Lawful Claim Read online

  “E, please,” Ana pleaded. “It’s starting to hurt.”

  “I can’t change that Ana. We need to keep going.”

  He made the mistake of looking back at her, which he’d been avoiding because she was as gorgeous as she always had been, and was exceedingly turned on. And he was trying to be a good boy and keep his hands to himself, but the tears running down her cheeks were almost too much.

  He tore his gaze away from her and gripped her hand harder as he pulled her along, speeding toward a storage locker he really hoped wasn’t empty.

  They reached the room that might hold some weapons, and if his luck was still holding out, ammo. He used the mad doctor’s finger to gain access. Pulling Ana inside, he didn’t bother turning on the light. It could bring unwanted attention, and he could make do with his keen vision.

  E was rewarded with handguns, knives, even a sword inside the locker. E rushed to strap some knives to his legs and stuffed a couple of guns into his waistband, pocketing as many bullet-filled magazines as he could.

  Stiffening as a scent assaulted his nose, he whipped his head up, dreading what he was going to see when he turned toward Ana.

  Sure enough, she was leaning against a wall, palming herself and grinding into her hand. Her robe hitched up in the front, one long, curvy leg exposed.

  Aw, hell. In any other instance, that’d be some erotic shit. For now, he’d file it away as, Can you totally do that in front of me later? and try to get to her to stop.

  Or better yet, he could strap some weapons onto her body while her hands were occupied.

  Only one knife was left that was in a case he could strap onto her, and one gun with a full clip in it, but no other ammo. Better than nothing.

  Walking up to her, staring at the wall above her head as she bit her lip and moaned, he strapped the knife to her upper arm instead of getting close to ground zero. He couldn’t risk accidentally fondling his mate and not being able to stop once his hands landed on her scrumptious thighs.

  As soon as he touched her upper arm, her eyes flew open and focused on him. Her breath was erratic and hitched, she was nearing a climax. Making quick work of the knife strap around her arm, she reached for him with her free hand, twisting it in his shirt. He stood frozen while her eyes rolled back before she squeezed them tight and shuttered out her orgasm, slumping against the wall with her aftershocks.

  Shiiiiiit…That was hot. And completely inappropriate for him to think so. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he raised her back to fully standing. “We need to get going.”

  Her head rested against the wall, moving back and forth. Ana swallowed hard. “I can’t go. It’s building again. I thought that would help, but it’s like it made it worse.”

  “That’s how those drugs work. They keep you going until you’re completely used and destroyed inside.”

  Tears shimmered in her eyes. “You went through this?”

  “I was mindless coming out of my conversion, a slave to my base needs and my body only thought it had one need. But yes, you’re experiencing something similar.”

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

  Taken aback, he couldn’t imagine what she had to be sorry for but there was no time to find out.

  Pulling her along back into the hallway, she kept muttering “sorry” over and over again. A familiar scent tickled his nose again and he felt Ana stumble behind him. Hell no, she couldn’t be stroking one off again.

  “I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. “I’ve only experienced a fraction of what you went through, and now I’m preventing you from escaping and helping our son.”

  E had never seen Ana so distraught. During their marriage, while they had financial stress and work concerns, she’d been his rock. And since her fiancé had turned on her and tried to kill and then kidnap her son, she had retained her calm. Then he appeared in front of her, her dead husband come alive, and she was thrown into a supernatural world. But it wasn’t until now, when she thought she was failing him and risking their son’s life that she was crumbling, a burden because of the drugs they pumped into her.

  “Come here.” He pulled her closer, letting her keep her hand over her center because she couldn’t help herself.

  She tumbled into him, her body seeking his, urging him to give her some relief. Instead, he centered his hand over that sweet spot in her neck that, with just enough pressure, would grant her the gift of unconsciousness. Her body so starved for touch, she pressed into his hand, a brief flare of surprise crossed her face before oblivion took her.

  Refusing to feel even a little guilt, he bent down to swing her up over his shoulder. E made his way to the spot where he was counting on X to be with Julio.

  *****

  Agent J scanned X’s leather-clad body, lingering on the juncture of her thighs. “Meet me in five minutes, Agent X. I’ve gotta throw some food at this kid, and then we can,” his eyes drifted up from her breasts, lifted high from the black corset she wore, “get down to business.”

  Putting her hands on her hips, she threw her shoulders back to jut her lifted breasts out further. “Don’t keep me waiting, J-man. I don’t have all fucking day.”

  “You worried those Guardians will breach the walls? Shouldn’t you be up there defending the place?” So far, the shifters had been attacking the walls with what X would guess was rocket-propelled grenades. Madame G’s supernatural defenses were holding firmly in place. And would until X gave them the signal to boost and concentrate their power so E and his family could get out of there.

  “I will after a good lay.” With that, she spun and sauntered out, knowing she had the male’s full attention.

  She crossed the hall into Agent J’s office, sat in his chair, and threw her feet up on the desk with her hands hooked behind her head. No use getting undressed until she had to. Besides, she could always use it as a show to distract the Agent.

  Reflecting on the excuses she told J for being there, she mused how different they were from her real intentions. “E’s been gone too long,” she had whined to Agent J. “I need some attention.”

  The door across the hall slammed shut. A heartbeat passed before Agent J strode into his office. An uneasy feeling settled deep into her belly when she saw the manacles dangling from his hand.

  She maintained a cool expression on her face, swung her legs down and stood, casually untying the leather threads of her corset. Agent J’s eyes hooked on her hands, momentarily mesmerized.

  Males. A few scraps of leather and lace and they lost all focus.

  X shed the corset and worked her wispy undershirt shirt out of her pants, showing him a hint of skin. She lowered her voice to a sultry purr. “Have a seat.”

  He tossed the silver cuffs onto his desk and leaned over, licking his bottom lip while he watched her show. “I have a better idea. You slide those tight pants down and have a seat.”

  Hmmm, no. She didn’t plan on getting that far with the Agent before he lost his head, and not the one all his blood was rushing to.

  She eyed him coyly, dropping the shirt back over her toned stomach, she slowly worked on the fastenings of her pants. “What do you have planned?”

  He gave her a fang-filled grin. “You strike me as the bondage type, X. Let’s have a little fun.”

  Fuck. No. She ditched the act, her rescue plan would be carried out the hard way. She zipped her pants back up with a sigh and tucked her shirt in. “Sex with you is far from fun, J-wad.”

  The male’s face clouded over. “Do you think I’m an idiot, X? You came sniffing around when your partner was in deep shit, and now you’re back when I have his son.”

  She studied her fingernails and shrugged nonchalantly. “Busted. I want to see the little guy E left me for.”

  “Bullshit. You’re too weak to stomach what we do to children. I can’t believe Madame G keeps you around.” Drawing a long, sinister blade, preparing for battle, his arrogance kept him talking. “You’re too late,” he sneered. “The little brat got his inject
ions. He transitioned faster than anyone we’ve ever seen. I think we might breed his mama, build our own Agent army.” Laughing at the innocent’s demise, he attempted to enrage X even further. “I think I’ll have a go at her a few times, too. She’ll be more memorable than you.”

  X could only smirk at him, wishing she could inform him why she was somewhat forgettable, though she usually overrode her hypnotism with a few planted memories of what a magnificent lay she was.

  “You and me, then? Wanna place any bets?” Withdrawing her favorite fighting blade, she crouched into a combative stance, circling the desk with J doing the same.

  “No need. I’m going to play with you a little before I kill you.”

  “Aww,” she cooed, blowing him a kiss, “you say the sweetest things.”

  Rather than jumping the desk and attacking like he’d expect, she waited until she had circled to one of the narrow ends and shoved. Her move took him by surprise, but instead of the heavy wood desk trapping him against the wall, he flashed out.

  Tensing, X prepared herself. Once she saw a hint of movement, she pivoted and slashed with her blade. Satisfaction poured through her at his grunt of pain, but she narrowly missed his arm whipping out to gut her. He flashed again.

  Gah! She hated fighting vampires. Only the biggest cowards flashed repeatedly instead of facing a fight until the job got done. Agent J was big cock on campus when his prey was locked in a room or strapped to a table, yet here he was flashing constantly, thinking it gave him the advantage.

  A flash to her right had her spinning only to see J disappear again. Dammit. Before she could pivot back around, he was aiming for her between the ribs.

  Air whooshed out as heat seared through the stab wound. He withdrew the blade to strike at her throat. Reaching out, she grabbed onto him in case he tried to flash again and jerked him toward her so she could jack her knee up into his groin.

  Bull’s-eye! He snarled in pain and rage, and flashed. She was hanging onto him so he took her with him. A non-vampire would have a severe case of vertigo after flashing, and clearly J was gambling on that. X didn’t want to let him down.

  She gasped, pretending to swoon once they appeared at the other end of the office and he bared his fangs in wicked glee thinking he had her.

  She used his hubris and their close proximity to shove her blade into his belly and yank down. He snarled and stabbed at her, but the pain was staggering and slowed his defenses. X easily batted his armed hand away, jerked her knife out, and flashed behind him.

  The Agent doubled over, his gaze darting around, because the last thing he expected was for the notorious shifter Agent to be able to flash like a vampire. Yanking his head up by his dark hair, she drew her knife deep across the front of his throat.

  Agent J dropped to his knees, weakened from the blood loss, and X traded her smaller knife for his larger one, making quick work of removing the male’s head from his body. Yeah, cowards might flash during a fight, but she was a female with a deadline and a kid to rescue.

  The stab wound between her ribs throbbed, making each breath a shade shy of excruciating, but she bundled up the pain and shoved it into the dark recesses of her mind where every other unsavory experience was sent. Next, she looked at her bloodied, gory hands. Maybe a good washing before barging in on Julio, claiming to rescue him, would be in order.

  The attached bathroom in J’s office had enough soap to scrub as much blood off her hands as possible, along with a small hand towel to stuff in her shirt over her seeping wound. Lacing the corset back over it would hold it in place until her body took care of the healing and sealed the wound. Looking up, she caught her reflection in the mirror and went still.

  Her hair was a mess; E’s rescue and her battle with J having mussed it up more than a little. She’d have to use more gel in it next time. The brilliant green eyes she inherited from her shifter father were ironically gleaming from her vampire heritage.

  She looked at her reflection in the mirror every day, why pause now?

  Because for the first time, she could look at herself with something other than forced indifference. Indifference to her actions of the day, or of the duties she would be leaving to perform. Indifference to her situation, and refusing to compare the female she saw now, to the one she used to see before tragedy had struck twelve years ago. She had been the innocent, all-American teenager, who played volleyball, volunteered during the summer, and walked dogs for The Humane Society.

  So what did she see now? A badass hybrid who had crawled back from the grave and was ready to carry out her destiny, hopefully before Madame G severely punished her for her bold transgression. X was confident Madame G wouldn’t kill her, not her stolen prize—a shifter. But the punishment would be staggeringly severe, prolonged, and absolutely worth it. Running her fingers through her hair, fluffing the top back into place, she took one last look and went to find Julio.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Hanging out in the stairwell at Sigma’s compound, cradling an unconscious Ana, was not a fun time. Faint moans and wails echoed on the subtle breeze that flowed through the concrete walls. No one, not even the most hardened or jaded recruits, or Agents, used the stairs. Surveillance had been setup on their entrances after Dani and Mercury each used them in their own escapes. E knew that regardless, they weren’t monitored very well. The recruits on security detail told tales of being too creeped out by shadows that ebbed and flowed in the steady light, along with indistinct faces with gaping jaws, to watch the footage even a little.

  E couldn’t deny the tickles he felt along his spine standing just inside the door of the second level below ground. It was like the spirits, if they were real, were fascinated by a living, breathing body in their territory. After his talk with Ana, and their conjectures of Madame G’s power source, he was starting to believe the spirits existed, hoped they despised the dark madam as much as he did. After all, Dani and Mercury used the stairwell to get to safety with no incident.

  Readjusting Ana, he looked over her face for the millionth time. She was still passed out and he worried she shouldn’t be. His choke-out should’ve only lasted a few minutes at most. Maybe it had only been a few minutes, but every second of the escape attempt felt like an eternity. He scanned his mate’s slack features, concerned there was a gray tint to her color that wasn’t there before. Though her chest rose and fell rhythmically, the movements lacked the robust flow of when he’d watch her sleep.

  A soft rap on the door had him bringing his aim up to above the door handle. When the door swung open, E recognized X’s gun enter just before her she poked her head in.

  “Dude, it’s creepy in here,” she said.

  She gently nudged Julio in. E wanted to drop to his knees and wrap up his son into a bear hug.

  Instead the boy’s face lit up. “Dad!” He clutched E around the waist, who awkwardly rubbed his son’s back, still holding Ana with one arm and his gun in the other.

  X stepped all the way in, softly closing the door behind her. He had the urge to tell her he could take over from there, but he wasn’t a raging moron. He had a kid and an unconscious adult, with weapons that weren’t his tucked in random places all over his body. The compound was under attack, and all Agents and recruits would be defending the first level.

  X jutted her chin toward Ana being hauled back up to his shoulder to advance up the stairs. Her gesture silently asked if Ana was okay.

  “Dunno,” he muttered so Julio couldn’t hear.

  “Why? What’s wrong with Mom?” Julio caught the unspoken question and inaudible answer regardless. E finally had a good look at his boy.

  Where his son had been a tall kid before, he looked like he’d grown an inch or two and put on five to ten pounds of muscle since E’d last seen him. The innocence was still there, but dulled, becoming overwritten with a worldly knowledge that things weren’t all as they seemed. A sharp inhale confirmed E’s suspicion. They’d altered his son; made him more like his daddy than ever before, an
d that made E feel like he failed his child.

  Clapping E on the back, urging him to go ahead of her, all X said was, “Maybe it’s for the best.”

  He passed her an incredulous look before making his way up the next two levels. Transforming his son to become their personal monster was for the best?

  “Don’t look at me like that, Biggie. It’s not like you’re leaving here and going to the ’burbs to drive a minivan and coach little league.” X kept Julio between them while she covered them from behind. “Now the playing field’s been leveled, and Julio can be ready for the game of life as you now know it.”

  Terribly true. E hadn’t given much thought to where they would run to if they managed to get out of the building and away from Sigma. It sure wouldn’t be to go house hunting and check out local schools. There’d always be a bolo on all three of them from Sigma. The shifter and vampire communities would have avid interests in obtaining them. Not only for their knowledge of Sigma but because they couldn’t allow another supernatural species to roam without govern. If they allowed them to remain alive at all.

  Reaching the first level, the walls shook more with each hit the Guardians lobbed at the compound. E could hear yelling and return gunfire from the rooms facing the trees. Turning back to X, he awaited her instructions.

  Before she could speak, a rapid series of explosions pounded the north wall.

  “That’s our cue. Head toward the noise. Those blasts should have weakened the walls so you can finish blowing your way out from the inside.”

  E gave his partner a calculating look. She knew to begin their escape with the first bomb, but after that, either their timing during the siege was a happy coincidence or she was communicating with them.

  “You know, I forget you don’t need an excellent cell phone carrier.” She had tried several times to see if E could develop telepathy, or be able to communicate mentally with just her, but it always failed. He often didn’t think of how she could talk mentally to any shifter within proximity.