by Nina Croft
“Maybe they haven’t gone yet.”
“Maybe. Or maybe they’re rogue.” She sighed. “I can’t help but think that it’s somehow connected to the Cataclysm. It’s too close—and I don’t like it. Anything messes with that, and it’s likely the entire system will be destabilized.”
He strode toward the window and stood gazing out, the tips of his wings twitching, a sure sign he wasn’t happy. It was hard, but Mel managed to hold herself still. Fidgeting wouldn’t help. He would make his decision based on the facts.
Finally, he turned around and smiled. “Okay, you can go back.”
She decided not to analyze the feeling that swept through her, and she kept her face free of expression. “Very good, sir.”
“It always makes me nervous when you call me ‘sir’.”
She smiled. “Very good, Father.”
“When do you want to go?”
“Right now.” If she went back now, then they wouldn’t have to reset the parameters, which was a major job. And there was always the chance that something might go wrong, and she’d end up totally out of time. But if she used the same ones as her last jump, she would end up back when she’d left, plus whatever time she had spent here. She glanced at her control panel. It would take her a few hours to get organized, but the timing should work. Quinn hadn’t said as much, but she was guessing they were flying out of Boston in the morning. She could catch them at the airport and… well, she had a few hours to work out her best strategy.
She was going back. Her lips tingled at the memory of the kiss. No one kissed anymore.
She nodded to her father. “I’ll go get ready.”
Chapter Eight
The spot between Quinn’s shoulder blades itched.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that the whole FBI might descend on them any moment. He glanced behind him, but there was nothing out of place.
The airport was busy, but a quick scan of the minds around him came up with nothing suspect. There were armed police mingling with the crowds, but there was nothing unusual about that in this day and age. Of course, he hadn’t been able to read Mel, so she could be standing right behind him, and he wouldn’t have had any warning.
He spun around. Nothing.
“Are you okay?” Martin asked, one eyebrow raised. They’d gotten him some new clothes in one of the airport shops—gray slacks and a white cotton shirt—and he looked almost normal. Rested, despite his interrupted sleep.
“Yeah, just getting a little paranoid. I’ll be happy when we’re in the air.”
Would he? Part of him acknowledged the lie. He wanted to stay here and find out how Melody Lyons fit into all of this. Kiss her again. If he couldn’t get in her head, he could always get inside—
“Quinn?”
He shook his head. “Just thinking.” He glanced at his watch. Ethan Weiland, head of the Conclave, had organized a private plane. The fucker had some uses. It had landed ten minutes ago, but it would take an hour to turn around. He’d decided it was better to stay on the move for that time, just in case there was really anyone around who could get the jump on them.
At least Dave was out of danger. With a little coercion, the hospital staff had cooperated. They’d taken out the bullet, stitched both wounds, and pumped him full of antibiotics and painkillers. But they’d advised against moving him for the next couple of days. Rose refused to leave him alone in a strange city, so she was staying behind, though she’d come with them to the airport. He could see her out of the corner of his eye, keeping watch on them until they were away safe. Then she’d no doubt go back and hold her boyfriend’s hand. Sweet.
She must have caught something of the thought because she replied, “You’re just jealous.”
“Maybe.”
He followed Martin as he wandered aimlessly around the airport shops. He couldn’t imagine being locked in a cell for four years. Martin was actually taking it all extremely well. He’d bought a thriller in the bookshop. A newspaper. A packet of candy. Just normal everyday things that he’d been denied for so long.
Finally, Quinn decided it was safe to go ahead. “We’re boarding,” he told Rose.
“You might want to hold that for a moment. You have company.”
His muscles tensed. Hell, had he been right? Were they about to be taken down by the FBI? Part of their briefing from Kane had been a warning not to bring undue attention to themselves, so Rose knocking out a band of FBI agents in an airport full of people wasn’t really an option.
“Are you ignoring me?”
The words sounded in his head and for a moment, Quinn didn’t recognize the voice. He hadn’t heard her for so long—and had believed her dead for much of that time.
“Kaitlin!”
“The one and only.”
He turned, searching the sea of faces, and found her immediately. His mouth dropped open, and he heard a giggle in his head. The last time he’d seen Kaitlin, she had been a child. Well, a seventeen-year-old, but still more girl than woman. In some ways, she had matured way too early, because of all she had seen and done, but her experiences had also suppressed her emotional growth, and she had remained childlike.
She didn’t look like a child now. Tall, even for the Tribe women, she must have been five eleven. And with the four-inch heels she wore, she towered above the men and women around her. Her hair was short and spiky, with a bright pink streak at the front. She wore black leather pants, knee-length boots, and a pink T-shirt. She looked stunning, and most of the people around her were staring, their gazes drawn toward her.
“Nothing like blending in,” he muttered in his head.
“I look gorgeous, admit it.”
He grinned. “You look amazing.”
Then she was running toward him. She almost slammed into him, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, and picked her up, hugging her hard. Then he kissed the top of her head and finally, put her away from him.
“It’s good to see you.”
“I know.” She turned to Martin. “I’m glad they found you.”
“Thank you.”
Kaitlin didn’t know the other man too well. Unlike the others in the Tribe who had been fostered out until the age of sixteen, and often spent holidays at Martin’s estate in the Highlands, Kaitlin and her twin brother had been brought up in the compound not far from London, which had become the eventual home to the Tribe. She’d had little to do with Martin and had only been thirteen when he’d disappeared.
“Are you taking him to Jake and that fucker Kane?”
The fact that she spoke in his head proved that she didn’t trust the other man completely.
He chuckled. “Yes. Are you coming back with us?”
Her grin faded, and she shook her head. “Not now. I’m not ready.”
“Ready for what? What’s wrong, Kaitlin?”
She glanced at Martin but must have decided he could be trusted. “I hate him—Kane, I mean—for what he did. He had Senator Gilpin murdered, and the others, and he’s not even sorry. And now we’re supposed to work with him and help him fulfill his stupid mission.”
“I know. I feel a little the same way. But I trust Jake.”
She pursed her lips. “Yeah, and that’s another thing. How could Jake go and marry the colonel’s daughter? It’s like the whole world’s gone crazy.”
“Christa is nice.”
“Hah. She’s all blond curls and big boobs and Jake has lost his mind.”
Beside him, Martin made a small noise. Suppressed amusement. Kaitlin was a lot to take in.
“The colonel’s goddamn daughter. Ugh.” He was aware Kaitlin blamed the colonel for the death of her brother, and with good reason. She gave an overly dramatic sigh. “So, no. While I miss you all, I can’t go back yet. I’m just so angry. I have a lot of growing up to do before I can stay in the same house as Kane, or the colonel, and not kill one or both of them.”
“You look all grown up to me.”
The grin was back. “I know. I
finally have breasts.” She stuck out her chest as if to prove the point. And yes, she did have breasts. Quinn tried not to look, because she was like a sister to him, and you did not ogle your sister’s breasts.
She gave another exaggerated sigh. “But I’m emotionally stunted. So, I shall wander alone for a while longer until I find myself.”
Quinn chuckled. “I don’t think you’re lost.”
“Okay, I’m going to wander about and have some fun. I’m going to get pissed and smoke pot, and sleep with boys, and maybe girls, and dance all night.” She gave him a narrowed-eyed look. “I hope you’re memorizing this to repeat to Kane.”
He was starting to feel a little lost. “Why would you want me to repeat that to Kane?”
“Because it will piss him off.” She got a sly look in her eyes. “He fancies me, you know.”
Kane? Jesus. There was a considerable age difference between them. Though Kaitlin had been born old. “Brave man.”
“Stupid man. I’d rip it off if he ever came close enough. Oh, and tell Jake I’m not a virgin anymore.”
“Christ.” Too much information.
“And make sure Kane hears you. That’s gonna make him sooo pissed off.”
Quinn blew out his breath. Time to go. “I’m glad you came to see us. I miss you. Come home soon.”
“Home?”
“Back to us. Wherever we are.”
“I will. And I’ll walk you to the plane.”
They passed through security without a hitch. Ethan had arranged that—gotten paperwork for them all. The power of the Conclave. Rose followed behind them but kept her distance.
The engines were running on the jet as they came to a halt by the steps.
Kaitlin hugged him again and then stepped back, just as Rose knocked at his mind. “Trouble. Approaching from the left.”
He turned, and some unidentifiable emotion washed through him. He tried to block it out, but Kaitlin must have picked up something. She followed his gaze.
“Quinn’s got a new girlfriend,” Rose said inside their heads.
“Who is she?” Kaitlin asked.
“FBI.”
“And is she trouble?” She frowned. “I can’t get anything from her. How interesting. It’s like the reflector device but…not.”
Kaitlin was the strongest of the lot of them. If she couldn’t get inside Melody’s head, no one could.
Mel strode toward them across the tarmac. He looked behind her but could see nothing or no one suspicious. She appeared to be alone. Of course, that didn’t mean she was. “Kaitlin, can you do a sweep of the minds in the area, see if anyone’s sending any bad thoughts in our direction?”
“Of course.” She was quiet for a couple of seconds. “Nothing. Unless they’re the same as she is, whatever that might be.”
Mel was dressed in new clothes that were in the same style as the ones she’d worn yesterday. Maybe she had a “uniform” she wore to work. If you’d seen her about, you would have pinpointed straight away that she was some sort of law enforcement. But he liked the look. In fact, he found it sexy as hell.
Black pants, boots, and a green knit pullover that hugged her breasts.
“They’re not as big as mine.”
“Get out of my head, brat.”
He heard a giggle echo in his head as Mel came to a halt in front of them. She looked from him to Martin, and then to Kaitlin, a small frown between her eyes.
“Are you here to arrest us, Special Agent Lyons?”
She rubbed a finger over her lower lip as she considered her answer. “No. Obviously, if I’d wanted to take you into custody, then I would not have come alone.”
“What do you want?”
“I’ll tell you, but first we need to get out of here. I may have been followed.”
“Followed by who?”
She gritted her teeth. He couldn’t help noticing they were straight and white. “We don’t have time for this. If I’m traced to the airport, there’s a good chance that your flight will be grounded, and you will all be taken into custody.”
“What do you suggest we do?”
“Take me on the plane with you. Listen to what I have to say. If you don’t like it, you can always drop me off somewhere.”
“Or toss you out at thirty thousand feet,” Kaitlin suggested. He’d forgotten what a bloodthirsty little bitch Kaitlin could be.
Mel ignored the comment. “Time’s running out. You need to make a decision. What I have to tell you is important.”
“Give us a hint.”
Annoyance flashed across her face. “It’s to do with the safety of the people your friend’s ancestor here”—she nodded in Martin’s direction—“took from the Mountains of the Moon.”
He hid his shock well. Kaitlin didn’t even try. “That’s a good one. I vote we take her.”
“Who said you get a vote?” But she was right. How the hell did the FBI know about Martin’s people? They were supposed to be buried deep. And Ethan had promised that all the Conclave records had been destroyed. Though clearly, there were people within the organization who were not taking the change in leadership, or protocols, well.
He glanced at Mel. They could take her with them, find out what she wanted to say, and drop her off on American soil. They had a flight plan listed to Tallahassee. They’d planned to change it in the air, but they could stick to that route, drop Mel off, and then head home. He nodded. “Okay, you come with us.” He turned to Kaitlin. “You want to go back with Rose?”
“Hell no,” Kaitlin said, then continued in his head. “I’m not leaving now. I’m intrigued. Besides if you have a girlfriend, I really need to check her out. After the fiasco with Jake, I’m not taking any chances. This is for your own good.”
“Crazy girl.” He turned his attention back to Melody. “Seems you’ve got yourself a lift. Let’s go.”
Kaitlin was already halfway up the steps. He gestured to Martin to go next, and then followed with Mel behind him. His spine was tingling again. He hesitated at the top.
“Keep safe,” he whispered to Rose.
“You, too.”
As he stepped into the plane, he couldn’t help glancing back at Mel. He hoped he knew what the hell he was doing.
Chapter Nine
Mel presumed they were going a long distance—the plane was a big one—but where? A sense of excitement tingled in her gut.
Mostly her work was routine, just in and out.
This was fun.
She watched Quinn’s ass as he climbed the steps into the plane, the way his jeans hugged his long legs. She was losing it. She’d never gazed at a man’s butt before in her life, and now she couldn’t drag her eyes away. She tripped over her feet, and he hesitated and turned around. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Inside the plane, the space was large and open, divided into two areas—one with rows of seats, presumably for takeoff and landing, and the other half of the main area was furnished with a couple of cream leather sofas with a low table between them.
Everyone else was already seated and strapping themselves in. She looked at the seat next to Quinn, which had been left empty. Martin Rayleigh sat in the window seat across from Quinn, with the young girl sitting next to him. She was striking, tall and slender, and eye catching. She returned Mel’s gaze with one of her own, then grinned. “I thought you might like to sit next to Quinn.”
What did that mean?
Had he told the girl about that kiss? Hah. Mel was probably building that tiny kiss up out of all proportions. He’d likely forgotten all about it.
She didn’t answer. Instead, she just dropped into the seat, fastened the belt at her waist and stared straight ahead.
The jump had gone without problem.
Now all she had to do was get Quinn to listen to her. She’d thought they’d made some slight connection, that he would at least give her a chance. Then she’d lie through her teeth, saying whatever she needed to say in order to find out what
the hell was going on.
The engine noise shifted, and the plane vibrated beneath her. She cast a quick look at the control panel on her wrist, but there was nothing out of place. She had three and a half days before she was due back, and she’d had to fight for every hour. Her father had wanted to limit her to a maximum of two. He was obviously concerned. But she’d argued her case and won.
The plane was moving now, and she glanced past Quinn and out through the small window. They were taxiing along the runway. The morning was gray, with a light drizzle fogging the view. They sped up and she felt the moment they lifted into the air. She closed her eyes as they rose steeply. When she opened them, they were above the clouds and the sky was blue.
Across the aisle, Kaitlin had already unfastened her seat belt and was on her feet. The girl gave the impression of enormous energy. She crossed the cabin, flung herself onto the sofa, and crashed her hand down on the call button. “Let’s get the party started,” she said.
Quinn stood up and stretched. Mel tried not to stare as he looked down at her. “We need to talk, or rather, you need to talk.”
She wiped her hands down her thighs and pushed herself up as the door at the far end of the cabin opened and a flight attendant appeared.
“Champagne,” Kaitlin said. “And pizza.”
Mel jumped as Quinn rested a hand at the small of her back, urging her forward. She took a seat on the sofa opposite Kaitlin. Martin sat beside her and Quinn shoved Kaitlin’s feet out of the way and sat next to her. They were obviously very close. Siblings?
“Are you two related?” she asked.
“You have to be joking.” Kaitlin waved a hand in Quinn’s direction. “Related to this Neanderthal?”
“Brat.” But Quinn didn’t sound put out. They acted like real family, whether they were or not.
Mel had grown up alone. While she had vague memories of a little brother, her mind closed off whenever she thought of him. He’d died in the disaster that had killed the rest of her family, leaving only her alive from a community of more than a hundred. The Federation had investigated. For some reason, her father, who’d headed the team, had taken a fancy to the lone survivor and taken her home with him, adopted her, brought her up. She’d always be grateful.
