by Marie Harte
“As has mine. A true bonding enhances partners.”
“So my healing had nothing to do with my little statue?”
“Not at all. But I’d venture to say that tiny statue is worth a lot of currency.” Just another reason for Trotter to want Tara.
A chime at the door gave them pause. When Romy saw Sean hovering at the doorway on the security screen, he unlocked the door and stepped back. Sean entered, looking frustrated.
“Romy, Tara.” He nodded, walked past them, then sat down and started eating the extra sandwich Romy had intended to devour. The Testing and Selection wore at his energy.
“Help yourself,” Romy said wryly and closed the door, not surprised when Sean wolfed down his sandwich.
“I can’t find the jerk anywhere,” Sean said around a mouthful. He balled up a napkin. “He’s real good about keeping in touch. I can’t help worrying.”
Romy had a feeling Sean and Mannie were more than just good friends. The cop seemed more than uneasy about Mannie’s disappearance. Under the cool front, his aura pulsed in a frenzy of worry. Tara took Sean’s hand, easing his anxiety with her strong energy.
Romy still felt in her that need to heal, but it wasn’t so all-consuming now that she’d mated. As if her psychei knew it had more to do and worry about, her energies fell under her control instead of driving her.
At the rate she’d been heading, especially living in her neighborhood, she’d been close to pushing herself past her limits. A strong healer, Tara nevertheless needed to regroup. The battered souls living around her constantly drained her energy. He liked knowing he helped her psychei as much as she helped him control his.
“Trotter has him,” Romy said quietly.
“You’re kidding.”
“Wish I was.” He stared at Sean, wondering how much to tell the man. A glance at Tara’s subtle nod had him wavering.
“Tell him the truth, Romy. He needs to know so he can help us. I think it’ll take more than just you and your suspicions to bring Trotter to justice and save Mannie. Maybe with Sean you can find that evidence you stashed. He could file it for you.”
Satisfaction filled him every time she used their mental bridge to communicate.
Romy described in detail his suspicions and evidence against Trotter, to include his undercover role as Fromer’s pyro.
Sean shook his head. “Bad news. We found Luke Drowe dead this morning. It was all over the news, so I’m guessing Trotter knows for sure you’re not working for Fromer. What about this collection of evidence you personally gathered? Can we get to that?”
“I buried it in the Yals’ apartment across town. I figured they’d never look there.”
“Good call.” Sean stood and finished off Romy’s sandwich. “Nice meal. I’ll have to stay here some time. Now let’s head to the Yals’.”
Tara moved with them, and both Romy and Sean stopped in their tracks.
“You’re not coming,” Romy said bluntly. “I won’t let him touch you.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Mannie’s my brother.”
“You’re my wife, and that’s my baby.”
Sean stared at the byplay, his mouth open. “Baby? Marriage? Mannie never mentioned you were married.”
“It’s a new situation,” Tara growled. “One that can easily be rectified.”
Romy took a step forward. “Wait for me in the hall, would you, Sean?”
His friend grinned. “Hell no. I want to see how you convince an Otra woman to follow your lead.”
“Who said I’m Otra?” Tara asked.
Sean snorted. “I knew it when I saw you on the vid screen. Hell, the moment I met Mannie, I knew. Come on, honey. Black hair, golden skin, eyes that turn silver when you’re, ah, excited about something?” He stared from Tara to Romy.
“So Mannie knows he’s Otra?” That put a new spin on his abduction. Perhaps Mannie had psychic skills that would come in handy.
Sean shrugged. “I assumed. We never talked about it. But when his eyes turn, it’s kind of hard to miss.”
“He doesn’t know.” Tara stood firm. “His eyes have just recently started to flicker.”
“True. I thought it was maybe…” Sean coughed. “Never mind. I don’t care what he is. With those fists, he’s a good man to have on our side.”
“Great. Then when we all go in to rescue him, we’ll have a better shot at leaving alive.” Tara seemed to dare him and Romy to argue with her.
The green silk of her blouse and skirt clung to her figure, and Romy wanted her nowhere near Trotter wearing anything less than a sack. “Tara—”
“Romy,” she mimicked.
So intent on her, Romy didn’t sense the danger until it was too late. The door behind them burst open. In the time it took him to place himself between Tara and danger, half a dozen armed police stood in the doorway of the room, their guns aimed at Romy and Sean. Then behind the cops, Romy spied the Yals.
“Shit.”
Min shook his head at Romy. “Stupid asshole.”
“So, you two obviously know each other,” Sean murmured.
One of the policemen narrowed his gaze on Sean. “Officer Lindor. Seems we can take care of several messes at once.” The others laughed, but Min and Daket remained stoic. “Cuff them. Don’t even think about fighting it, Talson, or Killer Drake is a dead man.” He glanced at Tara. “You don’t want to see your brother dead, do you, sweetheart?”
“No, I don’t.” “Please, Romy. Don’t do anything. They’ll kill Mannie. You know they will.”
“But the baby, you—”
“We exchanged energy, iriu. I’m stronger than I look.”
She invited Romy to truly see her, and Romy called on his psychei, stunned at the power arching through his wife. Before, Tara had been strong, her healing ability the majority of her psychei. But now…she looked like a mirror image of him. An idea formed, one he shared with her.
She blinked and gave him a glimmer of a smile but said nothing.
“Okay,” he said in the sudden silence, drawing everyone’s attention. “We’ll come quietly. But don’t hurt Tara. One mark against her and you’ll all wish you were dead.”
The look in his eyes convinced the police. But Daket and Min remained unreadable.
Daket gave her a funny look. “We’ll take care of her.” The brothers urged her between them. When Romy looked at their auras, he saw worry mingled with a sense of protection and bone deep anger. They at least had no intention of hurting her.
The group left the hotel and in no time returned to the shipyard. And there stood Jonah Trotter, rage pouring through him in waves.
“Just go with it, Talson,” Min sent. “We’ll protect your iriu with our lives.”
Talson. They definitely knew he who he was. Terrific. “Touch her and I’ll—”
“Yeah, yeah, we know. Just remember to shield yourself from Trotter. He’s royally pissed, and he wants your blood.”
“Why are you doing this?”
The brothers exchanged a glance and more communication Romy couldn’t read. Then Min said, “Remember this favor when it’s all over.”
Ah, that he understood. Romy gave him a mental nod, one Min shared with Daket. The Yal brothers seemed to relax. Then the dirty cops and the Yals marched Sean, Romy, and Tara into the enemy’s stronghold.
“Tara Drake, what a pleasant surprise,” Trotter drawled, his eyes hard as he stared at them. “Apparently you’re hard up for a good cock, hmm? Drowe wasn’t enough? An Otra and the human policeman?”
Tara couldn’t care less what he thought, but she felt Romy’s anticipation for a good fight.
Her iriu played into it. “Fuck you,” he snarled and stepped between her and Trotter. The Yals did nothing to dissuade him and closed in on Tara, caging her protectively between them.
Then one of them, Min, she thought, said, “We’re going to protect you, Tara. Don’t worry. We’ll get your idiot iriu out of this if he’ll shut the hell up.”
The police circled Romy and aimed a pair of pistols at his head.
Trotter walked right up into his personal space and backhanded Romy hard enough to snap his head back. “One more word out of you, Drowe, and it’ll be the last one you ever utter.”
“Romy, shut up,” she mentally screamed. Adrenaline and fear pumped through her. Though confident in her skills, she’d never before healed anyone with a bullet to the brain.
Romy glared but remained silent, and Tara couldn’t help a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, that turned Trotter’s attention back to her. He stepped close and yanked her away from the Yals.
Sean cleared his throat. “Jonah Trotter? I’m sure you’re aware one of your boys was just busted downtown this morning. It’s only a matter of time before the rest of the force arrives.”
“Good point.” Trotter smiled, his teeth too white. Tara had an unsettling urge to break his jaw and watch those perfect teeth fall to the floor in a bloody mess. Startled, she realized she’d picked up on Romy’s thoughts. Despite her fear of the situation, she couldn’t help a sense of pride that nothing seemed to cow her iriu. Not being outnumbered by the enemy or matching wits with a murderer.
“So tell me, Officer Lindor,” Trotter began. “What interest is any of this to you? I know you and Killer Drake are friends, but I hadn’t realized you knew his sister.”
Sean paused, and Tara felt Romy’s psychei reach out to him, telling what to say. “No, I just met her today.” Sean nodded at Romy. “I’ve known Romy Talson for years, though.”
The room grew still. Trotter swung large eyes toward Romy. “Talson, you say?” He grew ominously quiet. He let go of Tara, who moved back between the Yals. Then Trotter attacked Romy.
He swung a hard right then a left into Romy’s midsection. The violence made her want to retch.
Romy sank to his knees without a sound, but Tara could feel his pain and instinctively reached out with her power.
“No, veyou. Save your energy. Let me distract Trotter. We need to get rid of these cops, too. Daket and Min won’t hurt you, but I’m not sure how much they’ll help either. Just keep your mind open to the link between us. Remember how I became two people last night? Like we talked about. That’s what you should—”
Their connection ceased when Trotter knocked him unconscious with a kick to the face. Blood burst from Romy’s nose, and his head struck the ground hard. As Tara watched in horror, blood pooled around his skull.
13
“Shit, boss.” Min held her arm tight. “Say nothing, Tara. Not a word.” He shook his head. “Killing a Talson is only going to infuriate his family. I’ve heard stories about his dad, Rhenec, and they weren’t pretty.”
“Rhenec Talson is an imbecile. He does what he’s told. I’ve met his older sons, Zaret and Valis. They’re the important ‘Or Fal when it comes to business. His youngest I never cared to meet. But from what little I’d heard about Romec, he’s less than nothing.” Trotter snorted and kicked him again. “I’m not impressed.”
Tara felt her iriu’s life pulsing, though his energy was spotty. She had an almost irrepressible urge to heal him but didn’t know what good it would do if Trotter just beat him up again. If she could just get rid of their audience, get Trotter to herself… She didn’t want to be a hero. She had her baby to protect. But to save Romy, she’d do anything.
“Look, Jonah,” she said in a soft voice. “This is between you and me. Get rid of the rest of them and we can talk.”
Trotter’s eyes flashed to silver, but from rage or passion? She could literally see the fury of insanity sparking about his energy like an insidious swarm of malevolence.
Sean stepped in. “I want to see Manuel Drake, now.”
Tara feigned surprise. “Mannie? He’s here?”
Trotter smiled, Romy apparently forgotten. Thank God.
“Killer decided on a short visit. I tell you what, Tara. Behave nicely and I’ll let you see him. We’ll bring along Officer Lindor as well. Min, Daket, come with me. The rest of you guard Talson,” he sneered.
He held out his hand and waited for Tara to take it. She did, and he squeezed her hand. She couldn’t help wincing.
Trotter’s breath quickened. “Do you like that? A little bite of pain makes it sweeter, doesn’t it?” he asked, licking his lips. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Min and Daket exchange a look.
They stopped Sean when he moved to interfere.
“You’re squeezing too hard,” she whispered. The ache in her hand was nothing next to what Romy suffered though. She took another subtle look at her iriu lying so still on the floor. Screw it. She sent him a jolt of healing, along with a warning to remain pliant and unmoving.
She felt him slowly regain consciousness and took a deep breath. Trotter mistook her inhalation for excitement. As if she would ever get off on being beaten and abused. He murmured depravities as he dragged her through the compound with Sean and the Yals in his wake.
They walked through a maze of buildings. Tara caught glimpses of several Otras and rough looking men moving crates and boxes into large shipping containers.
Trotter noticed her attention. “That, my dear, is our future.”
“You mean your prison sentence,” Sean said with disgust. “How much Majesty do you think you can transport before being caught? Honestly, Trotter, you’re living on borrowed time. If the feds don’t nail you, the Threaders or some other gang banger will.”
Trotter smiled. “I’m sorry, officer. Did you say something? I can barely hear you at all.”
Sean frowned, as did Tara. She sensed a burst of psychei. Was Trotter trying to push Sean into something? She hurried to thrust a large wave of energy to Sean and imagined throwing a shield up to protect him.
It must have worked, because nothing happened.
“Did I say something?” Sean sneered. “Yeah. Fuck you.”
Trotter looking confused. They continued to walk into another worn-down warehouse. Inside, her brother sat unconscious, bound to a chair.
“Mannie!” She tried to run to him, but Trotter held her tight.
Sean knocked Min and Daket aside and raced to Mannie. He put his fingers to her brother’s neck and bowed his head in relief. He stared up at Trotter with death in his eyes. “Consider yourself lucky, asshole. If he’d been dead, you’d be wishing you were.”
“Such melodrama. I’ve had enough of this.” Trotter suddenly shoved Tara to the ground. She hadn’t been expecting it, and she hit her kneecap with a solid thwack that hurt like hell. Then Trotter pulled out a gun from behind his back. He shot Sean twice, once in the gut and once between his eyes. Then he turned and shot Daket, one of his own men.
Min stared in shock.
“I’m taking my iriu upstairs for a while. You’d do best to stop the bleeding, Min. Don’t even think of helping Killer Drake to escape. If you’re lucky, Tara will soothe my anger, and I’ll send her back to heal Daket.”
Min growled low in his throat, his eyes brilliant with anger. “If he dies, I’ll fucking kill you.”
Trotter didn’t look so confident anymore.
“Jonah, let me ease him past the fatality point. Not enough to fully heal him, but enough that he won’t die,” she offered.
“Fine. Hurry up.” Jonah tried to act as if he didn’t care, but he didn’t seem to like Min’s wrath.
Hell, neither did she.
While she and Min hovered over Daket, Min managed to shove a knife into her pocket without Trotter seeing. “Use it when he’s in close. I’m sorry I didn’t do a better job than this. Do what you can for Daket, but conserve your strength for that dickhead.” He glared at Trotter. “Don’t worry, help is on the way.”
Not sure what help he meant, she healed Daket more than enough to save his life, but not enough
to make Trotter suspicious. When she rose, she pretended to be weaker than she was. Normally, the healing would have sapped her strength, but having mated Romy, she felt worlds stronger.
She stumbled, and Trotter caught her. To Min, she sent, “I’m good. Just acting woozy.”
“Keep the fucker off balance, but don’t piss him off. Talson wants you safe and sound.”
She glanced at her brother again, then at Sean. She wasn’t faking the tears that slid down her cheeks. “Why did you have to do that?”
Sean’s lifeless body bled out at Mannie’s feet. Neither of them moved, and her worry magnified. What if Mannie neared death as well? But her senses told her that her brother suffered nothing more than some bad bruises.
“I’ll be back, Mannie,” she yelled over her shoulder as Trotter pulled her away. “Just hold on.”
Mannie said nothing, nor did he stir.
She limped behind Trotter, her knee really hurting. She didn’t mute the pain, conserving her energy for what was to come. “Romy?” He didn’t respond, and she could only pray he remained okay. She felt as if her psychei blazed with righteous fury—with Romy’s fury—and tried to tamp her energy lest Trotter catch wind of it.
But the jerk had other appetites on his mind. She’d seen his arousal, and it sickened her, because she knew he’d gotten off on hurting others. A pervert and a murderer. Tara actually looked forward to catching him by himself.
They finally reached the small office at the top of a long flight of stairs. Once inside, Trotter turned to her with a smirk on his face.
He waved his gun in her direction.“I tried being nice. I tried being patient. And instead, you wasted yourself with a Talson. As if those pricks didn’t have enough already.” His handsome face scrunched with jealousy, and his features blurred into a menacing mask. “But you know what? That makes it all the sweeter. Because I’m going to fuck what a Talson considers his.”
He crossed to her and slapped her across the face. Damn, she really had to start anticipating his violence better. Trotter nuzzled the gun into her belly, and cold fear hit her. The notion that he might harm her child before she could fight back was uppermost in her mind.
