A flare of irritation in Stars eyes. One that held an edge of cruelty. Here was the boy from the streets. The boy suspected of selling organs on the black market. The boy with the skills to peel flesh from bones.
You are angry with me, Mr. Blue, when there is no reason to be.
No reason to be? Are you kidding me? You bombed my boss and closest friends. And oh, yeah. Me.
You and your friends were simply collateral damage. Michael Blacks former assistant, Monica Gains, came to me. She said Mr. Black was a government agent and he was looking into seventeen disappearances now linked to my name. I was surprised, I admit. I considered Mr. Black an excellent business rival, but nothing more. She said we could help each other.
Michael had been right.
I rarely ask my associates for motive, but in her case, since I would be attacking the New World Order, I made an exception. Seems she had gotten herself into terrible debt, but your precious Michael wouldnt help her. Instead, he made things worse by taking away her only source of income. And after all her years of dedicated service. Shameful.
In his business, trust was everything, and Monica broke it. So, when detonation day came, my friends and I were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Exactly.
But you decided to take advantage of the situation anyway. You sold one and took the Rakan.
Star merely blinked, curious. What makes you think your friend survived the blast?
So much for not pretending. Ive seen the sketches. I know what youre using him for, and I will not rest until hes home safe.
Star peered at him for a long while, silent, unaffected. If I was worried about your involvement, Mr. Blue, you would be dead right now. But nothing Ive told you can be proven, nor was it something you hadnt already figured out on your own. Ive taken every possible measure to protect my investment, as well as myself.
Youre not infallible.
Agree to disagree. Because, you see, Mr. Blue, if I die, your friend dies. Im the only one who knows where he is. Without me, he will starve.
Blue bit the side of his tongue until he tasted blood.
Try to take my children to offer in trade, and youll find your friends parts sold at auction. An arm here, a leg there.
You would be condemning your children to death.
And I would grieve, despise you, and do everything within my ability to secure my revenge, but I wouldnt be behind bars, and thats what would matter most.
How was Blue supposed to deal with a man this coldhearted?
Speaking of my children, Tyson called me just before you arrived. He lives at the Star Light Hotel and he took Miss Black to his suite. He caught her snooping, making him wonder at her involvement in all of this. Hes determined to punish herStar lifted a pyre-gunand youre going to be blamed.
Twenty-two
EVIE MADE SEVERAL BLUNDERS. She had used the aphrodisiac on Tyson, and he had respondedjust not the way she hoped. Lust had mutated into aggression, and hed threatened to obliterate Blue, his need to protect his sister from the playboy far surpassing his need for sexual release.
Where shed once thought the guy might have beaten Tiffany, she now knew otherwise. He worshipped the girl.
So, to counteract the aggression, Evie had used a small dose of the sedative.
She should have used more, but she hadnt wanted Tyson to (1) pass out on the roof before she could convince him to take her to his room, or (2) fall asleep the moment they reached his room, ruining any kind of interrogation.
Two guards had taken her purse before allowing her past Tysons door, and she had been unable to think of an excuse to grab her pen. Then Tyson had fallen asleep when they got inside, and she should have realized it wasnt a deep sleep, that with as small a dose as hed had, he would wake up very quickly. Instead, she had used the time to paw through his things. He woke up, realized he had been drugged, and found her in his office. There was no talking her way out of the precarious situation.
Hands in the air, she walked around the desk.
He kept a pyre-gun trained on her. Thats close enough. He nodded to the pile of paperwork shed just dropped. Did you find anything interesting?
Actually, yes. Confirmation of a drug habit he hadnt kicked (paraphernalia) and confirmation that the Golden Sunrise clothing line was set to debut in two weeks (invitations).
Finally, nothing to say. His eyes narrowed on her. You are a beautiful woman, Miss Black, and the time we spent on the roof made me question my decision to use you to draw out your father. But you have proved you are just like the man, and that means you must be eliminated.
She smiled sweetly and inched a little closer to him. Being compared to Michael Black is a compliment. But you are just like Gregory Star, and that isnt.
His nostrils flared. It is.
Please. It wasnt, and they both knew it.
A little closer . . . What do you have against Michael, anyway?
He was going to try and lock my father awayor have him killed. Star Industries would have suffered. My inheritance would have suffered. My sister and I have endured too much to lose everything now.
Just a little closer . . . Well, Evie said, unwilling to feel sorry for him for whatever hed endured at the hands of Gregory Star, lets see what I can do. She kicked out her leg and batted his shooting hand. Instinctively he squeezed the trigger, but with the motion he missed her and the bright laser stream blazed through the wall.
He was startled, unprepared, and Evie was able to slam her palm into his nose, spin to his side, and elbow him in the back of the head. He fell to his knees, hissing in pain.
She reached for the gun he still held, intending to wrench it from his griponly to hear a familiar click. She froze.
Thats right, little girl. The harsh voice came from the doorway. No sudden movements.
She glanced over, saw one of the guards whod been posted at the front door pointing a gun at her heart, and two other men standing behind him.
Tyson shoved her away and lurched to his feet. His eyes sizzled with fury, and blood leaked from his nose. Tie her, he said nasally.
The pyre-gun remained trained on her as the other two guards closed the distance. Her arms were bound behind her back with laser cuffs. Prickles of fear ignited in her chest, and her blood flashed cold.
Have the guests left? Tyson asked.
Yes, sir.
Then lets take her to the roof.
They were going to push her off, werent they?
Evie struggled against her captors as she was escorted out of the suite and toward a private elevator.
Go ahead. Scream, Tyson said. No one will hear you.
The group entered the elevator and the doors closed, sealing them inside. She mentally calculated the odds of a successful escape. If she knocked out the guy on her left with a head butt, and closed the throat of the guy on her right with a swift kick, that would leave the one with the gun and Tyson. She would be shot before she got to either male.
Thing was, that wasnt any worse than what awaited her on the roof. So. She did it. Head butt. Guy moaned. Swift kick. Guy went down.
Except she wasnt shot. She was pistol-whipped on the side of the head. Sharp pain slashed through her, and stars winked through her line of vision.
The two guys shed downed scowled as they stood, and when the doors opened, they roughly hauled her forward. Any hope that a guest had lingered evaporated. The entire area was deserted. Empty glasses littered the tables, and plates of half-eaten food waited on the ground. Floats drifted across the surface of the pool.
Tyson faced her, murder gleaming in his ice-cold eyes. Heres what is going to happen, Miss Black. I have no taste for death, so I will be leaving you. These fine gentlemen are going to tie you to a chair and throw you in the pool. You will drown, and Im sure it will be most painful. Then, when you are dead, they will remove the chair and the cuffs and throw you back in. Tomorrow morning, when the staff comes to clean, you will be found. Corbin Blue will be in the very chair we take from you, his brains splattered all over the stone. A tragic murder-suicide the world will never forget.
Dont panic. A slight problem with your plan. Over a hundred people saw you leave with me.
And thats what sent Mr. Blue into a rage. Thats why he punched me, knocked me out, and dragged you away.
But he left with your sister.
Only to make you jealous. But as Tiffany will later recount, he ranted and raved about you, the rage getting stronger and stronger until he abandoned her with every intention of finding you.
Keep trying. Do you really want my murder linked to your name?
No, but it will be a small price to pay to be rid of you.
Gah! Youll never be able to capture Blue.
His smile was all kinds of evil. Its already done. He nodded to the men before turning and striding away.
As she bucked and kicked, she was dragged to a chair. Though she landed a few decent blows, the men were eventually able to force her to sit. And when the cuffs were hooked to the back of the chair, she had to cease all movement. To continue fighting was to lose both of her hands.
Do you want your hands or your life?
In a few minutes she might not be able to have both.
The chair was lifted and carried to the water. Her fear returned, making her tremble.
How much is he paying you, she rushed out. Because Ill triple it.
Sometimes its not about the money, one of them replied. Sometimes its just about the fun.
She was dumped into the pool, face-first.
The chair was metal, and heavy, and she sank fast, the chemically laced water stinging her eyes, filling her ears. The fear magnified, and panic threatened to overtake her. Calm. Stay calm. Think!
She kicked her legs until she flipped the chair to an upright position. She knew the men were still up there, watching, because she could see their shadows through the surface of the water and the strands of dark hair floating in front of her face.
Cant let them stop you. She angled her body forward so that she could stand, then walked toward the steps, the chair like a tortoise shell. If she could just reach the steps, she could climb out of the pool and breathe.
Theyll just throw you back in.
Yes, but she would have more time, giving Blue a chance to find her. She knew he would. Knew he hadnt been captured. He was too strong, too smart. Too determined.
But all too soon, her lungs began to burn, burn so bad, and that burn spread to the center of her chest, then to her throat and nose. Darkness descended like a curtain over her eyes. Where were the steps? She couldnt see the freaking steps!
Desperate, Evie kicked and pulled at her arms. So shed lose her hands. So what. Breathe, have to breathe. Please. Please. This couldnt be the end. Her last memory couldnt be one of defeat, knowing Blue would be blamed for her death, one way or another.
Suddenly, the water pressing in on Evie lifted and she was sucking in great gulps of air, her lungs practically weeping with gratitude. The chair fell backward, slamming her hands against dry concrete.
Shed made it to the steps? Climbed without realizing it?
Gradually the darkness faded and colors began to take shape. She frowned. She hadnt actually gotten out of the pool, she realized. She was still on the bottomthe water hovered above her. Like a cloud.
Strange muffled noises snagged her attention. She turned her head and saw Blue standing at the outer edge of the pool, his arms lifted high, as if he were holding the water in place.
She shook her head to dislodge the moisture trapped in her ears.
now! Evangeline, he shouted. Climb out. Climb out now.
Yes. She struggled to get to her feet. Her legs shook more violently with every inch she gained, but she did it. She reached the steps. The moment she cleared the ledge, the water splashed back into the pool, a tidal wave, droplets spraying in every direction.
Blue rushed to her side and disabled the cuffs.
Guards? she panted, pulling her arms to her chest and rubbing her sore, raw wrists.
Dead.
Tyson?
Dont know. Blue jerked her into his arms, holding her tight. She didnt have the energy to do anything more than lean against him and accept his offer of comfort. I havent seen him, but the next time I do, Im going to gut him.
The trembling in her legs migrated to her jaw, making her teeth chatter. Not yet. Star will punish . . . John. Hed never forgive himself if Star hurt his friend for his actions. How did . . . you find . . . me?
Isotope.
Figured.
Dont be mad. It saved your life.
No, you did. Just . . . get me . . . home.
Okay, baby. Okay. Ill get you home.
* * *
In the car, Blue turned the heat as high as it would go and aimed every vent in Evies direction. Then he seethed. Fury was a living entity inside him. Fury directed at the Stars. At himself. Hell, even at Evie.
She almost died.
He kept remembering how he disabled Gregory Star with a ring of energy before a shot could be fired, allowing Blue to escape the house. How he used his super-speed to get to the hotel, then through the hotel, screaming Evies name. The tracker had assured him she was in the building, but not where. He checked Tysons suite, and found evidence of a struggle. He flew up to the roof as a last resort, not really thinking the male would have taken her back to the party, but not knowing where else to look.
Then he saw the men peering into the pool and laughing. Saw Evie at the bottom, fighting for her life. He used what was left of his power to tear the men into a thousand tiny pieces, at the same time lifting the water out of the pool.
As drained as hed been, he almost hadnt had the inner strength to do it.
I never want to find you like that again, he said.
Her trembling began to subside. Trust me. A repeat isnt on my agenda.
Hed come so close to losing her. He just couldnt get past that fact.
The feisty, bad-tempered little vixen had become the favorite part of his day. He was happier when she was nearby. He was challenged. Satisfied. Horny as hell, pleasured as hell. He needed more of her. More time. More sex. More arguments. More surprises. More everything. He hadnt gotten nearly enough.
And the Stars had tried to take her away.
They had to die.
At last they reached one of his more luxurious safe houses and parked in the garage. How are you? he asked as he helped her into the living room.
Better. Stronger already.
In pain?
No.
Good. He stepped in front of her, and leaned down, getting in her face, scowling. I want you off the case.
She pushed wet strands of hair from her cheeks and stared up at him as if hed just lost his mind. Maybe he had. Are you freaking kidding me?
No! Im deadly serious.
Well, too bad. Im in this thing to the end.
The end? A poor choice of words. You almost died tonight, Evie.
But I didnt. Thanks to you and your dastardly wayswhich I will forgive you for after youve begged for an appropriate amount of time. Or have written me a sonnet. Yes, thats what I want. A sonnet.
Evangeline.
Sighing, she placed her hands on his shoulders. Im still here, and Im still willing to fight.
He shook his head, refusing to back down. You planned to go back to work at the hospital anyway. Why not go now rather than later?
Her nails dug into him as she clutched his shirt. What happened to me being a good agent? And why should you get to put your life at risk?
Because I Love you.
Did he?
Damn it. He did. He really did. The feeling was too strong to deny.
Her eyes widened as his implication became clear. What? Say it.
Why not? he thought with a bitter laugh. Why not put everything out there? Sex has never meant anything to me. It has always been a distraction. A pleasure. A means to an end. Until you. You make me feel things Ive never felt before. I want to keep you around. I need to keep you around. Im falling in love with you, Evie. Shitty phrasing. He wasnt falling. Hed already gone splat on the pavement.
No longer so brave, she backed away from him. Blue.
Ive never said those words to another woman. Not even for a case. I cant lose you. And, Evie, I will be faithful, I swear to you. You will never have to worry about another woman. Not for any reason.
Blue, she said again.
Going to turn him down?
Lets see if he could change her mind.
Moving faster than she could track, he picked her up and tossed her on the couch. She bounced up and down, and he fell on top of her, pinning her arms over her head.
* * *
What do you think youre doing? Evie demanded. This man had just rocked her entire world. I think Im falling in love with you. Hed all but gotten down on his knee and offered her a ring, and she had no idea how to feel. Or deal.
What did she know of romantic love? Nothing!
Not how to give it, and certainly not how to receive it. Because receiving it would mean getting used to it. Needing it. Relying on it.
What would happen if it was taken away?
Ive relocated the battle, Blue said easily.
The battle over her right to stay on the case? Or . . . her heart? As if turf really matters. You wont be winning.
Lets find out. He smashed his lips into hers, his tongue thrusting hard, insisting on entrance, slamming past teeth, uncaring when she bit down to prove a point. Panting, he said, I like it when you fight me.
Her, too. Dont be nice about it. Fight back.
Nice? No, not this time. He wasnt kind or caring as he stripped her of every piece of clothing. And he wasnt a gentleman as he stared at her breasts. He was a man possessed by raw, animal need. Gorgeous. My mouth is watering for them. He lowered his head, and as the heat of his mouth enveloped her nipple he sucked, sucked hard, and she cried out, her hands tangling in his hair, tugging at the strands.
Blue!
He reached between her legs and worked her with his masterful fingers, thrusting in and out with savage force. Lets find your sweet spot, baby.
He did something hed never done before. He angled one of his fingers, almost hooking it, and a white-hot lance of pleasure shot through her. Her hips came off the couch and she clutched at him, gasping his name.
Yeah, he said, clearly pleased with himself. Right there.
Yes!
He rubbed her there, again and again, and the pleasure just kept coming. Soon she was writhing and moaning, trying to beg for more, but the words were utterly incoherent. He was edging her closer and closer to insanity, where nothing mattered but what he was doing to her . . . what he would do to her.
You want me inside you, he rasped. He trailed kisses along her jaw, then her neck, then the curve of her breast. Say it.
Yes. A moan. Want you. Please. As she spoke, she worked her hand between their bodies and clutched his massive erection. The tip was slick with evidence of his desire.
He didnt take the time to remove his clothing. Maybe he was worried she would change her mind. She wouldnt; she was too far gone. He simply ripped open his pants, pinned her hands over her head, and slammed home.
Release came instantly for her, and she screamed, filled, stretched, shuddering around him, barely able to breathe. Floating, flying away as he hammered inside her, again and again.
The delicious brutality never ended. His control was shredded. He showed no mercy, and she was glad. She wanted none. She wrapped her legs around his waist and began to meet him thrust for savage thrust. Though she would have thought it impossible, her own need began to build again. Hotter. Stronger.
She grabbed his head and forced him down for a kiss. It, too, was wicked and without control, their tongues mimicking the motions of their bodies. Around her, she heard lamps and vases falling, shattering. She heard furniture toppling over. And she didnt care.
Blue! She broke apart at the seams as she shot straight into another climax. Satisfaction hit next, leaving her boneless.
This time he followed her, thrusting so hard, he actually moved the couch, inch by inch, until it finally banged into the wall . . . and everything stilled, the storm over.
He collapsed on top of her. Evie.
Took a moment for her mind to kick back into gear. What the hell had just happened?
That couldnt have been sex. It had been too raw. Too primal. Utterly consuming. Powerful. As if shed done more than give her body, despite the lack of foreplay. As if shed given pieces of her soul.
Was she falling in love, too?
He rested his head just over her thundering heartbeat. Did I hurt you? he asked, his voice ragged.
No.
You were with me all the way?
I cant believe you have to ask.
He kissed the wild pulse at the base of her neck before rising to his elbows and peering down at her. His gorgeous lavender eyes were dark with contentment and determination.
Do you trust me? he asked.
She traced the edge of his lips with a trembling fingertip. Yes.
Do you believe Ill be faithful to you? Not just for this case but for all others? No matter what Im assigned.
All? All! Were they talking . . . forever? I . . . think so.
Disappointment replaced the contentment. For now, thats good enough. I will prove myself to you.
She closed her eyes. Its not a matter of proving yourself, bluejay. Its a matter of believing you wont grow tired of me.
I wont grow tired of you.
How confident he sounded. All right. Okay. We can try a real relationship. But things have to stay the same. We have to keep it a secret.
Evie
No. I dont want to be the reason you and Michael break up.
We wont break up. Well fight and make up.
She heard the doubt in his tone. Maybe. But I know him, and hell say things that hell never be able to take back. Youll be hurt, and Ill be mad.
His expression softened. Hes a spy, Evie. He taught me everything I know. Hes going to find out sooner or later.
But
No buts. Right now I have a reason to sneak over. Very soon I wont. How are you going to explain my presence? He wound a lock of her hair around his finger. Because Im not sleeping without you.
Falling faster . . .
I dont want to sleep without you, either, she admitted. But. Yes, there will be buts. Well tell everyone sometime after the case, as planned. No reason to distract our only backup.
Fine. Once John is found, Ill give you a week. A business week, just to be clear. You arent taking the weekend, too.
Two weeks.
Three days.
You still havent learned to bargain!
Two days.
One business week, she said on a sigh.
He kissed her. Agreed. Now, can we commence with the snugging?
No. More loving. She wrapped her arms around him and nibbled her way across his jaw. Lazy pleasure, thats what this was, and she was going to enjoy every moment of it. The fire no longer raged, it simmered with promise of things to come. Solo will flip, you know. He hates me.
Now youre grasping, Blue said, flipping to his back and placing Evie on top of him.
Mmm. The new position opened up a whole new world for her to explore. Doesnt matter, she said, flicking her tongue over one of his nipples. Its still a valid reason to me.
His hands tangled in her hair. Well, then, he just doesnt know you.
Hell try to talk you out of seeing me. The other nipple received the same spa treatment.
And I wont listen.
Gah! He had an answer for everything.
Any other objections? he said.
She kissed her way to his navel. You are so frustrating, coming up with intelligent responses.
And you are maddening. There was an edge to his voice . . . a hum of desire. Clearly, we deserve each other. Now, stop messing around, princess. Youve teased me enough.
Poor Blue. Needing your woman again? Sorry, ducky, but Ive only just begun.
Too bad. I want you to suck me.
I will . . . if youre a good boy.
I havent been a good boy a day in my life.
Theres a first time for everything. Now, shut up and let Pudding Pop do her thing.
Twenty-three
EVIE SAT UP WITH a gasp.
After her brush with death, Blue suspected she would have a nightmare and hadnt let himself fall asleep. He was glad.
Its all right, he said, urging her to stretch out beside him. Im here.
Trusting him, she curled into his side. He kissed her forehead.
The sun wouldnt rise for another hour, and darkness clung to the bedroom. In this secret hideaway, he would keep her safe, even from her dreams.
So, what are we going to do? she asked. Now that weve both been nailed as agents, I mean.
He traced his fingertips along her spine. Were going to place all three of the Stars in a holding cell and beat them until someone reveals Johns location.
I like it. First, though, we have to catch them. And, Blue, I wasnt able to inject Tyson. It was mission fail, all the way. Im sorry.
Dont worry about it. Well track him another way. Who knows? He may be so cocky, hes still at the hotel, thinking hes secure.
What if we beat them, and they still refuse to talk?
A possibility. Ill use compulsion. Daddy Star says he took a drug to counteract the ability, but it cant last forever. And if that failed, hed think of something else.
Well, its too lateor earlyto do anything now, and were both in need of a recharge. So why dont you give Michael and Solo a call, update them on everything thats happened, and Ill draw us a bath.
Deal.
She rolled from the bed and he picked up his cell phone. Solo answered on the first ring and Blue explained the situation. They agreed to meet in two hours.
You sound shaken, the otherworlder said.
Yeah.
She means that much to you?
In deference to Evie, he ignored the question. Do me a solid and tell Michael what I told you.
Sure.
Blue heard water pouring from the faucet in the bathroom and grinned. Ive got to go.
Naked, he strode to the doorway and crossed his arms. Evie was already lounging in the tub, honey-scented bubbles all around her. His body was conditioned to react to the fragrance and did so instantly, hardening.
Someone cant get enough of me, I see, she said, and tsk-tsked.
Someone doesnt deny it.
Pleasure flushed her cheeks. How can he? Her tone was droll. His hard-on gives him away.
He barked out a laugh. The things that came out of her mouth . . . good enough to eat. By the way, were hosting a meeting in a few hours. Which means, my sweet little apple bottom, that theres just enough time for us to have our bathtub playdate and eat breakfast. Off of each other.
I like the sound of that. Her smile was seductive as he climbed in behind her. But when he tried to draw her against his chest, she slipped away to press against the other side of the porcelain. Uh, uh, uh. Playdates require games.