InkintheBlood Page 4

  “I have a friend who needs to be admitted.”

  “Really? And what might this friend’s name be?” His tone told her that she was overstepping her boundaries but she was too pissed off at Jacob to be diplomatic.

  “Gretchen…” Realizing she didn’t know Gretchen’s last name, she looked at Jacob for help.

  “Adams,” he whispered softly.

  “Gretchen Adams. She needs to be admitted.”

  “She does, does she?” There was a clicking in the background that she could only assume was him typing the name into a computer. “Wait, I remember her. She’s a Chosen.”

  She grimaced at the title his religious sect had given humans. But she decided it was neither the time nor the place to get into a religious debate, especially with Jacob listening to her side of the conversation. “True. But it was Alex who screwed her up. That makes her our problem.”

  “Really? And are we to fix all of Alexander’s screwups now? Because I can tell you, we haven’t that kind of time.”

  “She isn’t a drugged-up groupie. She was trying to help. She was trying to stop him.”

  “Noble aspirations. But I honestly don’t see how we could help a—”

  “He gave her dust, Bastion. Their doctors can’t fix her but you can.”

  “A Chosen on dust? Are you sure?”

  Dust was a chemical compound that’d been formulated specifically for Community members. Humans were a weaker species physically. Their type weren’t even supposed to be able to survive the drug. Izzy was betting that believing one had would hold some fascination for her uncle. “Yes,” she lied. She was actually pretty sure after listening to the withdrawal symptoms. But pretty sure wouldn’t be enough to get the woman admitted. “I’m willing to vouch for her.”

  “Have her transported.” His voice was quieter than usual as he continued, “But you owe us for this one, child.”

  She grimaced as she hung up the phone. Something told her the price for this was going to be steep, but she would have to worry about that later. Turning to Jacob, she nodded. “She’s in. You can have her transported to the facilities immediately.”

  Some of the strain disappeared from his eyes. “Thank you, Izzy.”

  “Not a problem.”

  His fingertip sought out a drop of condensation on her glass. “Did you mean it? Did you mean what you said?”

  “No strings? Absolutely.” She couldn’t believe he had to ask.

  “No. That you’d go after him with or without us?”

  “Yes.”

  He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Then I guess I should tell you that we’re going after him tonight.”

  “So soon?” It seemed dangerous to the point of stupidity to her.

  “We need to get him before he goes underground again.” His look of finality sent a shiver of dread up her spine.

  “You’re going in this time, aren’t you?”

  “When you want something done right…” He shrugged nonchalantly at the words. “Besides, I couldn’t live with myself if another agent ended up dead. Or worse.”

  She couldn’t stop the bitter laugh that slipped through her lips. “Sacrificial lamb doesn’t suit you.”

  “I don’t plan on dying.”

  “Nobody ever does. But if you go barreling into Toxic to arrest Alex, you will.”

  “Do you have a better idea?”

  “Let me go with you.”

  “No.” The force he put into the word made her jump. “I didn’t tell you to get you onboard. I told you so you wouldn’t try going after him. It’s taken care of.”

  “It’s not taken care of until he’s rotting in a cell.”

  “And he will be.”

  She didn’t doubt his sincerity, but Alex was going to be hard to bring down. “So what’s the plan?”

  His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I can’t tell you.”

  Her heart hurt at the answer. “We’re on a need-to-know basis now?”

  “Something like that.” He crossed his arms over his chest. It was a sure sign he wasn’t going to budge.

  She could feel her earlier anger start to stir again at his obstinate pose and hurtful words. “Can I at least guess?”

  “Feel free.”

  “Hmm… You have an appointment to meet Alex tonight, right? After all, you can’t just show up at Toxic and expect to secure him.”

  He looked away from her.

  “No appointment? That’s too bad. It would make things go a lot smoother.”

  A muscle in his jaw twitched as he studied her. “And I take it you could get an appointment for me?”

  It was the opening she’d been waiting for. “No. But I can get one for myself and, of course, any who wished to accompany me.”

  “Didn’t we just have this conversation? You aren’t coming and that’s final!”

  Her heart raced angrily at the words. “So you can risk your life, but—”

  “Exactly,” he said, stopping her before she could finish the sentence. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “It’s not too dangerous for you.”

  “I’m a faceless agent, Izzy. I’ll be in and out of his life in one night. But they know who you are. There’s no place you’d be safe if you did this.”

  “I’ve gotten lost in the crowd before. I can do it again.”

  “There isn’t a crowd big enough.”

  Glaring at him, she straightened her shoulders and squared her chin. “Bottom line, the only way you’re going to get Alex is if I deliver him. How bad do you want this, Agent?”

  He growled softly as he met her glare, not backing down an inch. “Not that bad. Not that way.”

  “Fine, then get out.” It was the end she knew was coming, but not the one she’d planned.

  “What?”

  “I said, get out.”

  “Don’t you think you’re overreacting?”

  At first she thought she’d misheard him, but as she replayed the words in her mind her anger quickly became rage. “I don’t know, let’s see how you react. I am going to Toxic tonight. But I’m going to be fair about it. I’ll let you decide if I go alone.”

  He froze and his face drained of color. “You’re joking, right? Bluffing?”

  “I think it’s high time for a family reunion.” Her voice was cold and controlled as she spoke.

  “You can’t go.”

  “Last time I checked, it’s a free country. You can’t stop me.”

  His jaw clenched and his hands balled tightly at his sides as he studied her for a moment. She feared he was going to get around it somehow. How long could an agent detain a citizen before either having to arrest her or release her? She tried to remember but couldn’t.

  He cursed softly and ran his fingers through his hair. After pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, he called someone and then put the phone to his ear. “Yeah, it’s Phinney. There’s been a change in plans. Izzy’s going to be with me tonight.” He ended the call abruptly and then stormed out of the kitchen.

  She wasn’t surprised to hear the front door slam shut as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “Guess I wasn’t overreacting,” she mumbled.

  Chapter Four

  The day passed slowly for Isabella. Her mind continuously shifted between what she and Jacob had done the night before and what they were going to be doing that night. She was glad Alex would finally be brought to justice. Still, she couldn’t help feeling a bit nauseated. Not that she was worried about herself. It was Jacob’s well-being that concerned her. She hated to admit it, but after her anger had faded she understood why he’d tried to keep her away from Alex. If she could, she’d keep him as far away from her monster half brother as possible. But she’d have as much success keeping him away as he’d had with her. No, she just had to come up with a way to keep them both safe.

  She ran her fingers through her hair and cursed softly as she paced around the room. She’d always been a stronger shifter than Alex, especially now that she was sobe
r. But she couldn’t shift in front of Jacob. And even if she could, what good would it do? It wasn’t as if changing her hair color or dress size would help.

  With the odds stacked against her, it would be easy to slip into the depression of negativity. But she was stronger than that. She refused to let doubts poison her. Instead she spent the day planning and mentally preparing for the night to come. And when the sky became the hazy glow of city night, she was ready to face her past.

  She got dressed in what was quickly becoming her uniform for drug busts. True, it was a different micro skirt and cropped tee than the night before, but it had the same look.

  Once she was dressed, she moved in front of her mirror to finish getting ready. Alex had expectations of her and she wouldn’t want to disappoint him. Staring into the mirror, she began by focusing on her red hair. The color darkened until it was so black that it almost shone blue under her bedroom lights. Then she made it grow a couple of inches and made it straight instead of curly. When she was satisfied with her hair, she grabbed her mascara off the vanity and applied a thick coat to her lashes before putting a layer of bright-red lipstick on her lips.

  The last thing she needed to change was her eye color. She was fond of the emerald, but they should be her natural color tonight. After she’d changed them back to their icy-blue, she slipped her feet into her thigh-high black leather boots. This was the Izzy Alex knew.

  Happy with the effect, she headed back into the front room. She had just enough time to pace its length twice before she heard a knock at the door. Taking a deep breath, she crossed the floor and opened the door for Jacob.

  Her eyes swept appreciatively over his perfectly tailored button-down shirt and formfitting pants. “You look perfect.” She blushed as she realized she’d said the words out loud. “For Toxic, that is.” She didn’t know what to expect after their fight that morning, but it sure wasn’t the desire to throw herself into his arms.

  “You too. I have to say, there’s something about a goth schoolgirl in a uniform.” The intensity of his gaze was quickly making her knees weak.

  “It’s the wig and contacts,” she lied. “They’d make any woman irresistible.” She moved aside so he could walk past her. “Look. About this morning—”

  “I was wrong.”

  “What?” His change of heart was so unexpected that she found she didn’t completely trust it.

  “I lied to you and, even after everything I’ve seen you accomplish over the last six months, I shut you out. I was wrong,” he repeated. “And I’m sorry.”

  She studied him cautiously before closing the door. “Do you feel okay?” She reached up to feel his forehead, searching for some hint of a fever.

  “I’m not sick.” He brushed her hand away. “Just protective. This morning I was reacting. I needed time to think things through. Today gave me that.”

  As far as apologies went, his was kind of sweet. Even a little hot. “It’s okay. I knew you were just worried about me. But thank you.” She walked past him into the front room to get her purse. Now that they were past their argument, she wanted to get the evening started. The sooner they got going, the sooner they’d have Alex in custody.

  “You’re welcome.” He took a step toward her as he stared at her. “So, I’ve got to ask, how many of those little skirts do you have anyway?”

  “Why?” She looked down at the skirt she wore, slightly confused by the sudden change of conversation. “You don’t like them?”

  He took another step. “No, I don’t. I love them. Hell, if you had enough to wear one every day, I’d be in heaven.” He was stalking her—in her own apartment. The realization slammed into her and made her skin tingle with awareness.

  “Whatever you’re thinking about, you can just forget it.” She took a step backward but she couldn’t stop her smile. He wanted her as much as she wanted him and that felt good. “We don’t have that kind of time.”

  “Says who?” His gaze simmered with raw hunger.

  She was in trouble. She stepped away from him just so she could take a breath without smelling his spicy cologne. Tonight was about finally busting Alex. She had to stay focused. “Says the tactical team waiting to get this bust over with.”

  He walked over to her and slid a lock of her hair behind her ear. “The night is young. They won’t be in position for an hour at the earliest.” He wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her against him as his hand swept up her thigh. When his fingers made their way under the hem of her skirt, he cursed under his breath. “Really? No panties? Are you trying to kill me?”

  Her skin heated into a blush as she looked up at him. “Would you believe me if I told you I forgot them?”

  “Nope. You did it to torment me.”

  She laughed because he was right and he knew it.

  His fingers ran over the seam of her pussy as he leaned over to kiss her again. This kiss was hard and unforgiving. She opened her mouth to take him into her as his finger found her clit. “You’re wet.”

  She ran her hand down his body until it rested on the bulge just behind his zipper. “And you’re hard.”

  He massaged the erotic bundle of nerves until she moaned. “I know the solution to both of our problems,” he whispered into her ear.

  “So do I.” She unzipped his pants and pulled his cock out of his boxers. She’d wanted to taste him the night before but, since her hands had been tied, she hadn’t had the chance. There was nothing stopping her now though. Dropping to her knees, she admired him for a second before she ran her tongue along the length of him.

  “What are you doing?” he asked softly.

  She chuckled and then swirled her tongue along the sensitive head as if it were an ice-cream cone. “If you don’t know then I’m not doing it right.”

  “Oh no. You’re doing everything right.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as she took him into her mouth. “Especially that.”

  She moaned as he pushed his cock farther into her mouth. She enjoyed the weight of his erection and the slightly salty taste of his pre-come as it burst across her tongue. He threaded his fingers into her hair and then used his grip to tilt her head back so she was looking up at him. His expression was fierce and his attention was focused on her mouth as he thrust his cock in between her lips. It should’ve been awkward to watch him watching her but it wasn’t. It was hot as hell. Her nipples hardened and she had to clench her thighs together to keep from touching herself.

  “You’ve got to stop. I’m going to come.”

  She’d never needed anything like she needed him. And, given her drug addiction, that was saying something. She pulled away from him to smile and say, “That’s kind of the point.” Then, before he could step away, she lowered her mouth to his cock once more.

  He moaned and used his hand in her hair to direct her pace for a few minutes. He slipped in and out of her mouth with stronger and faster thrusts that demanded she take more of him. Yet he seemed careful not to make her take so much that she’d gag. He was moments from coming. She could feel it in in the tension that radiated off his body. But just when she thought she’d feel his come coat her throat, he pulled away.

  “Where’s the nearest flat surface?” He pulled her to her feet and then dragged his pants over his exposed cock.

  “Kitchen table.” Holding on to him around his waist, she walked backward into her kitchen. She didn’t stop until her ass hit the edge of her table. Then he picked her up and sat her at the edge of the tabletop.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a condom before pulling his jeans and boxers down just far enough to reveal his hard cock. “Jesus. I need you so bad it hurts.”

  She took the condom from him and tore it open before rolling it over his erection. “Good thing I’m right here, then.” She leaned back and braced her weight on her hands.

  He pushed her skirt up and then sank into her. “Yes.” He pulled most of the way out of her and then pushed back into her slowly. It was what she craved, but she
needed more. She needed to be filled with him.

  “Harder,” she begged.

  “Won’t last.” His voice was strained.

  “Please. I need more.”

  He moved one hand to her lower back so he could support her as he thrust into her harder. She leaned back onto her elbows so he could fill her more completely and then moaned as he ran a thumb over her clit. If he continued doing that, she wasn’t going to last long either.

  His skin was covered in a fine mist of sweat and his breathing was rough as he continued to thrust into her. The muscles that defined his arms and chest were tense and his attention remained locked on her. It was easy to believe that, at that moment, she was the center of his world.

  It was that thought that sent her tumbling over the edge into the bliss of release. He called out her name and he pulled her to him as he trembled with his own climax. Sex with him might be a mistake, but it was the best damn mistake she’d ever made.

  She took a couple shaky breaths and then lay back on the table. Her muscles were too wobbly to hold her and her mind was officially mush. In short, the man was good between the sheets. Or, as the case may be, on the table.

  He pulled out of her and then disposed of the condom before offering her a hand to sit up. “You okay?”

  She took his hand and pulled herself up. “Oh I’m better than okay,” she said with a smile. “Do you have to be so damn good at everything you do?”

  His cheeks turned pink at the compliment. He blushed? Seriously? It was just one more thing on the very long list that made him absolutely irresistible. “You certainly are good for a man’s ego.”

  She laughed as she climbed off the table. “The last thing I intended to stroke was your ego.” She pushed her skirt down and straightened her top. “It’s so big, I wouldn’t even know where to start,” she teased.

  He pulled up his boxers and jeans. “Are you implying I’m arrogant?” he asked with a wink.

  She laughed at the term. Some might use that word to describe him, but she didn’t think it fit. “No. You’re not arrogant.” She studied him carefully before saying, “You’re single-minded and pushy.”