Conrad, p.11
Conrad, page 11
Kylo tried to absorb what he was hearing. He was stunned, unsure what else he could ask. A timer appeared on the top corner of the screen, counting down from three minutes, while Wyatt watched him steadily.
“How do I protect my family?” Kylo asked at last, with just one minute and twenty seconds remaining. He had a million questions, and he realized they didn’t matter. His family did. “If you couldn’t kill her, then who can? How do I keep my mate and family safe from her?”
Wyatt’s eyes flickered again to the same corner, and there was a tiny shake of his head. What, damn it? What? The timer ticked down. With fifteen seconds to go and Kylo despairing of ever getting an answer, Wyatt said simply, “When your hands are around her throat, don’t flinch, don’t hesitate, and block your ears. That’s what I should’ve done.” The screen went black.
“No!” Kylo wanted to hit something. He actually grabbed the computer screen in both hands, wanting to throw it, and see it smash into a million pieces against the wall. Conrad pulled his arms back and held them tight against his side.
“We will find her,” his mate said simply. “And I don’t flinch.”
Chapter Nineteen
Conrad
Sweaty and breathless, Conrad kept Kylo pinned to the bed, offering him the blanket of security he needed after ridding him of the angry frustration the call had created.
If his mate thought he’d kept his thoughts to himself, he’d be wrong. Conrad got all of them, and though there was little he could do about Kylo’s need to see James—right then—he needed to fix the terror Kylo felt for his family.
The years of training with other assassins had its upsides. Conrad knew who to call to talk about how to catch a magical user—Ekon.
He kissed the side of Kylo’s neck, the damp skin salty. “I’ve a call to make.”
“To who?” Kylo’s voice was drowsy and a little hoarse from all the shouting and pleading he’d done for Conrad to let him come.
“Ekon. He has an interest in magic users, and if anyone can tell me how to capture Selina, it’s him.” Conrad found himself flat on his back, and he watched Kylo’s ass flex and sway as he hopped off the bed. He walked to where they’d placed their cell phones earlier, away from where the computer was, at Wyatt’s request.
Conrad got the reasoning behind it. A reflective surface could easily reveal what James looked like, and a quick snap of a camera would give a person a chance to find more information.
“I was snuggling you.” Conrad kept his voice light when Kylo swung around. “And possibly thinking of strutting my stuff in that tiny thong your mom bought me.”
Laughter, deep and rich, filled the room as Kylo shook his head. “Please, never do that. I don’t think I’d survive the laughter.”
The gleam that came into his eyes suggested the exact opposite, and Conrad tucked the idea away from another time. “Your loss.”
Kylo sat on the edge of the bed and offered Conrad his cell. “Can you ring Ekon now?”
The simple answer was yes. Conrad took the cell and flicked open the screen, going to contacts, and then pressed on Ekon’s name. As it rang, he put it on speaker.
“Conrad, you know it is the middle of the damn night here, right? And that some folks actually class that as a time to sleep?” asked Ekon sarcastically.
“You sound awake to me,” he quipped back, knowing full well his friend did not sound like he’d just woken up.
“You know you’re a pain in my ass!” There was a chuckle. “What do you want?”
“Some solid ideas on how to capture a magic user so I can get my hands on her to kill her.” When Conrad answered, he kept his eyes on Kylo, wanting him to see how seriously he was taking this. The sex they’d had was to give Kylo a way to vent his anger, which could eat at a person’s soul if left to fester. Kylo’s frustration had been growing inside him for a long time, and it wasn’t healthy.
“At least you’re specific. You need to trap her by luring her to you.” There was the sound of rubbing on the speaker as if he was shifting position. “Is this the woman that is the daughter of Devil?”
“Yep, I take it Duron updated you?”
“He did. I’m at his house. Beaumont invited me to come and stay for a day or two and check out their new pad. Place is awesome.”
Ekon said the latter with a little less enthusiasm. Conrad got it. Things had changed when Ajani mated with Marvin. It shifted the balance between them all. Now, they were no longer the tight-knit group they’d once been. “It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride for sure, everyone moving out. Just think, you get the house to yourself. You hated how much of a mess I left lying around anyway.”
“It’ll be lonely.”
Those three words cut at Conrad’s hidden, soft heart. “Not if you get your butt out of the council’s sling, and go searching for your mate.”
“You think I’ll be lucky, too?”
Hope slayed him. “I do. You’ll need to come to Paraguay, too. Check out the place Kylo and I chose… ohhhh, maybe one of his brothers is your mate.”
“Let’s hope not, you wouldn’t want to be tied to their miserable asses,” Kylo chipped in, laughing at his own joke.
Ekon’s low, melodic laughter joined Kylo’s. “I might just do that.”
“Be warned, they’re a little OTT.” Kylo play punched his arm. “What? It’s the truth, they are. Anyway, let’s get back on track. How do I go about luring Selina? Any tips?”
~/~/~/~
Conrad listened as Kylo, the following morning, ran through the conversation with James and then Ekon’s suggestions.
“So basically, you’re telling us we need to turn ourselves into targets?” Mao rubbed at his jaw, his eyes all cat.
“No, what I said was that I would go about my normal life digging into everything that is connected to Selina’s world, while not going after Devil. From what we’ve experienced already, that will make her come after me. Y’all will stay put and protect Mom and Dad.”
“Do we have any say in this?” Kylo’s mom wore a look that didn’t require any words. She was mightily pissed.
Conrad reached out and took hold of one of her hands, bringing her attention to him. “We can’t do this, Kylo and me, if we’re worrying about her coming for you.”
The sincerity he offered was real. Kylo’s parents were accepting, and his mom was loving. Conrad now understood better than ever the importance to not only Kylo’s life but his. He’d do anything to protect that.
“Your home right now is completely safe. She can’t get to you here, making this house the best place for you. With your sons here defending your home, it gives Kylo the headroom to act like he’s not worried about what Selina is up to. That she’s nothing more than a minor inconvenience. From what we’ve seen so far, as Kylo explained, that is her Achilles heel—she hates the thought of being ignored. And right now, she has no one to hide behind, to allow her to pretend, and that makes her vulnerable.
“Ekon was clear. Magic users, if you know their vulnerability, then you attack that. We know Selina’s, and it’s Devil. She’s used him for so long, she doesn’t know how to act now, and she’s unraveling and needs for us to find him.”
“That makes her more dangerous.”
Conrad squeezed the hand he held gently, the fear coming from Kylo’s mom almost tangible. “It does. I won’t lie. I’ve felt her magic. I know I can survive an attack. Kylo… he needs me to take her down and end this, so I swear on my life, I will be there to protect him from her. I couldn’t imagine a world without Kylo in it. I won’t let her take that from me.”
Oh, fuck, Conrad!
His attention remained on Kylo’s mom as a tear rolled down her cheek. She pulled back, forcing Conrad to let go of her hand.
Shit!
She got up and came to him, cupping his cheeks gently, staring deep into his eyes. Aware everyone was watching them, Conrad kept his eyes from straying. “You are a precious boy. And the world would be a much worse place without you in it.”
She glanced at Kylo. “The Fates blessed you. I expect both of you, when this is over to be sitting at my table, to discuss where you plan on living.” She turned and kissed both of Conrad’s hot cheeks and then returned to her seat. “Boys, you’re looking after me and your father,” her hand lifted as Nori opened his mouth, “There will be no arguing over this. Kylo and Conrad need to concentrate on Selina. End of discussion.”
Nori scowled at Kylo and got a clip around the back of his head from his father. “Less of that. Now, who’s making breakfast? I’m starved.”
Chapter Twenty
Kylo
It felt strange dressing to go back into his office as if it was just another day. Stranger, too, taking Conrad with him. There was a disconnect, and Kylo could feel it—not between him and Conrad. Kylo got the impression that anytime Conrad thought he needed distracting, he’d come up with something guaranteed to reinforce their bond. Between what had been going on with Selina, and his previous obsession with Devil, his regular day job, the bread and butter crimes in the area had taken a back seat. It was time for that to change.
The crimes in the area, the regular ones, still deserved his attention. Fortunately, homicide, which was his main focus, was rare in Paraguay.
“Hang on a minute,” Conrad said as Kylo parked in his regular spot. He’d taken the Jeep again, after Mao had retrieved it from the Death house, as he anticipated having to drive jungle trails again through the day, it seemed like the best idea.
“I’m all right, if that’s what you’re asking.” Work mode. Work mode. Work mode. Is Selina watching? Or one of her minions?
“Actually, I haven’t asked anything yet.” Conrad’s grip was firm on Kylo’s neck—a great way of pulling Kylo’s focus back where it belonged. “How are you playing our mating in the office? You work with these people. What will work best, do you think?”
Kylo huffed, staring at the building and then back at his mate. “I know you haven’t worked in an office before, and introducing you in the office is the least stressful part of our day. I have my job because of what I can do, not who I fuck. And face it, if we went in there,” he waved a hand at the building, “and I tried to pass you off as a random consultant, then people would watch us like fucking hawks. Because worrying about whether or not we’re sleeping together is more interesting than the shit they have to deal with in their job every day.”
“So, you’re all for telling it straight and leaving them to just imagine what we actually do in bed instead?” Conrad grinned. “We make a hot couple. Worth fantasizing over.”
Kylo felt his cheek heat. Only Conrad had that ability. “I can’t be responsible for what they think, only what they say. They will be respectful, because if they aren’t, they’ll answer to me. Boom. Done. No issues. What will cause gossip is if we spend all our time out in the car, instead of in there.”
“I haven’t worried about what people think of me, ever,” Conrad said with a laugh, and Kylo felt the loss when he removed his hand. “Just trying to look out for you and your position, Mon Bebe.”
“Yes, well, I appreciate that, although calling me Mon Bebe in the office probably isn’t a good idea.” Kylo reached for the door handle. “At least not during an investigative interview situation.”
“No, Mon Bebe. Got it, Mon Bebe.” Conrad was laughing as he got out of the car.
I probably shouldn’t have said anything.
Striding in through the precinct doors, Kylo shrugged on his responsibilities like a well-worn leather coat—heavy, but familiar. Nodding at the young woman on the reception desk, Kylo kept moving through, conscious of Conrad on his left flank. He would take his mate through the offices and introduce him to everyone. He always preferred to start his day from his office and move on from there.
Stopping by Pete’s desk, Kylo picked up his messages and flicked through them. There was nothing in there that needed immediate attention, so Kylo looked at Pete, who was drooling over Conrad, who was standing by his side.
“Pete, this is Conrad. He’s come to us from the Thalassa Offices in the States. He will be this area’s liaison between the new Hybrid division the Shifter Council has implemented, and our precinct. After that nasty business with my brother’s mates, and the business with the death house, we all decided Conrad’s presence is going to be very useful to us.”
“Ugh, don’t mention that death house.” Pete wrapped his slender arms around his chest and shuddered. “I still have nightmares about that place. It’s very nice to meet you, Conrad.”
“Conrad,” Kylo laid his hand on his mate’s arm, “You can share an office with me. There’s a spare desk there—”
“We’ve got two empty offices down the hallway, Sir,” Pete interrupted brightly. “Conrad will have a better chance of getting to know us all if he has his own space. It would give you some privacy for your council business, too,” he added with a longing look in Conrad’s direction.
“Conrad is my Fated one, Pete, so put your eyeballs back where they belong, wipe the drool from your chin, and get me a copy of our standard consultant contract. I also want a copy of the latest map of our jungle area—paper form, not an electronic file. And I’ll also need you to print out any reports relating to major fires in the jungle that have occurred within the past twenty years. There shouldn’t be many of them, so that shouldn’t take long. Thank you.” With a curt nod, Kylo led Conrad into his office, closing the door with a sigh.
“Job one done.” Turning, Kylo waved at the empty desk he’d always had in his office. “Yours. You can let Pete know whatever you need—computer, stationery, and anything else you consider important in an office space.”
“You’re very confident when you’re dealing with your staff. Firm, but fair. I like it.” Conrad waggled his eyebrows. “I thought you were going to pee on me at one point.”
“Cats don’t pee to mark territory. They rub their scent over their mates—something I’m sure I did to you when we woke up this morning and again after our shower.” Purposefully not looking at his amused mate, Kylo went around behind his desk and sat down, plopping the messages he’d collected onto it.
“Are you sure your guardian of the office space, Pete, wasn’t employed because of his cute looks?” Conrad took his chair and moved it, so he was sitting behind Kylo’s desk, right next to him. “Mates can’t lie to each other,” he added, nudging Kylo’s shoulder with his own.
“I wouldn’t lie, anyway.” Damn it, who’s nicked my pen? Unable to find it, Kylo clicked on his computer. “Pete needed a job. He doesn’t do well out on cases, as you could tell from his reaction to my death house comment. He’s good at the admin side of things, and physically, he is more Mao’s type than mine. Happy?”
Conrad laughed, the full sound bouncing off the walls that saw little to laugh at. “With you, I’m always happy.”
~/~/~/~
Two hours and three cups of coffee later, Kylo stabbed at two different points on the map. “One of these places has to be where Selina lit her first fire. I’m thinking, it’s more likely this one.”
Conrad had been studying the files Pete had collated for them. He put them down and came and stood next to Kylo, nodding. “It makes sense. This is where your brother’s mates were found, yes?” He pointed to the dot Kylo had left on the map.
“Yes. Mao bombed that place. You won’t find a report for that one in the pile you’ve got, although I kept an eye out for ages afterward, wondering if someone would let the precinct know about it.”
“I think we can assume most people who still live in these remote areas have either learned to turn a blind eye, or they worry they’ll be considered complicit.”
“So, based on what we’ve heard,” Kylo appreciated the fact Conrad didn’t mention the name James or Devil in the office, “And this place was set up because of the fire in the previous lab—if I did that, then I’d want it as far away from the other place as possible.”
“That’s what I was thinking, too. We have the death house here. The bombed house here. This point here.” Kylo indicated the spot where a house and outbuildings had gone up in smoke some years before. “I think this could be it.”
“What happened to the scientists and trainers that were responsible for what Nico and Teilo went through?”
“I’m not a hundred percent sure.” Kylo made a notation on the pad he had beside the map. He’d sent Pete out to buy him a whole box of pens. “I think, but don’t quote me on it, they were taken care of before Ben and his mates left the area—well, those that were still in Paraguay. If there were any of them left…” he trailed off, not liking that idea at all.
“I’ll put in a call to Duron and get him to just check.” Conrad pulled out his phone. “We don’t want anyone in Paraguay associated with the assassin training program, or its derivative, especially if they are allies of Selina’s.”
“She’s not going to come for us here in the office,” Kylo said quietly, looking up and meeting Conrad’s calm eyes.
“It might take her a few days or more to come for us at all,” Conrad reminded him. “If we can stir up some mess in the meantime, and we assume we’re being watched at all times, then when she sees we’re still investigating, still stirring up shit, as she calls it…”
“Then she’ll come gunning for us, fireballs blazing. Fun times, not.” Picking up the map, Kylo folded it and put it in his jacket pocket. “To the jeep, dear mate. Let’s go and rattle some cages, or at least some dead bones, if we can find them.”
“Sounds like a fun afternoon. Let’s get lunch on the way.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Conrad
