Authors: Kassanna
Scar (4 page)
The heavy
thud
of another door slamming broke her concentration and she watched the near mirror image of Rhys carry a child up the steps of the porch where the doors of the inn were thrown open. She narrowed her eyes to stare what she could only call an older version of Rhys.
You have
to be fucking kidding me. I’m in a damn episode of
the Twilight Zone.
“Do you plan to get out of the truck or has this become a battle of wills. If it has, I need to warn you, I love good fight.” Rhys appeared at 20
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her window his whiskey-rough voice softened by his whisper.
Fre jumped in her seat, her heart thudding in her chest. “Would you please not sneak up on me?”
“I don’t sneak.”
“Yeah, sure.” Her decision made, she removed the key from the ignition and reached behind her to grab her overnight bag while shouldering the door open. The inner voice she refused to give in to was calling her all types of a fool. She jumped out of the cab when he stepped back. She looked up at him and arched a brow. “Lead on.” She held on tight when he placed his hand on her luggage strap. The heat of his palm bled into her skin where he touched her. Tugging the band from his grasp, she moved away. “You already have one of my bags. I think I’ll hold on to this one.”
And there it was again, that sinful smile that promised all kinds of decadent delights. Fre wasn’t sure if she was ready to pay what those pleasures would cost. He placed a hand at the small of her back and urged her in the direction he wanted her to go. The sizzle that shot over her nerve endings from the slight contact made her nipples pearled, pushing against thin material of her bra. She gritted her teeth and jogged up the steps to escape his touch, stopping short of bumping into the man she’d termed clone number three in her head.
Rhys strode up behind her, and she was caught between the two hard bodies of two very hot men. She gripped her strap tighter. Perhaps she was stuck in a dream. Maybe she fell off the damn pole and bumped her head.
“Hey, Dad, glad to see you back.” Rhys nodded at the older man.
Fre swiveled her head between them. “Dad?” Okay, she won’t feel guilt for thinking his father was hotter than a tin roof in the middle of summer.
“Caught the first plane back when I got the news.” He spoke to his son but not once did his gaze leave her. “And who is this?” The older version of Rhys winked at her.
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“Her name is Nefertiti…” Rhys answered.
“Fre, my friends call me Fre,” she interrupted.
“Forgive me, her name is Fre,” Rhys continued. “Fre, this is my father Colin.”
She thrust out a hand. “Hi.”
Colin took her hand and raised it to his lips. While his soft lips brushed across the back of her hand, Fre studied him. He was an inch or two shorter than his son. They shared many of the same features, only Colin’s eyes shone with a touch of amber and his hair held more white locks than black. Colin was missing something she found very alluring on Rhys, the four-inch scar that gave his face so much character. He lifted his head, but continued to hold her hand and Fre couldn’t help the smile that was blossoming on her lips at the affable man. A menacing growl split the air.
Without thinking she took a few steps back, moving closer to Rhys and glanced over her shoulder. “Umm, do you have dogs?” Colin narrowed his eyes. “We have a few beasts around. Rhys, you might want to check your animal. I’ll be happy to show Fre to her room.
Myka has already apprised me of the situation.” He gripped her elbow. “I imagine you’re tired, Fre.”
“Yes, actually I am. Thanks.” Fre found herself practically jogging as she was hurried through the foyer and up the stairs.
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Chapter Four
Rhys watched his father practically drag Fre up the stairs. He dropped her purse on the foyer table and glanced at himself in the mirror above it.
Combing his fingers through his hair, Rhys scratched his scalp. The scowl he wore wasn’t surprising. What he couldn’t figure out was where the deep urge to possess her came from. For some inexplicable reason he wanted to tie the woman up and hide her away for his pleasure only. He placed his palms down on the table and leaned in closer to the mirror.
What the hell is wrong with you? You were ready to rip your father’s
heart out for holding Fre’s hand.
Myka came around the corner from the kitchen and stopped to stare at his brother. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Why?” Rhys grumbled.
“You’re staring in the mirror and don’t see it?”
“Myka, what the hell are you blathering about?”
“Dude, you look like you’re ready to hurt someone...badly”
“Dad annoyed me.”
“Okay. But I think it has more to do with the tasty morsel you let into our home.”
Rhys lifted his head and pinned his brother with an icy stare.
“Or maybe not. Just an observation.” Myka backed up, retracing his steps, and disappeared from view.
“Myka?” Rhys exhaled as he called his brother back.
Myka strode back into the room. “What, Rhys?”
“Find Lori and send her to my office.”
Myka gave a curt nod before leaving again.
Rhys let out a weary sigh. He wiped a hand down his face and Fre’s scent once again surrounded him. The crotch in his jeans grew tighter as he inhaled her citrusy scent deep into his lungs. His eyes drifted shut and 23
Scar Kassanna
images of her naked body wrapped around his played through his mind like a movie. Hands and mouths, touching and sucking, their sweat-glazed flesh sliding against each other in an urgent need for release. Rhys groaned. He pushed off the table, grabbed the bag, and stalked toward his study.
“Son?” Collin called him from the landing.
Rhys stopped and glanced at his father. “Yeah.”
“Anything you want to talk about?”
“Not at the moment.” Dismissing Colin, he continued on to his office.
He pushed the damaged door completely open and looked around the room. A member of his staff had attempted to straighten up the mess he’d created. He dropped Fre’s purse in a chair as he walked over to the bar and poured two fingers of Scotch into a tumbler. Raising the glass to his lips he downed the contents, dropped his head back, and enjoyed the slow burn of the premium liquor as it slid down his throat. Rhys poured another shot. The slight knock on his door stopped him from tossing back the amber liquid in the second glass. Alcohol splashed over rim and dampened his hand when he slammed the tumbler down.
“Come,” he barked.
Lori’s petite frame edged past the door. She glanced around, her eyes widening when they settled on him. Rhys shook his head and pulled his wolf back. He didn’t want to scare the girl, at least not yet. No, now he wanted to get some facts clear and to do that he needed to lull her into a false sense of security.
“You wanted to see me, sir?” Lori bounced from one foot to the other.
“Have a seat, Lori. I was talking with Keen and I wanted to clear up a few points.”
“Yes, of course.”
Rhys motioned for her to take a seat before he strode to his desk and leaned a hip against it. Lori crossed her legs, exposing a creamy, pale strip of thigh. She raised her chin and curved her lips with a hint at a seductive smile. He smiled at her attempt to entice him. She was pretty, but since 24
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the death of his wife, he’d found he distrusted most women. Lori had tried different lures to gain his favor. Short skirts and revealing tops seemed to be her choice of bait. He rubbed his twitching eye. She seemed to think the option of her choices did something for him.
“Keen told me you were playing hide-and-seek. I thought you told me the two of you were in the house preparing for lunch and he lay down to take a nap?” Rhys kept his tone even.
“We were, Rhys. We had just finished playing and I told him, ‘Let’s head in for lunch.’” She dropped her head. “I guess he still wanted to play.”
“So explain to me again why it took you so long to alert someone that he was missing.”
“I thought he’d just found an exceptional hiding place. I didn’t want him to get in trouble for not listening to me and I hated to disturb you for something so trivial. Especially if was as easy as just finding him myself.” Her voice held a pleading note to it.
“Nothing about Keen or his actions is unimportant to me. From now on there will be a sentinel assigned to you and wherever you go, so will he. Until I decide who that will be you’re to stay in the house.”
“But—” She leaned forward and her cleavage bulged against the low neckline of her blouse.
“Lori, my decisions are not up for debate. If you don’t like it, I can find another nanny.”
“Like the woman you brought back with Keen?” She closed her mouth shut, pressing her lips together to form a straight line.
Rhys cocked his head to the side. He rose from his perch on the desk.
“Leave now, Lori, before you over step your boundaries any further.” He turned his back and listened as she shuffled her feet toward the exit. His ears twitched at the fading staccato beat of her hurried walk, he dropped into the leather office chair behind his desk. Rhys steepled his fingers and stared at the hole he’d put in the solid wood panel, remembering the dread that coursed through him when he’d been told his son was missing and 25
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he’d thought he may have lost his boy.
Lifting his cell from his belt, he slid his finger over the screen he scrolled through the encrypted contact list programmed into his phone, tapping on the number he wanted.
“Boris.”
“I’m cutting your assignment short and sending in your replacement. I need you to return to Volkshire.” Rhys had called the only other man he trusted next to his father and Myka.
“When will my replacement be here?”
“Within twenty-four hours. I’m dispatching two wolves now and I’ll make the ambassador aware of the change.”
“Affirmative. What’s my new assignment?”
“Protect my son.”
***
Wallis pulled a few bills from his wallet and paid the server at the drive through window. He set the bag down in the passenger seat and waited for his change. A brisk breeze whipped through the busted window on his passenger side, caressing the side of his face. Reminding him he’d found his mate. He closed his eyes and imagined it was her soft palm soothing his brow. The server at the window grunted. Wallis opened his eyes and slowly turned his head, reaching out to take the large cup of the soda being held out to him with a straw. He tore the paper away and stuck the straw in his drink. Wrapping his lips around the plastic, he took a long draught of the cold liquid. His phone rang; the ringer was the call of a wolf’s howl. He ignored the summons, collecting his dinner and monies.
The tone stopped, and he sighed in relief. That particular ring belonged to Roman and he really didn’t feel like dealing with the man and his mood swings. Wallis opened the brown paper bag and threw it in the seat next to him. He stuffed several grease-laden fries into his mouth, dropping one into his lap when the calls started again.
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He pulled away from the window and eased into a parking space across from the drive-thru window. Grabbing a napkin, he wiped his fingers across it before picking his phone up out of the dashboard holder.
He left a streak of grease on the screen where he’d rubbed his finger.
“Yes.”
“The boy is with his father. I need to think about how we will execute the next phase of my plan due to this change. Come back to the compound.” Roman’s voice was curt.
“I have to take care of something first. I’ll return within a few days.”
“No, you will return
now
. We have a very narrow window to do what must be done.” The line went dead.
Wallis clipped the phone into the dash holder. He stared at it as he slowly chewed his food. He’d come to a decision as he swallowed, followed by another long sip of his drink. He would take as long as he needed. He’d given up tracking the child some time ago. No, Roman could wait. He had his mate to find. Absently he reached for his cigarettes. Tapping the packet, he realized he only had a few left. He was betting it would be a bitch to find his brand where he was going.
***