“What can you tell us about the bomb?” Xander asked in a low voice as soon as Jason and Matthew disappeared into the house.

“Nothing much right now,” Nikos said with a shake of his head. “Standard timer and C-4 explosives. Probably timed to go off sometime during the ceremony. We were extremely lucky they used a clock that emitted a frequency the lion shifter could hear.”

“Where did it come from? And who made it?”

“I’ll have to take it apart in the lab back at Headquarters to find a signature, if there is one,” Nikos explained. “Think anyone will notice if we sneak it off?”

“Their police department will surely want to take it into their custody,” Kostas said. “And anything else they find.”

Xander turned to Christina. “What’s your plan for getting more information from the cops?”

“Still working on it,” she answered. She chewed her lip, deep in thought. Frankly, she really couldn’t get her head together at the moment. The thought of losing Jason tore at her insides. Her hands still shook, even though it hadn’t come to that.

“Let’s keep an eye on things,” Xander said. “Try to lay low, but gather as much intelligence as we can. This must be SPHK, DARSA, or one of the other groups.”

“But how did they get this in here?” Nikos asked, gesturing to the diffused bomb. The numbers on the display read ‘00:23’, and thinking of how close they came to death shot ice through Christina’s veins.

“Caterers, flower arrangers, decorators, the band…” Xander shook his head. “There were dozens of people going in and out here during the last twenty-four hours. It could have been any of them, or someone who was paid to take it in.”

“Why go through all this trouble?” Kostas asked. “What was their plan?”

“To kill as many shifters as they could in one place, of course,” Xander said, his voice edgy.

“But, did they target us or the Lennoxes?” Kostas posed.

“There’s no way anyone within five feet of that bomb would have survived,” Nikos said. “Not even shifters.”

“That makes sense,” Kostas said. “It was probably the first major event where all four of them were present and guaranteed to be next to each other. Same with us, if we were the target.”

Hot anger poured through Christina’s veins. “Those bastards,” she said through gritted teeth.

“We’ll get them,” Xander said. “And then they will pay. For everything.”

She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I should go check on what’s going on. Catherine will be distraught.”

“Take care of her,” Xander said. “She will need you.”

Christina picked up her skirts and marched toward the direction of the castle. When she got inside, there were dozens of police officers roaming about. Matthew, Jason, and Hank were in the corner, talking to an older man in uniform who must have been the chief.

An idea popped into her head. “Excuse me,” she said, stopping a young officer as she passed by. “Would you by any chance … I mean, is Deputy Carson around?”

The officer nodded. “Over there, ma’am.” She pointed to the tall, uniformed man who was directing a few of the cops.

“Thank you,” she said before sauntering over to Carson. “Deputy,” she called in a breathy voice. She nearly gagged thinking about how it made her sound like a bimbo, but men seemed to like it. “Deputy Carson, do you remember me?”

The handsome deputy turned around, his face lighting up with recognition as he saw her. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, “Ms. Stavros.”

“Yes,” she said. “Please, call me Christina.”

“All right, then you should call me Cole,” he said with a grin. “What can I do for you?”

“Oh you must be busy, but…” She shuddered. “This whole thing, terrible, right?” She reached out and placed a hand on his bicep and squeezed. “I’m just glad you— all of you—are here now.”

“We’re just doing our job, ma’am, er, I mean, Christina.”

“Yes, and great job, too.” She looked up at him through lowered lashes. “You haven’t found any other bombs or anything else?”

“Not yet, but our guys are working on it. If we find anything, we’ll have our bomb squad ready.”

She clapped her hands together. “Oh good. Is there a chance that bomb can go off? What will happen to it?”

“Your brother did a good job diffusing it. It was such good luck that he’d been trained as a bomb expert. But, yes, it won’t go off. We’ll be taking it to our forensic lab down at the police station to examine it and anything else we find.”

“Oh thank God,” she exclaimed.

“Christina!”

She turned around. Sybil was running toward her, her face pale. The young woman barreled into her and engulfed her in a hug. “Thank God you’re okay.”

Kate wasn’t too far behind. “Chrissy! You survived!” She slapped her on the shoulder. “I’d hate to have lost you. We still have so many nights of tequila shots ahead of us.”

She disentangled herself from Sybil. “I’m fine. Everything’s going to be fine.” She could have lost them too, her new friends. Anger raged inside her. “Where’s Catherine? Cordy? Are they all right?”

“In your room. They’re good. Catherine’s sad. Angry. Depressed.”

“She’s going through the stages of grief mighty quick,” Kate quipped.

“Sybil. Kate.” Cole greeted them. “You girls okay?”

“Yeah, we’re good,” Kate said, then shot Christina a look. “What are you—”

“Excuse me, Deputy.” Another officer came up from behind them. “Chief Meacham wants to talk to you.”

“Right.” He turned to Christina. “If you’ll excuse me…”

“Of course.” She said and then patted him on the arm. “Thank you again.” He gave her a nod before walking off with the other officer.

Wheels began to turn in her mind. They had to get the bomb back to The Agency headquarters. Or at least, get a copy of the forensic report. If The Agency were an official entity it would have been easy to work with the P.D., but since there weren’t, they had to resort to less than legal tactics. If she could only get more information somehow.

Kate let out a whistle. “Woohoo. You go, girl.” She fanned herself. “Look at that man’s ass in those tight khakis. I swear, I love a man in uniform.”

“You hate cops,” Sybil pointed out. “But,” she turned to Christina, “what were you talking about?”

“Uhm, nothing. We were just getting reacquainted. We met the last time I was here.”

“That man is ffffiiiiiiiiine,” Kate exclaimed. She raised her hand for a high-five and Sybil rolled her eyes.

“Well, I should go check on Catherine.”

Christina made her way toward the grand staircase that led to the upper level. As she walked up the steps, she felt eyes on her and she whipped around. From across the room, Jason stared at her, an inscrutable look on his face, his jaw tense. Did he suspect anything about her brothers? About her? It had been a close call, and they had no choice but to have Nikos diffuse the bomb. But then again, that might have raised too many suspicions. She only hoped that they could come up with a better explanation next time.

* * *

Despite what happened, they managed to salvage what was left of the day. Once Blackstone P.D. and the Rangers declared that the whole town and mountains were clear, almost everyone came back to the castle. Judge Atherton married Matthew and Catherine in the library in front of the family and close friends, and the reception continued in the Grand Ballroom as planned.

Spirits were surprisingly high at the party as the band played and the champagne flowed, the events of that morning seemingly forgotten. Christina had not seen Jason since the ceremony. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to see him, not just to check if he had any suspicions, but also because she wanted to see if he was okay. Emotions and tensions had been high, and he didn’t even acknowledge or look at her during the ceremony. At first, she thought it might have been because he had been preoccupied, but now, she wasn’t sure. There was this tightness in her stomach that hadn’t been there before, and now, worry nagged at her.

Scanning the room, she searched for him. She saw almost everyone else. Ben and Nate were talking to some high school friends at their table, Kate and Nikos raced to finish as many shots as they could by the bar, and Sybil and Riva were laughing with a group of other women. But, where was he?

Ah, there he was. She spotted the familiar, tall figure in the middle of the dance floor. When he swung around, that knot in her stomach grew even tighter.

Jason had his arms around another woman. The same brunette from the bar, she realized. The woman had her long, lean body pressed up against his, arms would tight, and the skirts of her red dress swished around them as they danced. He had his hand spread over her bare lower back and he dipped her low, twisting her body as she threw her head back and laughed.

Her blood pounded in her ears, and a knife-like pain stabbed her in the gut. She turned away, whipping around so she didn’t have to watch that anymore.

“Christina,” Sybil’s voice broke through the clouded haze of her mind. “Thank God I’ve found you. Kate’s been looking for you. Said she’s going to drag you to the bar for some shots.”

The idea sounded great right about now.

Sybil frowned when a high-pitched giggle rang over the din of the room. “Ugh,” she said in a disgusted tone. “I can’t believe Jason invited that … person to be his date.”

“Who?” she managed to choke out.

“Jessica What-ser-name,” she sneered. “She’s so crass. All she wants to talk about is how much this painting or that rug cost. I think I see dollar signs in her eyes. But it’s not surprising with the caliber of women Jason hangs around with.” She sighed. “Mom and I were talking. We were saying how we just wished he would settle down, you know? Someone nice. And classy. Like Catherine. Or you.”

She let out a nervous laugh. “What?”

“I mean, not that I would wish the disaster that is my brother on you.”

“Right.” She cleared her throat. “Well, thanks for the heads-up on Kate. I think I’ll go and powder my nose.”

“No prob. I’ll try to keep her distracted.”

“Thanks.” As Sybil strode back to the bar, Christina headed in the opposite direction. Where, she wasn’t sure, but the atmosphere in the reception was choking her. The air suddenly felt hot and thick and she was dying for a breath of fresh air.

She managed to traverse the crowd of people and found the exit out into the anteroom. There were a few people lingering outside, and she quickly walked past them. She turned a few hallways, but realized she was lost. Who the hell needed a thirty-room castle?

Christina collected her thoughts, trying to figure out where the hell she was. Pivoting on her feet, she decided to trace her way back. As she made her way down the darkened hallways, the air suddenly grew cold. She stopped short and peered ahead at the looming shadow that was coming closer.

“Jason.”

He walked toward her slowly, the sound of his shoes pounding on the hardwood floor echoing in her ears with each step. As he came closer, the single chandelier overhead lit his handsome face. He had discarded his coat and tie, and the top buttons of his shirt were open, exposing his tanned throat.

The hallway suddenly felt small as he towered over her. He had shaved that morning, the stubble gone from his jaw. His eyes glowed, like two silvery moons on a dark night. “Did you get lost?”

She let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “Yeah. Silly me, huh?”

He jerked his thumb behind him. “Front door’s that way.”

“Huh?”

“What? Isn’t your hot deputy waiting for you now?”

What was he talking about? “Who?”

“Cole.” Hatred dripped in his voice. “Isn’t that why you were talking to him today?”

“Oh please,” she said. “Don’t even pretend you care.”

He gripped her arm. “And don’t you deny it. I overhead Kate and Sybil talking. They said you and the good deputy were going to get to know each other.”

She tried to wrench away from him, but his grip was too strong. “It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it like?” He dragged her over to the wall and pushed her back up against one of the doors.

“None of your business!” she hissed. He was so big and broad, she couldn’t even see around him. She wiggled to get free, but he wouldn’t budge. “Besides,” she said. “What about you and your date? Will you be getting to know each other more tonight?”

His eyes glimmered with danger. “Are you jealous?”

“What? I am not.”

“I wanted to kill Cole when you were touching him,” he whispered, his voice almost a growl. “I don’t want you to touch him. I don’t want you near any man but me.”

“Jason—”

He cut her off with a savage kiss. She tried to resist his cruel lips, but when he pinned her lower body with his, his hardness pressing against her, she let out a moan. His tongue, warm and tasting of whiskey, slipped into her mouth and she melted against him. His mouth was rough, claiming, taking, and she feared he’d devour her until there was nothing left.

She should have pushed him away. Stopped the whole thing and ran. But no. She moved her hands behind her, fumbling for the knob, turning it so the door opened, and they tumbled inside the room.

Their mouths broke free of one another for a moment, but his strong arms caught her and brought her back to him. He walked her back, his mouth never leaving hers, until she bumped into something hard and solid.

Hands slipped down her back and under her, lifting her up and planting her on the surface behind her. He spread her legs so he could move between them. He looked down at her, the heat in his eyes setting fire to her core. His fingers reached behind her and began to unzip her dress, then shoved her top down, exposing her breasts to the cool air. He groaned then leaned down to draw a nipple into his mouth. The sensation of his tongue swirling around her hardened bud made her burn even more, and her panties flooded with the wetness that signaled her desire for him.

She fumbled at the buttons of his shirt and when she finally opened them all, pushed the fabric aside so she could feel him. The muscles under his hot, taut skin rippled as her hands touched him everywhere. God, had she ever wanted someone as much as she craved him? Never in her life.

He pulled away from her breasts, moving up her neck, then back to capture her mouth. This time, his kisses were drugging and slow, but just as passionate. She needed him so bad, and she reached down toward the front of his pants, moving her palm over his substantial erection.

“Jason!” she cried out when he shoved his hands under her skirt. His fingers found her lacy underwear, and ripped them to shreds, then pushed her skirt up to her waist. “Yes.”

“Christina,” he whispered against her mouth. “I didn’t bring any protection.

“I’m safe,” she said, drawing his zipper down. She’d been taking birth control since she was eighteen to control her terrible cramps. It was a good thing, because she didn’t want to feel anything between them.

He shoved his pants and underwear down, his rock-hard cock jutting forward. She prayed she was wet enough to take him. Not that she cared. She needed him inside her now. “Please, Jason.”

He growled, and pushed her legs further apart. She threw her head back, waiting, feeling the tip of his cock press against her folds. His shaft slid into her, slowly, letting her adjust to his girth. She rolled her hips, urging him on and caught his mouth in another desperate kiss.

He lifted the back of her knee, wrapping her leg around him as he shoved deeper into her. Inch by inch, stretching her, moving in until he was fully seated inside. It felt incredible, unlike any sensation she’d felt before.

Jason eased back halfway then pushed into her again. He repeated it, getting faster and faster each time. She let out an urgent noise with each thrust, which only seemed to spur him on.

An animalistic growl and a rumble emanated from deep in his chest and he buried his face in her neck, moving lower to suck on the flesh just above her breasts. She gasped at the slight pain of his teeth grazing her skin. The pain mixed with pleasure was too much and she grabbed onto his shoulders. He changed the angle of his hips, moving with shallow, short thrusts, hitting her clit just right with every stroke.

The pleasure was mind-numbing, and as he drove deeper into her, she cried out as an orgasm exploded through her. He didn’t stop, pushing and driving faster. He throbbed inside of her—she could feel every pulse as his warmth filled her. She shuddered with a smaller orgasm, the wave of pleasure making her sex pulse as she milked him. He grunted with one final thrust then relaxed, his body pressing back into hers.

How long they stood like that, she wasn’t sure. Her mind was still reeling at what they’d done. Her body felt boneless from the pleasure, and she let out a sigh.

His body froze and stiffened against her then he moved back, drawing out of her. The silence between them hung in the air. She didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know what he would say. But she didn’t expect his next words.

“I’m sorry…” he rasped as he staggered back. “I can’t.”

The shock of his words held her immobile. He didn’t even look at her; instead, he backed away as he righted himself. She was still staring at him, but not really seeing him or anything for that matter, as her vision darkened. He must have left because she distinctly heard the door close.

She didn’t know how long she sat there. The numbness that had spread through her seemed to have impaired her sense of time. She got off the table, pulled up her dress and let the skirt of her gown fall around her. She walked out of the room, following the path she had taken to get there, and back to the east wing to the guest room. She opened the door and crept in as quietly as she could.

“Christina?” a sleepy voice called from the bed.

“Cordy?”

Her sister sat up from the bed, rubbing her eyes. “Are you coming to bed?”

“Yes, I’m coming.” She closed the door behind her. “I just need to change.” She went to the bathroom and stripped off her gown, then stepped into the glass shower. Turning the knob, she let the hot water lash over her.

I’m sorry. I can’t.

The emotions seemed to unfreeze as the scalding water hit her body. Anger and humiliation coursed through her. Anger for letting things go too far. Humiliation because despite what he said, her sex still pulsed with need for him even as she washed his seed from her thighs.

A cry ripped from her throat and she smothered a sob. No, she wouldn’t weep for that bastard. She would never set foot in Blackstone for the rest of her life. She didn’t care if she hardly saw Catherine, because the only way to get rid of the pain in her heart was to never see Jason Lennox ever again.