she’d never seen Theo treat anything or anyone.

  Considering Theo had one foot in the psycho pool, she held back any thoughts on the validity of his claims. No matter what he believed, he was not thirty years old and certainly no King Arthur.

  After he returned the sword to its hiding place within what she remembered was his dressing room, she asked, “How did you get the sword back from the Inferno?” Since the news had spread throughout the Main Sector about it being restored to The Circle’s safety and A. J. had mentioned it to her, she figured asking was okay. Theo rarely tolerated questions of any kind.

  “There are those who owe me their loyalty.” His gaze traveled over her body and his nose wrinkled in distaste. Luckily for her she had a grown woman’s body, well curved and full breasted.

  “I’m as loyal as long I’m not lied to.” She bit the inside of her mouth. Oh, shit. Where in the hell did that come from? Her old self had returned with a vengeance. Before her time with Collin, she taunted Theo because she didn’t care if she lived or not. Now she wanted to live and needed to be more wary of the crazy man’s temper. He’d ignored most of her smart-ass comments in the past but never had she come so close to calling him a liar.

  White eyebrows scrunched together, he snapped his fingers and several of his guards entered the room.

  “As I’ve said before, you’ve changed and not for the better. This little visit has been most informative. I’ve decided Collin has influenced you in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Maybe he’s even turned you against me. Until I check a little further, A. J. will keep you under surveillance.
”

  For a moment there, she’d been worried he would order her death. Light-headed from relief, she walked over to the guards without complaint. One guard reached for her but jerked his hand back when she glared at him. They wouldn’t touch her. They remembered how deadly she could be when touched without permission.

  Ironically, she had to fight the urge to kiss each of them. Just knowing she could walk away from Theo’s creepy room was plenty to celebrate without adding he’d given her enough time and information to steal the sword.

  Chapter Twenty

  Olivia took a couple quick steps when one of the guards pushed her into A. J.’s quarters. The click of a lock being turned confirmed they still didn’t trust her. When she walked out of the foyer into the living room, The Circle’s enforcer was piled up on the couch crying.

  “Why are you back so soon?” Wiping her wet cheeks with a sleeve, the dark-headed woman scooted to a sitting position and looked away, her face flushed and swollen. Then she moved toward the large open kitchen, not waiting for Olivia’s answer.

  A. J. loved to cook and some of the most-expensive–looking pots and pans hung over a granite countertop. The single empty bottle of beer sitting on the counter told part of the story. Being The Circle’s enforcer was a lonely business and no one better than Olivia could sympathize.

  Giving the woman a few moments to pull herself together, Olivia looked away and cleared her throat as she chafed her arms. She needed to get rid of this ridiculous dress and pull on some jeans and a warm top. That was if A. J. had anything she could borrow. Otherwise, the clothes she’d arrived in would have to do.

  Never one to share confidences, but considering A. J.’s earlier help in getting ready for Theo and their past association, she decided confiding a little in her wouldn’t hurt. She’d liked the woman’s attitude about life back in the days she’d trained her. But Olivia had been wrapped up with getting away and never tried to get close. And besides, she sure couldn’t get more dead than dead if A. J. decided to turn her in. She had a feeling they may have more in common than she first realized.