Golden light shimmered in the depths of Nehema’s eyes, the change subtle yet telling. “How many?” Her voice was strained now, harsh, and her nose began to twitch.
“I don’t know.” Carly shrugged, obviously mistaking Nehema’s calm for acceptance. “As I said before, I’ve never been to the other labs.”
Nehema looked at Zophiel, her expression cold and composed. “Are you finished with this creature?”
“Absolutely.”
Nehema struck so fast her body blurred. One minute she stood several steps away and the next her hand was embedded in Carly’s chest. The human didn’t even have time to scream. With one vicious squeeze, Nehema ended Carly’s life then slowly withdrew her hand.
“Obviously I’ve been complacent.” Blood dripped from her fingers, but her features remained smooth, almost lifeless. “Thank you for strengthening my resolve.”
“Anytime.” Zophiel had hoped for a little more emotion, but this was a damn good start.
Chapter Ten
“Are you sure you’re not just spooked?” Ian ran a careless hand through his hair as he absorbed his wings. The excess energy rushed through his body, making him feel jittery for a moment. “I circled the property twice. There’s no one out there.”
Payne heaved a frustrated sigh and followed Ian back into the visitor center. “I know what I felt. She was out there.”
“I’m not doubting what you sensed, but she must have realized you were on to her. She was gone by the time I took off.” Rather than loiter in the gift shop, Ian led Payne down a short hall and into Devon’s office. “Everyone’s on high alert. If she’s foolish enough to attack again, she’ll find herself in a cage.” He motioned to the chairs situated in front of the desk, but Payne remained in the doorway. “What did Eli learn? You said it was important.”
“We were curious to see if she’d done anything like this before, so Eli searched police reports and the Therian database for incidents involving a silver-haired female.”
“And?” Ian leaned against the corner of Devon’s desk, too anxious to sit down.
“There were scattered reports going back at least fifty years, but no kidnappings or other serious crimes.”
“Then what sorts of crimes has she committed?”
“Vigilante stuff, mainly. Roughing up a purse snatcher and finding a missing child. That sort of thing.”
Ian crossed his arms over his chest. This wasn’t at all what he’d expected. “Why would a vigilante suddenly turn kidnapper?”
“Carly Ides was far from innocent. We presumed she was kidnapped to protect her from us. Perhaps the silver-haired specter wanted to make sure Carly didn’t escape punishment?”
Devon had certainly pushed for severe punishment for the human doctor. Was it possible the kidnapping had nothing to do with the backers? “If the silver-haired woman isn’t working for the backers, then who sent her?”
“Eli cross-referenced her incident reports with backer activity and found nothing, but when he ran her stats against Abolitionist activity numerous dates and locations overlapped.”
“Eli thinks our ghost is an Abolitionist?” Ian pushed away from the desk as possibilities rolled through his mind.
“It actually makes more sense than anything else. Why would the backers go through the trouble of rescuing Carly, when it’s likely she already told us everything she knows?”
Ian nodded. “The Abolitionists have more to gain, more reason to put themselves in danger.” He paused again as he digested the information. “Erin always suspected that the Abolitionist movement was founded by a Therian female.”
“We know their leader’s name is Nehema. It’s likely we now have her description as well.”
“Are Landon and Holt still searching?” Ian ushered Payne from the office and turned off the light.
“No. They’re back at Holt’s.”
“Well, let’s all get some sleep and we’ll head out tomorrow with a clearer idea of what we’re looking for.”
Payne nodded and Ian let him out through the back door. After reactivating the alarm, Ian made his way through the silent building. If Nehema was Therian, it explained many things, not the least of which was her uncanny ability to stay one step ahead of Therian males. Maybe Erin could find a disgruntled female who disappeared about the same time the Abolitionists came on scene. No, Erin had suspected a direct correlation long before tonight. Doubtlessly she had already searched the journals.
Ian let himself into Devon’s apartment and locked the door behind him. The windows on this level were too small to accommodate a person, even someone as lithe as Devon. Even so, there was no way he was going to be able to sleep unless he knew she was safe.
Moonlight spilled in through the window in the bedroom area, outlining her small shape in the bed. He glanced at the sofa and shook his head. He was too damn tall for that dainty piece of furniture. It was the floor or the bed.
He tugged off his boots and his shirt but left his jeans in place. She was exhausted. Could he crawl into bed beside her without waking her up? Doubtful, but he’d give it a try. He crossed to the bed and placed his knee on the mattress.
“I thought we weren’t going to…”
“We’re not. I just won’t fit on the couch.”
Her chuckle sounded warm and sleepy. “Then lose the jeans. I’ll try to keep my hands to myself.”
He shed his jeans and crawled in behind her, slipping his arm under her neck so he could press against her back. She was warm and soft and his body immediately stirred. Not wanting her to feel his erection, he eased his hips away from her ass.
Her scent was rich and evocative, yet her breathing had already fallen into a slow, deep rhythm. He closed his eyes and willed his body to relax, content for the moment just to hold her.
* * * * *
Tias narrowed her gaze as she watched Roberto on the surveillance screen. Something was definitely wrong with her business partner. His behavior had been off ever since he arrived at the hospital this morning, but she hadn’t been able to pinpoint the problem. She scooted to the edge of her chair and drummed her long, red-and-black striped nails against the desktop. The rhythmic clicking soothed her, helped her focus. Her elaborate manicure was a cliché, but manipulating stereotypes could be a valuable strategy. When people saw what they expected to see, they seldom bothered to look closer.
“Is he still at it?” Milliner asked as he reentered the security booth with a steaming mug in each hand.
She never grew tired of knowing a former general was willing to fetch her tea whenever she smiled at him. “He’s wandering around like a lost puppy. It’s almost as if he can’t remember what he’s supposed to be doing.”
Milliner set one of the mugs down for her then stood behind her, rudely peering over her shoulder. “Is he drunk?”
“Some sort of intoxication was my first thought, so I went and spoke with him.” She picked up the mug and blew on the steaming tea before she took a sip. “As soon as he made eye contact with me, it was as if a switch was thrown. His expression animated and he seemed completely normal.”
“And now that you’re gone, he’s back to the lost puppy routine?”
“Exactly.”
“Shall I go and see if he reacts the same way to me?”
She shrugged. “It couldn’t hurt. I’ll watch for a few minutes and then join you. If he does something bizarre shove him into an empty cell.”
“Copy that.” Milliner tossed the reply over his shoulder as he left the security booth.
Tias watched Roberto meander along the row of cells. His image moved from one surveillance screen to another. He seemed oblivious to the occupants of the cells, even when they approached the bars and spoke to him.
Milliner’s shoes snapped against the tiled floor as he approached the younger man. As Roberto had earlier with her, he snapped out of the spell when he noticed the general. “
Buongiorno
, James. How are you this fine spring day?”
“You’re in a good mood.” Milliner shot a what-the-hell look at the camera then asked, “Were you able to learn anything on-site? Any idea where Devon is?”
Roberto’s features tensed and he looked around as if someone else would provide the answers. Then he calmed and flashed his practiced smile. “We’re still running down leads.”
“Who is ‘we’ and which leads?”
“Figure of speech.” After waving away Milliner’s concern, Roberto straightened his jacket even though the expensive coat hung perfectly. “I have the description of a truck and a partial license plate. The two escapees were assisted by two men, likely Therian males.”
This was new information. Luckily, Milliner was equally intrigued. “I thought no one witnessed the escape. Where are these leads coming from?”
“A workman was maintaining a power line nearby. He heard a scream and it drew his attention to an isolated building on his right. He wasn’t able to see much, but he thought he saw a large dog jump into the back of a full-sized truck. Moments later a small person, likely female, joined the two people already in the truck. He tried to get the license number, but he was only partially successful.”
Tias studied Roberto’s face. His eyes were glassy and his features basically expressionless. He sounded as if he were reading a police report, not conversing with a coworker.
For no apparent reason, Roberto turned around and walked away.
“Should I stop him?” Milliner said in a stage whisper.
She activated the intercom and said, “No, let him go. I’ll have him followed.”
“Copy that.”
* * * * *
Something brushed against Devon’s inner thigh, the sensation part tickle, part caress. She tried to wiggle away, but hands grasped her legs and pushed them farther apart. Her eyes flew open and she blinked away the morning haze. Ian lay on his stomach between her thighs, his face directly above her sex. Her nightshirt was bunched around her waist and her knees were drawn up, legs spread wide.
“Good morning,” she murmured as he moved her panties aside and brushed his lips against her crease.
His mouth moved for a moment then he whispered, “This will never do.” He grasped the sides of her panties and tugged. She raised her hips and drew her knees to her chest as he worked the panties down her legs then tossed them aside. “Much better.” He returned to his target, now fully accessible to his questing tongue.
“Shouldn’t we shower before we…”
His tongue parted her folds, easily finding her clit. She pushed her fingers through his hair and reveled in the churning sensations. Her body awakened slowly, warming and melting as his mouth explored. He was gentle yet focused, coaxing reactions from her body until she was aroused enough to make her own demands.
She’d wanted him last night, but the emotional turmoil of the past few weeks had taken its toll. Falling asleep in his arms had been a rare treat, one she was looking forward to repeating again and again. She’d felt safe and content for the first time in months.
And waking up like this was even better.
He slowly pushed two fingers into her snug passage and she welcomed the penetration with a firm squeeze. His tongue circled her clit as he pumped his hand between her thighs. She planted her heels and raised her hips, no longer able to passively accept what he gave.
“That’s right.” His lips teased her folds as he whispered the encouragement. “Show me what you want.” He caught her clit between his lips and carefully sucked.
She arched into the caress, rubbing against his mouth as tension gathered deep in her belly. The first slow pulse of an orgasm trapped her breath in her lungs and he pulled his mouth away. She cried out and clenched her inner muscles around his fingers, determined not to lose him entirely.
“I want us to come together.” He crawled on top of her, pushing her nightshirt higher to bare her breasts. “Is that okay with you?”
Before she could answer, his mouth latched on to one of her nipples and her breath escaped in a soft gasp. Sensations spread through her chest and spiraled downward. All her senses seemed focused on the firm suction of his mouth. Her core echoed each pull and tingles raced up and down her spine.
She pushed her hands into his hair, enjoying the silky texture of the strands sliding between her fingers. Drawing her legs up high against his sides, she opened herself, eager for the fullness of their joining.
His body slid upward and he parted her folds with his shaft, but didn’t venture deeper. She tossed her head and bucked her hips. “Stop teasing me.”
“Tell me what you want.” His voice was a sensual growl.
“You. Inside me.”
He raised his head and their gazes locked as he found her entrance then stopped.
“Please.” She hated the plaintive cry in her voice, but he slowly filled her and the pleasure obliterated rational thought. Locking her ankles at the small of his back, she made damn sure he didn’t pull out.
She dragged his mouth down to hers as he began deep yet measured strokes. He rubbed against her as he drove into her, the hair on his chest teasing her sensitive nipples. Catching her hands and interlacing their fingers, he pinned her arms above her head. She wasn’t struggling, wanted this as badly as he did, but it was instinctive for a Therian male to subdue his mate, to demonstrate his strength and ability to protect her.
The thought made her shiver. Was she Ian’s mate? Was she ready to make such a monumental commitment?
She pushed the uncertainty aside and focused on the sensual motion of their bodies.
His mouth hovered over hers. He swooped down from time to time to caress her lips with his, but he was moving too fast to maintain a kiss. His breath was warm and the scent of her pleasure was unmistakable. Acting on instinct, she reared and nipped his lip, wanting him wild with his desire for her.
He responded with a deep, demanding kiss, then rocked back onto his knees and dragged her hips off the bed. He held her suspended above the mattress as he thrust into her willing body. Control. The more control she surrendered the more pleasure it gave him, which in turn excited her.
Staring deep into his eyes, she lowered her mental shields and waited for him to join her.