Chapter Twenty-Two

 

Tamian stopped long enough to enter the coordinates into his phone, frowning when he saw the cabin was over fifty miles out. That meant Lucy would find a town soon, but he still had a ways to go to get to her. Before he could take off again, she called out to him.

“Tamian?”

“I’m here, Sweetheart.”

“So am I. I’m in a little town called Elvan. I’m hiding out in an abandoned vineyard off Route 68.”

He typed the town’s name into the GPS. “That’s approximately forty miles. I’m going to have to find a car, because if I take to the skies, I’ll be spotted, and running isn’t a better option. Can you hang tight until I get there?”

“Yes. I’ll be waiting.”

“Hang tight, Sweetheart. Let me find a ride, and I’ll get back to you.”

“I’m hanging.”

Tamian smiled at his mate’s cheekiness. He tried not to think of her cheeks – the ones on her face or otherwise – as he searched the area for a vehicle. His first order of business was finding a shirt. He’d given his T-shirt to Tessa in his haste to phase. It was late morning, when kids should be in school, but he passed two teenagers walking down a dirt road.

“Excuse me,” he said, walking out of the woods, startling both boys.

“Where the hell did you come from?” one boy asked.

“I was camping, and my shirt got torn on a branch. I’m headed into town, but I’d rather not do so in my current state. I’d like to buy your T-shirt,” he told the larger of the two.

“You’re shittin’ me, right?”

“Nope.” Tamian pulled his wallet out of his pocket and showed the boy a fifty. The two of them looked at one another before eyeing the additional money in his wallet. Instead of threatening them, Tamian used his powers of persuasion. “I would like to buy your shirt. You’re going to give it to me, take the money, and forget you ever saw me.” The teen immediately pulled his tee over his head and handed it over. Tamian slipped the fifty into his outstretched hand before tugging the shirt on. It smelled like the boy, a little sweaty with a hint of deodorant, but it would do. “Thank you. Be on your way,” he urged. The teens continued down the road while Tamian went the other way.

Not much farther, Tamian saw a small café. Pushing open the door, a bell jingled announcing his presence. He found a stool at the counter, and a young woman approached. “What’ll you have?”

Scanning the menu, Tamian decided on something he could take with him. “Two sausage and egg biscuits and a large black coffee to go, please.”

“Coming right up.”

Tamian glanced around the room and spotted an older man paying his tab. Perfect. After the waitress came back with his order, Tamian handed her some cash and told her to keep the change. He followed the man outside, and said, “Excuse me. I was hoping I could hitch a ride. My car broke down, and I really need to get to Elvan. I have cash.”

“Sure. Hop on in,” the man agreed without Tamian having to coerce him. Tamian tossed Lucy’s bag in the bed of the truck and climbed in. “I’m Clayton,” the man said after sliding into the driver’s seat.

“Andrew. It’s nice to meet you.”

After they got underway, the man glanced over at Tamian as he took a bite of his first biscuit. “Not much in Elvan anymore.”

After swallowing, Tamian smiled. “I’m meeting my girl there.” He didn’t offer up any more information since the man was familiar with the area.

“Anyone I might know?”

“I doubt it. Harlow’s interested in the old vineyard. She’s got it in her head she wants to open the place back up. Her pop left her some money when he passed, and she’s itching to spend it.”

“And what do you think about that? Running a vineyard’s hard work, from what I hear. Especially one that’s been closed for years.”

“I’m meeting her there to look at the place and run some numbers. She’s the dreamer, while I’m the realist, but if it looks doable, I’m all for it. I’d give that girl the world if I could.”

“Young love,” the man said, chuckling. “I remember those days. My Dora wanted to open a bakery when we were young.”

“And did she do it?”

“She sure did. Made the best cakes for miles around.” Tamian finished both biscuits and his coffee while Clayton talked nonstop about Dora, their life together, their kids, and grandkids. Clayton drove to the vineyard without needing directions. He pulled to a stop and looked around. “You sure your girl’s here?”

“Yeah, she’s here.” Tamian climbed down from the cab and took his wallet out.

“Keep your money, son. Spend it on something nice for Harlow.”

“Thank you for going out of your way like this. I really appreciate it,” Tamian said, smiling.

“It was my pleasure. It’s not often I get to gush about my girl to someone who hasn’t already heard our story a hundred times.”

Tamian retrieved Lucy’s bag and wrapped his knuckles on the bed of the truck. Clayton threw a hand up and drove off down the drive. Tamian looked around, seeing what Clayton had. The place was grown up and in need of more work than he would want to put into the place if his story had been true.

“Tamian?” Lucy called out. He turned around, and there was his mate, hiding behind a tree. When she stepped out, he couldn’t help but notice she was naked. That didn’t stop him from rushing to her and pulling her into his arms.

“Hey there, Sweetheart.” The need to kiss her was too strong to resist, but when he angled his mouth over hers, she pushed him away.

“I really need to brush my teeth,” she said, her cheeks flushing.

“I really don’t care,” he told her and crushed his lips to hers. With very little persuading, Lucy opened up, and Tamian slid his tongue into her mouth, tasting everywhere inside. She moaned against his mouth, and he deepened the kiss. His beast was pushing at him to take her and mark her, but he pushed back. The hint of bacon was overridden by the tang of something stronger. At some point, Lucy had been sick at her stomach. He broke the kiss and asked, “Are you okay?” It was hard to ignore her naked body, but her well-being came before his dick’s need to sink into her heat.

“My shoulder’s a little sore, but other than that, I’m fine. Shifting got rid of the small cuts I got jumping through the window, and I’m assuming Monk got the bullet out before he stitched me up.”

The mention of the other male had his beast raring up, but Tamian was there with her now, and Monk was not. “Mind if I take a look?” he asked, indicating her shoulder.

“Nope.” Lucy turned her back to him. He took a second to admire the swell of her ass and couldn’t wait to get his hands and mouth on her luscious skin. There was no bandage covering the wound, but the stitches were evident along the puckered site. “How is it you still have stitches after shifting?”

Lucy shrugged her good shoulder. “I don’t know how it all works. We shift, and our clothes fall off, but they aren’t shredded. The bandage fell off as soon as I called on my eagle, but I guess since the stitches are part of my skin, they remained.”

Tamian couldn’t wait to see her in her animal form. His beast agreed, and his cock swelled. Taking a deep breath, he fought against both. His fingertips ghosted around the reddened skin. When he was satisfied her wound had been handled properly, he stepped back, removing her ring from his hand. Pulling it from his finger, he held it out to her. “I think this is yours,” he said, holding it out. Lucy lifted her right hand, and Tamian slid it on gently. One day, he would put a ring of a different sort on her left hand, but they had a long way to go to get to that point. “I brought your things,” Tamian said, gesturing to the bag he’d dropped.

“You don’t like the way I’m dressed?” she asked, her eyes glinting and her mouth tilting in a smirk.

“I like it too much. If you don’t put some clothes on, I’m going to find the nearest soft spot and lay you down.”

Lucy’s blue eyes flashed golden, and she growled low in her chest. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever heard. “My lion likes the sound of that,” she admitted. “But it’s probably a good idea if we talk before we lose ourselves to wild animal sex.” Tamian couldn’t help but grin at his mate. Already she was proving to be perfect.

“Come on. The main building is still in pretty good condition, and I would like to put on some clothes. Please tell me you brought a toothbrush.”

“I brought a toothbrush,” he said, picking up her bag in one hand and taking her hand in his free one. They were silent as Lucy led him into the building that once housed a restaurant. Cobwebs hung from chandeliers, and a few of the windows were cracked. Other than that, the room wasn’t that bad.

Taking her bag, she said, “I’ll be right back.” Before she walked off, she pulled his head down and placed a chaste kiss to his lips. With a wink, she strode across the room. The sway of her hips held him mesmerized, and he reached down to adjust his hard-on. Waiting to mate with her was going to kill him.

 

 

Lucy had to get away from Tamian before she did something crazy, like beg him to fuck her senseless. She’d just thought the pull to him had been strong when he pretended to be John Black. Standing before him in all her glory should have made her self-conscious, but the way his eyes grazed her body in appreciation ramped up her own desires. And that kiss? She never knew someone could put so much passion into a kiss. Lucy opened her bag, happy to see her toiletries included. There was no water in the building, but she managed to brush her teeth without it. With a fresh swipe of deodorant, and her hair untangled and fixed back into a messy knot, Lucy dressed in a pair of khakis and a pullover. Tamian had even thought to grab a pair of shoes.

When she returned to the dining area, Tamian was staring at his phone, a frown marring his handsome features.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, setting the bag on the floor before walking up next to him. He slid his phone into his pocket and held open his arms, and she slotted herself against his front as naturally as if they’d been together years.

Tamian wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Ramey’s lost his mind. He has people cleaning up his mess, and he also has someone looking for you. I need to get you out of here and someplace safe.”

“We could hide out here. I mean, it is abandoned. The only person who knows you’re here is the man in the truck. Did you tell him about me?”

“I wanted to get here as soon as possible, so instead of having him drop me off, I made up a story about how my girl had an inheritance she wanted to spend, and she was looking into reopening the vineyard.”

“I do like wine,” she muttered against his hard chest.

“Sweetheart, if you want a vineyard, I’ll buy you one that’s already up and running and closer to home.”

Lucy leaned back to look at his face. “You’d buy me a vineyard?”

“I’d buy you anything you wanted. Before we can do that, we have to put some distance between you and Ramey until the Clan can take care of him. Your safety is first, and I don’t feel safe being so close to New DC.”

“Then where would you like to take me?”

“How do you feel about Italy?”

“I don’t have my passport.”

“You won’t need it. I have a private jet on standby. You say the word, and I’ll fly you wherever you want to go. I only suggested Italy because my family owns a chalet there, and it’d be easier to hide away for a while somewhere familiar.”

“What’s the weather like this time of year? I only have what clothes you brought me.”

“The lows are probably in the forties, so not too bad. If I have my way, neither of us will be too worried about clothes, but whatever you need, I’ll have shipped in. While we’re in the air, you can do a little online shopping, and by the time we get there, whatever you order should have arrived.”

“You don’t have to buy me clothes. I have my own money.”

“I know you do, but so do I. It’s one thing we’ll never have to worry about, and therefore, we shouldn’t argue about it either. If I want to buy my girl something nice, she should let me and say, ‘thank you’.”

“Your girl, huh? You’re pretty sure of yourself.”

Tamian rubbed his nose against Lucy’s, grinning. “Yep.” Tamian hugged her tightly, breathing in her scent. She would have found that odd if she hadn’t been doing the same. It was probably the mate pull Tamian had described, but Lucy already felt comfortable with him, except for the burning desire to strip him down and have her way with him.

“If we’re leaving the country, I need to make the arrangements. I’m going to call my pilot and have him ready the jet, and then I’ll arrange for someone to come pick us up.”

“You have your own jet?”

“Does that bother you?” Tamian held on to Lucy’s arms as he searched her face.

“No, it’s just surprising. When you said you had money, I didn’t realize you were loaded. What is it you do for a living?”

“I… That’s a good question. For most of my life, I followed my sister around the world making sure she was safe in her job. That’s a long story, and I’ll explain it on the plane. We have a lot to learn about each other, and I promise I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

Now Lucy was intrigued, and she couldn’t wait to get to know this male inside and out. She studied his features while he placed a call to someone named Santiago, then a man he called Vitto. Hmm, Vitto sounded like he would be a mob boss. Was Tamian in the mob? He didn’t look like a Mafioso. He’d mentioned his family owned a chalet in Italy, but Tamian didn’t carry the features Lucy associated with someone with that particular heritage.

His features weren’t extraordinary, but he was the most perfect male she’d ever seen. His brown hair was interspersed with random strands of red, and his eyes… Lucy had never seen that particular shade of green before – jade surrounded with a hint of blue. He had a strong jaw, and his chin was squared off but not overly so. His voice was deep but on the soft side, and when he called her sweetheart, it filled her with a warmth she never wanted to be away from.

When he hung up, he said, “We’re all set. The car will be here in less than an hour.”

“What shall we do with all that time?” Lucy asked. She didn’t recognize her own voice. Never had she felt as brazen as she did around Tamian.

“It’s nice outside. How about a walk?”

That wasn’t exactly what Lucy had in mind, but they did need to talk before they had sex. She had no doubt once he got her in bed she wouldn’t be able to refuse his mate bond. She was pretty sure it’s what she wanted, but if there was something about him and his family she found to be contradictory to what little she knew, it would be better to find out before she was tethered to him for life.

“A walk sounds nice.” Lucy held her hand out, and Tamian slotted their fingers together.

Once outside, they turned toward the shriveled-up rows of grapevines. “So,” they said at the same time, laughing and smiling at the other. “You first,” Lucy offered.

“I feel like I know the basics, so why don’t you tell me what you think I should know about you. Tell me all your dark secrets.”

“Ha! What makes you think I have dark secrets?” Lucy nudged his shoulder with hers. She liked that he wasn’t too much taller than she was.

“Doesn’t everyone have secrets?”

“Do you?” she asked. Tamian tensed beside her. “Tamian? Is there something I should know?”

He stopped walking and turned her to face him. “As a matter of fact, yes. It’s probably one of the biggest secrets in the world, and if we’re going to be together, it’s something you need to know. I’m not going to ask you not to tell, because if you’re the kind of female I believe you to be, I already know you’ll keep it to yourself.”

“You can tell me anything,” Lucy promised.

Tamian closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, his smile was sad. “I’m sure you’ve heard of Dr. Jonas Montague and how he cloned the world’s first baby.”

“Of course. You’d have to live under a rock not to have heard that story.”

“Jonas is my uncle. Great uncle, actually.”

“Is? He’s still alive? I thought he was killed when his building was destroyed.”

“He’s very much alive. As a matter of fact, he’s the one who constructs the prosthetics I wear. Anyway, that’s not the part you need to know. The cloned baby was my sister, Tessa. I’m… I’m the clone. It’s my fault the world fell apart.”

“You’re a clone?” Lucy cocked her head to the side while studying his features intently. He let her look her fill while he waited for her to tell him he was a freak. Instead, she muttered, “Amazing,” and continued tracing his jaw with her fingers. If Lucy was shocked or repulsed, she didn’t show it. Instead of focusing on the bomb he dropped or treating him like the science experiment he was, she latched onto the part about him being to blame. “Your fault? You didn’t ask to be born.”

Tamian shook his head. “But I wasn’t born; I was created.”

“Same difference, in my opinion. Someone wanted you to be here. Was your sister sick?”

“No. Jonas is a genius, and he figured out how to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Does that not bother you? That I’m not… that I’m made up of someone else’s parts?” he whispered.

“We’re all products of someone else. And no, it doesn’t bother me; it’s just surprising. Wow.” Lucy grinned, running her fingers along his jaw. “I knew you were special, but damn. I didn’t know just how special you are.” Tamian relaxed at her words, and Lucy pulled him down for a sweet kiss.

 

 

Fuck! What had he done? Ramey gripped his hair with both hands and pulled, cursing God, Jesus, Buddha, and any other deity he could think of. “Okay, calm the fuck down. Nobody knows where the lab is. Nobody except that bitch. Fuck, why did I think she’d take after her old man?” Talking to himself wasn’t going to accomplish anything. He couldn’t do anything about the bodies, but he sure as fuck could get the computer files swept. He needed to get into the lab, grab the computers and journals, and then he’d burn the place to the ground.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed. “I have a job for you, and I’ll pay double your usual fee to make it happen yesterday.” Ramey explained what he needed, and after his contact agreed, he placed another call. “I need you to wipe the feed from both inside the lab and out. Whatever you see stays between us, or you’ll end up like my men, understand? After that’s handled, you need to work your magic on the audio and make it sound like Agent Ball killed those men. Don’t worry about her home. I’ll handle that.”

Over twenty years of progress went out the fucking window with Agent Ball. He should have vetted her better before letting her into the lab. When his hacker discovered Lucy’s own snooping abilities, Ramey had made sure the higher ups agreed with him on giving her an ultimatum. It didn’t surprise him when she took the offer of a job over jail time. What did surprise him was how she hadn’t known of her father’s part in their secret project.

Lucius had assured him he was grooming Lucy to take over his research, but then the bastard had gone and had a heart attack. At least that’s what his wife had claimed. Vera Ball had been a wreck at the funeral, but something about her explanation hadn’t set well with Ramey. Lucius had been healthy. Had never missed a day of their research to go to the doctor. Maybe he’d had some underlying illness he hadn’t known about, but that was no longer relevant.

What mattered was finding Lucy and making her pay. How the fuck had she jumped out the window and escaped into thin air with a bullet wound? The blood had dried up by the time Ramey followed the trail later. He’d spent all night searching the area for clues and had come up with nothing but her bloodstained blouse and jacket. He had a man in New York watching her house. Lucy hadn’t returned, but there were at least two bikers hanging out there around-the-clock. What was Lucy doing with thugs like them? Getting into her home and finding Lucius’s research was going to be harder than he originally planned, but he wouldn’t stop until he had all evidence of what they were working on in his possession. If only his old buddy Gordon Flanagan was still alive.

Flanagan had created the Unholy, and Ramey had taken that knowledge to Lucius. There had to be a way to create a super soldier that didn’t turn into a freak. Flanagan refused to give up all his information, but what he did hand over had been invaluable. The Unholy didn’t die out with Flanagan. Someone was still creating the monsters, and Ramey intended to find out who.