by Lila Jean
20
Anthony
Though he shouldn’t shift into his massive black wolf form in such a confined space as this beautiful Spanish town they’d come to visit, Anthony scoured the shadows of every alley, every nook, every cranny near the villa that served as their temporary fortress, the only means of protecting Tina when it seemed as though the world was out to get her. With his super speed, he managed to stay out of sight even in broad daylight, and he kept an eye on every passer-by who came within a hundred yards of the house.
Today, Draven was keeping an eye on the house itself while Anthony did patrols of the surrounding area. Though most of his territory included houses and alleys, there was one long stretch of cliff that led to the thundering ocean twenty feet below. As he made another round by the cliff, he stopped dead in his tracks as the distinct and rusty scent of blood hit his nose. It was powerful, overwhelming, and very, very close.
He tensed and scanned the side street, waiting for a gunshot, waiting for the shuffle of footsteps or any other indication of a struggle, but it was silent. Blood meant danger, and with this much blood, it had probably ended in death. If someone was willing to kill, he was a threat, and Anthony wouldn’t allow a threat anywhere near his mate. The muscles in his back ached, desperate to be set free, desperate for him to chase down the danger and rip out its throat.
There, finally. From somewhere on the beach came the scuffle of boots along pavement, the quick intake of breath, the muffled curse of someone lifting something heavy. The lingering smell of blood intensified, stronger than ever, as if a body were being cut open and bled dry. The whole ordeal lasted less than three seconds, and with that, two car doors shut as an engine revved to life.
The hunt was on.
Anthony bolted after the sounds, shifting as he ran, his speed making him nothing more than a black blur in the shadows of the cliff as he jumped down, hopping from ledge to ledge, maneuvering down the steep face to catch up with his prey.
At the bottom of the cliff, the sand sank beneath his weight, and he bolted after the humming engine and the rusty scent of blood. In seconds, he rounded a jutting rock in the cliff and found a corpse, the wine red blood oozing over the stone and pooling in the sand. Not far off, a steep road led toward a section of the city Anthony hadn’t yet visited, and the brief tap of red brake lights at the top caught his eye.
White van. Covered plates. Mercedes. Black windows.
Damn, no leads there.
Briefly, Anthony scanned the face of the corpse the people in the van had left behind and froze in surprise as he recognized Anderson, a cat shifter and the second dignitary to go missing. Just as Zane had described the corpse that had been used to set them up back in France, this body had been ripped to shreds, with bone and blood everywhere, leaving only the face intact.
The hackles on Anthony’s neck raised, and he ached for vengeance. He tore after the car, sniffing the air, eager to get a whiff of their scent and a taste of their blood in his mouth.
Instead of a lead, however, the smoky haze of exhaust filled his lungs, and he growled in frustration as he peeked into the street. The white van peeled around a corner, and Anthony followed, always a step behind as he had to keep to the shadows to avoid being seen. Even as a blur, a giant black wolf would draw attention if he allowed anyone to see him.
The wail of police sirens caught his attention, and he saw three tear past the white van, headed for the beach. Anthony growled in frustration, so close to his quarry, but unable to act.
The van peeled across traffic, cutting off three lanes of cars as it raced for the freeway. At this angle, Anthony would have to dodge past dozens of vehicles to chase the van, and he had to choose between vengeance on those who were killing dignitaries and his duty in protecting Tina by laying low.
Hunt another day, or risk everything and be seen.
Anthony growled, low and deep, in the shadows of the nearest alley as he watched the van speed onto the highway. Ears pinned to his head, his mouth salivating for their blood, he waited. His first and most sacred duty was to always protect his mate, and he could give up his own thirst for revenge to do so. For all he knew, this was a ploy to draw him away, and he wouldn’t leave her exposed.
More sirens cut the quiet air, and another growl rumbled in Anthony’s chest. He needed to get back to Tina, especially since soon after this had happened before, the police had been sent straight to their safehouse. Someone seemed to know where they were, and it seemed like that someone was trying to frame Tina and her princes for murders they didn’t commit.
21
Tina
Tina sat in Zane’s lap, her legs draped over his and her head on his shoulder as they sat in silence, listening to the police scanner and skimming reports on the missing diplomats, looking for new clues. She grinned at the sheer surreal nature of the moment, having never thought in her life before Damara that this sort of time spent together would count as a romantic afternoon with one of the five darling loves of her life. Absently, Zane ran his free hand through her hair, tugging gently on the ends, making her hum happily with the sensation as they sat together, enjoying each other’s company.
A man’s urgent voice came across the police scanner, saying something in Spanish, and Zane froze. He possessively grabbed the back of Tina’s neck, his body tensing beneath her, and her eyes wandered his face, concerned at the sudden shift in his mood. “What’s wrong, Zane?”
“Shit,” he muttered, gently lifting her to her feet. “We have to go. Now.”
“But…” She eyed the scanner. “What did he say?”
“Our friendly anonymous tipper is back.” Zane folded up his laptops one after the other, slipping them into bags quickly, deconstructing his makeshift computer lab effortlessly and shoving all the equipment into just three bags. Tina helped with a few of them, but Zane’s deft hands were more familiar with the process, and he quickly had everything ready to go.
She frowned, trying to lift a bag over her shoulder, but her tiger shifter grabbed the heavy satchel effortlessly. “You mean …?”
The door flew open, slamming against the wall, and Anthony stood in the doorframe, an intense and worried look on his face. “Another diplomat’s shown up dead.” He gestured down the hall. “We should go.”
“Already in the process.” Zane set a hand on the small of Tina’s back and ushered her into the hallway. “Draven! Flynn! Let’s move!”
As Tina raced up the steps with Anthony and Zane in tow, Draven poked his head over the balcony on the second floor. “Armed soldiers coming up the rear door!” He jumped down the stairs, taking them five at a time. “Zane, you were listening to the scanner, right? How did you miss this?” The dragon shifter gestured to the windows. “They’re everywhere, swarming on all sides! Where the hell did they come from?”
“Private scanner, probably.” Zane gritted his teeth, annoyed. “I had tabs on every local department, but it seems like this good-intentioned ‘anonymous tipper’ may have realized the police wouldn’t be enough in this case.” He cursed under his breath as he peeked through a curtain. “These guys look like private mercenaries, not the police.”
“Awesome.” Tina grimaced, eyes darting around to every window, mind racing to come up with a plan. “When we get out of this, we have to figure out how they’re finding us. For now, focus on getting out of this without killing anyone and without giving away our powers, if possible.” She itched to draw the knife she always kept strapped to her ankle, more for comfort than anything else, but resisted the impulse. “We have to protect our identities. We’re already on the run, which makes us look guilty. If they have our identities, the people framing us win.”
“I don’t think we’re getting out of this without powers, Tina.” Flynn raced down the stairs, his boots stomping with the added weight of his considerable muscle. “We’re surrounded.”
“Damn it.” Tina looked at Anthony. “Any alternate ways out of—”
On both ends of the
house, doors slammed open. From her place at the top of the stairs, Tina could see armed men filter through both entries, guns raised, aimed at her and her men. Visors covered most of the soldiers’ faces, but one pointed at her, scowling.
“Freeze!” he shouted, his voice tinted with a Spanish accent. “Hands in the air!”
“So much for protecting our identities.” Tina lifted her hands, dipping instantly into her magic. With guns drawn, she had to act, and she had to act quickly. A quick count revealed roughly two dozen soldiers, and those were just the ones she could see.
This is bad, but I can get us out of here. Probably.
As pointer fingers found their way to the triggers, as the soldiers knelt and set the butts of their rifles against their shoulders, Tina reached as deep into her core as she could, summoning all of her considerable magic. Her veins glowed white, her hair whipped around her face, and her toes lifted off the floor.
“YOU WILL STOP!” she yelled. Her voice resonated with more power and authority than she had ever heard in her life. It bounced off the walls, filling the open living room and kitchen of their villa with her command.
The soldiers all went still. Trigger fingers lifted, relaxing. A few guns pointed toward the ground as the men gaped at her, awestruck, lost in her power. Lust radiated from her like a perfume, ensnaring every man nearby, wrapping him in her utter and complete control.
As she spoke, the glowing white light in her skin grew brighter. Her awareness stretched into the world around her, making her acutely in tune with every beat of the thirty-seven hearts around her, in the house and outside. Ecstasy rippled through her as her shirt brushed against her abdomen, as her rough jeans pressed against her entrance, the sultry sensation of Anthony’s fingers on the small of her back threatening to distract her. This was the one weakness in her seduction powers, this instant connection to all things around her, all this beautiful feeling that brought her world to life. She could so easily lose herself in the sensation, in the thrill of being alive, but she had to focus.
A surge of energy rocked her to the core, fueling her power, giving her strength and might none could threaten or diminish. Running on instinct, trusting Damara to guide her in controlling so many bodies at once, she lifted her hands on either side of her, reaching toward the soldiers on both sides, at both doors, luring them toward her with only the magic pulsing in her veins. With the gesture, the overwhelming thunder of their heartbeats sped up. The sound hit her ears like an erratic drum beat, wild and unnatural, though she could sense five of them at their normal pace. Briefly, she glanced down at her princes, gathered around her, and nodded her head toward the door.
Steal a car, the gesture said. Anything.
Flynn, ever their leader, seemed to register the concerned glint in her eye and sprang into action. “Anthony, stay here. When I text you, bring her outside, and we’ll get the hell out of here.” He pointed to Draven. “You and Killian stand guard by the door.” With a wave of his hand, he gestured for Zane to follow. “You help me hotwire their van if we have to.”
As her men fanned out and stormed by the soldiers, several of the armed guards tensed, their gazes drifting, her hold on them weakening ever so slightly. Gritting her teeth, she reined them back in, pulling on their souls, tugging their attention back to her, ensnaring them once more in her seductive tendrils of white light and majesty. Every man in her room stared at her, frozen as if he wanted to rip her clothes off right then and there, and Anthony stood possessively at her side, one hand on her thigh as she hovered in the air, straining with the effort of controlling so many bodies at once.
Several of the soldiers were still as a statue, but she could feel them silently fighting against her powerful control. She narrowed her eyes on the closest one, pinning him under her glare, daring him to so much as tilt his head at her in defiance. His pulse quickened under her scrutiny, and his cheeks flushed red as he glared at her with barely masked hatred even while his gaze brimmed with desire.
“Time to go, Tina,” Anthony said, reaching for her.
“They’ll just chase us.” Tina shook her head, dipping into her control over their hearts. “Give me thirty seconds.”
“But—”
Tina ignored him, closing her eyes, pressing the accelerator on her magic and pushing the soldiers’ bodies to the limits. Their heartbeats thundered in her ear, faster than before, wilder, feral, out of control as she pushed their hearts beyond what they could handle. Her intention was to disable, not kill, but she would do everything in her power to stop them from coming after her and the darling princes she loved so dearly.
One by one, the soldiers collapsed. Several fell to their knees, others dropped over the couches or onto the counters, but they all dropped as they passed out from the sheer bodily strain as she pushed their hearts too far. And one by one, she released her hold on them until the last one standing fell to his feet, groaning as he collapsed on one of the other soldiers.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” she said, lowering to her feet, a little dizzy from the effort.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Anthony lifted her off her feet, one hand possessively guarding the back of her head, and bolted out into the back of the house, where the driveway trailed around the rear entry.
One moment, she was standing at the foot of the stairs, and the next, she was in a police van, with seats on either side of the wall, a computer at the back of the passenger seat and Killian once more at the wheel. Thanks to Anthony’s super speed, she was a little dizzier than before, but at least they could get the hell out of Dodge. He set her down next to Flynn, while Draven slammed the back doors shut behind them and Zane sat at the monitor with a pair of headphones on, the cord plugged into the computer.
“Killian, floor it,” Flynn ordered from the back, his arm protectively around Tina as the wheels peeled out over the asphalt driveway. They raced into the street, the van tilting ever so slightly as Killian raced away from the safehouse.
“We’ll have to find a new van soon and switch,” Zane said as he tugged off the headphones. “I listened to the anonymous recording the tippers sent in for both diplomats’ bodies, and get this, they’re all reported literally within seconds of us finding the bodies.” He shared a brief glare with Anthony. “What’s more, they sound legit. They speak in the native language and sound panicked, like they’re normal people who just stumbled across the body, but the line cuts out on both calls before they can give identifiable info. The calls trace back to burner phones with no leads.”
“Obvious plants.” Flynn shook his head in disdain. “They’re smart, organized, and out for blood.”
“There’s more. Listen to this.” Zane unplugged the headphones from the computer, and suddenly, a voice popped out over the speakers. “… identities confirmed. Tina Andrews and Anthony Tudor. Other suspects unconfirmed.”
“Shit,” Tina said, rubbing her eyes. “I didn’t think it would get out that fast.”
“That’s not from the soldiers at the villa.” Zane shook his head. “That was information delivered straight to these guys.”
“Why is it in English?” Draven gestured toward the computer. “Should it be in Spanish?”
“Those weren’t Spanish cops.” Zane nodded back toward the villa. “Those were members of a private security firm, hired by your father, Anthony.” Zane rubbed the back of his neck. “It seems he received an anonymous tip as well, and the cops were only notified when he had sent people after us.”
“That bastard.” Anthony groaned and set his head in his hands.
Tina set a comforting hand on her wolf shifter’s back. “Anthony—”
“Unit three, requesting update,” a woman’s voice said over the scanner. “Unit three, we need your current status. Be warned, Andrews and Tudor are now considered armed and dangerous. Pursue with caution.”
Tina’s jaw tensed, and she stared at the monitor while she fumed inwardly. King William. The other kings. Noxxom Corporation
. Venus. Ares. Odin. Everyone was after her, but she wasn’t afraid. The police scanner was right, she was armed and dangerous, and Tina was going to put an end to this once and for all. She would act, taking down everyone who dared threaten her and her men. When she did, it would be swift, sudden, and so very soon.
22
Flynn
With Tina and his brotherhood now safely stowed away in a Greek villa, far away from their rental in Spain, Flynn sighed deeply, frustrated, exhausted, and aching for a concrete plan. Every time one of his brotherhood came to him with news, it was bad, and Flynn felt responsible for not turning this around yet. It seemed like the world was stacked against them, and it only ever got worse.
It was time for a secret meeting, one designed to protect Tina in ways she didn’t yet realize she needed, just like they had back in Mersarth when Draven discovered the plot to kidnap her, back before they had stood in defiance to their fathers. Tonight, while Tina slept, Flynn reclined in an armchair, the only light in the room coming from the muted television. The flickering blue light illuminated Anthony and Draven, who lounged on the nearby sofa, and Killian, who sat in the armchair opposite Flynn. They waited in silence for Zane to arrive, since the tiger shifter had been looking into the dark net for mentions of the missing diplomats or any clues as to what would happen next.
“I want to get back to Tina,” Draven grumbled, apparently not entirely pleased with being called away from her on his night in her bed. “Let’s get on with this.”
“It’s urgent, and we need every bit of detail we can get.” Flynn rubbed his eyes. “But yeah, Zane needs to hurry the hell up.”
“I’m here. Quit whining,” Zane appeared in the doorway, his hair more disheveled than usual. “Impatient old hens.” The tiger shifter grinned playfully. “Sorry about the delay. I intercepted data on two kidnapping attempts, one by the demigods and one by the eagles.” Zane’s eyes flitted briefly between Flynn and Killian, and he offered a sympathetic half-smile as they sighed with disappointment. “It looks like they had old information, though, and they attacked safehouses we used weeks ago.” He took a deep, steadying breath. “For now, we’re all-clear from the kingdoms, despite the wolves and their, shall we say, rather colorful attack back in Spain.”
