Hatch went off in one of his tirades. His temper exploded. “How the hell is she supposed to help you? I trusted you and you deceived us into coming here. She thought this was a pleasure cruise. Now some evil fiend will be coming for her and she won’t even know who he is. This is bloody insane, man. No! I am not letting you ask her to do this! No bloody way! No! No! No!”
He stomped out and slammed the door so hard the walls shook. Raef followed him, trying to calm him down. Their friends dispersed while shaking their heads.
“You really went over the edge this time, buddy,” Perry said, giving Ian a friendly pat on the back. “Get a grip and move on.”
Flame remained seated on the couch, feeling shell-shocked yet compelled. “Better pour me another drink, Ian.”
“I’m sorry, love. But my biker group has been on this for a long time. We need your help if we are to restore safety to the night and stop this creature.”
Flame swallowed the rum, relishing the warm sensation it delivered. “Why here? Why are they in the states?”
“To avoid the Sai—very few people here wield a Sai. The Satellite is cunning. He and his creepers made their home here, but nobody wants to admit there’s a problem. They think as Hatch does, just unruly creeps at night.”
Flame processed the information, now understanding why her sisterhood chose to remain hidden. If the Satellite knew of them, they would not be safe. “Does the Satellite have a weakness, anything that might help me recognize him?”
Her calm response clearly impressed Ian. He sat down beside her. “Yeah, he has a weakness, only one. And he keeps it well hidden. However, one woman did discover it.”
“Why didn’t she kill him then?”
“She wasn’t a sisterhood warrior so she had no power against him. Typically, the Satellite does not kill. He leaves the dirty work to his crew. Once he takes a woman, he also gains control of her mind. The Satellite is exceedingly powerful. Each time he mates, his capabilities grow stronger.”
“You learned all of this in Asia?”
“It has taken me
years
to put this all together and a
ton
of research.”
“You do sound a bit obsessed.”
“I am.”
“Did this woman tell anyone what she’d uncovered?”
Ian gave a slight nod. “After he used her body to empower his evil soul, he sent her back to her husband. About eight months later the Satellite discovered that she knew about his one vulnerability and he willed her to die. She told her husband about his weakness just before she died.” Deep emotion filled his eyes.
“So why didn’t her husband tell someone?”
“What good would it do him to tell someone who couldn’t help? He has been waiting a long time for the right woman. A sisterhood warrior who fights with Sai daggers…” He paused, his expression deepened. “I’ve been waiting for someone like you.”
Speechless, Flame just stared at him in shock.
Ian’s voice was laden with emotion. “That’s why Cassie is in Asia with her family. Once I learned of her pregnancy, I didn’t want to take the chance of losing another woman. I think that is why she kept it hidden as long as possible. The Satellite prides himself on taking women who are committed to another mate. Cassie and I are planning to marry one day, just haven’t made an official engagement yet. I couldn’t risk the life of my unborn child, so I sent her to live with her parents until we kill the bastard.”
“I’m so sorry, Ian, so very sorry for your loss.”
She recalled the day she and Hatch had shopped with Ian and Cassie. His girlfriend was sweet and very beautiful, with eyes like rain, lovely olive skin and a long black braid down her slender back. Cassie was very down to earth. Flame had liked her straight off.
“When you saw me fight in New York, that’s when you came up with this plan, isn’t it?” Their eyes locked for several moments as they exchanged thoughts. He didn’t answer, and didn’t need to. They both knew she was right.
“I need to think this through.”
“I understand.” He took her hand. “How about we go out back and join the others for a swim?”
Chapter Four
Hatch stood on the balcony, watching waves crash upon the shore. While sipping a drink, his thoughts scrambled to make sense of what Ian said. Even worse, what Ian wanted Flame to do.
“Hey…” Flame’s voice was soft as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Why aren’t you swimming with your friends?”
“Needed to clear my head.” Hatch rested his face against her hair, holding her tight. “Baby, please don’t do this. I don’t want to lose you.”
“We need to talk. Why didn’t you tell me about Ian’s late wife?”
“He told you, huh? He never told me the details. All I knew is that she was pregnant and her death had something to do with the baby. Something went wrong and he lost them both.”
“He didn’t tell me she was with child.” Flame felt another wave of sorrow over Ian’s devastating loss.
“Yeah, eight and a half months along. Ian never got past it. This strange obsession with ghosts and such is probably his way of coping.”
“Oh my…that is so tragic. I can’t imagine what he felt. Did you know the Satellite had mated with her?”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, and he willed her to die because he found out—”
“See? This is what I’m talking about, Ian is trying to deal with his loss by creating answers to the big question we all ask when life takes someone too soon.
Why
? She was perfectly healthy and so was the baby. It was an accident of nature. Now he’s probably terrified the same thing will happen to Cassie so he’s started up with this shit again.”
“That’s harsh. And yes, he is worried about Cassie. Aren’t you even curious about what his wife knew?”
“Not really, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.” He let out a dry laugh.
A fiery look flashed in her eyes. “The Satellite has one weakness and his wife figured it out.”
“What weakness?”
“How to recognize him—Ian’s wife told him before she died. He has been waiting for the right person to give that crucial information to.”
He swung away, staring back into the distance. “And he thinks
you
are that person?”
She touched his arm lightly. “I
am
that person.”
Hatch turned and pulled her into a strong embrace. His heart was heavy and angry that Ian would do this. Still, he supposed he would do the same thing if the situation were reversed. He thought back to the unbearable grief Ian suffered at the loss of his first wife. He’d nearly lost his friend to alcohol and drugs. He’d had to move in with Ian and help him through the dreadful tragedy.
Then most recently, Ian did not hesitate to call upon his biker friends and help rescue Flame from Von.
How can I deny helping a good friend?
They had been there for each other through thick and thin. Hatch had never been weak or fearful. He could not let insecurity prevail.
“You really believe all this craziness about some supernatural fiend?”
“Yeah…I do.”
“And you’re the only one who can help?”
Flame’s expression softened. “It seems so. My supreme ruler told me I’d face a serious mission.”
“What are you asking of me?”
“To accept who I am.” Mystery shimmered in her eyes. Any time she spoke of battles, an intriguing spark shone in those lovely depths of ocean blue.
He relented with a nod. They strolled down to the pool and found Ian and Raef hunkered around a small table, engaged in private conversation. Hatch put his hand on Ian’s shoulder and sat down beside him.
“Why didn’t you tell me about your wife and the Satellite?”
“You wouldn’t have believed me. Besides, I couldn’t risk anyone’s life. I had to wait for the right woman. Honestly, Hatch, I never thought the one I needed would be your fiancée. I am so sorry.” Ian seemed sincere.
“So tell us, how do we recognize the Satellite? Flame said you know.”
“You’ll help us?”
“While I don’t entirely buy into this supernatural malarkey, I can’t deny you if Flame feels there’s merit to this tale. You called your biker buddies out to help me without delay. The least I can do is support you while you sort through this ordeal.”
“Thanks, mate.” Ian leaned forward and spoke almost inaudibly. “There is only one way to recognize the Satellite, and it’s very difficult to catch him with his guard down. Once he decides who the woman will be, he leaves footprints of fire just before he intends to mate…and only
she
can see them. By the time she notices the odd prints, it’s too late. He has her under his spell and seduces her before she can get away.”
Flame appeared to drift into meditative thought as the three men discussed the best plan of action. Ian assured Hatch that he’d enlist his entire biker group to protect her. He told him about the rest of his gang, Citizen Soldiers. Hatch listened to details about their attempts to subdue the creepers and hunt down this so-called
Satellite
.
“Coop,” Ian said referring to the head of his gang, “is an unshakable leader. The power struggle between him and Von nearly split the group. When Von hooked up with the Black Pythons, the others remained loyal to Coop.”
“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the Pythons are setting you up as payback? These
creepers
…could be staged to psyche you out.”
Ian shook his head. “You’d be calling my late wife a liar to make such a claim.”
“Is it possible that she was delirious with grief over losing the baby and had a hallucination? What if this entire madness is nothing more than a grief-stricken delusion?”
Ian slammed his fist down on the table. “Everything I uncovered about the Satellite and his crew since I met Cassie lines up with what Nelle told me before she died. She wasn’t out of her mind. Her condition had stabilized after she lost our baby, but then suddenly took a turn, as if an unseen force took control right after she revealed the truth.”
Flame jumped, obviously startled from her deep thought by Ian’s response.
“No need to get angry,” Hatch said. “I’m simply trying to cover all possibilities before sending my woman on a wild goose chase. This isn’t what I had in mind for vacation and I hadn’t planned on staying more than a week.”
“I have done nothing but live with this fiend and his miscreants in my head for the past five years. At least Flame is wise enough to consider what I’ve uncovered. I didn’t even believe a secret society of warrior women existed, but look…here she is. So if the books and the old man were right about that, I have no reason to doubt their accounts about everything else.”
Hatch shrugged and sighed. “All right, calm down. I said I’d help. So what next?”
“Like I said, the creepers have seen her. We will use Flame as bait to draw out their leader. Our men will be everywhere to assist her as needed should any decide to attack. The Satellite will reveal himself eventually and when he does, Flame will have to take him on alone. She can light one of those daggers and drive it through his evil heart.”
“And just how is she supposed to get close enough to accomplish that?”
“That is where her sisterhood training comes into play. Only a woman of her stature possesses enough discipline to resist his seduction long enough to see the fiery footprints and still take action. Ordinary women just don’t stand a chance.”
“I’m not letting her enter a game of seduction! You’ll have to find another way.”
Flame finally entered the conversation. “The decision is not yours to make,” she said in eerie calmness. “I’ve listened carefully to everything said over the past couple hours. I’ve considered the risks and searched my soul. This is the mission my ruler spoke of. I cannot back down.”
Hatch blinked in surprise. “You’d go against my wishes?”
“I’m sorry, but you don’t know everything. Some people are more in tune to the spiritual realm than others. You’re going to have to trust me.”
He stared in disbelief. Sweat broke out on his skin as he tried to control his rising ire. “What exactly happened during your visit to that secret village of yours? You’ve changed during our trip.”
“I cannot speak of matters concerning my sisterhood.” She stood up and began to peel off her clothes. “I’m going for a swim. I’ve been in these clothes all day, you coming?”
He glanced at Ian, then at Raef who had been unusually silent for the most part. They shrugged in unison.
“She never was shy,” Raef teased. “I think I’ll join her.”
“Guess I better go for a dip, too. You’re not skinny dipping alone with my woman.”
Raef laughed. “I won’t be alone with her. Look around. Everyone is naked and in the pool except us.”
Hatch watched Flame dive into the deep end. Her body glided like silk rippling in the breeze as she moved through the clear water. Her natural beauty lacked nothing in comparison to the other women. They were thinner but most of them had fake breasts and other work done to fight the effects of age. Flame carried herself with supreme confidence among her peers, unfazed by the Hollywood beauties around her.
He kept a close eye on Raef as he swam toward Flame. She turned and splashed playfully at him. He grabbed her waist then took her under water. Hatch stripped then jumped into the water after them.
“So you decided to be brave and join us, huh?” She laughed joyfully upon coming up for air.
Raef surfaced beside her. “You needed cooling off.” He smirked. “You’re way too uptight these days, old boy.”
“Don’t mistake my mature character for lack of stamina. I could outride you any day, you
and
that pack of old goats if I wanted to. I’m not much older than you, I just act my age.”
“No such thing.” Raef dipped below the surface again and took Flame with him.
Hatch swam under to keep an eye on them. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her back up. She laughed before dunking him. The three of them frolicked in the water for several minutes trying to dunk each other.
At last Flame came up, gasping for breath with a bright smile on her face. “All this testosterone is squelching my fun. I have a way to settle it.”