Redeemed In Shadows (15 page)

“Do you see anything you want Jes?” May asked her basket already full.

“No, but I have a craving for watermelon.”

May and June both laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“We’re just happy for you and excited about the baby. When the cub comes we will have a huge celebration.”

Great. Another family get-together. How was that supposed to work? Their last celebration had been a total nightmare. She didn’t want to deal with that now, she’d address it later and with Draven when they had a moment alone.

“I’m going to head over there by the lemon stand. You two go ahead. I’m just going to grab a couple to make fresh lemonade.”

She walked toward the fruit and was bumped on the shoulder. The force of it almost knocking her down. When she looked up, she was confronted with Enri.

“What the fuck do you want?” Jes asked the man mostly responsible for all that was wrong in her life. He’d saved her daughter, but he’d also asked a favor that she’d accepted out of desperation for the man she loved. He’d given her Draven back temporarily after an exercise at the bank that was overrun with Death Walkers. She knew she should be nice, but his appearance only confirmed her fears.

“Jes, you don’t think I forgot about our little agreement.” Dressed in jeans and a white tee, that stretched the expanse of his chest, the fallen had the nerve to smile. She didn’t think for one second he’d catch a case of memory loss.

It would be very un-immortal of him if he did.

“I have Draven back, deals off.” Jes hissed with false bravado. She knew it was temporary, but had ignored all the signs pointing to the inevitable.

“That’s where you’re wrong. Draven’s back because I allow it. You think he came through on his own.”

No, because that would have been way too easy.

Enri’s laugh was malicious and made the hairs on her arms stand on end. “Ask him if Black is there, just underneath the skin, trying to convince him to choose sides. He’s there I can promise you that.”

Enri grabbed her by the arm tugging her to him and hissing in her ear.

“If you don’t hold up your end of the deal, I’ll unleash him while he’s with you and the kid, and I promise, Black won’t be as forgiving as you think. I control your happiness. Be sure you see to mine.”

When she jerked her arm away, he was gone. Jes placed a hand over her chest and took a deep breath. How was she going to find Solon, better yet, how was she going to kill her best friend’s brother?



Xee stretched and found she was half under a large Angel, who’d decided his feathers were making a comeback. She smiled to herself and she thought back on her first sexual encounter with a man. She had to admit it was pretty freaking awesome. Phantom kisses lingered on all the places he kissed. Even between her legs, echoes of their sex still lingered. Was it already the next day? She hoped not, she’d really enjoyed their time together. Gabe was a dominant lover in the bed and had commanded her body with perfect skill. There was no window in the room so she couldn’t tell if it was dark or light out.

She tried to sit up, but the arm resting over her belly tightened, his wings lifted and slowly lowered creating a cool breeze as it passed over her heated skin. Gabe’s body turned slightly and Xee could feel the hard press of his erection against her hip.

“We’re not finished.”

Oh goody.

Warm lips glided over her shoulder her neck where Gabe buried his face. She turned to stare at him, taking in his rugged but brutally beautiful features. It was hard to really look at him. To do so was to study art. Strength and savagery fused together to create the perfect specimen. She’d seen him naked, but to actually feel him, to have him over her, his body hard but smooth meshing with her softer one. It was so surreal.

“Can we eat?” Her stomach was empty; she was empty and needed food in order to keep up with his demands.

“I went down and got us a fruit tray with cheese and meat.”

Perfect.

“So does this mean we’re eating?”

“When I feed you.” Was all he said.

Well, when the hell would that be. She was starving. He must understand that she wasn’t like him. She wasn’t immortal. The expression on her face must have given her away because he pulled her closer laughing as he did. He had a great laugh. A deep, rumbling sound that caressed her ears.

“Sit up, and then come and sit in my lap. I’ll feed you.”

Resting her hands on his chest, she propped her head up.

“I can feed myself you know.”

To that, he smirked but said nothing else. His hands spanned her hips where he latched on and brought her up his chest so that he could stare deeply into her eyes. She watched as his pupils focused on her and she could see the different shades of color in his irises. It was magnificent. The center was darker, denser. As the color bled outward, it lightened to an almost caramel brown, some yellow, and just a touch of red to give him the champagne gaze she was starting to like. His eyes were breathtakingly beautiful and otherworldly just like him.

Way to wax poetic Hale.

She had to remember he wasn’t from Earth and soon he would be going back to where ever it is he came from. They continued to stare at one another until finally she gave up and did as he asked. He really did take charge when it came to the bedroom.

“Good girl.”

Now she was in his lap, her back to his front and trying to figure out for the life of her, how she ended up in this predicament.
Oh yeah, curiosity.

Gabe reached for the tray of food, placing it on the side of the bed where she sat in his lap and started to feed her. It wasn’t so bad. He alternated between feeding her and then himself. They laughed, they talked about everything and anything that wasn’t serious or touched the subject of what they’d just done, or how much time they had left. No, they didn’t discuss time at all.

Chapter 11

Gabe made his way down to the H.I.V.E. It was day one of post-sex with Xee and he was still jonesing. She’d opened him wide, giving him a glimpse of her soul and vice versa. He’d seen straight to the heart of her, and what he saw was pure and true. Addicting to someone like him. He got a small glimpse of something else that compelled him to look further, but right when he would have gotten to the heart of her she’d shut it all down. He didn’t think it was her, but the Para-housed Micah that had stopped what was happening between them.

The lights were on in the control room when he walked in. She was there, sitting in his spot looking at multiple screens while jotting down notes. She looked up at him briefly, but then returned to her notes.

“Morning.”

She didn’t respond but kept writing, jotting down notes, filling the paper with words that looked wrong, almost backwards. Gabe tried to peer over her shoulder for a closer look when the communication system went live.

“Yeah,” he said into the sat phone.

“Shit man, it’s hot as hell in Egypt and I would know, I’ve been there a few times.”

Gabe rolled his eyes at Royce even though the other man couldn’t see him.

“There a problem?”

“No problem. Dietrich’s dropped us off; four of his people are somewhere keeping an eye out on us. Then there’s Sam, the wonder dog. I’d say we’re good to go. Just waiting on your man to meet us a the market.”

They were waiting on Dakarai, one of the contacts from the Shadow Unit there in Aswan. He was a cheetah shifter from the Fahd Siyad clan. Dakarai would be able to get them in and out of the temple.

“He should be on time.”

“Roger that Angel Boy.’ Royce snickered.

“Knock that shit off and report in when you’ve found something.”

Closing the communication he turned back to find Xee no longer sitting in his chair. She’d left. He wasn’t going to follow her around like a lovesick puppy dog. He had other things to do that were more important. Turning back to the monitors Gabe did a perimeter check. Everyone and everything seemed to be in place.

“Hey Angel Boy,” Xee walked in and sat next to him, pulling up the screen and working on a sequence they’d started the day before yesterday.

“We speaking now?” He asked looking over his shoulder.

“Someone’s grumpy,” she said looking up at him through thick lashes.

She was a total head case, he thought seconds later. He’d tried talking to her earlier and she’d said nothing. Now she was all smiles.

They worked in silence as they continued looking into more information about the Sahidic. She was baiting him; he decided an hour later after they still hadn’t spoken to one another. Her breast hit his arm and Gabe had to grit his teeth to keep from asking her for another night.
One night
. It was only one night and they’d had that. He was leaving soon. He couldn’t do a repeat, it’d be asking for trouble.

Frustrated, he stood and left. He needed to get away from her, get some fresh air. If he didn’t, they’d need new equipment in the communications room because if he fucked her, they’d break some shit.



“Way to go with your new boyfriend Honey Xee.”

“Shut it.
” She wasn’t really expecting things to miraculously change between them, but she’d thought, or hoped he’d be more civil. They hadn’t talked at all during their time together in the H.I.V.E. She’d even rubbed up against him, hoping it sparked conversation, but all she got was dead air. Well she wasn’t going to dwell on it. It was the way she liked working anyway. Quietly.

Xee swiveled in her chair and tried to recall how she’d ended up dressed this morning. During her time with Gabe, she remembered everything. This morning she’d lost a couple of hours. Scary, but who could she talk to about it. She didn’t want to talk to Ann. Laying on the couch and spilling your heart out was not something she was fond of doing. She wasn’t about to go there.

“Talk to me honey Xee.”

“Alright, how’d I get dressed this morning?”
As if he knew. If she didn’t remember, he wouldn’t either.

“Beats the shit out of me. I was asleep. Maybe you’ve fallen into a routine. You know like you’re too tired to remember, but not too tired to forget where you needed to be.”

Yeah, maybe. But she doubted that was it. Even before joining the unit, she’d been missing slices of time. She didn’t understand why or how, and Micah kept insisting he had no clue either.

“Because I don’t.”

Maybe she was sleep walking.

“That could be it.”

“Sleep walking into a bar in the middle of the day? Seriously Micah?”

There was movement in the corner and Xee turned facing one of the Seraph’s from the other day at the meeting. Weren’t they supposed to knock before they just poofed in.

“Gabe’s not here.”

“I’m not here for Gabe,” he said, unfolding from the shadow.

“Whatever he says he’s lying Xee. Don’t believe a word of it. He’s going to try to bully you. Don’t be scared.”

His name was Grey; she thought that’s what Gabe called him.

“You’re here for me?”

“Not exactly. Depends, why did you come here?”

Xee stood not wanting to feel what clearly was going to be him trying to bully her. She walked closer towards the door, tracking Grey’s every move.

“You’re not very bright are you human.”

Two long strides brought him inches from her. Her back bowed because the giant fucker was in her face as he stared down at her.

“I asked you a question human. Give me attitude and I’ll see to it you’re living life with a colonoscopy bag attached at the hip.

“Alright, alright. I’m here because I can do this job that’s all.”

He really was scary. The collar around his neck just as menacing as he was.

“Bullshit.”

“How is that bullshit?” Seriously, he was ruining her one-day-old post-coital bliss; her body aches were now anxiety related.

“You house a dark one.”

“A dark what?”

The Angel growled lowering his head, showing a row of bright white teeth that were definitely intended for devouring meat.

“I see the light in you, but that’s not all there is.”

He was talking about Micah.

“Just admit to it so we can split.”

“Okay, so I have pieces of black, what human is perfect? I drink, I fuck, and occasionally I do bad shit. What of it?”

Grey took another step forward, trapping her against the wall, a thick hank of his black hair obscuring one of his slate grey eyes.

“Everything will be in its place. There’s nothing you can do to stop the threads from weaving together. Girl, I suggest you wise up and fucking fast.”

Grey forcefully pressed his forehead to hers and said against her ear. “We’re coming for you. There’s no place to hide dark one.”

Then he was gone.

What the fuck was that about?



“How come this mother fucker hasn’t shown yet?” Royce asked. He shoved his hands in his cargo shorts. Their contact was late and the sun wasn’t getting lower, but the temperature was getting higher. It was fucking hot.

“Baby, calm down. If he doesn’t show soon, just phone Gabe. Maybe’s he’s running late, or lost. Something could have come up.”

“Something definitely must have come up,” Ronin said adjusting his shirt. “We’re cooking out here.”

Royce knew why he was antsy. Cairo was bustling with life. Bikes, cars, tour buses, and the open markets, it was all overpowering his mind with static that was human chatter. Most of the signs were in Arabic, but a good deal were in English. He could read both. There was a spice market not ten feet away from where he stood. A splashing array of yellows, reds, and browns. The aroma, floating heavy in the air.

“Let’s grab a cab and go to the Units compound.”

According to Gabe, the facility was in the eastern part of the city. How hard could it be for them to find?

“Anyone speak Arabic? I’m out of practice.’ He wasn’t, but didn’t really feel the need to go into details. His father’s people were neck deep in Egypt. It would only take someone overhearing him or his brother for his father to locate them within days, and he didn’t feel like being brought in on bogus charges that were hundreds of years old.