“We’re about to storm this fucking place and you’re loafing around like you’re on a goddamn vacation. I need you to understand the seriousness of this mission. We know Issac Blackshaw’s inside, and from the intel we’ve gathered, he’s not a completely willing guest. This video shows the current emperor of the vampires, Gabriel Brunelli, is part of this shitstorm. Once he leaves, we make our move. I’m sending Bear and Shadow to back up Payday. Once we get the nod, we’ll move in. Do. You. Understand?”
Zander slumped into one of the easy chairs and crossed his leg to rest on his knee, laying his hands flat on the sides. “I understand the weight of this mission, Drayton. I also know what your intentions are concerning the Morrigan. None of this is easy. Losing Steel—”
Marcus stabbed his finger at him. “Don’t—I won’t discuss Steel with you. We haven’t got time to go over what we’ve lost. We need to protect what’s left.”
Zander leaned forward, not meeting his glare. “I know the man meant a lot to you. Hell, he left you everything. But he’s gone and unless you face that, you’re carrying some heavy-duty shit that will bog you down when things don’t go the way you expect. What we’ve learned about the Morrigan is negligible. She’s always—”
Marcus stepped toward Zander, arms folded to prevent himself from dragging the annoying shit out from the chair. “I said, I didn’t want to talk about Steel. Don’t push me, Zander. What’s fucking pushing my buttons is I have to ask you a big favor, and it’s not one I want to ask, but I have no choice.”
When Zander didn’t respond, he knew he had his attention. Lifting his head to examine the man with his clear and intelligent eyes, he started. “When I’m gone, I need you to guard Ella with your life. I have no idea when I’ll be back or if I’ll be back…”
The man shot out of his chair like a wild filly darting for escape.
He almost laughed, but sighed instead as he continued. “Look, there’s no part of this fucking situation I haven’t gone over a million times. And I know my wife—she will not back down. Despite agreeing to let me go, she’s headstrong and a force to be reckoned with. If she thought sending the whole damn squad out to save me would help, she would. You need to stop her. No matter what.”
Zander had his wide back to him, and he leaned an arm against the wall, staring out the window. “You can’t be serious, Drayton? Ella won’t listen to me. This is crazy.” He looked back over his shoulder. “Why are you so convinced the Morrigan is coming for you while we’re here, anyway?”
He handed over a slip of paper. Zander took the note and read it silently. The words scrawled in ink were etched inside his head.
It won’t be long before we are reunited, my beloved.
“The Morrigan wants to reincarnate her ex-lover using me. Judging by recent events, I’d say anything’s possible. Finding Ella’s brother—it’s been way too easy. Zephra had a vision and instantly Ella recognized what the witch described as Tregowen, a place full of ghosts and meaning for us both. I’m certain this is a setup, a trap, but without fail, we must get Issac back to Orion’s headquarters and interrogate him. He’s the key to knowing more about the Morrigan.”
The government agent dressed in his black roll neck sweater and zipped survival pants strolled toward him until they faced each other. “There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding this fucked-up plan. What if this Issac is another problem? And if you’re right and this is a setup, what if we’re all killed?”
Marcus arched his brow. “That won’t happen. I’ll make sure of it.”
“If what you say is true, we don’t have the upper hand here,” Zander said.
“I know the Morrigan will listen to what I have to say. So what do you say?”
The two men eyed each other.
“Yes—I’ll protect Ella as best I can. But if you think I can stop a storm from happening—because that’s what she is—you overestimate me. Now, let’s go over this plan of yours.”
Sensing he had Zander’s commitment gave him a surprising comfort, knowing the man would be at Ella’s side. Marcus strolled toward the whiteboard, where a map of Tregowen was pinned, and he grabbed a bottle of water to quench his thirst.
“One last thing—why me? Ella doesn’t really know me; how will she react if I try to help her? Wouldn’t Jake be a better option?”
Marcus smiled, envisioning his little warrior butting heads with Zander. But a sadness settled inside. “Look, she has Jake wrapped around her little finger. I need someone who will stand up to her and make her see sense. That’s you. Hell, I’m not asking you to move in with her and take my place, for Christ’s sake. But she will have her hands full with Orion, the kids. She will need help and support. You have a knack for convincing people, making them see reason. Just be yourself and make her realize this was for the best.”
He heaved a deep sigh, watching the man as he examined him, unflinching. “Steel trusted you—so do I. Is that good enough for you?” The man smiled. He was too damn cool for his liking, but he trusted him as much as he did any man on his team. “But don’t forget whose wife she is.”
****
Stepping inside the palatial seventeenth century mansion, Marcus remembered the last time he had entered this grand building, where whispers beckoned from the shadows, calling to another part of him. Echoes from the past. His past with Ella—only then, they had been Raven and Lady Dempsey. How
