The meeting dragged on for hours, and Marcus explained to the team the reason for only taking a small number to the Veil of Shadows. He wanted to ensure the command center remained secure. Isabella understood his methods and decided not to rock the boat. It weighed on her mind the fact that in a couple of hours, she would nose-dive, needing to recover from whatever bug swam in her veins and heightened her vulnerable position. As she thought about bugs, Roman’s intense gaze sought hers across the table. She sat as far away as possible and refused to seek him out at all through the meeting.
“If we are to leave at dawn on Friday, when is your man Henry going to be introduced to the Padre? Is that all arranged?” Roman asked, waiting for Marcus to reply.
“Not right now. I expect we will remain in the Veil for several days. When I return, I will assess what progress Henry has made with his training. Maybe the following week, but—” He observed Henry, who sat, listening. “It depends on Henry.”
“I am training every day with Bear and Shadow and some of the other guys too. I am also practicing at the range as well as being interrogated on my cover. I intend to be ready and up to speed when you return, sir.”
“Good. All we need are the forged documents from the Watchmen and we will set up an introduction. The Padre is in London presently and returns at the end of next week. He has several meetings in New York, before flying off for a vacation. I thought that could be the time to insert Henry. Why?”
Roman sat up and swiveled his chair so Isabella could only see his profile. “The sooner we can get on with it, the better. Why don’t we simply kill the Padre? He’s only mortal, after all.”
Marcus tapped his finger on the table, and stared at the vampire. “We don’t know for certain what the Padre is. To strike him openly is to let them know we have him in our sights. We need more intel about him and this woman Morrigan. Henry has a huge task ahead of him.”
As soon as the meeting ended, Isabella all but jumped up, kissed her sister on both cheeks and fled the room to escape the vamp. Avoiding him was the best tactic for now. She quickly made her way to her room to shower and change, and twenty minutes later, stood in the bright kitchen built with state-of-the-art stainless-steel appliances. Milly, the housekeeper, usually cooked dinner for guests or anyone who stayed at the mansion. At the moment, the only guests were her and Marcus. The team was stationed in small houses dotted throughout the compound. She knew Jake shared with Bear and some of the others, but she hadn’t visited his house.
Her stomach rumbled as she diced the onion, and she swiped her cheek as a stray tear fell. A hand covered hers, and she jumped in fright.
“Here, let me sort out the onion. You tend to whatever else needs to be fixed,” Jake said.
Isabella smiled and surrendered the knife to wrap her arms around his neck. She tugged him close. It seemed a natural response, perhaps not her usual one, but he didn’t resist as she pressed her lips over his and kissed him leisurely. A restlessness coursed through her and she pulled on the front of his shirt. When his mouth opened, she thrust her tongue inside, savoring the fresh scent of Jake, who pressed his hands down low over her bottom and drew her against his firm body. Feeling the hard length of his manhood should have given her encouragement, but instead, like a splash of cold water, she stopped, letting her hands slip away from him. Isabella stepped away and turned her back on him, shocked at what buzzed inside her brain.
“I’m sorry, Jake. Er, I don’t feel well.” A spiraling dizziness swept over her and her vision clouded. One minute, she stood upright; the next, the colors in the room blurred and she lay in someone’s arm, moving fast. The only one person capable of such speed carried her away, and as the heaviness pulled her under, for once as her eyes closed, she was glad.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Roman gently lay the sleeping Isabella down on her bed, intending to slip away and leave her. He knew he should call Zephra to attend to her, but damn, the fiery little witch had attached herself to him in ways he couldn’t even begin to fathom. She wouldn’t believe him if he told her, which he wouldn’t. Anyway, he could no more step outside this room knowing she lay sick, than he could exist without blood. Seeing Isabella this morning, he sensed a weakness and fatigue surrounding her that caused him concern, which Drayton picked up on too. After the meeting, he caught hold of Zephra, who confirmed his fears. This skinny woman would be his downfall. Not only did she parade herself around as a single woman, refusing to wear his ring, but she also made plans for dinner with the mortal while ill.
Roman held nothing against humans per se, but most of the time they were infuriating and dull. It would never work between a witch, especially one as exquisite as Isabella, and a human. Didn’t she realize that? Isabella never took care of herself, not in the way he would insist upon when
