Full Color (ORCA #3)

Chapter 20

CHAPTER

TWENTY

DIMITRI

One second I was watching Dasselaar’s guests mill around the auction room, some taking a final look at the prizes they’d just won while others gazed at the paintings longingly, disappointment rife in the air around them. A couple of people had started negotiating to buy the newly acquired pieces. Dasselaar was near the center of the room, surrounded by a gaggle of people who were all clamoring for his attention now that the business of the evening had concluded.

The next second, the room was plunged into total and complete darkness. For a moment, there was a pregnant silence, like people were waiting for the lights to flicker back on as though the blackout had been some kind of joke. But when almost a minute passed and the lights didn’t flicker on again, all hell broke loose. People were pushing and shoving, and I got turned around, then knocked back into a wall, losing my bearings in the darkness as people swarmed toward the exit, hampered by the temporary partition wall where The Evolution of Man hung.

Even in the dark and in my confusion, I smirked, wondering if the painting would still be there when the lights came up. Would it be Quin’s brothers who ended up with it, or would it be someone else?

A hand landed on my shoulder, and I almost screamed until I caught a whiff of sea salt and pine and heard Quin’s voice at my ear.

“It’s time to go.”

I nodded, then realizing he couldn’t see me, I spoke. “I’m ready.”

“We’re going through the concealed door in the wall.” Quin’s hand slid down my arm, my fingers tangling with his. My skin warmed at his touch as he tugged me along the wall against the tide of the fleeing crowd. Somewhere near the middle of the room, Dasselaar was bellowing for everyone to stay calm while also trying to give orders to his security team as people flicked on their phones, and small pinpricks of light danced around the space, the strobing effect making me a little dizzy. There was no way his guards were able to hear him over the panicked din that was echoing through the gallery.

Quin’s hand ran along the wall, looking for the hidden panel. When he found it, he squeezed my fingers, then pushed me through. The hallway was quieter, but there were still a lot of people trying to figure out which way to go to get out of the house in the near darkness. We turned away from where the crowd was heaviest, slipping down dark corridor after dark corridor until we were at the back of the house.

“Do you know where you’re going?” I hated to ask the question, but since I’d never seen all of Dasselaar’s estate I had no clue where we were on the property or in relation to the nearest exit, and I prayed Quin wasn’t counting on me to guide us out.

“Yes. I took myself on a comprehensive tour of the estate yesterday, and Felix made me this 3D map.”

I hadn’t realized Quin was holding his phone, the screen lit up with the hollow image of a house, a white dot blinking to show where we were. A green dot seemed to indicate our target destination, and I was relieved to see we were close.

Noise at the other end of the hall caught my attention, but in the dark, I couldn’t tell if they were coming our way or heading toward the ballroom.

“Felix, are we clear?”

Quin didn’t respond but opened the next door and pulled me through, shutting the door with a quiet click.

“What’s going on?”

“Felix said there were three of Dasselaar’s men coming down the hall toward us.” He whispered the words as he pressed me back to the space that would be behind the door. Cool tile met my hands, and I guessed we were in some sort of bathroom. I’d never liked the dark. I hated not being able to see what was around me, and in the dark I was almost completely blind, my chameleon eyes better suited to detecting the nuances of color than night vision. I wanted to ask Quin to turn on the flashlight on his phone, but I held the request back, too afraid that whoever was coming down the hall might see the light from under the door and give away our hiding spot.

Quin had me caged between his body and the wall, and as voices got closer on the other side of the door, my panic started to rise. If Dasselaar’s men caught me, I would never get out of this estate alive. He was already not planning on letting me live, but I knew for sure he’d kill me if he found me trying to escape. If that happened, what would he do to Quin? I couldn’t let anything happen to him. My heart was beating too fast, and I knew Quin could feel it hammering against his chest. He pressed himself farther into me, blanketing me in his salt, pine, and mint scent and running his lips over my jaw.

“I’ve got you, baby. You’re okay. You’re okay. Breathe for me.” The words were whispered into my skin, and I closed my eyes, breathing him in and matching my breaths to his as I focused on the feel of his body against mine and the press of his lips on my skin. The panic started to recede, and the voices outside faded into the distance.

Quin held me there for a few more minutes, pushing away a fraction of an inch. “Felix says it’s clear. Are you okay?”

I pushed off the tile wall, my knees a little shaky after the moment of panic. “I’m okay.”

I felt Quin’s gaze on me even in the darkness, and he felt for my hand again, intertwining our fingers. “Okay. Then let’s get out of here.” He slid his phone from his pocket again and lit up the screen. The glow barely made a dent in the darkness, but his hand in mine kept the panic from bubbling up again. He held the device out to me and pointed at the screen. “There is a door here, and Hadrian is waiting for us on the other side.”

Silently, Quin moved to the door. He gave my fingers a firm squeeze, then dropped my hand. He needed both of his—one to hold his phone with the map on it and the other to open the door. The hinges let out a soft whine as Quin pulled the door open and peered into the hall. I couldn’t see anything in the pitch black, and I wondered if orca shifters could see well in the dark. Then I realized Quin wasn’t looking. He was listening.

“I don’t hear anything. Let’s go.” His hand found mine again, and he towed me into the hallway, following his map down another hall and through another turn. There was no way I would ever be able to retrace my steps if I was ever asked to. The hall we were in opened up into a large room, and it felt somehow familiar.

“Where are we?”

“The kitchen. There is a service entrance through the pantry.”

Another door squeaked on unused hinges and closed behind us. The space we were in felt small compared to the ample size of the kitchen, but we didn’t stop moving. Quin pulled me along to the other side, dropping my hand again to feel along the wall. When another groan of hinges hit my ears, it was accompanied by the fresh scent of dewy grass and cool evening air, the faintest hint of something floral on the breeze.

The waning moon cast enough light that I could see a dark car waiting for us in the shadows of the house, and tears pricked the backs of my eyes. I was a few yards from freedom, and I could nearly taste it.

Quin grabbed me again, his hand landing on the small of my back and propelling me toward the waiting vehicle at speed.

He stopped for a second, his head cocked to the side as he listened for something I couldn’t hear, then he yanked the rear door open and shoved me inside. “Get down on the floor. No matter what happens, stay down.” He slammed the door shut at the same time the man in the driver’s seat flew out of the car, something metal in his hand glinting in the moonlight as he tucked it into his waistband.

For a second, I didn’t know what was going on, then I heard voices. I pushed up enough to see part of what was happening through the passenger-side mirror.

Two large men emerged from the shadows. I couldn’t see their faces, but I recognized their bulky builds. Bear shifters. Which meant the men were part of Dasselaar’s security team.

“What are you doing out here?” The man who spoke had a low gravelly voice I didn’t recognize.

“With the power outage and everyone trying to get out through the front, I had my driver pull around to the back.” The lie fell easily from Quin’s lips.

“There’s no door over here.” A spike of cold dread ripped through me. That was a voice I knew. The last time I’d seen Scar, he’d been standing by the auction room door, one eye on the crowd and one on me. If he was here now, that meant Dasselaar knew I was missing.

Quin crossed his arms, and I noticed a bulge under his jacket. “Well, I’m outside, and I’ll be leaving.”

He turned, but Scar spoke again. “Wait.”

Quin looked over his shoulder, while the man who’d gotten out of the car—I assumed it was his cousin Hadrian—kept his eyes fixed on Scar and his colleague.

“What is it?”

“Mr. Dasselaar has put the estate on lockdown. Something very important to him has gone missing.”

Quin held up his hands. “I don’t have anything.”

“Then you won’t mind if I search your vehicle. This missing asset is incredibly rare and valuable.”

Bile rose in my throat at the way he said the words. He wasn’t talking about artwork or a piece of antique silver. He was talking about me.

“Be my guest.” Panic started to seep through me again, and I lost sight of Hadrian as he moved to the rear of the car and opened the trunk. “See? Nothing but my suitcase. Now can we leave?”

“Open it.” Scar reached into the trunk while Hadrian and Quin shared a look.

I couldn’t see what happened next in detail, but I saw Quin reach for the lid of the trunk, slamming it down hard. There was a fleshy thump and a grunt as the door rebounded and Quin slammed it down again and again while Hadrian fought with the second guard. He landed a punch to Hadrian’s cheek, causing his head to snap back. The guard reached for his gun as the muffled thump of something heavy hitting the ground echoed through the quiet night. It was just enough of a split-second distraction for Hadrian to land a kick to the guard’s hand, and his next punch landed on the guard’s temple. He stumbled back, reaching for his gun again, and Hadrian kicked him square in the chest, sending him falling backward, his head knocking hard against the building, his face scraping along the aged brick as he slumped to the ground and stayed down.

“Get in,” Hadrian yelled as he sprinted to the driver’s side and wrenched open the door. I maneuvered myself into the space between the rear seat and the driver’s seat as Quin threw himself into the car. Hadrian had the engine running before Quin closed the door, and we tore down the gravel service drive.

Quin was panting a little, and the scent of blood hung in the air, but he reached out to me, and I took his hand.

“Stay down until I tell you it’s clear.” Hadrian’s eyes darted from the road to the rearview as we turned onto the main road leading from the estate.

Looking up from my position on the floor, I took Quin in, searching for any visible injuries. “I smell blood. Are you hurt?”

Quin shook his head. “No. I’m fine. Hadrian has a small cut on his cheek.” Quin glanced at the front seat. “I guess introductions are in order. Dimitri, this is my cousin Hadrian. Hade, this is my mate, Dimitri.”

Hadrian smiled wide in the rearview mirror. The glow from the dash and the cut still oozing dark blood on his cheek gave him a sinister look, but his voice was kind when he spoke. “It’s nice to meet you, Dimitri. Welcome to the family.”

“Thank you.”

Hadrian’s eyes darted from the road to the mirror again. “I think we’re clear. No one is following us. You can get up.”

My legs were starting to cramp, so I gratefully climbed onto the seat and tucked myself against Quin’s side, soaking up his warmth and letting the feel of his heartbeat drive away the last of my fear.

“There’s been a slight change of plans.”

Besides getting the painting out of Dasselaar’s estate, the only other plan was to get my sister. My heart pitched in my chest. Maybe Quin’s brothers had decided taking her with us would be too much trouble. If that were the case, I would get to her myself and we would run. It would hurt like hell to leave Quin so soon after I found him, but I would kill tigers with my bare hands to keep Athina safe, even if it meant breaking my own heart.

Quin must have seen something in my eyes that worried him, and he reached out to check the locks on the door were engaged. “It’s about your sister.”

I knew it. I fucking knew it. He was going back on his word. “You promised you would take her too. If you’re going back on that promise, I’ve gotta get to her.” The words came out on a sob as I pushed away from Quin, shrugging off his touch that a second ago had been so comforting. “Hadrian, stop the car.” He glanced at me in the mirror but didn’t take his foot off the accelerator.

“Calm down, love.” Quin’s tone was placating. “We’re still going to get her. Only, it’s not my brothers doing the pick-up. The terms of the heist changed, so we have to be the ones to go get her.”

I let his words penetrate, and I deflated. “Oh, thank god. I really didn’t want to give you up.”

Hadrian laughed from the front seat.

Quin’s fingers wove between mine as I thought of what it was going to be like to see my sister without Dasselaar or one of his goons looming over us, monitoring every word of our conversations. Over the last year, I’d only gotten to see my sister a handful of times, and I hated it. I just wanted everything to feel normal again. I wanted to be in charge of my own life, and I was so close to that reality.

“What is Seattle like?”

Quin rested his head against the top of mine. “It’s a really interesting mix of natural beauty and big city. The mountains and the water are beautiful, but the city is full of great coffee shops and amazing restaurants. There are tons of parks and festivals and things to explore. It’s busy, but you can always find somewhere to relax. I love it.”

“It sounds wonderful.” And it really did.

“Weather-wise, it doesn’t get super hot or super cold, and if it does, it’s only temporary. We get a bad rap for being rainy and overcast, and while that’s sometimes true, there are plenty of sunny days too.”

I nodded because that sounded fine. I’d gotten used to the cooler weather and less sunny days living in Amsterdam. I would never love freezing weather, but I’d learned to tolerate it. I wasn’t worried about the weather. After a year in captivity, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do without someone dictating my every move. It was going to take some getting used to.

As if reading my mind, Quin gave my fingers a squeeze. “You can take your time settling in and getting used to things. You don’t need to make any decisions right now.”

But I kind of did.

“Where am I going to live?”

“With me. It’s an orca thing, but we tend to live in big matrilineal family groups. My brothers and I share a house that has plenty of room for our mates and our families.”

“What about Athina?”

“I said families. That means your sister too if she wants to stay at the house. If not, we can help her find a place to live.”

It felt like Quin was prepared to give me an awful lot, and while we knew we were fated mates, we hadn’t claimed each other yet. Maybe Quin was waiting until he figured out if he could stand living with me before he tied us together in a way that couldn’t be undone.

Again, like he’d plucked the thought from my head, he leaned in close to my ear. “I can’t wait to show you my studio when we get home. It’s the one place that is one hundred percent mine.” His teeth grazed over my ear, then down to my shoulder. He brushed featherlight kisses to the back of my neck until his lips hovered over the spot where he would place a claiming bite. “I’m going to lay you out and fill you up and claim you in the only place that has ever belonged solely to me.”

He bit down gently, making my eyes roll back in my head. In my mind, I could see the sun-dappled studio, smell the oil paint and fresh canvas, and feel Quin’s body as his hands caressed my skin and his cock slid into me. He wasn’t waiting because he thought we weren’t going to fit. He was waiting because he wanted the moment to be perfect and I couldn’t argue with that.

I let myself relax in Quin’s arms, dozing a little as I imagined the rest of our lives together and Hadrian navigated the dark streets of Amsterdam. I had never felt so safe and wanted before, and I reveled in the security of Quin’s embrace.

When the car slowed and came to a stop, I opened my eyes, and in the single blink of an eye, my bubble of contentment burst, my heart plummeting to my feet so fast I thought I was going to pass out.

The cheerful blue door that led to our flat above the little bookshop was ajar, the wood splintered and broken, shards littering the ground.