by Arthur, Keri
No, they wouldn’t. But I wasn’t about to let Quinn loose with my brother—not when I didn’t know if I could trust him. Not when I’d been attacked, and now Jack. Okay, so he’d been attacked too, but it all still seemed just a little too convenient. Just because Jack trusted him didn’t mean I had to. Hell, how could I even be sure if Quinn had pulled that camera off my shooter? What if it was just an attempt to gain my trust?
Though what would the point of that be, when, as he’d already said, if he intended me harm, he could well and truly have done it already?
I worried my bottom lip for a moment, then said, “I don’t know if that’s wise. After all, whoever is behind this made an attempt on your life, as well.”
“We don’t know if that’s connected.”
I snorted. “So it’s just a coincidence that my shooter and your attackers happened to be genetically engineered clones? Give me some credit for intelligence.”
He grimaced. “I’m sorry. But Rhoan needs to be checked. We can’t take him to a hospital here because we can’t be certain how far this thing extends. You can’t take him to the Directorate for the same reason. So our next best option would be to take one of my private planes to my labs in Sydney and have him checked there. Besides, Melbourne is not a safe place for you to be if they’re trying to get rid of everyone involved in this investigation.”
“I’m not involved. I’m just rescuing Rhoan.”
“That shooter makes you involved, whether you want to be or not.”
A gate to the right of us creaked open. I looked sideways. A brown-skinned man appeared, the hunger in him thick and sharp. A werecreature of some kind, though he didn’t feel like a wolf.
“He’s wearing a guard’s uniform,” I noted softly, looking back at Quinn. “Could be the opportunity we want.”
“Could be.” He reached into the glove box and withdrew some thick tape. He tore off two pieces and handed them to me. “You think you can get him through those gates and keep him distracted long enough for me to get in there?”
I stuck the tape to my palm. “I’ll try. Make sure you drive off like a rejected customer.”
He nodded. “Once we get Rhoan, we’ll take him straight to Essendon airport. I have a plane there that could be ready in the hour.”
He seemed pretty damn determined to get Rhoan to Sydney, and that only made me more convinced it was better to do the exact opposite. I didn’t answer and pushed away from the car. Quinn planted his foot and the car took off with a squeal of rubber.
I strolled leisurely toward the guard. He was tall, broadly built, and muscular—very desirable, until you looked into his eyes. They were brown, and held no humanity at all. Just hunger and death.
The heat of his aura hit me a heartbeat later. The moon heat surged in response, leaving me breathless, hot, yet very uneasy. There was an undercurrent of brutality in what he was projecting, and I very much suspected that sex with this man would not be pleasant . . . maybe not even survivable.
“Are you werecreature?” The guard’s voice was gruff with the urgency I could feel vibrating through him.
“My mother was wolf.”
His gaze slithered downward, coming to an abrupt halt where my nipples poked through the shirt. “That explains the heat I feel from you.”
I shrugged. “If you hunger, there’s a cost.”
He smirked. “How about we do a deal?”
I raised an eyebrow. “What sort of deal?”
“I won’t report your activities here to the cops and, in return, you mate with me and my buddy.”
Christ, there were two of them. Just what I needed with the moon burning in the night sky.
I pursed my lips, pretending to consider the proposal. After a moment, I said, “Not here. Is there somewhere more . . . intimate we could go?”
He grinned, gave the camera a thumbs-up, then motioned me to follow him. As I walked through the first gate, I slid a piece of the tape across the magnetic lock. A second later, the guard caught my hand and pulled me roughly toward him. My heart started hammering and I barely resisted the instinct to deck him. But only because the surge of his desire suggested his actions were born of hunger rather than suspicion.
He pressed me close. His body felt on fire, and, like the Gautier clones, he smelled faintly of mint and musk and freshly turned earth. Did that mean he, too, was a clone? Or was he something else completely different? Perhaps another of those lab-bred crosses?
The waves of his aura were blasting me with hot desire, hardening my nipples to the point of pain and making my pulse race—all physical signs of a response I didn’t feel inside. But I couldn’t let that reluctance show. I had to make him believe I was as eager as he or there’d be trouble.
He pressed a hand into my back, his fingers sliding down my spine, his touch hot yet sending chills skating across my skin. His breathing was rapid, fanning my cheek with foulness.
“You feel good, wolf.”
I forced a smile and pressed my groin against the thickness of his erection. “As do you,” I purred. It wasn’t a lie. I was a wolf, the moon was in bloom, and the need to mate was rising. The heat of him pressed against me did feel good—even if the rest of his packaging made me want to throw up.
His mouth came down to mine and it felt like I was kissing death itself. His hand slid under the skirt and began fondling my rear. I shuddered, partly in pleasure, partly in pain. His touch made me eager, yet it also bruised.
When his fat fingers tried to slide farther, I pulled away and placed a hand on his chest. “Not here. Inside, out of the cold.”
His grin was full of hungry anticipation. He caught my arm, pulling me roughly forward. I managed to slide the tape across the second gate and hoped like hell it worked. I could handle one man with no problems, but I very much suspected I might not be able to handle the blast of two hungry auras—not for long, anyway.
We approached the guardhouse, and the aura of the second werecreature hit. It felt like I was drowning in a sea of lust, one that had my blood surging even though the sane part of me quailed at the thought of mating with those two sickos.
Not that I intended letting the charade go that far. Unlike my brother, I was telepathic, and I could use that power to protect myself just as well as I could use my fists. And in cases like this, telepathy was the far better weapon.
The first guard opened the door and ushered me inside. The room was small, containing little more than monitors, chairs, and a phone. The second guard was the exact duplicate of the first—brown on evil brown. And like the first guard, there was something base, something corrupt, in the energy he was projecting.
He rose, expectation shining in his eyes as he hitched the waist of his pants and gave me the once-over. I obviously met with his approval, because his eagerness burned the air.
The first guard reached for me, something I felt rather than saw. I spun out of the way, covering the movement by catching his hand and pressing it against one breast. His fingers caught my nipple, squeezing hard.
I ignored the pain and forced a smile. “Hadn’t you better ensure we’re not disturbed first?”
The second guard reached for the phone. I pushed the first man backward. “Strip.”
He grinned and quickly obeyed. I looked down, and felt the blood rush from my face. His cock wasn’t only thick, it was barbed, in the same way that a cat’s is barbed. He’d tear me apart if he got inside.
He stepped toward me and I pressed my hand against his chest again. “Wait for your friend.” I kept my voice to a low purr. “It’s more fun when there are two.”
The second man made a strange sound in the back of his throat and hurriedly completed the call, telling whoever it was on the other end they were going on patrol and wouldn’t be back for half an hour.
I ordered the second man to strip when he’d finished his call and lowered my shields a little.
Their hunger hit like a club, and I found myself fighting a lust stronger than I’d eve
r felt before. But behind the hunger came the excited buzz of their thoughts. These two weren’t shielded, weren’t psychic, and were very easy prey. I took a deep breath, then lowered my shields completely, and surged into their minds. Made each one look at the other and believe he saw me.
They fell into each other’s arms and began to mate. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see it, hating what I was doing even though it was a far better option than letting either of them touch me.
The door crashed open. I spun, fists clenched, ready to confront whoever it was. Only it was Quinn. His gaze met mine, and the relief so evident there stirred me in ways I’d never thought possible. Then his gaze swiveled toward the two on the floor.
“Interesting way of dealing with the problem.” His voice was flat, yet I saw the muscle in his jaw jump, as if he was battling not to laugh.
“Better than letting them touch me. Their penises were barbed.”
“That would suggest werecats.”
I nodded. “If their smell is anything to go by, these two came from labs, not nature.” I crossed my arms and tried to ignore the sounds of their mating. The tremors of desire running through me were growing sharper. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold out against need.
“Go find Rhoan,” I said, voice sharp. As much as I wanted to find him myself, the truth was, Quinn had far more experience than I in skulking around. He was a thousand-year-old vampire, after all. “I’ll stay here with these two.”
He hesitated. “Will you be okay?”
I ignored the concern in his voice. “Just go.”
He did. I leaned back against the wall as the slap of flesh on flesh and the grunts of pleasure echoed around me, rising to a crescendo that sawed at my nerves. When the two on the floor were finally still, I made them both get up and get dressed, then sat them down in the chairs.
By that time, sweat was beginning to run down my cheek and my head was beginning to hurt. I’d never really used my abilities to this extent before, and had never realized just how much energy it sucked. It was worse than being with Talon for eight hours.
I glanced at my watch. Quinn had been gone for fifteen minutes. We had maybe another fifteen before someone thought to check these two.
Or would have had, had luck been on our side.
Alarms bit through the air, the noise piercing. A second later, the door was flung open and Quinn appeared, Rhoan limp over one shoulder and a laser gun in his free hand.
“Hurry” was all he said, all he needed to say.
I glanced at the two men, wiped their minds of everything that had just happened, and ran out the door. I pulled the tape off the gates, locking them behind me, then blurred into the night and ran after Quinn.
It was three blocks before we came to the car. Quinn exchanged the gun for his car keys and opened the doors. “We’ll head straight for the airport,” he said, as he bent to place Rhoan in the car. “I’ll call ahead so that the plane is ready by the time we get there.”
Like hell he would. There were times when I was more than a little careless about my own safety, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to risk my brother’s any more than I had to. He wasn’t just my twin, he was my pack. The two of us had to look out for each other, simply because we were all the other had since our mother’s pack had thrown us out. And until I’d actually talked to Rhoan, heard his side of the story, then Quinn was still on my may-not-be-trusted list.
Which meant I was going to have to lose the delicious man yet again. I could only hope that if he was innocent, he’d forgive me.
As he was straightening, I thrust a hand against the back of his head, forcing him forward, bashing his head against the roof of the car as hard as I could. Which was damn hard.
He never really stood a chance—and it just went to prove that even a thousand-year-old vampire could be taken unawares. I caught him as he fell, grunting a little at the force of his weight, then dragged him across the pavement, and over the fence of the nearest house. He fell into the shadows of several thick bushes and, for all intents and purposes, was hidden from sight.
I ran back to the car, slipped into the driver’s seat, and drove away as fast as I dared.
Chapter 7
It took ten minutes to stop looking in the rearview mirror for any sign of pursuit and begin to relax. I glanced at my brother, still slumped in the passenger seat, and touched a hand to his neck. His pulse was steady, his breathing even. Yet I didn’t feel any easier. Until he woke, until I knew for sure he was okay, I couldn’t.
Which left the problem of where to go while that happened. If I couldn’t go home and couldn’t go to the Directorate, then really, I only had one other choice.
Liander.
He’d protect Rhoan every bit as fiercely as I would, simply because he loved him. I reached for my phone and quickly dialed his cell phone number. He wouldn’t be home, not with the moon in bloom.
He answered on the third ring. “Riley,” he said, surprise in his voice. “What’s up?”
“I found Rhoan.”
“He okay?” The edge was back in Liander’s voice and I relaxed a little more.
“He’s unconscious, so I’m not sure. We need somewhere safe to retreat.”
“My office,” he said instantly. “It has plenty of security, and there’s a loft where he can sleep it off.”
I glanced at the time and saw it was almost three. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“I’ll meet you out front.”
I got there in fifteen, but it didn’t matter because Liander was waiting, anyway.
“Jesus,” he said, as he dragged Rhoan from the car and hauled him over his shoulder. “He looks like he’s been through a marathon.”
“In some ways, he has.” A marathon of milking, I suspected. “Let’s get off the street, then I’ll try to explain what has happened.”
He nodded. Once he’d checked himself through the eye scan and fingerprint scanner, the huge red metal door that dominated the front of the cheerless brown brick building opened, revealing the soft golden glow that was Liander’s workshop. I stepped through, my gaze scanning the many half-finished bits of latex humanity and monsters. “You’ve got another movie contract?” I asked, scanning the line of ogres, trolls, and wart-nosed witches.
He nodded as he closed and relocked the doors. “A fantasy project. I’ve actually had to take on two apprentices.”
“Excellent.”
“Indeed it is.” He walked toward the stairs, taking them two at a time, as if Rhoan’s weight was nothing more than that of a babe. “What happened to him?”
I hesitated, but only briefly. Liander was ex-military, and knew how to keep a secret. And while Jack might have a problem with me telling Directorate secrets to non-Directorate personnel, I doubted Rhoan would. Not in this case, anyway. And he was the only one whose opinion I really worried about.
“He was in St. Kilda trying to find out why hookers were being snatched off the street, and got snatched himself.”
Liander carefully placed Rhoan on the bed, then touched his neck, checking for a pulse before he began taking off my brother’s clothes. “So where did he end up?”
“The Moneisha Research Center. We think they’re a collection point for nonhuman sperm and eggs.”
He shot me a surprised look. “Really?”
“Really.” I walked across to the small washbasin area and grabbed a soft cloth and a small bowl, then flicked on the tap and waited for the warm water to arrive.
“Well, that certainly explains the bruised and swollen state of his genitals.” He shook his head. “No moon dancing for this young wolf this month, that’s for sure.”
“And won’t that piss him off.”
Liander gave me a grin. “Truly,” he said, as his gaze skated down my body. “Can I just say you’re looking wonderfully tarty for a change?”
“Thanks.” I added some soap to the warm water, then carried the bowl and cloth over to Liander. “He doesn’t seem to
be hurt.”
I was looking for reassurance more than anything, and Liander wrapped an arm around my shoulder, giving me a light squeeze. “I’d say he’s just dehydrated and tired. There don’t seem to be any injuries other than bruising, but I’ll get a friend over to check, anyway. She’s a doctor.”
“Good idea.”
Liander took the bowl and cloth from me and carefully began to wash Rhoan down. I fidgeted for a moment, then walked across to the small window, staring out at the moonlit sky. The force of the heat that shivered through my body was a warning that I better get to one of the clubs sooner rather than later.
“Go,” Liander said, reading the surge of desire, not my thoughts. “He’ll be fine with me.”
I swung around. “You’ll ring the minute he wakes?”
“You know I will.”
I walked across the room and kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”
He smiled. “I’ll buzzer you out when you near the door.”
I headed out. Once down on street level again, I grabbed the cell phone and called Jack.
He answered on the first ring. “You safe?”
“As houses. Rhoan’s unconscious, though, so I haven’t been able to question him.”
“Then perhaps you’d care to tell me why you decided to knock Quinn unconscious.”
“Well, he was insisting on taking Rhoan to Sydney. And I’m sorry, but I’m not going to fully trust the man, no matter what you say, until I talk to my brother.”
Jack laughed. “Darlin’, you are going to make such a wonderful guardian.”
“Not in this lifetime, I’m not.” I hesitated. “How is Quinn?”
“He’s got a sore head—and he deserves no less for being so foolish as to turn his back on someone he barely knows.”
“So he’s there with you?” I paused. “Actually, where are you?”
“I’m back at the Directorate for the time being. Quinn’s booked himself into one of the vamp hotels to sleep off his headache.”
At least he’d be safe there, as most of the vamp hotels guaranteed the safety of their patrons. “Which one? I need to return his car.” I didn’t want to leave it at Liander’s, simply because whoever was behind Moneisha might have recognized the car and be looking for it. For the same reason, I didn’t particularly want to drive around in it. Besides, given my less-than-spotless driving record, it wasn’t a particularly good idea to be driving a car I could never afford to fix.
