OnsetofDanger (15 page)

Forcing the memories to the back of her mind, she focused on
her destination and the conversation to come. She had to convince Inatta to
help her, had to offer something valuable enough to make the risk worthwhile.
Bronik had sent the possible locations of the captives to either Alexi or
Edrick, but had they passed the information on to Inatta? If the Rom leader
hadn’t yet received the suggestions, perhaps Eloise could offer the locations
in exchange for a place to hide. It wasn’t much but she had to do something,
had to create her own opportunities.

If Rom strain had an official headquarters, Eloise didn’t
know where it was. She had learned that Inatta recently moved into a luxury
apartment just off the world-famous Strip, but again Eloise was unsure of the
exact location. Scanning each building for psychic shields was tedious and time-consuming.
Unfortunately Eloise couldn’t think of any other way to locate Inatta.

Suddenly Eloise sensed a rush of energy. The disorienting
surge flowed through her and swirled around her with shocking intensity. This
was either more than one person working as a tight unit or one incredibly
powerful host. She was swept along by the intrusive force, carried toward the
Strip despite her best effort to resist. Likely she’d triggered some sort of
proximity warning and Rom guards had responded to the alarm. This might be her
best hope of contacting Inatta. If she was given the opportunity to explain why
a Vladya soldier had come to Rom territory uninvited.

She was escorted through an exterior wall of one of the
hotels and taken directly into a crowded nightclub. Music blared and a throng
of revelers undulated and swayed in time to the sensual beat. She only had time
to form an overall impression before she was forced through another wall and
into an office. The sound was muffled now, the room tasteful and orderly.

The Rom guards separated, becoming three distinct entities.
They surrounded her and guided her until she was positioned in front of a
dark-haired man standing beside the glass-topped desk.

“Solidify now and I might allow you to live.” The man spoke
with absolute authority, his expression unreadable. He was tall and lean, his
body designed for agility rather than brute strength. His hair flowed away from
his face in distinct waves, accenting the sharp angles of his features. With
swarthy skin and night-black eyes, he was textbook Rom—mysterious, dangerous.

Calling upon years of training, she solidified and faced him
without any outward sign of fear. “I’m no danger to the Rom. I need to speak
with Inatta but conversation is all I seek.”

His gaze narrowed as he studied her from head to toe. “What
does Tara’s daughter want with Rom strain’s queen?” He pointed to her
stocking-clad feet. “You’re not even wearing shoes.”

“I left in a hurry and I told you, I want only
conversation.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and looked into her eyes.
“Then talk to me.” She started to reply but he held up his hand and turned to
his guards. “Make sure she’s alone. I’ve got this.” The guards disintegrated
and their leader seemed to relax, but not by much. He remained near the desk,
yet he didn’t sit and his gaze bore into hers with obvious expectation. “No one
sees Inatta without a damn good reason, so convince me you have one. Does Tara
know where you are? Did you run away from home?” He raised his brows and made
the possibility sound dramatic.

“You have me at a disadvantage.” She finger-combed her hair
away from her face as she silently debated what to tell him. “You obviously
know who I am, but I don’t know you.”

“You don’t need to know me. Answer my questions or leave my
city.”

“
Your
city? I thought Rom strain had a queen.”

He closed the distance between them with two long strides
and grasped her chin with firm fingers. “I’m not in the mood to spar. Start
talking or I’ll strip the information from your blood.” He punctuated the
threat by baring his fangs.

“That won’t be necessary, Kass.” Caitlyn’s familiar voice
snapped Eloise’s attention toward the door. The portal was still closed and
Eloise hadn’t heard Caitlyn arrive, but she was thankful for the interruption.
“I’ll take it from here.” She casually crossed the room and stood beside
Eloise.

“Are you sure?” He slowly lowered his arm and looked at
Caitlyn. “The guards found her nosing around your mother’s apartment. She’s up
to something.”

“My mother is always up to something.” Caitlyn’s smile
indicated that the misunderstanding was intentional.

“I meant her.” Kass nodded toward Eloise.

“I know.” Caitlyn pushed him toward the door. “Go have a
beer or break up a fight. I can take care of this.”

Kass didn’t look happy with the situation, but he inclined
his head and left the office.

“He’s the friendly sort.” Eloise tried to sound casual but
her mind was reeling. Bronik told her Caitlyn was Inatta’s daughter but she
hadn’t really believed him until this moment. Simone had indicated that Caitlyn
was still with Prince Alexi at the Strigo compound, so what was Caitlyn doing
in Las Vegas? “Who was that guy?”

“His name is Kastian Gavriel, but most just call him Kass.
He’s my mother’s top advisor and head of her security team. She doesn’t pay him
to be friendly.”

“Your mother is really Inatta?” Eloise shook her head, still
finding it hard to believe.

“What brings you to Las Vegas?” She motioned toward the
furniture grouping in the far corner of the office. “Was Bronik able to free
your symbionts?”

Eloise tensed at the question. “How did you know about
that?”

“I was there the night Bronik brought you in. You would have
died if it hadn’t been for the Yeagers and Simone.” They sat facing each other,
Caitlyn in a burgundy leather chair, Eloise on the matching sofa.

“I’m functional again thanks to Bronik, but dealing with
Strigo strain also created certain complications.” She swallowed past the lump
rapidly forming in her throat. Having Caitlyn here made a long explanation
unnecessary. “Tara will come after me. I need a place to hide.”

“I’m not sure Tara should be your top concern.” Caitlyn
watched her closely, compassion warming her bright-blue eyes. “Why did you
leave Bronik?”

Did Caitlyn know about the sworn protector nonsense? Bronik
said Alexi had formed a similar bond with Caitlyn, but again Eloise hadn’t
really believed him. Even if Caitlyn was linked with the prince, their
situations were far different. Strigo strain wasn’t nearly as hostile toward
the Rom as they were toward Vladya strain.

Caitlyn was still waiting for her answer, so Eloise said,
“He wanted something I wasn’t willing to give.”

“Strigo men can be terrible bullies.” A faint smile quirked
the corners of her mouth. “They can also be wonderful.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Perhaps Caitlyn’s presence
wasn’t such a good thing after all. She seemed to understand Eloise’s dilemma a
little too well. “Will Rom strain offer me sanctuary or not? If you intend to
turn me away, just say so. I won’t waste any more of your time.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t welcome, I just wanted to
understand why you left.”

“Apparently you and Prince Alexi share common goals.” Her
tone grew curt as Caitlyn pushed her closer to the convoluted truth. “Bronik
and I are enemies.”

“Why? Do you still consider yourself a member of Vladya
strain? You said Tara will likely try to kill you.”

“As long as Tara heads Vladya strain I will be an outcast.
Even if she decides to let me live, I’m no longer welcome in her territory.”

“Because you had the audacity to be kidnapped? Isn’t that a
bit dramatic?” Caitlyn crossed her legs and settled back in the chair.

Caitlyn had nothing to do with the tangled mess that now
passed for Eloise’s life. Still, Caitlyn’s nonchalance was irritating. “I
thought I was dying, so I bartered information for…” She waved away the
specifics. Caitlyn didn’t need to know every detail. “It doesn’t matter now. My
symbionts are wide awake and I can take care of myself. All I need is a place
to hide out for a few days while I figure out what to do next.”

“You’re welcome to stay as long as you like. But if you
willingly accepted Bronik’s vow, I won’t be able to interfere.”

“I’m not asking for your protection, just a place to stay.”

Caitlyn pushed to her feet with a secretive smile. “Then
I’ll make the arrangements.”

* * * * *

Flash to 479 Dover Ct. I’m waiting.

Edrick read the message for the second time as tension
gripped his gut. It had been exactly forty-eight hours since Tara’s blonde
messenger approached him in the parking lot and her vile temptation had yet to
leave his mind.

He should ignore her, remain within the safety of the
estate’s shields until Tara gave up and moved on to a strategy that didn’t
involve him. Alexi was his nephew. Edrick could not be involved in anything
that would harm another Yeager.

But Alexi was also a threat to all Edrick had accomplished
here on Earth. Strigo strain had accepted the prince with open arms and
admiration. According to the gossip, Alexi had cheated death when his ship
crash-landed. He’d single-handedly rescued his crew then claimed a Rom princess
as his mate, all within days of his arrival on Earth. Now his name was
whispered with reverence and awe. They acted as if Alexi were part deity.

And Tara intended to take full advantage of Edrick’s growing
resentment.

His phone vibrated again and Edrick gritted his teeth. If he
ignored her, would she go away or ambush him as soon as he ventured beyond the
estate? He would not be a prisoner to a
human
messenger!

“Is there a problem?”

Edrick glanced at Alexi and smiled. “Nothing serious.”

They sat in the library as they often did around midnight.
He was enjoying a drink while Alexi researched the locations Bronik had
received from Eloise. Edrick tensed. If Alexi managed to find the Rom captives,
he would earn the trust and appreciation of Rom strain.

Which was something Edrick had not been able to do even with
Inatta in his bed.

His thumb hovered over the message log. Why was he even
thinking about this? Was he really so depraved that he’d consider an alliance
with Tara Kovac?

He deleted the messages and purged his mind with a heavy
sigh.

The address was one of his rental properties, currently
unoccupied, which gave him a valid excuse for going there. It was all so
clever, so premeditated. Temptation swelled, drawing him toward the darkness.

“There’s someone poking around one of my rentals,” he told
Alexi. “I need to check it out.”

“Anything I can do?” Alexi looked up from the laptop with
calm, trusting eyes and Edrick felt his soul shrivel.

“No. This shouldn’t take long.”

He flashed out of the room before Alexi could sense his
turmoil, but there was no escaping his guilt.

The blonde messenger stood in the moonlit living room, hair
loose about her shoulders. She wore a dress this time, the style modest and
feminine. The billowy skirt concealed her long, trim legs, yet the nipped-in
waist accented her curvy figure. She appeared young and innocent. Like Abigail.
Or perhaps Abigail’s older sister. Abigail had been… None of that mattered now.
Abigail was dead and he must think of the future.

“I’m glad you came.” She smiled, her expression serene.

“I cannot be directly involved,” he said emphatically. “If
my strain has any clue that I’ve betrayed their prince, they will turn on me.”

The blonde nodded. “We’ll utilize a scapegoat, someone
believable but expendable. No one will ever know you had anything to do with
Alexi’s tragic death.”

He’d know. For the rest of his life he’d live with the guilt
of murdering his brother’s son. Still, the thought of sinking back into
obscurity bothered him even more. Earth was his. He’d fought wars and
infiltrated governments, negotiated treaties and formed alliances. He’d worked
tirelessly for nearly two centuries, determined to solidify Strigo strain’s
position in this world. Alexi hadn’t earned the privileges he so blithely
accepted. It was time to turn back the clock, to restore things to how they had
been before Alexi’s arrival.

He swallowed hard, his mouth dry and bitter. “When and how
will this be done?”

“Alexi is about to discover evidence that one of the
locations Eloise provided is still in use.”

Edrick felt nauseous. He’d long suspected Tara had a spy or
spies within his household. Now it was obvious. Someone close to him was
keeping Tara remarkably well-informed. “And then?”

“You will make damn sure Alexi leads the mission himself.
That shouldn’t be hard. Alexi loves to be heroic.”

“I’ll have to participate. It will seem suspicious if I
don’t. Can you guarantee my safety?”

“We will guarantee your
survival
. It will reinforce
your apparent innocence if you’re injured during the fray.”

His fists clenched and a muscle in his cheek twitched. “How
do I know you won’t just kill us both?”

“If you both die, Tara would face a full-scale war with
Strigo strain. It will be your job to restore order to your people after
they’ve lost their beloved prince. You will have to help them understand that
it was all a senseless tragedy and an alliance with Vladya strain is the only
way to ensure no more blood is shed needlessly.”

That would be easier said than done with Bronik in the
picture. He would demand blood for blood. It was the Yeager way. The thought
sent a fresh wave of dread washing over him. Did Tara know Bronik was a Yeager
too? It didn’t seem likely or Bronik would have been included in the scheme.

He pulled back from his surging emotions and forced himself
to examine his options with brutal objectivity. If Tara killed Alexi and then
Bronik killed Tara, Edrick would be restored to authority and Strigo strain
would be more powerful than ever before. Excitement sped his pulse and eroded
his anxiety. Could he steer this from the shadows, rearrange everything to his
own advantage?