Kiss of Darkness (27 page)

One of the teams checked in and she lunged for the radio and clipboard, acknowledging them. The last team called a few seconds later. She immediately went to work. The machine was much easier to break down than put together and it went quickly, wires removed and rolled, console folded into its box. She set the equipment next to the back wall, out of the way, for pick up later. She left the laptops where they were. Winter and Dupree would need them.

Exiting the room, she paused in the foyer, looking up the staircase a moment before deciding to abandon her bag. The air seemed to shimmer near the door, someone teleporting in, but she didn’t wait to see who it was. She left as soon as the image was formed in her mind.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Luke felt the disturbance in the air and realized someone had left as he entered. He strode into the dining room, saw the radio equipment packed and leaning against the wall. She wouldn’t have left. Wouldn’t have dared. Fuck yeah, she would have. He whirled around, running up the stairs and down the hall to her room. He didn’t bother to knock, but he didn’t need to. It was unlocked, her things still in the room, but no sign of her.

He took a deep breath, forced his heart to stop racing. She’d just gone to a meeting. Or something. That didn’t do much for his temper. He stomped out. Damn it. He’d told her to stay put. What the hell was she thinking?

He went back downstairs and looked around the dining room, but didn’t find any clues to where she’d gone. It was still daylight and he’d just come from the downtown office. He didn’t think she would have gone there, not with the way she’d been trying to avoid him. Her old compound was a possibility. Snarling, he paced. She wouldn’t have been stupid enough to go there with Ben alive and missing and obviously targeting hybrids. Where did that leave him to check? The lupines? Of course. They’d taken the poisoned hybrid back to their lair with them. She must have gone to check on Dupree.

She shouldn’t have gone without telling him, without waiting until he could join her. There was peace now, but he couldn’t just teleport into the lupine lair. There was a big difference between wary allies and friends.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Gia’s first stop was the lupine lair. She was amazed to find Dupree conscious and propped against a pile of pillows in bed, so deep in conversation with a member of the squad he didn’t even notice her enter. She cleared her throat and jerked her chin at the young soldier in a silent order to leave. He didn’t argue. Smart kid.

“What’s up?” Dupree asked.

“You apparently.” There was no point in hiding her confusion from Dupree. They’d known each other so long he’d have seen through the ruse anyway. He shrugged.

“Believe me, if I could explain it, I would.”

“Uh huh.”

“You’re leaving aren’t you?” His gaze was sharp and knowing.

“The council gave me permission to join another region.”

“You tell Winter?”

She shook her head. “Figured you could take care of that.”

There was exasperation in his gusty exhale, but his eyes were soft, sympathetic. She choked back a cry. God, she was going to miss him and Winter. Damn Luke for putting her in this position.

“You won’t be able to run from him for long, Gia. He’ll chase you,” Dupree said quietly.

Maybe. “He won’t find me.”

But he would if she didn’t get her ass in gear. She leaned over and hugged him, lingering longer than she should, wavering in her decision. He sensed her hesitation. “Stay. Work this out.”

Biting her lower lip, she shook her head. “Gotta run.”

Truer words…Before he could try to talk her into staying she teleported away, back to the compound she’d called home for so many years. It wasn’t the safest place to go, but she just needed a few things. She’d be packed and gone before she could get into trouble. Besides what were the chances after the recent battle there’d be a demon nearby? Just thinking it was tempting fate.

The stillness hit her first. The house was eerily quiet, and she felt the echoes of the lives that used to inhabit it. Now it just felt empty and abandoned. Creepy. She hurried to her room, dug a duffle bag out of the closet, and started cramming clothes in it. When it was almost full, she added her spare boots and zipped it up.

Glancing around the room one last time, she wished it didn’t have to be this way and for the millionth time that week cursed Luke. He’d driven her to this. The anger that surged through her was exhilarating and wouldn’t it be even better to lash out at him? To make it abundantly clear she was leaving because of him?

She left the room and jogged down the stairs to the underground garage. She’d drive to their secret place and wait. Eventually, he’d look for her there and she’d tell him exactly what she thought of his careless promises. And that’s
all
she would do. She wouldn’t give in to the allure. To the sexual draw between them. Yeah. Right. But no really, she was strong. She could resist one nightwalker. Even if he was incredibly sexy and wicked and used all his charms to his advantage.

In the garage, she patted her pockets and groaned when she realized she had no keys. It took her several minutes to find the spares in a drawer full of keys. Minutes that cost her everything.

She registered the fist flying at her before she saw it, but not in time enough to fix a location, any location, in her mind to teleport. She’d never bitch at Winter about not teleporting out the first time she’d been poisoned by a demon again. If she lived.

The impact knocked her to the ground and left her lightheaded, dizzy. She tried to marshal her telekinetic abilities to strike, tried to call for help, but was stunned to find her mind caged. She only knew one hybrid capable of that feat and he’d died the day before.

Nadia was right. Powers could be stolen. Vision blurry, she saw Benjamin step in front of her but he didn’t attack, didn’t kill her. And then there were demons surrounding her, pulling her to her feet roughly.

“Don’t hurt her,” Ben ordered. “I need her alive if she’s to be bait.”

Of course. What better way to draw out Winter and Dupree? If he wanted one of their powers, he’d want all three. The telepath, the telekinetic and the teleporter. She crawled as deep into her mind as could. She wouldn’t be the one to betray her friends. She felt the feeble connection between her and Luke snap and break, but she couldn’t indulge the cry of pain and outrage it engendered.

She would survive, maybe not wholly sane, and protect the ones she loved in the process. When she failed to check in with Gray, people would worry. Winter and Dupree would never stop looking for her.

She just had to hold on until they found her.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Fuming, Luke went to the basement gym and pounded out his frustration on the punching bag. He kept at it until sweat poured from his body, until his knuckles were bruised and throbbing. Until he finally, finally felt the sun set.

After hurrying through the shower, he teleported to the road the led to Mitchell’s lair. No one challenged him as he approached, the guard stopping him only long enough at the door to nod.

“They’re expecting you upstairs.”

Surprised, he raised an eyebrow. He’d never been invited up into the alpha’s private quarters. As he climbed the stairs he felt Gia’s lingering psychic scent and hurried. He had a thing or two dozen to shake into her. He followed the trail, found a weak-looking Dupree leaning against the closed door.

“She’s gone,” the hybrid male said.

Luke resisted the urge to growl. She had to stop this avoidance crap before she pushed him to something dangerous and desperate.

“Where to?”

Dupree shrugged. “No idea. She left hours ago.”

Luke glared at him, again wondering if this was a man from her past. His fists clenched and he restrained himself. The hybrid smiled as if he knew the exact nature of Luke’s struggle. It just pissed him off more. Gia had a lot to answer for when he got his hands on her.

Luke?
Marcus called him.
Where are you?

Mitchell’s.
As if he’d been summoned, the lupine opened a door down the hall and stepped out.
Looking for Gia.

Well, that answers that question
. There was a hint of resignation in his tone.

What?

Winter can’t get in touch with her. She’s afraid Gia left. When she tears you a new one for running off her best friend and second in command, keep in mind she’s my mate. Your sister-in-law.

And bite my tongue?
he answered wryly. It didn’t happen to him often, but he recognized an order from his brother when he heard one. It was obvious Winter didn’t know where Gia was, probably wouldn’t tell him if she did, and blamed him for her running away. And that’s exactly what she was doing. It didn’t matter. He’d find her.

“Everyone ready to move out?” Mitchell asked, but he was watching Dupree who responded with a weak smile.

“Let’s get the show on the road.”

“Where to?”

“Debrief at your place.” The lupine shrugged. “Don’t know why you came here, but Dupree said you would. And check it out. You did.”

Luke studied the hybrid a minute before moving out of the way so he could make his way slowly down the stairs. He’d never bothered to find out what talents the demon had given Dupree, but it was the kind of thing he should know. An ability to resist demon poison for one. He should be laid out for at least a few days, but just mere hours later he was on his feet. Moving slowly and painfully, but awake and lucid.

Outside, he watched Dupree climb into a SUV with Mitchell and Baron. Luke declined the offer of a ride. He wanted to check one more place before going back to the mansion. In the next thought he stood outside the compound Gia used to live in. He let his senses flare out, searching for any signs of demons or their traps. All that came back to him was her scent and he allowed himself a surge of hope as he approached the building. She’d been there recently, within the last few hours at least. Maybe she still was. It felt empty when he entered, but he searched even knowing what he’d find.

She was gone.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Winter woke alone, but the house was full of energy, full of voices. Stretching sore muscles, she winced when the gash under her ribs pulled. Her fingers brushed over the tender spot, not really surprised to find it covered in gauze. She rolled out of bed and went straight to the shower, hurrying so she could head downstairs.

After putting a fresh dressing on her wound, she dug clean clothes out of the bag she’d brought with her. Was it just a couple days ago? She couldn’t keep living out of luggage, would have to get the rest of her things from the compound soon. Dressed, her weapons strapped on and hair hanging damp down her back, she went downstairs, following her growling stomach to the kitchen.

Every chair around the table was occupied by Kadall, Kara, Nadia and the members of the quad. Marcus sat on the end, his back to the door and turned his upper body when she entered. He smiled and held his hand out. When she took it he pulled her onto his lap. His hand traced the edge of the bandage under her shirt, before sliding around her torso to rub soft, teasing circles on her back.

Better?

His lightest touch was enough to excite her, yet soothing at the same time. Her sigh wasn’t audible but he heard it.

Her stomach grumbled.

“Hungry?”

She laughed, feeling better than she had in weeks, in
years.
“Starving.”

Grinning from the other end of the table, Kara stood. “Got you covered, boss.”

A minute later she was eating the best lasagna she’d ever had, and made a selfish command decision. Kara was definitely staying, even if Winter had to let her go through the merging and then make the younger woman her personal chef. She finished the food with a plan and a contented sigh, but Marcus wouldn’t release her so she just pushed the plate in front of her.

“Where are Gia and Dupree?”

“Dupree’s with the lupines,” he answered. “I don’t know about Gia.”

Winter didn’t feel her in the house or get a response telepathically, so she tried her on her cell phone. No answer. She looked around the table, met everyone’s gaze.

“Anyone seen her?” She kept her voice light. She wouldn’t worry, wouldn’t panic. Yet.

Kara shook her head. “I haven’t seen her since the end of the operation, after all the teams checked in.”

“You haven’t left the house?”

“I went to visit Dupree when it was all over.”

Shit.
Ask Luke if he’s seen her, please.

Sure, baby.
The conversation with his brother was brief and she heard every word of it, her belief that Gia had fled the area to avoid Luke growing with every word.

I’m going to kill him. Just so you know.

He’ll find her.

He better and quickly. It’s not safe for anyone to be on their own right now, and I need her help to pull off this job.

More than that, she needed her friend. But she understood the need for space, the need for quiet while trying to work out how to make a bonding work. Luke was pushing Gia too hard. He had a lot to answer for. Normally, she wouldn’t stick her nose in Gia’s business, but this was different. She was too important to the functioning of the Order and to Winter and Dupree both.

“The others are on the way,” Marcus told everyone else in the room. Luke had informed him that Dupree, Mitchell and Baron had left the lair. They would be another thirty minutes at least.

“Who has the after-action reports?” she asked in the general direction of the quad.

“Emailed to you,” Lance answered for them.

She nodded and Marcus let her stand after she elbowed him in the gut. She left the kitchen and entered the dining room, knowing even if Gia had gone, she would have left the laptops behind. They were there, on the small table set up as a desk in the rear of the room.

She turned hers on and, when the laptop hummed to life, opened her email account. Marcus grabbed her a chair from the table and then leaned forward to read over her shoulder. It was a measure of how much she’d come to accept him. A few days ago, she would have laid into him for attempting to access Order information.