Because as kind as he’d been, there was no ignoring the fact he was a kidnapper. That meant he was one of the bad guys, right? Except she was finding it increasingly difficult to view him in that light.
Maybe it was one of those syndromes—the name escaped her at the moment. Maybe she was identifying with her captor because he was all she knew.
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt for you to take a look,” he conceded.
But he didn’t move and neither did she. The air in the room seemed to thicken, making it more difficult to capture a breath. She sniffed and was startled. “Do you smell something burning?”
Jericho swore and jumped to his feet. “No.” He paced the small space. Three short strides one way, turn, three back. The room simply wasn’t big enough for a man his size to be comfortable.
“What are you going to do with me?” That was the question she should have been asking from the beginning. She blamed her head injury. She’d simply been living moment to moment, not really considering the future.
“I don’t know.”
His blunt reply didn’t offer a whole lot of comfort. “What had you planned to do?”
He came back to the side of the bed and sat facing her with one knee resting on the mattress. There was a small rip in his jeans, giving her a peek at the heavily muscled thigh beneath. She had the biggest urge to run her finger over that tiny exposed swath of skin.
He caught her chin in his hand. Surprised by his action, she allowed him to lift her face until their gaze met.
“I had no plans to kidnap you.” His voice was so impossibly deep it seemed to vibrate in her very bones.
“No?” She reached up and wrapped her hand around his wrist. Or tried to. It was too thick for her fingers to reach all the way around.
“No.” He shook his head, making his hair flow around his shoulders. At some point, he’d lost the tie that had held it back. It was thick and lush, and she wanted to run her fingers through it, which was crazy, considering her circumstances.
The air practically cracked and snapped with tension until she wasn’t sure she could bear it for one more second.
“Well?” she demanded.
“I didn’t plan to take you.” He leaned inward until their noses were almost touching, his breath puffing against her skin. His nostrils flared. “No, I didn’t plan to take you,” he repeated as he rubbed this thumb over the curve of her jaw. “I’d planned to kill you.”
He said it so softly it took her a moment to process. Fear flared through her. She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her go, increasing his grip on her jaw. She swallowed heavily, barely able to get past the lump in her throat.
Even though she was cold, she began to sweat. Who was she that someone would want her dead? No, not someone—Jericho.
“I don’t understand.” Her teeth wanted to chatter, but she clenched her jaw. The ache in her head grew in magnitude until she could barely hear past the thundering in her ears.
“I know you don’t.” His black, fathomless eyes promised death. There was no emotion there at all. That was more frightening than if she’d sensed anger. Jericho was a man who could kill and likely had. Furthermore, she doubted he would lose any sleep over the matter once it was done.
What the hell was she involved in?
He was so close she could count his individual eyelashes. “It’s why you’re still alive.”
That didn’t make any sense. “I’m alive because I don’t know who I am?” Anger shoved out fear and confusion. She much preferred the fire of fury. It warmed her, gave her a much-needed boost of adrenaline.
He nodded as he slowly slid his hand from her jaw to her neck. His fingers fractionally tightened. He could snap it like a twig. Call her crazy, but somehow, she knew he wouldn’t. There was something indefinable between them that wouldn’t be denied. She just wished she understood what it was.
It was impossible to ignore how the heat from his skin penetrated hers.
“Stop trying to intimidate me.” She tugged at his arm, but it was like trying to move a mountain. It just wasn’t happening unless he wanted it to.
Then some tiny piece of knowledge filtered into her brain. She stopped trying to pull his entire arm away and grasped his little finger instead, yanking it back hard.
He swore but didn’t let her go. If she kept up the pressure, she’d break it. That’s what she should do. Instead, she released his finger, letting it fall back against her neck.
“Why?” he asked.
“Why did I let go?” When he nodded, she shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
“I’m not sure why I’m doing this either.” He closed the distance between them but stopped short of actually kissing her. His lips hovered next to hers, so close she could almost taste them.
There was no mistaking what he wanted. The smart thing would be to turn her head away. If he’d forced it, she would have fought him, but he was leaving the choice up to her.
Not only was he big and gorgeous, he was proving to be highly intelligent and intuitive. He was also the grounding point in the madness that was her life.
Giving a strangled groan, she pressed her mouth against his.
She’d truly lost her mind, but if this was insanity, she was ready to embrace it. Because with her lost memories, this attraction sizzling between them was the only thing that seemed real and true.
For a man of his size, with a barely contained violence that seemed to seethe inside him, he was incredibly gentle. His lips were firm but soft as they grazed hers.
The hold on her neck changed from one of intimidation to one of seduction. He trailed his fingers along the slender column of her throat and over her shoulder. Using his tongue, he traced the seam of her lips. When she parted them and sucked in a breath, he slipped inside.
He didn’t take, didn’t demand. He cajoled, enticed, until she had no choice but to respond.
When their tongues met, a jolt of pure lust shot through her. She had nothing to compare it to, no memories of past lovers, but she didn’t need them to know that this was something special. The power of it shocked her into pulling back.
He, too, appeared stunned but covered it quickly by frowning and all but jumping off the bed. “Get cleaned up, but don’t get your bandages wet. I’ll bring up your bag so you can change into clean clothes. When you’re done, come downstairs. There’ll be food, and you can see the picture we took of your tattoo.”
Before she could summon a response, he was gone, the door closing with a sharp bang behind him.
She sat there on the bed for the longest time and simply touched her fingers to her lips. The heat from their kiss still lingered, as did the raw, masculine taste of him.
Jericho was dangerous to her in more ways than one. If she wasn’t careful, the sizzling desire that stirred deep within her might make her forget he’d not only caused her accident, he’d planned to kill her. The fact that he’d taken her instead was irrelevant.
“You need to get your head back in the game.” Because information and escape should be her priorities, not wondering what it might be like to have sex with Jericho.
Did he think if he seduced her, she’d tell him everything she knew? She made a choking sound, almost a sob before swallowing back the pain. It was a waste of his time. She didn’t know anything.
But she would.
Determination drove her from the bed when dizziness threatened to keep her there. She peered out the window but decided against trying to escape through it. The way she was feeling, she’d likely fall and break her neck. If she was going to get away, she needed to get her strength back, not to mention her memories.
She made her way to the small en suite, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw the shower. Then his warning came back. She’d have to be extra careful not to get the bandage soaked, but nothing was going to keep her from getting clean. And she’d have to wait to see the picture of her tattoo. Wasn’t as though there was any rush. Escaping was out until she healed, at least
a little.
There was a lock on the door, but she there was no point in using it. It wasn’t likely to keep Jericho out if he wanted in. She hoped he was true to his word and brought up her bag. She paused in the act of turning on the tap. Did that mean she’d been planning on staying for a while wherever she’d been headed? Why else would she have a bag?
Too many questions and not nearly enough answers.
As the water heated, she stripped off her clothes and set them aside, just in case she needed them. There was soap and shampoo on a shelf, so she stepped under the spray and washed away the remnants of the past.
…
Birch sat in Karina’s office. It seemed empty without her. Where was she? Was she already dead? And who the hell had taken her?
He’d refused all pain medication at the hospital, needing to stay sharp. His arm was only broken. Nothing serious. Although he’d gotten out of there as fast as he’d been able, he’d still been delayed by the authorities. Unfortunately, he was speaking the truth when he told them he didn’t know what had happened.
One minute they’d been traveling down the road, the next, the driver had called out a warning. Then, the entire vehicle had flipped. There was nothing at the scene to indicate another vehicle had been involved in the accident. And there wouldn’t be if another Knight had taken her. They’d have had a team on hand to clean up the debris and get away before the police arrived.
Someone had to have been watching them. He’d fucked up by not having enough security.
The phone rang. Since he’d destroyed his old one and texted his new number to Svetlana, he’d been expecting the call.
“Anything?” There was no greeting, only a demand. No inquiry into his injuries because she truly didn’t care.
“Not on my end,” he told her. “I’ve got people looking for chatter among the Knights and combing the area around the crash for clues and possible witnesses. I don’t want to do anything that might tip off the others that she’s missing. Not if they’re not responsible.” They’d circle like vultures, trying to carve up Karina’s empire and get their hands on all her knowledge of dragons, not to mention her wealth.
Little did they know there was a much larger predator to fear. And it wasn’t a dragon. None of them wanted to take on Karina. They had no idea she was a minnow compared to the great white shark lurking just beneath the surface.
“You?” he asked.
“Nothing. I want to know the minute you hear anything. If we can’t figure out what’s going on, I may have to take drastic measures sooner rather than later.” She ended the call abruptly. Birch tossed his phone onto the desk.
If he didn’t find Karina, and soon, Svetlana might decide it was time to come out of hiding and reclaim the family empire. If she did that, she’d have little need of her granddaughter. Might even decide it was a strategic advantage to have another Knight murder Karina. Then she could come back with a righteous vengeance and possibly sway some of her previous enemies to her side.
He couldn’t let that happen.
No stone would be left unturned until he found Karina. He grabbed his phone and left the office. There was no way he’d give up the search.
Chapter Six
Jericho stormed downstairs, thankful the others weren’t around. Likely Enoch and Khalil had gone for groceries while Sadiq was securing the perimeter. Karina’s bag was sitting at the bottom of the stairs.
Instead of grabbing it and taking it straight up, he lowered himself onto one of the steps and rubbed his hands over his face. “What the hell am I doing?” he muttered. He’d not only told her his original plan but compounded the mistake by kissing her.
Only it didn’t feel like a mistake. It was the most natural thing he’d ever done.
He’d scared her. And he was sorry for that. More than he could ever say. His attraction to her confused him, causing him to lash out.
Control was something he highly valued, and he hadn’t had it since he’d laid eyes on Karina. When the water started running upstairs, he groaned and raised his head to stare at the ceiling.
She was in the shower. Naked.
His entire body hardened. It was all too easy to imagine what she looked like with water cascading across her high, firm breasts, coasting over her slender torso before spilling down her long, shapely legs. He wanted to lick every single drop from her silky skin. His breathing increased and every muscle in his body clenched as he stood.
“Fuck me,” he whispered. Bag in hand, he took the stairs three at a time as though pulled by an invisible tether. After dropping the leather satchel on the end of the bed, he went to the bathroom door.
It would be so easy to open it, walk in, and see her in all her glory, maybe even share another kiss or more. He definitely was up for the “or more” part. His cock ached, and his balls were close to exploding.
With his fingers spread over the cheap wooden panel, he inhaled slowly and deeply, trying to calm himself. The flowery scent of soap filled his nostrils. He envied the bar of soap being rubbed over every curve and hollow of her body.
Prickles ran up and down his spine. His dragon was perilously close to the surface, something that never happened without his consent. But the creature wouldn’t be denied.
He wanted to protect Karina and to claim her.
He forced his hand away from the door, turned, and walked away. His chest squeezed, growing tighter with each step he took. There might have been two-ton blocks attached to his feet, it was so hard for him to keep moving.
She needed some space and so did he. Best to give it to them both. He freely admitted that he had no perspective or any objectivity when it came to Karina.
He thought he’d known everything about her because he’d looked at some pictures and read a file Enoch had put together.
He’d known nothing. If he had, he might never have approached her.
Downstairs, the kitchen was dated but everything looked functional. Bypassing it, he went straight out the back door, knowing Sadiq was waiting for him. Of all of them, his friend would be the most skeptical.
Sure enough, Sadiq was standing in the yard staring up at one particular window on the second floor. The fine hairs on the back of Jericho’s neck stood on end.
“Don’t,” he warned.
Sadiq’s black eyes were backlit with red and violet flames. His breathing became heavy and rapid. “I can’t promise anything.”
As a fellow fire drakon, Jericho recognized the signs and knew his friend’s dragon was close to the surface. He had to defuse this volatile situation before they questioned Karina, or Sadiq might actually kill her.
“I need her.” Stripping himself bare wasn’t easy, but they’d been through too much together for him to start lying now. “Even if she is the leader of the Knights, I need her alive.”
The fire of retribution that blazed in Sadiq’s eyes slowly faded, replaced with growing concern. “I don’t trust her.”
“I don’t either.” He pressed his hand to his chest. “But she resides here as if there’s been a void all along, just waiting for her fill it.” Even now he could sense the dragon inside him—watchful and protective—ready to spring into action.
Over the course of his lifetime, he’d slept with many women. That had been about biological function and mutual pleasure. This was different. Not only had there been little pleasure involved, but the entire situation was totally inconvenient.
She was his mate, had been created and born to be his. This situation was new to all of them. Mates were rare, but something all drakons dreamed of finding.
Sadiq’s eyes widened in concern. “That’s fucked up. You just met her.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Time seemed irrelevant when it came to the mating call. Not exactly a good time to learn that fact, but there was no denying the reality.
“What happens when her memories come back? And they will. It’s only a matter of time.”
Sadiq was right. “I don’t know.”
“Shit, man.” His friend walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. “I don’t know whether to offer my congratulations or sympathy. I might not like it, but I’ll do what I can. If she threatens you, all bets are off. I’d rather fight than let the Knights have you.”
Jericho swallowed hard, reached out, and dragged Sadiq into his arms, clapping him on the back. This was the brother of his heart, the man who knew him better than anyone. But Jericho couldn’t bear to tell him that if Karina died, he wouldn’t survive long. He knew it all the way to his soul.
Why had he ever wished for a woman of his own, a true mate? Life had been much simpler without her in it. But oh, there was the potential for so much more.
Too bad fate had chosen for him the one woman he’d hated above all others.
By unspoken agreement, they stepped apart. Both of them were unsettled, their dragons riding perilously close to the surface. It took quite some time to make them calm. Being out in nature with the wind skimming over their skin helped. They always did better outside.
Sadiq eventually circled the area, patrolling the outer perimeter. Jericho stayed close to the house, all the while wondering what Karina was doing. The shower had gone off quite some time ago. He imagined her drying off, rubbing a soft towel over her bare skin. His awareness of her was like a hum in his blood, making his senses sing and his cock throb. He ached to touch her, to claim her.
Had she found the bag he’d left? Changed into clean clothing? She hadn’t left her room. Maybe she was sleeping.
God, he was messed up. This morning he’d wanted her dead. Now he was concerned about her getting enough rest.
At the sound of an approaching vehicle, he headed toward the front of the house. Knowing it would be the others with food, he went to help unload. Sure enough, the back of the SUV was stuffed with shopping bags. Sadiq joined them, and with the four of them pitching in, they got everything in one load.
“Pocket the keys,” he told Enoch. The last thing he needed was for Karina to find them and take off. She might be injured and have amnesia, but he wouldn’t underestimate her. She was still a strong, determined woman.
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