Passion's Prey

“What new guy?” Rome asked.

Nick sat back in his chair, pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jax went in last night, since you were here with Rome,” he said to Kalina, then looked at Rome. “He reported this new guy who wasn’t mentioned in any of the previous reports on who’s been seen at the club. He’s tall, looks foreign, blue eyes.”

“Foreign like a Lormenia or a Croesteriia?” Rome asked.

“Either or,” Nick said with a shrug.

“A tiger or a cheetah,” Kalina said incredulously. She’d learned of the different types of shifters and their origins when she’d been joined in the Gungi. “Here in DC?”

“It looks like it. Problem is, we don’t usually run in mixed groups,” Rome said seriously.

“Remember that first Rogue we caught and killed? The one that had been after Kalina, he was Croesteriia. And he’d been with Sabar’s clan,” Nick reminded him.

Rome nodded. “But none of them had bothered to come for him when we caught him. That shows no real loyalty to him. Probably because he wasn’t Topetenia.”

Nick was shaking his head. “Rome, these cats have no loyalty to anyone but themselves. Right now they’re all doing Sabar’s bidding, but that’s most likely because they have something to gain by it.”

“He’s right. They don’t seem like the let’s-stay-together types,” Kalina added. “And without the shaman to perform that ceremony again creating his band of totally crazy Rogues, Sabar’s depending on them continuing to follow him blind.”

Rome sat back in his chair, taking in everything that was being said. “What if this new guy’s not playing by Sabar’s rules? What if he’s got his own agenda?”

“Then we’re all fucked,” X said, making his entrance into the conversation by pulling out a chair and dropping his large body into it.

He looked tired, was the first thing Kalina noticed. Like he hadn’t been getting a lot of sleep. Which could mean one of two things: He and Caprise were really enjoying each other sexually, or X was spending every waking moment trying to figure out how he really felt about Caprise. Either one, Kalina thought, was very interesting. In fact, she thought it was so interesting that she was going to go find Ary in the medical center because it was time the three female Topetenia had a heart-to-heart chat.

She rose from her seat then and kissed her husband longingly on the lips. “I have something to take care of,” she told him, keeping her eyes leveled with his. Rome most likely didn’t know exactly what she was intending to do, but he knew enough to trust her instincts.

When he nodded she moved around him, touching a hand on Nick’s shoulder as she passed him to get to X. With him, you never really could tell. He was like the big bear of the threesome, always brooding, usually quiet, like something was crawling around inside him, something that ran alongside his cat but that X definitely did not agree with. She’d never spoken her assumptions about this shifter, never wanted to invade the camaraderie the three of them obviously shared. Now, she figured, was time she made herself and her position known to Xavier Santos-Markland.

With a hand on his right shoulder, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Glad to have you back,” she said, giving him a warm smile.

His body tensed beneath her touch, his dark eyes finding hers and holding even though he wasn’t totally sure how to react to what she’d just done. Kalina chuckled because he looked like a lost boy. One she prayed Caprise was sent back to rescue.

“Eat some breakfast before you get to work,” she said, then left them alone at the table.

* * *

“You picked a good mate,” X said to Rome about ten seconds after he’d watched the leader’s wife walk away.

“I think so,” Rome replied.

He looked a little perplexed at X’s random statement—which, if he admitted it, X was, too. Shaking his head to get his thoughts together, he went back to the matter at hand.

“I think the new guy’s here for Caprise,” he said solemnly. “If that’s the case, he’s mine and mine alone. Is that understood?”

X looked down the table at his two closest friends and waited for their reply. In his inbox this morning he’d received information on the number he’d traced. Not only did it go back to Athena’s but it was officially linked to a corporate account that traced back to Slakeman Enterprises. He planned to give them all this information, after they understood his position.

“That depends,” Rome said slowly. He was watching X carefully, trying to figure out what was going on in his head.

X wished him lots of luck in that area.

“What is it you’re not telling us? How do you know about this outsider?” Rome asked.

Nick was remarkably quiet but X knew that wouldn’t last long.

“Caprise has been getting some hang-ups on her cell,” he started, making sure he remained as obscure as he possibly could without lying to them. “I traced the number and it went back to Athena’s.”

Nick looked like he was about to break his silence, but X held up a hand to stop him. If he was going to go off, he’d rather he get all the information and do it all at once.

“Athena’s Entertainment, LLC, which falls under the umbrella of Robert Slakeman Incorporated and Slakeman Enterprises,” X finished.

“Shit,” Rome grumbled, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the table.

“Wait a minute, you’re telling me that Slakeman, one of the largest weapons providers for the US government and who knows how many others, has subsidiary companies that filter down to a strip joint in DC?” Nick asked.

“Sounds straight out of a tabloid, I know. I was thinking the same thing when I read the report,” X said. “But then I thought about it. Remember that rumor about Slakeman selling those banned guns?”

“Yeah, Senator-elect Ralph Kensington supposedly found him a buyer. But where’s the connection?” Rome asked.

“We know Sabar’s running his drug through Athena’s, which tells me that he’s probably running the whole damn club. And if that’s true, then he knows Slakeman,” X said.

Nick was nodding. “And if he knows Slakeman, odds are he’s the buyer. Fucking bastard! Now he’s arming his bunch of delinquent cats.”

Rome did not look happy about this, but he didn’t look like he was in disbelief, either. X knew that Rome trusted his gut when it came to these matters. He also knew that the FL would want to take the time to think things through, to make sure whatever solution he came up with was the best one for the shadows first and foremost, then for the humans who had unknowingly gotten themselves involved in this war.

“Tell me what you know about the stranger,” Rome requested quietly while Nick frowned beside him.

“I think he’s been stalking Caprise. And that’s why—” X raised his hand when Nick looked like he was about to say something else. “—that’s why I said he’s mine. I answered the phone once when the gutless bastard called. I made him a promise that I have no intention of reneging on.”

“So she’s being stalked? Is that what all her secrecy has been about? Is that why she came back?” Nick asked.

X shook his head. “I don’t know any of that.”

“You don’t know or you’re not telling us?” Nick asked.

X took immediate offense, but refrained from jumping up to punch Nick in the mouth. He understood where he was coming from, but Nick needed to understand that X had this situation under control. “You think I would sit here and withhold information from you guys? Look, Nick, I know she’s your sister. I get how you feel about her. And despite what you might think you know about me, I’m not out to hurt her. In fact, I’m just trying to protect her.”

“What or who do you think she needs protection from?” Rome asked before Nick could speak again.

“My guess, from the look on her face every time the bastard calls, is a man from her past. Someone she was involved with maybe. The calls are definitely freaking her out, but she won’t tell me who he is.”

Rome nodded. “So you took it upon yourself to find out?”