InkintheBlood (4 page)

She wiggled under him. “It was.”

“I like you like this.” He nipped at her earlobe as he
pulled out of her. “I don’t have to worry about you sneaking off to chase down
drug lords as soon as my back is turned.” He kissed her neck as his hand
caressed her side. “But I imagine your hands are starting to go numb.”

She flexed her fingers and noticed the pins-and-needles
sensation for the first time. “Maybe a little.”

“Can’t have that, can we?” He untied her hands and then
disposed of the condom before lying down next to her. They wouldn’t work as a
couple. She shouldn’t have even opened her door to him that night. Yet, for
something that was so wrong, if felt very right.

Searing pain coursed through her body. Her hands were
huge and covered in bumps and her teeth were sharp to the touch of her tongue.
As she sat down on the hard bed, pain exploded through her once more. Her hands
and teeth had returned to normal but now soft feathers brushed against her
cheek.

Izzy woke abruptly. Her breath came in frantic gasps and her
heart raced painfully. It wasn’t until she forced herself to look at her hands
and run her tongue over her teeth that she started to relax. She’d been haunted
by the same dream since rehab but she’d been having it more frequently since
she’d decided to work with the DEA and had started confronting her past.

When she’d finally convinced herself it was just a dream,
she looked at the man lying next to her. Remorse filled her as she remembered
the reasons they couldn’t be together. The reasons they shouldn’t have been
together even once. The most important one being that she wasn’t human. When
she figured in her drug-dealing father, her criminal past and her psychotic
half brother, she had no choice but to walk away from him, and soon. But all
she could do was stare at him. The morning light streaming through the window
made his skin glow with warmth and his sleep-tousled hair begged for her
fingers’ attention. Fortunately, before she had a chance to act on the impulse,
the cry of an unfamiliar cell phone broke the silence of the apartment.

“Jacob.”

He didn’t so much as flutter an eyelash.

“Jacob.” This time she ran a fingertip gently up his inner
thigh. “Wake up.”

“Hmm?” His eyes were still shut and his voice groggy with
sleep.

“Your phone is ringing.”

That did the trick. Instantly he was sitting up and looking
around for the phone.

She watched him search frantically for a moment before
offering a suggestion of help. “I think it fell out of your pocket. It sounds
like it’s in the front room.”

“Shit!” He jumped off the bed and sprinted from the room in
nothing but his boxers.

It took her a moment to gather her courage but then she also
climbed out of the warm covers. After slipping into her favorite silk robe, she
followed him into the front room.

“No progress? But last night… I know. What about the second
operative? Jesus Christ! The medics couldn’t do anything?” His voice was low,
but it sounded more as if he were distraught than trying to keep his
conversation a secret.

She crossed into the kitchen and started the coffeepot
before she grabbed the orange juice out of the fridge. She poured herself a
large glass but almost dropped the carton as she went to put it back. Jacob had
finished his conversation and was standing in front of her wearing only his
jeans. As she stared at his naked chest, vivid images of last night flashed
through her head. She could already feel her resolve start to crumble like a
castle of sand in a storm.

Clearing her throat, she held the carton up between them
like a shield. “Would you like some juice?”

“Sure.”

She walked back to the cabinets and grabbed another glass.
She poured the juice slowly, painfully aware of the tremble in her hand. And
when she handed it to him, she made sure to avoid any contact with him. She had
to end this before she forgot why they could never work. Several clichés ran
through her head but he deserved better. “Jacob.”

He studied her over the edge of his glass as he took a
drink. “Yes?”

She heard the stress in his voice and wondered if he’d
somehow guessed what she was about to say. “I don’t think we should see each other
again.”

He stared at her for a second before cursing softly under
his breath. “You heard the phone call, didn’t you?”

The unexpected question threw her. Shaking her head, she
tried to puzzle out why he’d asked it.

“I don’t understand this obsession you have with your
brother.”

The small pieces she had heard began to fall precariously
into place, but she wasn’t ready to jump to any conclusions yet. “Half
brother.”

“Okay, half brother. It’s not healthy, Izzy.”

Hoping to get more information from him, she chose her next
words carefully. “That’s not really for you to decide, is it? You couldn’t
possibly understand what his drugs did to me. What they’re still doing to
countless other people.”

“I know.” He took a step away from her. “I’ve see it on the
streets. I hear it in the courthouse. But you’re not the only one who can stop
him.”

“You don’t seem to be having much luck so far.”

Running his fingers through his hair, he cursed again.
“Things got botched last night. Really botched. But we will get him.”

“That’s what the phone call was about?”

His glare was the only answer she needed.

“You lost an operative last night going after him, didn’t
you?” As the pieces finally settled into place, a cold anger began to fill her.
“Wait, the other case you left to check on. That was it, wasn’t it? You knew he
wasn’t going to be at the bridge all along.”

This time he had the decency to look away from her.

“And you still let me believe there was a chance he’d be
there?”

“It was the only way you’d lead us to Minshouse.”

“Jesus! I can’t believe you lied to me.” The realization
hurt more than she ever imagined possible. It was bad enough to be lied to by a
faceless agency, but by her lover as well? The pain threatened to make her
sick.

“I was following orders, Izzy.”

Unable to look at him, she turned away.

“That’s a lie too.” His words were so soft she almost didn’t
hear them. “I wouldn’t have told you even if I could have.”

Turning back to face him, she stared into his eyes as anger
and disbelief tore at her heart. “I can’t believe I bought it. I can’t believe
I fucking believed you. Jesus, my sister and I grew up alone, away from our…”
The word “people” stuck in her throat. “Away from everything we’d ever known
because of your agency’s lies. Yet, even knowing that, I still ate them up. I’m
such a fucking idiot.”

His expression quickly changed from compassion to anger.
“I’m sorry your mom died. I’m sorry the agent assigned to her couldn’t do his
job, but don’t put that at my doorstep. Everything I did was to protect you.”

“I’m not a child. I don’t need protecting.”

“Bullshit! I’ve seen what he’s capable of. What he does with
people who get in his way.” He grabbed his shirt off the floor and pulled it
on. “I couldn’t put you in that kind of danger.”

His look of loss and despair softened her anger, but she
refused to let go of it completely. She set her glass down on the countertop
and took a deep breath. “You’ve seen what he’s capable of?”

He nodded.

“Tell me, then. Tell me what he’s capable of.” Her tone was
harsh but she didn’t care. She was giving him a chance to explain. Which was
more than he deserved after the stunt he’d pulled.

“We had an agent, Gretchen, doing deep cover work at your
father’s club, Toxic. She’d managed to get enough evidence for us to finally go
after him.” His eyes stayed fixed on a spot just over her right shoulder as he
spoke.

“And?”

“Four months ago, she went into Toxic to make the arrest.
She came out on a stretcher. She was in a coma for the first month. Now she
stares at the walls during the day and screams about demons at night.” His gaze
found hers, the shine in his eyes telling her of unshed tears. “She was my
first partner, Izzy. Her husband’s like a brother to me.”

Gretchen’s withdrawal symptoms were all too familiar to
Isabella. And, having experienced them herself, she couldn’t imagine they were
any easier for a human in untrained hands. “She needs to be admitted to Angels
of Mercy.” It was the medical facility that’d treated her and the only one that
stood half a chance of helping his friend.

“That was the first place I tried, but they wouldn’t let her
into their program. Apparently she didn’t meet some requirement. I’m guessing
it was the income bracket.”

Angels of Mercy had to stay exclusive. It was one of the
ways the Community protected its secrets. But money never figured into it. Just
like everything else in Izzy’s world, all Gretchen really needed was someone to
vouch for her and she’d be admitted. Granted, some cases were more difficult to
argue than others and humans were the hardest, but where there was a will… “I
could get her in.”

“What?” he asked, cynicism dripping from the words. “You
want to trade her life for your chance at revenge?”

“That’s not what I meant.” She couldn’t believe he thought
she was heartless enough to bargain with the woman’s life. “I’ll even my score
with Alex with or without your precious agency. My offer to help your friend
doesn’t have strings.”

He looked at her skeptically. “You’d do that?”

“Of course I would.”

“And you could really get her into Angels?”

His lack of faith in her was only adding to her irritation.
She picked up her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found the
one she needed. It only took a couple of rings for her call to be answered.
“Bastion, this is Isabella.”

“Good morning, Isabella. I hope you are in good health?”
Even with the hint of apprehension, her uncle’s voice was still warm and
welcoming.

“I’m fine, Bastion, not even a sip since discharge.”

“Good. Then to what do I owe this pleasure?”

“I have a friend who needs to be admitted.”

“Really? And what might this friend’s name be?” His tone
told her that she was overstepping her boundaries but she was too pissed off at
Jacob to be diplomatic.

“Gretchen…” Realizing she didn’t know Gretchen’s last name,
she looked at Jacob for help.

“Adams,” he whispered softly.

“Gretchen Adams. She needs to be admitted.”

“She does, does she?” There was a clicking in the background
that she could only assume was him typing the name into a computer. “Wait, I
remember her. She’s a Chosen.”

She grimaced at the title his religious sect had given
humans. But she decided it was neither the time nor the place to get into a
religious debate, especially with Jacob listening to her side of the
conversation. “True. But it was Alex who screwed her up. That makes her our
problem.”

“Really? And are we to fix all of Alexander’s screwups now?
Because I can tell you, we haven’t that kind of time.”

“She isn’t a drugged-up groupie. She was trying to help. She
was trying to stop him.”

“Noble aspirations. But I honestly don’t see how we could
help a—”

“He gave her dust, Bastion. Their doctors can’t fix her but
you can.”

“A Chosen on dust? Are you sure?”

Dust was a chemical compound that’d been formulated
specifically for Community members. Humans were a weaker species physically.
Their type weren’t even supposed to be able to survive the drug. Izzy was
betting that believing one had would hold some fascination for her uncle.
“Yes,” she lied. She was actually pretty sure after listening to the withdrawal
symptoms. But pretty sure wouldn’t be enough to get the woman admitted. “I’m
willing to vouch for her.”

“Have her transported.” His voice was quieter than usual as
he continued, “But you owe us for this one, child.”

She grimaced as she hung up the phone. Something told her
the price for this was going to be steep, but she would have to worry about
that later. Turning to Jacob, she nodded. “She’s in. You can have her
transported to the facilities immediately.”

Some of the strain disappeared from his eyes. “Thank you,
Izzy.”

“Not a problem.”

His fingertip sought out a drop of condensation on her
glass. “Did you mean it? Did you mean what you said?”

“No strings? Absolutely.” She couldn’t believe he had to
ask.

“No. That you’d go after him with or without us?”

“Yes.”

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Then I
guess I should tell you that we’re going after him tonight.”

“So soon?” It seemed dangerous to the point of stupidity to
her.

“We need to get him before he goes underground again.” His
look of finality sent a shiver of dread up her spine.

“You’re going in this time, aren’t you?”

“When you want something done right…” He shrugged
nonchalantly at the words. “Besides, I couldn’t live with myself if another
agent ended up dead. Or worse.”

She couldn’t stop the bitter laugh that slipped through her
lips. “Sacrificial lamb doesn’t suit you.”

“I don’t plan on dying.”

“Nobody ever does. But if you go barreling into Toxic to
arrest Alex, you will.”

“Do you have a better idea?”

“Let me go with you.”

“No.” The force he put into the word made her jump. “I
didn’t tell you to get you onboard. I told you so you wouldn’t try going after
him. It’s taken care of.”

“It’s not taken care of until he’s rotting in a cell.”

“And he will be.”

She didn’t doubt his sincerity, but Alex was going to be
hard to bring down. “So what’s the plan?”

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I can’t tell you.”

Her heart hurt at the answer. “We’re on a need-to-know basis
now?”

“Something like that.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
It was a sure sign he wasn’t going to budge.

She could feel her earlier anger start to stir again at his
obstinate pose and hurtful words. “Can I at least guess?”

“Feel free.”

“Hmm… You have an appointment to meet Alex tonight, right?
After all, you can’t just show up at Toxic and expect to
secure
him.”

He looked away from her.

“No appointment? That’s too bad. It would make things go a
lot smoother.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched as he studied her. “And I take
it you could get an appointment for me?”

It was the opening she’d been waiting for. “No. But I can
get one for myself and, of course, any who wished to accompany me.”