Rafael (24 page)

Kaya still
couldn’t talk. She must have been injected with something because her
neurological system wasn’t working. All she could do was watch. And wait. If
the man wanted her dead, she would most likely already be dead. Obviously he
was waiting, and she was afraid she knew who and what he was waiting on. The
man didn’t speak. He texted someone several times, but he never spoke, not even
to her. She couldn’t answer if he did.

Her captor was
watching a couple of computer monitors. Kaya couldn’t tell what was on them,
but whatever it was made the albino happy. The air was stagnant with smoke. He
lit cigarette after cigarette, watching the screens and checking his phone. Not
once did he look at her. For that, she was grateful. He lit another cigarette
when something on one of the screens sparked his interest. He stood abruptly,
knocking his chair over backwards. He took one last drag and flicked the butt
to the floor. Smoke escaped his nostrils on the exhale.

  He turned
toward Kaya with a syringe in his hand. Oh God, he’s going to kill me, just
like those delegates on the loading dock. This is it. I didn’t get the chance
to tell Rafael that I love him. Oh God, no! Don’t let it be too late!  The
albino stuck the needle in her neck and depressed the plunger, filling her
system with something that made her insides catch on fire. “No!” she yelled.
What the hell? “Why are you doing this Vincent?” Her voice was still a little
squeaky from lack of use but it was coming back. “What do you want with me?”

When he looked
at her confused, she finally got a chance to take in his features.  He wasn’t a
true albino.  Vincent’s eyes were a bright green.  It was like he had been kept
out of the sun his whole life.   He looked toward the door then back to her,
frowning. “Please let me go. Save yourself. You know he’s going to come for me,
and he’s going to save me. I can’t be held responsible for what he does to you,
Vincent. Please, save yourself.”

Kaya’s pleading
had the opposite effect. He smiled at her with an evil grin, turning his
somewhat handsome face into something twisted. A wretched sound came out of his
throat. Was he laughing? She watched in horror as the albino phased in front of
her.  Leathery wings burst through his t-shirt, ripping it apart. He turned
away from her just as the door crashed open and a monster charged Vincent. No,
not a monster: Perseus.

 Her hero in
fighting form was breathtaking.  She couldn’t stop the tears that slid from her
eyes. Kaya was both relieved and terrified at the sight of her lover. Not
because of his physical characteristics. She feared the albino would harm
Rafael.

It was like
witnessing a plane crash. Kaya knew she was seeing what would end in death.  A
lot of it. Yet she couldn’t look away. More people flooded the room. Men she’d
seen with Rafael were fighting their own opponents. Unholy. Rafael had been
right; Kaya had never seen one this close. He’d kept the monsters away from her
for all these years. She was aware of the blood being shed all over the large
room. Fangs were bared, claws gouging and ripping. Rafael slashed his way
through several Unholy while calling out for Kaya. She couldn’t yell loud
enough over the den of fighting for him to hear her.

After what
seemed like an eternity, all of the Unholy were defeated. The rest of the men
backed away as Rafael squared off with the albino. His wings were gone, but his
claws and fangs were bared at her captor. “Where is my mate?” Rage was pouring
off Rafael as he demanded answers.

Rafael was close
to losing it.  He couldn’t see Kaya anywhere and then he heard the most
precious sound in the world. “I’m here, Baby.” Rafael stepped to the side of
Vincent so he could peer around him.  Kaya had been hidden by his wings. He
froze when he saw Kaya sitting unbound but making no attempt at escape. His eyes
snapped back to Vincent as he demanded, “What have you done to my mate you
crazy fuck?”

The albino
didn’t answer, he just retracted his wings then bared his own fangs and
continued watching Rafael.

“Are you all right?
Did he hurt you?” Rafael never took his eyes from the man who was now assessing
his opponent.

“I can’t move.
He injected me with something. But I’m unharmed. Please get me out of here.”
Kaya’s voice was weak and her face was streaked with tears. Rafael never wanted
Kaya to be a witness to what happened when they took down the Unholy, but this
is who he was, who his people were.  Better for her to find out now and be able
to walk away if it was too much to handle.

“I will, Bella
Mia. You just sit tight, and this will be over soon.” Rafael cringed at the
sound coming from his competitor. “So you’re the sick bastard that tried to
take out my mate. You failed. You won’t get another chance.” Rafael was surprised
Vincent was a shifter and not a clone of some sort. “You’re one of us, huh?
Who’s your daddy? He sure as hell isn’t mine. My father wouldn’t sire such a
foul creature as yourself.” The pale man just grunted. He had yet to say a
word. “What’s the matter, cat got your tongue?”

The man growled
as he slashed his claws towards Rafael’s face. Rafe barely dodged the long arm.
“Aww, daddy issues? I bet the only man to make a freak like you would be
Flanagan. But your last name is Alexander. Do you even know who your daddy is?”
He jumped, missing the sweep of Vincent’s leg. Whoever he was, he had trained
extensively. Rafe was glad he’d spent time in the dojo with Frey.

Rafael punched
with fists then slashed with claws. Vincent was just as quick to phase,
blocking and striking back.  Rafe raked his claws down the albino’s chest.  He
quickly retaliated with gashes of his own down Rafael’s arm.

“I guess since
you’re not gonna talk, I’ll put an end to your suffering.” Rafe stopped toying
with him and let his beast loose. After a roundhouse kick to the head that the
albino couldn’t block fast enough, Rafe had him by the throat, claws extended,
digging into the man who tried to kill his woman, his Queen.

“You have
anything to say before I rip your throat out?” His fangs were itching to shred
flesh. The albino just stared at him, eyes dead.

“Rafael, it
would be best if we take him to the Basement for questioning. He might know
where Flanagan is.” Frey was trying to talk him down.

“He’s right
Rafe, we need him alive.” Gregor was in his ear now.

“He doesn’t
deserve to live. He tried to kill Kaya.” Rafe could barely hear his brothers.
The blood raged through his body, pulsing in his ears.

“My King, you
are right, he deserves nothing less than having his intestines ripped out and
twisted around his neck. However, the brothers are correct. If you want to find
out why he was after Kaya, we require him to remain alive. For now.” Dante
added his plea to the others.

Rafael began
squeezing, the blood pouring down Vincent’s neck.

“Please no,
Rafael.” His grip tightened. “My King, please!”  Rafael’s head snapped around
to his woman. “What did you say?”

“I said please
don’t.” Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

 “You called me
your King.”

“I did. I love
you. I want to be with you, be mated to you. I want to be your Queen, if you’ll
have me.” Rafael retracted his claws and dropped Vincent to the floor. Frey and
Gregor moved in and secured the shifter, ready to haul him off to the Basement.

Rafael knelt
down in front of his beautiful mate, cupping her face in his bloody hands. “Are
you sure?”

She didn’t
flinch, didn’t hesitate. “Yes, Rafael, I’m sure.”

Dante gave Kaya
an antidote that counteracted the serum in her system. There were no side
effects, and Rafe was able to take her home immediately. They stopped briefly
at her house to grab some clothes and necessities before heading to the manor.
The Clan had managed to take down all of the Unholy with no human casualties
and, as far as they knew, no human awareness.

Vincent
Alexander’s apartments had been combed for any indication of who hired him to
take out Kaya. Notes were found around his place detailing Rafael and the Clan.
He had been watching them a long time. Schematics of the hotel, as well as
lists of the abandoned warehouses, were lying on the table. They did not find
out why he was after Kaya, but they had to assume he was behind the murders.

With all of the
Unholy that showed up for what they assumed had been a diversion, they now
believed that Vincent was working for Flanagan. Gregor decided to put him in
solitary for a few weeks to see if he would break down and talk, or write.
Vincent being a shifter helped to explain how he was able to slip past Mason,
but that opened up more questions like who exactly was he and where had he come
from.

 Mason
apologized to both Kaya and Rafe and said he understood if they wanted to
transfer him to the west coast. Kaya told him there was nothing to forgive and
she wanted him to stay, if that was okay with Rafael. He agreed as long as Kaya
agreed to take time off from the precinct. She gave him one week.

Kaya called Dane
to let him know she was taking the next few days off and that he should be
expecting a new detective who was transferring in from the west coast. She gave
him instructions on showing Jasper around and getting him settled. She also
briefed him on the events of the night so he could hold the staff meeting the
following morning. Dante let both her and Rafael know that the DNA from the
hotel room matched that of the body found at the warehouse. The victim had been
part shifter, if that was possible. He and Julian were going to team up to
study the blood further. Until they obtained a DNA sample from Magnus Flanagan,
there was no way to be sure he was the deceased.

Rafael had quite
a bit of Clan business to attend to, but he spent as much time with Kaya as
possible. While he was at the office, she familiarized herself with the manor
and the grounds. Kaya was taking the week to reflect on her job and her future
with Rafael. Ultimately, she knew she would continue on as chief.

She and
Priscilla spent much time talking and getting to know one another. The older
lady was a wealth of knowledge when it came to the shifters and their ways. The
crisp, autumn air combined with the solitude of the garden allowed Kaya the
perfect place when she needed time alone.

Many of the
brothers came and went, treating Kaya like she was already one of the family.
When she would get overwhelmed, Priscilla would talk her down and preoccupy her
mind with cooking or tales about various brothers. Her favorite stories were
about Nikolas and Julian. Even well over five hundred years old, they still
acted like competitive siblings.

With Mason once
again acting as her bodyguard, Kaya went back to her house to get ready for the
ball. When Priscilla found out Kaya didn’t have a mask, she had taken the
liberty of ordering one for her. Since Rafael asked her to wear her hair down,
it wasn’t necessary to go to a salon to have it styled. She threw the hot
rollers in while applying a little make-up and listening to the radio.

She didn’t care
that Mason was in the living room and could hear her singing and dancing. The
high she was on was a Rafael Stone induced feeling. If she could bottle it,
she’d be a rich woman. She heard Mason talking to someone and figured she
better finish getting dressed. He called out, “Miss Kane, your King awaits.”

She sighed. Her
King. She would never get used to that.

The limousine
pulled up in front of the Stone Civic Center. Rafael stepped out, mask in
place. He watched a long leg stretch out, foot touching the ground. Kaya held
her hand out to him, and he took it, helping her out of the car. The brothers
were scattered inside and out, those on the inside having procured invitations.

Rafe held his
arm out for his beautiful date. She hooked her arm around his, and they made
their way inside. Cameras flashed as soon as they stepped through the door.
Rafe felt Kaya stiffen under the scrutiny. “Relax, Love,” he whispered in her
ear. He was the one who should be tensing, but he felt great. For the first
time in his life he felt like he was where he should be, escorting his woman to
an event that meant something to her.

Even though Kaya
was wearing a mask, hiding her blonde hair and long legs was difficult. She was
immediately recognized and the Governor, Mayor, Commissioner, and various
others who held office made their way to her saying hello and asking how she
was faring since her abduction. Unless pushed, she didn’t introduce Rafael.
When she was left no choice, she said his name was Roberto Gianni. Roberto was
his middle name and Gianni was his a shortened version of his mother’s maiden
name. He allowed his Italian accent to flow from his tongue when required to
speak.

Rafael grabbed
two glasses of champagne when the waiter passed by and handed one to Kaya. “To
the beginning of a beautiful future, I toast you, Amore Mia.” He tapped his
glass to hers and took a sip. When she didn’t follow suite, he frowned at her.
“Kaya, what’s wrong? Do you not like champagne?”

“Yes, I do but
you called me
your
love
. I...It’s just...” She didn’t finish.

“Let us dance,
yes?” He swallowed the rest of his drink and took her glass, setting them both
down on a nearby table. He led her to the dance floor and pulled her close.
“Now tell me, what is wrong? Are you having second thoughts?” He whispered in
her ear so that only she could hear.

She pulled back
and looked up into his eyes. “I’ve always thought with the job I have that I
would end up alone. Now, here I am, in love with you and it scares me. I just
met you Raf…Roberto. I haven’t known you long, and this thing between us makes
me wonder if it really is love or something else.”

“If it is
something else, is that so bad? Tell me, Kaya, do you think of me upon waking,
before you go to sleep, while you are in the shower, when you are drinking your
coffee, when you are staring in awe at the glorious stars in the sky? Do you
think of me as I think of you? If that isn’t love then I don’t know what is.
And regardless of why I feel the way I do, all I know is I can’t imagine
not
wanting to feel this way.”

Kaya pulled him
closer allowing him to lead her around the dance floor to song after song. When
the Governor asked everyone to take their seats, Rafe was hard pressed to let
her go. The dress she wore was showing enough skin that he was certain every
man in the room was feeling as he did. If the night didn’t end soon, he was
going to find a dark corner and discover if she was wearing panties.

The Governor
kept his speech short, awards were given, and dinner was served. Kaya excused
herself to the restroom and Rafe followed her as far as was appropriate. He
waited for a few minutes then reached out with his hearing. Hers was the only
heartbeat in the ladies’ room, and he could hear her talking to herself. Before
she could think too much, he joined her. She gasped when she saw him enter the
door. “Rafael! This is the women’s restro…” He pulled his mask off his face and
tossed it on the vanity next to hers. His mouth crashed down onto hers as he
pushed her back into the wall. He slid his hand up the split of her dress,
feeling higher until he got to her ass. Her bare ass. A growl came from deep in
his chest as he pressed his hardening cock against her.

Kaya wrapped her
leg around his thigh pulling him closer. His hand found purchase between her
legs and he began rubbing her clit. “Kaya, if I don’t get you out of here, we
are going to be arrested for indecent exposure, because I am about five seconds
away from ripping that beautiful dress off and fucking you right here against
the wall. Please tell me we can go.”

“We can go.” She
didn’t release him immediately. She pulled him into another heated kiss full of
tongue and teeth. Really sharp teeth.

Rafe stepped
back and pulled his phone from the inside pocket of his tuxedo jacket.
“Jonathan, please pull around to the back door.” He made sure Kaya’s dress was
back in place then he pulled on her hand, leading her out of the restroom. Just
before they hit the back door, they met Dante. “We are leaving. If anyone is
looking for Kaya, she isn’t feeling well and asked that I take her home.”

“Yes, my
Brother.” Dante turned toward the banquet room and stood sentry, giving Rafael
and Kaya time to make their exit with no interference.

The limousine
was idling at the curb outside the back entrance. Jonathan was holding the
backdoor open, allowing Rafe and Kaya to slide in. He returned to the driver’s
seat. “Home, Sir?” He asked Rafe, looking in the rearview mirror.

“Yes, please.”
Rafael raised the privacy screen and pulled Kaya into his lap. “You have no
idea what you do to me,” he groaned against her neck as he pulled her dress up
around her waist. He situated her so that she was straddling his lap. He pushed
his hand between them and found her wet folds, stroking softly with his fingers
as he continued kissing her throat. He let his fangs break free of their skin
enclosure and gently scraped her shoulder. The gasp that escaped her was caught
in his mouth as he once again pressed their lips together.

“I want to feel
your pussy around my fingers, Kaya. I want you to come for me, like this. Can
you do that?”

“Yes,” she answered
breathlessly. Kaya held onto his shoulders and leaned back, giving him room to
maneuver his fingers in and out of her body, circling her clit with his thumb.
With his free hand, he pushed her dress off her shoulder, releasing a breast.
He noticed a scar that appeared to be a gunshot wound. Gently, he brushed his
mouth across the puckered skin then turned his attention to a different kind of
pucker. Rafe sucked her already taut nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue
over the tip. He nipped the skin around her areola, careful not to bring blood
with his fangs. The sensation pushed her over the edge. As soon as the sharp
tips scraped her skin, she rocked back and forth on his fingers, calling his
name with her release.

Rafe felt the
car slow as Jonathan pulled into the driveway. He righted Kaya’s dress and
pulled her mouth to his for a soft, sensual kiss. “We’re home, Love.”