Dark Spy’s Resolution Page 13

  Wendy took her socks off, pulled her leggings above her perfectly shaped knees, and swung her legs into the water. “Hot!” She pulled them back up. “Why didn’t you warn me?” She cast him an accusing look.

  “It wasn’t hot for me, and it only feels hot to you because your feet were probably cold before. You’ll get used to it.”

  She eyed the water suspiciously. “Yeah, and they are getting even colder now.”

  In a surprise move, she scooted closer to him, lifted the blanket that served as her coat, and wrapped it around his shoulders, cocooning them inside the same way they had done last night. “You don’t have to act all macho and pretend the cold is not bothering you.”

  “Thank you,” he managed to say through his rapidly elongating fangs.

  37

  Wendy

  Vlad was aroused.

  Wendy felt it every time she got close to him. Outwardly he acted like they were just friends, not making advances, not casting her suggestive looks or saying suggestive things, but that was only because he totally lacked confidence.

  Which was probably the only reason she had the courage to continue with the charade. If he made a move, she would most likely run away as fast as her short legs could carry her.

  Liar.

  The truth was that the more time she was spending with Vlad, the more he appealed to her. She no longer saw the skinny, hunched-over guy who hid his face behind a mop of black, glossy hair. Instead, she saw a very tall young man, who was handsome in his own unique way, and who was also kind, intelligent, and oddly protective of her.

  In daylight, he appeared even more vampiric than in the underground’s artificial lighting, but Wendy found that kind of sexy too. She liked that he was different in just about every possible way.

  The question was whether she was attracted to him enough to kiss him.

  Maybe.

  The turning point had been when Vlad had sung for her. His voice was deep, soothing, and beautiful. There was a softness to it, but also strength, and for the first time in her life, Wendy had felt a stirring. Listening to his voice had transported her to a different place, and in those moments, she could have imagined herself kissing him.

  “Can you sing for me?” she blurted.

  He arched a brow. “Here?”

  “Why not? Do you need your guitar to sing?”

  “No, but we are outside.”

  “So what? There is no one around to hear you.”

  “Richard and Ingrid are about to come out.”

  “So they’ll get a treat too. You are very good.”

  Vlad shook his head. “I can’t. Maybe later.”

  Oddly, the emotion she picked up from him was fear, not embarrassment.

  What was he afraid of? Wild animals coming closer to hear him sing? She was about to tease him with that, when the sliding door opened and Richard rushed out, wearing only swim shorts and a towel draped around his shivering shoulders.

  Anticipating his next move, Wendy scooted back. “He’s going to jump!” she warned Vlad.

  Since the hot tub wasn’t big, it ended up being more of a hop than a jump, but they still got sprayed with hot water.

  “Richard!” Wendy admonished. “You’ve got us wet.”

  “I’m sorry.” He didn’t even affect an apologetic expression. “It’s so damn cold out here, and we don’t have robes.”

  He crouched, submerging his body all the way up to his nose.

  A moment later, Ingrid came out wearing similar attire, but instead of running, she sauntered casually, displaying her hot body in Wendy’s swimsuit. The thing looked enviably better on the interior designer.

  Richard lifted a couple of inches out of the water. “Aren’t you freezing?”

  “It’s nothing.” She waved a dismissive hand. “This is like summertime in the Highlands.”

  After dropping the towel on the deck, Ingrid gracefully sat on the hot tub’s edge, swung her legs over, and slid inside.

  Wendy had expected Vlad to steal glances at Ingrid, but even though the woman was hot and moved like a ballet dancer, he paid her no attention. His sole focus was on Wendy, and that felt nice.

  Leaning closer to him, she whispered in his ear, “We should go inside. They probably want to be alone out here.”

  Ingrid smirked as if she'd heard that, which was not likely given the noise the jets were making. Maybe she’d guessed.

  Richard was oblivious, and he also didn’t care about having spectators. Pulling Ingrid down to join him under the water, he wrapped his arms around her and started kissing her.

  “You are right.” Vlad pushed to his feet and offered Wendy a hand up.

  When they got inside, they found Leon sitting in an armchair that he’d dragged next to the front window. Other than them, he was the only one in the house, but he was watchful. Even if she had a coat and snowshoes, Wendy doubted she could have snuck past him.

  “Do you want hot cocoa?” Vlad asked.

  “Sure. There isn’t much else left in the cabin. Mey is going to bring supplies, but until then, it’s either cocoa, coffee, or tea.”

  “I could eat,” Leon grumbled.

  Vlad nodded in agreement. “Me too, but all I can offer you is a hot drink.”

  “I’ll take it.”

  Leon seemed friendly, and so did Bowen, but getting past those two would be impossible. They were professionals. Wendy’s only hope was to go on a hike alone with Vlad and then give him the slip. The question was whether the guards would let him take her out. And even if they did, what was she going to do? Bash him over the head and run?

  She was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, but she wasn’t a mean one. It was semi-okay to trick Vlad, but not to hurt him.

  The town wasn’t far, and she could convince him to walk all the way there. Then she would suggest a coffee break, go into the ladies’ room, and ask someone to use her phone. It would take her only a couple of seconds to tell her uncle where she was, and since she had his private cellphone number, she knew he would answer right away.

  Once that was done, she would go out and join Vlad as if nothing had happened.

  Easy.

  He might never find out that she was responsible for his capture. In fact, she was going to tell her uncle to keep it a secret. No one needed to know how he found them. And once they were in the program, perhaps they could continue their friendship.

  Dream on.

  This story was not going to have a happy ending, not for Vlad, and not for the others, and perhaps not even for her.

  Her heart heavy, Wendy forced a smile when Vlad came back with the hot cocoa. She motioned at his guitar case. “How about you sing Leon and me a song? It will take his mind off the subject of food.”

  38

  Vlad

  After giving Wendy and Leon a singing performance, Vlad picked up the remote and clicked the television on. “Any preferences?”

  “Anime, if you can find any,” Wendy said.

  Leon didn’t respond, so Vlad searched through the offerings until he found a show Wendy approved of.

  As long as he got to sit cuddled with her on the couch, he didn’t care what he was staring at.

  An hour passed with Wendy engrossed in the show and him engrossed in her. At some point, Ingrid and Richard came in and went upstairs, supposedly to shower and change. But given the sounds coming from the master bedroom, they were busy doing something else.

  He tried not to listen, but it was difficult to ignore. Luckily, Wendy’s human hearing spared her the embarrassment.

  When Mey’s car pulled into the driveway, Vlad sighed. “I should help them carry the stuff in.”

  “Yeah, me too.” Wendy started to rise.

  “It’s okay. Bowen and I can manage. You can stay and finish watching your show.”

  She smiled. “Thanks. There are only a few minutes left.”

  In the garage, Vlad waited for Mey to pop the trunk. It was full to capacity, as was the back seat.

 
When everything had been brought in, Mey handed him one of the bags. “That’s yours.”

  It had his name written on it with a marker.

  “And that’s yours, Wendy.” She handed her a bag with her name.

  “What did you get?” Wendy asked.

  He pulled out a puffer coat, a pair of snow boots size fourteen, a hat, a scarf, and a pair of gloves. He left a pack of underwear and a pajama set inside the bag.

  “Put them on.” Wendy waved a hand. “I want to see how you look in them.”

  Modeling outfits was girly but saying that would probably make Wendy think that he was a chauvinist, so he’d better not.

  “How about you go first?”

  “Okay.” Wendy pulled out a pair of thick socks. “I love these.” She smiled at Mey. “Thank you.”

  “You are welcome.”

  When Ingrid and Richard came down the stairs, Mey handed them both their bags.

  “Let’s see what you’ve got.” Ingrid peeked into hers. “The colors are nice.” She pulled out a long scarf.

  “The fashion show can wait for after lunch, people.” Bowen dug into one of the bags that he’d put on the kitchen counter. “Let’s eat first. Mey and I were hungry, and we got hamburgers and fries for everyone.”

  “Bless your hearts.” Leon left his station by the window and walked over to the counter.

  Sniffing, he dove into one of the other bags. “I hope you brought enough.”

  “I second that.” Vlad joined him in the shopping bags attack and helped bring it all to the dining table.

  Fifteen minutes later, he was done with two hamburgers, his and Wendy’s fries, and was still a little hungry.

  “That was only to tide us over,” Bowen said. “I’ve got a big, juicy tri-tip roast, and I’m going to put it in the oven. It will be ready in an hour.”

  “I’m going to check out my new things,” Ingrid said.

  Once everyone was done going over Mey’s purchases, she looked from one person to the next. “Did I forget anything?”

  “I got everything I need,” Wendy said. “Thank you.” She pulled her new hat over her hair and wrapped the scarf around her neck. “I’m ready for a hike.”

  “Are the shoes okay?” Mey looked at the snow boots she’d gotten Wendy. “Nothing pinches?”

  “No, they are great. And the socks are so cozy. Thank you.”

  Richard got up and turned in a circle. “How do I look?”

  Apparently, the guy didn’t think it was girly.

  “Awesome,” Ingrid said.

  Wendy got up and repeated Richard’s performance. “I want to try this stuff out. Come on.” She offered Vlad a hand up. “Let’s take a walk.”

  “Don’t go too far,” Mey cautioned. “I didn’t see any of our neighbors walking outside, but I suggest that you keep that scarf ready. If you see anyone, wrap it around your nose and mouth.”

  “I will.” Wendy’s excitement was palpable.

  Looping the long scarf around her neck twice, she pulled Vlad behind her and headed for the door.

  Given the circumstances, it was surprising that Mey was letting Wendy out of the cabin. The government was searching for the escapees from the paranormal program, the village was under lockdown, and Fates only knew what was going on that had necessitated it. Other than the one-sentence explanation Bowen had given them in the keep, Mey and the Guardians were being tight-lipped about it, probably not because they wanted to keep things from him and Ingrid, but because of Richard and Wendy.

  Nevertheless, he was glad that Wendy was getting her wish. After being cooped up in the Keep’s underground for days, it was no wonder that she was so eager to get outdoors.

  As they started down the road with an easy stroll, all Vlad could think about was Wendy’s hand, which she hadn’t pulled out of his. They were both wearing gloves, so it wasn’t as if he was actually touching her, but he was acutely aware of the delicate bone structure of her small hand, and its warmth that was seeping through the double layers and warming much more than his hand.

  Wendy took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. “I love the cold air. It’s as if my lungs are getting more oxygen, and I feel more energized.”

  He smiled. “I think that you are just happy to be outdoors.”

  “I am, especially in a beautiful place like this, surrounded by nature. Do you want to walk along the road, or do you want to cut through the woods?”

  “There might be wild animals in there.”

  Wendy grimaced. “Yeah, I guess it’s called Big Bear for a reason. Are there many bears out here?”

  “I don’t know if there are a lot of them, but one is enough if it thinks that you smell tasty. Then there are the coyotes, mountain lions, and bobcats. The cats are rare, so I’m not too worried about encountering one of those, but coyotes are plentiful, and they run in packs. They can be just as dangerous.”

  “Then we should stick to the road.” She sounded disappointed.

  “If you want, we can venture in a little bit. I doubt the animals would get close to the road in the middle of the day when cars are passing by.”

  Except, so far they hadn’t seen any.

  “I would like that.”

  They stepped off the asphalt, but Vlad kept to a parallel path. The snow cover wasn’t deep, and in some places only patches of it remained, but the ground was wet and spongy, which slowed them down.

  “Are you okay?” He glanced at Wendy’s pink cheeks. “Are you cold?”

  “A little, but I don’t mind. It’s so nice out here.”

  Was that his cue to put his arm around her? How would she react if he did that?

  “I can keep you warm.” He tugged on her hand and brought her closer against his body.

  When she didn’t object, he let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her. “Better?” His voice quivered only a little.

  “Yes. Thank you.” She leaned her head against his arm.

  Vlad lifted his face heavenward and offered a silent thanks to the Fates.

  He was walking with his arm around a pretty girl, and she liked it. That was better than anything he’d dared to hope for.

  Except that wasn’t entirely true. A kiss was as far as he was daring to dream, but that was probably going too far. He didn’t know how to initiate it, or when was the right time to do so, or how was it done.

  Bhathian’s lesson had covered the consent part, but not the mechanics of the kiss itself. Even if Vlad gathered the courage and initiated it, his lack of experience would be painfully evident and embarrassing as hell. He didn’t want Wendy to know that at twenty he had never kissed a girl before.

  39

  Kian

  “Thank you, Okidu.” Kian took the box of cigarillos his butler had delivered and sat at the far end of the war room.

  “Whiskey or beer?” Onegus asked.

  “Whiskey.”

  “Coming right up.”

  Turner smiled. “Getting into character for the call?”

  “Yeah, my own.” Kian lit a cigarillo and leaned back in the chair. “This is just another business deal with a particularly sharp adversary. Been there, done that.”

  Kian wasn’t a stranger to negotiations, and if he approached this one with the same attitude and confidence that he’d approached a thousand other deals he’d made over the years, he should be fine.

  After all, these days Kalugal was a businessman, and his Brotherhood days were long gone. Deal-making was a game he knew how to play and he was familiar with its rules. And since they were both comfortable in that arena, it shouldn’t be too difficult to negotiate a deal that would make both sides happy.

  The trick was to stay emotionally neutral and not blink first. Appearing nonchalant and making the other side sweat the final offer always resulted in better terms.

  “Here you go.” Onegus handed him a full tumbler and put the bottle on the table next to him. “Good luck.”

  “No worries. I got it.” Kian placed the call. br />
  He wasn’t surprised when Kalugal didn’t answer until the fifth ring. His cousin was playing the same game.

  “Hello, Kian.”

  “I spoke with Jin earlier, and she told me that you had my people searched.” Putting his adversary in a defensive mode was a good opening strategy.

  “Then she must have also told you that it was done respectfully, just as I promised it would be.”

  Jin hadn’t actually witnessed the search. She’d heard Jacki and Arwel talking about it later, but Kalugal didn’t need to know that. Kian wanted him to have the impression that Jin was on him every moment of the day.

  “She did. Are you convinced now?”

  “We found no recording equipment on either of your people. I assume that you and your spy have thought of a solution?”

  “I’ve talked it over with Jin, and there is only one way she can prove the tether’s removal. She will have to release and reattach it a couple of times for you to notice the difference.”

  “What if I don’t?”

  “Then you’ll have to take her word for it.”

  “You must understand that it’s not possible for me to agree to that.”

  “That’s the best offer I can make you. Besides, Jin assures me that you’ll feel the difference, and that it will take her no longer than half an hour to convince you.”

  “I’m not worried about her trying to trick me into believing that she released me while keeping me tethered. If it’s at all possible, then I can simply compel her to do that. Her inability to remove the tether is what worries me.”

  “Jin has tethered and un-tethered many of my people. I know she can do it, and those who paid attention felt the difference. What I worry about is you trying to deny it in order to detain her.”

  His claim was an exaggeration, but it wasn’t a complete lie. Only Edna had felt the difference. The others had taken Jin’s word for it.

  “Trust me. If the spy upholds her part of the deal, I’ll uphold mine.”

  Kian smiled. “I’m sure you can understand why I can’t take your word for it. I’ve devised an exchange plan that will ensure Jin’s release.”