“Kaden, wake up. Are you okay? Please talk to me,” she begged, shaking him.
Pulling herself to her feet, her first instinct was to call for an ambulance. But Kaden couldn’t possibly go to a hospital without someone figuring out his secret. Instead, she called the one person she thought could help.
“Hello?” Hayden said in his deep, unmistakable voice.
She started rambling on so fast, she wasn’t even sure of what she was saying. “This is Annabelle. I’m calling from my store. I need your help. We were attacked by Uriel and—”
“Wait. Did you say Uriel?” he asked, interrupting her.
“Yes, he was the one who threw the brick through my window, and he came here to confront Kaden about killing his sister.” Her breath was labored and had increased to a pant. Was she about to have a panic attack? “But we don’t have time for that now. Kaden is here and he’s passed out. I don’t know what happened to him.”
“Is he breathing?” Hayden asked.
Calm down and answer his questions. “Yes, I checked his vitals. I mean, I think I did. Do you even have vitals?”
“Are you hurt, Annabelle?” he asked, ignoring her question.
Annabelle glanced down at her torn dress. “Uriel shot me in the chest with some kind of laser beam, but there’s no wound or mark other than a weird silver circle and some dried blood.”
“He must’ve healed you and used too much energy,” Hayden said with irritation in his tone. “That would explain why he’s passed out. He’s lucky he didn’t kill himself.”
Kaden had to have known he could’ve died, but he was willing to sacrifice himself for her. After all he’d tried to do tonight, and now this. The bond was real. His heart was beating for her. Was he in love with her? She couldn’t believe this incredible man was meant to be hers. A single tear ran down her cheek as she lovingly tucked a strand of sweaty hair behind his ear. “Is there anything I can do to help him?”
“Don’t move him. I’m on my way.”
“Okay,” Annabelle replied as she heard Hayden hang up on the other side.
Seconds passed by like hours. What had happened to them? She searched Kaden’s body, looking for any other injuries, and found nothing. Her heart pounded in her chest like a drummer on speed. If she didn’t calm herself down, she might pass out, and then she would be no use to Kaden. Focusing on her breathing, she inhaled slowly and then exhaled. Hayden was on his way. She just had to keep it together until then. Once he gets here, Kaden will be okay. She kept repeating the sentence in her mind like a mantra.
Leaning down, she kissed his temple. “Kaden, if you can hear me, please be okay.”
Annabelle nearly jumped out of her skin when several men in black suits burst through the front door. They were communicating to each other through earpieces, reporting to someone about what they saw. Two of them came toward her, bending down next to Kaden. “Do you know what happened here?”
She stared at the men in black suits. With wide eyes, she opened her mouth. No words came out. She had to be in shock. Why were they here? Where did they come from? Where was Hayden? They reached beneath Kaden, picking him up off the ground. Anger filled her, and she found her voice. “What the hell are you doing? Hayden said not to move him.”
In a monotone voice, one of the men said, “We’ll take it from here, ma’am. Step aside.”
“No!” As soon as the words came out of her mouth, two other men grabbed her by the arms. Struggling, she tried to pull free, but they were too strong. She watched helplessly as Kaden was carried out of the store and laid in the back of a large black unmarked van. Tears welled in her eyes. “Where are you taking him?”
No one answered her.
Then they were gone just as quickly as they came. Annabelle stood in the middle of her store, frozen in place. Her heart pounded rapidly against her chest. She had no idea how much time had passed before Hayden came through the door.
He took in the blood that covered her and was smeared over most of the floor. “Where is he?”
Although he had always been nice to her, there was something about Hayden that always made her nervous. “A bunch of men in suits came and took him. I tried to stop them, but I couldn’t.”
“Did they say anything to you?” he asked.
Her panicked mind wanted to scream and yell out her frustrations, but instead, she kept her voice level. “No, they wouldn’t answer me. They just put him in the back of a van and left.”
“I believe I know who they were. I will take things from here.”
Take things from here? She couldn’t allow that. “No…wait…please, I need to know what happened. I have to know if he’s okay.”
Hayden paused as if he was contemplating his next words. “Annabelle, I promise you he’s not in any danger. The people you saw were here because they want to help him. I can’t go into much detail with you, but I want you to be reassured he is fine.”
No, she needed to see for herself that he was okay. “If you know where he is, I need you to take me there.”
Hayden let out a sigh. “I can’t do that. I’m sorry.”
Anger bubbled in her chest. “Why not?”
“Because he was likely taken to a government facility,” he said with an aggravated tone. “A place that will require a clearance I’m sure you don’t have.”
A lightbulb flickered on inside her head. How had she not thought of this before? “Were they FBI agents?”
“I’m sorry, Annabelle. There’s nothing more I can tell you at this time. As soon as I get this straightened out, I will contact you.”
Before she could object, he walked out her front door.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kaden’s eyes opened. Nervous, he searched his surroundings. It took him only a few moments to realize he was no longer in Annabelle’s bakery. The room had white walls and a matching ceiling. He was lying on his back on a cold metal table. An IV had been inserted into his left hand. A vital signs monitor was attached to his chest while a tube sent oxygen into his nostrils. Men and women in masks and lab coats shuffled in and out. When one of them realized he was awake, they called for the doctor over the loudspeaker.
He would know this place anywhere. This was where he had spent his first year on this planet: the medical facility inside FBI headquarters. But where was Annabelle? Had he been able to save her? Had she been brought here, too? He needed answers. Strangers in lab coats shouted at him as he removed the breathing tube and detached the suction cups taped to his chest. An alarm on the EKG monitor rang out over their voices, blending into the chaos of the room. He ignored it all. It didn’t matter. He needed to find his woman. As Kaden struggled to sit up, James Brewer, the director of the science and technology department, appeared at the door to the room. “There’s no need to fight, Kaden. We are here to help you.”
“Where is Annabelle?” he growled, ready to pounce at anyone who stood in his way.
“She’s safe,” James said while writing something on a clipboard. “We left her at the bakery where we found you.”
Annabelle was alive and safe. A wave of relief rushed through him. “Why was I brought here?”
James handed his clipboard to another lab coat. “To protect you, of course.” He took a few steps toward Kaden. “Annabelle called Hayden, but he’s not a medical doctor. He may have been able to save you in your alien form, but you’re more human than alien now.”
Thinking about aliens reminded him of what had gotten him here in the first place: Uriel and his threats of revenge. His hands fisted at his sides. No, he would die before he would allow his loved ones to be harmed. Time to get out of here. Pushing back the blanket, he twisted around and put his feet on the ground unsteadily as fear rushed through him. He had to warn his brothers and protect Annabelle.
When several lab coats blocked the door, Kaden warned, “Get out of my way.”
James put his hand on his shoulder. “We can’t simply let you walk out of here. There are tests that
need to be done. We need to understand what happened to you.”
Kaden knew exactly what had happened. He used too much of his power, almost killing himself. But James was confused, because he did not know about his ability to heal, nor did he know about Hayden or Camden’s powers. The humans could never find out. If they did, he would spend the rest of his life in a cage like one of their laboratory monkeys while they tried to harness his power for their own uses. That was not the life he pictured for himself or his brothers.
Fighting the urge to push them out of the way, he ran his fingers through his hair. “I cannot stay here. People I care about are in trouble.”
“Are you referring to Annabelle?” James questioned while pushing his glasses farther up his nose. “I’ve heard some concerning reports from some of my agents.”
Kaden had to play coy. “What have you heard?”
James crossed his arms. “You spend a lot of time with her. Last I heard, you were practically living together.”
Shit! This conversation was heading into an area he had to avoid. “She makes great muffins.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I know you’ve crossed the line. I need you to be honest with me.”
I have to be convincing here or I’ll blow everything for my family. As kind as James had been in the past, they were not friends. He was a stickler for the rules. If he had proof Kaden was breaking them, he wouldn’t hesitate to confine his family to the lab for the rest of their lives. “After the break-in, I was concerned for her safety. We’re friends.”
“Is there anything going on between you beyond friendship?” James asked in a stern tone.
Yes, I believe she’s my mate. “No.”
Leaning closer, he continued, “And you understand the rules and why we have them in place.”
Kaden twisted the hospital gown tie around his index finger to distract himself from punching the man in front of him. Normally, he was the one barking about the rules. Now he knew just how Camden felt most of the time. “Yes.”
“Can you imagine what might happen if the world discovered your true identity? Do you think the community of Germantown would want you there? Humans fear the unknown. They would hunt your family down and shun Annabelle for being with you. She would lose her business and all the people she cares about.” James put his hand on Kaden’s shoulder. “Is that the kind of life you want for her?”
Was he being selfish for even considering a life with her?
Even if she was his mate, it wasn’t fair to bring her into all this mess. He wouldn’t want her to lose the business that she’d worked so hard to build or her family and friends. An ache formed in the pit of his chest, growing every second as he realized what he had to do. He must let Annabelle go. Move as far away from her as possible. It would kill him to leave, but he had to think about what was best for her.
But first, he had to take care of his former brother-in-law. “I have to go back. Warn them about Uriel and his intentions.”
“Who is Uriel?” James asked. Several lab coats stepped toward him, clearly intrigued by what he was about to say.
“He’s the alien you’re looking for. The one that attacked me at the bakery.” Kaden purposely left Annabelle out of the conversation. He couldn’t mention her without explaining how she had healed. It was the only way to protect his secret.
James’s eyes widened. As a scientist, he would be thrilled for the opportunity to work with another alien. Whether or not he was a threat didn’t matter. “We need to bring him in as soon as possible.”
He straightened his back. “Uriel needs to die.”
“Why?” Clearly, James was surprised to hear those words from him.
“He came to this planet to kill me.” Kaden found his clothes sitting in a pile on top of a chair. Ignoring the people around him, he threw off the hospital gown and changed back into his tuxedo pants and shirt. “He thinks I’m responsible for the death of his sister. He plans to kill everyone I love, and I refuse to sit here and allow that to happen.”
James shook his head. “We will not allow open war on our planet. I’ll assign agents to go with you. They will protect your family.”
Kaden put his hand up. He had to be very cautious with his words. Together, they could use their powers against Uriel, but the agents couldn’t be there to witness it. “I will handle this with my brothers. We’ll be discreet. You don’t have to worry about exposure, but you must keep your agents out of it. Uriel is strong. It would be very easy for him to take human lives. But I can take him out.”
James crossed his arms. “I will only allow this if you agree to constant communication. My agents will stay out of danger, but they will be close enough that they can get to you if you need help.”
This wasn’t the ideal situation, but he could make it work. “Very well.”
James turned to one of his agents. “If they can take the alien without incident, I want the creature brought back here alive.”
Kaden hissed at his choice of words but said nothing more. They could argue over this for hours. Hours he didn’t have. Right now, he had to focus on Annabelle. She needed him, and he was running out of time.
Several hours later, three agents in an unmarked car dropped Kaden off in front of his house. They watched him as he made his way up the driveway. Once inside, he waited to see if they drove away. Nope. They remained parked across the street, and reality set in. Until Uriel was caught, every move his family made would be overseen. He and his brothers would have to be more cautious than ever.
“Kaden, what happened?” Cam asked, jolting him from his thoughts.
He rubbed the back of his neck, which was still sore. “A lot.”
Camden leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. “Annabelle said Uriel attacked you at the bakery. Hayden was about to head over to FBI headquarters when he found out you were on your way home.”
He was exhausted, but had no time to spare. Every second he was away from Annabelle put her in more danger. “Where is Hayden? We have a lot to discuss.”
“Right here,” Hayden replied, shuffling down the stairs. “What the hell’s going on?”
Kaden signaled for his brothers to follow him into the kitchen. They all sat down at the table, and he told them what had happened over the last twenty-four hours. They took the news as well as he had expected. Cam nervously cracked his knuckles. He couldn’t hide his emotions. His concern was written all over his face. Hayden was always hard to read. All he did was stare at Kaden and nod. He looked as if he were listening to a college lecture.
After Kaden finished filling them in, it took several moments for either of them to comment. He was sure they were surprised to know Uriel was alive. But the worst part was that Uriel believed Kaden had purposely killed his wife. The thought of that made his stomach churn.
“What are we going to do?” Cam asked, his eyes darting between his two older brothers.
He wasn’t overly fond of what had to be done, but after Uriel’s actions and threats, there was no other choice. “He attacked Annabelle. We have to kill him.”
“How are we going to find him?” Cam scratched his head.
They didn’t know where he was hiding, but they knew exactly what he wanted: to make Kaden suffer as he had. “We won’t have to find him. Once he realizes Annabelle is still alive, he’ll want to finish what he started.”
“She can’t be left alone,” Cam said.
Hayden tapped his finger on his bottom lip. “Maybe we can use this to our advantage.”
Already he didn’t like where he thought this was going. “How?”
“The agents have the house surrounded, which means Uriel won’t attack us here.” He smirked. “But I can make them believe he will.”
Hayden planned to use his ability to manipulate emotions to keep them off Uriel’s trail. He rubbed the back of his neck. “And while all of this is going on, how do you plan to catch Uriel?”
“The Hoffman building is still for sale on Main Street,”
Hayden said. “We can stake out the bakery from there. Each of us will take an eight-hour shift. When he shows up, we’ll take him out together.”
The knot in his stomach twisted tighter. “That plan sounds like you want to use Annabelle as bait.”
Hayden pounded his fist into the table. “We have no other choice, Kaden.”
“Easy, now. I get it.” Kaden wasn’t used to his brother displaying much emotion. At the rare times he did, he sat up and paid attention. And this particular plan made the most sense. Even though he didn’t want to involve Annabelle any further than she already was, it was better to draw the fight away from the agents. “I’ll take the first shift tonight.”
“No, you need to rest. You won’t be much help to her in your current condition,” Hayden insisted, raising an eyebrow.
Of course he was right. Kaden needed rest. He had used up all of his power healing Annabelle’s wound, and it would be hours before he would be completely regenerated. But there was no time for rest. He had to break things off with Annabelle before she got herself in any deeper.
As much as it pained him to admit, James was right. The sacrifice he was asking her to make was too great. He didn’t want her to be constantly in danger. More than ever, he was convinced the best thing he could do for her was leave. When this was all over, he would move far away. Some place where she would never have to worry about seeing him again.
“I have to take the first shift.” He wasn’t ready to tell his brothers what he planned to do, so he chose his words carefully. “Annabelle hasn’t seen me since the agents took me away. I need her to know I’m all right.”
“I think you’re making a mistake, but I understand your logic,” Hayden replied. “She is your mate, after all.”
Mate. Hearing the word was like taking a bullet in the chest. The rest of his life would be nothing but suffering without her, but it was the right thing to do. It was what she needed, even if she didn’t see it that way. He lowered his head, dreading what he would have to do next.
One thing was for sure: Kaden was going to fix this mess, and even if it meant losing his own life, he would end Uriel.
Under His Skin Page 14
