Prisoner of Deception
A novel of erotic romance by
Wendy Stone
Published by Phaze Books
Also by Wendy Stone
A Fall from Grace
A Gamble Worth Taking
A Strange New Breed
Beastly Intentions
Captive of Love
Charisma
Endless
Home for the Holidays
Magic Man
Messages of Love
Pick of the Litter
The Taming of a Vixen
To Tame a Wolf
This is an explicit and erotic novel
intended for the enjoyment
of adult readers. Please keep
out of the hands of children.
www.Phaze.com
Prisoner of Deception
Copyright © 2012 by Wendy Stone
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Edited by Richard Campbell III
Cover Art © 2012 by Niki Browning
First Edition February 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1-60659-650-0
SMASHWORDS EDITION
Published by:
Phaze Books
An imprint of Mundania Press LLC
6457 Glenway Ave., #109
Cincinnati, OH 45211
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, Mundania Press LLC, 6457 Glenway Avenue, #109, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211, books@mundania.com.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
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Chapter One
She heard three. One was breathing quickly, fear making him or her hyperventilate. The other two weren’t breathing. She concentrated upon those two.
The vampires were playing with their victim. They weren’t hungry. Their eyes were clear, their fangs still hidden. They were bored and hunting was something to do to take the edge off.
Layna Castle stood at the opening of the dark alley, the streetlight above her playing in the thick blackness of her silky hair. She closed her pale blue eyes for just a moment, letting them adjust to the shadows. She kept her other senses trained on the vampires, hoping they had not yet tired of the game.
She stepped lightly into the alley, opening her eyes to let them guide her way now that she could see in the dimness.
The victim, a frightened college student, was huddled in a corner, her backpack pressed to her chest, doing her best to stay out of reach.
“Come on, babe, come out and play,” one said, not hearing Layna as she stepped up behind him. It took little more than a second for her hands to come out, grabbing his chin with one hand and yanking hard. She broke his neck with an ease that spoke of long practice. He fell to the ground, and she stepped on him, her toes pointing towards the ceiling. The angle forced her three-inch silver-tipped spiked heel cleanly into his heart.
The burst of flames was his partner’s first clue that his buddy wasn’t playing anymore. He turned, seeing Layna and the small pile of sparks and ash, all that remained of his friend. “You bitch!” he growled, his face changing as his fangs grew. “Are you ready to die?” He took a first step toward her.
Layna calmly lifted the crossbow she held, letting loose the wooden bolt. It shot towards the vampire. A human would have taken it in the chest.
But the vamp moved faster than any human. His arm flew up in defense and the bolt pierced it instead of his heart. He hissed in pain, but the wound was far from fatal.
He rushed her, and she quickly tossed the crossbow aside. She brought the hand up in a closed fist, hoping to shatter his jaw. He jerked his head sideways. His fangs raked her forearm as the fist roared past his face.
The scent of her blood, combined with his wound, sent him into a frenzy. His good arm reached up and snagged a handful of hair. He yanked her down, eyeing her neck.
Layna grasped the bolt still sticking out of his arm and pulled it free. He roared in renewed agony and stumbled back.
She thrust the short, sharp weapon forward in a fencer’s lunge, tearing through his heart. She released it and he glanced down at the wooden bolt quivering in his chest.
“I am a bitch,” she said, reaching out and grabbing hold of his chin as he burst into ash and sparks. For a single instant, she held his skull in her hand and then it too was gone, leaving her holding nothing more than a small pile of ash. She let it fall to the ground.
“A-are t-they dead?” the girl asked, startling Layna.
“Yeah, that’s what happens when they burst into flames,” she said sarcastically. She turned to look down at the girl. “Usually they run.”
“W-who?” she said, her voice shaking as much as her body.
“The victims,” Layna said. “Specifically...you.”
“I-I wanted to thank you.”
Layna took a better look at the girl. She wasn’t as small as she seemed. “Don’t you know how dangerous it is in this neighborhood?”
“There was a party,” she said, shrugging.
“Well if you’re going, shouldn’t you go?”
“I don’t think I’m up to a party now.”
Layna heard the sound of an engine and glanced around. A long, low-riding black Monte Carlo pulled by the far entrance to the alley. She groaned, rolling her eyes and pushing her hair off her forehead.
“Then you should go, girlie. I’ll walk you out to where you can get a cab.” She started down the alley, her long strides easily eating the distance. She heard the girl squeak and stopped, waiting for her to catch up.
“Come on,” she urged the girl. She yanked up the zipper of the form-fitting black leather vest. Ducking her head, she grabbed the girl’s arm and hurried her down the sidewalk, glancing back once and sighing with relief. The Monte Carlo was nowhere to be seen.
It took all of ten minutes to shove the girl in a cab and on her way, ignoring her effusive thanks. Layna sighed. Her feet hurt, her head was buzzing, and she was tired; she just wanted to go home and climb into bed. But she couldn’t, not yet.
“Layna!”
Her shoulders lifted at the sound of that no-nonsense voice. The Monte Carlo pulled up next to her. Donovan’s head was hanging out the window.
“You look like a dog when you do that,” she said, letting the sarcasm drip from her tongue.
“And you look like someone from a bad vampire movie. Black leather? I always thought you had more taste.”
“And I always thought you had a brain. What the fuck do you want, Donovan?” She lifted one foot, wiping blood off the silver heel with her fingers.
“You’re supposed to be working for me,” he grouched. “You haven’t checked in for two days.”
“It would have been three.” She cocked a hip and gave him a look that held little in the way of respect.
“Well, we found you. Now, are you taking the bodyguard job or not?”
Layna rubbed absently at the scar on her shoulder. “You need to know now?”
“Callan Wolfe is a big man, kitten. When he wants a bodyguard for his youngest daughter, you don’t make him wait for an answer.”
“Donovan, call me kitten again and I’m going to string you up on a light post with that ugly tie.” She sighed. Freelancing didn’t pay the bills. But the idea of pandering to a ditzy rich bitch didn’t sound any better. “There’s no one else?”
“Sorry, kit...Layna. Callan Wolfe wants the best.”
“Fuck!” she growled. “She’ll be in town starting when?”
“You got the weekend off, toots. They want you there on Monday. You’ll go to the airport and pick her up off their private jet.”
“Fine,” she snapped, turning on her heel. She started down the sidewalk. Donovan followed, waving for his driver to keep up with her.
“Where are you going?” he called.
“Out to kill something so I don’t kill you,” she snarled back at him. “You’ve got your answer, leave the details on my voice mail.”
She stomped off, ducking down an alley.
“Layna?” he called. “Dammit, Layna! You don’t use your voice mail!”
****
There was blood on her arms. She ignored the other people in the elevator, though she growled at the small orange dog that yipped at her feet. Getting off on the fourth floor, she dug her keys out of the small pocket sewn in her black leather pants. She stuck the key in her door, opening it slowly. When nothing jumped out at her, she reached in and flipped the switch, sending light through the apartment.
Layna walked inside, closing the door behind her and locking the three heavy-duty locks that Donovan teased her about every time he came to her apartment. They made her feel safe and she wasn’t going to be made to feel stupid for it.
Dropping her keys on the hall table, she caught sight of herself in the small mirror by the door. “Oh shit,” she whispered. Her hair was a mess, and her skull throbbed where the vampire’s long nails had raked. Her arm ached as well, the twin cuts deeper than they’d first seemed. Bad enough that if she’d been human, she might have bled to death.
She limped into the bathroom and closed the door. The tight leather of her vest stuck to her skin as she pulled it off. . Sighing, she reached into the shower and turned it on before sitting on the toilet and unzipping her boots.
Layna rubbed her feet, moaning in delight at the relief of having her boots off. She tugged at the button of her leather pants, pulling them off her legs and leaving them with the vest. Standing in only socks and a pair of tiny, red silk panties, she leaned against the sink to stare in the mirror. Dark circles framed the pale blue beauty of her eyes. Her cheeks were just as pale, though a slash of blood stained one cheek.
She slid her panties down and off her feet, pulling off the socks as well before she turned away from the mirror. Layna was leanly muscled, her body long and lithe. Her breasts were full, rounded with tight pink tips that always seemed to be hard. She had a slim waist and a flat stomach that flared out into round hips. Over her hipbone was a long scar, the flesh welted like only a burn could do. Her body was a mass of bruises and she forced herself to stand under the hot water, letting it cook life back into her sore body.
Her muscles loosened and she yawned, her own fangs showing. She was careful to keep them hidden, especially when she was hunting. Vampires detested all hunters, to be sure. But a vampire hunting one of their own would be an even more unwelcome thing, though she wasn’t exactly a regular vampire.
She was almost asleep standing up, her eyes closed, and her head taking the brunt of the water pressure. Arms came around her from behind, hands reaching under to cup her breasts. She went from half-asleep to attack in less time than it took to blink. Her hand caught the intruder’s throat and her knee pressed against his balls. One false move and she’d take him down. Then she caught a glimpse of the intruder’s face and groaned.
“Anthony, go home. How the fuck did you get in here anyway?”
Anthony’s hands motioned for her to let go of his throat, so he could answer.
“Oh, yeah, sorry. You surprised me.”
“I picked your locks,” he said, his voice a mere croak.
“You did not.” His expression didn’t change, and she knew he had indeed. She smacked the wall next to his head. “Fuck! Now I have to get the locksmith out here again. I should drain his ass. He told me those locks were pick proof.”
Anthony waited for her to get over being mad. They were lovers, or at least had been until Layna got mad at him for wanting too much.
“What the hell are you doing here anyway?” Layna asked, leaning back into the shower so she could wash her hair.
“You used to like it when I would come over and help you get clean. Then you’d help me get clean, and then we’d see about getting each other sweaty again. Remember?”
“Tony, you know damn well we aren’t doing that anymore. It was fun, but it’s over. Get used to it and go find another girl’s locks to pick, okay?”
After soaping her hair, she ducked under the water again, luxuriating in the feeling of the suds sliding through the sleek black length of it. She heard his voice through the roar of the water in her ears, but missed the words. When she opened her eyes, she could see his feelings in the puppy brown of his eyes; so sad, so trusting.
“Goddamn it, why do you make me feel like I kicked a dog? I don’t have anything to be guilty about. I told you at the beginning that I didn’t want serious, just someone to get rid of the rest of my pent-up energy. That’s what we shared, until you had to fall for me. Dammit Tony, that’s it.”
She grabbed him by the back of the neck and pushed him out of the shower, reaching out for a towel to hold against her body. She pushed him in front of her then gathered his clothes and handed them to him. Without giving him a chance to put them on, she went to the door of her apartment, unlocked all three locks and pushed him out the door. “Go home and leave my locks alone. Next time I won’t be so nice,” she told him with narrowed eyes.
“But...Layna.” His clothes fell to the floor as he held his hands out to her. “I can’t help how I feel.”
“And I won’t be able to help ripping out your throat in another minute.” She felt the water that was dripping off her soak the carpet in front of her door. “Go home and leave me alone.”
“Am I interrupting something?”
The words came from a tall, well-built man. His eyes dropped to her haphazard hold on the towel, which wasn’t doing much to conceal her. Layna saw his eyes and cursed succinctly, quickly pulling up the towel and wrapping it more securely. “Who are you and what do you want?” She stepped further away from the door.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Tony tried to sneak back into her apartment. She reached out and gripped his throat until he squealed, grabbed his clothes and ran.
The stranger chuckled, watching Tony’s naked ass running down the hallway to his apartment, just down and across the hall from her. “Boyfriend troubles?”
“More like puppy dog troubles. He has a crush.”
“He has good taste.” The man’s eyes roamed over her barely-covered skin.
“I could say the same.” Layna’s eyes widened at the sight of him. He wore a long leather duster, one she’d kill to own. What was under it was worth drooling over as well. He stood a good head and a half taller than she, something she’d never experienced in a man. It made her feel tiny. The golden curls of his hair fell well past his shoulders, silky strands that her hands itched to touch. His eyes, which she could see as his sunglasses slid down his nose, were the color of spring leaves as they first opened on the trees. His body was muscular, with wide shoulders and a narrow waist that slid into a pair of well-worn denim jeans she’d love to run her hands over.
“Well, now that we have the mutual admiration out of the way, did you want something or can I go back to my shower?”
“What if I wanted to go back to your shower with you?”
“Then I’d have to ask your name. I don’t shower with strangers.” She enjoyed the husky sound of his laughter.
“I’m Tynan Stavaros and you have to be Layna Castle. I was told to look for a beautiful woman who knew how to take care of herself.” He held out a large hand, and she put hers into it, amazed once more simply by the size of him.
“Told by who?” she asked.
“Your manager, Donovan. He told me where to find you. We’ll be working together for the next few weeks.”
“Aww, now that is too damn bad, gorgeous. I don’t shower with people I work with or for.”
“Can’t you make an exception?” He grinned, his green eyes darkened as he moved a bit closer.
“Nope. I went that route once and almost ended up dead. Sorry. I guess we’ll have to wait until the job is done.” She shrugged her shoulders, causing one side of her towel to droop again. Layna smiled as he watched it slide. She grabbed it just before it left her exposed. “So was there a reason for this meeting? I mean, I left my water running when I yanked stalker boy out of there.”
“Well, heaven forbid you run out of hot water. Here, I’ll just come in. We can talk while you shower.” Tynan grinned winningly and waved for her to precede him.
“Nice try, stud. It isn’t going to work though. Tell you what, I have some beer in my fridge. You give me a couple minutes to get cleaned up and then we can discuss anything you want over one of them.”
Tynan considered for a moment and then smiled. “Sure thing.”
Layna gave him a cautious look and her eyes narrowed. “Just remember, slugger, my manager made a point of telling you that I know how to take care of myself.”
“I’m the perfect gentleman.” He held his hands up in surrender.
“Yeah,” she laughed, but she turned back and went inside. “Through there, the beer’s in the fridge.” She started to drop the towel as she closed the door in his face, letting him get a glimpse before it clicked shut. A moan from the other side of the door made her laugh and she slipped back into the shower. Instead of her usual odorless soap, she splurged, opening the bottle of expensive bath soap that had been a gift from Donovan. She’d never thought she’d use it, but the soft and exotic scent that came from the thick suds made her wish she’d done so earlier. She’s see how her visitor enjoyed it.
She finished her shower and grabbed a dry towel and then picked up her leathers and put them in the bag she kept in the bathroom for work clothes. Her robe was on the back of the door, so she wrapped her hair in a towel and threw on the short, terrycloth garment.
Tynan was sitting at her small table, a bottle of beer in his hand. He stood as she walked in, making her smile.
“I guess you are a gentleman.” She took the beer from his hand. He’d opened it for her and she brought it up to her lips, savoring the taste of the cold brew. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled. “Mr. Wolfe will be pleased.”
“Oh, is that why you’re here, to make sure I’m good enough for the vaunted Wolfes?” She sat down at the other end of the table.
“Well, he is concerned. His daughters were both kidnapped before and held in some kind of mad scientist’s lab.”
“You’re kidding, right?” She tipped her beer at him when he just held her gaze. “You’re not kidding?”
“No, I’m not.” He shook his head. “That’s why I’m here. Tallie is very delicate.”
“Delicate?”
“She was injured during the time she was there, and I don’t think she’s ever really recovered.”
****
Tynan was having trouble keeping his attention on his assignment. Layna Castle was an enigma. He was having problems figuring her out. And the scent of whatever she’d used in the shower was making it even harder to concentrate.
Her kitchen had been a surprise. He’d expected something adventuresome but everything was neat as a pin and even her refrigerator deftly organized. He just couldn’t quite place where she fit.
“Tallie is young and she needs someone who’ll understand her as well as protect her.”
“Sounds to me like you don’t think I’ll be able to do the job.”
“Well, she’s a quiet young woman who’s been through a hell of a lot. You seem more like the forward type.”
Layna sat up; the towel came loose and tumbled from her head and fell to the floor. She picked it up and stared at him as his eyes went to the V of her robe.
“So you think I’m fast, loose and not good enough for your precious Tallie, huh?” She stood and drained the rest of her beer. She slammed the bottle on the table and started out of the room, then stopped and turned to look back at him. “Tell your Mr. Wolfe that I’m too good to take his money. Tell him that I’m not right for the job. Fuck, I don’t care what you tell him, but you need to get out of my apartment. Now.”
“Wait, Layna, wait just a minute.”
“No, you wait. Get the fuck out and get out now.”
She turned and waited for him to pass her. He stopped, his hand almost touching her before he heard the growl from her throat.
At the door, he tried one last time, but she was having none of it. “Out.” Her voice was soft now and sounded even more threatening than when she’d yelled.
Tynan turned and left.
****
Layna turned the locks and then, grumbling as she thought of Tony, pulled the chain across and fastened it. She kicked the towel on the floor, disgusted with herself for her quick temper and with him for being so damned good-looking that it almost fooled her into relaxing. “Men!” She pushed open her bedroom and pulled down the spread. She shed her robe before she fell face down in the bed. She beat her pillow, a picture of Tynan’s face predominant in her mind’s eye.
She rolled onto her back and stared up at her ceiling as the sky outside her black blinds and heavy drapes lightened to dawn. It took a few minutes, but her eyes closed and she fell asleep, still angry.
Chapter Two
She was too warm. Her body writhed against sheets wet with her sweat. She opened her eyes, blinking in the dimness of the room. A shadow passed the small amount of light that showed around the blinds and the heavy curtains, flashing quickly, so quickly she wasn’t sure if she was seeing things.
She’d already kicked the covers to the floor, her naked body pale against the dark sheets. “Who’s there?” she growled, angry at being woken and by whatever had happened to her air conditioning.
A light hiss along the floor was her only answer. Layna shuddered in disgust. The hissing noise reminded her of snakes, one of the only things in this world that ever made her cringe. The sound grew louder until she forced her feet to the floor and ran to the drapes to pull them back.
The thing was right out of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a show that she’d found partially amusing when it was on television. The body was that of a man to his waist; from there down he had scales that narrowed until they were about the size of an anaconda. But it was the head that held her interest. It was shaped like a man’s, but with a forked tongue flickering out of his mouth. His eyes were wide and his nose flattened into his face with two slits that he breathed through.
“Who the fuck...what the fuck are you?” She carefully stayed out of the direct sunlight peeping through her blinds.
“Jusssst a warning,” the thing hissed. It creeped her out even more. She carefully moved around it until she was in front a huge trunk. Kicking open the top with her foot, she reached back quickly and brought out a sword.
“What’s the warning? Don’t you fucking think about coming any closer, either. I do know how to use this.”
“I’ve no doubt,” the long snake-like body twisted, the flat black eyes following her. “Ssstay away from the Wolfessss.”
Layna narrowed her eyes at the thing, still moving slowly toward the door and the light switch. “What is it with everyone and that family? Who the hell are you working with? You said this is a warning. A warning from whom?”
The snake thing smiled and Layna shuddered again. It had just upped the creep factor with that smarmy grin. “That’sss a need to know...”
“Yeah, I know. I don’t need to know,” she finished for the thing. “Now, you’ve delivered your message, get the fuck out of my bedroom!” She ran the last few feet and slammed her hand on the light switch to turn on the overhead light. When she spun back, the thing was gone. She jerked in surprise. It hadn’t gone out the door and, unless it could hang like Spiderman, it hadn’t gone out her windows. She crept to the closet door and pulled it open quickly and reached for the string to turn on that light. Nothing.
Layna jumped on the bed and leaned over the edge where she used the sword to lift the ruffle that hung to the floor. She flipped it up and took a quick peek and then a longer look. Nothing but a pair of shoes she’d forgotten and a bunch of dust bunnies greeted her eyes. She sat up, only now noticing that her air conditioning had turned back on and was rapidly cooling the sweat on her skin. “What the fuck?” she growled, irritated as hell.
She grabbed her cell phone from where she’d left it last night, sitting plugged in on her dresser. There were six missed calls, but she knew they were from Donovan. He could never get that she didn’t take the thing with her on a hunt. On a hunt, a phone was a distraction she couldn’t afford, especially when it rang in the midst of a fight. But now, well, now she needed to talk to Donovan.
He answered on the first ring. “Callan Wolfe is seriously pissed off. He handpicked you for this job and your refusal to do it...”
“Call him back, tell him I’ll be there on Monday, but to keep his lap dog at home.”
“Why the change of heart? I mean, if I am allowed to know?”
“I just had a visit from some...thing. It warned me off taking the job.”
“So of course, instead of taking the warning, you’re taking the job.” Donovan smacked himself in the head with the flat of his palm, the sound loud over the phone. “Dammit Layna, you just have to be difficult.”
“You wanted me to take the job. Now that I am, I’m being difficult?” She didn’t wait for him to answer. “Just tell Wolfe to keep Tynan Stavaros away from me and I’ll take care of his pampered little princess.” With that, she hit the end button and dropped the thing on the dresser. The robe she’d discarded was on the floor and she reached down, to pull it on her shivering body. She didn’t know if it was nerves or cold that had her in search of heat, but she quickly went back to her bed and sank into the warmth of her covers. She’d go back to sleep; but this time, the light stayed on.
****
Monday seemed to come too fast for Layna. She wasn’t looking forward to this job. She packed a bag and filled a small cooler with bags of blood. She didn’t need to feed everyday and eating food helped keep her from needing much more than a bag every two to three days.
Layna’s mother was a vampire. She was an ancient; one of those from the days before bad “b” rated movies glorified their species. Like Layna, she had little use for people. She hadn’t even wanted Layna. She hadn’t wanted to be pregnant or to care for the baby when she was born. Layna had been foisted off on anyone who was stupid enough to take her.
Layna had never met her father. Her mother refused to talk about him, on those rare occasions that they were in the same hemisphere. But he was something magical. The genes he’d given his daughter allowed her to walk in sunlight, though if she stayed out any length of time she began to look like something left in the oven too long. She also was able to do a bit of magic, as well as having a natural affinity for any weapon she picked up.
Perhaps most importantly, she could sense when things weren’t right, sense trouble around the corner. It was one reason she was still alive.
So she stayed away from her mother, leaving the woman to do the two things she loved the most; give glamorous parties and play with any handsome stud that crossed her sights. For a moment, Layna wondered what her mother would have done with Tynan Stavaros if he’d crossed her path.
The thought of her mother and Tynan didn’t sit well and she sighed. “Forget it, it won’t happen.” Her mother was somewhere in Europe, having a gay old time. Layna was the one who would have to deal with Tynan, unless Wolfe took her at her word and kept him away.
She pulled her nine millimeter from its place in her underwear drawer and checked the load before she slammed the clip back into place and ratcheted a bullet into the barrel. She slid on the safety and then holstered the weapon and pushed it into the back of her blue jeans. It was a tight fit, because the jeans followed every curve of her body. The white tank top she wore showed off her flat stomach as well as molding over her breasts. She slid her vest on over her weapon holster, but left it unzipped.
Finally, she stared around her bedroom then picked up her bag and the small cooler of blood and left the room. Donovan would come in and keep an eye on her place. He’d been a huge nag since she got the warning from snake dude to change her mind about this job. It almost made her feel like he actually cared about her and not just the money he made from her. But her mind was made up. She would not be terrorized into giving up a job she needed.
A stray question popped into her mind. When had she decided she needed this job? Was it the night that snake thingy came into her room or was it before that?
“Oh hell,” she sighed, twisting her head so that her neck popped. “What the fuck does it matter?”
There was a knock on her door and she peeked through the peephole before opening it. A rather thin, seemingly frail man stood outside, his white hair almost anally parted, combed down and a hat in his age-spotted hands. His suit was black, the trouser legs ironed to an almost razor-sharp crease. This was her driver? It seemed Mr. Wolfe needed more help than he thought.
She opened the door. “Yes?”
“Miss Layna? I am here at Mr. Wolfe’s behest. Are you ready?”
“Yeah, just let me get my bags.” She was amazed when he took them from her and carried them easily from her apartment. She knew how much those things weighed; this little man was more than he seemed.
“Come this way, Miss Layna.”
“Can we drop the Miss? Call me Layna. You are?”
“Oh, beg pardon, Miss. My name is Jeffrey.”
“Okay Jeff, how long you been working for Mr. Wolfe?”
“No, Miss. It’s Jeffrey.” He stressed the last syllable of his name.
“Sorry,” Layna said, holding her hands out. “Okay, Jeffrey,” she said, stressing the last syllable like he had, “how long have you been working for Mr. Wolfe?”
“Oh, years and years Miss. He took me in when he was working his way up. Took me off the street, he did. I owe him everything. That’s why I’m helping take care of his young Miss while she’s home for a visit.”
They rode the elevator down to the lobby and Jeffrey led the way to a double-parked limousine. He opened the trunk and stacked her two bags inside before he hurried around to open the door for her.
“Jeffrey, I’m the hired help, not a guest. Mind if I ride up front?”
“I’d love the company.” He closed the door and opened the passenger door of the car for her. “If you’re sure you wouldn’t be more comfortable back there?”
“I’m sure.” She slid into the leather seat and watched him move around the side of the car. She couldn’t help but note the spryness of his step and the ease with which he moved. There was something about Jeffrey that didn’t quite add up.
“You’re a spry old guy for your age, Jeffrey.” He climbed in behind the wheel and pushed the keys into the ignition. “What are you?”
Jeffrey laughed at the question and put the car in gear. He navigated into the traffic easily despite the size of the vehicle. “Whatever would give you the idea that I’m more than what you see, Miss?”
“I know how heavy the bags you carried were, and I saw the ease you had carrying them. You don’t walk like any old guy I’ve ever seen. You sure as hell aren’t just spry for your age. Callan Wolfe is smarter than that. So it stands to bet you aren’t what you appear to be.”
As Layna watched, Jeffrey’s body seemed to shimmer, his form changing in front of her eyes. When he was finished, Jeffrey’s uniform held a teenage girl. Generous breasts filled out the front of his shirt, the buttons straining to hold her in. She had blonde hair and big green eyes. One closed in a very cheeky wink.
“Is this more to your liking, Miss?” Jeffrey asked in a soft, husky voice that would have men drooling. Whisper soft and smoky, even Layna could feel a tremor of something as she spoke.
“Uh, Jeffrey?”
“Yes, Miss?” the girl answered.
“Is this your true shape?”
“No, Miss, it isn’t.”
“Are you male or female?” Layna asked, extremely curious. She’d never met a shifter like this.
“Depends upon the moment, Miss. I wanted you to feel at ease about coming with me. Who wouldn’t trust Jeffrey, the aged driver? You came right along with me, didn’t you?”
“You aren’t from Callan Wolfe, are you?” She was suddenly wary. Could she have been duped this easily?”
“No, Miss, I’m not.” Jeffrey turned down another street. His destination was the airport where they were supposed to meet Tallie Wolfe. “My boss is the one who sent you the warning on Friday. I was very surprised when you didn’t heed his words. So, I was sent in. We shall pick up Miss Wolfe and take her to my benefactor.”
Layna slid her hand along the handle of the seat, finding it quickly with her fingers. She pulled, ready to leap out of the slow-moving vehicle.
“It’s locked, Miss. I couldn’t let you just leave. Mr. Spartix is eager to meet you and thank you himself for your help in acquiring Tallie Wolfe. Now, Miss, if you’ll sit back and relax, I shan’t have to use this.”
Layna’s eyes dropped to the pistol that was now pointed her way. “You know that thing won’t kill me.”
“No, but it will hurt like hell and you’ll be somewhat incapacitated.”
Layna sat back, her eyes studied every aspect of the front of the limo. Nothing short of a miracle was going to get her out of this one.
The sound of a motorcycle, the loud whine of a well-tended engine came from behind them. The rider was dressed in black from head to toe, which included a black helmet and black leather gloves. He sped around them, zooming quickly by.
“Idiot,” Jeffrey said under her breath. “No sense at all. He’ll kill someone with that machine.”
They turned another corner and Jeffrey slammed on her brakes. The rider had turned his machine sideways in the middle of the street. He sat upon it, his black helmet turned toward them, the reflection of the limo shining in the facemask.
“Shit.” Layna’s heart thudded in surprise. Jeffrey managed to stop, coming within a few inches of hitting the biker. She got out of the car, giving Layna a look that told her to stay where she was.
“What’s your problem?” Jeffrey yelled at the biker. “You trying to get yourself killed? Get out of my way, I have to get to the airport.”
The biker pulled his hand out of his pocket, a nine-millimeter pointed at Jeffrey. He pulled the trigger, putting a hole in Jeffrey’s chest that blew out the back of his immaculate jacket. He flipped up his facemask and turned to look at Layna, who was still seated inside the limo. “Come on!” he shouted.
Layna stared for a moment at Tynan’s face, irritated that he’d saved her before she could have saved herself. She opened the door and caught the helmet he threw her. “What about my bags?” she asked.
“Someone will pick them up. We have to get to the airport before Tallie’s jet lands. I don’t want there to be anymore foul ups. So move it!”
For once, she didn’t argue. She put the helmet on and glanced back at the thing Tynan had killed. It looked like a blob, no facial features, just a blank slate that had once been able to be the perfect disguise. But now in death, it was no one. She threw her leg over the back of Tynan’s bike and grabbed hold when he took off.
The ride exhilarated her. Tynan controlled the bike with smooth movements and ease which allowed Layna to just enjoy. She’d have liked it more if she could have rid herself of the helmet and let the wind blow through her hair. Her cheeks hurt from smiling by the time they arrived at the airport. Tynan bypassed the terminal to pull onto the tarmac and parking next to another limo. A private jet was taxing towards them as it had landed as they arrived.
Layna slid to the ground and handed Tynan the helmet. “Thanks,” she said off handedly, watching as the sleek jet with the picture of a black wolf with green eyes painted on the side pulled up close to the limo as well.
The door opened and the steps dropped. Layna waited to get her first glimpse of the little princess she was to baby-sit. A little slip of a girl came to the door. She was petite, long auburn hair blowing into her face. She pushed it back and smiled as she said something to someone back in the jet.
Layna stepped forward, her eyes roaming the perimeters, looking for danger. “Miss Wolfe?” she said politely. “I’m Layna. Your father has hired me to...”
“Keep me safe?” Tallie looked up at the much taller woman. “Thank you.”
The warmth of those two words set Layna back a bit. “You’re welcome,” she managed to get out before Tallie let loose with a small shriek and threw herself into Tynan’s welcoming embrace.
Layna felt a shaft of something stab right into her stomach as she looked at the way Tallie was hanging on Tynan. She pushed it away, not even giving it a chance to raise its ugly green head. She would not be jealous of whoever hung on that...that...every name she could think of wasn’t foul enough, so she gave up.
The two spoke like old friends. Tallie hung onto Tynan’s arms and looked up at him with the same puppy dog eyes that Tony did her. There was a warmth in Tynan’s eyes that surprised Layna. He really did care for this tiny slip of a woman.
“We should get Miss Wolfe into the limo.” Layna broke up the two with her words. “She’s too exposed here.”
“Layna’s right, darlin’, go on with her. We’ll talk later. I’d love to know how Molly and Brady are doing.”
Layna went to the limo and opened the door, peering inside before she allowed Tallie to enter. She heard Tynan start his bike and glanced up, surprised to find his eyes on her. She stared back, unable to stop herself. Then he nodded, pulled his helmet over that head of golden curls and took off.
****
The drive to the Wolfe estate was an easy one. It went as planned, with no problems. Layna’s eyes grew wide as she saw the house. It was like something out of a movie.
“It’s just a house.” Tallie saw the way Layna was staring. “It’s four walls and a roof.”
“Yeah. I guess you get used to this stuff, coming from money, don’t you?”
Tallie didn’t answer, though the way her eyebrows drew together said enough. Instead, she turned her head toward where Tynan threw his long leg off his bike and stalked to the limo.
He opened it and reached to help Tallie out. She stood for a moment, as if to catch her balance, then let him draw her away and toward the wide steps that led to the door. Layna followed, grumbling under her breath as she trailed the two of them.
When Tallie laughed at something Tynan had said to her, Layna almost growled. The girl was everything she wasn’t. Delicate and soft, accomplished and extremely female, she looked as if she’d blow away under the first big wind. Layna guessed that men were drawn to her fragility, their protective sides coming to the fore.
Compared to her, Layna stood no chance. Then her inner voice spoke up. Chance for what? For Tynan? Heaven forbid! She was who she was and she’d be damned before she’d let some fragile little uptown doll make her feel too tall and gawky
The door opened before they reached it, Callan Wolfe himself emerged. He smiled when he saw his daughter and held out his arms and lifted her off her feet with his hug. Layna watched as Tynan was drawn into the conversation between the two and stood off to the side, her eyes roaming over the sun-drenched gardens with their wide fences.
“Layna!”
She looked up when she heard her name and saw Tallie wave her over.
“Daddy, this is Layna Castle, the body guard you hired for me. I can’t believe you haven’t met her. Don’t you usually do this thing in person?”
Layna reached out and shook the hand offered to her. She appreciated the firmness of his greeting. “I can be a little hard to pin down at times.”
“That you can. So now that you are here, while Tallie gets settled, I’d like to talk to you and Tynan about your duties. Tynan is my head of security and will be accompanying you and Tallie when he can.” Callan stared at the girl who stood almost as tall as he was. With practiced ease, Layna ticked off his thoughts one at a time. I’m muscular without looking like a bodybuilder, comfortable in my own skin, et cetera, et cetera. At least his expression seemed to say he liked what he saw.
He kissed his daughter on the cheek. “Your mother is in your room, changing sheets or something,” he said with a laugh. “Go up and say hello, precious.”
“Yes, Daddy. It was good to meet you, Layna.” She held out her hand. Layna took it, feeling a spark like electrical current come off the girl’s hand. It startled her for a moment but she recovered quickly. Tynan noticed the shift in her demeanor.
“You, too.” Layna unconsciously wiped her palm against her jean-covered leg.
Callan led the way to his library. Files littered the desk and a couple half-smoked cigars languished in an ashtray next to one of the huge leather bound chairs that flanked the fireplace. A toe-warming fire burned and another manila folder sat abandoned on the chair next to the smoldering ashtray. He waved Layna into one of the chairs across from his desk and sat down behind it.
Tynan stood close to the desk and paced slowly. Every once in a while his eyes would dart to Layna. She wondered if he remembered how she looked, naked and wet, outside her apartment. She hoped he was. It would do him a world of good to be knocked down a peg or two.
“You deserve to know just what you are protecting my daughter from.” Callan drew a file from the stack. He opened it and pulled out a picture and handed it to her.
“I don’t understand?” Layna’s eyes went over every detail of the picture.
“What don’t you understand?”
“This is a picture of the doctor that held her before. I thought that situation was under control?”
Tynan’s hand came from behind her. She jumped, not having known he was that close. It was unlike her not to keep track of where everyone was. She didn’t like the feeling, not one bit. “It’s not Dr. Parnell,” he said softly, his finger traced one of the shadows just behind the doctor. “Right here, see his eyes?”
“Did you see the newspapers about a big-time criminal in this town, Hood, and how he was missing?”
Layna nodded and breathed a little easier as Tynan moved from behind her. “Yes, but he’s dead, isn’t he?”
“He is. He was killed while trying to escape. At least, that’s what the records say. He was also under control of the same being that held control of Dr. Parnell. We think he’s responsible for many of the bad things that have happened in this town. And he wants Tallie.”
“So I’m to keep her safe from some kind of shadowy figure. You don’t know anything more about him?”
Callan shook his head. “I have people on it, but it’s hard to get much information, even with the resources I have available. My hands are tied in some areas. That’s one reason I wanted you,” he said with a small grin. “I know you aren’t averse to going, shall we say, outside of the law.”
“I do what is necessary,” Layna said with a shrug of her shoulders. “I work better alone though.” She looked purposefully to where Tynan was sitting, fingers steepled under his handsome chin. “No offense.”
“Certainly, none taken. But, since you will be working under me, you will have to deal with me.”
Layna stared at him. Was there some kind of hidden inflection in his voice when he said that? “I work for Mr. Wolfe, not you.”
“Tynan is in charge of our security. As such, you will be working for him. I suggest that whatever problems the two of you have, you get it settled immediately. I will not have my daughter’s welfare put in danger because you two can’t see eye to eye. Understand?”
“Yes sir,” Tynan said softly.
“Layna?” Callan asked, since she hadn’t answered.
“Your daughter’s welfare is the most important thing sir. I’d never put it at risk, even if it means working with an overbearing jerk.” The words were spoken decisively and with little emotion. It took a moment for them to sink in. Tynan eyes narrowed and he turned those probing green orbs her way.
She refused to meet his stare, rising instead to hold her hand out to Mr. Wolfe. “If someone would show me the way to where I’ll be staying, sir, I’d like to study the file you have on this...being that is trying to take your daughter.”
“Certainly.” Callan’s voice held a hint of laughter. He handed her the rest of the file and noticed her look at the slimness of it then back at him. “We don’t know much yet, but that’s everything I’ve been able to garner. You’ll be kept up to date on anything else we get.” He rose. “Tynan will show you to your room.”
Layna gave Tynan a look that promised blood and then swept past him and into the hall. She couldn’t help but laugh when Tynan came out of the library. “Head of security now has to show the body guard around like a butler. How the mighty have fallen.”
“I’ll show you fallen.” He growled under his breath and headed for the wide staircase that swooped to the second floor. “You’d think you’d want to get along instead of making enemies at this early stage.” He took the first step.
“I’m here to work, not make friends. I’d like to take a look at the security system, as well as an itinerary of anywhere that Miss Wolfe will be going.”
“The security system is the finest made. You have no need to look at it.”
She glared hard enough at his back that he turned. “What?”
“If I’m to do my job, I need to see it.”
“It’s state of the art and up to date with all the newest in infrared and night vision.”
“I could beat it.”
“Never. I can tell when a stray cat hits the fence. There is no way you could beat this system.”
“Wanna put some money where your mouth is?” Layna goaded, and then laughed at the look on his face.
“I don’t bet.”
“Why not? Are you so worried that I might show you and your ‘state of the art’ system up?”
“I don’t want to take your money. I’ve seen your place; you need the money more than I do.”
Layna didn’t even flinch. Instead, she moved two stairs above him so she could look him eye to eye. “Then we’ll bet something else. If I win, if I can make it through your system without setting it off, I get your bike.”
“Can you even operate a motorcycle?”
“Yeah, no sweat.”
“Fine, then if I win, if you so much as trip a single sensor, you spend the night with me.”
“Sleep with you?”
“Honey, if you’re in my bed, you won’t be doing much sleeping. But yeah, if I win, you become my sex slave for one night.”
Layna thought it over. She’d noted part of the system as she entered the courtyard of the place. It was state of the art, but even the newest system could use some upgrades. “You’ve got a deal.” S held out her hand to shake. She almost shrieked when he used it to pull her into his arms, his lips latched on with deliberate control. She gasped at the heat of his lips and his tongue took advantage of the opportunity and stole inside to find hers.
It only took a second and she was kissing him back, on the stairs where anyone could see. He held her easily in his arms, lifting so that she wrapped her legs around his waist, the seam of her jeans pushed into her sex by the long rigid shaft of his cock.
Then she was back on the stairs, her head spinning and he grinned and reached down to adjust the hardness of his cock. “Shaking is for pussies,” he said softly as he walked by her.
Layna stared at his back, her heart pounding in her chest. He turned at the top of the steps. “You coming?”
“Not yet,” Layna said under her breath as she hurried to catch up to him, “but it was close.”
Chapter Three
Layna pulled off the coveralls she’d thrown on to hide her cat-suit. She checked the tight fit and the small bag she used to carry her tools, she tucked the coveralls under a bush where they’d wait until she got back. They’d decided, as part of the bet, that she could check the security system any time in a twenty-four hour period; she didn’t have to tell them when she would be doing it.
She had to make it from the front gate to the security room, situated in the pool house in the back of the building. She shook her hands, doing a few stretches to warm her muscles. Then, with an easy leap, she caught the top of the twelve-foot wall. Before she could pull herself up, she saw a green light out of the corner of her eye.
“Ah, motion detectors on top of the wall, nice touch.” She carefully pulled herself up and slid her toes under the laser. There was only one, but the way it was placed, she had to keep her heels off the edge of the wall or she would trip it. She gazed down on the other side of the wall and saw both motion and heat detectors. She couldn’t help but smile. The heat detectors were no problem. Her normal temperature probably matched the ambient temperature right now. But those motion detectors...
She dove off the wall and somersaulted so that her feet hit first. She had landed on the only part of the ground not protected by some kind of detector. She got out the small can of silicon mist, spraying its contents over the ground and air in front of her. A latticework of beams showed up instantly.
“Hell.” She almost stepped back. One of those beams was only a few inches in front of her eyes. Layna carefully slid the can back into her belt and lifted her leg over one of the beams and began a series of maneuvers that required back bends and front walkovers to miss every trigger. The last part of the lattice was a crosshatching of red light that forced her to slide under it on her back, careful to keep her toes pointed so that she didn’t disrupt the beam.
Layna heaved a sigh of relief when she got under the last barrier. Standing up, she checked the perimeter, noting the rotating cameras designed to catch every movement on the grounds. She zipped over to one of the poles, counting the time it took for the camera to make its sweep. She calculated slowly. If she was right, there was a point when all three cameras were looking in different directions, leaving her with a clear path to the house.
She counted closely, then ran to the house, using one corner for concealment. So far, so good. A rustle in the bushes startled her badly enough to have her flinching back until a small kitten meandered up to her and rubbed its furry head against her bare foot.
“Go on, cat. I don’t have time for you. Come on, shoo.” She waved her fingers at the gray ball of fluff, hiding a grin when it reached out with a tiny paw and batted at her hand. The animal was skinny and dirty; a stray. But it definitely had sass. Layna picked the little thing up, cuddling it against her. It started purring loudly as she stroked it. “Aww, hell, I can’t let you starve,” she groused, watching as the tiny ball of fur curled up trustingly in her hand.
Nearer in to the house, there were heat detectors. She managed to get by most of them and was close to the door of the pool house when the kitten stirred in her hand, and jumped up, grabbing hold of her cat suit. Freed from the insulation of her hands, the little bit of heat triggered the last detector and set off the alarm. Tynan pulled open the door of the security room and confronted a chagrined Layna, and the small kitten that clung to the shoulder of her tight fitting cat-suit.
“What the... I won.” A smile grew wide across his handsome face. “I won!” he repeated louder and ignored the look of pure fury on Layna’s face.
“You fucking little traitor” She scolded the kitten. “I’d almost think he sent you out there to screw me up.”
The kitten mewled and rubbed against her cheek. “No,” Layna said. “You’re a traitor. You’re not going to get out of it that easily.”
“What, are you saying this kitten tripped up our security? Where did you start at?” Tynan said with a grin.
“Far left of the gate. I left my coveralls there to prove I went outside of the walls.”
“You made it from the front wall to here?” Tynan was amazed and then anger changing his pleased look. “Maybe you were right on the security system. Maybe we should beef it up a bit.”
“Good,” Layna said, taking the kitten off her shoulder to hold the small bundle of fur in her hands. “So since I was right, that means I don’t have to sleep with you, right?”
“Nice try, kitten.” Tynan deliberately used the nickname that he’d heard Donovan call her and glanced at the purring ball of fluff. “But no, a bet’s a bet.”
He smiled as her eyes narrowed, all too pleased with himself. But when she sat the kitten on the ground and moved closer to him, he took a step back, uncertain of what she would do.
“You’re not afraid of little me, are you?” She stepped closer and letting her hands rest against his wide chest. She could feel how muscular he was underneath his clothes and it sent her libido into overdrive. She walked her fingers up his chest and stepped even closer. “I just thought I’d let you have a little taste of what’s to come.”