A Cold Day in Hell (The Hellcat Series) (16 page)

She closed her eyes and allowed her forehead to touch his chest as she shook her head.  "No."  She sighed, the anger draining from her as well.  She couldn't lie to him.  "No, I couldn't let you do that." 

The heels of his hands pressed against her jaw, his cool fingers framing her face.  He lifted her face to his so his mouth could capture hers.  There was nothing soft or gentle about the kiss.  It was savage and desperate.  She barely noticed as he broke away to swiftly go through the annoying security measures to open the gate and drive up to the house.  She didn't see Roman poke his nose out of his warm kennel to check it was them, she didn't see Razor lift his head and glare at them from his heating pad on one of the sitting room chairs, she wasn't aware of Julius discarding her clothes and his as he carried her down the corridor to her room.  Their lovemaking was urgent, frantic.  It was what they both knew it was, possibly the last night they had together. 

Julius left before daybreak.  He had countless things to put in order before they left.  But before he left her arms, he extracted a promise from her that she wouldn't try leaving without him.  He refused to leave until she'd made the solemn vow.  He knew as well as she did that once she spoke the words, she wouldn't go back on them.  It had taken her long minutes of thinking; he didn't interrupt her consideration.  Finally she thought again how she would feel if he went off to the Princeps on his own, and she knew what her decision was.  She'd swear not to leave without him as long as he swore not to leave without her.  Julius had smiled wryly before agreeing. 

Once he'd left, she couldn't make herself drift back to sleep, so got up and turned the coffee maker on.  She, too, had arrangements to make before they left.  She had a few jobs to reschedule or pass on to Russell, her Shape-shifter animal behaviourist sidekick.  While he didn't have her supernatural talents with animals, he had a knack with them and an innate sense of understanding animal language; he could cope without her. 

She and Julius had discussed Vincent's revelation about the cat and decided it had to mean Razor.  He'd travelled with her before, so it wouldn't be an issue to take him with them now.  There were only two problems.  The first was not being sure how local authorities would take to having a cat enter their country.  Julius refused to tell her where they were going, insisting it was safer if she didn't know, not that he didn't trust her vow, so she'd have to trust Julius to smooth any problems in that regard.  The second was a small, red, furry problem called Rocky. 

Gabi knew that the tiny squirrel would pine for Razor if left behind, so she had to make plans for someone to look after the squirrel. 
Someone who Rocky liked and trusted.  Her final concern was what would happen to Razor if the worst outcome came to be.  If they were all dead or incarcerated.  Julius swore that he had contacts in the court who would take care of him if the worst happened, and ensure that he was shipped back to the City, to the care of Byron and Rose.  The fact that they had to discuss these considerations was enough to make Gabi's blood run cold. 

She shuddered, trying to throw off the feeling of doom, and poured a steaming cup of coffee, added sugar, and wrapped her hands around it to warm them.  The mornings were getting cool now.  She realised that she hadn't thought to ask Julius what clothes to pack.  If she didn't know where they were going, she had no idea what temperature to pack for.  She wondered if he'd give her that much information or if she'd have to pack for all possibilities.  Roman and Slinky also needed someone to care for them while she was gone.  She could ask Rose to come in and feed them, but then she had another thought. 
A thought that might solve all her pet worries.  It was a little early to phone Derek, but if she left now, it would be a little after dawn by the time she got to the estate. 

CHAPTER 9

Gabi's Werewolf escort was right behind her as she pulled up to the gate at the estate.  She waved to them and carried on up the drive to the little cottage near the rear of the property.  She knocked loudly, waited a minute, and then knocked again. 

"Rise and shine, Bo boy," she called, sounding more wide awake than she felt.  The sleepless night was suddenly catching up with her. 

The door swung open to reveal a boxer-short-clad Derek yawning and scratching the dark stubble shadowing his chin and
jawline.  He was on his crutches, not having had enough time to strap on a prosthetic.

"God, Gabi," he groaned, "I didn't know you were a morning person.  What are you doing here at this godforsaken time of the day?"

"I'm not a morning person.  I just haven't been to sleep yet.  Make me some coffee; I have a favour to ask." 

He let out a heavy sigh and swung his crutches around to make his way to the kitchen, leaving her to close the door and turn on some lights.  She followed him into the kitchen and hopped up on the counter as he poured some coffee beans into a grinder and turned it on.  His crutches rested against the stove, and he manoeuvred himself using the counters and his one whole leg.  She drew the scent of the freshly ground beans deep into her lungs and watched the muscles ripple across his back and shoulders as he worked.  She should probably tell him to go and put a shirt on, but she was enjoying the view too much.  A broke girl could still look in the shop window, couldn't she? 

His eyes suddenly caught hers, silver glinting from beneath thick, dark lashes.  A wry grin told her she'd been busted.  Damn, the last thing she wanted to do was encourage him.  She quickly looked away to study the first glint of sunrise outside the kitchen window and cleared her throat. 

"There's a situation that requires Julius and myself to leave the City."  She plunged right in, hoping to distract him.  Her ploy worked; he was instantly on alert.  She briefly outlined the predicament they were in, glossing over certain details, but Derek, as always, seemed aware that she was holding things back.

"So I wanted to ask if you would go and stay at my place and look after Roman and Slinky.  Roman will find it hard to be around you, but at least he'll still have the run of the place and be fed and looked after.  And it's closer to SMV HQ if you're going to start work soon," she hinted, hoping he had good news for her. 

A rare, genuine smile twitched at his mouth as he set the coffee maker to percolating.  "Yes, actually they've asked me to come in on a consultant basis to help with the training regime for Hunter trainees.  I start tomorrow."

"That's fantastic news," Gabi enthused, truly happy for him, knowing it was exactly what he needed.  Without thinking, she hopped off the counter and gave him a congratulatory hug.  His arms went around her, and she felt him draw in a deep breath, as though pulling her scent deep into his lungs, and the muscles rippling under his warm, smooth skin tensed.  Lord and Lady, when was she going to learn to think before doing stupid stuff?  She quickly extricated herself from his arms and backed up to the counter again, holding him back with a warning gaze. 

"I, uh…" She swallowed.  "I thought it might be a good idea if Trish stayed with you at the house too.  Kyle will be coming with us, and I don't like the idea of her staying alone.  I'll make sure she has an escort to and from the estate if Julius needs her to be here; otherwise she can work from my place."

"Kyle is going with you?" Derek asked, anger instantly simmering in his voice. 

Gabi bit back a frustrated groan.  Derek's mood swings were not what she needed.

"Yes," she said, straining to keep her voice calm and unaffected.  "He's an integral part of all this.  Mariska has requested his death as well.  I wouldn't let him come with us otherwise." 

Derek's mouth twisted, obviously wanting to argue.
 

"Derek," she continued quickly before he could speak, "I need you here.  Trish needs you here.  This may very well be a suicide mission.  I can't tell Trish that, but I need to know there'll be someone here for her if it all goes to Hell.  You and I both owe her that." 

That stopped him, and his face twisted in frustration.  He turned back to the coffee maker and began to pour without a word.

"Can I count on you?" she asked him softly. 

He sighed.  "Yes, of course," he capitulated.  "Of course." 

While Derek packed up his stuff, Gabi sent off a text message to Kyle, telling him the arrangements for Trish.  She had her own car, but Kyle would make sure she got to Gabi's house the following day.  Showered, dressed and with his prosthetic secured, Derek loaded his gear into Gabi's car while she found Patrick and told him where Derek would be.  She made sure they could contact each other in the event of an emergency and made Patrick vow to keep an eye on Trish and ensure she always had a security detail if she was traveling between the house and the estate.  She could sense Julius was still awake and was horribly tempted to go to him, but she knew he had too much to do before they left, and so did she. 

It was mid-morning when she nosed the car back into traffic on her way back home.  She really didn't think it was necessary anymore, but her protective tail was still on duty, following closely.  With her stomach growling ominously, she took a short detour to a drive-through takeaway and ordered a half-dozen bacon-and-egg-filled English muffins and more coffee.  Her three barely touched sides, but
at least her stomach quit complaining.  Derek's kept his mouth full for a few minutes, so Gabi didn't have to answer any more probing questions. 

She'd just taken the last sip from her paper coffee cup as she turned onto her winding rural road.  It was a rocky, mountainous area, not suitable for farming, which was why she'd been able to afford a slice of land out here.  One side of the road was a steep, craggy hill, and the other side fell away sharply into thick, bushy scrubland.  The low-slung SUV handled the curves superbly, so she didn't bother sticking to the speed limit, giving the car its head and enjoying the rabid growl of the engine as she leaned on the accelerator.  She threw an amused sideways glance at Derek as he surreptitiously grabbed onto his seat.  He grinned back, but the grin was tinged with apprehension.

"Big Bad Wolf scared of a little speed?" she teased. 

She smoothly navigated the next corner, checking in her rear-view mirror to see how far back her tail was.  They were nowhere in sight.  Then, over the roar of the engine, came a sharp crack. 
A sound that could only have been a gunshot.  Gabi instinctively ducked as the windshield smashed, but she would've been too slow.  If the windshield hadn't held, whatever struck it would've hit her in the head.  Adrenaline flooded her veins, cold and electrifying.  She heard Derek's startled shout as she fought to keep the SUV on the road.  Another sharp report, another strike to the windshield, which spider-webbed with cracks, but stayed intact. 

"Get down," she yelled as she hit the brakes, yanking on the steering wheel, trying to spin the car side-on to where the gunshots were coming from.  Whatever was happening, there had to be more protection from the body of the car than the windows.  A third and fourth shot rang out, and Gabi felt the loss of control in the car's steering immediately.  The tyres, the bastards were taking out the tyres. 

"Hang on," she shouted at Derek as the car veered out of control across the rough tar and careened at speed towards a rock face on the far side of the road.  Gabi felt the impact jar every bone in her body, heard the ear-splitting screech of abused metal as they hit the rock.  A glancing blow, halting the forward momentum and spinning them back towards the drop-off on the other side. 

Derek was cursing.  The airbags deployed, exploding to life and cutting off sight to the outside world for an instant.  She fought to clear the airbags out of her way; the car was still moving.  Something caught the undercarriage, and suddenly they were upside-down, tumbling.  Gabi flung her hands out, trying to brace herself. 
Upright, upside-down, upright.  A violent jolt and Gabi's head whipped sideways, cracking against the side of the car, and the world went black. 

Voices.  Shouting.  Her name.  Phone ringing.  Pain.  Had to move.  Something was wrong.  Anxiety, worry, not her own.  Julius.

"All right, all right," she groaned, addressing not only the voices calling her name but the mental link to Julius.  "I'm alive.  I'm fine."  She cracked an eyelid; the other one wouldn't open. 

The worried face hovering near hers was Rory's, one of the Werewolves who'd been in the car behind them. 

"The shooter," she rasped.  "What about the shooter?" 

The Werewolf let out a pent-up breath, obviously relieved she was conscious.  She was upright, but the car was definitely on a backward lean.

"Gone.
  Left in a hurry once we got here," Rory answered.  "We saw movement on a ridge up there.  Ross went after him."

"Idiot," she wheezed, "he'll get himself shot."  She reached over to release her seatbelt, thanking the Lord and Lady she'd had it on, but pain flared in her shoulder, and she froze, not breathing while the pain subsided.  "Derek?" she made his
name a question.

"He's out cold, but breathing," Rory reported. 
"Doesn't look as banged up as you do."