Bring Him Back, Jack

by Holly Day

  “The information.” Master took a step forward and handed a folder to Snow. “I’ll expect you back later today.”

  “No.” Snow opened the folder and gave the first paper a quick scan. “We’ll be back when we’re done. It won’t be today; it might not be tomorrow either. We need to scope the place out, need to study Lord Important.”

  “Zelly. His name is Lord Zelly.”

  Malik watched Master grit his teeth. Did Snow know what he was doing? The punishment for provoking him like this would be severe.

  Malik couldn’t let Master punish Snow.

  “Frankly, Remi. I don’t give a rat’s ass what his name is. You’ve given me a case with no preparation time. You’ve picked the biggest vamp you’ve got, despite me asking for a small one, and you’ve put a tracker on both of us. A tracker not only you can track, but others can, too, should they hack into it.”

  For a moment, Master’s eyes widened, then he schooled his face.

  “Should I remind you of how you ended up in this situation to begin with?”

  Snow laughed, and while Malik loved to see him laugh, it had unease curling in his gut. The laugh was wrong.

  “No need, old man. No need. We’re off now, Johnny.”

  Malik jumped when Snow touched his elbow. They might have been on several missions, but they didn’t touch. Three steps up the stairs, Snow stopped. “Clothes.” He looked down at Master now when he was higher up. Malik had to duck going up the stairs or he’d hit his head, but Snow stood straight, and his hair didn’t even brush against the ceiling.

  The cold stone walls had Malik suppress a shiver as he waited for someone to move or say something.

  “What kind of clothes?” Master’s voice echoed in the narrow stairway.

  “For one, he’s hardly wearing any.” Snow gestured at Malik, who refused to be embarrassed by the threadbare shirt and too short pants. He had no say in what he wore. “And second, I need him to be dressed in black.”

  “Not everyone has the means to look like a wannabe goth.”

  Snow rolled his eyes dramatically and turned to Malik, who held his breath in waiting. “We’ll have to make do with what we can find then. I’m afraid my clothes won’t fit you well.”

  Warmth coated Malik’s skin. Wearing Snow’s clothes.

  “I want him back in the same condition he’s in.” Master glared at them both.

  “I can’t make any promises, Remi. You know I can’t. Best-case scenario, he’ll be wrapped in cobwebs, worst…There might be bullet holes.”

  Malik hoped for cobwebs—bullets hurt.

  The chains swung and rattled as he hurried up the cellar stairs behind Snow. The air got warmer the higher they got, and once they’d crossed the hall and Snow opened the front door, sweltering summer heat hit.

  “We’ll be in touch.” Snow waved.

  “Wait.” Master blocked Malik’s way and turned to Snow, handing over the device triggering the stake in his chest.

  “Seriously, Remi. I’ll be climbing walls. I need my hands. Carrying stuff doesn’t work.”

  “He’ll attack you.”

  Malik never would, and the way Snow sighed told him he didn’t think so either. They’d been on several missions, and Snow often left the trigger in the car. Now, he held out his hand so Master could place the little square thing with the button on his palm. The moment he did, Snow curled his fingers around it, and tossed it to Malik.

  Malik caught it, only to almost drop it in fear of accidentally pushing the button. “Keep track of this, will you, James?”

  “Jack!”

  Malik jumped at Master’s outburst, but Snow grinned before turning him. “Sorry, sweetie, I’m bad with names…and faces. Your name is Jack?”

  Malik was about to shake his head, but then his brain caught up with the sweetie and heat climbed his cheeks.

  “We’re out of here, Remi. I’d say it was nice to see you, but I can only lie so many times in a day.”

  For a moment, Malik believed he wouldn’t have to attack and capture Snow. It looked like Master was about to do it himself.

  Chapter 3

  “He’s such a fucker.” Ivan opened the door to his rusty little Honda Civic and motioned for Jack to get in. “We’re heading to my sister’s, and my guess is he’ll check the trackers to see we go there.”

  Jack stared at him.

  “It’s a suicide mission, Jack. I wish I could leave you behind.”

  “I’ll protect you.”

  Ivan shook his head. “I know you will, but it’ll only lead to us both getting killed. I don’t know if he wants the mission to fail or if he has something planned for later.”

  Jack looked as if he was about to talk, but Ivan slammed the door shut before he could. He didn’t know if Remi had placed any listening devices on Jack, and even if he hadn’t, it wasn’t good to be seen chatting away with a vampire in broad daylight.

  He climbed into the driver’s seat and started the car. He needed to make sure Raina was okay. They needed different clothes on Jack. And he needed to remove the chains, figure the tracking device out, and it would be great if they could remove the stake thing. Ivan was terrified of triggering it, especially if they were to squeeze through somewhere. How was it fastened to his chest? If he got caught in something, would it tear him apart? Ivan shuddered. It was so barbaric.

  He wanted to ask, but since he wasn’t sure if Remington was listening in or not, he kept his mouth shut. “Will you read through the folder? See what it says.”

  He glanced at Jack in time to see wide eyes turn in his direction.

  “I can’t read, Agent Snow.”

  Ivan sighed. Of course, Remi hadn’t allowed them to learn how to read. “That’s too bad.”

  They drove the rest of the way in silence. When he’d parked outside Raina’s building, he turned to Jack. “We’re to see my sister. She’s a bit…She talks a lot.”

  Jack nodded and Ivan shrugged. What else could he say? That she was loud and inappropriate on the best of days, and way over the line on the worst? It wouldn’t help the situation. “Let’s go.”

  Jogging up the stairs, Jack was a noisy shadow behind him with the chains rattling with each step. They had to get him out of those chains. Fucking Remington.

  “Ivan!” Raina was shorter than him but had the same black hair, though hers was long. Where he was slim, she was curvy. Her eyes were intensely blue, like one of his—the one he hid—and she had a wide mouth similar to his.

  “Pancakes? I made a heap.”

  “Yes, please.”

  “This is…” Ivan frowned. “Remi calls him Jack.”

  “Ridiculous Remi? He’s still alive?”

  Ivan studied Jack. His face was blank, his muscles tense, and Ivan wondered if their conversation was being monitored.

  “Undress.” Ivan met Jack’s eyes and nodded at his clothes.

  “Yes, please.” Raina wiggled her eyebrows.

  “Back into the kitchen, woman.”

  “Oh, fuck you, Ivan.”

  Ivan grinned. “I would if I could, but I’m not bendy enough.”

  She threw her hands in the air and huffed. “Why are we undressing him?”

  Jack’s gaze jumped between them, his eyes growing wider and wider.

  “We’re not. I am. It’s bad enough for him to have me ogling him, he doesn’t need you to do it, too.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t think he minds.”

  Ivan sighed. “Of course, he fucking minds, but he’s a slave so he can’t protest.” If Remington was listening, Ivan didn’t want him to know he was searching Jack.

  “I think the term they use is guard.”

  “Seriously, Raina.” He glared at her. “We’ll borrow your bedroom and some black clothes.” Raina didn’t have any clothes that would fit Jack, and he wasn’t sure she owned anything black. She liked screaming colors. “Set the table.” He held up three fingers.

  She rolled her eyes but went i
nto the kitchen.

  “Come on.” Ivan nodded toward the bedroom. “I’m really sorry about this, but…” He didn’t want to say he suspected they were being listened to. Perhaps Remi always listened to them. The time he’d had Jack’s chains removed because they were to climb a wall and get into a building through the ventilation system, he’d asked Ibine, who’d removed the cuffs, to check so there wasn’t anything tracking them. There hadn’t been, but it had been over a year ago. Remi could have gotten new toys since then.

  Jack stopped as soon as he’d crossed the threshold. Ivan gestured at the clothes. “Undress.”

  For several seconds, Jack watched Ivan. Then he unbuttoned the top button on his barely-holding-together shirt. One button was followed by another, and Ivan’s tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.

  Jack was gorgeous—or would’ve been if he wasn’t starved. Starved or not, there was no disguising the strength. There were scars, but Ivan had expected there to be more considering what Remi used him for. Vampires healed fast, though.

  He shrugged off the shirt, making the chains rattle, and Ivan winced as it pooled by the cuffs. He spread his arms and nodded for Jack to do the same. When he did, Ivan made a quick search of his upper body and inspected the shirt so nothing other than the tracker was hidden in it.

  “Pants.”

  Jack stared into his eyes and blew out a shuddering breath.

  “Sorry.” Ivan hadn’t meant to whisper, but he did.

  Jack shoved the pants down so fast, Ivan had no time to prepare. His dick was hard and straining, and Ivan let out a soft, “Oh.” Shit. “I’m feeling like a total perv here. Eh…” Ivan dropped to his knees and inspected Jack’s pants. Nothing hidden inside them. Part of him wanted to run his hands over Jack—to make sure there was nothing taped to his skin in places unseen—but he settled for looking him over.

  “Okay.” He met Jack’s gaze. “I can’t find anything.”

  “What are you looking for?”

  Ivan ran a hand through his hair. “I suspected Remi was listening in on our conversation.”

  Jack widened his eyes. “He can do that?”

  “There are devices. Has he planted anything on you?”

  Jack pointed at the tracker and Ivan nodded. “It only tells them where we are.” He was almost certain it was the only thing it did. “You can get dressed again.” His hard-on had dwindled, Ivan noticed. “We need to find you other clothes, and we need to get you out of the chains. And we have to come up with a plan.”

  * * * *

  Malik wanted to look away from Snow—or Ivan? Having his body react the way it did was embarrassing, and the ‘oh’ Snow had uttered…Malik didn’t know what it meant.

  “Come on, let’s eat.”

  Eat? Malik’s stomach growled. He hadn’t been allowed food in a couple of weeks, and he didn’t know if he dared to eat now. Would Master find out? “I’m not allowed.”

  “Yes, you are. You’re mine for the day, right?”

  He was Snow’s forever. Malik nodded.

  “Good. Now we eat.”

  The woman, Snow’s sister, placed a stack of blueberry pancakes in front of him and winked, much like Snow had done earlier. “Eat up.”

  Malik didn’t dare take a bite. Would he be punished? He watched as Snow cut a piece and shoved it into his mouth. When he turned to Malik and raised an eyebrow, Malik grabbed the cutlery.

  “So, what’s the plan?” Snow’s sister looked between them.

  Snow shrugged. “We don’t have a plan yet. Do you think Ibine is in town?”

  “I don’t think so, why?”

  “We need to get rid of the chains.”

  Malik didn’t dare breathe. Would Snow take him to that place again? The pain of having the cuffs removed was intense, but to feel free for a few hours was worth it.

  “I can remove the chains.”

  Snow huffed. “Raina…I love you, but you have a tendency—”

  “Oh, have a little faith, Ivan. What could go wrong?”

  Snow sighed and looked at Malik. “So many things. Would you let her try?”

  Malik didn’t reply. Only the wizard who put the chains on could remove them, or it was what he’d been told. Perhaps anyone with magic could, but Snow had to know they needed someone with magic. And last time when that woman had tried, she had to take off the cuffs since she’d been unable to remove or break the chain.

  Snow grimaced. “Do you know if it’s possible to remove the stake emplacement?”

  Malik jerked, his hand instantly going to his chest. “I don’t know.”

  “I think we have to stick together, not like we normally do when you stand back and keep an eye on things while I go in. The tracking devices…Damn, I wish we could put them somewhere and not have to worry about Remi watching us.”

  “He’s tracking you?” Raina reached for another pancake and when she did, Malik dared take one, too. When no one removed it or shouted at him, he pushed it into his mouth. Food. One day, he wished he’d be able to eat regularly.

  “Yeah. I think he’ll try to kill me. With a tracking device, I can’t disappear.”

  Raina cursed, and Malik slowed his chewing. Something was going on he didn’t understand.

  “Do you think he suspects?” Gone was Raina’s playful gesturing. “Should we run?”

  “And be hunted for the rest of our lives?” Snow shook his head.

  “We already are, more or less.”

  Hunted? Someone was trying to take Snow from him? He was supposed to give Snow to someone, was it related?

  “Yes, but if I do this last job, Remi won’t be hunting us, at least. That’s one less.”

  “Does it matter? There will always be people after us. Let’s face it, we’ve stayed here longer than we should.”

  Malik hovered with his fork with a bite of pancake in front of his mouth, unable to continue the motion. Snow was leaving? He couldn’t leave. “Who’s hunting you?” Perhaps he could stop them. He’d already be in trouble with Master since he wasn’t planning on handing Snow over to anyone.

  Raina shrugged. “It’s different people. If we run now, Pathetic Remi will hunt us, but…” She glanced at Snow. “Ivan is special.”

  Malik wouldn’t argue, but special how?

  “I’m not special.” Snow waved a hand.

  “Ivan?” It was Snow she meant when she said Ivan, but…

  “Ivan Charna.” Raina met his gaze expectantly, but the name held no meaning to him, so he shook his head.

  “You talk too much, Raina.” Snow—Ivan—waved his fork at her.

  “I thought you’d checked him. No one’s listening.”

  Ivan sighed. “Yes, but at some point, we have to hand him back.”

  Malik wanted to swear he’d never tell Master anything of what they told him, but how could he know for sure?

  “Fine. So, what do we do?” Raina put her fork down, and Malik reluctantly did the same. Ivan shook his hand and pushed the plate with pancakes in Malik’s direction.

  “Eat.”

  For a second, Malik didn’t move, then he took another pancake.

  “We do the job.”

  “A job where he might get you killed?”

  Ivan put a hand on the folder Master had given them. “We need a plan, but since I don’t think he wants Jack here killed, he’s most likely trying to get us caught. I could get out if they lock me up.”

  “Not with chains, not with vampires all around.”

  Malik watched them. He’d never heard humans discuss things as freely around him as Raina and Ivan did. They were treating him as if he was one of them. It was making him nervous.

  At Master’s house, Ivan always acted like an ordinary human, but this…Malik had never been with him when he’d gotten an assignment, had never been there when he came up with the plan. Perhaps this was how he always worked.

  Ivan looked at him. “Can you get out?”

  Malik didn’t change his facial expression, but what
did he mean? “Out of what?”

  “If we get caught, what will happen to you?”

  “Master will punish me.” Not for getting caught perhaps, unless it was his fault, and considering he was to follow Ivan through tight spaces, he was likely to be the cause. Malik tried not to panic, but he disliked dark, cramped rooms, and if he was to wear his chains, they’d bang into things.

  “Master? Do you mean Pitiful Remi?” Raina scrunched her face in distaste.

  “Drop it, Raina. It’s all he knows.”

  The statement rubbed Malik the wrong way. He knew things, but Master was…Master.

  “We can’t let him go back.”

  Malik gave Ivan a wide-eyed look before turning to watch Raina. Not go back?

  “He’s not easy to hide.” Ivan sighed and opened the folder. “We need to get into the Grand Hotel.” He scanned the first paper of the folder. Malik had stopped trying to understand the little black symbols a long time ago.

  “I can get into the hotel.” Raina cracked her knuckles in an unladylike manner. “I know a guy who owes me.”

  Ivan pursed his lips. “He’s in the hotel?”

  “Chef.”

  Ivan nodded and took another pancake. “Lord Zelly, who Remi claims has the queen’s diamond, is staying in the hotel. I assume the diamond is in a safe.”

  “In the suite?”

  Malik watched in fascination as both of them frowned and stared out into nothingness.

  Raina pulled a phone from her pocket and dialed someone. “Luis, darling, it’s Raina Snow.” She grinned into the phone.

  Chapter 4

  Ivan scanned the information in the folder while Raina made pleasantries with the man on the phone. “Ask him if there’s a safe somewhere in the hotel where guests keep their valuables.”

  She nodded, got up, and left for the bedroom.

  “Normally there is.” He turned to Jack. “No one would be stupid enough to lock a diamond up in one of the small safes in the rooms. Anyone can get into those.”

  “Can they?”

  Ivan shrugged. Perhaps not anyone, but he could. “Eat more if you want.”

  Jack eyed the last three pancakes on the platter. “You’ve never fed me before.”