Noble Desire [Nature's Nobles 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Peyton Elizabeth

  “Casualties of war, nothing more. Things happen for a reason. I made things happen for a reason, and once you hear what I have to say, you’ll agree.” Cane studied her for a second then said, “On second thought, you won’t. Any loss of life to you is an insult. I see things differently.”

  “Where are the other Nobles?” Reese asked, ignoring Cane and his little regard for the lives of good men who were killed trying to help her. She directed her question to Theo. “Are they all right?”

  “Yes, Jagger’s pilot flew them out to town to keep an eye on things,” Theo answered, taking a hold of her hand. “After you hear what Cane has to say, you’ll understand.”

  That brought Reese’s eyes back to rest on Cane, who was still wearing that irritating smirk. It didn’t look right on him. “Fine, spit it out. But just know, if I don’t like what you have to say, I have control over my ability now and will be able to kill you without harming anyone else.”

  “I’ve been warned then,” Cane conceded. “First, though, I have to ask…Since when have you taken Theo as a lover?”

  Reese felt Theo’s hand tighten on hers and felt Jagger tense against her side. Tavia gave a gasp and the other three men hid their laughs by coughing. “Who I take to my bed is of no concern to you, Cane. I could have a dozen lovers, and your opinion of the matter means nothing to me.”

  “Fair enough,” Cane acknowledged with a slight nod. “I just don’t want a lovers’ quarrel to get in the way of rescuing your sister.”

  Reese heard Theo and Jagger curse underneath their breath, but was still grappling with what Cane said. A sister? She didn’t have a sister. What kind of game was he playing?

  “You have no couth, Cane. Damn it, if I’d known that’s how you were going to tell her, I would have done it myself,” Jagger grated through his teeth.

  “I don’t believe in beating around the bush,” Cane informed them as he turned around to grab a cup of coffee. Once his cup was filled, he turned back. “I’ll give it to you straight, Reese. You do have a sister. She’s being held in the same facility where you were before Jagger got you out. Once I realized she had been taken, Jagger had already taken you underground and off the radar. I tried various ways to find you, but didn’t have the manpower. I couldn’t locate either Jagger or Theo because all of Theo’s ‘friends’ were a little overprotective.”

  “Then why didn’t you just tell them you were looking for me? I would have come to meet you someplace safe,” Theo stated, disbelief evident in his tone. “You were one of us, man.”

  “You and I both know Rogues are everywhere. I don’t trust anyone.”

  “This, coming from you?” Reese couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You come in here saying I have a sister, which I don’t, and that you wanted to find me to tell me when we all know you’re working for the Fray.”

  “I tried rescuing Addison on my own, but the facility is too secure. They doubled their security after your escape. The only way for me to locate the three of you was by using the Fray’s manpower. All I needed was for one person to ask the right question. I had close to a hundred people at my disposal to send all over the world because the Fray thought you were overseas. I figured Jagger would want you close to him. And then I found that the Noble community was saying Jagger was holed up with Theo. My bad on not realizing how he was holed up with Theo.”

  “Don’t be a dick,” Jagger sneered. “Leave it alone. We both love Reese, and how we handle our relationship is between us. Back off.”

  Cane held up his hands as if in surrender, not bothering to hide his smile, making his scar appear lighter. When he wasn’t smiling, the scar took on a deeper shade of pink. It wasn’t pretty. Neither was his smile, a little forced looking like he didn’t do it often enough.

  “Can we please get back to the conversation at hand?” Tavia interjected. She had spikey red hair that totally matched her spunky attitude. Tavia was never afraid to speak what was on her mind and everyone knew it. “We heard you were given immunity and paid a lot of cash to find Reese. If you don’t bring her back now, the Fray will hunt you down and kill you.”

  “They’d have to find me first.” Turning to Reese, he said, “After I give you the information you need on Addison, I’m disappearing. I’ll have paid my debt.”

  “What debt? What are you talking about? Damn, but you talk in riddles,” Reese said, irritated. “You can’t just drop a bomb like this and walk away. Why would you think this Addison is my sister?”

  Cane took a minute before answering, making Reese a little nervous about what he might say next. Sure enough, the rest of his story didn’t help any. “She’s actually your half sister,” Cane corrected her, putting his coffee cup down with a thud. “Look, it’s a waste of time for me to tell you how I know this, but the bottom line is simple. When you and Theo were abducted, the Fray researched your family through your DNA. They found that you had a half sister through your biological father. Her mother was human. She’s a few years older than you, Reese, and was living her life not knowing she had Noble blood running through her. They wanted to see if Addison had your abilities, so they planned to take her. I got to her first.”

  “What?” Others echoed her question, causing the kitchen to explode in questions. She raised her voice to be overheard, wanting answers. “You kidnapped my sister?”

  “I didn’t kidnap her. I saved her…at least for a while,” Cane said, his expression blank. The only time Cane had showed any emotion on his face was when he had teased the three of them about their relationship. Other than that, he was a blank slate, but Reese caught the tick in his eye every time he said Addison’s name. Did he feel guilt over not keeping her safe? But why would he feel that it was his responsibility? Cane’s voice brought her back to the conversation at hand. “I was able to get Addison to believe her life was in danger. She didn’t know about you or her biological father, but I convinced her if she wanted to live, her best bet was with me. I took her into hiding.”

  Reese wasn’t sure what to believe. In a span of three days, her life had been turned upside down. She went from being alone, thinking that was how she would live the rest of her life, to being back in the arms of the man she loved only to find out she had two men who loved her. Then they had dealt with the potential threat on their lives, which technically would never go away, and now Cane was telling her she had a sister. Feeling a little overwhelmed, she sought out Jagger and Theo, who were only two steps behind her. Shuffling back, Reese leaned into both hard bodies behind her, taking their offered comfort.

  “So what happened?” Jagger asked for her, knowing she was having trouble assimilating everything.

  Cane didn’t answer right away and seemed to be trying to find the right words. He took extra time by reaching for his coffee and gulping down what was left. He set it carefully back on the counter before saying, “I didn’t hide her good enough. Six months after I took her from underneath their noses, they found Addison and took her away.”

  “Just like that?” Reese questioned, her voice back and filled with incredulity. “I don’t believe you. There’s no way you—”

  “It doesn’t matter how. They got her and have had her this entire year while I’ve been searching for you. You three are the only ones who can get her out.” As if he didn’t have a care in the world, Cane walked over to where a black backpack leaned up against the wall next to the kitchen door. Pulling open the zipper, he reached in and grabbed a folder with some papers inside. Walking back, Cane handed them to Reese. “Everything you need to know about Addison.”

  “Wait a second,” Tavia said. The four Nobles had been quiet for the most part, taking in everything that was being said. “You save Addison from the first threat of abduction, then waste a year searching for Reese, Theo, and Jagger, only to hand everything over and leave? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “It doesn’t need to. I don’t need to explain myself to you. Jagger still has connections in the government, sympathizers who wil
l help. Theo has access to you guys,” Cane said, motioning to the four Nobles sitting at the island, “and others, and Reese has her power. I’ve done what I needed to do.”

  “And what are you going to tell the Fray?” Ace asked.

  “Nothing. When I leave here, I’ll disappear. They’ll never find me,” Cane replied, although Reese heard the end of his sentence. Like they found her.

  “You’re in love with her,” Reese exclaimed softly. It finally dawned on Reese what Cane was trying so hard to hide. Her anger and skepticism had clouded her judgment, but standing back and letting Tavia and Ace question Cane, she caught a glimpse of sorrow in his eyes. He loved Addison and felt guilty that he hadn’t kept her safe. Reese watched as his scar turned a deep shade of red as fury flushed his face. But she gave him credit when he didn’t say anything, just walked over to his bag. Bringing it over to the island, he dumped the weapons and a device she didn’t recognize.

  “Love doesn’t exist. Nothing exists but the will to survive. She means nothing to me. She’s an innocent bystander who got caught up in a mess she didn’t deserve.” Cane reached for a black metal box, effectively dropping the subject. “This is what I used to shut down your body. I killed the scientist who made it and destroyed any documentation pertaining to any other prototypes. It doesn’t mean they aren’t working on others, but at least this will buy you some time.”

  His cavalier attitude at killing someone stunned her speechless. On one hand, Reese was very happy this machine created to hurt her was the only one in existence and she could see it destroyed. But someone had lost his or her life because of her. She wasn’t soft. She knew the Nobles were at war to protect their lives, and yes, she would go to any lengths to protect herself and those she loved. But Cane seemed to be able to kill as if life meant nothing. Maybe he really wasn’t able to love.

  “I’m…sorry…I had to make you all believe I was Rogue,” Cane apologized, although Reese could tell it wasn’t something he did often as his scar once again turned red. “Good luck in getting your sister back.”

  Reese watched as Cane walked over to where his mountain gear was and started to prepare for his climb back down. He was really going to leave? He’d given up almost two years of his life helping a woman he claimed meant nothing to him, and he was just going to leave without knowing the outcome?

  “Cane, wait,” Jagger ordered, “we can have the plane take you off the mountain. Just wait until it gets back from town.”

  “No.” That was all Cane said as he finished pulling on his climbing gloves and reached for his face mask. Reese pulled away from Theo and Jagger and walked over as he tugged his face mask down over his scar.

  “Cane,” Reese pleaded as she placed her hand over his on the doorknob. “You’ve done so much to help her. Stay and help us get her out of there. She trusts you. Seeing a familiar face when we get her back—”

  “Stop it,” Cane demanded. “I told her about you. She knows you exist and will be fine. Just get her out of there because God knows what those bastards are doing to her. They’ve had a year to break her.”

  “But she trusts you,” Reese repeated, not giving up. The more people they had on board to rescue her sister, the better.

  “No, she doesn’t,” Cane responded. “That’s why she got caught.”

  Reese dropped her hand from his as he yanked the door open. No one said a word as he walked through the doorway. Cane stopped in midstride and looked over his shoulder at Reese, his eyes dark behind his mask.

  “One more thing. Addison might not have your gift, but she does have one. If she’s lucky, she’s managed to hide it from them. If not…she might not be worth bringing back.”

  Chapter Eight

  “Have you found out what her gift is?”

  Reese jumped at the sound of Theo’s voice. It was ten o’clock in the morning, and she was curled up on the couch in front of the fire with papers strewn everywhere from the file she had been reading. Cane left last night after having dropped a third bomb on all of them. He wasn’t working for the Fray, Reese had a sister, and this half-human sister had a power. They had tried to get Cane to come back into the house, but he never once turned back around.

  Reese was conflicted on what she felt about Cane. How could someone go to the lengths he had for Addison and then up and walk away at the eleventh hour? She just didn’t get it, and the more she tried to figure it out, the angrier it made her. The group all had the same sentiment and had stayed the rest of the night to discuss options until Reese couldn’t keep her eyes open. Around four in the morning, Jagger had had his pilot take the four Nobles into town with the promise of sticking around for the forthcoming rescue. Theo had made Reese crawl into bed for some much-needed sleep. She’d had no energy to stop him from sliding in next to her and pulling her close. Not that she had wanted to. Little by little, she was coming to accept how things were among the three of them and a feeling of contentment had come over her as she let sleep claim her. She liked the feeling of protection she got when he or Jagger held her tight.

  “Not yet.” Reese took the offered coffee Theo had brought her and wrapped both hands around the black mug, the big one that was her favorite. “According to this file, she really is my half sister.”

  “How do you feel about that?” Theo’s large form folded as he sat on the floor in front of her and the couch, placing his hand on her thigh. His long blond hair was tied back again, taking with it the wild look she was coming to love. His striking blue eyes were more prominent when his hair didn’t cover them, and she could see the concern in them.

  “I’m not sure. A part of me is sad that we missed out knowing each other growing up, but then we really wouldn’t have had much of a childhood anyway. My father wasn’t the normal loving dad, and who knows where my mother is. She was smart to leave him and go into hiding when she did.” Reese liked the feel of Theo’s hand rubbing up and down her thigh, although it was causing butterflies in her stomach. Jagger’s face flashed through her mind as well. How could she want them now when they really needed to be concentrating on figuring out how to get Addison out of the facility?

  “Your mother was a coward. What woman leaves her child with a man who would sell his own daughter?” Theo’s hand tightened on her knee. They had spoken of this often after she and Theo had left and struck out on their own. Reese didn’t regret for one moment walking away and starting somewhere fresh. She wasn’t one to get caught up in the past and have regrets. None if it mattered, because she’d always had Theo by her side.

  “What I don’t understand is if she does have some type of ability, wouldn’t it have come over her in her teens?” Reese asked, returning the subject back to Addison and trying not to react to his touch. “Nowhere in this file does it say something unnatural occurred. She lived with her mother, had a normal childhood, and even finished college. Before Cane got to her, Addison was living on her own in an apartment and worked as a nurse.”

  “Whether or not the Noble part of her brought her power to the surface doesn’t change the fact we need to get her out of there. Jagger’s been calling some of the contacts he has left in the government,” Theo informed her as he moved himself lower so he could reach her foot and use his thumbs to massage her arch. It reminded her of what Jagger had done with his thumbs when they made love the other day. Ugh, mind back on the topic at hand, Reese. “There are one or two Sympathizers that he can trust who work on the inside. They’re not at the same facility, but they have access to information that we don’t.”

  Damn, he was good with his hands. Theo continued to press the arch of her foot, starting at her heel and working up. Her panties were starting to get a little damp and Reese shifted a little so the sticky feeling wasn’t at her entrance. What were they walking about? Oh, yeah. “Do you guys have any ideas on how to get her out?”

  “We’re working on it,” Jagger answered, walking into the room wearing faded jeans and a white turtleneck that didn’t disguise the outline of his che
st. She watched as he got closer and studied how the shirt moved with his muscles, and when he spoke again, the vibrations went straight to her clit. His black hair falling over his eyes was in direct contrast to the white of his shirt. “I still have the blueprints of the facility from when I got you and Theo out, but there have been some changes. They’re being faxed to me within the hour. Unfortunately, a lot of security provisions have been put in place because of last time, which is going to make it a little harder than we thought. But things should go smooth since we have Tavia and Shane.”

  Ever since yesterday morning when Theo and Jagger said they would love her however she wanted them to, whether separate or together, Reese couldn’t get the images of the three of them out of her head. It was becoming a nuisance and distracting her from what needed to be done. She heard Jagger ask Theo whom he could get within a twenty-four-hour period to help with the impending rescue, besides Tavia and Shane, and chided herself to get her mind back on task.

  “If Reese doesn’t stop blaring those thoughts into my head, I’m going to be useless for the rest of the day,” Theo said, not stopping his massage on her foot.

  Jagger shot him a confused look. Reese took the file folder in her lap and hit Theo on his shoulder. Papers that were scattered on her lap went flying, and she hit Theo again when he laughed. “Stop that! You said you wouldn’t invade my privacy!”

  Jagger caught on and made his way slowly over to the couch, obviously enjoying the banter. Theo stopped laughing, although his smile was firmly in place. “I wasn’t, but when you keep thinking thoughts like that, they tend to be a little louder than most. It’s hard to block something like that.”

  “Please share, Theo,” Jagger implored, reaching from behind the couch and scooping Reese up into his arms, not caring that the papers landed on the floor.

  “Jagger, put me down! We can’t be carrying on when my sister is being held against her will.” Reese struggled and kicked, but Jagger kept walking. “This is wrong, guys! Cane left and now we have to figure out who can help us.”