by Zoe Forward
Laughter bubbled up in her. “Charlotte was right. You are just like him. The two of you are stubborn. And controlling.”
“Charlotte…” He shook his head. “She’s a scheming old broad.”
“I screwed it up this time, not him. I said the wrong thing and I don’t know if he’ll forgive me. Just promise me you won’t kill him. Can you also, please, release him from whatever you’re holding over him?”
He granted her a weak smile. “All right. But if he wants to be my son-in-law, he’s going to have to earn it.”
She smiled. Hope blossomed in her chest at the prospect of finally knowing her real father.
He looked over at her. The Scottish accent thickened. “You’re the spitting image of your mother, you know. She’d have been so proud of you.”
“What happened to her? We went to the zoo—”
“The zoo…damn it. That was all my fault. I’d told her for three weeks we’d do the zoo the next day, and finally she got pissed and did it herself. You redheads and your temper, no offense.”
“We were on our way to see the giraffes and then there were these guys. One of them shot her with a dart. That’s about all I remember.”
“She jumped you to your alternate and dumped you before she jumped back. They took her to a facility in Europe. Before we could get to her, they shot her. With a gun. Quinn was with me when we found her…” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “She was too far gone for him to help her.” His reddened gaze turned to meet hers. “She loved you so much. I wanted to follow her into the afterlife, but she asked me to stay until you came back.” He maneuvered the car into a hangar at the airport.
She swallowed the lump in her throat.
Bryce blinked his eyes a few times. “She wanted you to know how sorry she was that she couldn’t help you understand everything.”
She nodded, too choked up to speak.
He parked the car and turned toward her. “She’d want you to have this. It belongs to the descendant in her line.” He removed a small ring from a chain around his neck. “It’s a toe ring.”
Her entire hand tingled when she took the ring. It had a depiction of what she suspected was a constellation on its top. Probably Pleiades. “Thank you.”
“I’m here for you, if you need me,” he said gruffly.
She blinked against the moisture in her eyes. She unclicked her belt and lunged toward him, enveloping him in a hug. His strong arms locked her against him.
He whispered, “I’m sorry.”
She pulled out of his embrace. “I think we’ve got a plane to catch. Can you please try to get along with Matt on this flight?”
“We’ll see.”
…
If Kat had been a nail biter, then at least she’d have an outlet for the anxiety of being stuck in this private jet with too many people focused on her. No one talked, and she had nothing to do. Someone could’ve at least loaned her a magazine.
She should sleep since it was the middle of the night. But with Mr. Hotness seated directly across from her, texting nonstop and throwing brief, indecipherable glances her way, sleep was the last thing on her mind. His data plan must be amazing. What she wouldn’t give to have internet access. A little web surfing might help pass the time.
Her father darted a glance her way, glowered at Matt, and then went back to texting, Facebooking or whatever on his iPhone. Four guard-like druids toward the back of the plane stared at her between interest in portable electronics. Their thoughts were a jumble of protective duty and icky sex fantasy. No other Pleiades on board, though. She could’ve used a little girl support. Charlotte told her Bryce had mandated a decade ago that the Pleiades were not allowed to travel together. Something about air attacks that didn’t sound reassuring.
She’d pretended sleep for about an hour to avoid staring at Matt, not that it worked. Her body lit up every time his hot gaze slid her way, however rare that was.
As exhaustion pushed to the forefront of her mind, she gave up on avoidance of what she wanted to stare at most. Her gaze dragged over the muscular planes of Matt’s body, covered by a long-sleeved, dark T-shirt. She drank him in as she scanned down the strong cut of his thighs in those jeans. Oh God. He was turned on. Her gaze snapped to his face. Crap, he wasn’t texting anymore.
His eyebrows hitched upward. An unreadable expression passed over his face. He looked gorgeous, but he didn’t look happy. Regret lodged itself deep in her stomach.
“So, Kat, did Charlotte get you up to date on what’s about to happen in Ireland?” Bryce asked from a few seats over and across.
Her cheeks blazed. How mortifying to have her father catch her doing a body scan. “Sure.” Not really.
Bryce nodded. “Great. I just want you to be ready.”
“Can you rescind whatever threat you put out on Matt’s sister?” she requested.
Bryce raised his eyebrows. “Okay.” Softly he added, “I’d never intended to follow through. His sister is, uh, delicate.”
“Thanks. It’d be great if we can all call a truce for a little bit. This….” She gestured with her hands to everything around her. “This is overwhelming enough. The minefield the two of you planted is too much for me to negotiate right now.”
“All right.” Bryce’s gaze moved to Matt.
He ignored Bryce and met her stare. Did he feel trapped? Resentful? His expression conveyed a whole lot of latent anger.
He asked Bryce, “How long are you planning to keep me hostage? I’ve got a business about to implode without me.” He glanced down at his phone.
“Let’s just get through the bloody weekend. I’m sure they can do without you for a few days. Then you can get back to your life.”
Clearly, Matt didn’t want to be here. And didn’t want her. Dragging in a hard breath, she looked away, struggling not to cry. She didn’t want to do this world without him. She should go home, but she’d promised Charlotte she’d do whatever it was she had to do in Ireland. Trapped.
She asked her numb legs to stand, and stumbled toward the bathroom, desperate to get away from all the too-curious gazes. As she pushed into the small stainless-steel room she swiped angrily at a few renegade tears. The pain in her chest pressed like a twisting blade.
The bathroom door clicked behind her. She’d been followed.
…
Matt heard the catch in her voice and knew she suppressed tears. He’d never felt another person’s emotions like he did hers. Her misery twisted something deep in his gut with a need to soothe and protect her.
“Kat,” he said gruffly. He reached for her shoulders and pulled her to face him. And drew her into his body. “You’re killing me.”
She broke into sobs and clung to him.
He wrapped her tight. Yet somehow it wasn’t enough. He wanted to lock her to him, tight enough that neither one of them could escape. He slid his hand up her arm until he reached the back of her neck and cupped her head.
She swept a hand across her face, removing some runaway tears. Her glassy, reddened gaze met his, so filled with pain. He understood that pain. It burned him alive with a want so intense that it panicked him.
“Living in that other world, I always sensed there was something going on, something important, but I wasn’t sure what it was. It was as if I knew those weird world shifts meant something. That they weren’t just random. I sensed something was very wrong about my life. It nearly drove me mad.”
“Mmm-hmm,” he mumbled, wondering where this was headed.
“I think that, and then us, is why my head’s so messed up right now. I’m not sure who to trust. I’m terrified I don’t have enough control over the world-shifting thing to stay here or go there. I’m scared to read another’s thoughts because I might get overwhelmed like what happened at that benefit. I don’t want to go home because the career that I built as a vet has fallen apart due to my absences. Crap, I’m sorry I’m rambling. You don’t need to listen. I know you don’t want to be here.”
&
nbsp; He kept her snug against his chest. “I’m here.”
“I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean how that came out back at your house.”
“Yeah.” He was sorry he’d gone off the deep end, but she’d hit a sore spot.
“I know you didn’t mean to hurt me either.” This was said with a lift at the end, the words more of a question than a statement.
“I didn’t,” he said and glanced down. Her lips parted on a ragged inhale. He brushed a finger down her cheek. God, he wanted this woman on every level with a distracting attraction that made it hard for him to keep his mind on talking.
She pushed her chest away from him to make eye contact. “Do you even want to be here? With me and doing this?”
He followed the chain of his dog tags to where it disappeared between her breasts. He liked them there. Perfect. “I’ve never said I didn’t want to be with you. The me-and-you part of all of this I’ve always wanted. I want to give us a chance, but I hate the fact there’s some sort of higher power driving us together. I’ve always lived by making my own way in the world and being in charge of my own decisions. This is way out of our control. I don’t like that. The being here that has to do with druid crap…well, I’ve got to come to terms with that.”
She nodded and moistened her lips.
“You’re flushed.” He trailed his finger over to her soft lips. “Are you thinking about kissing?”
She gasped out, “Yes.” She cupped his cheek. “I really am sorry I hurt you. I didn’t want you being with me to be about you and my father.”
“There’s only the two of us.”
Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. “Kiss me.”
His lips met hers, flicking over her lower lip until she opened her mouth. He circled his tongue slowly in her mouth as his hands moved down over her body. She trembled and fell into him, moaning.
“Not here,” she whispered.
“Why not? They can speculate out there, but no one here has X-ray vision or super-hearing ability.”
“My father is out there, along with a few extremely horny druids.”
“Horny? If the fuckers even think anything with you, you tell me and I’ll gut ’em.”
She giggled. “Even your mean talk is sexy.”
He grinned. “There’s no time, anyway. I just heard the landing gear drop.” How he wanted a few hours…hell, a lifetime…with her, and no druids within a thousand miles.
Her hand cupped his cheeks and an impish smile curved her lips. “Later, then.”
“Yeah,” he croaked out.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The light of dawn outside the window of the SUV tickled the horizon, which threw her internal clock into a free fall. In her world it was the middle of the night, but in Ireland the breakfast sausages would be frying. All she wanted was to slip beneath the sheets of her bed for about a day. Maybe a week. At this point any bed would do, preferably somewhere private and safe. And with Matt in it.
She wasn’t sure who or what they waited for here at the airport. But they’d been idling for five minutes in this SUV.
“I could do with a huge black coffee. I’m sure there’s somewhere in Belfast that offers a crack of dawn cup,” Bryce announced from the driver’s seat. He checked his watch and mumbled, “Wish the boys would hurry up with their report on the safety of our travel path.”
“I’ll take a double shot of anything caffeinated,” Matt grumbled.
Unexpectedly, a fourth passenger slid into the rear seat next to her.
The newcomer smoothed her shoulder-length black hair with interwoven red highlights. Pale blue eyes met hers. “I’m Serenity,” She met the questioning gaze of both men in the front seats and snorted out a laugh. “I just had this weird image of being at an AA meeting. My name’s Serenity and I’m a Pleiades.”
“If only it was a problem as easy to kick as alcoholism,” Kat muttered. She smiled and held out her hand. “I’m Kat.”
Serenity shook her hand. “Amen to that, sister. I knew if Matt liked you, then you’d be cool.” She smiled.
Bryce interrupted. “Where the bloody hell have you been and what are you doing here? You know we don’t travel like this. Too much risk to be out in the open with you guys together.”
Serenity rolled her eyes. “God, you can be such an ass. What happened to: Hey Serenity. How’re you doing?”
Bryce expelled an agitated sigh.
Serenity rolled her eyes. “I’m here to help. Got some info for you.”
“Fine. I’m sorry. What were you doing to be of help?” Bryce grumbled, clearly trying his best to rid his face of the what-the-hell storm cloud.
“That apology sucked, old man.” Serenity crossed her arms and slumped in the seat.
“For fuck’s sake, Serenity, spit it out.” Bryce cranked around to glare.
Serenity sighed and glanced disparagingly at Kat. “He’s really got such a potty mouth, doesn’t he? I swear he drops the F-bomb almost every other sentence.”
She laughed. “Got him pegged on that one.”
“I remember Auntie Lynn complaining about it a lot. Since she’s not been around, he’s only gotten worse.” She made a sad face. “It’s such a shame you didn’t get to know your mother well. She was one entertaining lady.”
Bryce cleared his throat. “We are not doing a memory-lane stroll right now.”
Serenity explained, “I’m sort of like the black sheep of the Pleiades, Kat. I don’t obey the rules, at least the security ones.”
Bryce muttered under his breath. His phoned dinged. One scan of the incoming message and he pulled the SUV away from the airport hangar. “Serenity…details. Now.”
Serenity said, “Fine. I got intel that Acquisitions is here. I’ve been doing a little recon in downtown Belfast—”
“How can I possibly keep you safe when you insist on doing stupid ass shit like that?” Bryce asked.
Matt chuckled. “She can take care of herself. The girl’s well trained. Don’t forget she’s ex-MI6.”
“It’s my job to see to her safety,” Bryce said.
“I can be invisible. So, I’m probably safer than anyone else you could send in. The area is crawling with Acquisitions. It’s like they’re pinging radar off everything, but don’t know exactly what they’re looking for. How did they know we were here? You think their Sighter can predict more than just dimension jumps?”
“No clue,” said Bryce.
“Where exactly are we going? Long drive?” Kat asked.
“About an hour south of Belfast. I guess we’re skipping coffee and doing a quick drive through town,” Bryce announced.
“How’re you holding up with all this, Matt?” Serenity asked as she laid a hand on his shoulder.
“Fine,” he answered in a clipped tone.
“That good, huh?” Serenity got comfortable in the seat and pulled out her cell phone, scrolling through a few incoming messages. “I’m glad you’re here, Matt.”
Jealousy hit her hard. Did he and this girl have something going on?
Serenity patted her arm and whispered, “He’s all yours. We’ve been friends a long time. Trust me when I say there’s nothing other than friendship there.”
As they merged into early morning traffic, Bryce announced, “We’re being followed and they’re getting aggressive behind us.”
He cut a sharp right and then left, the wheels screeching complaint. “They’re still there.”
“Drop Kat and I at the next corner immediately after you turn. If you’re fast on the turn, they won’t see us because of the large building,” Serenity ordered.
“No,” Bryce said.
“You two can lead them on a merry chase. Take ’em out and whatever. We’ll meet you at the train station in an hour.”
“No,” Bryce said again.
“Matt…” Serenity pleaded.
“She can hold her own.” He turned to glare at Serenity. “You swear on whatever you hold sacred that you can do this an
d you will get her back to me in one piece?”
“You betcha.” She checked and chambered a round in both of her handguns. “Besides, Char always said we’re stronger when together. Bryce just doesn’t believe it. We can dimension hop if we get into trouble.”
Matt’s eyes narrowed and he said softly, “No matter who or what you run into, Serenity, you’ll make it?”
“We will make it,” Serenity promised.
Bryce floored it and cornered a tight right. He hit the brakes, but before the car came to a pseudo-stop, Serenity pulled Kat out of the car. They jumped over a snowbank, and Kat struggled not to skid right into the building on the icy sidewalk.
After running and sliding on icy patches through several back alleys, Serenity held a single finger against her lips and indicated for her to follow her through a restaurant. The smell of coffee and pastry might’ve tempted her stomach, if she could just catch her breath. Jealously she noted Serenity’s chest barely moved. Dancing kept her in shape, but it wasn’t as if she did track sprints on a daily basis.
They skirted out the back door into another alley. And into the corner turn.
“Don’t move,” ordered an unfamiliar man.
Serenity froze as the muzzle of a gun lay, almost casually, against her forehead. She held her hands up, allowing her gun to fall. A tall man with insane cheekbones slammed Serenity into the brick building so hard that Kat heard Serenity’s teeth crunch. His fist encircled Serenity’s throat to hold her in place.
“Let her go,” Kat ordered, infusing every bit of mind persuasion she had.
The man’s glacial green eyes glided to her. A chill slid over her skin with the impression of death. Instinct pushed her to bolt from him and the danger he promised.
He said low with the hint of a Eastern European accent, “Your skills won’t work on me.” With his free hand he removed a small device from his pocket. Kat screamed as her world went electric. Jolts of energy sent her tumbling to the cold ground, muscles twitching. The bastard tased her! Once her world stopped spasming, she tried to get into the man’s mind, but received no thoughts. All she picked up from him was self-assurance and control.
