Zoey Rogue

chapter Nineteen: Declan Tricked



Declan held her as she fell straight away into deep slumber. He kissed her face gently, loving how yielding her supple body was in his arms. He probably used too much of his magic in the shower, but she provoked him in a way no woman ever had. As tired as he was, he wasn’t going to let himself sleep yet, not until he knew how Olivia activated her sleeper agents.

In the morning, when he took his spot as the Chief Enforcer, he was inheriting the political land mine his father had dealt with for so long. A good night of sleep would be nice, but not if it meant he didn’t wake up. Just because he talked her out of the trance she was in earlier didn’t mean he was able to do so before she killed him in his sleep.

Declan sighed, bemused by his circumstances. His mate sated him in a way no other did and yet, he couldn’t sleep beside her as they should be. It was his second night without sleep; the headache that plagued him since yesterday grew worse as his blood slowed from its frenzied high.

He cuddled with her as she slept, burying his face in the nape of her neck to smell her heady, sweet scent then wrapped his thigh across hers again. He couldn’t get enough of her. The only time he felt remotely close enough was when he was inside her. Even if he started his new job exhausted, at least he had his soul-mate. The record time it took to win her was going to earn him quite a few laughs from his brothers.

Relaxed, Declan let her sleep for a few hours before his desire overcame his compassion. He used a trickle of his magic and his hands to draw her from sleep. She was wet before she was fully awake, and her eyes fluttered open. Zoey’s smile and blue eyes were completely unguarded for the first time since he’d met her. The sight and feel of her absolute surrender made his breath catch. Tenderness unfurled in his breast, along with an emotion stronger than he expected to feel after knowing her for three days.

“You ready for more?” he teased, kissing her nose. “I’ll be gentle this time.”

“Rough or gentle, I can take you,” she said in a low voice, a spark of fire in her gaze.

His emotion and the bond made the night unlike their first two. Their lovemaking was unhurried, yet consuming, his body burning for her with depth he never expected. His mouth and hands touched and tasted every part of her in an attempt to absorb and remember everything about her. He used his magic to hold her before orgasm and again to take them to the shared place where they sank into themselves while their bodies joined. Uninhibited, Zoey’s body responded to his slightest touch in a way that drove him wild.

They made love twice more. Zoey’s fast breathing was a turn on, but he sensed her taxing days and his lovemaking left her drained. She shook beneath him from the receding waves of pleasure that rippled through him. Declan sank beside her, holding her gaze to maintain their connection as long as possible.

“You’re different today,” she said in a husky voice. She ruffled his hair then traced a finger across his features. He kissed her finger as it reached his lips. “Calmer or something.”

“So are you,” he replied. “Purring.” He kissed her long and deep.

“Declan,” she groaned when he moved away. “You’re killing me.”

“You’ve got two more nights of it. Tonight didn’t count towards your bet, since I gave you a pass.”

She laughed. “Are you devising more ways to bring me back to your bed?”

“Absolutely. You purr like a kitten now, but you’ll be roaring like a lion by noon. Until you agree to be in my bed every night, I’ll find new ways to keep you coming back.”

“Sounds like a challenge,” she said. “How long can an Incubus go without his soul-mate?”

“You don’t want to test me,” he warned. “If I have to hunt you down…” His gaze went to her lips. “I’ll catch you, and f*ck you until you’re purring again. You won’t leave my bed for days.”

She flushed, eyes glittering. “We’re a good pair, aren’t we?”

“Complete opposites.” He smiled.

The reminder that their day jobs put them at odds made a shadow cross her features. He felt her confusion.

“Rule four,” he reminded her. “You’re mine.”

“It’s gonna be hard.”

“It won’t be as bad as you think.” He didn’t know if it was true or not, but he hoped so.

“You can come with me,” she offered. “Help Team Rogue.”

“You can spend every night here without making me hunt you down. It’s not gonna happen that way. At least, not at first,” he said. “Things are influx. They change daily.”

“Everything, but us.”

“Exactly.”

She touched his face. “I don’t understand what that means.”

“Whatever happens, I’ll never deny you. My door is always open. This is your home, okay?” he whispered and kissed her forehead.

The warmth in her eyes turned tender. He kissed her forehead again lightly.

“I won’t let anyone hurt you, even if you slaughter every Cambion in the city.”

“I believe you. Everyone is afraid of you,” she said.

“You don’t need to be.”

“I think I know that now.”

“I’ll still charge you for healing,” he reminded her. “Unless you decide to come here every night without me chasing you down.”

“I’ll just have to be more careful.”

“Bullshit!” he exclaimed.

Zoey laughed.

Declan kissed her breathless again. “You’ve got a mission this morning. I’ll tell you about it over breakfast. Hungry?”

“Hell, yeah.”

An hour later, after a quick meal, Zoey gave him a lingering kiss of farewell before she left to meet Vikki. Tired but relaxed, Declan turned on the shower and retreated to the bedroom. He grabbed her pillow and breathed in her scent then hugged it, missing the warmth of her skin already. The anxiety and frustration he experienced before their third night was gone, replaced by a deep-seated sense of peace. The connection between them was strong, stable.

Aware that his father was likely to be at the operations center already, Declan texted him to ask about the Professor. The response was fast:

We just had tea. He’s fine.

Declan snorted and forwarded a note to Zoey, knowing she’d be concerned. He rubbed his eyes. If not for the headache, he would be perfect. He drank a liter of water then refilled his favorite water bottle.

A knock at the door altered his path from the bathroom to the entrance. Not expecting visitors, he opened it anyway, surprised to see Zoey there.

“Oh, no, you’re not skipping out are you?” he asked, smiling.

“Vikki’s running late,” Zoey said.

Her eyes were green. A tremor of something he couldn’t explain went through him. Declan blinked a few times, irritated with himself. Her eyes were blue, as they should be. He began to think his headache was making him see things.

“I’ve got a few minutes,” Zoey hinted.

“Always time for you,” he said and drew her into his arms. He kissed her hard, anticipating a hot, fast quickie.

Expecting the bond to open between them, he was surprised when it didn’t. His body didn’t immediately respond to the stimulation of holding her in his arms, either, and he wasn’t able to feel her arousal. It was like she wasn’t really there. But she was. Declan closed his eyes. He deepened the kiss, another thought forming in his mind. He once doubted any Halfling would be able to keep up with him. Was this a sign that Zoey couldn’t all the time?

“What’s wrong?” she whispered.

“Nothing,” he said and slid his hands up her shirt. “Come inside.”



In the elevator, Zoey frowned suddenly. Something felt…off. She shook her head, aware she was in a building where there were nothing but Incubuses and Cambions. Of course her instincts would be tingling! She glanced at the text that popped up on her cell.

Professor is doing well.

Her eyes went up, towards Declan’s apartment. She wasn’t certain what it was she felt through their bond; it wasn’t as easy for her to interpret as it seemed to be for Declan.

The elevator dinged, distracting her. Vikki and Wes appeared as the door opened to the sub-basement of the building.

Zoey grinned. Vikki snickered and Wes shook his head.

“Thank god,” Wes said.

She stepped out, body humming and calm. Wes handed her an earpiece with a look of warning. She put it in place, then met Vikki’s gaze.

“Welcome to the family, I think,” Vikki said.

“Omigod, that was an awful one.” Zoey grimaced. “I thought someone from the Sucubatti would be here. How did you pull babysitting duty, Wes?”

“I’m the most patient of the Enforcers,” he replied.

She started to laugh then realized he was serious. Vikki was smiling.

“This is a self-initiated mission. Olivia wasn’t available to talk this morning. You have one mission today,” Wes said. “Then we’re out. Nothing wild.” He looked between the two. “I’ve been told the Zoey-Vikki combo is a nuclear holocaust waiting to happen. No bullshit. One f*ck up from either of you, and your soul-mate gets a phone call. Got it?”

They nodded.

“We’re grabbing the Sucubatti records. They’re on hard drives the size of my hand. There are five, all black, in a building that’s now possessed by Cambions. You can guess what might happen if they fall into the wrong hands.”

Whose hands are the wrong ones? Zoey wanted to ask, her mood growing troubled. She tried hard not to show it, but she couldn’t help thinking that handing over the Benefactors’ records to the Incubatti was somehow…wrong.

“Why do you need those?” By Vikki’s puzzled tone, she thought the same.

“The history of the Succubus society is important to everyone,” Wes said. He led them off the elevator.

Zoey and Vikki exchanged a look. They climbed into a van equipped to be a mobile armory. Impressed, Zoey started picking out weapons. Uniforms sat in small lockers; the clothing and boots were in their sizes. Wes closed the van door and waited a few minutes. They changed and armed themselves, speaking in sign language about the hard drives.

“Ready?” Wes’s voice came over the radio.

“Ready,” Zoey replied. “How did you guys get all the funding? This van, the underground lair.”

“We need something like that,” Vikki agreed.

“Ask the boss. You’re meeting him this afternoon to talk about funding for your vigilante group,” Wes suggested. He climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Which boss?” Zoey asked, confused.

“Their father,” Vikki answered.

“This is so twisted.”

“Just wait. There’s a lot more.”

Zoey shook her head, not wanting to know yet. Wes drove them for ten minutes while she sat in thoughtful silence. He spoke to someone over the radio, his words too quiet for her to hear.

My father has nine sons, six of which are Enforcers. I’m the youngest. Declan said. Wes is my brother and yes, he was chosen so he could deal with you and Vikki without resorting to force. Almost worked as planned.

She laughed. Vikki glanced at her.

“It’s strange to be able to talk to someone else in your head,” Zoey said, considering. “Is there any soul-mate-to-soul-mate privacy privilege or something?”

“It’s a matter of discretion,” Wes said. “Something I didn’t appreciate until this week.”

“That does not bode well for me,” Zoey replied. “I take it there’s a price tag tied to discretion.”

Exactly. And it’s steep. Remember that if you try something with those hard drives.

She covered the microphone portion of her earpiece. “You didn’t say no,” she said.

I like having a bargaining chip.

She rolled her eyes and lowered her hand. Vikki gave her a knowing look. They signed to each other, stopping when Wes glanced at them through the rearview mirror.

“I didn’t expect that,” he said. “If you two weren’t the only ones who could do this…”

They refrained the rest of the way to keep from raising his suspicions. Wes stopped two blocks from the campus.

“Science and Technology Building, room fourteen, second floor corner. No windows. The Cambions are looking for this info, but they don’t know where it is,” Wes said, glancing down at his phone as he read the notes. “The police have cordoned off everything around the campus for a block, but are caught up in the red tape that Olivia and our father managed to create with the local government to keep everyone off the campus. Anyone there is fair game. Once again, you’re after five hard drives in the central server room. Serial numbers all end in twenty three. You’ve got four and a half hours to make it in, retrieve them and make it to Site Z.”

“Four and a half hours,” Vikki repeated. “Kinda pushing it, isn’t it?”

“If I have to pull Declan and Liam onto the radio to keep you in line, keep in mind they’ll be pissed and you get to tell them why,” Wes added. “Zoey, no meltdowns. Vikki, stay on target.”

Zoey looked at Vikki. They trotted away from the van down a street they used to walk down every day. Zoey felt a pang of sadness as she took in the damage to the campus from a distance.

You have a new home. His emotion hit her hard across their bond.

She covered the mic. “Maybe I’ll come by again tonight.”

Damn right you will.

“On your left, Z,” Vikki said.

Zoey sensed the Cambions lying in wait at the edge of campus. She whipped out her weapons and met the two head on.

“First blood or most kills?” Vikki asked.

Zoey chopped the second down. “How about first blood today?” She rejoined Vikki. Something hot sliced through her arm. “What the hell?”

“I drew first blood,” Vikki said, giving her a glare. “In case we both get killed. That’s for telling the Enforcers about the football team. That made it back to Liam. Go north.”

They trotted onto the campus, eyes roving for Cambions as they moved then broke away, Zoey heading north along the building they wanted and Vikki covering the south side.

“I was sort of set up,” Zoey retorted quietly. “North entrance compromised.”

She peeked around a corner and spotted Cambions moving in and out of the building, carrying computers and equipment. Easing back, she looked up the side of the building. A hundred meters away was an emergency fire escape.

“Double or nothing on total kills?” Zoey asked, running to the fire escape. It started one floor up. She clenched a knife between her teeth and pulled herself up to the first window sill.

“South compromised. Yes to kills.”

“Go up,” Zoey said.

“Roger,” Vikki replied. “I didn’t dime you out at my hearing.”

“You got nothing on me.” Zoey grunted and stretched for the fire escape. It looked rickety and rusted. Her fingers brushed it. “I wasn’t … under inquiry either for sleeping with an Incubatti.”

“Up is a bad idea,” Vikki said. “It’s rusted through. Going in.”

“On three,” Zoey replied. “One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

They smashed the windows simultaneously. Zoey dropped into the classroom that had been trashed. The door was closed, and she saw the shadows under the door from Cambions walking in the hallway.

“For what it’s worth, I was trying to defend you,” she whispered, inching the door open. “What room are you in? I’m in Dante’s.”

“Mr. Pember’s. Stairwell in five?” Vikki asked, referring to the set of stairs leading to the upper floors in the center of the hallway.

“Might be more like ten,” Zoey said as she watched the Cambions pass her room.

“Lame.”

“Seriously? Didn’t you call your Incubus boyfriend to get you out of the bind in the alley?”

“I didn’t go down after thirty kills that night!” Vikki challenged. “You got four minutes, or I start spilling secrets over the radio. Things I don’t think Declan knows. Like –“

“I only need three!” Zoey barked and ripped the door open. She had the element of surprise at first and hacked through three before the others realized what happened. Zoey’s daggers flew as she lined up the Cambions. She pulled their magic to her, surprised when it didn’t overwhelm or drown her. She felt centered, calm, focused.

You’re welcome.

She smiled to herself and fought hard.

“Forty five seconds, Z,” Vikki said.

Zoey looked down the hallway and saw her friend standing in front of the stairwell. She had three more to kill and the front door to block. Zoey ran towards the front, fighting as hard as she could before she reached the door, barred it, and barreled to the stairwell.

“Two seconds late,” Vikki said as she approached. “If you beat me to the top …” Vikki took off up the stairs.

Zoey pumped her arms, enjoying the chase. She vaulted up the stairs. Vikki was a landing ahead. Zoey closed the distance, but couldn’t pass her by the time they got to the top.

“So, Declan,” Vikki started with a wink. “Before you and before Eric, we had a competition.”

“Goddamn it, Vikki!” Zoey flushed. “Four on your left.”

“Got it.”

Zoey hacked down two. The hallway was clear, and they both looked towards their destination. It was impossible to tell how many Cambions were in the rooms of either side. They looked at each other and smiled.

“Decoy.” Vikki said.

“Oh, no.”

“Rock, paper, scissors on three.”

“Who makes operational decisions like this?” Wes snapped. “Get your asses to the destination.”

“Lydia will turn out the same,” Zoey replied. “Do you know who will be the first laughing at you, Wes?”

“That’s it, Zoey. You got your warning yesterday. When you get back here, you’re getting your ass kicked again,” Wes replied.

“Most patient?” Vikki teased. “One, two, three.”

They held out their hands. Zoey had rock and Vikki scissors.

“I’ll take care of it, Wes.” Declan’s soft voice made her freeze.

Vikki laughed.

“Hi, sweetie,” Zoey said in a syrupy voice. “I didn’t know you were on the line.”

“Take your shots now, kitten,” Declan replied. “You won’t get a chance later.”

Her face grew hot. She strode forward down the hallway to draw out any Cambions hiding. Vikki remained in place.

“Freeze,” Vikki ordered.

Zoey heard the thud of two bodies hitting the ground behind her.

“Go.”

Zoey moved by the next room.

“Freeze.”

Another body hit the ground. Zoey cocked her head to the side, using her senses to see what was before them.

“Go.”

She obeyed and reached the room they wanted. It was locked. She turned to watch Vikki traverse the hallway, leery of any Cambions, before she slammed her shoulder into the door. Two tries later, it gave.

“We’re in,” she reported.

The room was filled with rows of humming electronic equipment, a few computers and locked file cabinets. Zoey turned on the lights while Vikki closed the door behind them.

“Tell me what you see,” Wes directed.

“Tons of computer servers and seven filing cabinets, all locked,” she replied.

“The historic data we’re looking for should be on hard drives in the cabinets.”

Zoey took one and jimmied the lock open with her knife. There were dozens of hard drives in it. She sat down beside it and began pulling them out, one-by-one.

“Hey, Wes, can you get us grenades?” Vikki asked.

“I’d trust a two-year-old with grenades over you two.”

“Ouch,” Zoey muttered.

Vikki signaled her, telling her in sign language that she had one of the hard drives and was going to check it out. Zoey moved out of the way of the desk.

“Anyway, we had a bet about who could sleep with the most guys in one night,” Vikki said to cover the sounds of the computer starting.

“Seriously, Vikki?” Zoey complained.

“Guess who won? Wes, you have to guess, because it’s cheating for Declan and Liam.”

“Focus,” Wes replied.

“No, guess!” Vikki insisted.

There was a pause. “Zoey with six.”

“Why would you guess me, when Vikki had the football team in her room?” Zoey asked, offended.

“Zoey with thirteen,” Vikki said.

Thirteen. I’ve been going too easy on you, Declan’s silky voice slid through her.

“They weren’t exactly super-Incubus-Enforcers!” Zoey replied out loud.

Vikki motioned her over. The drive didn’t contain historical information; it contained details on the Sucubatti’s’ compounds worldwide. Locations, schematics, personnel assigned. She and Vikki exchanged a look.

“What’s wrong, Zoey? Met your match?” Wes asked.

“Truthfully, yeah,” she replied and returned to her cabinet to look for another drive. “I might put off calling the football team for a couple of days or so.”

“Jesus,” Wes laughed. “Does she act like this around you, Declan?”

“For about thirty seconds,” Declan said. Until I touch you.

Zoey rolled her eyes. She dug out another hard drive and checked the serial then handed it to Vikki. Vikki shut down and restarted the computer.

“How’s it coming with the drives?” Wes asked.

“Still looking. These things are full of them, and some don’t have serials,” Vikki lied. “You sure they’re in here?”

Zoey stood to look over her shoulder. This drive contained personnel records, to include one specifically for Team R. Inside the folder, there were files for all five members. Vikki clicked on one with her name on it, and Zoey read with her. Her breath caught.

Olivia hadn’t been lying, at least, not about Vikki. DNA results, initial surrogate screening, every doctor’s appointment for the first ten years of Vikki’s life was neatly filed away. Pictures of her adoptive family, birthday parties, even a copy of the cheesy kindergarten graduation certificate. Every part of Vikki’s life was in the file.

Vikki was pale. Her hand dropped from the mouse, and she stared at the records. Zoey didn’t know what to think.

“You’ve got two hours and an hour hike,” Wes reminded them.

Zoey nudged Vikki, who grudgingly closed down the record of her life.

They dug through the cabinets, locating all the hard drives. The third contained information on the Sucubatti, their lineages, holdings, and family histories. The fourth was a hundred years worth of Hunters, the fifth full of poorly scanned documents, some of which appeared ancient while others were newer.

“One hour, one hour hike,” Wes said.

Vikki clicked through a few documents, and Zoey read through them with her. Deeds, agreements, communiqués and other official Sucubatti business. Vikki signed her, asking what they should do.

Zoey looked around them. She slid her thumbnail under the label with the serial number on one and peeled it off, then motioned to one of the other hard drives. Vikki’s eyes lit up. They swapped out the hard drives quickly, stacking the ones they wanted to keep in one pile and the ones they’d turn over in another.

“Status,” Wes ordered.

“Got all five,” Zoey said. “Packing up and heading out.”

Zoey took the real hard drives and Vikki the decoys. Strapping them down, they eased out of the room. There was no activity on their floor that they were able to see. Zoey cocked her head to the side, sensing something within the building.

“You guys expecting Incubuses to show up?” she asked, recognizing the magic.

There was a silence, followed by Wes’s quiet order.

“Do not engage them.”

“We’re taking the fire escape,” Vikki said. “It’s rusty, but if we fall to our deaths, at least they won’t kill us.”

They crept down the hallway silently before moving into one of the rooms near the fire escape.

“They’re headed our way,” Zoey said, closing the door. “I’ve got three.”

“Get out. Now.” Wes’s voice was sharp.

She and Vikki crossed to the window and looked down. They were four floors up. Zoey crawled out onto the window sill first and stretched for the fire escape.

“You need to be like, half a foot taller,” Vikki teased tersely, behind her on the ledge.

“I’m short but cute,” Zoey retorted.

“Kitten is fitting. Adorable but clawed,” Wes added.

“I am not a kitten!” she grumbled. “Vikki.” She held out her hand.

Vikki grabbed her wrist, and Zoey stretched farther. She reached the fire escape and tested it. It creaked.

“This is gonna be loud. We could use those grenades, Wes.”

“Quiet. Move,” he ordered.

Zoey gripped the fire escape. It shook under her weight. Vikki motioned for her to go. She went as fast as she could down the wobbling ladder. Its anchors were crumbling as she descended. She dropped the last ten feet to let Vikki on and rolled to her feet.

Pulling free weapons, Zoey kept one eye on Vikki to make sure she didn’t fall. The ladder groaned, and Vikki grunted as she fell the last ten feet.

“Clear of the building,” Zoey reported. “On our way.”

They bolted across the park in the center of the campus. Shots were fired, and they ducked behind the next building. It was two hundred meters of open ground between the building and the forest at the edge of campus.

“Decoy,” Vikki whispered. “I called first.”

“Together,” Zoey said. “As soon as those Incubuses figure out where we are …”

Vikki frowned. She didn’t wait. She darted away from the building, Zoey sprinting after her. Gun shots rang out again, and the two of them wove back and forth. They reached the tree line and dove into it. Bullets tore through the trees.

“High caliber rifles,” Zoey said, breathless. “Total turn on.”

“Guy can’t aim for shit,” Vikki added. She signed to Zoey about the hard drives.

Zoey hesitated then replied. They swapped, with Vikki taking two of the real ones to hide and giving Zoey two of the decoy hard drives. Zoey kept three of the real ones.

“Status,” Wed said.

“Catching our breath,” Vikki replied. “Moving again on three. One, two, three.”

They both vaulted up, ducking as trees splintered around them. Zoey went south, towards the apartment she shared with Eric, while Vikki went north. Zoey made her way through the forest then broke into a sprint down a familiar street.

“Clear,” she reported. “Going to Site Z.”

“Ditto,” Vikki said.

Zoey slowed her pace as she headed towards the apartment. Eric’s car was gone, and she lingered for a moment on the doorstep before pulling out the key hidden under the doormat. She walked in, expecting to be bombarded by memories and regret.

She wasn’t. The apartment once seemed like home. It didn’t now. It seemed like someone else’s apartment. She had a home, and it was with Declan. Zoey sighed, grateful not to feel bad anymore. She strapped rubber bands around the three hard drives containing official Sucubatti records, wrote her name on them, and placed them in one of the drawers they’d used for junk. Eric hadn’t cleaned it out after she left; her hair scrunchies were still in it.

Interesting. You trust the ex.

She smiled and covered the mic. “Jealous?”

Very.

“I guess I could stick around for a bit. He might be home soon.”

No response. She left, trotting down the stairs and starting down the street.

“Whatever you’re doing, Zoey, stop,” Wes said. “Declan just shot down Team Rogue at the Enforcer meeting, the one you’re supposed to be at in forty five minutes.”

“He did what?” she exclaimed.

“What the f*ck, Zoey?” Vikki demanded. “Liam said they were about to approve funding.”

“Declan!” Zoey hissed.

“You better fix this shit,” Vikki snapped.

Get your ass here now, Declan said.

“Goddamn it, Declan!” Zoey took off running towards Site Z.