An Heiress For The Bear (Sarkozy Brothers 2) (13 page)

His mouth did things to her that made her want to scream out loud, that made her knees want to fall away beneath her, but all she did was slide her fingers into his hand and hold him close as he drove her over the edge a second time.

She was gasping, her legs feeling like jello as he gripped her waist, preventing her from falling to the ground.

Lukas was grinning as he got to his feet and let her dress fall back into place.

"You are a dangerous man, Mr. Sarkozy." Kat smiled.

K
AT
HAD
NO
IDEA
HOW
dangerous he was.

Lukas walked to the podium and addressed his guests in a blur, speaking automatically while he turned his feelings for Kat over and over in his head.

It was too late. He'd fallen for her, and his bear had been right all along. He'd had little choice in the matter too. Not that he minded, because she was perfect for him.

Now, the only thing that he had to do was to tell her the truth about himself and see if she could live with it.

The evening drew to a close, and the firm scored four more donors, which gave Lukas some comfort in knowing that even if Mr. Anonymous turned out to be a creep, they could still manage without his money.

As the guests left in pairs, Lukas's phone rang.

When Dominik's name flashed onto the screen of his phone, he expected to hear an update regarding the dive for the Relic. Alana walked toward him, and he pointed a finger at the door to the study.

Instead of leaving him alone, she seemed to think he was calling her to join him, but he was forced to answer the call as he entered the study. Thankfully, he'd taken the call in the privacy of the small room.

Dominik's voice was harsh over the line. "They took Marko." He didn't waste time with the preliminaries, just launched into a detailed description of the Legion's abduction of Marko Sarkozy from his offices in New York. Marko was well-known for his supremely successful jewelry design company, and his disappearance would make waves unless they kept it under wraps.

"I'll let Marek know." Lukas rang off, and sat back for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Alana stepped toward the desk, and he was startled for a moment. He'd forgotten she was there, but it was for the best.

"It's Marko." When Alana's face whitened, Lukas realized she wouldn't take it well. She and his cousin Marko had grown up together, their fathers close even as first cousins. He waited until she sat down before explaining.

He left Alana to cry softly and made the call to Marek. "They've got Marko," was all he said. He gave Marek a brief description, unsurprised to hear the dead tone of his brother's voice.

Marek grunted. "We go to ground. Tell everyone." He let out a deep sigh. "Until we have a good strategy for protection, we can't take any risks."

Lukas agreed and rang off, his spine tense as he cut the call and dealt with Alana. For once, she wasn't vocal when told to go up to her room and rest.

With Marko's disappearance on his mind, he'd driven everyone home, dropping them all off at the office. Alana had taken off, her face white, her expression strained.

Sam had disappeared too, and now he watched Kat as she sorted through papers on her desk.

"Are you sure I can't drop you off?"

She smiled and threw her bag over her shoulder as she hurried over to him. He was sitting on his desk, and when she stopped between his legs they were eye-level with each other.

"Thank you, but I can manage."

She was turning to leave when he grabbed her hand. "Kat, I... There is something I need to tell you. It's about me. Something you need to know about me." She turned back and stared at him, a question in her gaze. "We... this," he waved a hand between them, "It's everything I've ever wanted. But I have to be fair to you. You need to know what you're getting into with me."

She laughed and put a finger to his chin. "You mean as a Sarkozy man? You are trouble. I know that already." Her eyes were shining as she studied his face.

But he grabbed her finger and drew her hand to his lips. "This is much more than being a Sarkozy."

She touched the side of his face with her other hand. "Then tell me. You can tell me anything, Lukas."

He cleared his throat, fear ripping him apart as he wondered if she'd end up being wrong. "I've told you about the Sarkozy family, how our genes have given us the curse of a dying line. But there is more to us than just a dying breed."

"Is this about you being gypsy? I read that in the company profile."

Lukas shook his head and took a breath, and Kat smiled and waited. She was being incredibly patient with him, letting him take his time. He saw concern in her eyes, but he saw strength, too. Maybe this wouldn't turn out as bad as he suspected.

"Two hundred years ago, a Sarkozy man betrayed his lover. He'd promised to marry her, when in reality, he'd been betrothed to someone else. She found out and put a curse on him and all his descendants. That every generation shall decrease in number until none are left. She cursed the Sarkozy seed because her lover had lied to her. She'd accepted his species but his betrothal drove her over the edge."

"Species?" Kat laughed, her tone a little uncertain. "You aren't going to tell me you're a Carpathian vampire now, are you?"

Lukas laughed. "No. But it comes a pretty close second."

Kat paled, and she scowled. "Lukas." Her tone held a note of warning that Lukas heeded.

"For thousands of years, my forefathers have lived hidden from the rest of the world. Not many people know we exist." He paused and sucked in a harsh breath. "Kat, I'm a bear shifter."

Kat's eyes widened, and she laughed. "Gosh, you almost had me worried, Lukas." She was laughing, but Lukas tightened his grip on her fingers.

"I'm serious, Kat." She stopped laughing. "Our line is dying, which is why I am never concerned about getting a woman pregnant, but I owe you the truth about who I am."

"Bear shifter?" Kat asked, shaking her head as she tugged her fingers free from his grasp and stepped away from him. He felt the distance between them grow, even when they were still only mere inches apart.

Lukas nodded. "We shift on occasion when the bear needs release, but mostly, we remain in human form and live within human society. Few people know what we really are, and we prefer to keep it that way."

"Lukas. Why are you telling me such things?"

Lukas took a step toward her but she stumbled back. "Kat, please listen to me. We mate for life. Our bears choose with us who will be our mates, and once we're mated, we remain so until we die. If you want a life with me, you will have it. I will never leave you. I will forever be devoted to you. You are my mate, Kat, and I owe you the truth. I can't lie to you. Not now, not ever."

Kat stiffened, her pale eyes going dark. She was shaking her head, stepping back across the threshold of his office. "This doesn't make any sense, Lukas." Then she stiffened. "That's why you looked all strange when I called you a big bear."

She narrowed her eyes.

"And your shower? It's freaking huge." He nodded. "The noise I heard when I came to your apartment..."

He frowned. "You heard me?"

"That's why I came to investigate. It sounded like a wounded animal." Kat's eyes were wide. "Is this the reason Carson left Marek?"

Lukas shrugged, averting his eyes for a few seconds. "I can't say. Marek hasn't spoken of why she left." He gave her an apologetic smile.

"It must be. That's why she looked so strange when we were talking about--" Kat's eyes widened.

"About what?"

"Ursus Major." Kat laughed coldly. "And I was rattling on, explaining constellations and crap while the poor woman's heart was breaking."

 
Lukas shook his head sadly. "Kat, all I know is Marek loves Carson, and he is hurting too. I hope they sort things out soon, because the man's like a great big hulking bear with a thorn in his paw." Then Lukas sighed. "And things have just progressed to a dangerous level with our family. I should be telling you to run, because even being with me can endanger your life."

Kat was watching him, her expression wary now, and he saw that she probably believed they were destined to end things the same way that Marek and Carson had.

Lukas walked to stand in front of Kat, taking hold of her shoulders. When she didn't flinch, he let out a relieved breath. "Please, tell me what you're thinking."

Kat opened her mouth, then closed it again. "I need time to think about this."

"Of course," said Lukas. He hadn't expected her to even take the opportunity to think about it.

Then she took a step back, turned, and left the office, her red gown swishing as she hurried to the elevator and punched the button.

Lukas sighed.

And the lady in red ran from the bear.

K
AT
HURRIED
OUT
OF
THE
building, pushing the glass doors open as she ran for the steps. She had to get to her car, and it was much later than she usually walked the streets. She'd always been nervous in the dark, and now the sound of breathing at her back made her move faster.

A hand flew around her waist, and Kat screamed, fright drawing the sound from her throat. Her attacker didn't seem to care; he just gripped her tighter and spoke into her ear. "Where is she?"

Kat kicked her legs, frantic now as he slid his hand around her throat and began to squeeze. His breath stank of cigars, and he reeked of expensive cologne.

"What do you want?"

"Where is she? Tell me."

"I don't know what you mean," Kat spoke, choking on the words.

"Maria Hernandez." The man growled the words in her ear, and she flinched as his breath clouded over her cheek. "If you don't have her back home to her husband by tomorrow morning, you will be sorry."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kat croaked, scraping at the fingers at her throat.

The man shouted, "If you want games, I can play. Maybe this will make you remember." He let go of her neck, and she was so relieved, she realized too late what he'd intended.

He slammed a fist into the base of her spine and sent her flying off the top stair. Kat tumbled over, hit her head, and felt her skull slam into the edge of a step. There were twenty steps on this level. Kat couldn't help recalling the number, and some part of her brain registered that a fall down twenty steps would be painful.

But Kat was in shock, and pain didn't register.

She landed in a heap at the foot of the stairs, choking as she struggled to breathe, her throat swollen and constricted. Her skirt had ripped from the seam at her side and she lay on her back, stunned, unable to stop him as he sank beside her.

But he wasn't interested in her body. His black eyes gleamed as he stared at her.

"You have until morning, bitch. Then I'll be back for you and--"

He didn't finish the sentence.

Something slammed into his side, a hulk of a man, who grabbed the assailant by the throat and lifted him off the ground. "Don't you ever touch her again." The words were growled, feral and filled with fury.