Chapter 17
~ Dakota ~
Dakota stood staring out her office window. The sun was setting, casting an ominous glow on the property. It had been three long months since Abrams had turned their lives upside-down. Though Garan and Jared seemed confident the worthless excuse of a human being was gone for good, Dakota knew the price for peace was being forever vigilant.
The institute was coming together nicely, with Alek’s firm hand at the wheel as CEO. Her operation dovetailed nicely with his company’s vision statement, freeing her up to teach, hunt and enjoy her newly formed family.
With Squeaky and Arianna managing projects, they were finally gaining traction. Dakota’s current project was hiring staff and working out a training schedule for next year.
The institute would soon be operational under Dakota’s formidable leadership. She had culled the best minds from around the country for the most extensive and most collaborative out of the box venture of its kind. So far it appeared to be a raging success, projects were popping, Alek had managed a merger of some sort with his tech firm and was slowly parleying several interesting projects into lucrative products for the industrialized military complex. They were flush with cash and ready to begin cranking out justice students.
If everything was coming together nicely why was there a slow trickle of apprehension growing in the back of her mind?
Perhaps it was because she was still reeling from the intense and fast-paced romance with Alek, almost losing her son and dealing with Garan being back in her life. It was a lot to handle, but the thing that really got to her was man’s inhumanity against man. Though she was used to catching tiny glimpses of that being a hunter, seeing it up close and personal through Alek and Jared’s eyes had torn a gigantic hole in her soul.
She closed her eyes against the memory of Alek’s appearance when she first found him sitting chained in the crypt. Her first thought had been that some sick freak, strung out on designer drugs had pulled a body from one of the vaults and chained it to the wall. He was thin, gaunt and…his skin…well, she would never forget it. And hearing Jared describe how Abrams had branded him and kept him as a virtual salve made her see red. The authorities couldn’t bust him fast enough in her opinion. She’d maintain regular communications with her contact in the central government, and she knew they were close.
A deep voice sounded from the doorway. “You’re worrying yourself again, aren’t you love?”
Glancing over her shoulder at Alek, she smiled faintly. “I’m slowly getting back into the groove of things.”
“I have something that might take your mind off all your problems.”
“I’ve seen that something before. It’s pretty amazing.”
“I’m not talking about sex this time. I got a request, hot off the press for a hunter on a missing twelve-year-old.”
“Jared’s out looking for that missing woman in Argentina with his dad. He’d have loved to work another kid case.”
Putting his hands on her waist, he pulled her closer. “I was thinking about something different.”
“What’s that?”
“My girls think I’m some old ass hero that people read about in history class when the subject of alien wars is on the schedule. I apparently don’t even still have poster floating around.”
Dakota smiled up at him. “You want to be my wingman?”
“If you think I won’t slow you down.”
“Are you kidding? You’re a vampire in the prime of your life. I think that you’d be a real asset in the field.”
“I’ve still got a trick or two up my sleeve, and we’ve got the weekend off.”
“Come on, then. We’re burning daylight.”
“This is going to be a great bonding opportunity for us, babe. You’ll see.”
“Don’t lie to my face, or babe me, Alek Shardon. You’re only in it for the glory of having a shiny new poster on some teen’s bedroom wall.”
“I’m only interested in it being one girl’s wall.”
“I see where you’re going with this.”
“I think the spot above our bed would be nice. We’ll get it framed.”
“I’ll race you to the SUV. Whoever gets there first gets to pick…”
Alek shot off, like a bolt of lightning. Dakota bolted to the window and hopped out, shimmied down the lattice and made a run for their vehicle. Looking over, she saw Alek gaining on her. Unable to keep the grin off her face for anything, her heart swelled to bursting when she saw the look of pure happiness on her usually reticent lover’s face. This was what her life had been missing all along. Now that she had him at her side, she was never letting him go.