No. She was just going to have to stop Matthew Kline before he had a chance to infect them all at the party. Putting a bullet into his fanatical skull would be less of a moral challenge.
Looking good when she put him out of his misery was just an added little bonus. She guessed she just had a little too much of her mother in her. And the testosterone of nine men in the house to contend with growing up. Dressing up was always fun.
She’d swept her hair up into a sexy chignon that exposed her long neck and made her hope Luke would find an excuse to kiss the sensitive skin there. The dress was the same pale blue as her eyes, like an arctic glacier, and shimmered when she moved. The layered material was so soft, it felt like rose petals beneath her fingertips. More importantly, it didn’t make a sound when she moved. Delicate spaghetti straps bared her shoulders and drew attention to the translucent wrap of the same material that she draped around her shoulders and over her arms. The bodice hugged her body in waves until it reached the flare of her hips, then the dreamy material fell straight to the floor. She looked demure, innocent, and still had room under the skirt to hide her gun.
Only one thing ruined the whole effect, pantyhose. Horrible disgusting things. That was one thing she’d hoped hadn’t been invented in this dimension. Why didn’t they send someone back through time to prevent that thinly veiled attack against women?
Luke’s gentle hand on the small of her back guided her to the entryway, and shot her temperature up by about a thousand degrees. Silently, he escorted her past the doorman and onto the elevator. Twenty-first floor. The Plaza Club. Private. Exclusive. Expensive. Alexa hadn’t been able to grasp why they would spend so much money to try to raise money for their organization. It seemed like a stupid thing to do, but it wasn’t her party. She was just crashing it.
The moment they stepped off the elevator Luke pulled her into a semi-private alcove. “Remember, the case is small. Like a kid’s school lunchbox. Silver.”
Alexa nodded, and tried to peek up over his shoulder at the people beginning to arrive at the entrance to the main dining hall. Luke’s hands rested on her shoulders, then slowly caressed her skin, moving up and down her arms. His hands were sexy. Strong. Perfect. Every damn thing about him was perfect. Distracting. It was getting on her nerves. Who had time to be hot and bothered every single moment? She had a job to do.
“The Colonel and his men are already here. They’ve all seen the picture of Kline, too. They’re trained killers, professionals, and they don’t want this bug to get out either. They’re here to help us.”
She snorted at that and tried to ignore the way her birthmark flared to life when his strong hands wrapped around her wrists, holding her to him. The Colonel and two of his men had spent the entire afternoon at Luke’s house, forcing her to either hide, or drain her energy by cloaking her presence. Despite her protests, Luke insisted they needed his help and called him. She’d disliked the pompous old ass at first sight. As far as she was concerned, he was responsible for this entire fiasco. This Mutant Project, as they called it, was his baby. The Colonel was the one who’d pitched it, funded it, and made enemies. Enemies who now appeared to be working with Trent. What did he think he was playing at? Viral DNA was not synonymous with ‘tinker toy.’
“He’s a pompous ass.”
Luke laughed softly and planted a quick kiss on her lips. “Maybe. But I think his heart’s in the right place.”
“We’ll see. I still say he didn’t tell you everything.”
Luke shrugged. “Nothing we can do about it now.”
“I know.” But she sure as hell was going to try.
Luke slid his arms around her waist and cradled her against his chest for a moment. He buried his face in her neck. She felt cherished. Loved. Protected. The warmth in his body seeped through to her heart for just a moment, a heartbeat of time she desperately needed to harden her resolve to protect him and his world. She pulled away. The birthmark over her heart was heating to boil-over, just like her nerves.
The heat radiating off his skin was strong, reassuring. His right hand captured hers and squeezed. While her gaze lingered on their joined fingers her brain tried to tell her heart not to get its hopes up for happily-ever-after. Her heart wasn’t listening.
Silence stretched between them for so long she looked up at him out of sheer curiosity. He was staring at her. His eyes drowned her with a deadly combination of tenderness and raw animal lust. In vain, she searched for something to say. This was it. Showtime. Maybe they’d all live happily ever after, and maybe they’d all be dead in three weeks.
“Luke, I…” What could she say? Thanks for everything and I hope we both aren’t dead tomorrow? When she opened her mouth, even she was surprised by the words that tumbled out. “Thanks for believing me.”
“Sure.” The man’s smile could melt snow in January. “Promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“No matter what happens tonight, you won’t disappear on me.”
No matter what happens…
That was a tall order.
“Alexa.” His fingers caught her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. “Even if we only have three weeks, I want to spend every minute of it with you.”
Tears rose, seared the back of her eyelids and collected on her eyelashes like dew on rose petals. “What if we succeed?”
Infinitely tender, his thumb caressed her bottom lip. “That’s easy. I want forever.”
Was he for real? Did he realize what he was offering her? A home here. A life. Love? He hadn’t mentioned love. “You don’t even know me.”
“Oh, yes I do, angel. After sixteen years of dreams, you’d be surprised what I know.”
He leaned over and kissed her. His lips were firm and gentle. Passionate and patient. The kiss was a promise. And a warning.
You’d be surprised…
Hell. The sexiest man she’d ever met was making her knees weak talking about forever. Could his timing be any worse? Here she was on a foreign world, facing an impossible task, listening for death’s footsteps. In self-defense, her head fell back when his lips would have lingered, an entreaty to the heavens for help. She groaned. She wasn’t sure she could handle any more surprises.
Luke nuzzled her neck. “Now, go. Snoop. Find the weasel and then come get back-up. That little case is almost indestructible. Let me help you. Don’t you dare try to handle this by yourself.”
She squeezed him once, hard, then let go. “I’ll be fine.”
His lips hovered next to her ear. “I don’t care how much crap you’re hiding under that skirt, none of it will save you if he opens that case. Be damn careful.”
He knew she heard him, but wasn’t that confident she was really listening. She disappeared right there in his arms. Petal soft lips brushed his with heat. Her touch lingered on his arm, then was gone. His heart skipped a beat, then resumed pounding a warning through his entire body. Alexa was going to do something crazy. He could feel it coming, inevitable, like the sun setting. Sixteen years ago, the man in white told him he would have to save her. Come hell or high water, he intended to do just that.
After a deep breath, he squared his shoulders, shook off the drugging effects of her lips, and reached into his jacket pocket to pull out his link to the invisible army surrounding them. With a flick of his wrist, the earpiece slid into place and he was instantly sucked into the Colonel’s world. Alexa didn’t know it, but the Colonel had a lot more than two men here. How the Colonel had pulled it off, Luke had no idea. But almost half the staff had been replaced with his people. Professionals. Killers. Experts. And every single one of them, from the parking garage to the kitchen, was on the look-out for Mr. Matthew Kline and the bug conceived with a pipette and a petri dish.
That left him free to follow his passion, and make sure she stayed out of trouble. The mark on his chest was a homing beacon. The Shen was cooling. She was getting too far away. Alexa Antwyr would hate to know that he could sense her presence, or lack of, thro
ugh the strange matching mark on his chest. Eternity. Protection.
He smiled.
She was the flame.
He was the moth.
Time to dance.
* * * * *
Alexa had been to enough of these things with her father to know how the game was played. She could smile and make small talk with people she didn’t know. Flirt. Lead anyone in a conversation to talk about themselves so they’d have nothing to say about her later. And she could conserve her energy until she really needed it. Already, she’d circuited the room twice and seen no sign of her prey. Neither the Colonel nor Kline were anywhere to be seen. Hunting two men made her feel like a femme fatale from a bad horror movie.
Why hide? According to the picture the Colonel’s man had shown to Luke, Matthew Kline was young, in his twenties, and handsome in a boy-next-door kind of way. Maybe he had a thing for blonds?
No. That would be too easy.
She drifted closer to the dance floor and the grand piano in the recessed area behind it, an untouched champagne glass in her left hand. A tall, elegant woman in a blue sequined dress with dark skin and hair was singing about love and the blues. The Blues. Whatever the hell that was. Just wondering made her homesick.
But then there was Luke. He was here. In this world. Following her around the party. Did he think she was blind? Or perhaps he hoped his presence would keep her out of trouble. Hah! Just thinking about him made her smile. And made her want to stay.
Luke thought she didn’t know about all the Colonel’s men. He’d forgotten one important thing. The Colonel didn’t know she was involved. She’d been the one eavesdropping on all of the Colonel’s private conversations this afternoon. Not Luke. She was the one who knew who Matthew Kline really was and just how far the Colonel would go to protect him. Knew, and wished she didn’t.
Chapter Seven
The heavy red and gold carpeting muffled her footsteps. Brilliant city lights glowed outside the floor to ceiling wall of windows overlooking downtown. Many guests hovered near the windows to enjoy their view from the twenty-first floor. None of those people were of any interest to Alexa. They were in her way.
Auxiliary rooms beckoned to her from behind their closed doors. The one man she’d been determined to shadow this evening had managed to weave his way into the crowd and disappear. Luke was still following her around like a guard dog. She loved him for it, but she also knew she’d never catch her adversary if Luke’s shadow was pacing hers all night. The mouse won’t play until the cat’s away.
Seizing an opportunity, she slid into one of the stalls in the ladies room, and vanished. A vivid image of Luke cursing outside the door in about five minutes forced her to suppress a giggle. When he realized she’d given him the slip he was not going to be happy. A small smile curved her lips. He was the first man to ever treat her like she was helpless. Her father and brothers had known better than to mess with her and her mother had made sure she had both the knowledge and the will to back it up. Still, his worry was endearing. Too bad she couldn’t allow the poor man to keep that delusion. Being a pampered princess for the rest of her life didn’t sound too bad. Especially, if Luke was going to be the one doing the spoiling.
Enough daydreaming. The Plaza Club had twelve private rooms and she’d only checked half of them.
She cracked the door open on another dark and empty room. The sign labeled this one The Colonel’s Room. Fitting. Light from the main dining hall’s chandeliers and wall sconces was enough for her to see that the room was empty. Her teeth bit down on her tongue to tame the curse struggling to fly from her lips. A mere three feet away stood a group of extremely old, incredibly wealthy women. Wouldn’t do to give one of the old bats a heart attack. One of those obnoxiously large diamond rings they were all flinging around as they spoke would have to be handed down. Unless, of course, they requested to be buried with their jewelry. That wouldn’t surprise her at all.
Stomach rumbling, she lifted a gourmet treat from an unattended waiter’s tray and popped it into her mouth. At least she wouldn’t starve. Seven rooms down, five to go. Methodical. Logical. Her father would be so proud. And it felt dead wrong.
She was thankful for the piano music and the noisy chatter all around her. Her gut instincts told her she could check rooms all night and she wouldn’t find him. Time to stop looking for the weasel, and start thinking like one.
Where would she be if she wanted to infect everyone in this room? Who here had the most access to the most people? She stopped moving and just watched the natural rhythm of the room. The guests seated in heavy walnut chairs for dinner, chatting, laughing, showing off. The wait-staff, silently and efficiently keeping everything clean and everyone’s glass full. Several couples were dancing to a slow, sad number the piano man and his mistress softly layered into the noise of the room.
The sight of all those couples dancing made her wish she was here just to enjoy the party like everyone else. She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. Duty demanded otherwise. Once Kline was stopped, she could dance with Luke every night if she wanted to. The thought of her lover made her birthmark flare to life. Great. Just what she needed right now. Distraction.
“Dance with me.” Rock-solid arms slid around her waist and pulled her bare back against a wall of warmth.
Biting back a scream, Alexa realized Luke had found her. He pulled her around, his broad shoulders hid her from view of the party so she could reappear without scaring anyone. She released her hold on the light and scowled up at him. “How did you find me?”
Damn, but the man had a killer smile. Full of secrets. “Come on. Dance with me. There are thirty professional spies, sneaks, and assassins here. All looking for one little boy. Let them handle it, angel. Just for five minutes.”
No woman in existence could have turned him down in that moment. Not with those sexy bedroom eyes devouring her like she was a special treat. She could see everything that happened in the room from the dance floor. Why not kill two birds with one stone? “All right. But just one dance.”
He whirled her onto the floor and wrapped his arms around her like he was never going to let her go. A slow, sultry number was playing. Her body rocked against Luke’s. His breath played over her neck when he dipped his head down to completely enclose her in their own private world. The soft fabric of his tuxedo rubbed against her cheek. The smell of his spicy shaving cream lingered on his skin. His lips dipped to brush her bare shoulder with a barely-there caress. He held her right hand in his, trapped between their bodies, right on top of the mark over his heart. It was hot.
Five minutes was hell when you wanted forever. But she’d take it. The world could wait.
Sighing, she closed her eyes and snuggled close enough to rub her forehead against his cheek like a purring cat. Contentment made her limbs weak and her eyelids heavy. What she wouldn’t give to simply melt into him. Alexa never had been able to lie worth a damn. Especially to herself. She could pretend to be noble, pretend that she would try to save the world out of a sense of duty, honor, or moral fortitude. But in that moment, she admitted the truth to herself. Perhaps she’d wanted to save the world once. Now she was doing it for him. If that was a blight against her soul, so be it.
The song ended, but it took a moment for awareness to fight its way through the sensual haze of Luke’s embrace. He loosened his hold and she slipped out of his arms.
Luke’s thumb feathered over her cheek and he brushed a quick kiss over her lips. “In a few hours, I’ll make sure you look at me like that for the rest of the night.”
Quickly she looked away and hoped he wouldn’t notice the heat she felt coloring her cheeks or the shiver that ran up her spine. Just because he noticed her reaction to him didn’t mean he had to point it out. “What look?”
That damn smile again.
“Fine.” Nope. Couldn’t lie worth a damn. She leaned up on tiptoe and kissed him again because she had to. A quick, hard kiss that temporarily satisfied her new ad
diction to his taste. “Now, stop baby-sitting me and let me do my job.”
With a sly wink and a last lingering touch on her shoulder he walked away.
What kind of response was that? He had every intention of dogging her footsteps for the rest of the night. Obviously, he had a hell of a lot more faith in all the Colonel’s boys than she did. She needed air. And she needed a place where she could disappear again without drawing attention.
A quick search of the room confirmed what she already knew. It was either into the foyer to hide behind one of the archways, or back into the ladies room.
Darting in and out of view, a face caught her eye and the air froze in her chest. Thank God. She’d started to worry that the ringmaster wouldn’t show up to run his own circus. But there he was. She’d been waiting two hours for the bastard to show himself again. Now she just had to keep him in her sights. No time to hide. If someone saw her disappear, they’d just have to write it off to too much champagne.
Two days of constant practice made bending the light second nature to her now. She disappeared instantly and darted across the room, dodging those she could, bumping into those she couldn’t. The free flow of alcohol in the room was all the cover she was going to get. Judging by the dazed looks on the faces of the few she bumped into, it would be enough.
The service elevator doors were sliding closed when she caught up to him. She shoved her arm between the doors and gritted her teeth as the mechanical beasts bit into her arm, then slid back open. A huge, terrifying man with a shaved head, square jaw and a pockmarked face stood next to the panel. He was dressed all in black. His thick meaty hands looked like they could bend steel, or snap her in two. Pushing the button again he stared hard at his companion.
Red Night ((Book 1) Timewalker Chronicles) Page 6
