Thane's Redemption

by Nina Crespo

  Thane opened his mouth to blow off the theory, but Reid’s long, direct look put him on notice he’d detected the truth. Okay, he’d given himself an entire ten minutes to deal, but he couldn’t forget the hurt and betrayal in her eyes. He shouldn’t have gotten caught up in their imaginary weekend.

  It stung to know some other guy would have the distinction of sharing that moment with her, but trying to recreate it on his patio was a huge mistake. “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Her memories are erased. She’s moved on.”

  “But you won’t unless you fix this.” Reid leaned forward. “You need to see she’s moved on with your own eyes so you can stop wishing for something you can’t have.”

  A reflexive fuck off almost escaped from his mouth, but Thane washed the words down with another long drink from his beer. More than once he’d awakened in bed wanting her nestled against him. Missing her warmth seeping into his skin. Wanting the peacefulness and assurance of the world being worth saving he felt with her in his arms. But like before, with Leslie, his life wasn’t built for offering Celine happiness.

  Unexplainable emotions rose inside him, and his heart bumped hard against the middle of his chest. He breathed it all away in disgust. Relating her story to Leslie’s, aiming to please her, pretending they were a normal couple—he’d screwed up and made that one night personal. It wasn’t.

  Thane drained his beer and went to the fridge for another. He ignored Reid’s speculative stare and the niggling voice of denial in his head. Once the assignment was over, he’d find her and put what happened with them to rest once and for all.

  * * * *

  Thane merged with the Saturday afternoon crowd strolling through the shopping mall. Two years into the future, nothing had changed. Half of the people walked down the wide corridor deep into phone calls or sending text messages. The rest gravitated like magnets in and out of stores. He stopped outside of a trendy shop with androgynous mannequins in the window and looked through a rack of vintage T-shirts.

  Xenia Allen walked ahead carrying a boutique shopping bag. She’d stolen two vials from the lab that morning and driven to the mall. Satisfied with a purchase of lingerie, she’d window-shopped for the past hour.

  She stopped and searched the crowd. Thane shifted his attention to a cute redhead in a short skirt walking by.

  Reid’s low curse came in through his earpiece. “That’s the third time she’s checked for a tail.”

  The camera and microphone built into the sunglasses tucked into the collar of Thane’s shirt gave his team eavesdropping capability. The security cameras they hooked into also allowed them to assess the surroundings right along with him.

  “I’ll hang back,” Thane said. “Do you have eyes on her?”

  “Yeah, Mace and I are on it. If she stops, we’ll know. He can take over surveillance for you if she gets too suspicious.”

  The welcoming atmosphere of the mall was the flip side to a desert or jungle behind enemy lines. But like in their days in Regimental Recon, they functioned as a team.

  Thane stepped inside the store and feigned interest in a rack of sale clothing. Less than a minute later, he walked out. “Where is she?”

  “In the food court ordering lunch.”

  The redhead who’d walked by earlier stepped out of a shoe store. She gave Thane a lingering stare before sitting down on a bench in the main corridor.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Reid asked.

  “Probably not,” Thane murmured.

  Reid chuckled. “You need a good reason for going into the food court, and she’s your best option.”

  Shit. He wasn’t up for it, but she would provide a cover. The last thing they needed was for Xenia to get suspicious and cancel the meet.

  Thane walked over to the redhead. “Can I interest you in a cup of coffee?”

  She smiled coyly and stood. “Sure.”

  He bought the coffees, and they sat at a booth giving him a clear view of the doctor sitting at a table. The chatty redhead was more than happy to dominate the conversation. With practiced ease, he split his focus between her and the doctor. His mind wandered. The redhead used her looks as a ploy and tried too hard to come off as interesting. He’d bet money she adjusted like a chameleon instead of having the confidence to be herself.

  Celine never faked it. Her laughter when she’d called him on his bullshit pickup lines still made him smile. He dreamed of her soft mouth on his and her tight curves underneath his palms. As much as he tried, he couldn’t stop reliving the moments of her in his arms. How she’d pushed back to take him deeper while gripping the guitar rack. Crying out in pleasure as she pulsed around his cock.

  “Uh, bro, you might want to respond to that,” Reid said through his earpiece.

  Invitation in the redhead’s eyes clued him into the gist of what he’d missed. Playing along, he smiled. “Sounds interesting.”

  “Why don’t you come by my place tonight, and I can show you?” She took a pen out of her purse and wrote a phone number on a napkin. “Call me around seven-thirty. I’ll give you directions. Thanks for the coffee.” She slid the napkin over to his side of the table, got up, and gave him another smile before she walked away.

  Thane stared at the napkin and blinked. “What’s she talking about?”

  “She’s a massage therapist, and she’s into you,” Reid said. “Figure it out later. The doctor has a lunch date.”

  A guy wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and a ball cap sat down and placed an identical pink bag next to Xenia’s. Her body language relaxed while his showed caution. After a brief conversation, he settled back in the chair. She smiled and slid a plate of food and a cup of soda in his direction.

  “Who is he?” Thane asked.

  “Don’t know, but if he looks toward the camera we can—hello, there it is. Mace is running facial rec now.” A few minutes later Reid said, “His name is Jeff Miller. He’s got priors—mainly petty theft, assault, drugs—nothing connecting him to the doctor or bioterrorism.”

  Thane sipped his coffee. “So, he’s not our guy. They’re making a trade, but he’s just the pickup guy.”

  Xenia and Jeff finished lunch. She refilled his cup at the soda machine, and they left the food court together. For the next half hour, they leisurely window-shopped.

  “They’re going into a furniture store,” Reid said.

  Thane kept walking. “Do you still have them on camera?”

  “Yeah, but get this. It looks like she’s shopping. Maybe this is where they’re planning the hand off.” Reid snorted in disbelief. “She’s buying furniture.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. She’s pulling out her credit card right now. Guess her downsizing days are over. Somebody’s expecting a hefty payoff.”

  Downsizing. Something didn’t add up. Wait a minute—hadn’t Reid said she’d done it before joining Landon. “Reid, how much time in between Xenia selling her house and taking the position at Landon Bioresearch?”

  “Hold on.” Reid paused. “Four months.”

  “And she wasn’t having money problems, right?”

  “No. Why?”

  “She downsized before Fineway disappeared. Why? Unless she was preparing for something like Fineway not being at Landon.”

  “You think we’ve missed a connection to Red Path Anarchy, but she’s the virus expert. Why would they kidnap Fineway if she’s on their team?”

  They hated each other. Recalling Dalir’s words gripped him with dread. What better way to torment him than to make him create the virus? To make him take responsibility for unleashing hell on the world.

  “My instincts tell me Fineway’s disappearance and this are connected. I want another look at the files.”

  Jeff stumbled out of the store. Xenia helped him over to one of the benches. She said something to him and walked to the hallway leading to the ladies’ room.

  “What’s going on?” Reid asked.

  Restlessness tugged in Thane’s gut like
it did before a mission was about to go south. “Don’t know.” He moved out of foot traffic nearer to the stores. “Get Mace down here. I—”

  Thane turned toward a nearby display window. His world suspended in disbelief.

  Chapter 10

  Celine finished ringing up her customer’s purchase. Smiling, she handed over the receipt. “Thank you for shopping with us.”

  She and her staff had remained busy since the doors opened. With Mother’s Day in less than a week, the place was humming with activity.

  “Excuse me.” A man near the counter caught her attention. “I need help finding a gift for my wife. She likes spa stuff. You know, candles, bubble bath, that sort of thing.”

  “Let me show you our gift bundles. They have all you mentioned plus a few other things I think your wife will like.” She came from around the counter and walked to the window display. “We have these or you can tell us what you want, and we’ll—.”

  A golden-brown gaze snared hers. An urge to run out the store and throw herself at the guy looking through the window came over her in an unsettling rush.

  “I’ll take it.”

  She turned her attention back to her customer. “I’m sorry.”

  “The one with the red bow,” he gestured toward the window. “I’ll take it.”

  “It’s a beautiful choice.” She picked up the bundle and bobbled it in her hands. Luckily, the customer had a firm grip on it. Smiling his thanks, he stood in line to pay for his purchase. She looked back up. The guy with the gorgeous eyes was gone. Where did he go? She rushed out the store and spotted him walking up ahead. Her high heels tapped against the tiles as she hurried to overtake his long strides. “Excuse me,” she called out. “Did you need something?”

  He kept walking, and her heart sped up in desperation.

  “Wait.” Don’t go.

  As if he heard her silent plea, he stopped and turned around. Frowning, he looked away and lifted his hand up to his ear. “Yeah, I need a minute.”

  “Oh.” A flush heated Celine’s face. What was wrong with her? Of course, he needed time to check out the selection in the mall. There she was chasing him down as if her store was the only one in town.

  His gaze fixed on her and she couldn’t look away. Each step he took in her direction accelerated her heart rate. He stopped in front of her, and she smoothed her damp palms down her emerald-colored dress. “I saw you looking in the window. Is there something I can help you with? Did you see something you liked?” Inwardly, she winced. That sounded like some awful pickup line.

  “Yeah, I did.” His expression remained neutral, but his eyes shadowed as if he was dealing with an inner struggle. “But I can’t stay.”

  “Sure. I understand.” Emotions she couldn’t place besieged her with the need to apologize for something bigger than bothering him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have….” What? Her mind went blank. Embarrassed, she moved to step back, but he cupped his hand to her cheek.

  “It’s okay,” he said.

  Unexpected relief washed over her, and she closed her eyes. Celine sighed and turned her cheek more into his palm. Memories, elusive and quick, of intimacy, caring, and regret sifted through her mind. Words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. “I know you,” she whispered. During the prolonged silence, the sense of rightness in the statement intensified. She opened her eyes. “How do I know you?”

  “You don’t.” He went to move away, but she held on to his hand.

  “Yes, I do.” She didn’t know where or how, but every pore of her said she was right. “You don’t reach out and touch a strange woman like this.”

  His brow furrowed. “You seemed upset. I just—”

  Giving into impulse, she grabbed him by the shirt and kissed him. His body stiffened and his lips didn’t move. Horrified, she let go, but he framed her face with his hands and claimed her mouth with bold sweeps of his tongue.

  The scents of citrus and amber warming on his skin heightened an awareness beyond simple attraction. It stirred remembrance about something she hadn’t realized she’d lost until he’d touched her. Something only he had the power to give.

  In the midst of feeling heady and wonderful, the sounds of shouting and commotion broke in.

  His head snapped up, and he glanced to the middle of the corridor. Tension radiated from him, matching the look of urgency in his eyes. “Listen to me, Celine. If you know me, trust me. Get out of here. Now.” He released her and cut through the growing crowd.

  Startled, she stumbled back. Who was he and how did he know her name?

  * * * *

  Thane adjusted his earpiece. “What’s happening?”

  “Fuck. Me.” Reid added on a string of f-bombs.

  Thane hurried to a growing crowd in center of the mall. Jeff stumbled and swore at the people around him.

  “Where’s Xenia?” Thane asked.

  “Still in the ladies’ room.” A familiar energy vibrated in the air. Seconds later, Reid eased up beside him. “We gotta get a handle on this guy.”

  They moved closer, but security ran up on the scene and ordered everyone back.

  “Get away from me.” Wild-eyed and flushed, Jeff jerked his head from side to side.

  “Tell me this isn’t because of the virus,” Reid murmured.

  The cup on the bench and the pink bags next to it added up to a myriad of scenarios, each one worse than the other. “No. It’s too soon for signs or symptoms and flipping out isn’t one of them.” Thane signaled Reid to move closer to Jeff. “Mace, can you hear me?”

  “Loud and clear.”

  “Confirm Xenia’s still in the bathroom.”

  “On it.”

  A baby’s cry echoed through the corridor.

  Jeff turned toward the sound and pulled a gun from underneath his shirt. “I said get the fuck back!”

  Screams erupted and police arriving on the scene scrambled to get through the crowd. One of the security guards circled behind Jeff.

  Disaster. The last thing they needed were vials thrown around in the chaos. “Reid, get the bags out of here.”

  The guard jumped Jeff and struggled for control of the gun. A series of shots rang out.

  Focusing his energy, Thane merged his conscious into the stream of time. He traced one bullet to the wall. One into the thigh of a man running away and two fiery trails over his shoulder. Horror clenched in his gut.

  Celine!

  Instinct took over as time, space, and velocity all calculated through his mind. He made it to her in one final accelerating leap and enfolded her in his arms. Pains sliced into his back as momentum took them to the floor.

  Celine squirmed underneath his weight, and in his mind, he issued commands his body sluggishly obeyed. He pried his eyes open and winced as agony stole each breath he dragged through his lungs. Urgent shouts and questioning voices surrounded him along with a fading golden light. He’d broken his cover, exposed himself to a crowd. Dalir’s going to be pissed.

  “Thane.” As if on cue, Dalir’s non-corporeal presence fixed deep in his mind.

  Oh yeah, the Ancient was pissed all right. He could feel it, but forget about Dalir. Was Celine okay? He moved to sit up but a force of energy pinned him to the floor.

  “Hear me.” Dalir’s urgent whisper flooded through him. “You’re injured. You have to phase.”

  “No. Celine.”

  “I’m here.” A soft hand closed around his. “Help is coming. You’re going to be okay.” A halo of light surrounded her face. So sweet, so beautiful. But she looked scared. He needed to tell her not to be afraid.

  He inhaled a short breath. Son of a bitch. Thane shut his eyes and hovered on the edge of pure torture. A wet metallic taste bubbled into his mouth.

  “No, look at me,” she said. “That’s it.” She held his hand tighter. “You can’t let go. You have to hold on.”

  Stay. The melody of the song he’d played for her the night they’d met, played in his mind. He wanted to relive
that night, make it perfect and not mess it up this time. Make love to her again. Spend time with her at the park.

  He lifted up his hand and caressed her cheek. “Don’t be scared, beautiful. I’ve got you.”

  Caring softened her eyes. “I know you do.”

  Pain more intense than his bullet wounds ripped into him with frustration and sadness. He’d give anything to see caring in her eyes each and every day. To know that she’d always remember him.

  “Damn it, Thane. Listen to me.” The Ancient’s anger shimmered through him and gripped his focus like a vice. “Control the pain. Turn it down in your mind. Focus on getting your ass out of here. Now. That’s an order.”

  As much as he wanted to blow Dalir off, the command resonated. He had to clean up the situation. Make sure they’d gotten the virus. Her lips trembled into a smile, and she pressed his hand to her cheek. “Don’t go. Stay with me.”

  If he only could, but staying would only hurt and confuse her again. Truth sank inside of him. He memorized her face. Pushing past the pain, he called upon the gift that had given and taken so much from him and phased.

  Chapter 11

  A bright light penetrated Thane’s eyelids, fueling a headache tied to what felt like the worst hangover ever. A soft cushion supported his back. Sun warmed his face. Where am I? Birds chirping happily scratched hell from the list of possibilities.

  Shielding his eyes with his arm, he swallowed what little moisture wet his mouth. As he eased his lids open, he endured the throbbing in his head. Past his bare feet resting on the arm of the couch, a large sliding glass door provided a stunning view. The deep blue morning sky framed a lush landscape of pine trees and snowcapped mountains.

  A fire crackled and sparked behind the grate of a stone fireplace. Warmth radiated through his jeans and shirt. He inhaled scents of cedar, faint wood smoke, and bacon. His stomach growled. Moving slowly, he rose and walked across the gleaming wood floors to the adjoining hallway. As he tracked the scent to the kitchen, he absorbed a familiar, commanding presence.