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“Hey, Sam. How’s that empath list coming along?”
Ella paused at her associate’s cubicle and concealed a smile as he jumped a foot in the air and hastily clicked away from whatever social media site he’d been on. His thick red hair stood up on end as if he hadn’t brushed it for a week, and she was sure he’d been wearing the same T-shirt for three days straight. He made even her look respectable.
“It’s going okay. I’ll have it for you by the end of the week.” He leaned back in his chair and looked at her. “The survival rate for empaths isn’t very good, is it?”
“No.” She rubbed a small circle on the back of his faded T-shirt. This wasn’t something she could make light of with another empath. “But males tend to deal with it better than females.”
He didn’t smile. “I’m definitely getting a mate when I’m twenty-seven.”
“Good for you.” Ella straightened and turned away.
“Why haven’t you got one?”
She decided not to answer him, and instead headed for her office. She sat down at her desk and rubbed her hands over her face. It had been a horrible week. She’d attended both Christa and Laney’s funerals, Vadim and Alexei at her side, but there had been no sign of the Siren. Sam had confirmed that the OCOS correspondence between the empaths and their intended mates had been authentic and that both women were connected with the correct mates. They had also turned up nothing about the two men, who seemed to be just what they were supposed to be.
Everyone was on edge, knowing that another killing was likely unless they made some kind of breakthrough in the case. And yet there was nothing to go on. Nothing at all. The Siren had disappeared as silently as he had emerged.
Her birthday was fast approaching and Feehan was starting to give her concerned looks as her concentration wavered and her temper got shorter. Even Liz and Alexei had started to tread warily around her. The only person who seemed unaffected by her bitchiness was Vadim. In fact, he’d been almost too nice and over-protective of her for the last few days. But then he was convinced she was unstable anyway, and was already expecting the worst.
Ella sighed and peered through her fingers at her backpack. She’d had another letter from Otherworld and she was avoiding opening it. She stood up. Coffee first. The letter second.
When she returned to her desk, she shut the door and took out the now-familiar brown envelope from Otherworld. She placed it in front of her and slowly drank her coffee, hoping the kick of the caffeine would shield her from the contents of the note. She also spared a thought for the poor male who had been picked for her and who was currently oblivious to the fact that his fate hung in the balance. He would only find out about her if she agreed to go ahead with the match.
And she wouldn’t do that—would she? Her fingers trembled as she slit open the flap and then shook out the single sheet of typewritten paper.
Dear Empath,
As you approach your most significant birthday, OCOS is delighted to present you with the name and some basic information about your pre-approved mate…
She read it through once and then read it again. “God, no.”
If you wish to meet with this male, please reply with all speed to the address at the top of this form.
If you choose not to accept this offer, we wish you well with the remainder of your short and painful existence.
Yours in anticipation,
The OCOS team.
She shot to her feet, then stormed out of her office, straight for the smaller conference room where she could see Alexei and Vadim. They both looked up as she screeched to a halt in front of them.
“May I speak to you, Morosov?” She glared at Alexei. “Alone?”
Alexei disappeared, slamming the door behind him in his haste. She held out the letter to Vadim.
“Did you know about this?” He took the letter from her and read it through before tossing it on the table. “Well?”
He stood up and looked at her, one hand resting on the table, which started to rock. “ Fucking hell .”
“Why would they pick you?”
“I don’t know. I swear to God I didn’t have anything to do with it.”
She took a deep breath and retrieved the letter. “It doesn’t have to change anything. I don’t have to accept the match. Hang on. Why aren’t you as furious as I am?”
“Because I received a letter, too.” He opened the drawer of his desk, drew out a familiar brown envelope and tossed it on the table.
“When the hell did you get that?”
He shrugged. “I can’t remember.”
“You lying fuck.” She snatched the envelope, took out the letter and read it out loud.
“Dear Potential Mate,
Thank you so much for your application for the position of psychic mate and anchor to one of our world’s most misunderstood subspecies—the empath. Your sacrifice enables our two great nations to live in harmony, offers you the opportunity to reside in either domain, and significantly impacts your quality of life.
When your potential mate contacts our office to accept you, we will be in touch.
Thank you again, and good luck!
*More details will be provided when your offer is accepted.
The OCOS team.”
She scrunched the letter into a ball, then threw it at Vadim, who didn’t even flinch.
“When did you know about this?” Her voice shook but there was nothing she could do about it.
“I wasn’t one hundred percent sure until I got the letter.”
“Okay, so when did you suspect something was up?”
“When I went into Alexei’s Fae-Web. Our fates seemed far too closely aligned. I assumed it meant we might have an affair, but when I got this, I realized the Fae-Web might be indicating a more permanent arrangement.”
“And you didn’t think to share that with me?”
“Why the hell would I? Do you think I was happy about it?” he snapped. “The last thing I need is to be trapped into another damaging emotional relationship with an empath.”
“And so you said nothing. Didn’t it occur to you that if you’d mentioned it earlier, I might’ve been able to find another mate?”
He retrieved the mangled letter and straightened it out, smoothing the paper with his long fingers, his gaze averted. “Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone knows that OCOS mates are the best possible matches for empaths. It’s one of the rare things that both governments agree on.” He met her gaze and she could still see the cold fury in his blue eyes. He liked to be manipulated about as much as she did.
“Listen, if it stops you from going mad, I’ll do it.”
“ What ?”
“It might work.”
“I couldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t do that to anyone .”
“Look, just think about it, will you?” He retreated behind his desk and pretended to shuffle his papers around.
She studied him closely. “Are you really that desperate not to fuck up this case?”
A muscle flexed in his jaw. “If that’s what you want to believe, go ahead. I’ve made my position clear.”
She folded her letter, then stuffed it into her pocket. “And I think I’ve made mine clear too.”
She turned and walked out, back to the sanctity of her office where she sat down and tried to make sense of the horrible, awful mess her life had become. Had she secretly decided to take the match OCOS offered her? Was that why she was so angry when she realized it was Vadim? Shouldn’t that make it better? She knew him. He was a great cook, had an awesome bod and tolerated her far better than the average person. How the hell had he gotten mixed up in this and why was he willing to go through with it?
Another far more awful thought occurred to her. Had the SBLE connived with OCOS to produce Vadim as her mate? Was her government determined that she stay sane enough to finish investigating this case? Vadim’s superiors certainly didn’t love him. Was that why he’d been so furious? Even though he hadn’t shared his earlier suspicions with her, this was no picnic for him either. Ella let out a shaky breath and considered her options. She could leave early and have everyone wondering whether she’d finally cracked up, or she could tough it out, show everyone—and by everyone she meant Morosov—that she was totally in control.
A knock on the door made her sit up straight. “Come in.”
Liz put her head around the door. “Are you okay?”
Ella found a smile from somewhere. “I’m good. What’s up?”
“Feehan’s called a progress meeting.” Liz made a face. “I’m not sure why because there isn’t any, but it makes him feel better.”
“I’ll just get some more coffee and I’ll be right there.” She heaved herself to her feet and joined Liz in the hallway.
“Are you sure you’re okay, hon?” Liz asked. “Alexei said you were shouting at Vadim earlier.”
“What’s new? You know how we are. I definitely need more coffee.”
“You can’t afford to alienate him, Ella,” Liz said quietly. “He’s important both to the case and to you.”
“So I gather.”
She went into the conference room carefully avoiding looking at the whiteboard, which still showed pictures of Christa and Laney. Unfortunately, it meant she found herself looking straight at Vadim, who still reverberated with fury. She put her coffee on the table and got out her cell. She’d play a few rounds of zombie golf while she waited for Feehan to show up.
Eventually Feehan called the meeting to order and asked for updates. Sam raised his hand and Feehan smiled at him.
“What do you have for us?”
“I’ve tracked down a couple more of the empaths that graduated with Ella.” Sam consulted his notes. “Both of them are dead.”
Ella winced.
“By what cause?” Alexei asked.
“Jennifer Barton took an overdose and Maria Cordova was in a fatal car accident.”
“Do you have any more details?”
Sam looked up. “What else do you want to know?”
“Were there any suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths? Police reports, autopsies, that kind of thing?” Alexei said patiently.
“I can find out.” Sam hesitated. “It does seem weird though, doesn’t it? All these empaths dying so young.”
“Tell me about it,” Ella said and then became aware that everyone was staring at her sympathetically. “But Sam has a point. The death rate for my particular graduating class does seem remarkably high, even for empaths.”
“Anything else?” Feehan looked around the table. Everyone shook their heads. “Well, keep looking, Sam. I’m sure we’re going to find something soon.”
Everyone except Sam and Ella stood up and started to leave. Ella looked over at Sam’s glum face. “What’s up?”
He heaved an exaggerated sigh. “I wanted to get home early today. It’s the weekend.”
“You go. Send me the files. I’ve got nothing much going on.”
“Are you serious?” Sam started to smile. “That’s awesome. I’ll shoot the files over to you right now.”
“You’re welcome.”
Ella watched him practically skip away and found herself trying to remember when she’d last been that happy. She didn’t begrudge him a moment of it. In six years’ time, he’d be feeling just like she was. But he’d already decided to take a mate, hadn’t he? Maybe shadowing her for the past few months had convinced him that it was the only option.
* * *
When she next checked the time, it was far later than she’d realized and the office was curiously silent. Even Feehan slipped out early on Fridays to avoid the traffic and get home for the weekend. Her investigations into the other empaths hadn’t cheered her up much either. She had a strong suspicion that both Jennifer Barton and Maria Cordova hadn’t died by accident. It seemed as if the authorities were so hung up on the idea of empaths choosing to kill themselves that they swept all the deaths under the rug regardless. Whether that was to avoid bad publicity, or to cut down on the paperwork, she didn’t have a clue.
She stretched and turned her computer off, aware of a headache beckoning and that she had no plans for the weekend ahead. Since Laney’s death, she’d lost interest in going out entirely. She didn’t even want to have sex. Well, that wasn’t quite true; she wanted to have sex with Vadim Morosov but every woman on the planet probably felt the same way.
But he’d offered to become her mate… Because he hated to lose a case.
Ella picked up her backpack and headed for the door. She’d get some beer and a pizza, pick up some old movies and have a weekend in her jammies. She didn’t have many more before she lost it, so she might as well do what she wanted.
In an effort to conserve energy, the main lights had already been dimmed and the office seemed deserted. She got herself some more coffee and checked the time of the next ferry back to Tiburon. If she walked quickly, she’d make it.
As she wandered out toward the bank of elevators, she felt a presence behind her and the sharp, familiar scent of citrus.
“Hey, Morosov.”
Vadim came up alongside her. “Hi.”
One of Madison’s favorite phrases came into Ella’s mind. Awkward . “You’re here late.”
“I was checking out some of the foreign empath graduates for Sam. I speak several European languages and he was struggling with interpreting the data.”
“You mean he wanted to get home for his hot and heavy weekend.”
He didn’t smile. “That too.”
“How did your research go?”
“Bad, Ms. Walsh. If you include Natasha, all the Russian empaths are dead.”
“And no one noticed?”
“Since the fall of communism, the various governments have been busy dealing with a lot more important issues than the lack of empaths.”
“There’s no need to be so patronizing. I do know what’s going on in the rest of the world.”
He didn’t reply, his gaze fixed on the call button for the elevator.
She couldn’t think of anything else to say, and turned instead to the stairs. “Damn it.”
“What?”
She pointed at the yellow and black tape festooned over the entrance to the stairwell. “How did I miss that? The stairs are shut for maintenance.”
“The elevators are working.”
She shivered. “I hate small spaces.”
“It’s only one floor up.” He pressed the illuminated call button. “You can hold my hand if you like.”
“I’m not quite that pathetic.” The elevator doors opened and she forced herself to step inside.
“It will only take a minute, Ms. Walsh.”
She couldn’t even look at him, her attention focused on the doors, and the upward motion of the elevator. A faint ding heralded their arrival and she was finally able to let out her breath.
“See? That wasn’t so bad,” Vadim said.
Ella didn’t deign to answer him, and stepped as close to the doors as she could. As they started to open, she stared fixedly at the narrow slit of white marble in the lobby. A sudden jolt sent her rocking back on her heels. Vadim caught her as the elevator made a terrible screeching sound and started to fall back down the shaft.
“Hold on to me!”
Vadim pulled her into his arms and curled his body around hers, drawing them both down to the floor and using his magic to protect them from the impact. Her scream exploded against his chest as the elevator hit the bottom of the shaft and everything went black.
He opened his eyes into complete darkness. Ella was fighting his hold, her breathing ragged, her nails slashing at his skin.
“Ms. Walsh, get a grip.” He grabbed hold of her upper arms and held her as still as he could. “ Ella .”
She shuddered so convulsively he felt it resonate through his own body. “I have to get out of here, right now . Don’t you get it?”
“Listen to me.” He gave her a gentle shake. “ Listen . We’ll get out of here. We only fell a couple of levels.”
“I don’t care how far we fell, I have to get out!”
“Take some deep breaths and help me think this through.” She tried to pull away from him, but he held tight. “Is your cell working?”
He relaxed his grip sufficiently to allow her to forage in her pocket. She pulled out her smart phone and clicked on the screen. Nothing happened and she moaned.
“Try mine. It’s in the pocket of my pants.”
She retrieved his phone, but there was no response from his network either.
“Oh fuck,” Ella breathed. “Oh fuckety-fuck.”
“It’s probably because this part of the building is magically warded against the outside.”
“Not helpful, Morosov.” She took a deep trembling breath. “Can’t you use your magic to get us out?”
He considered the space around him. “I don’t think that’s going to work either.” He wasn’t sure if she sensed it yet, but he was aware of plenty of magical power encircling them already. Unfortunately, he had no idea if the magic was benign or hostile.
“Why not?”
“I’m probably not powerful enough to break through the SBLE shields by myself.”
He wasn’t sure if that was true, but he didn’t want to use up all his power in case there was worse trouble ahead. He also didn’t want to mention that to Ella.
“Can you contact Alexei?”
He tried. “No, there is something blocking my thoughts.”
“Something from Otherworld?”
“I don’t know. It could just as easily be the SBLE.”
“Then what are we going to do?” Her breathing fragmented again. “We’re going to die down here, and no one will ever find us.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “No, we’re not.”
“I’m going to die anyway, but it’s not fair to you.”
He kissed her nose and she made a growling noise. “Don’t be so negative. There are other options to explore.”
“Like what?”
“There should be an alarm button to push somewhere. We could start with that.”
“They usually only ring within the building and I bet everyone has gone home for the weekend.”
“Let’s find it anyway.”
He crawled across to where he thought the doors were, eventually bumping his knee against the steel plated metal. Kneeling up, he felt over the smooth surface until he discovered the control panel. He systematically pressed every button he found, but nothing lit up.
“Morosov?”
“I’m right here.”
“I can’t hear any alarms going off.” Neither could he.
“We’re trapped, aren’t we?”
He turned back to her. “Just for the moment. There might be a remote alarm that rings straight through to the fire department.”
“The air is going to run out and we’ll suffocate.”
He found her hand. “We won’t. This thing isn’t sealed. There’s plenty of air coming in for just the two of us.”
“Stop being so fucking reasonable!”
“It won’t help if we both panic, will it?”
“Shut up .” She squeezed his hand so hard he heard his bones crack. “I just want to get out of here.”
“We could try and climb out.”
“You’re right. There has to be a service hatch. How are we going to reach it?”
“You could stand on my shoulders?”
“Do you really think that would work?”
“I don’t see why not.” He pulled her to her feet. “Put your backpack and jacket down, take off your shoes and climb up to my shoulders.”
She took off her jacket and he caught hold of her around the waist. “Go on.”
She scaled him with an ease that reminded him that she had older brothers. He steadied himself as she tentatively knelt on his shoulders.
“I can’t see a thing.”
“Use your hands. Aim for the center of the space.”
“There’s something there, but I can’t…” He almost staggered as she pushed upward. “I can’t make it move.”
“Slow down and think it through. Tell me what you can feel of the mechanism.”
“There’s a square hatch about two foot wide. In the center of it is a wheel-type thing, and at one corner there is some kind of latch.”
“Okay, so you probably need to turn the wheel and then somehow use the latch.”
“Easy for you to say.”
He kept quiet while she obviously fought with the mechanism. “I can’t do it. I’m not strong enough.” She slithered back down to the ground and he held her in his arms. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t move it even an inch.” He kept holding her, aware of the frantic beat of her heart against his and the fear shuddering through her.
“And there’s another thing.”
“What?” he murmured into her sweet-smelling hair.
“There’s a shitload of magic swirling around down here. Even if we did get out I’m worried about what we’d encounter next.” She swallowed hard. “Do you think the Siren had anything to do with this?”
“I’m not sure, but I don’t like the feel of it, either.”
She sagged against him. “Then we’re stuck. I know I’m not due to go nuts until my birthday, but I think I’ll make a start now.”
He took a deep breath. “There is one alternative.”
“What?”
“You won’t like it.”
“Tell me.”
“You really won’t like it.”
“Tell me!”
“If we were a mated pair, we might double our powers.”
“What exactly does ‘might’ mean?”
“Mated couples take on some of their partners’ magic abilities.”
“But I don’t have any.”
“You do, but I have a lot more.”
“And how would that help us?”
“If we doubled my magic, we might be strong enough to find a way through that escape hatch.”
She rested her head against his chest and he closed his eyes. Anger shook through him. He had a terrible sense that they were both being manipulated, but he had no idea by whom.
“Are you just saying this because you want to have sex with me?”
“Yes, that’s it, Ms. Walsh. I just want to fuck you before I die. I set this all up to get in your pants.” He took a steadying breath. “It’s your decision. We can wait it out, and hope someone raises the alarm, or we can mate and try and save ourselves.”
“You don’t sound very happy about it.”
“What do you expect? It’s not exactly a great situation is it?”
She touched his cheek, her thumb catching the corner of his mouth. “It’s not exactly fair either. If we go ahead, I get all the benefits and you get saddled with a mate for life.”
“I already offered to mate with you.”
“But what happens when you find a woman you really love and want to marry?”
“Ella, we don’t have time to discuss this in depth right now. Either accept me or wait it out. I’m okay with either option.”
She rested against him, her body still trembling.
“I don’t want to go mad and die, Morosov,” she whispered.
“Then live.”
* * *
Ella breathed in his warm citrus scent and heard the reassuring boom of his heart. Could she do it? It was a momentous step, but at this moment, with her fear driving her, she wanted to clutch at his offer and run with it.
“It would just be about sex, right?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“We don’t have to get all emotional around each other?”
“No, we don’t.”
He sounded so calm and reassuring that she suspected she was dreaming. She opened her eyes but they were still stuck in the elevator. How long had they been there now? How quickly would someone come and rescue them? Dread crowded her reason and her fingernails dug into Vadim’s flesh.
“I can’t wait. I need to get out of here.”
“Then let’s sit on the floor.”
He drew her down until his back was against the side of the elevator and she was straddling his lap, facing him.
“What if we’re rescued in the middle?”
“We’ll hear them coming and we can stop.”
Was there a hint of resignation in Vadim’s voice or was she imagining it? For the first time in her life since she was five she felt vulnerable and terrified. Her intellect told her it wasn’t a good time to be making life-altering decisions, but her instincts screamed at her to take what Vadim offered her and change her destiny.
He cupped the back of her head and brought his mouth close to hers.
“It’s okay, Ella. Just kiss me and try and forget everything else.”
She almost snorted. The man was so conceited! And then his lips touched hers, and she was kissing him back, both of them igniting, mouths fused together in a deep, passionate kiss she hadn’t expected. Imminent death obviously had more of an impact on the libido than she realized. Lust shuddered through her and she rocked against him, felt his already hard cock jerk beneath the fabric of his pants.
His hand was on her ass, pressing her even more closely against him, making her sex ache and throb.
She shoved a hand between them and worked on his belt buckle and the button of his pants, heard his breath hiss out as she stroked his cotton-clad erection.
“Wait.” He caught her hand. “You need to get out of those jeans.”
“Dammit!” She returned to kissing him even as they both struggled to unzip her jeans and shove them down. Not caring how she looked, Ella managed to wiggle out of one leg, taking her panties with the jeans. While she fought her way out of the denim, Vadim lifted his hips and pulled down his pants and briefs. When she lowered herself over him, the heat and stiffness of his wet cock surged against her.
He kissed her hard as she rocked back and forth over him until he slid inside, making them both moan. His hips arched forward, driving him deeper, and she took him in greedily until she could feel every thick, throbbing inch. One touch of his fingertip against her clit and she was coming around him. With a savage sound he thrust even deeper, his other hand on her hip controlling her movement, keeping him deep.
Another climax threatened. She gasped against his mouth as a succession of psychic sensations threatened to overwhelm her. She could see herself, feel Vadim’s satisfaction, his uninhibited sensual enjoyment of her body, of her mind… She’d never felt such perfect symmetry with another sexual being before in her life. It was the most amazing feeling in the world.
“ God …” she breathed. Felt the word resonate through his mind, and his primitive response. Not human, not human at all. Underneath that beautiful exterior was a complex beast. His magical power swamped her and made her second climax so sharply edged with pleasure that she forgot to breathe. Even as she shuddered around his shaft he kept on drawing her pleasure within himself, her fear, her power, her everything …
She collapsed over him as he climaxed, the roar of his emotions so powerful that she almost blacked out. Whatever happened next, she’d just had the most incredible sex of her life—maybe enough to let her die happy. She had no idea how long they stayed like that, neither of them wanting to disengage, neither of them wanting to face the enormity of what they had just done. She opened her eyes. Or maybe it was just her. Had Vadim felt the same? She could hardly ask him. Reluctantly, she sat up. His cock kicked up inside her and then slid free.
“Are you okay?” Vadim asked. He sounded as shaken as she felt. She tried to see his expression but it was impossible in the darkness. “Do you need a handkerchief? I have one in my pocket.”
“Thanks.”
She moved off his lap, and set about straightening her clothing. She was glad that he couldn’t see her properly because she was sure she looked wrecked.
“How do you feel?”
“I’m not sure.” She finished zipping her jeans. “How should I feel?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never mated anyone before.” He reached out and took her hand. “I felt you in my head, though. Did you feel me?”
“Yes.” The touch of his hand made her feel breathless. She wanted him again. Wanted him right now… She pulled away. “This is weird.”
“I know.” He hesitated. “Suddenly, I don’t care about getting out of here.”
“Well, I do.” She balked at his intimate tone. “It’s just sex, remember? Now should we try that service hatch again?”
He cleared his throat. “When you get up there and find the hatch, open your mind and I’ll feed some magic through to you, okay?”
Vadim sounded remarkably composed for someone who had just had amazing sex in an elevator. Far too composed, actually. Ella made sure to almost kick him in the nuts as she scaled him to sit on his shoulders.
“Okay, I’ve found the wheel.”
“Keep still.” She felt the strange sensation of magical power flowing through her fingertips and the wheel started to spin until there was a creaking sound.
“Now try the latch.”
She reached for it and it sprang free, allowing her to push on the panel and reveal the still, fetid blackness above the elevator. Even though she hadn’t been short of air, the sight of the open escape hatch made her breathe more easily.
“What now?” she asked.
“Get down, and we’ll make sure the elevator is set in the off position. We don’t want it starting up as we’re climbing out.”
“That would be bad.” She climbed down and waited while Vadim searched the control panel once more.
“Got it. I think.”
She found herself touching his sleeve. “So how are we both going to get out of there?”
“Do you remember all your jokes about me being a chicken?”
“How could I forget them?”
“Well, we’re going to use that flying ability to help us get out of this elevator shaft quickly.”
“I can fly now?”
She sensed him smile. “Not quite. We’ll start by you climbing out onto the top of the elevator and then wait for me to join you. You’ll have a better sense of balance and the ability to jump higher and faster.”
“Like a helicopter?”
“Sort of. You’ll notice the difference when you have to jump or reach for something.”
Ella glanced dubiously up at the hatch and then back at Vadim’s broad shoulders. “Will you fit through there?”
“I have no choice.” He cupped her cheek, his fingers warm. “I can’t let you go by yourself, now, can I?”
“It’s okay. If you got stuck, I could probably manage it from here and get help.”
He kissed her softly on the lips. “Thank you. Now up you go. I’ll bring your backpack and jacket up with me.”
She did as he asked and managed to pull herself out of the service hatch without any issues. It really did feel as if she had an extra spring in her step. Whether Vadim’s magic was still helping her or not, she didn’t care. It took all her resolve to neither look up or down, but to concentrate on the small square of the hatch where she hoped to see Vadim emerge. Magic swirled around in the heated darkness and Ella raised her shields. One minute she was alone and the next Vadim crouched beside her.
“There should be a ladder against one of the walls.” Vadim’s shoulder brushed hers as he leaned forward. “Ah, here it is. Do you want to go first?”
Before he even finished speaking, she was reaching for the ladder and grabbing the metal rungs. She started climbing and again, found it easier than she had anticipated. Had she gained Vadim’s legendary fitness along with his magic? That was something she was more than willing to appropriate.
It seemed to take forever to reach the first set of metal doors that led back into the SBLE offices and the obstructed stairs.
“Should we keep going?”
“It’s up to you. We can try and get in here or head up to the lobby level.” Vadim’s voice echoed from below her. “How do you feel?”
“Not too bad. I think I’d like to keep going.”
She suited her actions to her words and kept climbing, her gaze fixed on each rung of the ladder as she took hold of it.
“There’s a light up ahead,” he called. “I wonder if the lobby elevator doors are open?”
“That would be really cool.” She was tiring now, her breath coming out in great big puffs. She kept climbing, though, and saw the light spill over onto the ladder making the metal glint gunmetal gray.
“It’s about five meters above you, Ella. Keep going.”
“What the hell is a meter?” She kept going, her hands aching from gripping the bars so tightly. Light flooded into the elevator shaft now and she was finally able to place a hand on the cold white marble floor of the lobby and crawl out. There was no one there to see her dramatic entry so she stayed on the floor facedown like a landed fish and just appreciated the space around her.
“Are you all right?”
She rolled over onto her back and stared at Vadim. He looked the same, but different, as if she no longer saw just the outer, beautiful shell. There was something in his eyes that made her feel a soul deep connection to him…
What the crap was she thinking? Survival had obviously turned her brain to mush.
“Thanks.” She struggled to stand up, avoiding his proffered hand. “I really should be getting home now.” Without another word, she headed for the outer doors. He caught up with her on the sidewalk. It was surprisingly dark outside, the long shadows of the high buildings turning everything a murky brown.
“Ella. Ms. Walsh, I don’t think you are in any fit state to go home on the ferry alone.” He glanced at his watch. “In fact, you might have missed the last one.”
With distant surprise, she realized she was trembling and that the last thing she wanted to do was be alone.
“I have to get home and lie down. I’m a wreck.”
He took her hand and she swayed toward him. “Come back to the hotel with me.”
“I can’t do that.”
His grip tightened. “And I can’t leave you alone. You are too vulnerable to meet anything from Otherworld tonight.”
“Says who?”
He met her gaze. “Me. And before you get mad, I feel the same. We’re both vulnerable at the moment.” His thumb caressed hers. “Come back to the hotel. You can stay in my room and I’ll bunk up with Alexei.”
“You can’t tell him.”
“Tell him what?”
“About us having sex.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want anyone to know.”
“But…”
“Morosov, you should be agreeing with me. If Alexei finds out you’re fucking another empath on your team, you’ll be hauled back to Russia so fast your ears will bleed.”
He studied her for a long moment. “Okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“I won’t say anything for the moment, but someone is going to notice if you don’t go crazy on schedule.”
“We’ll deal with that when it happens.” She pulled out of his grasp. “You never know, maybe we’ll have solved the case before that and you’ll be gone.”
He didn’t look convinced. “But you’ll come back to the hotel?”
Ella’s whole body shook with exhaustion. “Okay.” She let him reclaim her hand and walk her through the streets. It wasn’t her style, but for once she needed the physical support, his support if she was honest. At some point during their fiery sexual encounter she’d felt more connected to him, more sure of him than of any other person in her life before. And that incredible sensation of trust still lingered. Dammit, she had no intention of delving into that emotional minefield until she’d slept on the matter—preferably alone.
Vadim ushered her into his hotel room and gave her a passkey.
“I’ll be right next door if you need anything.”
“Thanks, I’ll definitely holler.”
“You don’t even need to do that.” He tapped her forehead. “Just call me.”
“How?”
“Think it.”
She scowled at him. “Damn it, Morosov, don’t get all odd on me. I’m too tired.”
He kissed her forehead where he’d tapped it. “Get some sleep.”
She closed the door in his face and wandered in to inspect his room. It was incredibly neat and not just because housekeeping had been in. There wasn’t a single garment thrown on the floor, an open suitcase or a discarded book. When she got the chance to stay in a hotel she positively enjoyed throwing her stuff everywhere. Ella went into the bathroom and surveyed the ranks of Vadim’s cleaning products, his electric razor and his two types of aftershave.
A shower would be good. Her whole body ached. She put on the water and amused herself messing up the order of Vadim’s stuff. When she stepped under the water, she sighed and tried to relax. The scent of Vadim’s lovemaking curled around her and she thought back on those few frantic, possibly life changing minutes. She’d never think about elevators in the same way again…
* * *
Vadim shut the door into Alexei’s upgraded suite and listened carefully. He suspected his friend was out, but you never knew with Fae and he didn’t want to deal with Alexei right now. Fae were far too good at detecting sex. Vadim picked his way through Alexei’s discarded belongings and went into the bathroom. A shower would revive him and then he could go and check on Ella.
Ella.
With a sigh, Vadim sat on the edge of the toilet seat and contemplated what he’d done. There had seemed no other option. He had a terrible sense that from the moment he’d walked back into Otherworld he’d been compromised. But why this? Why a human mate? Was it some kind of punishment? He raked his fingers through his hair. There wasn’t any point in trying to understand. He of all males knew that the ways of Otherworld were beyond comprehension. If they wanted him to know why, someone would make sure to come and spell it out for him.
With a groan, he stood up. He didn’t want to stay with Alexei. He wanted to be in the shower with Ella and then in bed with her. Maybe he’d let her out after a week or two, but it would be close…
“ Shit ,” Vadim muttered. “This is bad.”
Mating with her had set off all sorts of instincts that he’d very carefully quashed. If he disappeared, left his job and his painstakingly built identity, what would happen to Ella? Did a mated empath still go mad if they were abandoned or was it now a done deal? He groaned, the sound echoing in the tiled space. But he couldn’t disappear completely, could he? Current events had proved that. The Fae-Web had indicated Ella was important to his own survival. He had to stick with her at least until the case was solved. Nobody came to talk to him about the craziness, so he took off his clothes, got into the shower and rather unwillingly washed all traces of Ella Walsh from his body.