OnsetofDanger (17 page)

This wasn’t about desire! She gave herself a firm mental
shake and pulled her hand out of his grasp. Others might have left her few
alternatives but she would choose her own life path. “Before we focus on the captives,
there’s something you should know.”

“I’m listening.”

“At least one of the Levari hosts can shapeshift. He took on
my brother’s form the night they kidnapped me. That’s how they lured me away
from the party. I thought he was Garrett.”

“How many Levari did you actually see?”

“The one who looked like Garrett and one other. Actually,
they might have been the same person. He kept referring to the Levari Brethren
but I never saw or heard anyone else.”

“Describe the one you saw.”

“Medium height and build, blond hair. He was on the handsome
side of ordinary, except when he smiled. He had dimples when he smiled and it
made him almost charming.”

“Shit.” Bronik shook his head, clearly upset by what she’d
said.

“Do you know him?”

“Maybe. Desmond, the Levari host who led the mutiny on
Alexi’s ship, perfectly fits that description.”

“So do a lot of other people.” She wasn’t sure why she felt
the need to comfort him but she couldn’t suppress the impulse.

“You’re right.” He scooted closer to her and framed her face
with his hands. “Show me.”

She formed the Levari’s image, trying to remember as many of
the details as she could.

“Fuck.” He dug his phone out of his pocket without further
explanation and quickly placed a call. “Desmond is alive. He shifted into
Garrett’s form the night we escaped. That’s how they got Eloise away from the
party.” He paused as the other person asked a question. “I don’t know. Hold
on.” He looked at Eloise and asked, “Did you see a female? Pretty brunette with
big blue eyes?”

“No. The blond man was the only one I saw.”

“She only saw Desmond.” After another pause, he said, “Will
do.” Then he ended the call and shoved the phone back into his pocket.

“Is this good news or bad?”

“Probably bad, but let’s focus on one thing at a time.”

“All right.” She took a deep breath then released it with a
sigh. “I’m helping with the investigation because experimenting on anyone is
wrong, not because I feel obligated to you.”

His brows arched at the claim and he glanced away from her
face. “If you honestly feel that way, why were you so reluctant to help me
before?”

The question didn’t surprise her, yet it was inaccurate. “If
you care to remember, I couldn’t find out what the project was all about. I
knew they were up to something but
you
told me why the captives are so
important.”

“You’re right. That wasn’t fair.”

His gaze returned to her face and Eloise reinforced her
determination to clarify her position. She would not be a slave to desire, not
even her own. “Our arrangement must be kept separate from the rest of my life.
I offered you my body, not my mind.”

He chuckled, unfazed by her insistence. “I don’t care where
you spend your days as long as your nights are spent with me.”

“Very funny.” Her days were spent in a motionless trance.
His offer was no compromise. “You might command me in the bedroom but my life
is mine the rest of the time.”

“If I’d wanted a mindless slave we wouldn’t be having this
conversation. You’d be naked and on your knees with my cock in your mouth.” He
pivoted toward her, green fire sparking in the depths of his dark eyes. “I
don’t want a mind-slave. I thought I’d made that clear. It’s not just your soft
body that attracts me. I enjoy being challenged both physically and mentally.
You’re strong and stubborn, sassy and bold. I have no desire to break your
spirit.”

It was possible that he was just telling her what she needed
to hear, but she sensed no deceit in him, no hidden agenda. Though muted,
emotions flowed across their link, distinct enough to be deciphered. At the
heart of his possessive passion rested genuine affection. His dominant nature
required him to control their pleasure, but he didn’t want to control her.

She accepted the compromise and decided to see where it led
them. Running from him had certainly proved pointless.

“Let’s see if we can find the captives.” Focusing on an
outward goal would be a welcome change. “What do you need me to do?”

A pleased smile parted his lips as he pulled her onto his
lap and wrapped her legs around his hips. Their faces were on a level now and
she rested her hands on his shoulders. For a breathless moment reality paused
and nothing existed but the warmth of his gaze and the desire pulsing across
their link. She wasn’t sure where the longing began but it soon flowed freely
in both directions.

Slowly leaning in, he brought his mouth toward hers. She
turned her head and his lips brushed her cheek. “I thought this was important,”
she said softly.

“It is.” He straightened, his hands settling on her hips.

He was her sworn protector, not her lover. Theirs was more
of a business alliance than an affair. If she allowed herself to care for him
she was making herself vulnerable. And she was still reeling from Tara’s
violent rejection.

“Close your eyes and picture Garrett. Don’t let me distract
you.”

Her lids drifted shut and she summoned Garrett’s image, saw
his messy blond hair and bright-blue eyes. Her link with Bronik vibrated as his
energy flowed into her mind. Bold and vibrant, his presence never failed to
amaze her. Even Tara paled by comparison.

He encircled Garrett’s image, creating contrast and details
that hadn’t been there a moment before. Strigo hosts were masters of mind
control. This was second nature for him.

Now set him in motion
.
Bring him to life.

Even though she’d grown up at Garrett’s side he was still a
mystery in many ways. He would disappear for nights, sometimes weeks, with no
warning or explanation. She knew he loved to hunt, chose to chase down his
meals far more often than he summoned the household feeders. So she pictured an
alley adjacent to a dark side street. She placed Garrett’s image in the
shadows, waiting, watching for the perfect prey. A lone woman passed, her
collar raised against the evening chill. She hurried along and Garrett fell in
step behind her. He matched his footfalls to hers, stalking her, letting
anticipation build.

Tingling awareness trickled through the image, familiar yet
distinct. Eloise sensed Garrett’s energy, not the likeness she was creating but
his actual being. She threaded through the tendrils, memorizing their cadence
and meticulously matching her pulses to his. She followed the rhythm, allowed
the steady beat to guide her. The rhythm grew steadily stronger until it echoed
through her being like a massive drum.

An outline formed, a shadowy figure against a field of
black. She tried to penetrate the darkness, to make out elements of the
setting, anything that would give her some idea of his location. His rhythm
dimmed as she shifted her focus so she quickly returned all her efforts toward
matching her pattern to his.

I will shield you. Sink deeper into the meld.

A moment of doubt flashed through her mind. She’d never done
anything like this before. What would happen if Garrett sensed her? Could he
trap her being inside his mind or would he simply force her out?

He won’t sense you. I will protect you.

She let Bronik’s assurance ease her anxiety and focused on
the pulse of Garrett’s energy. Lives were on the line. She needed to make this
work. Relaxing into the rhythm, she allowed Garrett’s current to draw her deeper.

His emotions reached her first. Consuming ambition and
ruthless hunger overshadowed a malignant core of bitterness. Much to her
surprise, the hatred seemed to be equally divided between Tara and Strigo
strain. She understood why he resented the rival strain, but why did he hate
Tara?

Refusing to be distracted by the discovery, she eased deeper
into his mind. She heard the distorted drone of conversation and a rumbling
laugh. Light flickered in the distance and she flowed toward the sight, willing
it to reveal something useful.

“Was it necessary to smash the camera?” Garrett sounded
annoyed rather than angry and a sliver of amusement rippled through the meld.

“There’s no way she’ll open up with you watching.”

Jackson! Eloise had heard the second voice often enough to
recognize the smug tone, but when had Garrett acquired Tara’s fuck toy?

“And did she open up? Are we on to phase two already?”

Light slowly dimmed and shapes appeared against the glare.
Garrett was looking at Jackson, assessing him with a critical eye. She knew
what Jackson looked like. She needed to see their surroundings!

Don’t force it. Just go with the flow.

Eloise tried to relax but it was easier said than done.
Looking at Jackson always made her shudder and seethe. He was despicable, loathsome,
even worse than Garrett and that was saying a lot.

Jackson shrugged and ran his hand through his thick dark
hair. “I was only in there for an hour. Even I can’t work that fast. It might
take several days. Do you want me to start on one of the others as well? It
wouldn’t be the first time I’ve
serviced
more than one.”

He was obviously boasting about a sexual conquest, but where
was he? This might not have anything to do with the Rom captives.

Garrett turned and slipped onto a chair facing an elaborate
control panel. “Display cell D-14.” The screen in front of him flickered
briefly then changed from a corridor shot to a small windowless room with
minimal furniture. With its metal bunk and sink-toilet combo, it looked like a
prison cell. What the hell was Garrett doing in a prison?

Awareness jarred Eloise. Garrett had sensed her intrusion!
She released her hold on his mind and let Bronik draw her out. They soared back
across the ink-black void and she emerged from the trance with a gasp.

“Did you see that?” She rubbed her eyes with one hand and
pressed the other over her pounding heart.

Bronik shook his head. “I focused entirely on shielding you.
What did you see?”

“Garrett was using a surveillance system to check on one of
the captives. At least, I presume it was one of the captives. She was in a
prison cell.”

He was silent for a long moment, clearly lost in thought.
“Is it possible that Tara has taken control of a human prison?”

“She would have to control all the guards and other
employees. It would be impossible to replace them all with hosts, but… What
about visitors?” She shook her head. “There are too many risks just to secure a
hiding place for the captives. I must have misunderstood what I saw. It could
have been the secure ward in a hospital or rehab center.”

“That’s a possibility, but the risk of exposure still seems
unacceptably high.”

“Jackson was with him and it sounded as if he’d been trying
to seduce one of the captives. He smashed one of the cameras hoping the female
would ‘open up’ to him.”

“Oh shit. Is Jackson AB positive?”

“I have no idea but I can’t think of any other reason
Garrett would recruit him. Garrett has always thought Jackson is an
opportunistic whore.”

“Who fits the bill better than a skilled pleasure giver when
one is looking to seduce a reluctant female?”

“We have got to find those captives. The last thing this
world needs is for Jackson to reproduce.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Bronik smiled. “We
have another piece of the puzzle. That’s more than we had an hour ago.” He
lifted her off his lap and set her on her feet then stood as well. “At the risk
of insulting our hostess, I think we should go home.”

She splayed her fingers against his bare chest and mirrored
his smile. “I think Caitlyn will understand.”

“Good.” Bronik wrapped his arms around her and flashed them
back to New York.

* * * * *

Caresse knelt in the grass at Desmond’s feet, shaken and
terrified. He had dragged her across the night sky, their smooth incorporeal
progress interrupted by sudden, jarring spurts of teleportation. His Strigo
powers were building like a hurricane. He seemed unconcerned with the random
bursts of uncontrolled power, but she was frightened that they would tear him
apart.

“Are you coming with me or staying here?” His clipped tone
made it obvious he didn’t care which alternative she chose.

She looked at the large house silhouetted in the distance.
Even without much detail, the structure was imposing. It was known as the
château, the headquarters from which Tara Kovac commanded Vladya strain.

“Why are we here?” She pushed to her feet and smoothed her
hair back from her face. She was probably wasting her breath, but she had to
try one last time to make him see reason. “The house is well-guarded and there
is an even larger force in the valley beyond. This is suicide.”

“Do you really think I’m that foolish?” He squared his
shoulders and looked toward the château, a knowing smile curving his lips. “I
would be apprehended before I ever stepped foot on the property. Garrett,
however, will walk past guards without question.”

She watched in stunned awe as transformation rippled across
his body. He grew taller and leaner. The tapering of his torso became more
dramatic. Desmond’s hair lightened and curled, his cheekbones became more
pronounced, his jawline grew firmer. In less than a second his true shape was
replaced by Garrett’s perfect likeness. He’d used Garrett’s shape once before,
when he’d assisted with Eloise’s kidnapping. The Levari Brethren had provided
Desmond with a sample of Garrett’s DNA and once scanned into memory, any shape
could be accessed by Desmond again and again.

“Pretending I’ve apprehended you will give Garrett a reason
for returning, but I’ll not have you second-guessing every move I make.”