“Damn it, Talon, I mean it. I know how you feel about her. You have to bring her back. She and I have to fight this thing out and make everything better between us. I’ll yell and tell her she was a bitch for betraying me all those years and she’ll yell back and tell me I’m overreacting as usual and then we’ll both end up crying in each other’s arms and everything will be all right. You don’t understand. She’s a part of me. I can’t lose her. Especially after the hurtful things I said to her.” Mina’s arms were flailing. “My god, what have I done? If anything happens to her…” She trailed off. “You have to get Chloe back!” Mina’s eyes filled with tears, yet Talon remained stoical and unmoving.
Mina turned toward Mathias and let her head drop to his chest, her hands gripping his shirt. His arms immediately encircled her as he began to stroke her back. She had to force herself to breathe. She was exhausted, she was angry, she was scared for her baby and for her best friend, and that just pissed her off even more. Her emotions were swirling around her insides like loose confetti in a strong wind and she didn’t know how to rein them in. She turned back to Talon and noted that his face was a mask of stone. His jaw was tense, his stance rigid, but his blue eyes churned with emotion.
“What did you say to her, Mina? And what do you mean you know how I feel about her?” Talon asked softly.
“Told ya, bro,” Tre muttered from behind him.
Talon threw his elbow back so fast the movement was almost imperceptible. But it was obvious he’d hit his mark when Tre grabbed his gut and let out a loud grunt.
As if she hadn’t noticed the exchange, Mina continued with a sigh. “Give me a break, Talon. Any idiot can see how you feel about Chloe. I may be new to this whole Coteri life I’ve been thrust into but I’m not stupid. The way you react anytime her name is even mentioned makes it obvious. She’s got you tied in knots and as well as I know my Chloe, that doesn’t surprise me in the least. From the moment I met you I knew you were just her type and in looking at that expression on your face right now, I’d say you’re about ready to blow thinking of Chloe being in danger.”
Mina began to pace, arms crossed protectively over her stomach. “As for what my last words were to Chloe, I told her she meant nothing to me and that I was done with her.” Mina drew in a shaky breath as she walked back to face Talon. Her voice was now soft, defeated.
“I was angry. I was devastated by her betrayal. Hell, to be honest I still am. Look, all I’m saying is that right now, I really don’t give a damn what you feel about her or what she may feel about you. This is my fault. It was my hateful words that drove her away. And now she’s in danger from that sick bastard.” Mina cringed at the memory of being held captive by Luca. Her insides twisted, knowing Chloe was now his next target.
Mina looked back over at Roderick, who had remained silent and calm during the exchange. “Roderick, tell him to go get her and bring her home,” Mina pleaded.
Roderick stepped forward and clasped Mina’s hands. “Talon isn’t going anywhere, Kätzchen.”
“Like hell I’m not!” Talon roared, unable to maintain his mask of silent fury.
“You forget your place, Talon.” Roderick turned to face Talon nose to nose. Talon stared at his king, then reluctantly returned to his seat.
Roderick returned his attention to his daughter. “While you have no idea how much pain it causes me to refuse the first request my daughter has ever made of me, Talon is needed here at the moment, Mina. I have my reasons for this. We’ll deal with this new threat and I will ensure our Chloe is well protected. It was her choice to leave and I gave her my blessing to do so, although reluctantly. However, I promise I will do all within my power to guarantee her safety while she is away from us.”
Mina’s infuriated, tear-filled eyes met her father’s. She knew he would hold firm to his decision.
Roderick stroked his daughter’s check. “Don’t look at me like that, Kätzchen. Chloe is in good hands. I trust Killian and have full faith in his ability to protect her. He’ll watch over her, guide her and ensure her safety and well-being. She will be safe and, in time, will hopefully decide to return to her home and to you. It was her decision to accept Killian’s assignment—her decision to remain indefinitely in the States. A decision she believes is for the best and one I must respect. Please trust me in this.”
Talon bolted from his seat at the word indefinitely. “Wait a minute. I thought this was just an assignment. What do you mean she plans to remain in the States indefinitely?” Talon demanded.
Roderick kept silent in response.
Mina let silent tears fall down her cheeks as she slumped back into Mathias’ chest. What had she done? She’d overreacted and allowed her temper to get the better of her, driving her friend—her sister—out of her home and away from her family. She should be sharing her newfound joy of her baby with her best friend. Instead, she may have pushed her toward unspeakable danger. Visions of her time spent with Luca flooded into her head—the torture, his cruelty, his hands all over her. The wounds on her body had healed but she still held the scars of that terrible time in her mind. She felt sick, light headed, just thinking that Chloe could be next. Chloe was now his target. Mina shuddered.
Mathias draped an arm around Mina’s shoulder and led her toward the door. As he reached the entrance, he stopped and turned. His green eyes bored into Talon’s. Mina lifted her head from Mathias’ shoulder and met Talon’s gaze as well, the message in her eyes clear. Get her back.
Talon made no response as he held Mina’s gaze.
Mathias gave a slight nod toward Roderick. “I’ll return once I get Mina settled.” He turned and escorted Mina back to their chambers.
After several minutes, Mathias returned to the office. None of the men had moved from their previous positions.
“Mina is safe in bed. Your personal guards are outside our quarters. Given what we’ve just learned, I don’t want her unprotected for even a single minute,” Mathias said.
Roderick sighed. “I couldn’t agree with you more.”
Tre stepped forward and stood at attention in front of Roderick.
“My king, I respectfully request to be sent to Washington to retrieve Chloe and bring her home to safety. The threat of Luca targeting her changes the components of what she was originally sent there to do.”
“I’m afraid you’re needed elsewhere at the moment, Tre,” Roderick replied, although his eyes were still on Talon. “Killian and his men are more than capable of protecting Chloe during this assignment. Her skills are needed and, again, it was her choice to leave.” His intense gaze remained on Talon. “And I have to believe if she had known about this newest threat from Luca, she would have made the same decision. She was very determined and I owe it to her, and have enough faith in her, to respect her wishes.” Looking now at Tre, he continued, “You will go to New Orleans to assist Devereux and will leave first thing tomorrow morning.”
Talon moved toward Roderick, pushing Tre to the side. Through clenched teeth he said, “Sire, I respectfully request that I be sent to Washington to aid Killian.”
After several moments of silence Roderick responded with a heavy hand on Talon’s shoulder. “I’m in need of you here, Talon. There’s no stronger general than Killian and I have full trust in his abilities as well as the abilities of his men. Chloe will be safe. I must ensure the safety of my daughter and grandchild. For that, I need you. You will lead the investigation to find our traitor. You are needed here and here you will stay.”
Talon cast a look at Mathias that revealed the fury in his eyes. He turned to his king and gave a quick nod, then stormed out of the office, slamming the doors behind him. Tre quickly followed only to find Talon waiting for him in the outer hall. No words were spoken, only a silent understanding between friends. Tre gave a quick nod and turned to head down the dark corridor. Talon left in the opposite direction, plans in place.
Mathias’ own furious stare followed Talon’s movements out of the office.
/> “You know what this means, don’t you?” Roderick said as he placed a hand on Mathias’ shoulder.
Mathias only had one response. “Shit.”
Chapter Five
Killian pulled his Hummer into an underground parking garage and shut off the engine. He and Chloe retrieved their bags and moved toward the elevator. In silence, they rode to the top floor, exiting into a sitting room with plush burgundy carpeting. Dark paneled wood and colorful bouquets of flowers in ornate vases that were as tall as Chloe filled the space. To her left was a wall of windows that showed off the incredible skyline of Seattle. Chloe had to admit she was impressed. Killian took her bags and deposited them in a nearby closet. He led her down a long corridor toward two large double doors. He stopped at the entrance and turned to face her.
“You and I will talk more in private after this meeting, Chloe. The men you are about to meet, however, will be working closely with you on a daily basis during your assignment. Follow my lead in there and don’t let them see your uneasiness. I trust these men with my life but they are Coteri warriors and they aren’t expecting you, a female. And that should be all I need to say on the matter.” He opened the doors and led her into the conference room.
Chloe stood frozen for a moment. Sitting at a table at least fifteen feet long were five of the most rugged men she had ever seen. Even seated, each one appeared to top six feet and each one was built like a Mack truck. All were dressed and armed in such a way that it left no doubt they were the warriors she knew them to be. Chloe forced herself to take a calming breath. She shook herself out of her haze and focused her attention on the rest of the room.
The office itself was stunning. The entire back wall was nothing but glass, overlooking the downtown metropolis, the Space Needle and the majestic Cascade Mountains. The conference table was like nothing she’d ever seen—deep cherry wood with legs as thick as a man’s torso. The tabletop itself was at least twelve inches thick and Chloe noted the beautiful infinity cross inlays around the outer edges. She absently brushed her hand over her right hip bone. The table took up the majority of the space in the room. Over to the right was a small kitchen area with all the amenities. To the far left was a door she assumed led to a restroom or a private office.
Killian lightly touched her arm and led her toward the table. Before they were seated he stopped and addressed his team.
“Men, I’d like to introduce you to Chloe. Many of you may know of her as the younger sister of General Mathias. I have requested her assistance involving the recent assaults and disappearances in our territory, particularly in relation to the surrounding women’s clinics. She is very familiar with this area, having lived here before, and will be able to acclimate quickly.”
Chloe noted the smallest hint of tension in Killian’s tone. He was still obviously not happy he hadn’t been made aware of her and Mina’s presence in Washington.
“I’m confident she will be a great asset to our efforts.” Killian motioned to his left. “Chloe, this is Darrius and Daniel, Michael, David and MaKane.”
Each man gave a hard nod in greeting but the man seated at the end of the table stood. He was huge, at least six foot seven with arms like tree trunks. His dark hair was short, like a military cut, and his eyes were so dark they were almost black. He glided around the table with much more grace than a man of his stature should possess to stand in front of Killian. He crossed said tree trunks over his chest and spoke.
“General, with all due respect, she is a Coteri female, one to be protected. How can she possibly assist us in our cause? How can we be expected to be effective in our duties when we will be constantly distracted by trying to ensure her safety?”
Chloe knew if she didn’t take a stand now, she would never be able to gain their respect in her abilities. They would only see her as a defenseless female and that would negatively impact her effectiveness during this assignment. As Killian opened his mouth to reply, she took a step forward and raised her hand to stop him. She slowly walked toward the behemoth of a man, hips swaying, sultry smile in place. Even though she was five foot nine, the top of her head only reached the center of his chest. She slowly tilted her head up and to the side to meet his heightened gaze and with a smile on her face she brought her right knee up, hard. When the man doubled over at the waist, she brought her elbow up to clip him square under the chin. He fell back on his ass, both hands cupping his crotch.
Chloe stood over him, hands clasped lightly in front of her, giving him the sweetest smile she could muster. “I don’t need protecting, Goliath, from any man.” Oh yeah, I’m gonna like the new Chloe, she thought to herself.
Killian stepped forward and offered the man a hand up, trying hard to hide his smirk. “Darrius, meet Chloe. As I said, she’ll be assisting us as a guest member of the team. She’s our best shot at getting inside these women’s clinics to gather the intel we need. And I expect you and the rest of the men to award her the respect she deserves while she’s here.”
Killian tugged Darrius close and spoke in a hushed tone that Chloe had to strain to hear. “Don’t question me on this, warrior. You have no idea what this female has been through or what she’s capable of.” Killian clapped him on the back and released him.
Adjusting the front of his black jeans as he moved gingerly back to his seat Darrius muttered, “Oh, I think I’ve got a pretty good idea what she’s capable of, sir.”
Killian led Chloe to a seat at the table and took his own seat at the far end. “Now does anyone else feel the need to question my judgment in this matter or can we finally get down to business?” His question was met with utter silence.
* * * * *
Once the meeting had adjourned, Killian led Chloe back to the elevators after retrieving her bags. He handed over a set of keys, letting his fingers linger longer in her hand than was probably necessary. “These are the keys to your vehicle, which is parked right beside the Hummer in the garage downstairs. We installed new locks on the doors to the house you’ll be using as well.” He took a step closer, invading her personal space, and continued, “The files you need to review before tomorrow are already at the house and the kitchen is fully stocked. You should have everything you need to get started but I want you to call me if you need anything, Chloe.”
Chloe stepped to the elevator and pushed the call button, not sure of the mixture of emotions churning inside her at the moment but suddenly needing to put some space between her and Killian. “I’ll be ready, sir. I promise I won’t let you down.”
As the elevator doors opened, Chloe quickly stepped in and pushed the button for the parking garage. As the doors started to close, Killian took a step forward and smiled. “By the way, nice knee back there. And remember, it’s Killian.”
When the doors finally closed and the elevator began its descent, she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. He’s just trying to put you at ease so quit being paranoid! she chided herself.
* * * * *
Killian returned to the conference room where his men waited. He told them of Roderick’s strict orders regarding Chloe’s protection, his conversation with Talon and the developments at the castle. It was Daniel who spoke first. “So she still wants to do this after learning about the traitor and the threat to her?”
Killian moved to the kitchen area and poured himself a drink before answering. “I need her focussed solely on this assignment, not worrying about what’s going on back home or some supposed threat to her here.”
Daniel strode to the kitchen area and crossed his arms over his chest. “She needs to at least know of the potential danger she’s in, Killian, in order to be cautious. It will make our job of protecting her much easier if she’s aware.”
Killian set down his glass, placed his hands on the counter and leaned forward across the bar island to meet Daniel’s direct gaze. “The team will protect her, Daniel. It’s your job to keep her safe from any threats, be they real or imagined. And given the source of the informa
tion about this supposed threat,” Killian paused as his lips curled in disgust, “let’s just say Talon is not to be trusted where Chloe is concerned so I have my doubts about the validity of any impending danger toward her.”
Daniel took a step back and dropped his arms. “And if the threat is legitimate?”
Killian lifted his glass and took a long swallow before meeting Daniel’s gaze. “As you witnessed with Darrius, Chloe is very proud and she’s not without her own set of skills. She’s a guest member of our team and she’s only here to gather intel. As an untrained civilian female, I need to make sure her focus remains solely on what she’s being charged to do. Period. Which means the team will protect her at all costs and until I determine whether this supposed threat against her is legitimate or until a time I deem it necessary for her to know, she will not be told. Are we clear?” He knew his tone allowed for no argument as he looked at the rest of his men, who slowly nodded their compliance.
He returned his gaze to Daniel, who was clearly not in agreement but after a long moment simply replied, “Yes, General.”
* * * * *
Chloe was driving down I-5 toward Olympia in the white Land Rover Killian had secured for her, music blaring on the radio. She lowered the driver’s side window, the piercing December air penetrating her senses. The landscape was a familiar wave of evergreens on either side of the highway and gray sky with the hint of snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance. She was going home. Home. She mentally slapped herself for her slip. She was not going to her home but to her base of operations for this assignment. New Chloe, she reminded herself.
The gray sky turned to dusk as she drove through town and turned off the familiar road running parallel with Bud Bay Inlet. She smiled as she noticed all the holiday trimmings. Houses and businesses were adorned with multicolored lights, wreaths, garlands and every sort of decoration imaginable. Christmas was only a few short weeks away. She and Mina had planned to spend it together. As it was a human holiday, Coteri didn’t celebrate Christmas as a rule. But in the years she had spent with Mina, Chloe had come to love the holiday almost as much as her friend. She would miss that this year. Chloe felt a slow ache spread in her chest but quickly shook off the feeling. Not why I’m here, she reminded herself.
Infinite Surrender: 2 (Blood Feud) Page 5
