Dangerous Desire

10

“That’s a big leap you’re making based on ten seconds of video.”

“He’s got scary good instincts,” Tabby throws over her shoulder. “Like spooky scary. And I totally agree with him. Nobody on Dimitri’s payroll would dare pull a stunt like that. He’s got a reputation as a psycho for good reason.”

My heart is beating so hard I think everyone in the room must be able to hear it. I swear, this s**t is gonna kill me. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Connor turns his speculative gaze back toward the screen. “I’m thinking that we’ve got another player in the game.”

Cold flashes over me, then heat. “Tabby, find that f*****g ship.”

“Funny thing about that.” She swivels around in her chair and looks first at Connor, then at me. “The marine satellite’s got an unresolved DNS. And the port registry’s displaying a 404 error.”

“Tabby. For the love of God. Speak English.”

“She’s saying both systems are down,” says Connor.

“And not by accident. They were taken down, both by the same elegant little piece of malware.”

This s**t just keeps getting better. “Somebody wanted to make sure they weren’t followed.”

Tabby nods. “Somebody smart.”

“Not smart enough, if they forgot to wipe the Port Authority security feed.” I exhale and try to gather my scattered thoughts. “Okay, so we just have to go through all the video from the harbor cameras and hope we get a clear-enough image of the name of the ship Eva boarded—”

I’m cut off by Tabby’s laugh. “What’s funny?” I ask, confused.

“You are, soldier. If you want to spend hours going through the security feed to find the name of that ship, knock yourself out. Or you could just give me five minutes and I’ll tell you.”

“What? How? You just said both systems were down!”

Her sigh is small and disappointed. “Honestly, I have no idea how people with p*****s are in charge of anything.” She swivels around to face the console and starts tapping on the keyboard.

When a satellite image of the harbor comes up on-screen after a few moments, I shake my head in disbelief. “I don’t get it.”

Connor chuckles. “Join the club, brother.”

Tabby scoffs. “What, you think there’s only one satellite orbiting the friggin’ earth at any moment in time? Dude. There’s so much hardware in space it’s like a metal asteroid field circling the planet.” Tap, tap, tap. “Only about two thousand are operational, though. Let’s just see what NASA’s got for us . . .”

I look at Connor. “Are you ever afraid for your life, living with this one?”

He replies seriously, “Only every day.”

“Here we go, kids. Big black sailboat leaving port at zero dark thirty.”

“How are we gonna see the name of the f*****g thing from above?”

Tabby sighs again, mutters something under her breath, then does her tapping thing. Then she sits back in her chair, smiling. “Like taking candy from a baby.”

The image angles, zooms in, and clarifies, revealing script lettering along the transom, backlit in white.

“She’s a beaut, that Silver Shadow,” says Tabby.

My pulse is a roar in my ears, and my mind is already leaping ahead as I turn on my heel. “Find out who she belongs to and where she’s going and send me everything.”

Tabby grumbles, “Oh, now he has faith in me.”

“Naz, where’re you going?” shouts Connor at my back.

I answer him on my way out the door. “I’ve got a shadow to catch.”

FIVE

EVA

Raphael, Killian, and I sit together at a table under a sunshade on the aft deck of the ship as a silent uniformed crew serves us lunch.

If my bruised appearance alarms them, they don’t mention it. The two men and one woman never raise their gaze to mine as they efficiently lay out platters of meats, cheeses, and fruits, pour sparkling water into crystal goblets, and drape linen napkins on our laps.

The entire time all that’s going on, Killian’s watching me.

And Raphael is watching him.

From the corner of his eye, trying not to make it obvious, but still, he’s watching. It’s evident from his pinched lips and the furrow dug between his brows that he doesn’t like what he sees.

The female of the crew—a slender African American girl in her early twenties with gorgeous long-lashed brown eyes—quietly asks me if I’d enjoy a glass of wine with my meal.

“No, thank you.”

Killian orders, “She’ll take a chardonnay.”

Raphael glares daggers at him. Interesting. I decide to press my luck to see what will happen. There’s a power struggle going on here, and friction between the two of them might prove advantageous to me.

Using my most docile voice, I murmur, “I’d prefer red.” I lift my lashes and hold Killian’s gaze longer than is comfortable. “If you don’t mind, of course.”

A faint smile curves his mouth, but it isn’t the evil one I’ve seen before. This one is far more intimate, softer and darker, hinting at dangerous desires. “Careful. Keep looking at me like that and I’ll think you’re sweet on me.”

In a wave that starts at his neck and moves swiftly upward, Raphael’s face turns red. “That’s enough,” he snaps.

Still gazing steadily at me, Killian says, “I say when it’s enough. What do you think, Eva? Have I had enough yet?”

I don’t understand exactly what’s happening, but I do know with absolute certainty that Killian is used to giving orders, not taking them. I’m not dealing with an errand boy, like I originally thought.

I’m dealing with an alpha.