“Do you want me to question them?”
“It’s being handled. I want you to give yourself a break, Darkness. Leave the past behind and have a future.”
He had no words.
“Kat isn’t Galina.”
“She came here under false pretenses.”
“They aren’t the same. Kat left that note and it tipped us off to a connection between Boris and Mason. I’m sure they didn’t want her to do that.”
“It could be a setup to gain my trust.”
“Or she could have chosen to give her loyalty to you instead.”
“No female would do that.”
Fury smirked. “Not all human females are heartless. Ellie is a good example.”
“She’s special.”
“Perhaps your Kat is too.”
“She. Is. Not. Mine.”
Fury dropped his hand away. “You care about her whether you’re willing to admit it or not. You want her protected. She’s a trained agent. She could handle herself if she’s in danger but you won’t leave that to chance. You want her here where you can be certain no harm comes to her. I think part of you just wants to see her again.”
“Mason could order her killed to protect his own ass. He sent her in here after Boris. That had to have broken some of their laws. She could testify against him.”
Fury nodded. “True.” He moved away from the door.
Darkness opened it. “I’m going to go home and shower while I wait for the file to come in. I’m leading the teams to bring Kat here as soon as we have confirmation of her identity.”
“Brother?”
Darkness slowly turned. “What?”
“There’s a lot we don’t know about each other but I plan for that to change. You aren’t going to keep me distanced any longer. Is that clear?”
“It’s better that way.”
“It’s not happening. Ellie and I are going to invite you to dinner soon. We’ll keep asking until you accept.” The corners of his mouth curved upward. “I can be very annoying.”
Darkness muted a growl. It sounded more like a threat than an invitation.
“I do know you well enough to say you’re spewing bullshit about not having an attachment to Kat. Denial is a waste of time but regrets never fade. You’ve got a second chance when she is returned to Homeland.”
“I won’t spend time with her. I just plan to bring her to safety.” He exited the office.
“I never pegged you for being an idiot,” Fury called out.
Darkness halted and turned, glaring at the male.
“You heard me. She might be your one shot at happiness. Be a smart male and acknowledge that possibility.”
He spun before he could say something he regretted. Fury didn’t understand. He had good intentions but Darkness would never be the kind of Species to take a mate. He wasn’t fit for a female. He had no heart. It had been destroyed long ago.
Chapter Fifteen
“Kat!”
She bolted upright, Missy’s alarmed tone waking her instantly. She grabbed for the nightstand drawer, fumbled for the knob and yanked it open. She felt for her gun and grabbed it.
“Black SUVs just blocked off both ends of the street.” Missy lowered her voice. “I was people watching out the window and saw them. I was kidding about the damn cookies.”
Kat kicked off her covers. “They wouldn’t be SWAT. They use vans.” She rolled out of bed. “You said black?”
“Yeah. No lights or anything. They are just sitting there and nobody got out.”
Kat made out her friend’s shape near the doorway. “Do you think they saw you?”
“No. I was trying to clear my mind before bed and sometimes that hunky guy down the street goes jogging at odd hours. That’s when I saw them pull up. I got out of bed for a better look. There are two on each end of the street, parked side by side, blocking the road. Do you think they are coming to arrest you? They are other agents, right?”
Kat moved around Missy and entered the hallway. “I want you to go up to the attic and hide. Leave Butch and Gus in your room so they don’t give away your location. Shut the door first to contain them.”
“I’m not leaving you.” Missy trailed her down the hallway.
Kat walked to the window and used the barrel of her gun to part the curtain an inch and peered out. She had a good view of one side of the street. Two dark SUVs were there. The doors were closed and they didn’t have running lights. She studied the vehicles.
“I don’t think they are FBI.”
“DEA maybe? I told you I thought that guy four houses down looked like a pothead. Maybe he’s growing plants and they came to raid his house.”
“No.” Kat had a bad feeling. She carefully let the curtain drop and spun. “Get in the attic. I mean it. You know the hiding spot I’m talking about. Don’t come out for anything unless I give you the all-clear.”
“I bet they aren’t here for us.”
Kat grabbed her arm. “The DEA doesn’t use black SUVs with tinted windows or this strategy.” She heard something and peeked out the curtain again. All the doors were open on the SUVs and men dressed in black outfits, including headgear, got out. She saw white lettering on their chests and the assault rifles cradled in their arms.
“It’s the NSO.”
“Are you sure?”
“They are coming for me. Get your ass up in that attic.”
“It’s being handled. I want you to give yourself a break, Darkness. Leave the past behind and have a future.”
He had no words.
“Kat isn’t Galina.”
“She came here under false pretenses.”
“They aren’t the same. Kat left that note and it tipped us off to a connection between Boris and Mason. I’m sure they didn’t want her to do that.”
“It could be a setup to gain my trust.”
“Or she could have chosen to give her loyalty to you instead.”
“No female would do that.”
Fury smirked. “Not all human females are heartless. Ellie is a good example.”
“She’s special.”
“Perhaps your Kat is too.”
“She. Is. Not. Mine.”
Fury dropped his hand away. “You care about her whether you’re willing to admit it or not. You want her protected. She’s a trained agent. She could handle herself if she’s in danger but you won’t leave that to chance. You want her here where you can be certain no harm comes to her. I think part of you just wants to see her again.”
“Mason could order her killed to protect his own ass. He sent her in here after Boris. That had to have broken some of their laws. She could testify against him.”
Fury nodded. “True.” He moved away from the door.
Darkness opened it. “I’m going to go home and shower while I wait for the file to come in. I’m leading the teams to bring Kat here as soon as we have confirmation of her identity.”
“Brother?”
Darkness slowly turned. “What?”
“There’s a lot we don’t know about each other but I plan for that to change. You aren’t going to keep me distanced any longer. Is that clear?”
“It’s better that way.”
“It’s not happening. Ellie and I are going to invite you to dinner soon. We’ll keep asking until you accept.” The corners of his mouth curved upward. “I can be very annoying.”
Darkness muted a growl. It sounded more like a threat than an invitation.
“I do know you well enough to say you’re spewing bullshit about not having an attachment to Kat. Denial is a waste of time but regrets never fade. You’ve got a second chance when she is returned to Homeland.”
“I won’t spend time with her. I just plan to bring her to safety.” He exited the office.
“I never pegged you for being an idiot,” Fury called out.
Darkness halted and turned, glaring at the male.
“You heard me. She might be your one shot at happiness. Be a smart male and acknowledge that possibility.”
He spun before he could say something he regretted. Fury didn’t understand. He had good intentions but Darkness would never be the kind of Species to take a mate. He wasn’t fit for a female. He had no heart. It had been destroyed long ago.
Chapter Fifteen
“Kat!”
She bolted upright, Missy’s alarmed tone waking her instantly. She grabbed for the nightstand drawer, fumbled for the knob and yanked it open. She felt for her gun and grabbed it.
“Black SUVs just blocked off both ends of the street.” Missy lowered her voice. “I was people watching out the window and saw them. I was kidding about the damn cookies.”
Kat kicked off her covers. “They wouldn’t be SWAT. They use vans.” She rolled out of bed. “You said black?”
“Yeah. No lights or anything. They are just sitting there and nobody got out.”
Kat made out her friend’s shape near the doorway. “Do you think they saw you?”
“No. I was trying to clear my mind before bed and sometimes that hunky guy down the street goes jogging at odd hours. That’s when I saw them pull up. I got out of bed for a better look. There are two on each end of the street, parked side by side, blocking the road. Do you think they are coming to arrest you? They are other agents, right?”
Kat moved around Missy and entered the hallway. “I want you to go up to the attic and hide. Leave Butch and Gus in your room so they don’t give away your location. Shut the door first to contain them.”
“I’m not leaving you.” Missy trailed her down the hallway.
Kat walked to the window and used the barrel of her gun to part the curtain an inch and peered out. She had a good view of one side of the street. Two dark SUVs were there. The doors were closed and they didn’t have running lights. She studied the vehicles.
“I don’t think they are FBI.”
“DEA maybe? I told you I thought that guy four houses down looked like a pothead. Maybe he’s growing plants and they came to raid his house.”
“No.” Kat had a bad feeling. She carefully let the curtain drop and spun. “Get in the attic. I mean it. You know the hiding spot I’m talking about. Don’t come out for anything unless I give you the all-clear.”
“I bet they aren’t here for us.”
Kat grabbed her arm. “The DEA doesn’t use black SUVs with tinted windows or this strategy.” She heard something and peeked out the curtain again. All the doors were open on the SUVs and men dressed in black outfits, including headgear, got out. She saw white lettering on their chests and the assault rifles cradled in their arms.
“It’s the NSO.”
“Are you sure?”
“They are coming for me. Get your ass up in that attic.”
