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"I have an important seven p.m. meeting tonight, Lana. I'll need you to stay to assist me."
I winced. I had made plans to go out with Tara tonight. She was starting to get suspicious about the reason for my leave of absence from work, and I needed to prove that I was alive and kicking. Of course, I couldn't tell her the real reason I'd requested leave, so I just let her assume like most everyone else that the excuse of 'caring for a sick friend'.
She didn't need to know that I'd managed to talk my way into a position with a well-placed and highly profitable Linkon arms-dealer. Nor did they need to know that the reason I'd done so is because Captain Jenna had asked me if I could find an in into this organization. It was said that in addition to selling black-market weapons, they also had gotten their hands on some very high-quality - and very illegal - Protocores. My sensitivity to Protocores, thanks to my Evol, meant that I would be able to determine the quality of them if I could just get close to them.
But I could hardly tell my boss, Mr. Klaus, no. It had taken a month of solid planning and legwork to convince this man that he couldn't live without my services as his executive assistant when his former assistant had abruptly retired. Fortunately for me, the paperwork I had to do for him had nothing on Association reports.
"Yes sir," I said, smiling impersonally at him. "Of course, whatever you need."
His smile was less impersonal, though at least he'd kept his flirtations to lingering looks and the occasional unnecessary touch to my arm or shoulder. "Excellent, my dear. After the meeting, I'll treat you to dinner to make up for the late night."
Boggy ground. "Oh, sir," I smiled, "that isn't necessary. I have food at home."
A hint of steel entered his gaze. "I insist." When I swallowed and nodded, his eyes warmed once more. "After all, we'll also need to celebrate - I have a feeling this meeting will be a huge success for us." I felt uneasy about the glitter in his eyes, and almost felt sorry for whoever he was meeting with. It was clear that whatever the meeting was about, his intentions boded ill for his intended partner.
Or his intended opponent.
"Which files shall I prepare?" I asked, hoping to gain some insight as to what was happening tonight.
He shook his head. "I will have them uploaded to your tablet soon. Right now, I would like you to make certain there is coffee and refreshments. You'll serve us, then stay to take notes as needed." Reaching out, he skimmed his finger along my arm, and I struggled to suppress a shudder. "Don't worry. I have everything I need for this little encounter."
I knew my eyes were blank as I smiled at him. "Of course, sir. I will go check on the refreshments now." I cast a glance at the clock. It was nearly six. I would have just enough time to call Tara and let her know I wouldn't be able to make it.
"Very good, Lana," he said with an absent wave of his hand. "I'll let you know when to bring them in."
I gave him a respectful nod, then turned and hurried off towards the office kitchenette, where we stored the refreshments the partners used for important meetings. Though he hadn't said, I knew that Klaus was expecting me to roll out the red carpet - every time he led a lamb to the slaughter, he'd always insisted on treating them like something special beforehand.
It was that kind of insight that had gotten me this job.
As I selected the coffee and refreshments for an evening meeting, I dialed Tara's number and balanced my phone between my ear and shoulders. "Hey! Kali! Are you ready for tonight?"
"About that…"
I could hear Tara's exasperation. "Not again! Come on, I haven't seen you in weeks. Your friend can't still be that sick." When I said nothing, I heard her sigh in contrition. "I'm sorry, Kali. I know you're worried about them. But I'm worried about you. Even Xavier says you haven't called him."
Xavier didn't know what I was doing any more than Tara did. I'd managed to keep the truth from all of my friends - even, somehow, Sylus. He had texted me a few times at the beginning, but after a couple of weeks of terse replies that had petered off into silence, he'd ceased with only one short message: "I will be waiting."
I could admit, deep in my heart, that it hurt me to know that he was hurt. We'd navigated the tricky road of their relationship towards the first blooms of romance - an outcome I'd never expected to begin with. It had been exponentially complicated by the fact that Sylus was one of the most wanted men in the world - the leader of the global crime syndicate Onychinus.
And damn it, I cared for him, more than I had anyone else in my life. Knowing that he was hurt by my silence made it harder to maintain my cover, and, swallowing, I banished him from my thoughts once more. With luck, I would gain the information I needed soon and could find some way to make it up to him.
The rich scent of coffee stained the air, drawing my mind away from the tall, silver-haired man. With a muttered curse, I began to rummage around in the cabinet, pulling out fancy cookies and creme wafers and arranging them artistically on the plate. Stepping back, I studied the effect and decided that even Rafayel would be proud of me.
With the coffee warming on the hot plate and the cookies carefully covered, I loitered in the kitchenette, knowing that he would summon me when he was ready, and not before. I checked my pocket to make certain that my phone was there; finding it, I settled down again, sitting in one of the chairs and scrolling through Moments posts while I waited for the signal to bring in the refreshments.
I noticed that I had a private message. Swallowing, I clicked on it. It was from Luke, one of Sylus's twin henchmen.
Miss Kal'istae, where are you? The boss is… well. He's being kind of reckless. I'm afraid… I think it's because you're not here, and he doesn't know what to do to make you come back.
"Sylus," I whispered, my heart clenching. If Luke of all people thought Sylus was being reckless, then what was he up to?
I had to finish this mission out, then find some way to make it up to him. Even if it meant groveling.
A ping distracted me and I noticed that my boss had sent the alert telling me to come in. Grabbing the cart with the tea set and cookies, I wheeled it towards his office, knowing that it was there he was meeting with his guest. It spoke volumes as to his guest's importance that he elected to give him such a personal interview.
Standing before the door, I took a deep breath and checked my hair. It was wound around a pair of hair sticks adorned with crows. My fingers slid along those mechanical wings before I dropped my hand away. I had to stop thinking of Sylus. Straightening, I knocked briskly on the door, entering when his voice called me in.
"Ah, there you are, my dear," my boss said, smiling at me. "May I offer you some coffee, Mr. S? Lana has quite the touch with it."
Slowly, my face a frozen smiling mask, I turned towards the man sitting in the other chair. It was only for an instant, barely half a heartbeat, but I saw the shock flicker in Sylus's eyes at the sight of me. "Yes," came the silver-haired man's short reply, and his eyes slid dismissively from me. The hurt speared through my heart, but I struggled to make myself accept his rejection.
I deserved it. I had deceived him.
Silent, I fixed him a cup of coffee. I nearly blew my own cover, but I caught myself before I doctored it the way I knew he took it. "Cream, sugar, milk?" I asked him blandly.
His scarlet eyes stared right through me. "Black," he said, "with just the lightest splash of cream."
He'd told me once I reminded him of how he took his coffee, all dark skin and hair with the unexpected splash of pale, exotic eyes. Then he'd told me, with that slow, sly smirk of his, that I also reminded him of how his coffee made him feel - awake and alive.
"Of course, sir," I said with a false smile, adding just a dab of cream - just enough to bring it to the color of my skin. "Please, enjoy."
He took the cup from me, our fingers brushing. He watched me a moment longer, then turned to face my boss, his expression never shifting an inch. "Now," he said, as if he were picking up on a conversation my entrance had interrupted, "explain to me why I should welcome you into the N109 zone, when your business and mine run in the same directions."
I retreated to my boss's desk, knowing what he would expect next. I perched upon a stool at his side and picked up the tablet he placed before me, turning it on. As he began explaining his ideas to Sylus, I thumbed quickly through the report, familiarizing myself with it.
It seemed he was interested in expanding his arms-dealing into the N109 zone, but even he knew not to risk Sylus's displeasure. Listening with half an ear as the men talked, I skimmed to the end of the report, then shifted to pick up the stylus on the desk in front of me, preparing to take notes.
Sylus's eyes slid to me at my movement and this time, my boss noticed. "Lovely, isn't she?" he asked conversationally.
"No doubt some would find her appealing," the scarlet-eyed man remarked blandly.
Klaus chuckled. "This one suits my tastes quite well."
Things may have progressed in his favor, but he reached out and possessively stroked my thigh. He didn't know Sylus well enough to see the other man's sudden rage, but I did. Deftly, I angled away from his hand, but it was too late.
Concern for my mission warred with pleasure that Sylus at least still cared enough to dislike my being touched by another man.
Disconcerted, I lowered my gaze and concentrated on taking notes as the two men spoke. My concentration was worse than usual, but I think only Sylus noticed. Their discussions went on for over an hour, and I could have told you maybe one thing in ten that was discussed with any detail. I would have to pore over my notes later and hope they told the whole story.
Hope that they might lead me to the supposed Protocores. The sooner I could finish up here, the sooner I could convince Sylus to give me another chance.
"Lana, if you'll wait here, I'm going to escort Mr. S out, then I'll be back and we'll head to dinner." It might still have been salvageable, but he reached out and slid a finger along my jaw. "We have plenty to celebrate."
I didn't need to see Sylus's face to know Klaus's death was written in his scarlet gaze. As my boss turned away, my eyes darted to the silver-haired man, but he was deliberately not looking at me. "… yes, sir," I murmured.
As their figures receded through the door, I stared blindly down at the tablet in my hands. I knew this mission was a wash. Sylus may have forgiven Klaus for trying to get his hooks into the N109 zone. He may even have forgiven him that initial touch.
But when it became clear that Klaus was expecting a certain kind of celebration, he had signed his own death warrant.
Taking a deep breath, I moved to Klaus's computer. His trust in me was great enough that he hadn't bothered to lock it. Grabbing up a thumb drive, I slid it into the slot and began transferring as many files as I could, knowing my time was greatly limited.
I was just in time.
As I snatched the drive out of the computer, I felt a familiar tingling and saw red and black mist begin to wrap itself around me. I grabbed my tablet and closed my eyes as I found myself thrust backwards, smacking my back into the doors leading onto the balcony. They slammed open and I stumbled back into the night.
One moment, I was alone. In the next, Sylus was there, his Evol fading away. "Hold on and don't scream," he told me curtly, picking me up in his arms. I flung my own around his neck and buried my face against his throat, knowing exactly what he had planned.
The wind whistled through my ears as he stepped off of the balcony and we plummeted fifty feet straight down. My shriek of fear was trapped in my throat; I knew he wanted me to let it loose, and I refused to oblige him. His soft hmph managed to sound over the shriek of the wind, and abruptly we were on the ground.
Sylus's knees bent beneath the force of his impact, but his hold on me was rock steady, and I was barely jostled in his grasp. He set me down on the ground, his gentle movements belying his stony expression, then abruptly turned away from me.
Before I could speak, an explosion rocked the night. Looking up, I watched as glass shattered throughout the fifth floor and smoke poured out and found myself grateful that I hadn't left anything personal behind.
"Are you coming?"
Before I could answer, his Evol wrapped around me again and yanked me to his bike, plunking me down on the seat behind him. He twisted and shoved a helmet on my head, his own face already hidden behind his face shield, then revved the engine. I slid my arms around his waist and tucked my head down, holding on as he shot down the street.
When we reached Sylus's mansion, he lifted me from the bike, then strode off. I followed him through the door, closing it behind me. "I-"
He ignored me and continued walking. With no other idea what to do, I followed after him, wrapping my arms around myself in a futile attempt to ward off the chill I felt at his dismissive attitude.
He led me to his bedroom, snorting when I hesitated at the doorway. I stepped in, keeping my eyes trained on the ground, and I didn't see when he moved. Not, I imagine, that I would have regardless.
One moment, I was standing awkwardly in his doorway, the next I found myself pressed against the wall, his body pinning mine, his hand curled under my chin to force my head up to meet his eyes. "Explain," he said curtly.
As it often did when faced with his ire, my own bubbled to the surface. "I was doing my job," I replied flatly. "Why don't you explain why you wrecked my mission in a fit of pique?"
"Fit of pique?" he asked, tasting the word as if they were foreign to him. "I suppose that is one way to describe it. What kind of mission puts you in the hands of a man like that?"
He was so angry. I could see it in his blood-red eyes, I could feel it in the tension that sang through that lean, muscled body. I swallowed, my throat working against the cage of his hand. "We got a tip that he had a cache of illegal Protocores and I was placed to find it," I answered, just a bit breathlessly. "Since I am more sensitive to them, it's easier for me to determine if they're something we need to worry about or not."
He stared down at me. "How often did he put his hands on you?"
I searched his gaze, trying to figure out his thoughts, but neither his eyes nor his expression gave me any ideas. "It was just the occasional touch," I began, then clamped my mouth shut as his hand closed around my throat. "I'd never have let him do anything else," I choked out. "Even if it weren't for you…"
"What about me?"
I stared at him. "I - we…" I trailed off, embarrassed as I felt tears pricking the edges of my eyes. "Only you can touch me that way."
Abruptly he released me, but before I could do more than drop to the floor, he'd picked me up in his arms and strode to a chair, collapsing into it and hauling me into his lap. "That's right," he said harshly, sliding his hands up into my hair. "Do you know what I wanted to do when he put his hand upon you?"
I remembered that murderous flash in his eyes. "Yes."
Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes and leaned in to press his forehead to mine. "It has been a long time since I have lost such control." His indrawn breath was shaky. "I had not gone there with the intention of killing him unless he forced my hand." Beneath his dark lashes, I caught a hint of scarlet. "He forced my hand."
"I'm sorry." The words slipped out before I could catch them. Sylus's eyes opened, a glimmer of surprise in them. But it was true. "I'm sorry," I repeated. "I didn't want to hurt you. That wasn't my intention." He sighed, his breath warm and spicy against my face. "I couldn't tell anyone. Even my co-workers didn't know where I was."
He held my head steady as he rubbed his forehead against mine. "Am I just another co-worker to you?"
"No," I whispered instantly. "No, you're so much more."
Sylus's grip on me shifted until I was cradled against him, his face so close to mine I could feel the heat of his skin, the brush of his lashes on my cheek. "You hurt me. I thought I was past ever being hurt by anyone, but when you brushed me off - it hurt. I didn't like it."
I usually tried to remain cocky with Sylus. Our relationship was one of give and take - we both gave it, and we both took it. But seeing the unhappiness in his eyes, I found I could only give. "I'm sorry," I repeated once more, lifting my hand to cup his cheek. His lips parted, his eyes fluttering closed again. "I never wanted to hurt you. I hated hurting you. It hurt me in return. I just - I was afraid if I told you, you'd try to help me. Or worse, try to stop me."
"You're meddling in things you don't know the depths of, kitten," he murmured, and I closed my eyes as he used his special nickname for me. "That man was only a front, a false face on a far more dangerous foe. The Protocores are real, but they are not in his hands. He only acted as a broker for those who have them."
I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt to whom he referred. "Ever."
"I don't like you messing with Ever alone, kitten," he said, shifting his head to nuzzle against my cheek. "They would do everything in their power to get their hands on you - and on your Aether Core. And I," he whispered, his mouth brushing against the edge of mine, "do not share."
We hadn't yet kissed. I'd wanted to. I knew he wanted to. But something had always held us back from that last display of affection, one that we both knew would spill us into unexplored territory. It was one thing to flirt, another to date. But a kiss…
A kiss was a promise.
It was a promise I wanted to make. I turned my head.
He turned his at the same time.
That first kiss was a mere brush of lips, soft and tender and unexpected. My eyes widened, his narrowed, and we parted briefly. Then, with unspoken agreement, we came together again. He reached up to cradle my face in his hands, holding me steady as he closed his mouth over mine, no longer so soft, no longer so tender, but firm and commanding, demanding my capitulation.
Another time, I knew I would meet him demand for demand. This time, however, overwhelmed with guilt and relief, I capitulated, going lax in his arms and letting him drive the kiss. And drive he did, driving me up until my entire body shivered with need and my skin felt like fire.
When he broke away and rested his forehead against my own, I gasped. "Sylus."
"Kal'istae," he murmured, and, as if drawn by his name, brushed another hot kiss across my mouth. "Only you can drive me to such lengths out of passion rather than necessity."
I knew he meant what had happened earlier today. "If you hadn't killed him, what would you have done?"
His chuckle was rich, like chocolate sin, and wreaked havoc on my nerves. "Toyed with him a while, then cut him off at the knees. I will not let Ever have so much as a centimeter of the N109 zone. It will be a sanctuary for you as nowhere else can be." He slid his fingers along my face. "I will be a sanctuary for you."
"No one and nothing else had ever made me feel so safe," I told him honestly, and smiled at the pleasure in his eyes. Echoing him, I shifted and laid my head on his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to my forehead and stroked my hair. "I don't want to go home."
He hummed softly. "I would say you don't have to, but, kitten…" He waited until I rolled my eyes up to look at him. "You are home."
"Oh," I sighed happily, and nestled into his arms. "That explains it. It's good to be home."
He chuckled. "Welcome home, kitten," he murmured, and kissed me again.
In her office, Captain Jenna, head of UNICORN division, listened again to the audio on the security tape. There were no visuals; nothing to show who had murdered the victim then blown up his offices, destroying all evidence. But they had managed to save the audio - and she had a feeling that was on purpose.
"What are you doing? Wait! No! I'll stay out of the N109 zone!"
"This has nothing to do with your proposal."
"Then what-"
"You touched what is mine, that which I treasure most. I will abide none to lay a hand upon her, whether in anger or avarice, but myself."
"I do- AH!"
The shriek was loud and pain-filled, then shut off like a popped balloon. There was a long stretch of silence, then a long sigh. "Fool." Another long pause, then, faintly, "Hold on and don't scream."
And then silence. No video from the elevator cameras or the other floors had shown anyone exiting the building; whoever had killed Klaus and detonated the strategically placed charges had found another way out.
And Klaus's assistant was missing and presumed dead, caught in the same blast. Only Jenna knew that she was alive and well, if currently off the grid.
She had no proof, but she suspected that she, like the unknown assailant, were in the same place.
The N109 zone.
"Kali, what have you gotten yourself into?" she whispered, curling her fingers into a fist.
But there was no answer.