In His Shadow (Tangled Ivy Book 1) Read online

“But what?” Devon cut him off. “Your wife’s being kept prisoner and tortured while you sit here getting pissed and feeling sorry for yourself? Get off your arse, Clive. Anna’s waiting for you.”

  It took a moment, but it seemed to finally sink in that Devon was going to help get Anna back. Clive jumped to his feet. “I’ll get my stuff,” he said, hurrying from the room.

  I walked to Devon as he holstered his gun.

  “Will you be able to rescue her?” I asked.

  His smile was thin. “Perhaps. The odds are slim, but I’ve beaten the odds before.”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt,” I said, my teeth biting my lower lip.

  Devon reached up, brushing his thumb across my cheek. “I don’t have a choice,” he said softly. “With those gold eyes looking at me as if I’m the hero rather than the villain—what’s a man to do?”

  I didn’t know what to say, so I stretched up on my toes and kissed him.

  “Thank you,” I said, tentatively laying my hand along his jaw. I could feel the slight abrasion of his five o’clock shadow against my palm.

  “Don’t thank me yet,” he said wryly. “We still have to find her and get out alive. And you’re going to help.”

  “What? Why me?” I asked, and yes, it was a bit rhetorical. I hadn’t asked for my life to be turned upside down and be in constant danger. I hadn’t liked Devon from the start, had known he was bad news, and yet . . . here I was.

  “Are you regretting letting me in your bed, sweet Ivy?” Devon’s hand lifted to my hair, his fingers trailing through the long, silken strands. He was so close that I had to tip my head back to look at him. The whiskers that shadowed his jaw gave him a menacing edge that was more easily disguised when he was clean shaven.

  It was more exciting and intoxicating than I wanted to admit, being this close to a man as dangerous and lethal as Devon. I never would have thought it of myself, but feeling like the gazelle sidling up to a lion made the blood pulse in my veins and gave me the heady sensation of being high. Logan had been right and so was Devon. I was hooked, addicted. Even knowing the danger I’d be in at his behest didn’t stop me from wanting him.

  “Regret is a wasteful emotion,” I replied at last.

  “Exactly.”

  We were sitting in Devon’s car, engine off, staring at what looked like a dance club across the street. I could feel the music thumping, even from this distance, and whenever the door opened, swirling neon colors shone through the opening.

  Devon, Clive, and I had been sitting there for several minutes, just watching. We’d changed, both the men now in jeans and dark shirts, Devon sporting a tight black T-shirt that had made my eyes linger. But it was my outfit that had me squirming slightly.

  It was something Clive had given me and I assumed it belonged to Anna. A black lace dress, though it barely deserved the name. Anna had been shorter than me and the hem barely brushed the tops of my thighs. The fabric was skintight, wrapping my torso and one arm, leaving the other shoulder, arm, and way too much of my chest bare. I’d had to use a little double-sided tape to make sure I wouldn’t fall out of the top.

  I’d made the mistake of bending over to slip on the towering stilettos I was also borrowing while dressing in Anna’s spacious walk-in closet. A moment later, Devon’s hands were cupping my exposed ass, his fingers tracing the line of the black thong I wore. I jerked upright with a squeak and the hem moved up farther as Devon’s hands slid to my hips.

  “Promise me you’ll strike that exact same pose later,” he rasped in my ear, the brush of his lips sending a shiver through me.

  The memory brought a smile to my lips as I sat in the backseat, waiting for Clive and Devon to finish whatever it was they were doing. Reconnaissance, I supposed?

  “Let’s go,” Devon said. He couldn’t take his gun inside, but I’d seen him strap a knife to his ankle.

  He opened the car door for me and I modestly kept my knees together as I swung my legs out. No need to flash a crotch shot.

  “Damn,” I heard him murmur, and I smiled to myself.

  “You can get up close and personal later,” I promised in an undertone.

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Devon and Clive flanked me and I threaded my arms through theirs as we crossed the street to the club entrance. My sky-high heels made me as tall as Clive, though Devon still had a couple of inches on me.

  I walked with a strut, realizing without being told that I was the eye candy who was going to get us into the club. Tossing my hair back over my shoulder, I was glad I’d used Anna’s makeup to add thick liner to my eyes and a deep red gloss that made my lips shine.

  There were two bouncers at the door when we arrived and they both cast a practiced eye over me, their eyes lingering on my legs. Devon had given me two hundred-dollar bills and I untangled my arms so I could reach inside my cleavage.

  “Hey there,” I said, my lips curving in a smile as I picked the bouncer that I thought was the one in charge. I left Clive and Devon behind as I stepped up close to him. “I’m looking for a party. Help a girl out?” I held the money up between two fingers and waited.

  After a breathless moment, the bouncer grinned and took the money. “Shit, girl. You walk in and the party’ll just be gettin’ started.”

  “You bet your ass,” I said with a wink. Devon and Clive stepped up to join me then as the bouncer moved aside. I blew the second bouncer a kiss as we breezed by into the club.

  “Perfect,” Devon breathed in my ear.

  A flash of pride went through me. I’d helped out, which would hopefully end with us rescuing Anna.

  The music and heat inside the club were overwhelming. Lights I’d seen from outside swirled through the dark room, illuminating a mass of people moving to the beat. I stopped, unsure where Devon wanted me to go, but then he took my hand, following Clive as he skirted the crowd.

  We followed, though my eyes were drawn to the people there. An early- to mid-twenties crowd, they were all dressed similarly to me, though maybe with more Goth and urban flair. The girls were showing lots of skin while the guys sported tats and body piercings. A round bar with three busy bartenders took up one corner and the line was six deep.

  This was where some biotech company was keeping Anna prisoner?

  Clive stopped near a darkened corner and I saw him and Devon speaking in each other’s ears, but couldn’t hear what they were saying over the techno dance mix beating at my eardrums. I caught a strong whiff of marijuana, then Devon was pulling me forward and down a nondescript hallway that looked like it would lead to the restrooms.

  A locked door with a keypad was halfway down the dim corridor and Clive punched in some numbers. The door clicked open.

  “Stay here,” Devon said, releasing my hand.

  I made a grab for him, latching on to a fistful of his T-shirt. “Wait! Don’t leave me behind.”

  “It’s too dangerous,” Devon said, prying my fingers loose. “Wait ten minutes. If I don’t return, leave.” He handed me another hundred. “This should take care of a cab to get you home.”

  I was starting to panic now. What would happen to him? Would I even know if they captured or killed him?

  He pressed his lips briefly to mine, his thumb sliding along my jaw, then he and Clive were through the door. It slammed shut behind them and locked.

  Unnerved, I stared at the door for a moment, wondering what to do. Finally, I backed away, turned to head down the hallway, and ran straight into someone.

  “Looking for something?”

  I jerked my head up from the massive wall of chest I’d run into. The man was huge, taller than Devon, and was built of solid muscle. His eyes were small and cold, his thin lips twisted in a malevolent grimace.

  “I-I, um, no, not really,” I stammered.

  “That’s too bad because you found it.”
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  He grabbed my arm in a viciously tight grip that made me wince. After punching a code into the panel, the door swung open again and he dragged me through.

  My palms were sweaty as I tried to keep up with him, but my heels made it difficult. Useful for getting us in to the club, they were a total pain in the ass if I actually had to move quickly, like now.

  “Let me go now and I won’t press charges,” I bluffed.

  The man just snorted at me, yanking me down the stairs. “Women are good for two things,” he said. “Fucking and leverage. Guess which one you are.”

  We went down two flights of stairs and I could barely hear the music at all, only the thump of the bass as we reached the bottom of the stairwell. A man was standing in front of another door, but all he did was open it.

  The room we entered was old and would have seemed out of date, if not for the glass cage in the corner. He gave me a shove and I stumbled forward, glad he’d finally let go of my arm.

  Devon and Clive stood shoulder-to-shoulder mere feet away, both of them looking at me. I automatically took a step toward Devon, freezing when he gave a minute shake of his head. It was impossible to read the look on Devon’s face, but I thought I saw disappointment in his eyes.

  Sorry, I mouthed.

  My eyes were drawn to the cage and my mouth dropped open in horror. A woman was inside the room walled in glass, sitting on the concrete floor with her knees drawn to her chest. I thought it was probably Anna, but couldn’t tell for sure. Her head rested on her knees, her face turned away.

  “So good of you to join us, my dear.”

  I jerked toward the sound of the voice, only now seeing another man there. He was sitting behind a white desk in the corner but then stood, buttoning his suit jacket as he rose. Something about him seemed familiar and it took me a moment to realize where I’d seen him before.

  Mr. Galler’s home.

  He’d been the one to come in while I was being tortured. Once I made the connection, I gasped. His gaze flicked to mine.

  “Devon. Did you learn nothing the last time about bringing your plaything with you?”

  “Heinrich,” Devon replied. “I’m surprised to see you here. Don’t you usually send your minions to do your dirty work? Or has the corporate life grown boring for you?”

  “Running a business is more cutthroat than you would imagine,” Heinrich replied. “Besides, I have people to handle things I might find . . . distasteful.”

  At his words, the man who’d let us into the room stepped inside, along with three more men, all of whom held automatic weapons pointed right at us.

  “I think you’ve met Hugo?” He motioned to the huge guy who’d dragged me down here.

  Hugo, huh? Yeah, I could see that. I swallowed, suddenly wishing I’d heeded the warnings of Agent Lane and Logan. My knees were practically knocking together, I was so scared. They’d used me before to get to Devon. Would they do it again? My bravado from earlier was gone, lost in the terror of the unknown. The only comfort I had was the fact that Devon was here. I prayed he had some kind of plan, though what it could possibly be I had no idea.

  “We’ve come for Anna,” Devon said. “It’s a bit beneath you, isn’t it? Using the man’s wife like this?”

  “I’m afraid it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there,” Heinrich sighed with mock sympathy. “If Clive would have done as he was told, his wife would be safe at home, writing thank-you cards for her wedding gifts.”

  Devon took a few steps toward Heinrich, placing himself between him and me. The men with guns watched him carefully. Clive was ignoring everyone, drifting toward the cage that held his wife. She had yet to notice anyone else in the room and I wondered if the cage was soundproof or if it was one-way glass—we could see her but she couldn’t see us.

  “I know what you’re after,” Devon said, “and it doesn’t exist. The vaccine to the virus Galler developed was never found, not by him, and not by his son.”

  “I’m afraid you and I have to agree to disagree,” Heinrich replied. “I have proof that he did.”

  I realized that’s what Devon wanted to know, what he’d mentioned earlier. The reason behind why they’d suddenly come after Galler, and consequently, me.

  “And what’s that?” Devon asked.

  “Why, he did what any good German capitalist would do. He tried to sell it.”

  My stomach sank. Mr. Galler had been such a nice man. To hear that he’d tried to sell a virus and its vaccine to the highest bidder was heartbreaking. I’d never considered myself a bad judge of character, but I kind of thought I was batting zero.

  “And you tried to buy it?”

  “Mr. Galler ended up having second thoughts. I suppose a guilty conscience at his age made him consider things best left to priests and philosophers. I . . . took issue with him reneging on the sale.”

  “You had him killed,” Devon said.

  “Which I would not have done had I known he’d hidden the vaccine,” Heinrich replied, sounding put out.

  A hysterical laugh bubbled in my throat and I swallowed it down. He’d tortured and killed Roger, Mr. Galler’s butler, to try to find that vaccine. Yet you would have thought he was discussing how neighborhood kids had trampled his lawn.

  “If the vaccine exists,” Devon said, “and I’m not convinced it does, it still won’t solve your delivery or viability problems. You’ll have a vaccine for a virus useless outside a lab.”

  “Technology’s come a long way in the past seventy years, Mr. Clay. Aerosol delivery via air ducts . . . imagine a filled-to-capacity passenger plane. My, what a mess that would be.” Heinrich laughed, sending a chill down my spine.

  “That’s not going to happen,” Devon said. “You know we won’t let you sell it to be weaponized.”

  “Vega can do whatever she wants,” Heinrich dismissed with a wave of his hand, “but the Shadow’s power over this ends here. We’re not enemies, Mr. Clay, but if the Shadow attempts to thwart us, we won’t hesitate to obliterate you, Vega, and every agent under her command.”

  “I’ll be sure to pass on the message,” Devon sneered.

  “Oh, I’m sure you will,” Heinrich said, gesturing to Hugo. “Especially once I demonstrate what we can do.”

  Hugo holstered his gun and started toward me. Devon immediately put himself between us. In an instant, the three other men were on him, two holding his arms securely behind his back while the third pointed his rifle at the center of Devon’s chest.

  “Heinrich, haven’t you hurt enough innocent people? Leave the girl alone.”

  But Devon’s words fell on deaf ears as Hugo stepped in front of me. I was rooted to the spot, fear icing my veins. Taking my arm in a crushing grip, Hugo began to drag me toward the glass cage.

  “I’m hardly to blame,” Heinrich replied. “You are the one who insists on toting your weakness with you for all to see, and use. I’m just taking the opportunity you so graciously provided. Be glad you have someone disposable with you. Trust me, you don’t want us to demonstrate on you.”

  At that, I began to fight, realization hitting me too late. But Hugo was impossible to get away from and my heels slid on the floor as I tried to halt our progress to the cage. We reached it and Hugo punched a code into the keypad. The door buzzed and the lock clicked. Moving swiftly, Hugo swung open the door and flung me inside, the door closing soundly behind me.

  I fell hard to the floor, wincing as my hands and knees struck the cold concrete. It took my breath away and I had to take a moment to recover. I rolled to my back and sat up, realizing that the cage wasn’t soundproof as I’d assumed. I could still hear them talking and see them. Puzzled as to why Anna hadn’t shown any response to our presence, I glanced at her. From this position I could see her face turned toward me.

  I screamed and screamed, scrabbling backward away from her until I hit the wall and could
go no farther.

  Anna’s eyes were bloodred, the irises and pupils indistinguishable from the rest of her eye awash in a sea of red. Blood streamed from her nose and mouth, wet against the dark brown of dried blood coating her chin and neck. Patches of livid, raw skin marked her once flawless complexion, and now that I was closer, I saw it on her arms as well. Her fingernails were jagged and bleeding, dried blood caked beneath her nails, as though she’d tried to scratch and claw herself.

  She opened her mouth to reveal a bloody tongue and toothless gums. I stared at her in horror, unable to believe my eyes. A sound gargled in her throat, as though she were trying to speak but was drowning in her own mucus and bile.

  I turned away, my stomach heaving as I retched. The cage smelled foul, the stench of bodily fluids and blood combining to make tears stream from my eyes. I threw up until there was nothing but dry heaves. When I finally turned back, Anna had lifted her head toward where Clive knelt outside the cage. His arms and hands were pressed flat against the glass as he stared at Anna.

  “You see the power I wield, Mr. Clay?” Heinrich asked, his voice sounding tinny through the glass cage. “Do not cross us and do not interfere. Vega would be wise to listen to me, as would you.”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Devon snarled. “This ends here and now.”

  Heinrich laughed outright. “I admire your persistence, I really do,” he said. “But I’m leaving. You have two choices. You can follow me, try to stop me, kill me, whatever Neanderthal plan you can come up with against my men—which will likely fail—or you can stay and attempt to save your plaything.” He glanced at his watch. “In sixty seconds, the timer will release a dose of the virus into the cage. Though it doesn’t survive long, it’ll be long enough, as you can see from Anna’s condition.”

  I couldn’t understand, couldn’t believe what he was saying. I had sixty seconds before being infected with a virus for which there was no cure, the effects of which were literally staring me in the face. My stomach rolled and I thought I was going to throw up again. I swallowed it back down.

  “It’s your choice, Mr. Clay,” Heinrich said, waving a careless hand toward the cage. “And I do hope we won’t meet again.” Giving another nod to the men, they released Devon.