Infinite Surrender: 2 (Blood Feud)

by Gayle Donnelly

  Chloe pulled into the drive and turned off the engine. She sat unmoving in her car, unable to get out. As she looked upon the house she couldn’t stop the flood of memories. The late night talks with Mina, the early mornings where they would lounge on the back deck in their fluffy robes with their coffees just watching the water and the sunrise, the takeout Chinese picnics on the living room floor. A lone tear slid down her cheek. Damn it! They just had to put her back in this house, didn’t they?

  The house looked the same. The three stories overlooking the bay displayed the expansive curved deck on the second level where she and Mina had spent so much time. She looked at the smaller rectangular deck leading from French doors on the third level bedroom that had previously been unused, the white trim standing out brightly from the dark, shingled siding. The memories were almost overwhelming. Someone had made certain to care for the place in Mina’s absence. She suspected Killian had made sure that everything was in order before her arrival.

  Chloe took a fortifying breath, wrenched her door open and slammed it closed with a force that shook the car. She grabbed her bags out of the back and made her way to the front door of the house. Shields firmly back in place, she unlocked the door and walked inside, heading straight to the kitchen. She shuttled to a stop when she saw a box on the kitchen table. Chloe dropped her bags to the floor and approached slowly, noting the box was addressed to her. She turned on some lights and quickly removed the packing tape. A card with her name lay inside. Her heart began to flutter. New Chloe, she reminded herself again. She opened the card and clasped her hand over her mouth as she read the words.

  Hey, sister ‘o mine! I miss you beyond words and would give anything to have you with me now. So much to tell you and have I got the perfect stud for you! He’s huge, with long dark hair, great blue eyes…yum! Don’t be mad but when I saw this, it had your name written all over it. I know we’re spending the holidays together but I knew you’d make it back to my place before I did so…Merry Christmas early! Now you can finally carry your stuff in something more suitable for the stylish, sexy diva you are. Luv ya, sis!

  Mina

  Chloe dug in the box and pulled out a red Versace Shopper bag, tumbling packing peanuts all over the kitchen floor. She hugged it to her chest and dropped her chin. After a few moments she gently placed the bag back in the shipping box along with the card and closed the lid. She moved the box to the corner on the floor and stood tall. New Chloe, she thought to herself once more.

  She turned to the wine cabinet to find it had been fully stocked with her favorite chardonnay. It was going to be a long night. She might be a new Chloe but her first night back home was going to be a bitch. Pouring herself a glass of wine, she made her way out to the back deck. The only light was the moon reflecting off the dark, lapping water of the Sound and the twinkling of Christmas lights from houses across the bay. Wrapping one arm around her middle, she took a healthy gulp, hoping to numb that part of herself that couldn’t forget all the memories flooding through her mind. Sighing, she slowly walked back into the house and locked up, setting the alarm.

  She placed her glass on a nearby table and moved to retrieve her bags. She walked to the stairs, turning lights on along the way. She took the steps all the way to the third floor bedroom, purposefully bypassing her old second floor bedroom, which would undoubtedly bring about too many memories of her time spent here with Mina.

  Expecting to see the old twin bed, dresser and storage boxes that had occupied the space previously, she was amazed by the transformation that had taken place. She noted the large king-sized wrought iron bed was made up with a fluffy down comforter and plush pillows. Pictures of the Sound and the surrounding mountains were on the walls. The wide planked wooden flooring had thick throw rugs by the bed and seating area. It was nice change from the storage space it had been used as previously. She was glad Killian, or whoever had done this, had thought to make the change, because she knew she couldn’t have stayed in the room she used to have next to Mina’s. Staying in this house was going to be difficult enough.

  Chloe quickly unpacked, changed into a pair of comfy yoga pants and a tank top, then returned downstairs to get to work. She grabbed her wine from the table and settled on the couch to review the stack of files Killian had prepared for her. It was definitely going to be a long night.

  * * * * *

  Standing at the edge of the bank, his body literally tingled with anticipation. “There you are, my lovely. Right where I was told you would be. It won’t be long now. I’ll have you screaming beneath me in no time.”

  He chuckled as he thought of all the things he would do to his new pet. The possibilities were endless. She was exceptional. She would put up a fight—all the better. And the end result would be the sweetest revenge. Although as he watched the red-haired beauty standing in the moonlight, the wind softly blowing her thick curls around her head, another thought came to mind. “I just might have to keep this one a while.” He chuckled. “Oh, Chloe, the things I have planned for you.”

  When she returned inside the house, he waited patiently until he saw a light turn on in a third story window. “Sweet dreams, pet.”

  Making his way back to his car, he pulled out his cell phone and hit the familiar speed dial. “You’ve done well. I’ve just confirmed Chloe is indeed where you told me she would be. I’ll contact you with further instructions when the time is right, but for now keep your eyes and ears open and inform me immediately of any new developments in Germany.” He closed the car door and turned the engine over.

  “Of course, sir. I’ll contact you immediately with any further information.”

  Disconnecting the call, he took one last glance back at the house. Smiling to himself, Luca slowly pulled out into traffic. “Soon, pet. Very soon.”

  Chapter Six

  Chloe felt the warmth of strong, calloused hands ease along her inner thighs. The caress sent a flood of heat to her core as she felt her nightshirt slowly sliding up her hips. That heat became an inferno as soft lips followed the path those amazing hands had just covered. She shifted her position to allow better access, refusing to open her eyes and ruin the erotic moment. She knew these hands, the familiar scent now invading her senses. How long had she waited for this?

  Her mind refocused on what those hands and lips were doing to her overheated body. Every one of her senses was heightened. Her skin tingled, her nipples, now tight and aching, were begging for attention. And she felt the rush of liquid heat between her legs. It wasn’t enough. She needed more. Her shirt was slowly lifted above her breasts as firm hands gathered the heavy mounds and began a seductive caress, thumbs gliding over her distended nipples. Wet warmth replaced a hand as she arched into the suckling heat of the most talented mouth and tongue she could have ever imagined. Her mind was in a vortex of pure pleasure. She reached to gather the thick dark hair she knew was before her, ensuring he didn’t leave her too soon, only to be met with empty air.

  * * * * *

  Chloe’s head was pounding. It was early morning and she knew she had to open her eyes but the thought of exerting even that much effort made her cringe. The hammering in her head kept getting louder. Through the fog of sleep she tried to mentally make the annoying noise go away. No such luck. She didn’t have that much wine last night, did she? The pounding continued. Damn it, she was going to have to make herself get up. Disoriented, she sat up from the couch and had to force her eyes open. Suddenly, the crash of the front door splintering open had Chloe to her feet and reaching for her weapon, which lay on the coffee table in front of her. Immediately alert, she focused on the solid wall of muscle that stomped in unison toward her. Cocking a brow, she lowered her blade and put her hands on her hips. She glared at the four gargantuans who had just broken through her front door.

  “Well good morning to you too, boys. Is this your idea of a personal wake-up call? Am I to expect this special kind of service every morning?” Chloe hoped her sarcasm wasn’t lost on the nimrods. S
he was so not a morning person and anyone who knew her knew not to mess with her before she had her coffee. The four stared at her in stunned silence until Daniel stepped forward, his hazel eyes blazing with fury.

  “Why the hell didn’t you answer the door when we knocked?”

  Chloe rolled her eyes, then started toward the kitchen to make coffee. “Oh, I don’t know, Danny, maybe because my ass was still asleep? It’s five o’clock in the morning, for crying out loud, and I was up most of the night working.”

  Daniel stomped after her. “It’s Daniel and you damn well know it.” The other three followed suit and the four ended up in seats at the kitchen table and breakfast bar.

  “We thought something had happened to you when you didn’t answer after five minutes of us pounding on the fucking door!”

  “Michael, such language, and in front of a lady no less,” Chloe said in mock offense. She looked through the cabinets and said a silent hallelujah when she found a sealed bag of Starbucks ground Pike Place roast.

  “What in the world are you all doing here anyway? And what did you think could possibly happen to me? I’ve been here, what, all of ten hours?” She turned on the faucet, filled the carafe and poured the coffee grounds into the machine. Crossing her arms over her chest, she leaned back against the counter and looked at her early morning visitors.

  Chloe exhaled loudly. “Look, I know you don’t know me yet and I’m just a female in your eyes but you need to learn two things about me real fast if we’re going to get along. First, I’m a major grouch in the morning until I have my first cup of coffee, and second, I can take care of myself. Just ask Darrius.” She added a smug grin to that last comment as she glared at the four men who, almost in unison, reached down to protect their balls as they shuddered at the remembered first meeting between her and Darrius. Chloe had to hide her smile at their reaction.

  Chloe’s gaze shifted to the right as she caught David shaking his head and grinning at her. She knew without a doubt he was laughing at her. She blew out an impatient breath, pushed her riotous hair back and faced him.

  “If you like your privates where they hang, big boy, you’d better wipe that smirk off your face.”

  He chuckled and held up both hands in mock surrender. Men, gahh! They were all going to drive her crazy! Hands still on her hips, she looked at her four uninvited guests who were obviously here for the duration. She was going to have to talk to Killian about this. Knowing of Roderick’s orders that she be protected was one thing but she did not need babysitters, especially four massive Coteri warrior babysitters invading her space and getting in the way of her assignment. How the hell was she supposed to be able to do her job if they smothered her to the point of insanity?

  “I’m gonna hit the shower while the coffee is brewing and there’d better be plenty left by the time I get back down here.” She knew she sounded like a bitch but at this point she didn’t care. Chloe stomped over to the coffee table in front of the couch and retrieved her blade, a gift from her brother years before. She sheathed it in its leather casing and moved to the stairs leading to the upstairs bathroom, needing to get away from the testosterone overload that had invaded her home.

  * * * * *

  The men took seats around the kitchen table and spent the next thirty minutes going over their orders from Killian. Chloe was to report for her first day of work at the clinic today, hired on as a counselor. They had already obtained complete files on all personnel and run full background checks. Everything checked out. Chloe was to be their inside eyes and ears. Her charge was simply to report any findings to them, thus ensuring any potential danger to her would remain at a minimum.

  Everything was in place. They had to make this work and find the bastards responsible for brutalizing and experimenting on the women in the area. Through their investigation of the victims, they’d found that several of the women had been current or former patients of the South Sound Women’s Clinic. Getting Chloe inside was their best bet to see if the clinic was somehow significant. They had to find the Valta bastards and shut them down and, at the same time, keep Chloe safe above all else. Killian had told them that was a direct order from the king but even if it hadn’t been, there wasn’t a Coteri warrior alive who wouldn’t protect one of their females at any cost.

  With the coffee done, they each poured a cup. David stood and walked back into the living room. “Damn, I’ve got to admit it, I like her already. She’s got mettle, sass and a killer bod. My kind of woman.”

  “Yeah, mettle, sass and a bod that would just as soon kick you in the balls as take any of your shit, that’s for sure,” Michael added. “Damn, bro, I thought she was really gonna lay you flat back there. Are you out of your fucking mind? You saw what she did to Darrius!”

  “I was just trying to loosen her up, little brother. She’s too damn serious for her own good. Besides, she’s here to gather information and that’s it. Piece of cake, right? So she should chill and let us worry about the heavy stuff,” David replied with amusement. “Besides, I think I’m gonna like trying to rile up that temper of hers.”

  MaKane sat on the couch, crossing his big, booted feet on the coffee table. “She’s hot. I’ll give you that, man. But I’d be careful around her if I were you. Yeah, she’s a civilian, but she’s a general’s sister and obviously someone of major importance to the king. You mess with her and if she doesn’t lay you flat, her brother or the king may do a lot worse.”

  “I don’t like it guys.” Daniel joined them, taking a seat on the couch next to MaKane. “There’s a lot of rage in that little body, and not from lack of caffeine. I get the feeling she’s been through some tough shit and is trying to prove something. Killian’s not talking but I can feel it. She’s definitely carrying some heavy baggage.” He took a sip of coffee. “There’s sadness behind her eyes. She’s tough but she’s a loose cannon, which I have a feeling is going to make our job protecting her a hell of a lot more difficult. And until I’m convinced she can control that temper of hers, so she doesn’t get herself or one of us killed, we don’t leave anything to chance. Deal?”

  The other three nodded in agreement before Daniel turned toward the sound of a muffled cough at the bottom of the stairs. Chloe stood there, arms crossed over her chest. She wore tailored black pants, black suede heels and an emerald green V-neck silk shirt that buttoned up the front and showed just the appropriate amount of skin. Her hair was pulled back off her neck in an elegant twist and her green eyes caught the faint morning sunlight streaming through the back wall of windows off the Sound, making it appear as if they glowed. Daniel could only stare.

  She looked at each of the four men sitting in her living room as a slow smile swept across her face. “Coffee ready yet?” she said sweetly as she moved toward the kitchen, hips swaying with each step.

  “Fuck me,” MaKane mumbled under his breath as he dropped his feet off the coffee table and stood from the couch, his eyes slowly sliding down Chloe’s silhouette.

  “Damn,” David echoed, following suit.

  “Shit. She heard every damn word,” Daniel muttered as he pulled himself up from the couch to follow Chloe and the others back into the kitchen.

  * * * * *

  Twenty minutes later, Chloe sat at the kitchen table with her new BFFs. The shower had effectively washed away the memories of her earlier dream. Her infamous dreams, which in the past she had welcomed as part of her ongoing fantasies of a possible future with Talon. Apparently her subconscious hadn’t caught up to the new reality. She was still pissed over what she’d overheard the men talking about in the living room, but she was on her second cup of coffee now and was better able to deal. She was used to being made to feel inferior by the men of her race. Talon had made that point perfectly clear. Didn’t mean she had to like it and didn’t mean she wasn’t going to show every single one of the arrogant jerks who doubted her abilities that she was capable— more capable than any of them believed.

  “So guys, tell me why you showed u
p at my door at the crack of dawn. You know I have to start work today, so why the wake-up call when I saw you less than twelve hours ago?”

  Daniel put his coffee mug down and placed his elbows on the table. He took a deep breath and Chloe could tell, even though she didn’t know him well, that something was definitely troubling the man. His eyes held a sorrow that Chloe immediately connected with.

  “They found another victim last night, Chloe. Same MO—raped, branded, fucking beat to shit. The poor thing was ripped to shreds. This is the fourth missing girl we’ve identified with ties to the South Sound Women’s Clinic. She was twenty-two fucking years old!” His voice rose as he slapped a hard hand on the table.

  Daniel sat back in his chair and ran his fingers roughly through his wavy blond hair. He took a steadying breath. “We were able to make sure the body was sent to Doctor Alka for autopsy. She’s one of us, Chloe, and works at Seattle General,” he explained. “We can only hope she’s able to find something that can help us in the investigation.”

  Daniel placed both hands on the table and shook his head slowly. The look on his face broke Chloe’s heart. His hazel eyes burned with anger and something else. Guilt, she realized. God only knew why but she could tell he actually felt responsible for this young girl’s fate. Without conscious thought, Chloe reached across the table and placed her hand on top of his. His body instantly stiffened at the contact and his eyes went wide as he looked at his men, seemingly unsure how to handle the situation. Chloe would have laughed at his response if the topic of conversation hadn’t been so serious. Guess the big Coteri warriors weren’t used to being around civilians who exhibited common emotions like empathy. Well, tough. She was a civilian and she was here for the duration of this assignment, so they were just going to have to get used to it.