No one would have told the half-breed about the venue.
But Skye Cross? She had some kind of power over animals. And perhaps over certain shifters, too.
She was still with the cop. Shade Cross’s partner. How much had she told him? How much did he believe? Was he going to be an additional problem that needed fixing?
Worry wasn’t his specialty, but he was becoming too familiar with the tactile sensation, which felt like snakes eating away at his gut.
She’d ruined the night for him. Again.
After carefully creating a niche for his taste and talent—one that would ultimately get him everything he wanted—she was threatening to bring it all down on his head. She was another human threat, perhaps more insidious than her brother had been.
Scaring her away hadn’t worked.
What would?
The death of a couple of shape-shifters had the CPD puzzled. They would never be able to identify those bodies. They could identify her.
If they found her.
That could bring his carefully built plans crashing down around his head.
But if they didn’t find her body—now that was something to consider.
She wouldn’t stay away from the casino for long. Hmm. He knew just how to do it.
Now he simply needed opportunity.
…
By the time Luc got Nuala to The Ark, she was able to shift back to human form. She was still shaky, though, and she clung to him all the way through the casino to her quarters. How long would it take for word to get back to their father? Pop would kill whoever had tried to destroy his daughter, and Luc was so angry he wouldn’t try to talk Pop out of it.
Luc waited until he’d settled Nuala on a couch, bottle of water in hand, before he questioned her. “Who did this to you?”
“I don’t know. I shifted and went into the habitat where I could think without interruption. Whoever attacked me did so from behind and darted me with some kind of tranquilizer. I went down so fast that I never got a look. Once I was drugged, I was stuck in my panther.”
“I’d better get someone to check you over.”
Her hand shook slightly as she downed half the water. “I-I’m fine. But the baby…” Her voice broke. “What if he hurt the baby?”
“Baby? What is this about a baby? Whose baby?”
“Mine.” Her dark eyes filled with tears. “I’m pregnant and I’m afraid the drugs might have hurt the baby.”
Luc gaped at his sister. Pregnant? “Who’s the father?”
She gave him a look that told him everything he needed to know.
“Fuck.”
“Don’t say that! I loved him.” She put her hand to her stomach. “Now this is all I have left of Shade.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “If the baby is all right after tonight.”
How could he not have realized? Nuala had been moody, not herself at all for the last week, but he’d put that to grief over Shade’s death. He was an idiot not to have figured out there was more to the story.
“We’ll get you checked out,” he promised, pulling out his cell and calling the security office. “Find Dr. Botis and get him to my sister’s quarters now.” Clicking off, he told Nuala, “You’ll be all right. And if there’s anything wrong with the baby, he’ll know what to do.”
No matter his assurances, Nuala was sobbing. Softly. Almost silently. Her beautiful face was drenched in heartbreak. A huge sweep of her emotion encased Luc, pulling him closer. He sat beside her on the couch and put his arms around her. She sobbed against his neck and clung to him as if she would never let go. He mentally urged Dr. Botis to hurry.
When she calmed a little, he asked, “Does Pop know?”
“No! Just Nik. I doubt he told anyone else. He guessed after that argument.”
Tightening his hold on her, Luc remembered Nuala running to the bathroom where she’d thrown up. In a way, Nik had been right about the soul she was using doing this to her. But rather than a bad one as Nik had supposed, somehow she’d gotten a good one. Pop’s doing, no doubt. Whatever his faults, he loved his children and wanted nothing but the best for the three of them. Luc only hoped that held true when Pop learned Nuala was pregnant.
“So what did Nik say?” he asked.
“He hated the idea of my having a human’s child. Said I was a fool to chance it.”
“That’s it?”
“What more should he have said?”
“I figured Nik would have a whole boatload of opinions on the matter.”
Like suggesting she do something about her situation. As in terminate it. Luc hated to think it of his brother, but when puberty had struck, and Nik had made his commitment to the Kindred, he’d grown from loving Luc to hating him because of his human half. Would he feel that way about Nuala’s half-human offspring? Luc could see it happening.
But how bad was Nik? Had he consumed enough evil that he could have his own sister drugged and put in a situation where she would lose a child Nik thought of as some kind of aberration?
To his horror, Luc couldn’t say for certain that he wouldn’t.
Chapter Twenty
“Sorry, no invitation, you can’t get in,” the security guard at the entrance to the lower-level casino told me. “Boss’s orders.”
Not the same guard as last time. He wasn’t even thinking lascivious thoughts about me. Still, I gave him my best smile.
“Except that I have been invited,” I told him, “even if I don’t have a silly piece of paper. Luc Lazare wants to see me.”
Not an outright lie. I was betting on it, even if I hadn’t heard from Luc since he’d taken off with Nuala.
The security guard’s expression shifted to cautious at the mention of Luc’s name. “Lazare, huh?”
He needed convincing. I drew on a memory of Luc sliding his palm along the side of my face and let the security guard experience the raw attraction that always sparked between us. The guard’s eyes widened, and for a moment he was mesmerized. Then I pulled away the memory, and he jerked back to the present.
“Lazare. Yeah, yeah, okay. Go ahead.”
“Where will I find him?” I asked, as I sauntered through the security point. “He brought Nuala back here a while ago.”
“As far as I know, he’s still with her. Her quarters.”
I nodded as if I knew exactly where that was. Remembering Luc taking the elevators when he’d been called to an emergency the first time I’d been here, I decided no harm in trying that.
But as I passed the habitat, I stopped and looked for Hank. No luck. He must be back in the wooded area again. I wondered what else he could tell me, whether he did know more than he’d said.
Reluctantly leaving the area, I headed for the elevators.
A couple was already waiting there. I guessed the man was human, the woman in a leopard print sarong not. His hand was on her buttocks. He kept flexing his fingers, squeezing. Uncomfortable at the public display, I looked away. Did they all have the power, then, to make one forget one’s self and do things—sexual things—that were out of character?
Not that I’d actually done anything out of the ordinary with Luc. I simply couldn’t stop thinking about it. Even now I imagined him making me quiver with desire without even touching me.
When the elevator doors opened, I swallowed hard and followed the couple inside, hoping they wouldn’t get too into each other with me there. Trying to wipe Luc’s sensual influence from my mind for a moment, I stopped in front of the panel. Noting there were two floors below this, I didn’t know which button to press.
Nuala’s quarters…which floor? I silently thought.
All the way down, came the silent answer from the woman.
Pressing 3, I flicked a smile at her, wondering if she realized I wasn’t one of her kind. She seemed too busy mesmerizing her companion to notice. Sexual tension charged the atmosphere of the small space, making my thoughts riot.
Images of Luc and me in a hot clinch.
The woman looke
d my way, her eyebrows arching nearly into her hairline.
Oh, no, she’d read me. I forced myself to think of supplies that I needed to order for Petopia so I wouldn’t feed her amusement. She snickered and turned her attention back to her companion.
I was relieved when they got out of the elevator before me on two.
A moment later, I was wandering the corridor of the lowest level below the casino and wondering how I was going to find Luc.
Turning a corner, no sooner had I reset my internal radar in hopes of detecting his presence than I sensed he was nearby. I slowed near each door to concentrate on anyone inside and was quickly rewarded when I heard Luc’s voice.
“So what about the baby, Dr. Botis?”
“The baby seems to be fine.”
“You’re sure?” Nuala’s voice, filled with question.
“Everything looks good to me, so relax.”
“I’ll try.”
Nuala pregnant?
My mind immediately made the jump.
I heard footsteps, and the door opened to reveal a congenial looking middle-aged man with a receding hairline, carrying a medical bag. I stepped out of the way. He passed me, leaving me staring straight at Luc.
His expression going from relief to irritation, Luc stepped back to let me in.
Pacing the room like a restless cat, Nuala nevertheless looked limp with relief when she stopped. Her gaze met mine and held.
I could see that she’d been crying. “Shade?” I asked.
She nodded.
My eyes smarted with sudden unshed tears. She was pregnant with Shade’s child. When my brother went on, part of him would still be here with us. Maybe it should matter that his mother was something else, but it didn’t. Without hesitation, I went to Nuala and hugged her. She was so surprised that she stiffened for a moment before hugging me in return.
Luc cleared his throat. Apparently he didn’t like being left out. But when I glanced his way, I noted the quick shake of his head and the arrowed gaze on his sister indicating his concern, and it occurred to me that Nuala didn’t know Shade hadn’t actually passed on quite yet.
And that he didn’t want her to know?
Too bad if true.
“Can you leave us alone for a while?” I asked.
When he glowered in response, Nuala said, “Please, Luc, for me.”
“It’s a woman thing,” I added.
I sensed he wanted to object, but he backed off and headed for the door. “I have to check in at security anyway, but I’ll be back shortly.”
“I’m sure you will be,” I murmured as the door closed behind him.
“Do you the two of you have something going on?” Nuala asked.
“Mutual irritation.”
She laughed and her beauty shone through the layers of worry that had encased her features. “Sounds like Luc.” Hesitating only a second, she added, “He’s worth loving, you know.”
Who said anything about love? I sighed. Lust and love weren’t the same thing. I couldn’t love him—what he was—any more than he could love me.
“Of course you love Luc, no matter what,” I said. “He’s your brother.”
“He would do anything for me, despite everything. That’s the kind of man Luc is, Skye. Don’t let him fool you into thinking he’s something he’s not.”
Whatever that meant. “Well, that’s a challenge.”
“I know he makes it difficult. He’s been caught between two worlds for so long, he sometimes loses himself. But he’s worth finding, I promise you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Nuala’s smile faded into a sad expression. “Like Shade was.” She placed a hand on her stomach and shook her head. “He didn’t even know.”
I took a big breath and said, “I can tell him.”
“You have a pipeline?” Nuala raised her tear-filled gaze as if to the heavens.
“Yeah, but not up there. Shade’s still here.”
Nuala froze. “What do you mean, here?”
“Shade hasn’t passed on. He’s trapped here in ghost form, mostly.” Going into the Shade/Boomer connection was a little too much to hit Nuala with all at once. “His still being here must have something to do with the case.” I let my voice drift off when I realized she was shaking her head. “Why not?”
“It has to be his soul.” Her expression was stricken. “He’s still here because he lost his soul.”
Wondering if she could be serious, I gaped at her for a moment. And then I thought about it. Really thought about it. What if she was correct? I had encountered so many things that were unbelievable in the past week, why should I doubt this? It seemed a logical enough explanation as to why my brother couldn’t move on.
“How would he have lost it?” I asked.
“The high roller room, when he was so determined.”
I remembered Luc’s mother saying something about the high roller room, too, but when I’d pressed her, she hadn’t been forthcoming.
“Tell me. Please.”
“It’s where Pop’s best candidates are taken for the ultimate prize. If they win, they get their heart’s desire, whatever that may be.”
“And if they lose?”
“They lose their soul and work for Pop on the outside.”
“You’re telling me Shade was corrupt?”
“No. He wanted in so that he could get information for his case, but he couldn’t get in on his own. I’ll always regret that I agreed to help him. And that I told him where to find Elizabeth, so that he could get her to talk. If he hadn’t been trying to get information from Elizabeth that night, my child would have a father.”
Aware of the guilt that threatened to smother her, I said, “Stop blaming yourself. Shade’s death wasn’t your fault.”
“But if I hadn’t told him—”
“He would have found another way to get to Luc’s mother. He was an excellent detective, and he never let anything get by him.”
I was about to ask her what had happened to Shade’s soul when a bam-bam at the door followed by its opening cut off our discussion.
A darker, slightly larger version of Luc stormed into the room, followed by a distinctly smaller blond man who appeared as soft as the Luc-almost-look-alike appeared hard.
“What’s going on?” the big one demanded. “I saw Dr. Botis, who tried to reassure me that my little sister was fine.”
“Someone drugged me and was going to make me fight.”
Nik. Lazare’s son, I thought, the reason Elizabeth hadn’t wanted Cezar to leave his wife.
“What? Are you all right? Does Pop know?”
“I’m unharmed. And Pop doesn’t know yet unless someone went to him to report what happened tonight.”
Nik shook his head. “No one would be stupid enough to put themselves in the way of his temper.”
I wondered what Cezar would do if he learned who had been responsible for taking his daughter. Nothing that I would want to see, I was certain.
“Hmm, maybe someone who is offended by your condition did this to you,” the blond man observed.
“Shut it, Doyle!” Nik ordered.
But Nuala’s eyes had already filled with tears again.
Nik scowled and wiped a hand across his eyes as if he was in pain and thought, You’ll probably end up like Luc. Ostracized by our people.
Nuala began to sob.
I aimed a furious glare at Nik. “Have you always been such a bully?”
Seeming to finally notice me, to realize I heard his thoughts, Nik refocused his attention and tried to get inside my head.
I sighed. “Don’t bother. I won’t let Luc in, and I certainly don’t want you poking around in there.”
He held out his hand as if he could somehow feel my vibes. I got a quick look at the heavy gold ring adorned with predators before he withdrew it.
His features pulled into an even stormier expression. “What are you?”
That again. “The question of the century, i
t seems.” For some reason the answer scared me less than it had mere days ago. And yet I wondered if I should fear Luc’s brother. Probably, but I was already numb with the things I should fear. “I’m Skye Cross. Shade’s sister.”
Nik turned back to Nuala. “You invited her here? Haven’t you learned anything from the last weeks?”
“I invited myself in,” I informed him.
“That’s impossible,” Doyle said.
Is it? Are you certain you know who you’re dealing with?
Now the smaller man narrowed his gaze on me. “I knew there was something skeevy about your brother.”
Nik could hardly contain his frustration. “Nuala, we need to talk about your situation.”
“It’s been a terrible day.” Her eyes filled with tears again. “I’m talked out for the moment.”
“This can’t wait.”
Nuala looked ready to break, which raised my protective instincts even further.
“Are you through upsetting your sister yet?” I asked. “Because if you are, maybe you should leave.”
“What?”
If you have a hearing problem, I can tell you what I think of you upsetting your sister without voicing my opinion out loud.
Nik looked back to Nuala.
Finding strength somewhere, she said, “Skye is right.”
For a moment, Nik appeared angry enough to smash something. His hands curled into fists and his jaw tightened. He backed off, saying, “We’re not done talking about this.”
He was through the door in a blink. I stared after him, wondering if he was simply a jerk. Or worse.
Doyle lingered. “I know you’re going through a difficult time, and it isn’t going to get easier around here for you, especially once your father knows. I can help you.”
“Doyle, please—”
“Let me finish and then I’ll leave.”
“All right.”
“I don’t need an answer now. I want you to think about this. You’ll need all the friends and support you can get in the coming months, and I want to be there for you. You know I’ve always had a great deal of fondness for you—”
“And you want to be my consort. I remember.”
Animal Instincts (Entangled Ignite) Page 14
