17. Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Zelyah
C ooper is watching me likes he wants to unravel my deepest secrets. I can’t let him know what his father has planned, and I can’t outright tell him what I am. They both mean slavery or death. I’m stuck. He’s still gazing at me, but it’s probably because I’m still lying on top of him. I scramble off and stand up, missing the closeness and comfort I felt while my body was pressed against his. I quickly shake myself off, trying to get rid of those thoughts along with the feeling of emptiness.
No, Zelyah, it can never be him.
As soon as Cooper says someone is watching us, I feel the same electric energy that I feel when I’m around the sour patch. He reaches for me, and for a split second, I think he feels it too, but then his expression closes off. He abruptly stands, slipping on his mask of indifference again.
“Stay in the room,” he whispers as he goes to his closet.
Fuck no. I’m not staying behind. We’ve just been attacked. It’s better with numbers, although Cooper didn’t do shit to protect us the first time we got attacked. All he did was have a moment with nature while I was trying to keep us alive. I trail Cooper as he strides into an enormous walk-in closet, evidently custom-designed for a prince. Rows of fine suits in rich fabrics hang neatly together, far more than any normal man would own. The shelves gleam with rows of polished leather shoes, all shined to a mirror finish. One section houses boxes likely containing cufflinks, watches, and other accessories fit for royalty. In the back lies a climate-controlled room housing a safe. Nothing is out of place in the meticulous space. I run my hands along the smooth mahogany shelving, taking in the sheer abundance of upscale apparel. His silk ties probably cost more than I’ve ever made in my lifetime. This lavish closet was crafted with money as no object.
He opens a safe, and I try to take a peek at the numbers he’s punching in, but he’s too quick. He closes it even faster.
“Zel, I’m a federal agent for the supernatural community.” Yeah, and apparently a prince too. “I have a lot of targets on my back. You might get caught in the crossfire.”
“Yeah, I bet you’d be happy about that one,” I reply, knowing that it sounds bitter.
“Actually, I’d feel pretty fucked up,” he says, surprising me. My heart flutters unexpectedly at his words. “You’re helping with the case, why would I want you gunned down?”
Of course. It’s his case he’s worried about. He grabs a Glock 19, checking the clip, and instead of regular bullets, he has the kind that actually harms supernaturals. It’s the same one he used the night he found me.
He snatches up his cell phone from the closet shelf and dials swiftly. “Father,” he greets curtly when the line connects, his tone icy.
I suppress a shudder at the mention of his father. Our brief but memorable encounter left me with little desire to cross paths with the Fae King again.
“I can’t talk much, but there was an attack. They had hoods on. Zel and I are fine, but Edwin didn’t make it,” Cooper says, his voice cracking slightly at the mention of Edwin. It’s the only hint of emotion he allows.
Cooper’s knuckles turn white from his tight grip on the phone as he provides terse updates. His father likely demands a full report after the attack.
“I’ll give you a call later.”
It was a quick thirty-second call. Maybe he just wanted to assure his father that we made it out. When the call ends, Cooper’s neutral expression gives away nothing, but the lingering tension in his shoulders reveals his unease. He looks at me one more time after he’s done checking his gun.
“Stay here, Zelyah.”
I smile sweetly before he turns around, and my smirk turns devilish. Not a chance. I should really listen to him and stay put, but . . . I’m not one to stand still, so I follow behind him. He gives me an annoyed look before he turns and walks slowly. I guess he realizes arguing with me won’t help.
He takes notice of his room. “They were here.”
How can he tell? I look at the area around his room, but it all looks the same to me. Maybe he has a good sense of smell. Oh, shoot! That reminds me, I’ve got to act like a shifter.
“I can smell them,” I say, as I sniff the air. Really, the only thing I scent is Agent Cooper’s expensive Gucci Cologne. He lifts his brow like he knows I’m lying through my teeth.
“They didn’t touch any of my belongings,” he says as he searches his valuables. “They’re most likely here to kill me. Probably someone I locked up, or a family member of a person that got locked up.”
Oh shit, I guess I never expected people to come after the agent.
“Isn’t your house warded?”
“If you’re skilled, you can get past them. They only work for lesser supernaturals, so I’ve never really bothered. The supernaturals I track can probably figure out a way to break any barriers that stand in their way.”
Oh, well I didn’t know that.
We walk silently to my room. Everything looks to be in place except my brush. I know what Agent Cooper said about someone coming after him, but I can’t shake the feeling that someone came to look for me instead.
“Did someone touch your stuff?” He lowers the gun before those piercing eyes stare at me.
“Yes.” I walk over to my vanity table and hover my hand over the brush. There’s an intense electrical feeling that makes my heart thump faster.
“Do you know anyone who wants to take you?” He looks strained, like it upsets him that someone would want to come for me.
“No.” Unless it’s my dead boyfriend coming back for revenge for feeding off his lust and sucking the life out of him .
He raises his gun again, and we walk to the other rooms in the house. I’m assuming they didn’t go through these rooms since Cooper doesn’t linger. After slipping out of my heels, I silently follow the agent downstairs, but the lack of stretch in my dress makes me wish I had grabbed a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. If I need to make my escape, it’s going to suck running in this dress. I’m so ready for this to be over. I just hope I come out of this night alive. I look at the clock in one of the rooms, and it says four a.m. Shit, I need sleep.
We walk through the kitchen, and I open the pantry. “What?” I look at Cooper. “I just wanted to make sure no one took my brownies.” I’d be really pissed if they did.
He rolls his eyes and keeps walking. I close the pantry and catch up to him. The only room left unchecked is his office, and as we approach the door, my hands grow sweaty. I have a feeling we’re going to find something on the other side of that door. Agent Cooper briefly faces me, and he looks angry. He doesn’t even let me in his office. He keeps it secured. I’ve tried picking the lock multiple times, but I’ve had no luck going in. Holding the pistol with one hand, he uses the other to twist the knob. My nerves are on high alert for the third time tonight. Ever since being captured, it’s been one thing after another.
He pushes the door open, and I can almost hear Agent Cooper’s erratic heartbeat. He immediately brings his other hand up as he walks in, and I follow behind him until a wall of blackness distorts my vision. I bring my hand up to my face, but I can’t see it. My body starts to shake.
“There you are,” a low, dark, and husky voice says before my worst nightmares come to life.