His gaze remained locked on hers, freezing her in place as it penetrated into the deepest depths of her soul. That's when she spotted it, as clearly as he likely saw into her. This was the first time he'd let her see him like this, open and extremely vulnerable.
Nervous energy and heightened emotions kept her face hovering slightly above his. She knew that if she kissed him, truly kissed him, with this much emotion driving her, there would be no turning back. If she were being truthful with herself, the damage had already been done the first time she let him touch her.
He had asked her something about being close in public.
“Are you telling me to stop, Neal? I don’t take rejection well.”
He was putty in her hands, and she knew it. His eyes never strayed from hers as she lowered her lips to his. She stole his breath and lost hers. The kiss was so impactful, she had to have a few more.
Neal stopped their kiss. His words edged out between harsh breaths.
“Why me, Dana?”
She was confused.
“What?”
“Why me? You're perfect. Wealthy. Strong. You can have anyone you want. Are you having fun with me?”
She was confused but determined to understand him.
“Why are you asking me this? Do you regret us being together?"
He shook his head.
“No. But. Why me?”
She considered his question for a moment.
“Why not you? Are you saying that you're not deserving of a beautiful, strong, and wealthy woman?”
His hands tightened around her waist.
“Do I need to spell it out? I’m damaged, Dana. Most women take a look at my face and stare at me like I’m one of the monsters you hunt. You pretend there is nothing wrong with me. I can tell that you're attracted to me, but I don't understand it. It seems genuine, so it confuses me.”
She took a deep breath, unsure of how to explain this to him. Her hand rested against his neck. She used her thumb to tilt his face to hers. The tremble in her hand and her labored breathing told on her. She overflowed with emotions for him.
His eyes searched hers for an answer. She scanned his, wondering if this intensely uncontrolled thing had been hidden between them the entire time. They both jumped at a horn blowing behind them, but their eyes never strayed from each other.
“Neal. I don't see you as damaged. When I look at you, I see a strong, vibrant, confident man that is also considerate, affectionate, and mindful of other's feelings. I don't pretend that nothing is wrong with you because nothing is wrong with you.”
She reached to caress his scar, but he turned his face away from her hand. She turned his face back.
“Let me ask you this. The way women look at your face, or stare at your scar, has it ever stopped you from getting a woman into bed?”
He smiled, a little, then.
“No, not really.”
“Are you sure you haven't been misreading what you think women see in you?”
He shrugged.
“I have never cared before.”
Now, she understood.
“I haven’t mentioned your scar because I see past it. I see you, Neal, and you are not your scar.”
She reached to caress his scar this time, figuring he needed reassurance that her words were truly genuine. She traced the puckered discolored flesh, every inch of it. She captured his eyes with hers while keeping her thumb on the scar.
“You never have to care, or worry, about how any other woman looks at you, Neal. They will never see what I see. They will never know what I know. They will never want you the way that I want you.”
She kissed him then, leisurely and lovingly. She wasn't sure she was ready to tell him the part about her being in love with him, but there was that also.
The blaring chorus of horns was the only thing that lured her lips away from his.
“Do you understand me now?”
She'd stirred as many emotions within him as she'd stirred within herself. She traced his scar, one last time, before placing her lips against it. Neal crumbled into her arms then, and she folded her arms tightly around him.
Bam…Bam…Bam, the pounding vibrated against the side of her car, making them both jump.
With an angry glare, the driver of one of the cars behind them stood, staring. Neal rolled the window down.
The man vented, “If you don't mind breaking up your little love affair, the rest of us would like to get to work. Four blocks up the road, there’s a good hotel. Maybe you two should check in and get the hell off the streets.”
The man was ticked off, so Dana suppressed her urge to laugh.
“Sorry, sir. We’re moving.”
She unglued herself from Neal, so they could stop blocking traffic. The man returned to his car, and she watched him wheel it angrily. He sped past them, taking his anger out on his engine.
Dana appreciated the interruption. She was a few breaths short of telling Neal about the one emotion she held towards him that she was most afraid of—love. He was the only man she’d connected with in this way and on such a profound level. The revelation was as remarkable as it was mind-boggling. But, she'd messed up so many relationships in her past, she was afraid to even mention the word relationship to Neal.
She sat in her seat with an overwhelming feeling of peace and wonderment. A peace she’d never experienced…a kind of peace that came from her association with Neal Erickson.
Chapter 22
Consequences
Upon arriving at Dana’s office building, Neal sensed the half dozen cop cars out front had something to do with Sevyn and her head-taking spree.
When they got into the elevator, Dana stated, “I got a bad feeling my night job has finally spilled over into my day job. I’m praying those cop cars have nothing to do with me.”
Getting off the elevator, Neal and Dana were stopped in their tracks. They were prohibited from going any further by two cops, until Dana explained her position.
They wandered down the hall towards Dana's office space. When they turned the bend and entered the lobby, they both froze.
The lobby of her workspace was in shambles and gave a hint as to what the rest of her office would look like. Parts of the ceiling had been ripped out as tiles and wires clung to what was left up there.
Dana called her brothers, who were both panicked since they were not allowed on Dana's floor, although they all worked in the same building.
Neal’s tennis shoes slushed against the floor with each step. The sprinkler system had been triggered and shut off, so the floor was covered with flowing water. The furniture had been tossed about as desks, chairs, and paperwork sat in heaps and wet piles. Jordan ran to Dana, in tears, her body visibly shaking.
“I tried to stop them, but they were crazy. I thought they were going to kill all of us. They tore up the place. I thought we were all going to die.”
Dana attempted to relax Jordan, with a reassuring voice and gentle pats, but the woman was clearly in shock. Neal observed the other workers. They sat huddled near each other, wrapped in blankets. They talked in low murmurs. Any unfamiliar sound had them jumping and unconsciously ducking for cover. The cops had sequestered Dana's office area. None of the workers had been permitted to leave. They were all being interviewed.
Dana released Jordan from a firm hug and rubbed her shoulders with reassuring strokes.
“Please, slow down. Tell me what happened. Is anyone hurt?”
Jordan took a few deep breaths.
Neal left Dana to gather information from Jordan as he sought to observe the trashed area further. When he walked into Dana's office, he only stole a quick glance before one of the cops ordered him to join the rest of the group.
The way Dana's office had been trashed, Neal found it difficult to believe the monsters were responsible. From what little he knew of them, they weren't this careless and reckless. He wondered if the cops already had surveillance footage.
He and Dana had to find o
ut who trashed her office. If they hadn't already done so, these guys would eventually find their way to Dana’s house. Thankfully, no one at the office had been hurt.
Based on Jordan's account, four gun-wielding men entered and overtook the front office clerk. Once they were all shoved into the conference room, they stood frightened, watching through the conference room's broken glass, as the men tore up the place. They'd all had a gun placed to their heads as the bad guys yelled at them for information on their boss. The men also had been searching for something from what Jordan could tell. She said she thought the men were looking for a dragon.
Upon hearing Jordan's shaky words, Neal and Dana both agreed that the men were likely looking for Drago. Dana had been right. Her night job had finally spilled into her real life, and her entire family was in danger.
The more time he spent with her, the more respect Neal gained for Dana. She was an extraordinary woman. She was a Top agent, so she had a contingency plan for a contingency plan. She informed Neal that she had put a series of plans in place that should keep the monsters away from her family, even if they discovered who she truly was.
Impressed, Neal watched Dana put one of her contingency plans in place. She had a plan set to fly her entire family out of the country. She called people she had on speed dial. She used pictures of her torn apart office as part of her plan. She had an elaborate lie and actors in place, leading her family to believe that they were in grave danger, targets for kidnapping and ransom.
The rouse wasn't a complete lie as Dana believed her family would be dragged into her dealings. She led her brothers to believe the authorities had ordered their travel plans, sending them in different directions. In less than two hours her family was flying to safety.
The actors she hired to pose as law officials pulled her brothers from their offices, followed them home, and waited while they packed. Her father was already out of the country, but he received official word of the situation as Dana had planned it. She received a report and confirmation when her brothers were safely in the air.
She later informed her brothers and father that she was on her way to safety, accompanied by him. Neal had conferred briefly with her father and, of course, he made Neal promise to take care of his daughter. William Diallo likely had no idea his princess daughter was the calling the shots.
With her family safe, Neal didn't have to ask to know that nothing was going to stop Dana from unleashing Sevyn. Neal had no intention of stopping her, but he was sorry for whoever, or whatever, got in her way.
****
Neal drove back to Dana's house. He stole glances at her preparing for battle in the seat next to him. She adjusted her bun into a flat braid she pinned in place. She pulled on a wig from her glove compartment. His neck shriveled taking her in before putting his eyes back on the road.
Did she keep wigs readily available in every compartment, in case she needed to let Sevyn loose?
Although he never thought he'd admit it, he liked Sevyn. Sevyn was scary in a kill-people-with-no-remorse kind of way. He was starting to believe Sevyn was needed, after seeing the incident on the bridge, Dana's torn apart office, and also after Dana informed him of the four heads Sevyn had taken only hours ago.
He'd only briefly mentioned it to her, but Sevyn seemed like an entirely different person than Dana. Dana professed she was acting, but Neal was confused about which persona she was pretending to be—Dana or Sevyn.
“Is it okay if I call you Dana-Sevyn?” he asked.
She laughed because this wasn't the first time he'd asked her this question.
“Why?”
“In getting to know you, I honestly don't know which one you truly are.”
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
“You are the only one who can call me that.”
They returned to Dana's house to change and pick up their gear. The guards were a part of the contingency plan and had been notified that they were relieved, with pay, until further notice.
In the short time Neal had become familiar with Dana's home; it now seemed empty without all of the guards milling about.
Guns, knives, stealth gear, Sevyn's wigs, tech devices, and Drago's head were all loaded into her car. Neal was surprised to discover the Mercedes Dana usually drove was bulletproof. He gawked at the arsenal of weapons she kept hidden in a secret trunk compartment and in a secret panel in the floor behind the driver's seat. She informed him that the underbelly of the car was reinforced to withstand an explosion.
Neal whistled his surprise. He couldn't believe he had been driving around in the equivalent of a small tank. The most impressive thing was that she'd managed to keep the integrity of the car the same.
Neal drove. He had no idea how Sevyn was able to ignore Drago as he yelled, repeatedly, promising leads to Linkin's whereabouts.
While they had been changing, Sevyn told Neal she wanted to start the hunt at Drago's house. Then, they would return to the Harrington Building, since it had been crawling with monsters last night. One of the four heads she burned knew Drago and snitched, giving her what she hoped was his address.
Drago's voice had become nails on a chalkboard. “I don't know where Linkin lives but his number one guy lives at the Harrington Building. Did you check out the building?”
Sevyn pointed a finger at the head.
“Your little business venture turned up five of your soulless friends. I think there is a possibility they were waiting on me. I found no trace of Linkin, and I couldn't make them cough up any substantial leads. As a matter-of-fact, none of them even knew who Linkin was. But, I did burn an address out of them: 156 Falkner Boulevard.”
The silence that filled the car after Sevyn’s announcement was deafening.
She smiled. Drago's silence confirmed she'd secured his actual address. His head sat on the seat next to her. She glanced at him.
“You die today, Drago. I found you. I'll eventually find Linkin. I hope you've made peace with whatever demon you worship.”
She placed her phone to her ear.
“Thirty minutes, Charlie. Torch the cold headless one.”
Drago screamed, like a mad man, promising leads that Sevyn no longer cared about.
Chapter 23
Free Falling
Sevyn had had it up to her head with Drago and his faulty leads. It was because of him that all of her employees could have been killed, or worse—eaten. She was sure he knew more than he told her, but she couldn't figure out how to get him to talk. He was willing to die with his secrets.
They were now heading towards Drago’s house, in the hopes that they could dig up clues that would lead them to Linkin.
Neal's voice jolted Sevyn from thoughts of killing more monsters.
“We've picked up a tail. Most likely they are more of his friends. It seems they were waiting for us.”
A quick peek through the passenger’s side mirror revealed two black Lincoln Town Cars. She prayed the big, beefed-up, yellow Hummer speeding through traffic was late for a meeting and not a part of the convoy that was meant to follow them.
Neal's firm grip on the steering wheel was the last thing Sevyn caught before her head and back slammed into her seat. Drago's head went rolling along the side of her leg as she fought to regain control of her body. The Hummer wasn't hard to miss, as its engine roared, gearing up to ram them again.
Sevyn shoved the heel of her shoe into Drago's face. The action helped hold her steady in her seat, and she enjoyed crushing his face.
“You did this, you bastard. You have somehow lured us into a trap.”
As they reached the peak of the Flotante Bridge, Sevyn didn't like the scene developing. The bridge had been built unusually tall, crossing into the newly developed Flotante community. The area was a raised, man-made community of shopping plazas, businesses, and overpriced apartments and condos. From afar, the community appeared to float high above the water.
More of the bad guys approached from the opposite direction agains
t the flow of traffic. In broad daylight, on a busy bridge, the probability of innocent people getting hurt was great. Her enemies were planning to use the bridge's limited escape routes to trap them.
Sevyn pressed her heel into Drago's right eye, aiming to inflict pain. Despite his pain, Drago screamed at her.
“You were going to kill me anyway, you bitch. Now, my brother is going to kill you, and I hope I’m around to see it. My earring is a tracker. I’ve been waiting for my brother to find me before your demonic ass burns what is left of my head.”
Now Sevyn understood why the convoy had been waiting for them, here. They couldn't track them to her house. It had taken her months to outfit their house and surrounding areas with scrambling devices. If anyone attempted to locate her by planting a tracker, it was not likely going to work. It was an idea her father had actually agreed with her on.
Drago's crew had likely been waiting for them in two areas, the last area where they lost the ping of Drago’s signal and the only bridge that lead to and from Drago's house.
She drove her heel deeper into Drago's eye; his bloodcurdling screams filled the inside of her car as the screeching of their tires joined the loud mayhem.
Neal maneuvered the car like a pro racer as Sevyn gripped the front bar and headrest. She attempted to send her heel through Drago's brain. It wasn't going to kill him, but it would cause him pain. She was angry at herself for letting things get this messy. Now, Neal's life was in jeopardy because of her.
The speed odometer had climbed past ninety and the bad guys remained on their tail. Cars cleared a path as if they'd rehearsed their movements. A second blow hit her car and sent her body lurching forward and just as quickly the seatbelt snatched her back.
Neal fought the steering wheel, attempting to correct their out of control spin. It was no use. The Hummer hit them with enough force, in the right spot, that it executed a perfect pit maneuver. At their speed, they were certainly headed for instant death.
Sevyn: Adult Paranormal Romance (BWWM Romance) (Supernatural Thriller) (The Smoke & Fire Series Book 4) Page 12
