At first, the parents included him in the family meals. He protested, wanting to be alone with his grief, and they finally stopped asking, allowing him to remain in his room. It was then that Blue decided they didnt really like him, and that they were glad to be rid of him.
After that, every interaction was strained.
Looking back, without the pain of loss, he could see the couple had only been trying to help, doing everything possible to let him heal.
Why dont you ask Michael why he did what he did the next time you see him? Blue said, using his gentlest tone. The answer might surprise you.
Dark eyes probed him, as if searching for answers he couldnt give her. She offered him a small, sweet smile. I will. Thank you.
Welcome. He got back to business before he did something stupid, like pull her into his arms. We need to find out everything we can about the Lucky Horn. If the lighter belongs to Fry Guy instead of Michael, we might be able to ID him.
Im assuming Fry Guy is the man who tried to torch you.
Yes. If we can ID him, we can link him to friends. Friends who might know where Michael, John, and Solo are.
She heaved a sigh of dread. I have a feeling that includes a personal field trip.
Blue nodded, astounded by the amount of dread building inside him. For once, he had no desire to be pawed by naked strippers. He just wanted
Nothing.
Lets go, he snapped.
* * *
Five hours later, Evie invaded the Lucky Horn, claiming a table just to the side of the stage.
Blue was the clubs newest stripper.
Theyd found out the place was hiring, and he insisted she apply.
Screw that, shed said. You want someone on the inside. Therefore, you are responsible. I shake tail for no one. Besides, one of us has to pry information out of the patrons, and the more people look at your face, the more likely they are to recognize you. And lets be honest, up on the stage, no one is going to be looking any higher than your groin.
Hed only huffed and puffed for a few minutes. Someone is trying to either abduct you or kill you. Meaning you need a disguise. What better disguise than stripper?
Nice try. Give me one hour and Ill show you a better disguise.
And she did!
Right now, her hair was so blond it was almost white, and streaked with pink. Her eyes were bright blue and her chest hugely inflated by a silicone-infused bra.
Blue had taken one look at her and shaken his head in disapproval. Disapproval she didnt understand. No one would recognize her and she fit his preferred type of female.
But on top of the disapproval, he displayed zero hints of arousal. And the lack, well, it disappointed her.
Lo. Bot. Omy.
Even with his scar and piercings, Blue was hired at first sight. No one had a body quite like his. Cut from granite. No one could move quite like he did. Every action was a sensuous mating call.
Now, hoping she appeared awed by her surroundings, she scanned the club. Dark walls, dark carpet. Dim lighting, except onstage. At both sides of that stage, women dangled from wires, their naked bodies sparkling as they twisted and turned into different sexual positions. In the center, glitter rained from the ceiling, sticking to the exposed skin of the half-naked bumping, grinding brunette currently teasing the audience with the removal of her G-string.
One of the patrons shoved a bill in her boxand, no, box wasnt a euphemism. Men werent allowed to touch the goods until theyd paid, stuffing their money inside an actual box at the edge of the stage. The bills disengaged the shock line, allowing the girl to stroll up to the patron and settle a high-heeled boot on his shoulder, giving him the perfect money shot.
A topless waitress arrived and asked for Evies drink order. Beer in a bottle. Dont pop the cap. There was no reason to think anyone would try and poison her, but she wasnt taking any chances.
The brunette finished her show, and a husky voice spilled from the intercom. And now, ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to introduce the newest addition to the Lucky Horn family. Give it up for the hard and horny . . . Jack Hammer!
This was it! Unable to contain her excitement, Evie clapped her hands and bounced in her seat. Sometimes agenting had its perks.
The curtain at the back of the stage parted and out strode Blue, wearing nothing but a scowl and a pair of black leather underpants.
Blimey. She lost her breath. Shed expected to be amused by his situation, but she was inexplicably aroused. He had muscle stacked upon muscle. His skin was pale, like all Arcadians, and yet, there was a shimmery golden undertone, as if hed showered in fallen angel dust. He looked wild. Dangerous.
And, okay, quite livid.
The waitress arrived with the beer, and Evie waved her away. Youre blocking my view.
As always, power radiated from him. Did anyone else feel it?
He stood still as a statue as the music played. Someone booed. Someone else threw a chip at him. Gonna blow his cover.
Lets see your best moves, Mr. Hammer! Evie put her fingers in her mouth and whistled. Yeah, baby. Yeah! Show Momma what the good Lord gave you!
Somehow he found her in the dark and glared. Then, from one moment to the next, the tone of the glare changed. From anger to anticipation.
Uh-oh. What just happened?
He sauntered in her direction, and her hands began to sweat. At the edge of the stage, he tugged a bill from the waist of the underpantsif some skank backstage put it there, Im going to . . . nothingand stuffed it in the hot box, lowering the shield.
He hopped off the stage. The crowd watched, awed.
Surely he wouldnt close the distance between them.
He did.
Leaning into her, he braced his hands on the arms of her chair. How about a lap dance, sugar plum?
Bloody hell. Shivers cascaded down her spine.
Your nipples just beaded for me. Ill take that as a yes.
No way he could tell. Her bra was far too thick.
I can, he said, as though reading her thoughts. I can feel your reaction.
Her eyes widened, and her response died as his hands encircled her waist. He lifted her to the tabletop, better aligning their bodies. He forced her legs to part and the apex of her thighs to cradle his
Oh, bless me. His massive erection.
Then he danced. Slow and steady, grinding against her sweet spot. Ratcheting her desire to an earth-shattering level. A place where fires raged. She couldnt stop her hands. They roamed over his chest, glided over the scar on his face, tangled in his hair.
If the patrons cheered or booed, she didnt know it. She was utterly focused on the man in front of her, hyperaware of his every move. Of his power, stroking her with the mastery of a thousand hands. Of his scent in her nose, champagne and strawberries. Of his gaze, boring deep into hersperhaps seeing into her soul. Of his erection, pressing where she needed him most, retreating, pressing again, andoh, keep going, please. A moan escaped her. The pleasure . . . too much . . . not enough . . . Give me more. Give me everything. Eden was right. The day had come. Evie wanted some guy to give it to her good and hard.
Press, retreat. Press, retreat. Liquid heat pooled between her legs, the crease in her jeans just making everything worse. Press, retreat. Or better. Press, retreat. No, definitely worse.
Her head swam with the force of her arousal. A dangerous pressure built inside her, coiling, readying. If he kept going, he was going to make her come. Right there. In front of everyone.
Dismayed by the thought, she dug her nails into his bare chest. Felt the heat of his skin, and gave another moan.
Dont, she whispered, panicked. Please.
Just like that, he stopped.
He was panting, his lips thinned and pulled taut against his perfect teeth.
He turned away from her and returned to the stage, quickly disappearing behind the curtain.
This is being more careful around him? her good sense screamed. Really? Stop threatening that lobotomy and actually do it!
Evie tore the cap from the beer and drained the contents. Then she signaled for another and drained it, too.
Once her body had calmed, she pretended to have a nice buzz going and tripped her way to a table of older gents who looked to be regulars, very familiar with the lay of the land. Over the next hour they hit on her and teased her about the we-swear-you-were-having-sex dance Jack Hammer had done with her. Trying not to blush like a stupid schoolgirl, she bought them several lap dancesnot from Blue, because he was still backstage, probably searching the offices and cursing Evies very existenceand they finally stopped hitting on her, instead treating her like one of the guys. Thats when she paid for a round of drinks for everyone in the club.
Eventually, all of the patrons came over to thank her and ended up staying to talk. She learned far more than shed hoped.
Mr. Gregory Star and his entourage visited the club at least twice a month, and they always migrated to the back to speak with Timothy Mercer, who had worked at the Lucky Horn for three years. Two weeks ago, Timothy just up and vanished. No one had seen or heard from him since, or had any idea what might have happened to him.
Star, thrown into the mix once again. No question, the man was involved in her fathers disappearance. It was just as certain that Timothy was the man whod set Blue on fire.
Eager to verify this news with hard evidence, Evie excused herself under the guise of having to pee and stumbled away as though snockered, heading toward the backstage entrance. The moment she cleared the corner, out of everyones view, she dug a shielder out of her purse and threw it behind her, the tiny black device creating an invisible wall upon landing. Until she disabled it, only she and Blue would be able to bypass it, since they were the only ones with a scrambler on their phones, an app designed to disrupt the shielders signal.
She tripped her way toward the armed guard at the end of the hallway.
Frowning, he gripped the handle of his gun. I suggest you turn around, maam. No ones allowed in this section of the building.
Maam? Did she really look like a maam?
Maams had at least sixteen robo-cats, wore muumuus, and never took the rollers out of their hair.
Did he want to die?
She stopped in front of him, a familiar surge of excitement hitting her. Dont you dare get used to this kind of work. It was a onetime gig. As soon as her father and his boys were found, as soon as Star was taken down, she was going back to her nice, normal life.
But honestly, the last time shed experienced anything this high octane, shed been on her last mission, and Claire had
She locked those thoughts down.
Is this not the bathroom? she asked, making sure to slur her words.
Turn. Around. Now. You wont like what happens if you dont.
Okay, okay, you dont have to be so rude about it, she grumbledthen rammed her knee into his groin.
With a strangled bellow he hunched over, struggling to breathe, and she lined up at his side to slam the back of her elbow into his mastoid process. His body went limp as his brain tissue rapidly compressed, and he collapsed onto the carpet, well and truly out for the count.
Sorry, bloke, but you picked the wrong side. And you called me maam!
She peeked through a crack in the door. Half-clad dancers sat in front of a row of vanity mirrors, checking their hair and makeup. No one paid a bit of attention to the entrance as she slipped inside the employees-only area.
To her right was a closed door with the name Timothy Mercer in the center. Brilliant. Evie strode forward and twisted the lock. It held. After a quick glance behind herstill goodshe pulled the necessary tools from her purse and got to work.
Hey, what are you doing? a female snapped from behind her. Youre not supposed to be back here.
Evie pasted a bright smile on her face before turning and facing the brunette whod been Blues opening act. Hi. Im Chlamydia Jones, the new stripper. Hired only a few hours ago. Too chirpy, Black. Dial it down a notch. I was told to speak with Mr. Mercer.
Green eyes narrowed with suspicion. Mr. Mercer isnt in.
Dang. That sucks. I tried to do this the nice way. Evie had worn three rings, just in case. In the center of each, under a jewel, was a needle shed loaded with poison of her own creation; theyd once been trademarks of her mission work. She thumbed the diamond from Wrath, her most-used toxin, and clasped the girls hands. Can you please
Ow, Brunette said, just before yanking free to clutch her stomach.
Are you all right? Evie asked, faking concern.
The girl shook her head. As her skin turned a putrid shade of green, she ran as fast as her feet would carry her to the nearest receptacle, where she vomited the entire contents of her stomach . . . and maybe even the stomach itself.
Behind Evie, the door swung open, and a hard hand seized her arm, wrenching her backward. The moment she was inside the office, the door closed, sealing her inside. With Blue.
She recognized the hum of his power.
Slowly she pivoted. He wore a T-shirt and jeans, all hints of Mr. Hammer eradicated, and yet, as soon as their eyes met, there was a suspended moment where all she could remember was the feel of his erection rubbing between her legs, and the sharp, desperate need of her body.
All she could think was More.
Stop staring and tell me what youre doing back here, he demanded.
O-kay. So he didnt feel or think the same. Flushing, she said, I came to give you a review. After a shaky start, you
We will never speak of this again. Do you hear me?
Cant laugh. Consider this blackmail material. She told him what shed learned.
Confirmation that Star is involved. He nodded. Well have to search his house. Among other things.
Missionspeak. Good. The best way to get back on track. Found anything in here?
Not yet. He stomped to the desk and tapped away at the computer keyboard. Im loading the clubs security feed for the past three weeks onto a flash drive and erasing todays activities.
Thank God. Replaying Jack Hammers debutand her reaction to itwould have been humiliating.
All right. Done, he said, removing the flash drive.
So were ready to leave the club?
Yes. And if you can get me out without letting anyone grope me, Ill admit youre the better agent.
She snortedthen inwardly cursed. Did the man have to be so witty and likable? Deal.
Ten
EVIE KEPT SURPRISING HIM.
At the club, shed handled the patrons and employees with equal skill. Hell, shed even handled Blue.
Hed lost himself in the pleasure of grinding on her, forgetting their goal, their audience, until she reminded him.
Shed begged so prettily.
Begging. Completely unlike her. It had startled him back to his senses.
Mentally and physically, he couldnt seem to control his reactions to her.
Cant worry about that now.
Theyd had to ditch her car. Whoever had ordered the earlier chasehit?was still out there, and Evie was now . . . no longer Evie. She was Miss Blond Boobies, and he freaking hated it. When he wasnt grinding on her, of course. He much preferred her luscious dark hair and slender curves.
Concentrate. Going back to her place would have been stupid, giving away their identities, no matter what they looked like, so hed offered no protest when she stole a truck and drove him to a safe house she swore no one knew about.
And why would he protest? Watching Evie steal a car was like watching sexy female auto-mechanic porn on set. He was still hard.
Youve been hard for two days.
You quit the agency. Why did you keep a safe house? he asked as he cased the place. It was small but virtually undetectable, hidden underneath a middle-class neighborhood where all of the homes above it were the same shape and color. There was only one entrance, and that was concealed in a darkened alcove next to the district enzyme tower half a mile away.
Evie had reinforced the walls with alien metal that could withstand a nuclear attack, and hung countless monitors, all watching the surrounding area from different angles. The only furniture was a bed, a chair, and a desk cluttered with a computer, papers, and mechanical parts and equipment he didnt recognize.
I like to be prepared, she said with a shrug.
He was the same. He collected safe houses the way other men collected sexual mementos, ensuring he had someplace to go in every corner of the world. Maybe one day hed give Evie a tour and impress the hell out of her.
He stiffened. Give her a tour? Impress her?
Seriously? Michael, John, and Solo werent even aware of half of his holdings, and he wanted to share with her?
Scowling, Blue settled at the desk and booted up the computer. Opening the contents of the flash drive would take a while.
Im going to make a sandwich, Evie said, pressing a few buttons on a small black remote. In front of her, one section of the wall opened, revealing a fully stocked fridge. You want one?
He masked his bafflement with a muffled Thatd be great, thanks.
Brilliant. Ill leave out the bread and peanut butter so you can make yourself one.
Now, that was more like the Evie he knew and . . . liked. He rubbed two fingers over his mouth to hide a smile. Have you always been such a ballbuster, baby bear?
She shook her fist in his direction. Stop calling me by those ludicrous names. And, yeah, I guess I have been. But then, Ive had to be. She dug a knife from a drawer hidden in the island. Otherwise Mum would have broken me.
She had never willingly offered information about her past, and he found himself leaning toward her, as eager to hear more as he usually was to make a kill. Tell me about her.
As she put two sandwiches together, she said, She could have been a general in the army. Everything had to be a certain way. Her way. And then it had to meet her exacting standards. Meaning nothing was ever good enough.
Little Evie, under a military-like regime. He frowned, not liking the image. Had she ever gotten to act her age and play?
Im not sure what Michael ever saw in her, to be honest.
Adorable, the way she added an -er to the word saw. Does she look like you?
Yes. Ive been called her carbon copy, actually.
Well, there you go. Michael hadnt been able to help himself. No good times?
Not until Claire came along.
Happiness coasted over him, followed by sorrow. Both emotions sprang from her. Clearly Claires death destroyed her, and she was still dealing with the pain.
Breaking my heart. Whats your favorite memory of your sister?
She thought for a moment, then smiled. Claire made me watch romantic comedies, romantic tragedies, romantic . . . everything, Evie said, and her smile faded. I used to tease her about the horrors of heartfelt emotion, only I called it heartfelt crap, and she used to say I was fooling no one, that I already had that crap in my blood, and then wed laugh about the word crap.
Blue suddenly wished hed never allowed dislike of Evie to keep him away four years ago. It would have been fun to watch her and Claire together. The fire-breathing dragon and the shy princess somehow finding a way to happily coexist.
I had siblings, too, he admitted. I was only four years old when they died, but theyll always have a place in my heart. He remembered how, before his brothers and sisters died, each placed a hand on his chest. Warmth had then spread throughout his entire body.
He hadnt understood at the time, but Cade, Caell, Cameron, Caymile, and Candice had bequeathed their powers to him. They were the reason he survived the sickness they did not. They were the reason he was as strong as he was.
And he would never get the chance to thank them.
For a moment Evie was still and quiet. Then she walked over and, expression carefully blank, handed him a sandwich. Here. She sat at the edge of the desk, not caring when she pushed supplies to the floor.
They ate in silence, and for that he was grateful. The more she spoke, the more he liked her.
And he shouldnt like her while she was nearby . . . affecting him. Bad things happened. Proof: already he was tense and aching. Ready for sex. Hard, pounding sex. Dirty sex. The kind neither one of them would ever be able to forget.
What did she prefer? To be touched gently? Or firmly?
Did she like to be licked? Or bit? Or both?
How did she feel about oral?
He wanted her mouth on his shaft, her dark hair spilling over his thighs.
The power began to writhe inside him, and both the chair and desk wobbled before lifting into the air. Her eyesthose dark, rich eyeswidened. Shed removed the contacts, and he wanted to howl with gratitude.
Blue?
He didnt care that her hair was currently blond and not his preference for her. He could still wrap the strands around his hand and fist. He could guide her into the rhythm he wanted her to set. Afterward he could strip her and return the favor.
He flattened his hands on her thighs. Big hands. Delicate thighs. She sucked in a breath . . . but didnt push him away.
Push me away, he said. The heat of her skin was so intense, he could feel the burn of her through her jeans.
Blue, I
A muffled buzz stopped her.
Frowning, she pulled her cell from the purse still draped across her middle and read the screen. Shock curled from her, slithering around him and tightening like a noose.
Whats wrong? His desire instantly cooled. The desk and chair settled on the floor.
Her gaze met his. I think . . . I think my father just texted me.
U KNOW WHERE SUNBEAM
That was the extent of the coded text, and yet the shock lifted and Evie knew. Her father was responsible.
Sunbeam was his nickname for her. And she did indeed know where. About a mile out from Lake Michigan. Michael had planned for something like thisone of them being chased, needing a secluded place to stayand had told her where to go if ever he contacted her.
She and Blue left the safe house and stole another car. They drove to the dock, doubling back a few times to make sure they werent being followed. Then, with the rerouting of a few wires, the spare parts her father kept in multiple slips drew together like magnets and metal to create a small boat.
After pulling on protective bodysuits, she and Blue climbed inside the craft. This was going to be fun. Not. The bacteria in the lake constantly mutated. With Blues Arcadian blood, he was probably resistant. But even though her immunizations were up to date, she could sicken.
Finally, they were speeding along.
Dont get your hopes up. Blue had to yell to be heard over the roar of the engine. This could be a trap.
Its not, she yelled back. Strands of hair slapped at her cheeks and filled her mouth as she valiantly tried to grab them and hold them at her nape.
He cast her a grim look. And it wasnt fair. The sun was in the process of setting, providing a majestic pink and purple backdrop, making him more beautiful than ever. I hope youre right.
She drew in a breath and promptly coughed. The air was thick with the scents of rot and mold.
Calming, she realized Blue watched her with concern. She had to look away.
When was her desire for him going to fade?
Theyd almost kissed. Again. Shed known it was about to happen, and she hadnt planned to stop it. Had actually planned to encourage it.
What was wrong with her?
Maybe . . . she should just give in, she thought now. After he broke things off with Pagan. The poor dear. No matter what Blue said, Evie played a part in the demise of his relationship with the girl, and she felt terrible about it. Terrible and guilty and ashamed.
I need to ask for her forgiveness. But that wasnt going to make a difference, was it. If anyone ever kissed Evies man, anyone would die. No questions asked. No apology accepted.
You dont have a man all your own. Youve never had a man all your own.
One day she would. And when that day came, she wouldnt share.
So . . . what should she do about Blue?
First up, she had to rid her body of its craving for him. Until she did, she wouldnt be interested in anyone elseand now that her hormones were awake, she wanted to be with someone, she realized. Wanted to have a real relationship. With a doctor at the hospital, maybe.
Second, she had to
Go back to step one.
Oi. The only way to rid her body of its craving was to give it what it wanted. Blue. After she had been sated, she could forge ahead with new plans for her future. No harm, no foul.
Nearing a dock, Blue said, drawing her from her musings.
She raised the night-vision binoculars and scrutinized the area. There were no other boats stationed at the small, floating post. No bodies hiding behind the poisonous trees and plants thriving in the dry, acidic atmosphere. About fifty yards back was a seemingly dilapidated shack with no lights glowing from the inside to indicate someone lived there.
Were good, she said.
Trusting her, Blue parked and tied the boat to the dock. When she tried to step up and out, he stopped her by clapping a hard hand on her upper arm. Then he applied pressure, urging her to lie down.
Now is not the time to make out, she said, hating how breathless she sounded. Especially since it wasnt the first time.
He glared at her. Sex is not always on my mind, you know.
Youre right, Im
At least, it didnt used to be, he muttered, his anger draining. Now, stay down and you wont be hurt. Done with the conversation, he straightened and closed his eyes, forcibly breathing in . . . and out . . . until his usual hum of power became a screech.
She cringed against the violence of it, and her pain receptors actually vibrated. What was happening? How was he
A glowing blue ring shot from around his waist, widening as it moved, soon sweeping across the entire expanse of land. But as suddenly as it started, it stopped. Everything stilled, quieted.
Hed once told her he had countless abilities. She hadnt taken him literally, but she probably should have.
What did you do? she asked.
He smiled down at her. If anyone was hiding nearby, they are now paralyzed, and will remain so for the next few hours.
What about Michael? If hes in that house
He could have been in the way of the blast, yes, and if so, he will be paralyzed. Its a small price to pay for our protection, he said, helping her to her feet. Hell understand and agree that I made the right call. Eventually.
Okay. I can live with that.
His smile returned, widened . . . enchanted her. But when her gaze lowered to his mouththat lush red mouth any woman would probably kill to have all over herhis amusement died a quick death. He angled his body toward hers until their chests were almost brushing with every breath they took . . . breath that was suddenly coming faster.
Tension sizzled between them, hot and hungry.
Not here. Not now.
But soon.
You are a nifty little toy to carry around, you know that? she said with only the slightest tremor.
He held on to her hand, refusing to let go. Interesting choice of words. Toy? You thinking about playing with me, bunny boo?
Gah! Stupid names. There was no way to answer his questionand save her pridewithout lying. But shed told him she would never lie to him, and shed meant it. Not counting the few times she had, in fact, lied to him.