First and Only: Ember Lane (Book #1)

by Kelly Goode

  I decided the old woman was a few sandwiches short of a picnic. I wasn’t planning to attach myself to anyone here.

  ‘What happened to you, Mari?’ I asked, changing the subject. ‘Why did S.P.T.F. arrest you?’

  I was curious about the reasons for the older woman’s recruitment. A rat shape-shifter was not in the same league as some of the other dangerous supernatural creatures I’d heard of.

  ‘I killed someone,’ she said, hanging her head so her hair fell over her eyes.

  I subconsciously shuffled a few inches away from her.

  ‘Did they tell you what they wanted you to do to earn your freedom?’

  ‘No. I’ve been in the detainment unit for three years then one day last week, this agent came to see me and told me there was a way for me to see my family again. I didn’t ask what he wanted me to do. I just told him yes. I’d do anything to hold my children again.’

  She looked up at me now with hope in her eyes.

  ‘Who did you kill, Mari?’ I asked.

  Her nose twitched and her eyes seemed to recede even further inside her face when she said,

  ‘My husband. I murdered my husband.’

  5

  Harvey was used to living on the edge. He’d crossed too many demons to ever return to his home world. Death didn’t await him there, but something much, much worse. That was why he’d stayed so long in this dimension, the plain between heaven and hell. He lived amongst the humans as they went about their miserable existence, none the wiser as to what awaited them on the other side.

  Harvey didn’t regret his time on earth and he certainly didn’t regret killing supernatural creatures. He only regretted being caught. Oh and being forced to wear the S.P.T.F. prison blue jumpsuit, which resembled a human baby’s all-in-one.

  He took his time surveying the small group he’d been placed with, assessing them for allies or enemies. He needed to keep an eye on the half-breed ogre. He was unstable and kept wandering around talking to himself. The old, rat-woman posed no threat and he’d fuck the blonde. Sex with a succubus came at a high price, but as Harvey didn’t have a soul, he wasn’t worried.

  As if sensing his willingness to copulate, Blondie brushed her breasts against his arm, which sent his blood running south. Shame his mind wasn’t on the same page as his body.

  His mind was full of the redhead.

  Her hair was the same colour as the floor of hell yet her green eyes were as clear and pretty as the leaves in the garden of heaven. Harvey could tell a lot about someone from their eyes, and when he’d stared into hers, he’d felt nothing but peace and acceptance.

  What the hell was that about?

  He dealt with death and destruction, not compassion or serenity. He needed to stay away from Red. The fact he couldn’t classify her supernatural status troubled him. He had a knack for seeing the monsters people liked to keep hidden, but she was clean.

  No darkness in her heart.

  Well not yet anyway.

  She had this energy about her and every so often, it caused red sparks to flicker across her skin. He wasn’t sure anyone else could see it so maybe she was a magical creature. Demons were attuned to recognising magic.

  Red had been talking to the old woman but turned her head, as if suddenly sensing him watching her. Blondie was still gabbing in his ear, but he’d long since blocked her out.

  All that mattered at that moment was Red. She lifted her chin and held his stare. Her defiance burned behind her green eyes as she challenged him.

  Harvey grinned. He liked that she had some grit to her personality and even saw her lips twitch into an almost-smile. She must have realised what she was doing as she caught herself and frowned instead. She said something else to rat-woman before heading inside the van.

  ‘I heard she was part of that terrorist group that blew up a London nightclub a few months ago. You should be careful.’

  Harvey turned towards Blondie.

  ‘Saskia…’ he started, hazarding a guess at her name but from her immediate scowl, he knew it what wrong.

  ‘It’s Sasha.’

  ‘Ah, yes of course it is. Sasha, I am under no illusion that the redhead is just as guilty of as many heinous crimes as you or I. The fact she is dressed in blue, means she is a dangerous creature. I have no interest in her.’

  Sasha jutted out her chin.

  ‘Then stop looking at her as if she’s some fucking angel that’s fallen from heaven to save you,’ she said, before stomping back inside the van too.

  Harvey shook his head.

  Damn women!

  Couldn’t live with them, but certainly couldn’t live without them.

  6

  Once everyone returned to the van, we only drove a little while longer before stopping for the final time. My stomach rumbled from lack of food and I hoped no one else heard the noise.

  ‘Everybody out,’ the driver said, pressing a button that released the sliding door on the side of the vehicle.

  ‘Ladies first,’ Harvey said, allowing Mari and Sasha out ahead of him.

  I huffed.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked. ‘I was just being polite.’

  ‘Just looking at her arse, more like,’ I replied, folding my arms across my chest.

  ‘What kind of man do you take me for?’

  ‘No man at all,’ I retorted. ‘You can go before me.’

  Harvey shrugged his shoulders and got out of the van. I surreptitiously watched him; the blue nylon jumpsuit clung to his perfectly taut buttocks, treating me to a nice view.

  Hey - it was only hypocritical if he caught me.

  I followed him out with a smile on my face but that soon disappeared when I saw where we were. It was another parking garage, not too dissimilar to the one at the detainment unit.

  The driver nodded towards a set of double doors.

  ‘Through there,’ he ordered.

  ‘Aren’t you coming with us?’ I asked.

  The driver smiled, revealing over-whitened straight teeth.

  ‘Missing me already?’

  ‘It’s not that. I just think we’re less likely to be shot if an S.P.T.F. agent is with us.’

  ‘Sorry, I only handle the transportation. Besides, no one is going to shoot you. You’re far too valuable to them at the moment.’

  His words should have comforted me, but they just left a larger ball of dread inside my stomach.

  ‘Good luck,’ he said, before shutting the doors and driving away.

  There were a few seconds where no one moved until surprisingly, Gerrard took the lead.

  ‘Come on, the voices told me to go this way,’ he said gruffly.

  It was the first time I’d heard him speak clearly. He would have a pleasant Irish lilt to his voice if it weren’t so abrupt.

  I looked over at Harvey, who once again shrugged his shoulders before following the half-ogre through the double doors. Mari and Sasha stayed close together and I brought up the rear.

  The doors led into a large room where a single man stood in the centre, his hands clasped behind his back.

  ‘Come closer,’ he commanded and we did.

  The man wore a grey suit and white shirt. His shoes were impeccably polished and although his face was slightly weathered, once combined with his distinguished grey hair it gave him an air of authority rather than old age.

  ‘The first thing I’m going to do is release your handcuffs,’ the man said, starting with Mari, who smiled gratefully when she was released from her bonds.

  Sasha was next. She seemed edgy, fidgeting from foot to foot. There was a fine sheen of sweat across her beautiful face and she shuddered when the man held her hands to unlock her cuffs.

  What was wrong with her?

  ‘She’s a natural seductress so prone to acting a little crazy around human men,’ Harvey whispered, as if once again reading my thoughts.

  I really did need to work on my poker face.

  ‘Who are you?’ Sasha asked in a breathy, sultry voi
ce. She looked as if she wanted to grab the man and straddle him.

  ‘My name is Chief Andrews and I run this unit.’

  The chief moved across to where Gerrard was standing. The colossal half-ogre looked agitated, as if ready to attack.

  ‘Maybe you should leave his cuffs on,’ Harvey said. ‘You don’t know what he might do.’

  ‘I know exactly what he’s going to do, son. Nothing. Just like the rest of you. Everyone is equal from this point forward. You were each selected to receive a full pardon in exchange for your services. Why would anyone jeopardise their freedom by attacking me?’

  The man had a point.

  He released Gerrard from his restraints, then approached Harvey and me. The sound of the metal clasp being released was a welcome relief and I rubbed my aching wrists.

  ‘Now I appreciate you’re all tired, confused, and hungry. I’m sorry for the lack of information, but we couldn’t risk any security breaches during your transportation. The work we do here is highly classified.’

  ‘Where is here?’ Harvey asked.

  ‘Soho.’

  I was surprised to hear we were in London, as the journey from Essex had felt longer than the thirty miles or so. Maybe they’d circled around town to disorientate us or to ensure no one was following the van. I felt reassured that at least I was in a familiar neighbourhood.

  Soho was in Westminster and formed a famous part of London’s West End. It once had a reputation for being the base for the capital’s sex industry but in recent years, it had migrated into a fashionable district, with bars, restaurants and clubs.

  ‘So what happens now,’ I asked, eager to find out what Chief Andrews expected of us.

  ‘Now I introduce you to my men and then they’ll show you where you’re going to be staying for the foreseeable future. Welcome to the First and Only team.’

  7

  Carter readied himself as Chief Andrews returned with the new recruits. Recruit wasn’t really an accurate term, as most recruits knew what organisation they were joining and the mission they were signing up for. These supernatural creatures were conscripted, forced to work for their chance at freedom.

  A chance that never came to fruition.

  There were five in the group. A tall man stood a couple of paces away from the rest. Carter recognised him as a half-breed, probably part-giant judging by the size of him. There was a nervous-looking older lady with dark hair. She kept blinking rapidly, as she surveyed the room. The blonde bombshell had all the men instantly standing up straighter, puffing out their chests in a show of power.

  Even Carter felt her allure. She was stunning, with curves in all the right places. She somehow made the ugly regulation blue jumpsuit look like a fashion statement as she sized each man up in turn. Her eyes only briefly met his before moving on.

  She evidently found him lacking, which suited him fine. He didn’t need complications such as her.

  That left the last two.

  The guy was average height and build with dark hair and gleaming black eyes. If Carter had to guess, he’d say he was some sort of demon or fallen angel. He was standing slightly in front of another young woman who had the most striking red hair he’d ever seen. The way the guy angled his body was almost as if he was shielding her from the rest of the room.

  Carter frowned. Did they know each other? Candidates were primarily chosen because they were loners and didn’t form friendships easily. This guy certainly had a thing for the redhead. Whether he knew it yet, was another matter entirely.

  Carter could see the attraction. The woman was tall and slim, with creamy white skin. The angles of her chin and cheekbones were prominent and he would say it was because she’d lost weight recently. Probably the stress of being locked up in the detainment unit.

  The woman noticed Carter assessing her and his heart did a stupid thump-thump at the intensity of her green eyes. His mouth felt dry and he swallowed deeply.

  The Chief had been right to remind his men of the rules and he repeated the team mantra over and over in his head.

  No attachments, no attachments, no attachments.

  But Carter was already formulating a plan; trying to think of ways this mission could end differently to the last one as he knew there was no way he would be able to shoot the redhead.

  No way in hell.

  8

  I followed Chief Andrews into another room. This one was occupied by a group of men, all dressed in black. They were chatting and laughing but fell silent as we entered. Although nowhere near as tall as Gerrard, they looked strong and capable of physically defending themselves.

  As they gave us the once over, I didn’t feel an immediate welcoming vibe. Well not towards me at least. Sasha, on the other hand, wasted no time flicking her long blonde hair and commanding their attention. She placed a hand on her hip and pushed out her chest, as if posing on the red carpet. She surveyed the men, in the same the way I study the cakes at the coffee shop. The men in turn, whether consciously or not, responded to her appraisal.

  All, except one.

  He stood like a sentry at his post, his hands resting on his slim hips as he stared at me. His hair was fair and styled in a buzz cut with plenty of darker stubble around his mouth. He had light blue eyes and several uniform straight scars above his left eyebrow leading to one larger scar across his cheekbone.

  He exuded a dangerous hunger that made my stomach flutter with sexual attraction. My instinct told me to stay away from him and I quickly looked down at the floor.

  At some point, without me realising, Harvey had moved closer to me.

  ‘Are you ok?’ he whispered. ‘I can feel some crazy kind of heat coming from you.’

  I nodded.

  ‘Yeah, it’s just a little overwhelming finally being here. I wish I knew what they wanted us to do.’

  ‘They’ll tell us soon.’

  But not soon enough it seemed, as Chief Andrews spent the next five minutes on introductions. I doubted I would recall any of the men’s names.

  Until it came to Mr Buzz cut.

  The chief introduced him as Liam Carter and he nodded briefly at us. His face remained expressionless and I noticed he was deliberately avoiding my eye contact. I wasn’t sure why that bothered me, but it did.

  ‘Now, I think that’s enough talking on my part,’ Chief Andrews said. ‘The men will show you to your private quarters so you can clean up and change into some civilian clothes. If you fulfil your end of the arrangement, this could well be the last time you’ll ever see those prison jumpsuits.’

  ‘Amen to that,’ I heard Sasha say.

  Chief Andrews called each of us forward in turn and paired us with one of the team. I hoped he wouldn’t put me with Carter, but sure enough, his name was called with mine and he dutifully stepped forward.

  ‘Consider these men your handlers,’ Chief Andrews said. ‘That means they are as much responsible for the success of this mission as you are.’

  My eyes briefly connected with Carter’s before he looked away. I didn’t like the idea of putting my faith in a man who was already acting as if he hated me.

  ‘We’ll reconvene in two hours. Dismissed.’

  The room broke out into a hubbub of noise and commotion, and suddenly an enormous wave of panic rolled over me. I sucked in a breath and tried to stop the room from spinning.

  ‘You ok?’

  Carter placed his hand on my shoulder and I shook my head.

  ‘It’s been one hell of a morning.’

  ‘You’re probably having a panic attack.’

  ‘No shit.’

  He smiled at that and the scar on his cheek stretched until it resembled a claw mark.

  ‘Want some tea?’

  ‘I’d prefer vodka,’ I replied dryly.

  ‘Yeah, so would I but we’re officially on duty so no sex, drugs or alcohol.’

  I blushed when he said sex and felt my body temperature soar. Carter noticed it too as he quickly removed his hand from my shoulder. />
  ‘Whoa, you’re really hot. Not hot, as in hot. Hot as in temperature. Not that I don’t think you’re hot. I mean….’

  His voice trailed off leaving an uncomfortable silence, which I felt compelled to fill.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ I said. ‘It happens sometimes when I’m nervous or worried.’

  I watched the large man examine his palm, which was slightly reddened but not blistered.

  ‘You should put some ice on it,’ I said, but he waved off my concern.

  ‘It’ll be fine. Come on, let’s go and get you settled in. I just need to remember to respect your personal space… or invest in a flameproof uniform.’

  He was teasing me, and he didn’t look so harsh when he smiled.

  ‘This way,’ he instructed and I obediently followed him towards the exit.

  9

  ‘So this is where you’ll be sleeping,’ Carter said, stopping outside the last door at the end of a narrow corridor.

  ‘And where do you sleep?’ I asked.

  The tip of his ears turned red as he raised his eyebrows at me.

  ‘I mean, where is your room?’ I quickly added, trying to clarify my question, though I was probably making it worse by rambling.

  ‘In case I need you…or you need me…for something…work-related.’

  ‘I knew what you meant the first time, Ember. Don’t worry; there are no kinky obligations between a charge and their handler.’

  Carter grinned and it was my turn to blush.

  ‘It’s only the recruits on this floor,’ he continued. ‘My room is on one of the upper levels.’

  ‘So you start at the bottom and work your way up?’

  ‘Something like that,’ he mumbled.

  Carter took my hand. His skin felt roughened against mine. The pads of his fingertips were calloused as he lightly ran them across my knuckles.

  Goosebumps broke out on my skin. I wanted to pull away but my body was not complying. He lifted my hand and placed my palm flat against a panel beside the door. It lit up and the door immediately sprung open.