Hotbloods 5: Traitors

He laughed. “Fine… You can make the pickup, but only if I can’t safely get away to come with you,” he conceded. “Just promise me that, if you have to go without me, you’ll be careful? And don’t trust anything this guy does. Be alert and be aware.”

I mock saluted before leaning in for a kiss. “Yes, sir.”

He laughed. “I’m serious!”

“You don’t sound very serious.” I grinned, catching his mouth in mine, my pulse quickening. His hands slid around my waist, running the length of my spine with a delicious shiver. His kiss was hungry as he lifted me out of my chair and placed me in his lap, my legs wrapping around him. The house was empty, and I knew Kaido wouldn’t dare come back down.

Navan seemed to have the same idea. He picked me up, running his hands through my hair. I gripped his waist with my thighs. He was about to move toward the living room when his personal comm device started ringing. He paused and fished it out of his pocket, reading the name that had popped up on the screen. Immediately, his face fell.

“Who is it?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

“Seraphina.” He sighed, putting me down on the ground and pressing the answer button. Her face popped up in a hologram. She looked happier than she had the previous day, her cheeks carrying a healthy glow. “What’s up?” he said, an edge of bitterness in his voice.

“I’m so sorry to call you up like this, but I’m having a bit of a nightmare,” she explained. “I was wondering if I could borrow Riley for a little bit, to help with the wedding planning? My parents are taking over everything, and if I let my mother have her way, this wedding is going to look like a carnival. I totally understand if you can’t, or you don’t want to, Riley, but I would be forever grateful!”

I didn’t dare look at Navan. “Yeah, sure. Of course I’ll come and help you,” I said quietly, wishing I could grab the words and shove them back into my mouth. I didn’t want anything to do with the wedding, let alone the planning of it, but how could I say no?

“Thank you, Riley! This means so much to me! I’ll send a ship to pick you up in an hour, if that’s good for you?”

I smiled sweetly. “Absolutely!”

“Thank you! See you soon!” She hung up, her image disappearing.

Feeling like I wanted to sit in a corner and cry, I stepped into Navan’s arms and felt them wrap around me. I pressed my ear to his chest and listened to his heart, telling myself that it only beat for me.





Chapter Thirty





An hour later, as promised, a ship arrived outside Sarrask’s cottage. Seraphina had followed up her call with a text message, asking where we were living now that the Idrax mansion had gone up in smoke. It had been reported earlier that a tragic accident had exploded the house, but that the Idrax family members were all safe. It was a good cover-up, and people seemed to believe anything that was broadcast.

A chauffeur dressed in a smart crimson uniform came to the door. Navan and I had spent the last hour walking around the lake beside Sarrask’s house, taking a moment to gather our thoughts, and we were just coming back around when we spotted the man walking up to the front door and knocking.

“Are you here for Riley?” I asked, hurrying toward him.

He looked me up and down. “Yes, Miss Seraphina has instructed me to collect her.”

“Well, that’s me!”

“I suppose you should get into the ship, then,” he muttered coldly, before walking toward the sleek silver vessel waiting on the grass beside Kaido’s grounded ship. I guessed it didn’t matter that I was Seraphina’s friend. To everyone here, I was still an underling, an inferior species to be looked down on.

Navan squeezed my hand before I could move toward the waiting vessel. From his glance toward the chauffer, I could tell he didn’t want to risk kissing me. I ran my thumb over his knuckles before letting go, wishing I didn’t have to leave. An hour was a long time to wonder what the hell you were thinking, agreeing to help a friend with her plans to marry your own boyfriend. I wanted to spend every waking second with him, until he became a married man.

“Call Seraphina, give her some excuse,” I whispered.

“Really?” he asked hopefully. “I can, if you want me to.”

“No, never mind… As much as I’d love to stay here with you, I made a promise, and I have to stick to the stupid thing,” I muttered, crossing my arms. “But I won’t be long. I’ll be back in your arms before you know it.”

He smiled. “You’d better be.”

“See if you can get in touch with the others while I’m gone—I would really love hearing their voices when I get back!”

“I’ll do what I can,” he promised. “I love you, and only you.”

“I love you, too, and only you.”

Reluctantly, I stepped away from him, making my solemn way to the waiting vehicle. It was smaller than a Snapper, but bigger than a sky-cab, and I really didn’t want to get in it. Heaving open the door, I clambered inside and sat down on a plush seat. The ship had a dim interior and blacked-out windows, looking like the coldblood version of a limousine. A moment later, it took to the sky, zipping off at an alarming speed, presumably toward Seraphina and her dreaded wedding plans.

Half an hour later, we arrived at a very swanky neighborhood, with enormous mansions curving along cul-de-sacs like the fronds of a palm tree. They weren’t quite as large as the ones that had surrounded the Idrax house, nor were their gardens as extensive, but they were still impressive. The stone and architecture had no character, though; every single one looked identical.

The chauffeur let me out in front of one of the homogenous buildings and walked me up to the door. It appeared I couldn’t be trusted to ring the doorbell, because he did it for me, waiting for the lady of the house to answer, no doubt. She did, a minute later.

“Come in, Riley!” Seraphina insisted, taking my hand and pulling me into the house, waving thanks to the chauffeur.

My jaw dropped the moment I set foot in her home. The interior wasn’t what I’d expected, judging from the outside. Seraphina had excellent taste, and the whole house was decked out in a cozy, almost Scandinavian fashion. Unique lanterns lit up every room. There were soft, cream couches with enormous cushions, and fluffy rugs that tickled my feet, and vibrant works of art hanging from most walls. Where there was no space for a painting, the walls were covered in books, which took up every shelf and counter, interspersed with cute little pieces of pottery and quaint vases filled with fresh flowers.

On the floor in the lounge lay rolls of gauzy coral fabric, a pile of leaves, and what looked like a pot of melted wax. It was a mess, and Seraphina was too. She had bits of glue and leaf in her hair, with threads of fabric stuck to her face.

“What happened to you?” I asked, dumbfounded. “It looks like an elementary school art class just threw up all over your front room.”

She grimaced, urging me to sit. “I know, I’m a mess! I have to get all of this done, and there isn’t enough time to do it,” she mumbled. “Can I get you something to drink? I know you don’t drink blood, but I got Gustav to fetch you a few things from the exotic foods store in town. I think there’s some juice and a few pieces of fruit, if you’re interested?”

My stomach grumbled in agreement. “That’d be great.”

“Wonderful! Just give me a minute, and I’ll be back with some refreshments. Please, make yourself at home. I’m so sorry for dragging you out here to help me, but I didn’t know who else to turn to,” she said, before disappearing back out into the hallway.