Agent E2: Aidan (Superhero Romance) (The D.I.R.E. Agency) (6 page)

Aidan stilled. “Well, I’m afraid you’re going to have to enlighten me. Where, exactly, did you place the gold?”

“About ten feet from where you’re standing – six months ago.”

The two men whipped out their guns and fired. Aidan dove behind the crate. Bullets rang over his head, brass casings littering the floor around him. Crawling to the edge of the crate, he fell to his back and drew his gun. Peeking around the corner, he saw one of the men fire at the crate, the other held a gun - to the woman’s head.

She clutched the backpack to her chest, her face pale, her body deathly still. “What are you doing?”

Aidan fired at the sailor holding her, hitting him in the hand just inches from her head. Crying aloud, he dropped the gun and fell away. The woman ran for the side door. The other man shot at her once before he dropped from a bullet to the chest.

Tristan.

Scrambling to his feet, Aidan picked up the gun and ran to the alley. A gunshot rang outside. He hit the door running just in time to see the door of the craft close, the woman’s feet visible from inside.

Shoving the guns into his waistband, he planted both gloved hands on the side of the craft and shouted into the air as he unleashed all of his energy on the craft. Electricity sparked and crackled like fireworks, lighting up the alley. The craft powered up, its engine revving higher and higher the longer he held. Streaks of lightning arced as the craft accelerated, its engine roaring to deafening heights, shaking the ground beneath it.

With a bright flash of light, it vanished.

Aidan fell forward into empty space.

“I hit the computer. It’ll be useless to her,” Tristan said.

Breathing heavy, Aidan ran into the warehouse knowing Tristan followed behind, still cloaked. The dead man laid in the middle of the floor, his comrade nowhere to be seen. 

Looking around, he saw a trail of blood leading into the store. Running to the door, he shoved it flat against the wall. A metal rod swung in his face. He caught it in his fist and squeezed. The man convulsed wildly.

“Don’t kill him,” Tristan said. “We need answers.”

Anger fueled him on. All Aidan could think about was his father going through this same scenario alone. Three against one man that held no super powers, a man twice Aidan’s age. He had been shot and left to die, only to live the remaining months of his life paralyzed.

“
Aidan
. Let him go.”

The man dropped to the floor in an unconscious heap.

Aidan stared down at him, breathing hard. “Dammit, Jacobs…”

Appearing beside him, Tristan clapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s call Mitchell. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can get answers for you and Rachel.”

#####

“Kate, you’re still here?”

Mitchell showed Cassandra into her father’s dark hospital room. Lightning flashed behind the covered window, thunder rumbling in its wake. Cassandra felt the shadow of death hovering over the ominous space, bringing gooseflesh to her arms.

What was Kate doing here?

The woman stood up from the chair on the opposite side of Robert’s bed. Her copper hair looked mussed from running her fingers through it, her green eyes tired with dark circles beneath them.

Kate Monroe was a beautiful woman. Cassandra could see why her father was attracted to her. Aidan looked a lot like her.

Cass stood just inside the door, the new, electromagnetic tracking anklet tight against her skin. She rubbed her ankle with the opposite foot.

Eyes wide, Kate came around the bed. Her gaze shot to Mitchell a second, before she looked back at Cass.

“You are the splitting image of your mother, Cassandra. I’m Kate Monroe.”

Cassandra held her cuffed hands in front of her. If Dar didn’t trust her, Cassandra didn’t, either. Her father lay at death’s door because of Kate. She’d broken his heart and in reality, had unknowingly played a major part in Cassandra’s entire upbringing.

“I know who you are, Kate.”

Mitchell pulled his phone from its holster and looked at the screen. “Have you gotten any sleep, Kate?”

She shrugged. “I’ve slept in the chair some. I did go home to shower and change earlier.”

Nodding, he placed the phone back in the holster at his waist. “I agreed to escort Cassandra down here to see Robert, but I’ve got to take care of something. Will the two of you be okay in here alone?”

He’s going to leave her here unsupervised? Then again, where would she go wearing this tracking anklet? With these super-powered agents, she’d never make it out of town.

Kate gave a half smile. “Of course. I can update Cassandra on his condition.”

Rain pounded the roof like machine gun fire. Lightning flashed behind the curtains. The room went black.

Cassandra gasped. Mitchell grabbed her upper arm.

The lights came back on a second later.

“This storm is crazy.” Kate crossed her arms around her waist.

“I’ll be right back.” Mitchell left the room.

Cassandra glared at the woman her father loved. “Until yesterday, I had never heard of you,
Kate
.”

Swallowing hard, Kate pulled over a chair for Cassandra to sit. She dragged hers close. “I’m sure Robert, uh, your father, preferred to keep me in the past.”

Going to her father’s lifeless form, Cass stood by the bed. The storm quieted.

“So much so, that he took a bullet for you yesterday.”

Kate sat up straight and stared at Cassandra dead on. Her green irises gleamed with daring.

“It shocked me as much as anyone, Cassandra. I would do anything to trade places with him.”

Cass cocked an eyebrow. “Really? Somehow I find that hard to believe, considering you left him for another man when you were pregnant with his child.”

Kate looked away. “Believe what you will. It’s the truth.”

Why was Kate Monroe there - really? Did she consider herself part of the family now because her father knew about Rachel?  Would they have to tolerate this woman from here on out? Cassandra sighed.

Kate said, “He’s been moaning in his sleep. That’s a good sign.”

Cass glanced over at Kate who gave her an encouraging smile.

“I’ve been talking to him about a trip we took to Grand Lake shortly after we met.”

Cass whipped around. “Grand Lake? We live at Grand Lake.”

Kate gazed at her with raised brows. “Really? I’m not surprised. Robert loved it up there.”

So, his memories of Kate had even determined where they lived and set up Naylor Interests headquarters?

Her father bordered on obsessed.

The lights flickered once before the room fell into total darkness. Robert’s monitor and ventilator powered down, leaving the room in utter silence.

Cassandra’s heart pounded in her chest. “Did the machines just turn off?”

“The backup generator will kick in anytime now…” Kate jumped up and looked out into the hallway. It sat in complete obscurity.

The D.I.R.E. agent at the door turned on a flashlight on his phone. “The entire hospital is out, Mrs. Monroe.”

Long beeps emanated from the machines. The high-pitched tone sounded eerie in the hollow blackness.

She worked to free her hands from the cuffs. 

Kate came back into the room. “Where is the backup generator?” Grabbing her purse from the cabinet, she pulled out a small flashlight.

With her hands free, Cassandra looked at the machines beside her father’s bed, Kate at her side with the light. If Kate noticed the handcuff dangling from her wrist, she didn’t say anything.

Cass studied the ventilator display. “Is there a battery backup switch or something?”

Kate shrugged. “I thought it would come on automatically.”

The beeping continued.

After several seconds, a dim light came on above the bed. The machines slowly powered up.

Kate gave a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.”

The heart monitor released a few heartbeats, before a solid beep sounded in their wake.

Cassandra stilled, before her heart shot to a gallop. Denial flashed through her mind while her body went into action.

“
Robert
.” Kate ran to the bed and pressed the red call button. “Cassandra, his heart’s stopped.”

No, Father, don’t do this...

Climbing on the bed, Cassandra knelt over Robert and ripped off his ventilator mask. Hands locked together, she pushed at his chest with thirty, hard compressions. Kate bent over him and released two breaths into his mouth.

Nothing.

They started again.

“Where are the nurses?” Cassandra pushed at her father’s chest with more force, her own heart pounding in double time. If only she could give him some of her beats.

Please don’t die...

“Don’t give up, honey.” Kate held Robert’s hand as she watched Cassandra work. Kate gave him two more breaths.

No response.

The sting of tears threatened as she started another round. She heard Kate sob beside her but refused to look her way.

God, please. I don’t ask for much. Please, please save him.

“
Get back
.” Aidan rushed to her father’s bedside.

Cass scrambled from the bed, Kate pulling her back against the wall. Laying his bare hands on Robert’s chest, Aidan shot a loud, sharp zap of electricity to her father’s chest. Robert arced high off the bed and dropped down.

Steady heartbeats rang from the monitor.

Overwhelming joy shot through her.
Aidan had saved him.

Repositioning the oxygen mask over Robert’s face, Kate gave him a brilliant smile. “You saved his life.”

Aidan stilled. He stared at Kate a moment, before squeezing his eyes shut. With a vicious frown, he turned to glare at Cassandra.

Wiping away an errant tear, she smiled at him.

He stormed out of the room.

Running out, Cassandra watched him stomp down the hall. “
Aidan
.”

Stopping, he turned around. The D.I.R.E. agent posted outside the room placed a hand on her arm.

He had nothing to worry about. She wasn’t going anywhere until she thanked Aidan. He’d saved her father’s life.

She owed him everything.

Glancing at the D.I.R.E. agent, Aidan gave a slight shake of his head. The agent released her arm. She ran down the hall and threw her arms around Aidan’s neck. She held him tight.

“Thank you, Aidan. Thank you so much.”

He didn’t hold her in return. Embarrassed, she pulled away. A storm brewed in his jade eyes, his jaw clenched tight.

She knew what that scene had cost him. He hated her father. Yet, he just saved his life.

For her? For Kate? Did the reason really matter?

Bottom line, her father wouldn’t be alive right now if Aidan Monroe hadn’t stepped into that room. Regardless of their history, she’d be forever grateful.

Gazing at his beautiful mouth, Cassandra stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his. Just a non-suggestive, thank-you-so-much-for-saving-my-father’s-life, lingering kiss on his gorgeous lips. Her heart pounded like crazy as she told herself the kiss meant nothing. Cass ended it with a timid touch of her tongue against his bottom lip.

Aidan gazed at her with thunderous, forest green eyes.

Before he shoved her against the wall and crushed his mouth to hers.

Oh God…
yes
. Cassandra opened her mouth to welcome him. Aidan thrust his tongue inside. He clutched her hair in his fists, taking what he wanted, giving her a kiss as arrogant and volatile as Aidan himself.

Cassandra pressed her body against him. She wanted to crawl inside of him, to feel his heat surround her.

Wrapping a leg around his thigh, Cassandra ground her hips against him, needing to be closer still. He breathed through his nose with heavy breaths, his hands skimming down her sides to her waist. Reaching for his waistband, she pulled his shirt from his jeans and skimmed her hands up his bare torso. His heat scorched her fingers, his abs hard, sleek to the touch.When she reached around and took her fill of his firm backside, Aidan laughed and pulled away.

Glancing at the D.I.R.E. agent down the hall, Aidan took her hand and pulled her around the corner. Backing her against the wall, he kissed her again. And again.

And again.

“You shouldn’t have started this. I may never stop.” He kissed her behind the ear and down her neck, eliciting goose bumps on her skin.

“Thank God.” She shut her eyes and cocked her head.

He smiled against her throat. “If you wanted it, you should’ve asked.”

“Yes, that would’ve gone over well. Mitchell, I want you to release my brother, I want to see my father and I want to make out with Agent Monroe. Those are my terms.”

“It would’ve been my duty as a good D.I.R.E. agent to accommodate you.”