Savage Redemption

chapter 3



Heavy footsteps were headed Conlan’s way. It didn’t take a genius to know that his boss had arrived. Great. The perfect ending to one bitch of a day. It had been two hours since Joss had departed, leaving only another hour until sunrise. Given that, the vampire wouldn’t be staying long.

When Rafferty came strolling in, he was carrying a thermos of coffee and another basket of goodies from Joss. The woman had been trying to fatten Conlan up from the day she’d dragged him home with her.

Rafferty shoved the items at Conlan. “If I were the jealous type, I’d really hate how often my wife sees fit to feed you.”

In truth, he was the jealous type, which meant for an often uneasy employer/employee relationship. Conlan had known Rafferty’s wife long before the couple had met, not that they’d ever been anything other than friends.

Conlan poured himself a cup of coffee and another one for Rafferty. “I suspect she thinks the time you and I spent in prison somehow stunted our growth.”

The vampire chuckled and patted his stomach. “I don’t know about you, but if she keeps this up, I’m going to need a new wardrobe.”

“That’s why I try not to eat at your house. I can’t afford all new clothes.”

Rafferty snorted. “If that was a hint for a raise, forget it. And we all know the reason you duck Joss’s dinner invitations is because of me.”

And Conlan felt bad about that. “It’s not just you, Rafferty. Besides, I was all set to come last night. I’ve already apologized to Joss for not showing up.”

“So she told me.” Rafferty studied the sleeping woman. “What’s her status?”

“Seamus has her sedated. Evidently, those immune boosters really speed up the healing process, but her body needs the extra rest. He hopes to cut back on the pain medicine later in the morning. If so, she should be alert enough to talk by the time you’re up and about after dark.”

“Good. I don’t want this to drag out any longer than absolutely necessary. It will make it that much harder on all concerned, her included.”

“No arguments there.”

“I really don’t need this, and neither do you.” Rafferty ran his hands through his hair, a habit that revealed his frustration. “Any idea why she was headed this way or who was after her?”

“I can only guess she was hoping you’d take the three of them in. She was traveling under an assumed name and obviously had no idea I was here. I’ve got a couple of my men checking with some of their contacts in New Eire about the mercs. With luck, they’ll find out who has a contract on her and why.”

Rafferty’s fangs were showing, his predatory nature never far from the surface. “Good. If trouble is headed this way, I want to be ready for it. I’m assuming you’ve beefed up security patrols. If you need to hire some more staff, even if on a temporary basis, let me know. I promised my people they’d be safe here, and I damn well meant it.”

Which was one reason Conlan found working for the vampire tolerable. With Rafferty, the welfare of his people always came first. It didn’t matter if they were human, vampire or hybrid chancellors like Conlan and Joss.

“So far it’s been quiet. My men found some shell casings and not much else out where the attack took place. I killed at least one of their men and shot and possibly killed a couple of others. Evidently they took their dead and wounded with them when they left. That doesn’t leave us much to go on.”

Rafferty sipped his coffee. “I don’t like this one bit. That was a lot of firepower just to kill one woman and a couple of kids.”

Conlan knew exactly how the vampire felt. Despite his own personal feelings about Kat, it pissed him off to see a bunch of thugs gang up on three females like that.

“If I had to guess, I’d say their primary orders were to capture, but they underestimated the situation. They never expected Kat to fight back or that we’d show up and take her side. I’m guessing she knows something or else has something someone wants.”

“That makes sense.” The vampire tossed his empty cup in the trash and checked the time. “I’ve got to get back home. Joss has already called Finn to take over here for you. Are you going back out to your headquarters?”

“No, it’s too far. I thought I’d camp out on the couch down the hall. I want to be close by when she wakes up.”

The vampire stopped to stare down at Kat for a few seconds. “Don’t let this blow up in our faces. Call me, day or night, when you know more.”

“Will do.”

Conlan heard the sound of the front door of the clinic opening, and Finn walked into Kat’s room a few seconds later. “Joss said to tell you that both of you need to leave now.”

The young chancellor grinned at Conlan and held up a paper sack. “She offered me a batch of chocolate-chip cookies if I promised to snitch if you didn’t follow her orders.”

Conlan shot his assistant a disgusted look. “Fine, we’re going, but call me and Seamus if Miss Karr wakes up. We’ll both be sleeping in the apartment down the hall.”

Finn was already settling into the chair, eating one of his cookies. “Got it, boss.”

Rafferty left for home while Conlan headed for the small apartment attached to the infirmary. He could hear Seamus snoring softly in the bedroom. Although a vampire and nocturnal by nature, being the lone doctor on the estate meant Seamus often worked pretty much around the clock. He was accustomed to grabbing a few hours’ sleep whenever he could.

Joss might be Conlan’s best friend, but Seamus ran a close second. The young vampire had ghosts of his own that haunted his past. He’d found a new life on the estate despite the fact that his original reason for moving there was to destroy all that Rafferty held dear. Now Seamus had a wife, an adopted daughter and another child on the way.

Even if he was a bit jealous, Conlan was genuinely happy for his friend. If nothing else, it meant happy endings were possible, at least for some people.

Once again, Kat Karr’s pretty face filled his mind, dredging up memories of when those turquoise eyes had looked at him with trust and desire. For years her smile had haunted his nights, and her cutting betrayal permeated his days. Son of a bitch, he hated—HATED—that she was back in his life, even for the short time it would take for the Coalition to collect her.

Conlan turned on his side and punched the pillow into a comfortable shape. It might be a while before he could slide into slumber, but he hoped like hell this was the last time he’d lose sleep over Kat Karr.

* * *

This time the fight to clear her mind was definitely easier. The pain had faded to a manageable level, and Kat’s eyes opened on the second attempt. A big improvement all around. She vaguely remembered the doctor coming in to check her vitals and administer a lesser dosage of the pain medication.

Hopefully it was the last one, because she had to get better, and quickly. She needed her wits about her. Those killers had to know she’d gone to ground on Rafferty O’Day’s estate. And the vampire scion wouldn’t appreciate her showing up with trouble dogging her heels. If he had to toss her to the wolves, she wouldn’t blame him. Her only hope was that he’d feel differently about her nieces.

God, she was tired of fighting this battle alone, never knowing who she could trust. The enemy wore so many faces. How long had it been since she last felt safe?

For some reason, Conlan Shea’s name came to mind. Three years ago, he’d been the prosecuting chancellor assigned by the Coalition to review her case. He’d been the only one who’d believed her story at all. As they’d spent more time together reviewing the facts of the case, he’d gradually warmed up, letting her glimpse the real man behind the grim chancellor facade.

He’d treated her with such care, giving her the first taste of hope that the nightmare would end. Conlan had such strength and determination to do the right thing by her. Under other circumstances, he would have been the kind of man she would have wanted to share her life with. No, better not to go there.

And how had she repaid his trust? With betrayal and lies. She had a lot of regrets in her life, but what she’d done to Conlan Shea was near the top of the list. She hadn’t let herself think about him in months. It wouldn’t change what had happened, and the guilt only crippled her ability to move forward.

What had made her think of him now? No reason that she could think of except that the man assigned to guard her had seemed vaguely familiar. Her drug-fogged mind had taken the grimly silent figure in the corner and filled in the blanks.

That’s all it was.

Someone was coming. She closed her eyes, hoping to buy herself a little more time to center herself. It didn’t work.

A shadow fell across her—a male, guessing by the scent of his aftershave.

“You might as well open your eyes, Kat. Your heart wouldn’t be racing like that if you were asleep.”

The familiar voice rasped over her nerve endings, sending her pulse into serious overdrive. This time it wasn’t her imagination playing games with her. She knew without a doubt who stood beside her bed, glaring down at her with eyes the color of a summer sky.

Kat struggled to sit up but realized that the doctor hadn’t removed the restraints on her ankles. How had she missed that? She was already at enough of a disadvantage wearing a hospital gown and feeling as weak as a kitten. Was there a button or something that would lift the head of the bed?

Conlan gave her a disgusted look. “Here.”

He dropped the control in her lap, as if even pushing a button to help her was too much bother. They both waited impatiently until she was sitting up at a 45-degree angle. Better, but still not equal. She moved the bed up more, but that set her incision to throbbing. Conceding defeat, she eased it back a little and waited for the pain to fade. Conlan hovered nearby, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression grim.

“If you’re done messing with that, care to explain what the hell you’re doing here?” His voice was little better than a growl.

She forced herself to meet his furious gaze and realized her memories of him had been wrong. His eyes weren’t warm at all. In fact, they were cold enough to put arctic ice to shame. His anger might be justified, but still it hurt. His face was all sharp angles and harsh lines, a big change from when she’d last seen him.

She had something to say, even if he wasn’t likely to believe her. “I’m sorry, Conlan.”

The temperature in the room dropped twenty degrees. “You lost the right to call me by my first name three years ago.”

“Fine, Chancellor Shea. I’m sorry.”

If anything, that only made him madder. “I don’t work for the Coalition anymore, Kat. Seems they don’t have much use for an ex-con. What I am is Rafferty’s security officer, which means I have a big say in who gets to stay and who should get tossed out on her ass.”

Could this get any worse? The one man who had every reason to hate her guts was now not only her judge and jury but her nieces’, as well. She’d throw herself on his mercy, but there was none to be found in those cold blue eyes.

“I need to talk to Rafferty O’Day.”

“Why? Because I’m telling you right now that batting your pretty lashes at him won’t get you what you want. Not only is he happily married, but he takes the safety of his clan very seriously. You made a major mistake in dropping your problems in Rafferty’s lap.”

Fear clogged her throat, but she had to know. “Does the Coalition know where I am?”

His smile was nasty. “What do you think?”

Another voice joined the party. “I think you should’ve waited until I said she was up to talking to you, Conlan.”

Dr. Fitzhugh pushed past him. “Now get out of my way while I examine my patient.”

The chancellor shifted to the side but didn’t given an inch. “Kat might be your patient, Seamus, but she’s my responsibility as long as she’s on the estate.”

The vampire glared at him. “Out, Conlan. Now. She’s not going anywhere.”

“Fine, but I’ve already called Rafferty. As soon as you’re done with your examination, she’s mine to do with as I see fit.”

When he stalked out, Kat closed her eyes and let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her chest hurt, but it had nothing to do with her gunshot wound.

In contrast to Conlan’s obvious animosity, the doctor was coolly proficient. “By now, you should be sore but not hurting as much as you were yesterday.”

She nodded, not trusting her ability to speak at the moment.

“Your vitals are all good. No fever, pulse and respiration rate are right where they should be.”

None of that mattered. “About my nieces. Are they all right?”

Dr. Fitzhugh hung his stethoscope around his neck and stuck his hands in his lab-coat pockets. “All things considered, they’re doing as well as can be expected. They’re at my house with my wife and daughter. Right before I left to come here, Joss O’Day called to say she’d pick them up and bring them by to see you soon. I’m guessing she’ll wait until after Rafferty talks to you.”

And hopefully before the Coalition showed up to drag her back to prison.

“Thanks for all you’ve done for me, Dr. Fitzhugh, but especially for taking care of Rose and Maggie.”

He picked up her chart and made a few notes. “Where are their parents?”

“Dead. Both of them, and the same for all four of their grandparents. Their mother was my only sibling, so I’m all they’ve got now.”

Not that the Coalition would care. Once they got their hands on Kat, she’d be lucky to survive twenty-four hours. She could only hope that Rafferty O’Day had a soft spot when it came to orphans.

From the sounds of deep voices coming from outside of her room, she was about to find out. Dr. Fitzhugh looked as if he’d been about to say something, but instead he sighed.

“I’ll tell those two not to stay long, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll listen. If it gets to be too much for you, press that button, and I’ll see if I can run them off. Before I let them in, do you have any other questions I can answer?”

Just one.

“Does the Coalition know I’m here?”

He shrugged. “I haven’t accessed your medical files yet, but I can’t speak for what Rafferty or Conlan have done at this point.”

That was certainly more than she would have expected from the doctor. “Don’t risk your career for me, Dr. Fitzhugh. We all know that I’m living on borrowed time.”

Standing outside the infirmary, Conlan had heard every word Kat had said to Seamus. Judging by the way Rafferty was staring at the door, he’d been listening, too.

Conlan knew his boss might not have any qualms about escorting Kat off the estate and letting the pieces fall where they may, but the two girls were a different proposition. They’d already lost both parents, and now they stood to lose the last relative they had.

There’d be no shortage of people on the estate willing to take care of Maggie and Rose, perhaps even adopting them once Rafferty got their paperwork in order. But the little girls were already traumatized by yesterday’s events, so how the hell could they explain to them why they were welcome but their aunt wasn’t?

Rafferty mumbled an obscenity under his breath. “Okay, let’s get this over with. It’s not going to get any easier.”

Conlan led the way toward Kat’s room. Seamus stood in the doorway, his expression grim.

“My patient has made good progress, especially considering she damn near died yesterday. She doesn’t need you two ganging up on her, so take it easy. I’ve already told her that if it gets to be too much, she should

buzz me.”

Rafferty’s jaw took on a stubborn tilt. “Since when do you tell me what to do?”

The younger vampire didn’t give an inch. “Since your behavior interferes with my ability to carry out my duties. You might own every damn thing in this building, but her welfare is my call, not yours.”

“Like hell!” Rafferty’s temper flared hot, his lips drawn back over his fangs.

Seamus’s own dental display was equally impressive, and the doctor getting up in Rafferty’s face only

ratcheted up everyone’s aggression. Conlan shoved his way between the two vampires.

“Back off, both of you.”

He injected enough cold authority into his voice to force them to listen. Thanks to his years working for the Coalition, he’d had a lot of practice dealing with vampires poised on the edge of violence. The young doctor blinked first, but he only retreated a couple of steps.

Rafferty held his position long enough to make his point about who was really in charge. Most of the time Conlan would’ve agreed with that assessment, but not now. He followed Rafferty step for step, maintaining eye contact, his fists clenched and flashing his fangs.

“You hired Seamus to provide medical care for everyone who needs it here on the estate. Everyone, Rafferty, including prisoners. If it gets to be too much for Kat, we’ll come back later. I promise you she’s not going anywhere, especially considering she’s chained to the bed.”

His voice dropped to a low growl. “You put me in charge of security around here. Now either let me do my job or fire me. Your choice.”

Rafferty glanced over Conlan’s shoulder toward Seamus and then back to Conlan. “Fine, do your damn jobs.”

Then some of the tension drained out of him and his mouth quirked up in a rueful smile. “Leave it to me to hire the only two idiots with the guts to stand up to me.”

Conlan took the remark for the compliment that it was. If either of them had backed down, Rafferty would’ve never respected their opinions again. He’d run roughshod over both of them until he finally drove them off, and then he’d hire someone who would kick his ass when it was needed.

Gradually, they all calmed down, retracting fangs and getting their heads back in the game. Rafferty ran his fingers through his collar-length hair, pushing it back off his face. “Okay, I’ll follow your lead, Conlan. Let’s get this over with.”

Conlan nodded, careful to hide his own reluctance to take charge. He flexed his fingers to release one last bit of tension before crossing the threshold into Kat’s room.

His first impression was that she looked a hell of a lot better than she had the day before, even with her skin so pale and those dark circles under her eyes. They gave her a bruised and fragile look.

He hated that he’d even notice. After all, how she looked or even how she felt wasn’t his problem. As he had just reminded his boss, his job was maintaining security on the estate. The safety of those Rafferty had already claimed as his own came first.

“Miss Karr, Dr. Fitzhugh has given us permission to interview you about yesterday’s events. I expect you to answer any and all questions that we ask.”

Her eyes flared wide, her mouth a straight line of pure tension. She’d likely overheard every word the three males had exchanged just as he’d listened in on her conversation with Seamus. Her request that the doctor not endanger his career by protecting her sounded like something the Kat he’d known would’ve said. Of course, she’d been well aware that Conlan had remained within listening range.

He’d been fooled once into believing her, and it had cost him dearly. Not again. He wouldn’t survive another betrayal of that magnitude.

“I’ll answer any questions that I can.”

Which wasn’t the same as being fully forthcoming with the truth. Well, that wasn’t going to fly, not this time.

“I repeat. You will answer all questions we ask. Period. We’re already risking problems with the Coalition Council by not reporting your presence immediately. The only reason we haven’t is that we don’t want to endanger your nieces unnecessarily. Don’t give us reason to regret that decision.”

Conlan ignored the look of disapproval from Seamus, concentrating instead on Kat’s reaction. At least his friend had positioned himself where she couldn’t see him. Right now it was imperative that they present a united front.

“Before we get to who was hunting you, why did you lead them here? And don’t lie to me, Miss Karr. I’ll know.”

This time. Three years ago, he’d been too entranced to look past the surface. As he waited for Kat to answer, he gave her the same rock-hard stare he’d honed over the months he spent in hell, all because of her.

* * *

The shiver that danced up Kat’s spine had nothing to do with the cool air in the infirmary and everything to do with the ice-blue eyes boring into hers. She struggled to find some glimmer of compassion in Conlan’s gaze. Instead, a bone-deep anger was all she could see in the hard lines and angles of his handsome face.

Had she ever really known this man?

“I asked a question. Answer it.”

She swallowed hard. It was a bitch to have to trust her nieces’ safety to three strangers, but life had left her no choice. That didn’t mean she had to beg. Instead, she just laid it out for them.

“One way or the other, I’ll be dead soon. You already know that the Coalition has an outstanding death warrant with my name on it. I fully expect you to tell them where I am, but at least they won’t come after my nieces to get at me. That’s more than I can say about the men who hired those gunmen.”

She tore her gaze away from Conlan and sought out his vampire boss. It didn’t matter how much Conlan hated her. She’d be out of his life soon enough. It was Rafferty who held the real power. If she could convince him to protect Maggie and Rose, she’d walk back out the gate of her own volition if that’s what it took. It was the best she could do for the girls, even if they wouldn’t see it that way. Her worst nightmare was for them to suffer any more because of her.

“Maggie and Rose have already lost both of their parents. They’re about to lose me. I came here hoping to find a safe home for them. That’s all. I didn’t mean to cause you any problems, Mr. O’Day. I honestly thought I’d made a clean getaway from New Eire. Obviously I was wrong about that.”

Conlan took a step closer, managing to block her view of the scion of the vampire clan. She took it to mean that he didn’t appreciate her attempt to appeal directly to Rafferty. Seeing that the vampire didn’t object, she’d play it their way.

“I brought all the necessary paperwork to sign off on the custody of the girls. Whatever happens to me, I need to know they’ll be taken care of. If you can’t promise me that, then at least give us enough of a head start so I can get them back to New Eire. I still have a friend there who might take them in.”

Okay, so that was a lie. The events of three years ago had cut her off from everyone she’d ever known. She held her breath and waited. Finally Conlan glanced back at Rafferty, who jerked his head in agreement. The band of tension across her chest tightened as she waited for one of the two to verbalize their decision.

Conlan spoke first. “The girls will be safe here. Now answer my question. What kind of trouble is following you?”

His demeanor remained cold and distant, but even so, she believed him. She didn’t know Rafferty except by reputation, but Conlan was the kind of man who meant it when he gave his word. Or at least he used to be. The relief that she’d found a sanctuary for her nieces had tears stinging her eyes. Time to pay up.

“I’m not sure who those guys were or how they managed to surround us. The girls and I fled New Eire in the middle of the night, hoping to make it to the gate without anyone seeing us.”

She closed her eyes, remembering the stark terror of being pinned down and waiting for death to find them. “They never identified themselves before opening fire. They flattened my tires with the first couple of shots, leaving me no choice but to hide Maggie and Rose under the transport while I did my best to hold them off.”

Before she could go any further with her explanation, Rafferty’s phone rang. He held up his hand, signaling her to stop as he took the call. She didn’t know who was on the other end of the line, but it was clear that Rafferty was growing angrier by the second. His eyes kept flickering back and forth between Conlan and her, while he spoke in monosyllables.

Finally, he shot Kat a puzzled look and stalked out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him. A few seconds later, music started blaring in the next room, making it impossible to understand even Rafferty’s side of the conversation. There was no mistaking the roar of his temper as he argued heatedly with the person on the other end of the line.

The doctor leaned back against the closest counter and stared at the closed door. “Whew! Glad I’m not on the other end of that particular discussion. I wonder what that’s all about.”

Conlan’s eyebrows rode low over his eyes and his stern mouth was a straight slash as he murmured, “No idea.”

Every instinct Kat had was screaming that the phone call had something to do with her and that it wasn’t good news. She forced herself to sit up straighter, refusing to cower before Conlan’s withering stare. With nothing left to lose except her dignity, she was determined to meet this latest disaster head-on.