Code Name: Fox / Mind Games (Syndicate Series Book 1) Page 7
“I’m a lowlife to them, why are they after me still?”
Zeek paused at a door and unlocked it. He pushed the door open and gave a sweeping gesture. “After you, my fox.”
Oh, so now she was his fox…of course after almost going at it while he fed from her, she could see that…and it didn’t bother her in the slightest. She walked in, and the door clicked shut behind them. He clicked on a light, illuminating a bedroom done in dark blues. The small studio apartment also held a small kitchen and living area, and close to the bed was a gas fireplace. A miniature safe place.
She raised a brow and looked at him. “I figured it’d be red.”
“Because I’m a vampire?” He snorted and then backed her against the wall. “Speaking of being a vampire, I’d like to finish what we started.”
Heat flooded to her cheeks. His lips brushed over her jaw and to her neck. He nibbled just enough to give a subtle hint of pain. She moaned and put her hands on his chest. “You said you had imagined me under you, but that’s not how I see it.”
The tips of his fingers brushed up her bare leg and under the hem of the shirt. “Oh? What do you see in your fantasy, Fox?” His hot breath danced over her skin, raising goosebumps.
She pressed gently on his chest, pushing him towards the bed. “I’ll show you.” She put an extra sway in her hips, stopping when she had him up against the bed. She slipped her hands under his shirt, running her nails over his defined abs.
She pulled his shirt over his head. Her fingers drifted down to the waist of his pants. She traced the edge of the rough fabric until she hit the belt. Quickly, she undid the buckle, and with a flick of her wrist, she popped the button open.
Zeek’s breath caught, and she leaned up on her toes, pressing her lips to his as she slid the zipper down. She smiled as her fingertips met the warm flesh of his cock. “No boxers?”
“No.” His word barely a breath against her lips, as if he was worried she’d disappear.
She wrapped her hand around him. “I don’t think it’s fair that you’ve seen me naked several times and I haven’t seen you yet.”
He hmmed for a moment. “Seems to me that you’re fixing that.”
She released him and pushed his pants down. They landed on the floor and he stepped out of them. He cupped a hand against her sex, his middle finger sliding between her slick folds. She rolled her hips into his hand.
“Is this what you had in mind, fox?” He drew out the word ‘fox’ in a feral growl. She shook her head and pushed him back on the bed. She prowled over him, straddling him.
Zeek wrapped his hands around her hips and guided her down onto him. She moaned at the feeling of him inside her. Her muscles clenched around him as she pivoted her hips against him.
His hips found a rhythm with hers. She bent over nibbled her way from his chest to his neck as the pleasure rolled through her. A growl rumbled through his chest, and he flipped her over in a quick move, pressing her into the soft bed. She met his red-tinted eyes and leaned up to kiss him. Her tongue darted between his fangs, teasing him, egging him on.
Zeek drove himself into her and she wrapped her legs around him, bringing him deeper. She threw her head back with a gasp, digging her nails into his back, raking them down as the bliss inside her started to spill over. At the moment the orgasm broke through her, Zeek’s fangs struck her pulse, his lips sealed around the wound and the ecstasy stole her thoughts. Her body shook under him as the pleasure crashed over her, wave after wave.
Zeek pulled away and rolled to the side, his chest heaving and his eyes hooded from his own release. Skye rolled over and laid her head on his chest, wrapping one arm around him. The smooth motions of him stroking her hair soothed her to sleep.
CHAPTER NINE
“They recovered the files from my house? Yeah, don’t worry…”
Skye woke up to the sound of Zeek’s voice. The navy sheet had been draped over her body, clinging to her skin. Zeek stood in the corner of the room with his back towards her.
“I put a virus back on the drive with the files after I recovered them. It’ll kill a computer the moment they try to access it.” He nodded his head a few times. “Yes, I’m aware of what needs to be done. I’m not thrilled about it, but it’s just a matter of time before she can’t run anywhere.”
He glanced over his shoulders and flashed her a smirk. “Don’t worry.” He hung up and turned to face her completely. “I’m just making plans. The situation is a little bit more complicated than I originally thought.”
She pulled the sheet up to her chest as she sat. “How so?”
“Turns out Travis is much higher on the totem pole than I thought. You, my dear fox, were dating a member of their council.”
She tried to digest the information. “Impossible, he was answering to the same higher ups that I was.”
“That’s what he wanted you to think. I got into his emails. He was planning on grooming you to become a double agent.”
Her heart skipped a beat as she tried to follow his train of thought and put it together with the bits of the phone call she had heard. “You don’t think he succeeded, do you? I had no clue that’s what he was planning on.”
His gaze swept over her and her grip tightened on the sheet just a bit. “No. I don’t think you knew. I think the mission to our office was one to test you. See if you could wiggle your way out of a bad situation. Besides, his latest e-mail said that you were a failed project.”
She rolled her eyes. “I was worried for a moment.”
“That I thought you were a double agent? Fox, I knew the moment I caught you that you were an amateur. You shifted into a creature I could see, you darted for the most obvious exit, and you panicked. Even if you had meant to get caught, you wouldn’t have panicked.” He chuckled and sat next to her on the bed. “You slept the day away, so I hope you’re well rested and ready for what comes next.”
“How do you know I slept all day?”
“I’m not dead when I sleep. I’m just weakened during the day. Sleep helps me recover and allows me to go longer without feeding.”
She nodded slightly. “When did you become a vampire?”
“Personal questions now. I think we’re making progress.”
Skye couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m pretty sure what we did last night counts as progress.”
He ran his fingers through the tips of her hair. “Mmm, yes. I became a vampire long ago. I traded my land and gold for immortality.” His fingers stopped for a moment. “A mistake that I regretted. I was used as a puppet political figure until I was strong enough to kill my maker.”
She glanced at him. “Not one for politics?”
“Not one for being used.” He shook his head. “In the twenties, I came here and started taking over the speakeasies and wormed my way into the mob.”
“I wasn’t alive in the twenties, but I hear from my parents that it was an interesting time. My mother loved it.” And her parents were still considered young for their kind. She leaned her head on his shoulder. “So you’ve been in the mob for a while then.”
“That’s where I met Remus, and the rest, as they say, is history.” He shook his head. “You little fox?”
“My parents moved back overseas, and I stayed here despite their worries and the protests.” She shrugged. “Lost my job when they did mandatory blood tests and they found out that I was a shifter. There’s not much to me.”
He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Oh really? You’re a great hacker, you’re getting better at lying by omitting truths, you’re sly, sexy,” he kissed her cheek and then her jaw. “I don’t think you give yourself enough credit.” He kissed her neck and then cursed as his phone dinged. He picked it up and glanced at the text. “That’s our sign.”
“Our sign?”
“We’re setting up a trap for Travis; they’re calling so I can deliver the bait.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re setting me up as bait.” There was no question to it.
She gawked at him. “What? Fake my death? You’re kidding right?”
He pulled her into a hug. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. But if we take Travis out and the Agency thinks you’re dead then you’ll fade off their radar. When it’s time for you to truly work for us, then you can come back into the world without a worry and without assassins.”
She pressed her lips together and digested the information. She really should have had a say in it, but after the close calls of the last few days, she probably would have agreed anyway. “What do I need to do?”
“You’re going home. Without me.”
Her eyes grew wide. “What?”
“He’ll know if I’m there. He’ll be able to smell me. Much like you. So I can’t be around.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to face him alone.”
He handed her his phone. “You’re not going to be alone, exactly. I’ll be able to track you with this.”
Her heart jumped. “Track? You act like he’s going to take me somewhere.”
“He will.” He touched her cheek. “Just go along with it. Trust that I’ll keep you safe.”
She gripped the phone. “You can’t tell me anything more than that?”
“No, in case…in case he tortures you again or asks you questions. I don’t want you to give away clues that you’re lying.” He kissed her gently. “When this is all over, you’ll be safe.”
She snorted. “And we’ll be co-workers. Are you going to be like Travis and suddenly decide that we can’t be together because we work for the same organization?”
He gave a dark laugh and crawled over her, forcing her back on the bed. “Oh, Fox, we’re so much more than just co-workers. I should be furious that you’re comparing me to Travis.” He pulled the sheet away from her and snaked his hand between her legs. “Guess I’ll just have to try harder.”
Skye gawked at her car sitting in the garage that Zeek led her too. “How did you get it here?”
“Daytime runner.” He said easily. “You’ll need my phone to get out. I saved the code for you. The garage is hidden by magic, so don’t panic if you don’t see it when you drive away.”
She nodded. “That’s good to know. So even if Travis traced me here…”
“He wouldn’t be able to find it. It’s not like the office building hidden in plain sight.” He touched her cheek. “I don’t want to send you out there alone, but this is the only way to get to Travis. He still has some sort of interest in you, which means he’ll come without a doubt.”
Skye turned and kissed the palm of his hand. “I’m going to hold you to your promise.”
“Don’t worry, Fox, I won’t leave you in his clutches for long.” He kissed her head and she felt her stomach drop at his words. Her heart sped up just enough to make him pull back. “What?”
“For long?”
“We already know he’s taking you somewhere. I won’t let him hurt you. I’ll get you out of there before he has a chance.”
She slid into the car, away from his touch and took a few deep breaths. “How do you know this?”
“Intel. Travis was sincere about offering you another spot at the Agency. His last e-mail said that you were a failed project, but he wanted to give you another chance to join them before he dealt with you. Maybe they’ll offer you more money, or something more appealing. Whatever your deepest dark desire is. Our theory is that they do want you as a double agent. Like Travis originally planned.”
It was a theory, but a sound one. “Okay. So in theory, he’s not going to want to hurt me.”
“Exactly. Use the first contact in my phone if you need to get out. You don’t even have to speak.”
She pulled the device out of her pocket. “A digital panic button.”
“Essentially. You’re going to be fine.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Go home. Take a look at your life one last time. After we fake your death, I’ll have my people pack your house up so you can keep what you want, but after today Skye Lannister will disappear, presumed dead.”
Her mind turned to her parents. Would she choose to contact them and tell them that she was alive after today? Would anyone even inform them that she’d disappeared? She started the car and closed the door. “I’ll see you on the other side.”
She pulled out of the parking spot and found the exit. She stopped the car long enough to use the code on Zeek’s phone to open the door. She slowly rolled her car into the street and headed back towards home.
CHAPTER TEN
Zeek watched Skye drive away and tried to keep his emotions in check. He might be sending his little fox to her death or torture. Possibly both. Remus insisted that Skye prove herself, much like Travis had originally wanted. Except Travis wasn’t in love with Skye. For the first time in centuries, Zeek hadn’t wanted to send a woman away from his bed. He wanted to keep her safe, pampered, and claim her in every way.
He wasn’t sure if that was part of her fate, though. He might have just watched her drive off for the first and the only time. And his heart felt like it was shattering. He went back into the building and to his room. There was nothing he could do until he was sure that Travis took the bait. He flipped on his laptop and opened the tracking program.
A blinking red dot showed him that Skye was traveling exactly where she was supposed to be. He settled back to watch. He wanted to be by her side to guide her through this, but his presence would just tip Travis off. Skye was going to have to fly on her own for her first mission.
Skye parked in front of her house. No cars zoomed passed her in the late hour. Her porch light lit up the walkway, and she wondered if she had left it on when she left for work or not. She got out and walked over the concrete. She’d spent the drive feeling sorry for herself. Focusing on how she wasn’t sure what was going on. How it felt like Zeek had abandoned her to Travis. But now she was numb. There was no going back from this. She’d be part of the Syndicate after this and hidden until the time was right, when the Agency no longer cared if she lived.
The thought had terrified her to the point where she wasn’t sure if that’s what she wanted anymore. The only thing she was sure of now was that she wanted to be with Zeek, and this was the only way.
She walked into her house to find the bills neatly stacked on the kitchen table. A harsh reminder that her life had been destroyed by the humans. Discrimination was supposed to be illegal, but that didn’t mean it didn’t happen. She shuffled through the bills and sighed. Next to the stack, the packet on the Agency that Travis had given her stared back at her. She hadn’t brought it home because she hadn’t made it home that night.
“I thought you might need it. Since you’ll be returning to us.”
She spun around and faced Travis. “You never did know how to give a girl space.”
“I’ve been waiting for you to return alone. Where’s your lover?” He stepped up to the table and handed her the packet.
She shrugged. “No idea.” Now she understood why Zeek didn’t want to tell her anything, but to trust him.
He studied her as if looking for a lie. “Let’s go. I want to make it to your orientation location before dawn.”
“I want to drive.” She said without thinking.
He shook his head. “Not a chance. We can’t risk Zeek tracking you. Do you have your phone on you?”
“No. I left it at his house when you sent the assassins after me.” She couldn’t keep the anger from her voice.
He laughed. “I was under orders. No hard feelings?”
The laugh reminded her of the man she’d dated, a facade that hid the Agency member who tortured her. “You tortured me, Travis. Give me a good reason to join you. I know you’re not a regular agent.”
“Been digging in our files, have you? I need to make sure to talk to IT about their security.”
She didn’t answer him.
Tipping him off that Zeek was able to break through their firewalls as well would only bring him back into focus, and Travis might start asking more questions. “Your IT team needs to be fired.” She said offhandedly.
He snorted. “If you want, I can get you a job as head of IT.”
It sounded appealing, but it wasn’t what she wanted. She’d been happy just being a peon, paying her bills, being blissfully unaware of what was going on until Zeek came into her life. She pushed the thought of Zeek away. There was no need to be thinking about him. She needed to focus. “Really? That’s going to be your ‘good reason’ to come back. You tortured me. Remember? Put a shock collar around my neck?”
His face fell a little bit. “Your bills can disappear, you won’t lose the house, all we need you to do is—“
“Provide you information on the Syndicate. Act as your pretty little double agent.” She leaned against the table. “Money is motivating for me. But I want more.”
He frowned. “More?”
“I want in on the council.”
He shook his head. “No dice.”
“Then no deal. Have a good day.” She waved to the door. “You obviously know your way out.”
He let out a frustrated growl. “I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t promise that. It’s not a choice that’s solely up to me.”
“But you can promise me all the other things? My bills taken care of, my house paid?” There was a little bit of hopefulness in her voice.
“Yes.” He nodded. “Now come on. We have a little bit of a drive.”
That was good to know. “Let me grab some things? How long are we going to be gone?”
“Don’t worry about it. You’ll be provided everything there.”
That was odd. She tried to keep the questioning look off of her face and keep it blank. “Okay?” It still came out more of a question than a statement.