The Twelfth Keeper Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by Belle Malory

  Another great reason why she needed to go.

  “I’m sure another keeper would be willing to go in my place.”

  “And you want to go alone?”

  “Yes, sir. I think it would be best.”

  A long moment passed as the professor considered her request. She could hear the sound of her heart beating as she waited. Please let him say yes. Please let him say yes.

  “You are the twelfth,” he finally said. “And the twelfth is supposed to be the most empathetic. If there’s anyone capable of understanding Dominika, I imagine it would be you. I’ll agree to give you this assignment, Miss Mitchell.”

  She let out the breath she’d been holding and smiled at him happily. “Thank you, Professor. I swear I’ll get her to come back.”

  “You better. This is your chance to prove yourself, kiddo. Don’t screw it up.”

  “I won’t,” she promised.

  Professor Mason looked at his brace. “Damn. We’re going to be late.” He stood up, gathering his briefcase. “Come along, Miss Mitchell, before we miss the morning meeting. I won’t be able to schedule you a flight until after lunch, but hopefully I can get you out of here before the end of the day.”

  That soon? Kennedy felt her pulse pick up as she hurried to keep up with the professor. She figured he would wait until the weekend to send her to Russia, not before the end of the day. I’m really doing this, she thought, excited and afraid all at once.

  Phoenix was going to be pissed when he found out, especially since he was counting on her to do that Mexico assignment.

  He would get over it though. Going to Mexico meant spending more time with him, and right now she needed to clear her head. Being around him was too hard, especially after the things he said to her yesterday. Leaving Olympus was exactly what she needed.

  Or at least that’s what she thought right up until she nearly collided with Phoenix in the lobby.

  He looked different today, in a good way. The circles beneath his eyes had faded and he seemed like he was in a better mood. As soon as he saw her, he flashed that devastating smile, showing off the deep-set dimples in his cheeks. “I made you coffee,” he said, holding out a mug. “It’s your favorite. Columbian with vanilla soymilk.”

  Kennedy stared at the steaming coffee, suppressing a whimper. When he said he was going to try, he really meant it. How was she ever going to get over him when he did things like this?

  Mistaking her silence for hesitation, he said, “I swear all I did was press buttons on the machine.” He grinned, a little sheepishly. “Keeps me from botching it up.”

  “Thank you,” she said, taking the mug from him. “That was really nice.”

  He nodded, eyeing her closely. “How are you feeling?”

  “Good. Really good.”

  He looked like he was about to ask her something else but stopped when Professor Mason called for everyone’s attention. Kennedy took a seat on the nearest sofa, Phoenix falling into place beside her.

  She tried to pay attention, she really did, but Phoenix was so close. It was all she could think about. When his leg accidentally brushed against hers, she stiffened. Jolts of energy struck her in that one small contact. It felt almost…like it used to. And she missed it. She missed him.

  Lunch couldn’t come soon enough.

  Professor Mason rambled on about some farewell ball they were throwing for the entire level in honor of the Peri-Guard units that were leaving. Phoenix would have been leaving with them, she realized. He would never have had a reason to withdraw himself…if it weren’t for her.

  She stole a brief glance at him, wondering if he regretted his decision to stay. There must have been a good reason why he wanted to go in the first place. What had that reason been?

  When she glanced over, she caught Phoenix staring at her. Apparently he wasn’t paying the professor any attention either.

  “You are so damned beautiful, do you know that?” he whispered into her ear.

  Warmth radiated her cheeks. Good God, the way he said that, and the way he looked at her, so shamelessly—it was like he didn’t care if anyone saw him. She turned straight ahead, determined to focus. She didn’t know what game he was playing, but she wasn’t willing to play.

  Problem was, now that she knew he was staring, she could feel those irresistible eyes watching her every move. It was too much.

  Something touched her hand. She looked down and saw his fingers wrapped around hers. Her first reflex was to pull away, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Her hand stayed wrapped in his, frozen into place.

  He gently rubbed his thumb across her knuckles, sending tingles soaring across her arm and down her spine. Slowly, she felt her body gravitating towards his. A strong urge to lean into him and breathe in his delicious scent propelled her closer and closer.

  “Stop!”

  Kennedy jumped out of her seat, unable to take it anymore.

  Oh no.

  She hadn’t exactly thought her actions through, particularly how yelling and jumping from one’s seat tended to generate attention. Every pair of eyes focused in on her, thanks to her sudden outburst.

  Professor Mason tilted his head, looking at her strangely. “Is there something you’d like to say, Miss Mitchell?”

  Uncomfortably, she cleared her throat, feeling her face grow hot. “I um…didn’t hear that last part.” She sank back down into her seat. “Could you please repeat it?”

  “Of course. Next time all you have to do is ask.”

  She nodded, wishing the sofa could swallow her whole. Phoenix shook with silent laughter beside her, which didn’t help. At all. Knowing he’d gotten to her to that extent only made it more humiliating. Punching him square in that gorgeous face of his sounded appealing right about now. She would’ve done it too, if it wouldn’t have brought more unwanted attention her way.

  As soon as everyone refocused on Professor Mason, Phoenix leaned close to her. “Let’s make a bet,” he whispered. “I bet you’ll be wearing that label again before the end of the day.”

  She kept her eyes glued to the professor, afraid to look Phoenix’s way again. “You’re only making this more difficult,” she whispered back.

  “No,” he corrected her. “I’m making you admit the truth to yourself.”

  “And what is that?”

  “That you’re in love with me.”

  Twenty

  Charm wasn’t something Phoenix was all that familiar with. In the past, girls had always flocked to him. It came with the celebrity-like status the world threw at his name. He usually hated the attention, but in that aspect, the fame was a perk. He’d never had to try very hard to sweep a girl off her feet. It saved him time and effort, both valuable commodities since DOE monopolized the majority of his life.

  Kennedy wasn’t just another girl. She was worth every ounce of his effort.

  Phoenix was determined to be as charming as possible until she realized how much she missed him and how ridiculous this whole thing was. The way he felt about her overshadowed everything else. Yeah, he fucked up by letting Fang kiss him. He saw that now. But he would never risk losing her again, and if she didn’t believe him, he would spend every waking moment of his time proving it to her until she did.

  The best part was, his plan seemed to be working. The more time he spent with her, the more he got under her skin. She was getting annoyed, which was funny as hell, and so very, very worth it.

  “Can’t you run next to someone else?” she asked him during their daily five miles.

  “Why?” He grinned at her. “You have trouble keeping up with me?”

  She narrowed her eyes on him, picking up her pace. He easily matched it.

  “That thing you said earlier,” she said, breathless. “It’s not true.”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “Believe what you want.”

  That only aggravated her more. She pushed herself to go faster. “Why would you think something like that anyway, especially after I told you I’m no
longer interested?”

  “Oh you’re still interested,” he told her with confidence. “Just a little scared.”

  “Scared of what?”

  Phoenix looked over at her. Her face was flushed from the exertion, but her eyes held his curiously, waiting for his answer. “You really want to hear this?”

  “You might as well humor me.”

  “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. The truth is a bloody jerk sometimes.”

  “Just…” She panted heavily. “Spit it out…for God’s sake.”

  He gave her his full attention, unworried about looking ahead as he ran. “You’re afraid of me. I have the capacity to hurt you, and you got a taste of that when you thought I betrayed you.”

  Pain sparked in her eyes, and he knew what she was thinking. That he did betray her, whether he meant to or not. To that, he shook his head. “If you had known the details before it had a chance to sink in, before it had a chance to eat you up inside, you and I would probably be having a different conversation right now.”

  The pace was too fast for her. She lost her breath and tripped over her own feet. Phoenix caught her just in time, enveloping her in his arms. They stood there for a long moment while she tried to catch her breath.

  “You’re scared, Kennedy,” he said again, watching her carefully. “From where I’m standing, I see a girl that lost her father, her best friend, and she essentially lost the life she was used to. When you thought you lost me, it scared you because you don’t want to hurt like that again. But the truth is, you didn’t lose me. I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere. Ever.”

  She didn’t say anything. That’s how he knew he was right. She would’ve argued or come back with some smartass reply if it wasn’t true. Instead she began running again, this time at a slower pace, and didn’t speak to him for the remainder of the run.

  Being right wasn’t comforting. It tore him to pieces, knowing how much she had been hurt.

  Seeing as how she wasn’t speaking to him now either, probably meant he shouldn’t have let things get so serious. Keeping things lighthearted and carefree was his best chance at making her feel more comfortable around him. But if he was ever going to win this bet, she needed to face the truth. The sooner she did, the sooner he could work on getting her to forgive him.

  ~ ~

  Phoenix planned his next move during Martial Arts and Combat training. He approached Kennedy as soon the sparring floor was empty. “Are you still up for fighting?”

  That got her attention right away. Once her surprise wore off, she said, “I’ve changed my mind about that.”

  “Come on,” he coaxed. “I can play by the rules.”

  Fighting was interacting. He should have seen that yesterday, but he’d been too worried about hurting her. Today his head was clear. He decided he would let her beat the shit out him if it made her feel better.

  Well, she could try anyway.

  A frown puckered her lips as she debated. “No, you’ll just let me win.”

  Not an acceptable answer. One way or another, he had to convince her to fight. “I promise you won’t even come close.”

  “You sound mighty confident,” she said, narrowing her eyes on him. “How do I know you’ll put up a fair fight?”

  “Guess you’ll just have to trust me.”

  She glanced towards the sparring floor, then back at him, traces of doubt shadowing her eyes.

  “How can you refuse the chance to knock me down? Unless you don’t think you can…”

  He was laying the cockiness on pretty thick, but it did exactly what he intended. Her eyes flashed; he’d finally goaded her into it. “Fine, but this better not be some game you’re playing.”

  He held his hands up. “No games. I’m only giving you a chance to do me some serious damage. I doubt you can, but we’ll see.”

  When they showed up on the floor, Zane rolled his eyes. “Haven’t you had enough for a while?” he asked Kennedy, looking at her like she’d lost her mind.

  “Just press the buzzer,” she told him.

  “Let’s make this interesting,” Phoenix said, getting into position. “For every time you manage to hit me, I’ll give you a hundred globals. If you knock me down, I’ll give you two hundred.”

  “Seriously?” She arched a brow. “You’re on, buddy.”

  The buzzer went off, and she dove for him. Phoenix not only blocked her attempt, but also got hold of her arms, swung her around, and stopped her from moving by securing an arm around her ribcage.

  That had been almost too easy.

  He leaned across her shoulder and said, “Told you I wouldn’t let you win.”

  The top of his arm brushed the underside of her breasts. Kennedy’s breath hitched, and he felt her body stiffen at the touch.

  This kind of contact normally went unnoticed. The twelve of them trained so much on this floor, it wasn’t uncommon for one of them to end up accidentally groping body parts while trying to keep their opponent at bay. Most people’s only concern was trying to keep from getting knocked down.

  The fact that such a small touch was bothering her thrilled Phoenix. He decided to have some fun with it.

  He gave her an out by moving his feet back. Oblivious to what he was doing, she used that opportunity to kick him in the shin. He faked pain, allowing her to escape his hold. To his surprise, she was back in position quickly, ready to attack.

  He tilted his head to the side, impressed. “Not bad. You’re getting better.”

  When she moved toward him, he ducked the other way. She swung her leg around to kick him, but he saw it coming and grabbed her by the ankle. She landed on the mat on her butt, groaning.

  When she tried to get up, Phoenix pushed her down by straddling her body and pinning her arms to the floor behind her head. “What an interesting position,” he said, grinning down at her.

  Heat reddened her cheeks. Between breaths, she panted, “Get off me.”

  “Why? I’m kind of enjoying this.”

  She stared at him angrily. “Is this what you wanted? To force me into submission?”

  “Hey, I resent that.” He frowned, trying to appear wounded. “It’s your own fault you can’t put up a decent fight.”

  “Get up,” she said, her whole face flushed now. “We’re going again.”

  Phoenix laughed, letting her go. She was too predictable. All he had to do was insult her strength, and she would come back fighting harder. Proving herself was too important. As soon as she realized she was the twelfth, she’d thrown herself into becoming this warrior she envisioned, developing her skills faster than any of the others had. Sometimes he wished she’d see how far she’d come, rather than agonizing over perfection.

  “Ready for round two?”

  She answered by getting into position.

  “Instead of going for the surprise attack, you may want to wait until I come after you. That’s how you nailed Fang with that kick. You planned your move based on what you anticipated from her.”

  Kennedy only nodded once, but he knew she would take his advice.

  The next several rounds Phoenix continued bringing Kennedy down, but to her credit, she managed one blow to his chest, earning herself a hundred globals. She won that blow fair and square—he wasn’t going easy on her just because she was a beginner.

  Each time he managed to win the fight, he strove to put her into a more compromising position than the last. It embarrassed her, and it pissed her off because she’d caught on to what he was doing, but knowing she was affected by it gave him hope.

  “Last round,” she said, wiping the sweat from her brow. “I don’t think I can handle much more. I’m exhausted.”

  “Okay. I’ll take it easy on you this time.”

  He landed her on her back in three seconds flat, pinning her down by securing her arms again.

  She went still, her eyes rounding on him. “That was taking it easy on me?”

  Twenty-One

  Kennedy expected Phoen
ix to apologize or sweetly suggest that she pay more attention, speed up and block his moves more efficiently. He did none of those things. Instead he shrugged a shoulder and said, “Guess I lied.”

  She stared at his slightly amused face, dumbfounded. “Why?”

  “You said it was the last round. I wanted to take advantage of it.”

  “Take advantage…”All at once, she became super aware of his body, every muscle contracting against hers as he held her to the floor. She suddenly realized exactly what kind of advantages he was taking. “Get off me. We’re done.”

  He shook his head. “We’re not done yet.”

  Tempted to scream, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Phoenix, I mean it—”

  His mouth was on hers before she had a chance to grasp what was happening.

  Phoenix’s lips were warm and soft, and oh, God.

  She had missed this.

  Really, really missed it. The taste, the feel of him…everything. She vaguely realized she never gave him permission, but she pushed that thought aside for the moment.

  Both of his hands released hers so that he reach behind her neck, drawing her face up to explore her mouth more thoroughly. She gasped, parting her lips just enough for him to slide his tongue inside, softly caressing hers. One of his hands slid down her arm and across the curve of her hip, pulling her closer. She clung to him, digging her fingers into his arms as he continued to explore every inch of her mouth.

  No one had ever kissed her like this. He had the ability to make her feel warm and tingly everywhere. If it didn’t feel so good, she would swear she was burning up from the inside out.

  Phoenix pulled back a little, nibbling her lower lip before breaking away. Breathing erratically, Kennedy heard the sound of several throats being cleared, followed by amused snickers.

  Oh, no. Not again.

  She winced, wishing she could die right there on the sparring floor. How did she keep ending up in these situations? Was she really such a basket case around Phoenix that she couldn’t remember they were in public?