Savage Redemption

chapter 2



“Sorry, sir, but when our men realized they’d drawn the attention of the security forces from the O’Day estate, they took out the target and withdrew. When we flew over, she was lying facedown in the dirt in a pool of blood.”

Cyrus Eddington clenched his fist and fought to rein in his temper. “At least tell me that you know for sure that she’s dead.”

The silence on the other end of the phone was telling. Rather than listen to a litany of excuses, Cyrus considered the options. He paced the length of his living room and back again as he contemplated options. Finally, rather than wear out the rug his wife had imported for an outrageous amount of money, he sat down.

“Damn it, Richie, considering what those mercs are costing me, they are supposed to be the best. Instead, if I’m understanding you correctly, they may have killed the target, but then again, maybe not. You also lost two of our own men, so I’ll be paying death bonuses. Not to mention that all of this happened right on the doorstep of one of the most powerful vampires in the Coalition.” He exhaled sharply. “Does that pretty much sum up the situation?”

“Yes, sir.”

Cyrus studied a small scuff on the toe of his shoe and wondered how it had gotten there. Too bad it hadn’t been from kicking a few mercenary asses for screwing up what should’ve been a simple job. He went on with his litany.

“And now the O’Days have the target’s two nieces tucked away someplace on their estate?”

“Yes, sir. We could’ve killed them, too, but we thought the fallout from such an action would be a PR nightmare for the organization.”

True enough. Some men would’ve shied away from endangering small children, but that hadn’t seemed to bother the mercs at all. It must have been his lackey’s squeamishness that had left the girls unharmed. As far as Cyrus himself was concerned, they were chancellor mongrels and therefore disposable. All they represented to him was a means of leveraging their aunt into doing his bidding. Too late now. Well, unless he could somehow force Rafferty into turning them over to him. “So what it all comes down to is that this has the potential of being a major disaster.”

Another long silence, but then his assistant finally answered. “That’s correct, sir. But in my defense, you didn’t send us the intel that Kat Karr had been located until the last minute. Another twenty minutes, and she would’ve already gone to ground inside the O’Day compound.”

That much was true, but Cyrus didn’t have to like it. He’d been hunting that bitch for three years. To have her slip through his fingers again was beyond frustrating. Unfortunately, whining over the screwups wouldn’t change a thing. All he could do was pick up the pieces and move on.

“Okay, here’s the bottom line—I want that woman in custody in the next seventy-two hours or I want her dead. No excuses, no failures. Do whatever it takes. Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, sir, you have. However, I want your assurance that I’ll be protected from any retribution from Rafferty O’Day and his men if this all goes to shit. I didn’t sign on to tangle with him or that cutthroat bunch of chancellors he’s hired to protect his estate.”

What a damn coward. “What about the mercs? Aren’t you worried about what will happen to them if they cross that vampire?”

“They get paid to take that kind of risk. I don’t.”

Good, maybe they were on the same page. Sacrifice the peons for the cause. Of course, his assistant wouldn’t appreciate knowing he’d be one of the first thrown on the trash heap if things turned ugly. Still, no need to share that little bit of information. Not yet anyway.

“Fine, then at least we understand each other. Let me know if you need me to smooth the path for you.”

Not that he was eager to reveal his interest in Kat to either Rafferty or the government. Even though he served on the Coalition committee that ruled over the three different groups that made up the population of the North American Coalition, he had to tread carefully. He was one of the human representatives, but the others would take a dim view of him making a move against a vampire clan or even those freak half-blood chancellors.

His assistant cleared his throat. “An official-looking piece of paper might open the gates for us, or perhaps a phone call from you would convince Rafferty to cooperate.”

“I’ll think about it. Meanwhile, listen for any chatter from Ambrose O’Brien’s office. The Coalition has a warrant with Karr’s name on it. It will be interesting to see if Rafferty will contact O’Brien, even if it’s only to report her death.”

After a brief silence, Richie said, “Buying off one of O’Brien’s chancellors to get inside information will be pretty expensive, if it can even be done. Those bastards take their jobs pretty damn seriously.”

Could this guy possibly come up with any more excuses? Although, he had a point. No one knew why chancellors were practically born with an overdeveloped sense of right and wrong, but they were. That’s why they were the enforcers for the Coalition and also filled the ranks of the police force and military, as well.

Offering a bribe was worth a shot anyway. “Everybody has their price. You just need to find the right leverage. Now get busy and find that woman.”

Cyrus hung up, tired of the tedious conversation. He’d already lost too much time and too much sleep when Kat Karr had disappeared from sight three years ago. She had what he’d bought and paid for, and this time he was going to get it.

* * *

Kat hurt. Pain was a hundred pounds of red-hot rocks perched right on her chest, making it hard to breathe and even harder to think. She fought the temptation to sink back down into the darkness. Oblivion beat agony hands down any day, but still she clawed her way back toward clarity.

Something depended on it. No, not something. Someone. Her nieces—Rose and Maggie. Their pictures formed in her head. Yes, them. They were in danger. Killers, guns, running, always running. Terror tasted bitter on her tongue.

Her arms wouldn’t move and neither would her legs. She was tied down! Why? Was this a nightmare? No, dreams didn’t hurt this much. Panic took over, leaving her straining against the restraints, fighting for her freedom with tears burning down her face even though she couldn’t open her eyes.

“She’s starting to surface.”

A man’s voice. Not one she recognized, or at least she didn’t think so. He kept talking, but now directing his comments to her. She latched onto his words like a lifesaver.

“Miss Karr, I’m Dr. Seamus Fitzhugh. Right now you’re a patient in my infirmary on Rafferty O’Day’s estate. You were brought here after being shot. I performed emergency surgery on your shoulder to stop the bleeding and repair the damage. I’ve also given you a boost to your immune system that will speed up the healing. You should feel much better within a couple of days.”

He paused briefly as he pressed what felt like a stethoscope to her chest. “You’re safe. So are Rose and Maggie. They’re waiting right outside with my wife and daughter. Once you’re awake and calm, I’ll let your nieces in for a brief visit, so you can reassure each other that everything is all right.”

For now anyway.

Did he really say those last three words, or was it her imagination? No way to know. For the moment, though, her panic ebbed away, allowing her body to relax.

“Good, that’s better.”

A cool hand came down on her forehead. “No fever so far.” Then his fingers rested on her wrist. “Your pulse is much stronger, too. It’s lucky they got you to me as fast as they did.”

Who was he talking about? Who had gotten her there? The last thing she remembered was hiding under the transport with the girls and praying someone would come to their rescue before she ran out of ammunition.

Memories were coming more quickly now. Just when she was thinking about surrendering and bargaining for her nieces’ lives, it was as if her wish had been granted. A man had charged down the hillside, his gun blazing away, driving back her attackers. The helicopter had done one last strafing run before disappearing over the surrounding hills. That’s when she’d taken a hit.

Her hero. Who was he? It didn’t matter. She owed the man her life. She’d thank him as soon as she learned his name and remembered how to talk.

“Squeeze my hand if you understand me, Miss Karr.”

She wasn’t sure if her hand moved, but the doctor seemed satisfied. “Good. Now let’s see if you can open your eyes.”

That took more concentrated effort, but after several attempts she managed to get them to cooperate. She squinted up at the man standing over her, trying to make sense of the details: rumpled hair, intelligent blue eyes, a flash of fangs. Not human. Vampire. Good. She wasn’t sure why, but it was very important that she not fall into human hands right now.

He smiled down at her. “Welcome back. I want to reassure you that these restraints were only there for your safety. You’ve been thrashing around quite a bit ever since the anesthesia started wearing off. If you promise to remain calm, I’ll take them off your wrists before your nieces come in.”

Kat nodded. As he undid the straps, the doctor glanced at someone standing somewhere behind her.

“Tell the girls they can visit her, but only for a minute. Miss Karr needs to rest, and she won’t be able to put up a brave front for long.”

The doctor was right about that. At the moment, she wouldn’t be able to take on her own shadow and win. As she waited for Rose and Maggie, a jagged shard of fear ripped through her. The doctor had called her by her real last name, one she hadn’t used for three years. How had he found out who she was? The girls would be the obvious answer, even though it had been drilled into them over and over again to never use her real name.

Not that it mattered now. The only question was, how long did she have before the Coalition caught wind of her location? If the doctor had accessed her records, they were most likely already on their way. If so, despite the doctor’s optimism regarding Kat’s recovery, her life expectancy would be measured in days or even hours.

Damn, damn, double damn. She’d known all along that either the Coalition or her enemies would catch up with her eventually. That’s why she’d rolled the dice and headed for Rafferty O’Day’s estate. Despite all her precautions, the bastards had found her anyway. She clutched the cool cotton sheet hard enough to make her hands ache. This wasn’t the time to give in to fear, not with the girls on their way in to see her. After everything they’d already been through today, they had to be terrified.

At the sound of the door opening, she watched the girls walk in. Someone had braided their hair for them, but their eyes were still shadowed with fear. Yesterday had been a lot for an eight-year-old and a five-year-old to process. For her, too.

Kat managed a small smile as Rose sidled up to her bed. “Aunt Kat, are you okay?”

Kat nodded. “I am now. Dr. Fitzhugh did a great job patching me up.”

“That’s what he told us.” Then Rose whispered, “Maggie didn’t mean to call you Aunt Kat in front of that man, but neither of us told them your last name. I don’t know how they found out.”

It was a question Kat meant to ask when she was feeling stronger. “Don’t worry about it, honey. We’re safe here.”

She hoped that was true, at least for the girls. No place was safe for her, not for long.

Maggie slid past Rose to lay her face on Kat’s arm. As soon as she settled in, she popped her thumb out of her mouth. “We’re going to help the doctor take care of his little girl tonight. He says we’ll be a big help ’cause his wife is going to have another baby.”

“Dr. Fitzhugh’s wife let me hold Phoebe by myself.” For the first time the worry faded from Rose’s pretty blue eyes. “I even got to help feed her. She got it all over her face, but that wasn’t my fault. Babies just do that.”

Kat didn’t much like being beholden to strangers, but she was grateful to the doctor and his wife for distracting the girls. It had been far too long since they’d done something fun.

“Did you thank Mrs. Fitzhugh for letting you play with the baby?”

Both girls nodded as Rose answered for them both. “And when Mrs. Fitzhugh fed us, we thanked her for that, too, even if she cut our sandwiches in the wrong direction.”

Kat frowned. “You didn’t tell her she did it wrong, did you?”

Rose rolled her eyes. “No, Aunt Kat. You know we have manners.”

No thanks to Kat. It had been Meg, Kat’s older sister, who’d drilled the rules into her daughters. Her death had left a gaping hole in all three of their lives. The fact that Meg had died because of Kat’s mistakes was a guilt she’d carry to her own grave.

She let the girls babble on a little more about what had happened since they’d arrived on the Rafferty estate. Their voices faded in and out between waves of pain. Thank goodness Dr. Fitzhugh reappeared.

“Okay, girls, time to go. Your aunt needs to rest if she’s going to get better. Say goodbye for now. If she’s up to another visit, I’ll bring you back before your bedtime.”

Kat accepted her nieces’ kisses, trying not to wince when Maggie got a little too exuberant with her hugs. After they were gone, she let out a slow breath, trying not to give in to the urge to cry. Was it cowardly to wish that she’d pass out just so she didn’t have to think for a while?

As if he’d read her mind, the doctor came right back. “Miss Karr, I’m going to give you something for the pain. It will help you sleep, which is what you need most right now. Someone will be here with you all the time.”

She watched as he drew up a syringe full of some clear liquid and injected it into the tubing attached to her arm. Hopefully the stuff would be fast-acting. Oblivion sounded good about now.

“That should help.” Then once again he looked past her. “Let me know when you want one of us to spell you or if she needs anything. I’m going to see a few patients and then get some sleep myself. I’ll be right down the hall in the apartment.”

Kat closed her eyes, counting the seconds until the drug kicked in. Wow, just that quickly the pain had already taken a long step back. It was still there, but now its edges weren’t quite so sharp. Slowly, the throbbing receded until finally the tight band of hurt around her chest slipped away completely.

Oh, yeah, that was better.

Now, before sleep claimed her completely, she took stock of the room. Off to one side, she could hear someone breathing, a reminder that she wasn’t alone. Who was stuck watching over her?

There—in the shadowed corner across the room. Definitely male. Oppressively silent, he stared at her with an intensity she could feel despite the drug-induced fog clouding her brain. He looked familiar. She knew him; she was sure of it. The where and the why of their acquaintance kept dancing backward just out of reach, refusing to be caught.

“Who?” she managed to whisper right before the darkness swallowed her whole.

If he answered, she didn’t hear it.

* * *

Conlan stood up and stretched. He’d been sitting in that corner staring at Kat Karr ever since she’d gotten out of surgery. Finn had offered to relieve him so he could eat something and grab some sleep, but Conlan had turned him down flat, even though he knew that Kat wasn’t going anywhere. Especially with that cocktail of drugs Seamus had given her percolating through her veins.

It also hadn’t escaped his notice that the doctor had unfastened the restraints on Kat’s arms, but not the shackles on her ankles. Only three people had the keys to those—Seamus, Rafferty and Conlan. She was a prisoner, even if she didn’t know it yet.

On the other hand, there was a knot in his chest the size of a fist. It had taken up residence there the minute he’d realized that it was Kat lying facedown in the dirt at his feet. He was still having trouble believing she was real, that he wasn’t going to wake up from another nightmare to find that it had all been his imagination.

Who knew how many nights over the past three years he’d paced the floor, unable to get her image out of his head? She’d cost him everything that mattered: his job, his friends, his sense of purpose. After two f*cking long years holed up in a dank corner cell, he’d finally stepped back out into the sunshine, but with his life in pieces and his soul in shreds.

The day he’d walked out of prison, he’d been stunned to find Joss O’Day waiting for him. She’d whisked Conlan away to her husband’s family estate, where she’d browbeaten Rafferty into offering him a job. In doing so, she’d also given Conlan a safe place to lick his wounds. Brick by brick, he’d rebuilt himself, but the workmanship was pretty damned shoddy. Just being in the same room with Kat had him feeling as if all those fissures and cracks inside him were about to shatter.

He stood up. Time to end this pity party. Finding Kat wouldn’t give him back one minute of what he’d lost. The most he could hope for was getting answers to the questions that had tormented him since she’d disappeared.

One step, two. Finally, he stood beside the bed, staring down at that face that still had the power to move him. She wore her hair shorter now, the soft dark curls framing her delicate face. Her lashes looked even darker than normal against her pale skin. Right now she looked worried, her brows drawn in. She had good reason to feel that way. Kat had to know that Rafferty wouldn’t risk major problems with the Coalition by protecting her.

And sure as hell, Conlan had no interest in standing between her and trouble. He’d tried that once. Never again. Not for her. So if he had to camp out in this room to make sure she didn’t slip away, once again leaving chaos in her wake, he’d do it.

“I sure hope you never look at me with that particular expression on your face.”

Conlan forced himself to retreat a step before turning to face Joss. She stood in the doorway, a basket in hand. Aw, shit, he’d forgotten all about her dinner party.

He glanced at the basket. “Damn it, Joss, I’m sorry I missed the party. I was...busy.”

Joss came the rest of the way into the room and handed him the basket. “I know. Compared to your usual excuses, though, this one was a dandy. Now sit down and eat that.”

He set it down on a nearby counter. “I will later.”

Only rarely did Joss remind him that she was his employer. She crossed her arms over her chest, and her chin took on that stubborn tilt that could make even her terror of a husband cower. Joss was nearly Conlan’s height, which made it easy for her to stare him straight in the eye.

“Now, Conlan, and that’s an order. It doesn’t take a doctor to recognize a man running on empty.”

“Okay, fine.”

He dropped back into the chair in the corner and uncovered the basket. The rich scent of tomato sauce and spices wafted up. His stomach immediately growled. Okay, so she was right. He did need to refuel, not that he appreciated the knowing smirk she shot his way.

“No one likes a know-it-all, Joss.”

She shrugged. “I prefer to think of myself as wise beyond my years.”

There was no winning with her, and they both knew it. While he devoured the lasagna and salad, Joss wandered around the room, touching this and studying that. For the moment it was as if Kat Karr didn’t exist for

either of them. He wished it could stay that way, but he knew that it couldn’t.

When he ate the last bite, Joss finally acknowledged the sleeping woman’s presence. “So, this is her.”

Conlan joined his friend standing by the bed. “Yeah, it is.”

Joss stared down at Kat. What was she seeing that put such an odd look on her face? “Not what you expected?”

She shook her head. “I’d seen pictures, of course, but I was expecting her to look hard, even jaded. Instead, she looks like someone I might even like.”

“Don’t let appearances fool you, Joss.” Like he had, but he kept that last part to himself. “Hell, even that hard-ass Ambrose O’Brien bought her act. Not many can fool the chief investigator for the Coalition.”

Joss turned worried eyes in his direction. “We can’t hide her presence from the Coalition for long, Conlan. Rafferty will have to report her to Ambrose so he can send one of his chancellors to collect her. The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned.”

She wasn’t telling Conlan anything he didn’t already know. He laid it all out for her anyway. “The only reason I haven’t already contacted Ambrose myself is that we need to know what the story is on her nieces, not to mention those mercs who had them cornered. I want to make sure that none of this is going to blow up in our faces.”

He clenched his fists at his side. Kat might deserve anything that had happened to her, but that gang of mercs had known there were children involved and attacked anyway. It was a miracle the two girls were handling all of this as well as they were.

“I’ll report her, Conlan. There’s no use in you getting dragged back into her mess.”

Joss stepped back from the bed and reached toward him, probably in an attempt to offer him some comfort. He didn’t miss the flicker of hurt in Joss’s eyes when he flinched. By way of apology, he tangled his fingers with hers and gave them a quick squeeze. He wasn’t used to being touched. Not anymore. Not by anyone. “I’ll handle it, Joss. As head of security, it’s my job.”

The woman defined stubborn. “And you’re good at it. Even Rafferty says so, at least when you’re not around to hear him. But this is more than the job—it’s personal. You had feelings for this woman. The minute we make that call, we both know her life is forfeit.” She paused, her dark eyes flashing hot with anger. “She’s caused you enough pain. Don’t add that to the list.”

“I’ll deal with it, Joss. I won’t make the same mistakes with her again.”

He shot his friend a stern look. “And before you argue the point, do I have to remind you that not too long ago you were the one who insisted on investigating Rafferty’s case yourself? If you hadn’t been able to prove he’d been framed, you would’ve had to carry out his execution order. Don’t expect less of me than you expected of yourself.”

“Fine, but if you change your mind...”

Joss let that thought drift away. She knew him well enough to know there wasn’t much chance of that happening.

Then she shook her head a little, probably dragging her thoughts back from the nightmare when she’d thought she’d have to be the one to stake the vampire she loved. Conlan allowed himself one last look at Kat before turning away. At least he wouldn’t be the one to end her life. If there was comfort to be had in that thought, he couldn’t find it.

He gathered up the empty dishes and returned them to the basket. Holding it out to Joss, he asked, “Hadn’t you better get back to your guests?”

Joss rolled her eyes and sighed. “Yes, I suppose so. I’m guessing Rafferty will be over to check on you in a bit. Don’t feel ganged up on, though. He really just needs an excuse to get away from his aunts for a while.”

Conlan’s smile came more easily this time. “Don’t tell me that big, bad Rafferty is scared of some little old vampire ladies.”

Joss punched him on the arm, but she was laughing. “Don’t go there, my friend. They scare me, too. I feel like a giant around them, but I’m betting they could take all of us in a fair fight.”

“Okay, I promise to go easy on him.”

Joss pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. He let her, because there were damn few people in this world that he could call friend. The two of them had partnered for a while back when they’d both started working as investigators for the Coalition. Nothing like a few near-death experiences to cement a friendship. Eventually, Joss had changed jobs to negotiate settlement of the often volatile disputes between the human, chancellor and vampire populations of the Coalition, but the two of them had stayed in close contact. Conlan followed her to the door.

Before stepping outside, Joss paused. “After you and Rafferty talk, let Finn take over. You’re going to need all your strength to deal with what comes next.”

Yeah, he would. He just wished the revenge he’d been hoping for didn’t feel quite so much like betrayal.