by Nina Croft
“You had him eliminated?”
Travis ran his hands through his hair. “No. Someone else had him killed.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
Presumably, the same person who had sent the anonymous tip. But why? Would Sadie know? He was guessing, yes. But would she tell him? Unlike him, her loyalty to her people was absolute.
“They weren’t coming after us,” Travis continued. “The Conclave was not compromised. I swear it. It was as though they were trying to wipe out all traces of the project. There were other related deaths—nothing to do with us.” He came back and sank down on the sofa. “I decided that my safest course of action was to put the project on lockdown and get myself out of the arena until everything quieted down.”
“You still have the hostages?”
“Yes.”
His father rose to his feet. “The party starts in half an hour. We’ll leave it for now. But this is not over.”
“No, sir.” Travis wiped his hands down his pants. He was nervous. With good reason. But Ethan suspected there was more to it than he was revealing. Something had affected him on a personal level.
But what?
…
Sadie really liked this dress. She’d never been a dress person before, but she looked good. She’d also never really thought much about her appearance before. All the Tribe were pretty similar—so it was hard to think of herself as something special. But tonight, she looked…beautiful. She wasn’t wearing any jewelry—in fact, all she was wearing other than the dress was a black lace thong. She peered at her back in the mirror. On her left shoulder blade was a tattoo of a T intertwined with bloodred roses. They all had them. Jake had started it after a drunken night out with Quinn, their second-in-command, and they’d all followed suit.
Her room was stunning. The party was taking place in a manor house, about an hour’s drive north of London. With its own huge, landscaped grounds, it was private and discreet, and the perfect place for a clandestine meeting of the most powerful secret organization in the world. If she peered out the window, she could make out armed guards patrolling the grounds. She counted five that she could see, but was sure there would be others. Reaching out with her mind, she caught a glimpse of Rose, right at the periphery of her reach. She would hear if Sadie called.
She hadn’t expected Rose to be here. She’d thought Jake would need her if he was going to attack the facility with the others. But maybe he thought her need was greater. It was a comfort to know Rose was close.
People had been arriving constantly. She couldn’t shift the idea she was in the lion’s den surrounded by lions.
She glanced up as a rap sounded on the connecting door, and a second later, it opened and Ethan appeared, looking seriously fuckable in his black tux. She allowed her gaze to drop down over his body, the broad shoulders, lean hips.
“If you continue to look at me like that, we’ll be late for the party.” He returned her gaze, and her nipples peaked under the thin material of the dress. Totally obvious. That could be potentially embarrassing.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, his voice husky with desire.
She forced her own gaze upward and saw the glint of silver at his ear.
At that moment, she wanted in his head, almost more than she wanted his body.
Wanted to know what he was thinking. What he planned. His hopes and his dreams and… Would he let her in if she asked nicely?
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Sit down,” he said. “We need to talk.”
Of course they did. He needed to tell her exactly what it was he wanted from her, though, she could make a good guess.
All the same, she sank down onto the stool in front of the dresser and waited while he sat on the bed opposite her. He looked tired. She wanted to smooth away the line between his eyes. “Why don’t you let me see what it is you want for myself?” When he didn’t say anything, she continued, “You know it makes sense. At this party, if you can let me know who is who, it will help. And the easiest way to do that is to let me read you.”
He stared at her for a minute longer, and then he slowly raised his hand, slipped the reflector device from his head, and shoved it into his jacket pocket.
For a moment, she hesitated, almost scared of what she might discover. Then she stretched out her mind, slipped inside.
He wanted her. That was at the forefront of his thoughts. He wished he could forget the party, forget what he planned to do, take her to bed, and lose himself in her body. Never surface again.
“You want me,” she murmured.
“Hell, I’ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you dressed as a hooker outside Forrester’s house. This goes way beyond want.”
He was right, but now wasn’t the time to get into that. Maybe there would never be a time. She delved a little deeper. “You’ve seen Travis?”
“Just now with my father. He gave more questions than answers, though.” He looked her in the eye. “Six months ago, one of our assets was assassinated. A General Webber. Do you know who was responsible for Webber’s death?” He shook his head. “Of course you do. But I’m guessing you’re not going to tell me.”
“I can’t. But it makes no difference. Doesn’t change things.”
“I don’t need to know. Is that it? Because you’re going to kill me anyway when this is all over.”
He was wondering if this was the end. Whether he’d been a fool to trust her, whether her friends were even now planning on attacking them here, destroying them all. After hundreds of years, had he single-handedly brought an end to the Conclave? And beneath that thought, maybe the slightest hint that, subconsciously, that might have been his plan all along.
And did he really want to know the truth about his mother, when it might rock the very foundations of his existence?
But he’d come too far to turn back now. This had been the very basis of his coming home all those years ago. Because it was his one chance of getting to the truth about what had happened to his mother. An accident or final proof that the Conclave was ultimately irredeemable.
“Tell me,” she murmured. “Not with words. Bring it to the forefront of your mind. Let me see what you want, what you need.”
His mother. Vivian Weiland. She saw an image of a beautiful woman, with a thin face, her son’s golden eyes, and a mane of dark red hair. She was laughing, but her eyes held a reserve, a sadness.
Ethan had loved his mother. Deeply. When he’d reached an age to understand these things, he’d seen her as the one good person in his life. Pure. Maybe too good to survive the Conclave.
Sadie followed the thread deeper. As she’d suspected, he wanted her to find out the truth behind his mother’s death. If there was, in fact, an alternative truth to the one he knew. That she’d died in a riding accident, when he was eighteen. His mother had been five months pregnant. And not entirely happy. Even he’d been able to see that. Had that unhappiness led her to do something, question something…? The Conclave looked after their own, and Vivien had been born and bred within the Conclave. Her marriage to Ethan’s father had been a joining of the two most powerful dynasties. But despite that, from his memories, she hadn’t been an active member. She’d seemed content to look after her family, though, she’d never truly been happy. And she’d always been there for him. But while the Conclave looked after their own, their deepest creeds were loyalty, secrecy, ultimate commitment. And they dealt ruthlessly with anyone who deviated from the path.
He’d always doubted.
Accidents didn’t happen in the Conclave. Nothing happened without a reason. Before her death, his mother had been distracted by something. Worried, uncommunicative. Then she’d died. She felt an echo of Ethan’s total despair. Her death had nearly broken him. It had stretched the loyalty he felt to the Conclave until it was tight and ready to snap. He hadn’t trusted himself not to question her death and knew that would likely result in his own. And he didn’t want to die, not until he�
��d learned the truth. And so, he’d run.
But he’d eventually come back. Because the answers were here.
She reached out a hand to him, then let it drop to her side. “I’ll find out for you. If you really want to know.”
“I have to know.”
No, he didn’t have to. Some things were best left alone. But she gave a nod. “What happens now? Do you have some sort of business meeting where you all tell each other whatever nefarious little plots you’ve been hatching over the past year?”
He smiled. “No, we don’t discuss business tonight. This is more of a tradition set into the original protocols of the organization. To show who we are, our solidarity. Our commitment to the Conclave. The Conclave relies on secrecy, but ultimately, we, the founding membership, need to know who and what we are. That’s what tonight is about.”
“More ritual than actual doing anything?”
“I suppose.”
“You don’t do anything weird…like pledge your commitment in blood or human sacrifice or…”
He laughed and she was glad. He’d been way too serious for a minute there. But this was serious stuff.
“Nothing like that. You’ll probably be disappointed and bored.”
“Oh, I think there will be enough in peoples’ heads to keep me entertained. I’m guessing there’s some wicked evil deeds lurking in a few of your friends’ brains.”
He frowned a little. “Is this some sort of test?” he asked. “Will you use what you discover tonight to make a decision on whether you believe the Conclave should survive or be destroyed?”
She hadn’t actually thought about it in those terms. Would she? If she went into their minds, found them all steeped in evil, would she seek to destroy them? Would she urge the Tribe to go after them? Kane would be happy. One thing she did know, this man Travis had to die. He was directly responsible for so many deaths.
“You’re thinking too much,” Ethan murmured.
“I was thinking I want your friend Travis dead. Other than that…” She gave a shrug. “I honestly don’t know. Let’s get through this evening and worry about the future tomorrow.” There was another reason for that. By tomorrow, they would know about Kaitlin and the others, know whether Jake had gotten them out successfully. She knew he planned to go in tonight, but no more than that. No doubt she’d hear, as soon as there was something concrete to know.
“Good idea,” he said. “But I think you know that this thing between us will not be over.”
“This thing?”
“I’m guessing you don’t do relationships any more than I do. But there’s something between us.”
She had a flashback to making love to him. To whispering the words. Could she risk that? She’d promised herself she would never care for anyone again. But was she ready to let him go? “That’s another problem for tomorrow.”
He looked at her for a long moment, then gave a brief nod and got to his feet, holding out a hand to her. But as she made to rise, something rippled on the edge of her mind, like a tear in reality. An image flashed up in her head, so vivid that for a second, her surroundings faded, and it was as though she was inside the scene. She saw a ballroom filled with bodies strewn over the floor in their finery. A scarlet dress caught her eye and she zoned in. Were they dead? She couldn’t tell. Then the image was gone, and she blinked open her eyes.
Chapter Fifteen
She was on the floor, with Ethan crouched beside her.
“What the hell happened?” He reached out and touched her face. “Are you okay? You seemed to black out.”
She blinked a couple of times, tried to pull back the image, but it was gone. She had an idea it was something important. What had she seen? Was it just something from her imagination? Or had she pulled the vision unknowingly from someone’s head. But she suspected not. The image held a flavor she recognized. Were her visions of the future no longer tied only to her dreams?
Would this come true?
The future is not set.
Christ, she had to get a grip. She couldn’t go around blacking out like that. She could have been doing anything.
“Sadie?” Ethan sounded worried. Hell, he was worried. He’d thought she was dead, and he’d panicked. He’d never felt like that before. And that scared him.
She pushed herself up so she was sitting, then pressed a finger to her forehead. What the hell was happening to her? Maybe she’d imagined it all. “I’m fine. I had this…pain. It’s gone now. Just a migraine.”
He straightened and held out his hand to her and she slid her palm into his. He pulled her to her feet and then into his arms, dragging her close. For a moment, she allowed herself to relax against him, resting her cheek against the smooth material of his jacket, counting the rapid beats of his heart. He wanted to get a doctor, make sure she was okay, keep her safe, look after her…
“Hey, I’m fine,” she said. “Really.”
“Has that happened before?”
She shook her head. “No, not like this. But honestly, I’m good.”
He cupped her cheek with one hand and stared into her eyes as though he could read her mind. Then he took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s go.”
He wanted the night over with and after that… actually, he didn’t have a clue what would happen afterward. But he intended to keep her close. “Just give me some warning if you feel another…migraine coming on. I’ll be there to catch you next time.”
Next time—if there were a next time—she’d be ready for it.
“Let’s go.”
…
Kaitlin touched her fingertips to the door with the lightest touch. As it swung open, dread saturated her mind, almost paralyzing her with fear. She wished it would, wished it would stop her walking into that room. She didn’t want to see what was waiting for her.
Inside, the light was bright, hiding nothing. Not the body of her brother lying so still on the gurney, or the brain floating in the glass jar beside the computer screen.
The screen flashed into life, and she knew what was coming but couldn’t stop it.
…Kill me, Katy…please. Kill me, Katy…please.
Over and over, until the screen was filled with the words.
A step closer. “Don’t make me do this, please don’t make me do this.” Her hand stretched out, fingers trembling…
She sat bolt upright in the bed, unsure what had woken her, but just glad something had dragged her from the nightmare. As she stared at the door, she could sense someone approaching, but the cell muted the details, and she had no idea who. Fear slithered through her, turning her insides to liquid and causing bile to rise up her throat.
The trouble was, the doctor had been given three days to get their cooperation, but he had no clue what they were supposed to be cooperating with.
“I don’t have the clearance,” he’d muttered. He was apparently the best in his field, but his bosses didn’t trust him. “But no doubt, they’ll inform us soon.”
They’d have to—the three days was nearly up. Kaitlin had stopped eating again, because she couldn’t keep anything down.
In her dreams, she relived Sam’s death. The moment she’d killed him.
In her waking moments, she went over and over Teagan’s murder. It wasn’t as though she could pretend to herself that the threat was empty. They’d done it before. Why would they even hesitate to do so again?
Which one of them would they choose?
Part of her wished it would be her, that there would be an end to this. But she knew it was a pointless wish. She was the strongest. They wouldn’t kill her. Her bet was on Dex, because unlike the others, Dex had a twin sister on the outside. She knew they were using twins for experiments so they’d still have a spare copy. The thought made her want to puke.
She wavered between a sense of hopelessness and a pure rage that burned through her body and mind. Then the fear would come, overwhelming her so her mind wouldn’t function, and she’d sit there staring at the wall.
She hadn’t seen the others again.
The last three days had been spent with Dr. Walker, doing a series of tests over and over again. Seeing what she could pick up, what she could read. But the fact was, they had no clue as to the extent of her powers, and she’d made sure they wouldn’t find out—not from her anyway. If they believed her—and it was a big if—then they thought her powers were limited, that she could only read over short distances, that she needed to see a person to read them, and that if she could touch them, that magnified the connection.
All of that was bollocks. She wasn’t sure of the limitations, but she certainly didn’t have to see or touch her target. It was more a…knowing they existed. Locating them within the millions of other minds that inhabited the world.
“If you want to see what I can do,” she’d told him, “you have to cut out the drug they’ve been giving me. I still won’t be able to read anything outside of this room…so they’re safe.” And they had, thank God. So if not completely clean, her system was clearer than she could remember in the months since she’d been here.
She was playing a dangerous game, because maybe they did know and were testing her. Maybe they would kill Dex, just to punish her. These people were without morals, without conscience.
The locks clicked in the door. A moment later it was pushed open. Kaitlin rubbed her arms as her skin prickled. She tried to force the fear from her mind. Dr. Walker stood in the doorway, flanked by two guards.
“What’s happening?” she asked and hated the tremor in her voice. Hated that they’d nearly broken her, and from the look of pity in Walker’s eyes, he knew it. Tonight, he was wearing a reflector device and fear slithered down her spine.
“It’s just another exercise, Kaitlin. Come along with us and do what they ask. Everything will be fine.”
“Can you promise me that?” She shook her head. “Of course you can’t. You know nothing. You’re trying to pretend that you haven’t sold your soul. But believe me, it’s long gone.”
She pushed herself to her feet, smoothed down her tank top, and slipped her feet into flip-flops. Her brain was racing. They were taking her out of here. Out of the cell. She might have a few moments. She breathed deeply, calming her mind. She needed to be ready.
