Caught in Amber (21 page)

The idea that his own sister would turn him over to the drug dealer hit like a point-blank stunner blast to the chest. She had to know what that would mean. He was prepared for her being caught in amber, but was she
that
lost to Sterling and their family?

Sasha stepped in front of Kylie and wrapped her hands around his sister’s upper arms. Her fingers dug into the bare flesh. The glare she gave Kylie stopped the rant Sterling was about to launch. Her gray eyes blazed and the color on her cheeks was high.

“You shut up,” she told Kylie in a harsh whisper. “You shut up and say nothing to anyone about Nathan.” She shook Kylie when his sister tried to back away. “If anyone figures out who he is, I’m gonna blame
you
. I’ll tell Guy you knew about us all along. Understand?”

Sterling’s breath caught. Kylie stared at Sasha, stunned by her ferocity.

She wasn’t bluffing; he could read that plainly enough. He hadn’t wanted to scare Kylie into coming with them, but if that’s what it took to save her, that’s what it took.

“He’ll kill us all,” Kylie said. At least she realized how dangerous Christiansen was, but was it enough?

“Do. You. Under. Stand?” Sasha repeated, shaking Kylie’s arms with each syllable.

Kylie nodded. “You’re hurting me.”

Sasha loosened her hold but didn’t let go.

Sterling finally got his feet to move. “Come on.”

They started toward the foyer, a more subdued Kylie guided by Sasha as he led the way. His heart raced. They had her. Thank God, they had her. Now they just needed to get to the car.

“Nate,” Christiansen called out behind them. “I see you’ve met my favorite girl.”

Chapter Fifteen

Sasha, Sterling and Kylie turned around. Guy and Genevieve walked toward them. Genevieve’s gaze fell to Sasha’s hand clutching Kylie’s arm. She let her go and met the blonde’s eyes. Genevieve’s face revealed nothing when she looked at each of them in turn. What would she report to Guy?

“I literally ran into them here in the hall,” Sterling said with a chuckle. “Sasha introduced me to Kylie.”

Guy draped his arm over Sasha’s shoulder, and she forced herself not to fidget under the weight. Sterling’s eyes burned into her at Guy’s gesture, and her cheeks heated. Surely he didn’t think she welcomed the touch.

“She’s part of my PR department. It never hurts to have a few pretty women around when dealing with a bunch of crusty old businessmen.”

Sterling and Guy both laughed, but tension accentuated the scar across Sterling’s forehead. He played his role well, fooled a lot of people into thinking he was something he wasn’t. But he’d never tried to be anything but himself with her, had he?

“Why don’t you two ladies join us for lunch?” Guy patted her arm and guided Sasha toward the dining room.

Sasha glanced at Sterling and Kylie as she passed. The laugh lines on his face had become frown lines. Kylie’s head tilted down, but Sasha read the misery in the sag of her shoulders. At least she was willing to keep her mouth shut. For now.

Damn him. She should have known Sterling would barge in sooner or later, should have expected it, white knight that he was. Her heart still raced from the rush she’d experienced when they’d bumped into each other—the fire of determination in his eyes, the confident square of his shoulders. For a moment, when their gazes met, she’d almost believed he’d come for her.

Stupid girl, of course he had. For you and Kylie.

They’d been so close to getting out. She swallowed her impatient frustration and focused on keeping her face neutral.

Behind Sterling and Kylie, Genevieve Caine’s brown eyes met Sasha’s again. The woman wore an indefinable expression, nothing to show she thought anything was amiss. But Sasha knew better than to underestimate her.

Lunch was served in the same area of the dining room, where Sasha had coffee with Guy just hours before. Throughout the meal, Guy and Sterling chatted like old friends, while she and Kylie barely glanced up from their plates. Sterling didn’t acknowledge her as they ate. Though to be fair, she didn’t feel like talking to him either.

Had Sterling come to get Kylie himself because he thought she’d back out? Because of earlier that morning?

It took every gram of willpower not to ask him what the hell brought him to Guy’s
now
. But she couldn’t even risk looking at him, afraid everything would be there on her face for all to see. Guy would know she and Sterling slept together, that they had no intention of partnering with him. Sterling would know she was scared and confused, that he had the power to do that to her.

Sasha’s hand trembled as she raised a glass to her lips, sloshing water onto the white linen tablecloth. She set the heavy crystal down as quickly as she could. Did anyone notice? Guy and Sterling were in deep conversation and Kylie stared at her uneaten food. Sasha laid her hands on her lap and clasped them together. A headache started at the back of her skull.

“What do you think, Sasha?”

She raised her head, looking at Guy and Sterling. What did she think about what? Her mind raced as she tried to recall the last few minutes of conversation. Something about transportation schedules?

Sterling spoke, saving her. “We’ve tossed around the idea of recruiting at other sites once we got Kettrick established.”

“Right,” she managed to say around her suddenly dry mouth. They hadn’t been discussing transportation at all. God, she needed a drink of water, but the way her hands shook now she’d never get the glass to her lips. “It could...um...open up a whole new revenue path.”

The adrenaline rush and bravado that prompted her to threaten Kylie, that had allowed her to ignore Sterling when she saw him in the hall, was ebbing. Her restless night and the strain of it all were catching up to her.

She set her elbow on the table and rubbed her forehead. Beads of sweat formed at her hairline, yet her body felt chilled.

“Sasha, are you all right?” Sterling asked. “You look pale.”

The concern in his eyes made her conviction waver. It was the same look he’d had in her flat, when she’d told him to get out after spending the morning in her bed. The one that had her believing he had feelings for her. She’d convinced herself she didn’t need his concern or his affection.

You need it and you want it. And you
know
he was being sincere this morning.
Yes, she did. And that just made everything worse, didn’t it?

“I’m fine,” she said, turning from him and smiling at Guy. “I just need a little sleep.”

Sterling frowned.

Guy glanced between the two of them then gave her his own look of concern. “Maybe you should rest rather than go shopping this afternoon,” he suggested.

“I’m fine,” she said through gritted teeth.

Guy stiffened at her tone, but she didn’t care if she upset him. He didn’t care about
her,
only about owning her.

What little she ate for lunch threatened to come back up. Sasha dug her fingers into her thighs as the tremors became worse. The ache in her head pulsed in time with her heart.

Kylie’s hand touched her arm. “Sasha?”

Sasha looked up into her eyes, finding the same concern she’d seen in Sterling. She’d threatened Kylie less than an hour ago and there she was, worried about Sasha. How was that possible? How could the girl forgive so easily?

“I’m fine!” Sasha stood quickly, knocking her chair back with a crash.

Kylie snatched her hand away, and both men’s eyes widened.

She swayed, lightheaded. “I have to—”

The room tilted sharply to the right, disrupting her thoughts. From far away, she heard Sterling call her name as everything went black.

* * *

Sterling jumped out of his chair as Sasha collapsed. His hip cracked onto the table, rattling silver and crystal, but he caught her just before her head hit the floor. He laid her gently on the rich blue carpet, noting her paler-than-usual complexion and the beads of perspiration on her forehead as he kneeled beside her. He felt her cheek with the back of his hand, expecting a fever, but found her skin cool.

Christiansen came around the table and crouched down on the other side of Sasha. He lifted one of her limp hands as Sterling checked her pulse. “What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t know.” His response was gruff with worry for Sasha and rising anger at Christiansen. Somehow, he knew, this was the drug dealer’s fault. “Her heart is racing.”

Christiansen shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over Sasha. He reached into his trouser pocket. “I’ll call a medic.”

“No,” Sasha said, her voice weak. Her eyes fluttered opened. “No medics. I just fainted.”

She tried to rise, but Sterling laid his hand on her shoulder. “Stay put. No one just faints for no reason.”

Sasha pushed his hand away with more force than he’d expected. He and Christiansen helped her sit up. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine.” Christiansen sat back on his heels and withdrew his comm. “I’m calling a medic.”

Sasha grabbed his arm. “Don’t. They’ll have to file a report. I can’t—” She closed her eyes, a pained expression on her face.

The chip. If Sasha was tended by a medic, the incident would be put in the system. It would associate her with Christiansen, a black mark in the eyes of the Corrections Department that could get her parole revoked and immediately remanded. Even Sterling’s testimony about her helping him might not counter that.

Sterling leaned closer to her. “Don’t worry about any report. We’ll take care of it. If you’re sick, you’re sick.”

Her eyes opened slowly, and she looked at him with such misery that he fought the urge to take her in his arms and comfort her right there in front of Christiansen. “I’m not sick.”

“It might have been the amber,” Kylie said from the table.

The air seemed to leave the room and his chest tightened. Sasha’s face paled. He knew it was a risk—they both knew it—when this started, but she’d been so determined to stay clean. Dealing with Christiansen, then being together this morning, had been too much for her.

And that was Sterling’s fault.

“Sasha.” He started to apologize, but the words lodged in his throat.

“I didn’t, Nathan. I swear.” Her gray eyes begged him to believe her, to believe that she’d been strong enough to resist the allure of the drug. “I swear.”

He did believe her, believed she’d held fast, because
that
was who she was. The band that seemed to be around him loosened and he nodded.

Shock then wonder lit her gaze as she saw it in his eyes. She was more than a means to an end for him. He was there for her as well as for Kylie, and he always would be.

A hint of a smile curved her lips. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, bury his face in her hair, tell her—tell her what?

Cold reason rolled over him. This wasn’t the time or place.

“Where did she get amber?” Christiansen demanded, either not hearing or not believing Sasha’s denial. He rose, slammed his palm on the table and took a step toward Kylie. Sterling started to rise to keep the bastard away from his sister, but Christiansen stayed put, his face red with anger. “Did you give it to her?”

“No.” Kylie’s eyes widened as she shrank back. “B-but I have some in my room. The box I keep it in was moved and I thought she probably—”

“I didn’t take the amber,” Sasha said louder. She drew in a breath and released it in a slow, shaky exhalation as she looked up at Sterling. “I’m just...tired.” She held his gaze for a moment then looked away, blushing.

Sterling’s chest ached like he’d been punched. She wasn’t tired. She was stressed. Because of what he’d had her do. Because of him and their relationship.
That’s
why she’d thrown him out of her flat. Sasha was scared of him and what this morning meant. But now was not the time to tell her how he felt.

“Oh. Good,” Kylie said, relieved. “Because if you wanted some, I would have warned you it was a potent batch. Marco told me to be careful.”

Sterling felt his entire body go cold. Potent batch? The new formula Natalia had warned him about. And Delhomme was giving it away to his sister? He’d kill the bastard. First, he needed to get Kylie and Sasha away from here.

Sterling slid his hand beneath his trouser leg and fingered the quick-release of his ankle holster. He palmed the stunner.

“Marco?” Christiansen roared. Kylie and Sasha both flinched. “Marco gave it to you?”

“Y-yes,” Kylie said. Was this her first real taste of Christiansen’s anger? “He told me it was special.”

The drug dealer’s lips curled in a silent snarl. “I’ll deal with him later.” He turned toward Sterling and Sasha. “Let’s get her upstairs.”

“I think she needs fresh air.” Sterling moved his hand with the stunner to his side. “Can you walk?” he asked Sasha.

“I’m fine,” she said. She started to rise, but he held her arm. Sasha gave him a questioning look.

“Good,” Sterling said as he stood and pointed the stunner at Christiansen.

The drug dealer’s eyes widened, realizing what was in Sterling’s hand just before Sterling pressed the firing stud. The bolt threw him against the table, knocking over silver, plates and glasses in a clatter that could probably be heard throughout the house. Food splattered against the white wall and carpet. He landed on the floor in a heap.

Kylie yelped and leaped back, covering her mouth with her steepled fingers.

“We’re leaving,” Sterling said as he reached down for Sasha’s hand. He helped her to her feet and gave her a quick once-over. She was still pale but seemed steady enough.

Sasha glanced at Christiansen. “Is he dead?”

“No, but we won’t have much time.” Sterling gently squeezed her fingers.

Sasha stared down at their entwined hands then up into his eyes. After a moment, she smiled and squeezed back.

He nodded. “Let’s get out of here.”

They turned to Kylie.

“Are you with us, sis?” Her eyes flicked between Christiansen and the stunner in Sterling’s hand. He slipped the gun into his pocket. “Kylie. Are you with us?”

She looked up at him, fearful and confused. “I just wanted to have fun, Nate. I like being here, being with the others and working for Guy. And the amber makes me feel so...so...”

“Alive,” Sasha finished for her.

“Yes,” she whispered.

Sterling’s heart sank. She’d only been with Christiansen for a short time and was as caught in amber as a veteran addict. Was it because of the new formula? His gut quivered when he thought about how close she had come to dying. It was pure luck she hadn’t had a reaction like some of the slags Hallowell mentioned.

He laid his hands on her thin shoulders, not a CMA agent now but a big brother who wanted his baby sister back. “It’s all a lie. Ask Sasha—she’ll tell you what this world is really like.”

Beside him, Sasha reached out for Kylie’s hand. “Come with us. We’ll get you the help you need.”

Kylie stared down at her feet. “Mom and Dad will be so mad at me.” Her voice had held the same ashamed tone when she’d broken a lamp at ten years old.

“I’ll talk to them with you,” he said, giving her shoulders a light squeeze. “Just come home.” She raised her head and met Sterling’s eyes. “Please.” Finally she nodded, and relief washed through him. “Good.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Both of you stay here for a second.”

Sterling palmed his stunner again and checked the hall. No one. Maybe Christiansen’s body crashing into the table hadn’t been as loud as it seemed. And thankfully his staff was trained to leave him alone unless called. Except for Genevieve Caine, who seemed to have free run of the house. She and Delhomme were the ones he worried about the most. Too bad the dining room didn’t have a door that closed.

“Fix the table and chairs best you can,” he told the women. “I’ll move Christiansen out of the line of sight.” Sterling grabbed the man under the arms and dragged him around the corner of the L so he wouldn’t be visible from the doorway, while Sasha and Kylie straightened the furniture and table setting. It was the best they could do in the time they had, which wasn’t much.