Chapter 11 #3
“It is decidedly trickier when you lie under the sheet and I lie on top of it, I agree, but I’m sure we can work out the problem.”
I laughed, though it came out far too breathy for my liking. “I’m sure we could, but there is work to be done and bad guys to hunt down. We need to concentrate.”
“Even the Society allows their agents a little downtime, Hanna.”
There was nothing “little” about his intentions. Heat, passion, and hunger radiated from him in a way his life force did not, and it was washing over me in thick waves, threatening to drown me into submission.
I drew in a deeper breath and ignored my aching loins. “The Society rotates partners for this very reason.”
“Well, that’s inconsiderate of them—don’t they know sex is the best recuperative measure out there?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t the studies all say it promotes better sleeping? I think that is the angle they’re coming from. They want alertness, not stupor.”
“Those same studies also say it improves recovery scores.” He removed his hand from my buttocks and cupped my cheek instead. “I really, really want you, Hanna Kang, but I respect your desire to take it slow. It is, in fact, a nice change.”
“Thank you,” I said softly.
He kissed me again, long and lingering, then whispered, “Would you like breakfast? Meaning coffee and food, not me.”
I frowned and looked over his shoulder. The blackout blinds were down, so I couldn’t see whether it was still night or not. “What time is it?”
“Just on six.”
Trepidation stirred within me. “I didn’t hear Ginny come back in—did you?”
“No, but I wasn’t actually listening for her, either.” He climbed out of bed and pulled on his jeans with some effort, thanks to his still impressive erection. “You had better check though—if I open the door, she may just take it as an invitation to jump me.”
“Nah, she knows where your interest lies.” I flung off the comforter and sheet and climbed out of bed, well aware of his gaze sliding down my length and the prickles of response that danced through me. “But fair warning, give her the word and she will jump your boner faster than you can blink.”
He laughed, obviously thinking I wasn’t serious.
“She’s a hawk shifter, remember,” I said, casting him an amused look. “They love two things—hunting and sex—and they have a very high drive for both.”
“Then I shall be wary of giving her any sort of indication of interest.”
“Even after you’ve long lost interest in me?”
“Oh, I think it could be a while before I lose interest in you, dear Hanna, but even then. The whole claws out, shredding skin while dreaming prospect is a definite turnoff.”
I laughed, pulled on my jeans, then tucked my phone into my back pocket and padded barefoot around the bed, following René through the door. He went over to the kitchen while I went to the second bedroom.
It was empty. Ginny hadn’t come home last night.
I swore softly, grabbed my phone, and called her number. It rang out.
“Problem?” René asked from the kitchen.
“Ginny isn’t here, so maybe.” Atticus? You heard from her?
Why would I hear from her? I favor you with my presence, not her.
I don’t suppose you could go find her for me?
As I have already mentioned, I am a cat, not a bloodhound.
René appeared at the door. “Where was she the last time you heard from her?”
“Here, yesterday, late afternoon. Monica had just woken up, so she was heading over to the hospital to interview her.”
“You didn’t go with her?”
“Gerard ordered me to stay off my leg for a good few hours unless I wanted to undo the healing.”
His eyebrows rose. “Gerard’s been sent up here?”
“Arrived a few days ago, apparently.” I frowned. “You sound surprised.”
“His services are usually kept for bloodier missions.”
“That may normally be true, but this one involves the second-in-charge’s sister.”
“True, but the fact he was sent up here before you were injured suggests either Michael or Sophie suspect things are going to go bad fast.”
“Then let’s hope they’re wrong.” Especially now that Ginny was missing. “I’ll ring the Society and see if they have her current location.”
He nodded and crossed his arms, leaning a shoulder against the doorframe while I made the call.
Jack answered almost immediately. “Hey, good timing. I was just heading out.”
“Can you or Betty do a trace on Ginny’s earwig for me?”
“Um, sure.” Silence fell for a couple of seconds, though I could hear Betty in the background, talking to someone. “She’s registered as being at the Mater Private Hospital.”
Which was where Monica had been sent. “Any reports of trouble there?”
“Haven’t received any—why? Is there a problem?”
“There might be, as she’s not answering her phone. Can you try contacting her?”
“Hang on,” he repeated. After a few more seconds, he added, “Not answering the phone for me, either.”
I swore again. “Contact the security team we’ve got there and ask them to check the room.”
“Surely if there was a problem they would have already reported it.”
“We’re dealing with someone—or someones—with the ability to touch people’s minds and alter their memories, so the fact no one has called it in isn’t a guarantee of anything.”
“Okay, give me a few minutes.” He paused. “Your earwig is reading as offline, by the way.”
Ah, fuck, of course it was, because it was still stuck in the signal blocking box. “Yeah, sorry, but we had to move to a new location and were ordered to use signal blockers when here.”
“That sounds suspiciously like they don’t trust someone in this office.”
“I think it’s just a precaution after the invasion a few days ago.”
His grunt was disbelieving. “Well, get the wig back online as soon as you can. I’ll ring you back the second I’ve contacted security.”
“Thanks.” I hung up and then said to René, “You able to drive me out to the hospital?”
“Sure can.” He pushed away from the doorframe, moving back to his bedroom. “Even if nothing is wrong, I wouldn’t mind the chance to speak to Monica.”
“Just talk? Or force her via magic?”
He glanced over his shoulder, his eyebrows raised. “What makes you think I could in any way magic someone into talking?”
I shrugged and followed him into the bedroom. “Just a hunch.”
“You have some very strange hunches.”
Which was not a denial. I grabbed fresh socks, then looked around for my boots before sitting down on the bed to pull them both on.
Jack called back a few minutes later. “Okay, got hold of the officer in charge. There’s been no problems, and Monica’s in her room, sleeping soundly. Ginny is still with her.”
I frowned. “That makes no sense.”
“Maybe Monica wanted her to stay.”
I seriously doubted that, given she’d been less than happy about our presence in her life. “I’m heading over there now. Give the guards a heads-up.”
“Will do,” he said, and hung up.
I rose, tucked the phone into my back pocket, and walked across to my suitcase, this time tugging out a long-sleeved crop. With my back to René, I quickly stripped off the T-shirt and pulled on the crop.
“Turning your back only fuels my imagination,” he drawled softly.
“Perhaps that is the whole point.”
“You, my dear Hanna, are a puzzle I am going to thoroughly enjoy solving.”
“Hmm” was all I said to that—mainly because anything else would have been dangerous. There was a smoky huskiness in his voice that set me aflame, and when combined with my own raging need...
You should have taken the man’s offering while you could, Atticus cut in with a growl. At least then I wouldn’t be forced to listen to your hormone-inflamed inner commentary.
Feel free to keep out of my thoughts any time you desire, I muttered silently.
If I don’t hear, I can’t complain. Where is the fun in that?
I snorted, grabbed a jean jacket, then slung my handbag over my shoulder and once again left the room.
“Here, take this.” He tossed me a protein bar. “Not the bacon and eggs I was planning, but better than nothing.”
That was debatable, but I munched on it anyway as we headed into the lift and down to the parking area. His car purred to life, the big engine echoing loudly through the shadows and hopefully scaring away any lingering critters. I did have to come back here, after all.
It didn’t take us all that long to get across to the private hospital, thanks to the early hour and the near-empty streets.
Once he’d parked, I tucked the earwig back into my ear, activating it as we headed in.
The receptionist greeted us cheerfully and, after I’d flashed my badge, gave us directions to Monica’s room on the second floor.
We took the stairs then strode down the corridor, following the signs to her wing. Two guards remained stationed out the front of her room, and both looked our way as we approached.
The older of the two said, “One of you Hanna Kang?”
It was an extremely odd question to ask, given only one of us was female, but I nevertheless dug my badge out and showed him. “Has anyone been inside Monica’s room since you were contacted by the Society?”
“No, and you won’t be, either.”
And with that, he produced a gun from god only knew where and fired.