The Bend-Bite-Shift Box Set

by Hardin, Olivia

  Gerry cocked a lopsided grin. She had planted that idea in his mind without his knowing it. Briefly she wondered if Langston might catch on to her mind manipulation, but it was a risk she was willing to take. Too much time had already passed, and she couldn’t afford to wait any longer. It had taken her days to come out of that coma. Then it took nearly as long to recover from it. She had to find her sister now, before it was too late.

  There was silence before she heard Kent ask, “Isn’t Jill coming back?”

  Devan’s laugh bounced through the foyer. “Oh, I don’t imagine Jill and Doc will come back for a little while. They have some catching up to do, and the last I saw them they were on their way to McKenna’s cabin.”

  “Who the hell are Doc and McKenna?” Frustration was evident in the brusque tone of his voice.

  “Oh, Kent…” Gerry heard Devan sigh loudly. “There’s too much story to tell you right now. Where’s the little girl who was rescued?”

  “Langston insisted on taking Chelsea to the hospital where Jill lived. He said they’d discussed it and she’d called her friend Charlie to set it up before you two left for the faery realm.”

  Slipping unnoticed into the foyer, Gerry padded in softly behind them. She lifted her head high, a practiced expression of detachment on her face. The couple was snuggled close, lost in conversation.

  “I guess that makes sense,” Devan murmured. “I mean, from what I understand, it would be a good place for the kids, and Langston should be able to put protections around it.”

  “That was his point exactly. I agreed and let him go.”

  “Where are Nicky and Gerry?”

  “Nicky’s sleeping,” Gerry spoke, startling them both. “We’re ready to get started. We can take the files and leave immediately.”

  Devan got a strange expression on her face. Gerry remained impassive. While waiting for a response, she sighed as if bored and slipped her hands casually into her pockets so she could take comfort in the feel of her rosary again.

  “I can see you’re anxious to begin,” Devan said with a forced smile. “But Kent and I should go through the files first.”

  Gerry averted her eyes from Devan in a dismissive manner and looked hard at Kent. “We shouldn’t waste time. You know how efficient I am, and you know Nicky’s skills… there’s no reason to delay.”

  “I’m not exactly sure what’s happened, Gerry, but I can tell you’re itching to get started. Go ahead and wake Nicky while Devan and I talk,” Kent answered with a deliberate tone.

  As Gerry took the stairs in slow, fluid steps, she heard Devan whisper to Kent, “You do trust her, right? There are things you should know that the Women told me and–”

  The words trailed off as the two of them entered the parlor and closed the door. Gerry pursed her lips into a severe line and searched her mind again for more clues. Where the hell is Dysis and what is her involvement in all of this?

  She knew that her sister must be attached to the Org. There was no other explanation for her being at the hotel in Dallas that day. And if Gerry were to wager a guess, she’d say her sister was the one who led the children out of the room when everyone else was occupied.

  She wondered if the child Tylie was important or whether it was just the box she once had that was of value. The only way Gerry knew to find out was to locate the child and ask her. She needed to get her hands on those files in order to find her; she suspected when she found the child, she would find Dysis, too.

  Nicky was splashing water on his face when she found him. He had taken a nap in one of the many spare bedrooms in Eden Stowe’s mansion. They had been on their way to meet Kent’s gang in Arkansas when they were advised to detour to the home of Eden Stowe in Illinois. They told their compatriots about the message from the Company, but everyone agreed to let it lie for now. No one particularly appreciated the fact that their organization had left them all out to dry.

  “Devan’s back. They’re discussing the files now.”

  Until Devan and Jill returned from the faery realm, everyone was supposed to be hiding out at the Stowe house. Kent had chosen to send Nicky and Gerry to a nearby location for their first rescue. It was a simple affair of just snatching the little girl from her own yard. No action, no excitement. Langston took the child to Jill’s hospital, and Nicky and Gerry went back to waiting.

  Now he glanced at her before patting a towel across his face and eyes. “They’ll probably send us out soon.”

  His voice was dry, and the unease of their broken bond curled up hot in the pit of her belly. “You know we can separate if you want.”

  His head shot up and he looked at her with a fiery expression.

  “I mean for the rescues. We can split up for the rescues.”

  “Is that what you want?” His voice was gruff, and his question came out sounding like an accusation.. She saw him rubbing his ring finger with his thumb. She felt it too. He wasn’t the only one with an invisible wedding band, and hers itched and tingled to remind her that they were connected still.

  She shook her head, brushing a hand up through her wavy brown hair. “It isn’t what I want.” That was a lie; she did want to be separated, but only because she wanted to find Dy on her own. Dysis knew what Nicky meant to her now. Her sister read and witnessed every nuance of the love she had for her husband. Dysis would exploit their love to her advantage. Gerry would rather break both of their hearts and see Nicky leave her than see him dead or hurt in whatever game Dysis was playing.

  He laughed, a hollow chuckle, and tossed the towel down. “Yeah, you do want it. But you don’t always get what you want, Gerry. We’re together until we figure all of this out.”

  She wasn’t sure what “this” he was talking about: their marriage or the effort to find the children. When he passed her to leave the room, he brushed a hand along her arm. Since leaving New Orleans he had done that often—simple, fleeting touches. It left her longing for more, whether it was a kiss, a hug, or better—a passionate tumble. She suspected he was teasing her on purpose now that he knew she fed off sexual energy. Gerry worried that he was using her needs against her to break her will and make her tell him everything.

  Nicky followed Gerry down the stairs, shaking his fingers through his damp black locks to brush the wet out. He watched the drops of water dash in front of his eyes and almost missed the fact that Gerry had stopped about halfway down the steps. She cocked her head, and he watched a wave of tension spread up her body.

  He used to think it was intuition that made her so good at her job. Now he knew she had some power akin to reading minds, and that bothered him to the point of feeling crazed. Had she played me all along? His heart refused to believe that. He gritted his teeth.

  She galloped down the rest of the steps and paused at the door to the parlor. He heard Devan’s voice as he approached. “The Women think there’s a traitor in the Company. Do you know who it could be?”

  Nicky listened to what sounded like folders and papers shuffling before Kent answered. “There’s no way I’d ever know that.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “They’re a council, Dev. I’ve never met any of the members. They’re a closely guarded secret, for their own protection.”

  A loud smack preceded several moments of silence. Nicky hadn’t known Devan long, but he could imagine her slapping her hands against something in frustration. “Then who do you get your orders from?”

  “We have contacts. They transmit missions, provide funding, materials, etc. I don’t know how many people are even on the council.”

  “That sort of complicates matters. How are we going to find the traitor if we can’t get close to them?”

  “I know I told you you’d have to deal with the Company eventually, but I wasn’t suggesting you would infiltrate the council. I thought we were looking for the children.”

  Nicky had had enough spying and placed a palm against Gerry’s shoulder to gently shove her aside before knocking and entering the room.
Devan looked startled but smiled at Nicky. When Gerry followed him inside, her expression faltered and Devan studied his wife with cautious eyes. Kent nodded, all business, and motioned them to the empty seats.

  Devan turned her gold-brown eyes on Kent and grinned. “I’m the faery-witch and Baesteach says I’m supposed to bridge the worlds. I can’t believe you work for an organization and don’t even know who you work for.”

  Kent grunted. “Yeah, and I find it astonishing that you make one trip to meet the Women and you believe every word they tell you.”

  She pursed her lips, irritation evident in her face. “That’s not the same. They’ve been taking care of me all my life. I think I owe them…”

  “Owe them what? Your allegiance? We don’t owe anyone that, Dev. I’ve never blindly followed the Company, and that’s part of why we’re in this predicament of floundering around for ourselves. They’re a job. Don’t let these Women use you for their gains.”

  “What would they have to gain? They’re the Women. Certainly they’re more powerful than I am.”

  He snorted.

  “We’d like to get started,” Gerry said, interrupting their discussion. “Have you decided on a course of action?”

  Devan blushed. “Not yet. I think we need a map.”

  “I think I’m fresh out of maps,” Nicky replied, slapping at his pockets as if searching for one. He felt the pack of cigarettes he’d purchased on the way to New Orleans in one of the pockets.

  Gerry eyed him like she knew exactly what he was thinking. His expression hardened as he stared her down. He wouldn’t allow her to make him feel guilty. He hadn’t lit up even once since she recovered from the coma.

  “I think there’s one in the attic actually,” Devan was saying. “I’ll run up and see.”

  When they were alone, Kent maneuvered to a seat opposite Nicky and Gerry and sat to face them. “There are about fifty or sixty files here. I’ve clipped some of them together because many of the children were adopted into a single home so they’ll require only one rescue. If Devan can get a map, we’ll plot out the locations and organize a plan.”

  Gerry sat up straighter and brushed her hair behind her ear. “Will we be conducting the rescues on our own, or will you and the others be taking some as well?”

  Nicky watched her closely. He found himself doing that all the time now. He looked for clues, signals about how and when she was using her power. He distrusted her abilities and how she chose to use them. He needed a sign, some proof that she hadn’t tricked him some way. He was a thief and a con-artist so it wasn’t as if he had any problems bending rules, but their relationship wasn’t a part of that game. He had to find a way to assure himself of that.

  “It seems Devan and I need to make a trip to the faery realm. I don’t intend to be long. Langston is still at the hospital and I’d rather he remain there to protect the children we rescue, at least until Jill returns.”

  “She’s capable of protecting them?” Nicky asked, surprised. He knew all vampires weren’t dark, but as a dhampir he had a natural distrust for them.

  “I’ve seen her fight. She’s quite capable.”

  Nicky nodded sharply to indicate he understood.

  Devan returned with the map of the United States a moment later, and they began the tedious task of plotting the locations of the magical children. They all took a step back to study the pushpin markers strewn around the country.

  “Well it certainly appears daunting,” Devan muttered, a heavy sigh leaving her lips.

  “What are those?” Gerry pointed to a few files in a separate pile beside Kent.

  “These are international adoptions. We’ll focus on the US for now.”

  Devan nodded. “So we’re pretty much in the middle. Do we branch out from here?”

  “Gerry has ties to the West Coast, and by far the greatest number of markers is in that direction. Let’s send them that way to start. Sound good, you two?”

  Nicky watched Gerry nod her acknowledgment as she approached the pile of international adoptions. She idly fingered the files so that they feathered apart, and he watched her read the names atop each one. She wrinkled her brow in consternation then glanced up.

  Her brown eyes met his and she arched an eyebrow in question. He matched her look with one of equal challenge before Kent stepped between them and tapped his shoulder.

  “What’s going on with you two? The looks you guys are giving each other are hot enough to start a fire… and I’m not talking about the passionate kind of heat.”

  Nicky chuckled. “A simple disagreement is all.” He forced his expression to cool and returned his eyes to Kent. “So what happens when the Org gets wind of this? That’s assuming they haven’t already. They ain’t stupid.”

  Kent nodded. “Yes, I think there are probably waves of concern already branching out in all directions now. I figure the higher-ups will consolidate.”

  “Consolidate? Where?” Devan took a few steps closer to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

  “Jill knows where their underground is.”

  Devan chewed her lip but didn’t speak. A silent message passed between the two lovers before Kent turned back to Nicky and Gerry.

  “We can’t keep doing this. We have to talk, Nicky.” Gerry stepped out of the bathroom to stand at the foot of the bed. The rescues were proceeding without much incident. Almost two months had passed filled with three residences, five rescued children, and no casualties so far. Two of the vampire parents weren’t in residence at the time the pair arrived, and the third had fled after a minor scuffle.

  Now Nicky was lying on top of the blankets in a hotel in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. His ankles were crossed and a single arm was draped over his eyes to block out the light. He rolled his arm to his forehead so he could peek out at her.

  “When you’re ready to talk, we’ll talk. But I expect answers. If you’ve got ‘em, then we’ll get started.”

  Gerry narrowed her eyes at him and a little itch developed on his ring finger. He wiggled the finger and slipped his forearm back over his eyes. He could hear her moving around, probably pacing.

  “What answers do you want, Nicky?”

  Her voice sounded soft and, he thought, perhaps a bit broken. He had the urge to fold. It would be so easy to jump up from that bed, kiss her, make love to her, and let everything else pass by the wayside. He just couldn’t do it.

  “You can start with telling me what happened to you. Someone was in your head.”

  She sighed, and he felt her weight as she plopped down onto the bed beside him. “Adriel is a psychic vampire.”

  He rolled away without looking at her. Shrugging into his jacket, he grabbed the keys from the dresser. “I’m not playing games, Gerry.”

  Gerry reached out to him, leaning across the bed with her hand outstretched. “Please don’t leave again! What do you want from me?”

  Her voice did crack that time. She sounded desperate, and that was an emotion he had never once witnessed in his wife. He gritted his teeth a moment to strengthen his own resolve. “I’m not stupid, Gerry. Adriel is a psychic vampire, but we know from Kent that he was tracking Devan when they left that hotel in Dallas. There’s no way even a psychic vampire could maintain a mental hold on you at the same time he was keeping a trace on her. What the fuck are you hiding?”

  He knew how to make it clear that he meant business. His tone, his inflection, and the deep resonance in his words were all enough to make men cringe, so clearly Gerry should get the point. His black eyes peered into her, grasping for the woman he loved while at the same time blocking her from reaching him. He remained cold, pokerfaced.

  “It was Dysis.”

  He turned the keys over in the palm of his hand a moment. “Your sister. Your dead sister?”

  Gerry licked her lips and closed her eyes, turning her back to him. He watched her pull her spine ramrod straight as she inhaled a breath. “She isn’t dead.”

  He swung his arm and the keys
made a loud thwack when they struck the wall in front of her. She flinched but he didn’t give her time to recover. Instead he moved to her in two long strides and grabbed her arms to pull her to her feet.

  “You lied to me? You told me she was dead.”

  Tears welled in her eyes, and when she opened her mouth to speak her lower lip trembled. “She’s dead to me, Nicky. She’s been dead to me.”

  “For Christ’s sake.” He let her go and held his arms out as if touching her disgusted him. “That isn’t the same thing. You damned well know that isn’t the same thing. I am your husband! Is there anything that you didn’t lie about?”

  Anger flashed in her eyes and her nostrils flared. “You don’t understand. The only life I want us to have is ‘our’ life together. The rest doesn’t matter.”

  Silence filled the room. Its cold pall left his skin feeling itchy and uncomfortable. He wanted to get away from this thing going on between them but he couldn’t keep running. Even when they were apart he longed to be close to her again. Their broken trust was driving him crazy.

  “Ya know, Gerry. You’re right. It doesn’t matter. There’s not a fucking thing you could tell me about your life, about who you are, about anything, that would matter to me. I love you and only you. What matters is that you don’t love me. If you did, you would trust me. If you did, you would have told me those things. And the fact that you didn’t makes me doubt every single moment we’ve had together. That’s what matters.”

  You’re a damned pussy, he thought to himself as he picked the keys up from the floor and charged from the room, running from her again.

  Gerry stared at the little mark on the wall in front of her. The nick forced into the sheetrock when Nicky threw his keys there looked like a wicked, slanty-eyed face grinning at her. She stared at it until her vision began to blur and spots appeared in front of her eyes. Sniffing back the tears, she stood and stuffed her hand into her pocket to reach for the rosary beads.