Provoked

CHAPTER 22

Enjoying the late-afternoon fresh air, Amber found Kane in a conference room aboveground. The salt of the ocean swept inside the small area from open windows. The walls were cedar, the floor sparkling teak. “This is my favorite room so far.”

Kane frowned as he glanced up from the scattered papers strewn across the polished table. His shirt was rolled up to his elbows and showcased strong forearms. Lines of stress cut hard into the sides of his mouth. “What are you doing up in the main lodge?”

She shrugged and pulled a plush chair out from the table to sit. Then she bounced twice, her hands spreading along the supple material. “Tell me this isn’t real leather.”

“That isn’t real leather.”

She frowned. The material felt real . . . poor cows. “Tell me you won’t buy any more leather chairs.”

“We don’t.” Kane sighed. “I asked you a question. What are you doing aboveground?”

“Looking for you. Talen escorted me up after training me a little bit. Our gifts didn’t seem to do much together.” Studying Kane’s face, she frowned. A dark bruise cascaded out from his temple in hues of purple and red. “What happened to your face?”

“I hit a counter on my way to the floor,” Kane said grimly.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes.”

He dominated the room in a way that sped up her heart. The guy didn’t just take up space, he overwhelmed it. The vampire owned the area around him in a way she’d never noticed other men doing.

She clasped her hands together in her lap. “I can’t find my grandmother.”

“She’s on a walk with Oscar—don’t worry, we have eyes on them at all times.” Kane smiled, but the humor failed to reach his metallic eyes. “She’s safe, I promise.”

Talen hurried his large bulk inside, his face hard. “We traced the video of Jase and have a location on a demon stronghold in Arizona.” He tossed a stack of papers at Kane. “Dage is on his way up—we go in half an hour.” Then he tilted his head toward Amber.

Amber stiffened. “I want to go—you’ll need me to find Jase.”

Kane ignored her and studied the pictures. “Tell me about this place.”

Talen settled his bulk in a chair. “There’s a compound in the middle of the desert—looks like it contains one main building and several outposts. The walls surrounding Jase appear to be some sort of limestone—definitely found in Arizona. My guess is they meet underground in a series of tunnels like we use. No mountains or rock nearby, so the tunnels must lead to a town in case the demons need to escape.”

Kane scratched his head. “Satellite feeds?”

“Only show the buildings—nothing underground,” Talen said. “I compared them to earlier pictures of the area, and the compound is new in the last couple of months, so the area shouldn’t be manned completely.”

“Was this place sending or receiving the video?” Kane asked.

“Both.” Talen shrugged. “This place was sending the video—so there’s a good chance the video was filmed in Arizona. Jase is there—I just know it. Right?”

“I don’t know.” Kane’s face stayed calm. “There’s a chance the video has been spread around the demon nation—showing their strength, yada yada, and didn’t originate there—this could be a trap for one of us or for Amber.”

Amber leaned back in her chair. The scientist was intriguing to watch.

Dage hurried inside, upping the tension in the air significantly. “What do you think?”

Kane breathed out. “I say it’s a trap, but we go anyway.”

“Are you up to a fight?” Dage popped his neck but kept his gaze on Kane.

Amber raised an eyebrow. “What happened to his face?”

“Nothing,” all three men replied without looking at her.

Now that was freakin’ annoying. “Right. People bruise all the time.” What a bunch of Neanderthals.

Talen nodded and stood, apparently missing the sarcasm. “That’s true. But if Kane isn’t up to going, Max is champing at the bit.”

“I go—and Oscar can take Max’s place. Max stays here to protect headquarters.” Kane swept his hand out, and the papers magically flipped into a nice order. He stood. “What’s the plan?”

“Three helicopters—we hit the main lodge with rockets and go from there.” Dage waited for Kane’s absent nod before continuing. “If they have Jase, he’s underground. Leveling the first ground of everything doesn’t bother me overmuch.”

Amber stood. It was fascinating how they all relied on Kane’s judgment without realizing it—she doubted even Kane realized how they waited for his responses. “I want to go.” Ignoring the questioning looks his brothers sent Kane, she put her hands on her hips. “Listen, my going is my decision. You all came after me for a reason—don’t forget it just because I slept with one of you.”

Dage turned away but not before Amber caught the amusement on his face.

Talen chuckled and headed for the doorway. “I’ll meet everyone who is going in the armory.”

Dage nodded. “Ah, yes. You two get this settled, and we’ll meet you underground.” The king disappeared.

Irritation choked Amber’s voice into a raspy tone. “He’s the damn king. Why in the world is he letting you make decisions regarding me?”

Kane held out his palm and showcased the Kayrs marking. “This is why.”

“You haven’t marked me,” she whispered. Considering her IQ was probably a zillion numbers less than his, he probably wouldn’t mark her—not because he didn’t believe in love, but because he wanted to mate with some übergenius to have double-übergenius kids. “So you have no say in what I do.”

“Actually, I do.” He rubbed his jaw, his eyes tired.

“When will the damn marking disappear?” At some point, if he didn’t use the mark, the brand had to go away.

“I have no idea. I’m not sure a mark has ever appeared and not been used.” Kane frowned. “If you truly want to deal with the demons, you’ll want my skills. I can block and attack—which you’ll need to do.”

She was tempted and not just on an intellectual level. The man was strong, sexy, and a huge-assed challenge. Could she get inside his heart? Instinct whispered she was already there. He needed her. Heck, he needed somebody to be there for him the same way he was there for everyone else. “I want love. Enough people believe in the emotion that you have to acknowledge its possible existence.” Logic was the key with Kane.

He shrugged. “Okay.”

“What if you tried to love? An experiment, so to speak.” She kicked an invisible pebble. “Or is there another reason you don’t like me?”

“I do like you.”

“I don’t have a zillion degrees in a drawer, Kane.” Finally, she’d said it. Better to get the full truth out there right now.

He started. “So?”

“So, I mean, I’m not smart like you.” Man, did she need to draw him a map?

His eyes crinkled when he smiled. “Amber—degrees have nothing to do with intelligence. They have to do with time to study. You’re plenty smart . . . don’t worry.”

Warmth flushed through her. Kane didn’t lie—he didn’t know how. “Thanks.”

He pressed the issue. “If you mated me, you’d have plenty of time and money to get all the degrees you wanted.”

The warmth receded. “That sounds like a business arrangement.”

“Most successful marriages, even among humans, are arranged. Good, solid, business arrangements.”

Man, she had her work cut out with him. “I want to go today. The only way to see if I can help shield other people is if demons are attacking. I’m going—you know you need me so you can fight at more than fifty percent of your abilities. Jase is in Arizona. You saw the rocks.” Yeah, she knew using his brother was a low blow. But if she could shield Jase’s mind, just for a moment, wasn’t that important?

“I seriously doubt Jase is in Arizona.” Kane drew in a deep breath. “I don’t like the idea of putting you in more danger, but we do need you, and since the place doesn’t seem fully staffed, it’d be a good place for more training. Besides, you’re the only real mental defense we have.”

Encouragement flooded her. “So the logical, smart thing to do is to take the one demon destroyer you’ve ever trained with you. Like it or not.”

Frustration curled his lip.

Slowly, he seemed to distance himself from the conversation, from her.

Finally, he gave a short nod. “You’re right. You can go. Let’s go suit up.”

What the hell was he thinking? Kane settled himself more comfortably against the helicopter seat, his arm sliding around Amber’s shoulders. The woman had actually fallen asleep within an hour of being in the air. She nestled into his side like she belonged there.

Hell. Maybe she did.

Talen flanked her other side as the bird flew through the cloudy night, his face grim, his fingers tapping on his dark pants. Dage piloted the craft while Oscar rode passenger. It seemed odd not having Max next to Dage, but he was needed at headquarters.

For the second part of the plan.

The part of the plan that would have Amber hating Kane’s guts.

Dage’s gaze met his in the mirror. “We didn’t have a choice,” he said through the earpiece.

Kane didn’t answer. There was always a choice. “We’ll see.” The idea of disappointing Amber had an odd feeling lodging in his gut. He didn’t want to hurt her. Worse yet, he didn’t want to lose her. And considering part B of tonight’s plan was allowing her grandmother to make herself bait to the demons, the little pacifist was going to be pissed at him. He couldn’t blame her.

His frown made his fresh bruise ache. Speaking of which . . . vampires had fast reflexes. Not one of his brothers could’ve caught him before his face impacted the counter? Assholes. He glared at the king.

Dage turned back to piloting the quiet craft.

They rode in silence the rest of the way until the Arizona desert stretched far and wide beneath them. Kane studied a heat signature monitor in his hands—one he’d invented himself. “Four demons in building one, three in the second building, eight in the third.” Demons burned hotter than most and were easily recognizable. He sat up straighter. “Blow the buildings to hell—anybody important is underground.” He shook Amber awake. “Get ready, sweetheart—let’s test your skills.”

She blinked twice, her pretty black eyes focusing on him, her face flushed.

His heart thumped hard. “Stay behind me at all times.” Jesus. He really couldn’t lose her. What was going on with him?

She nodded, her eyes widening as she sat up.

Not by one inch did she belong in combat. He was doing a piss-poor job of protecting his mate.

Not that she’d agreed to be his mate.

He shook his head, trying to focus. Now he was thinking of her as his mate. Damn Kayrs marking.

“Amber, take turns touching the arm of any soldier around you once we’re down. Everyone pay close attention to the result,” Dage ordered. “Engage missiles.”

All three helicopters immediately fired missiles into various compounds.

The explosions spiraled heat back at them. Huge clouds of fire rolled up, debris flying every direction. The helicopters set down with a hard thump.

Kane shoved the door open and leapt out, turning to assist Amber. Heat blasted them from the fire. He instantly pivoted to shield her. “We stay here until the first floors are cleared.” She clutched the back of his shirt, pressing her face into the cotton. Her “okay” came out muffled, but he felt the word against his skin.

Dage and Talen rushed through the rubble of the largest building while other vampire soldiers infiltrated the ruins of the other buildings. Talen kept to Dage’s left, protecting the king as usual. The king swept his weapon around, making a large arc, protecting his younger brother . . . as usual.

Some things never changed.

Kane could make out the bodies of the four demons who’d been in the building. His quick nod had two of his soldiers rushing to decapitate them while they were down.

Talen gave Kane the high-sign. Good. They’d found the basement.

Kane turned and tugged down Amber’s bulletproof vest. “Shield your face as much as possible so the heat doesn’t blister your skin. Stay behind me and slightly to the left—if you start to feel demons, protect your mind instantly. I want to know before you try to attack them back.”

She nodded, her face pale, her eyes huge.

Maybe he should leave her in the helicopter with a couple of guards.

Her small hands shoved at his chest. “Get moving.”

An involuntary smile lifted his lips. Bossy little mate. With a mental shrug, he turned away and jogged toward the demolished building. Not that she was his mate. Smoke attacked his eyes and nose, burning deep. He kept to the side of the fire as much as possible, acutely aware of the woman keeping pace with him.

Her bravery made him proud. The thought made him pause. Why did her actions reflect on him? Could Talen be correct? Was he falling in love with the little vegan? An explosion outside ripped him out of his internal debate.

They darted around rubble, ducking the still falling debris. Finally they reached Talen, who pointed to a set of cement steps leading down.

He coughed out smoke. “Dage already went down. You two go next, and I’ll cover the rear.”

Kane nodded, jogging down the narrow stairs. His flashlight illuminated the steps until they ended against a wall with a tunnel veering to the right.

A warning trilled in the back of his head. He paused. Pivoting so he shielded Amber from the darkness below, he turned his head to listen. Silence met his search. “Do you sense anything?”

“Yes,” she whispered, her hand settling on his arm.

Instantly warm, a soothing balm cascaded up to his head from where they touched. The woman had more power than he’d realized. “How many?”

“I don’t know.” Her hold tightened.

He blinked smoke from his eyes. “Keep your breathing shallow.” His lungs were safe from permanent damage, but Amber was still human. “If it gets too difficult to breathe, you tell me.”

“Okay.” She gave a gentle push to his back. “Let’s go.”

The skin pricked on the base of his neck. A low bellow wound through the haze.

Every cell in Kane’s body froze. He knew that voice. “Jase.”

Turning his head, he caught Talen’s wide eyes. Then he turned and ran.

Their boots clomped against the stairs as they hurried down, and the air become heavier, more oppressive. Kane opened his senses wide, wincing as Talen’s emotions slammed him hard in the gut. Hope, despair, anger . . . so many feelings from his older brother.

Fear and hope cascaded off Amber, as well as determination.

Breathing in the stale air, Kane tried to center himself and seek beyond Talen and Amber.

As he reached the bottom and turned the corner, he stopped short. Two demons flanked Dage with weapons jammed into the king’s neck. Dage’s eyes had morphed to a fierce vampire blue that emphasized the raw rage on his broad face.

Kane shoved Amber completely behind him and drew his weapon. Talen angled so his shoulder touched Kane’s, his gun also pointed at the demons.

Dage shrugged. “I heard Jase and started running.”

Both demons had a myriad of silver metals on their left breasts—high-up soldiers. White hair and deep black eyes marked them as probable purebreds. If so, they weren’t using their psychic powers at the moment.

The tunnel veered off into darkness to the right, while a rusty metal door was cut into the earth behind the demons.

Kane opened his senses more to seek beyond Dage. Dark emotions of pain and rage shimmered from beyond the doorway. Was Jase in the cell? Kane’s knees tightened with the need to rush past the demons and open the door.

Another deep cry echoed—sounding like Jase.

Talen growled and stepped forward.

One of the demons shook his head and shoved the gun harder against Dage’s jugular until he hissed. “No. We have reinforcements arriving in ten minutes. Let’s all remain where we are until then.”

“That’s a shitty idea,” Kane muttered. “King? Now’s the time.”

Indecision flickered in Dage’s eyes.

“Now, Dage.” Kane met his brother’s gaze. “If Jase is in that cell, we’ll get him.”

Energy instantly shot out from behind Kane. A hard attack, devastating images, and shards of pain spiraled toward the demons. Amber gave a soft cry as she attacked.

Damn it. Kane settled his stance. “Stop attacking, Amber. We’ve got this.”

“They have Dage,” she whispered, the sound full of pain.

The demons both growled. The shorter one gasped, his eyes widening in pain.

Interesting. Amber was actually hurting the guy. Good for her.

The demon who’d spoken jerked his head.

Agony instantly slammed into Kane’s brain. Amber cried out, while Talen grunted. Images of Jase being tortured, the skin peeled from his body, caused Kane to blink rapidly.

A small hand pressed against his back. A soothing blanket filtered over the terrible images, snuffing them out. He took a deep breath. Talen exhaled next to him. Kane glanced to the side—Amber had pressed her other hand against Talen’s back.

The woman was amazing.

The hand at his back trembled.

“Now, Dage,” Kane ordered.

Tension spiraled through the air, and Dage disappeared. Talen instantly fired into one demon’s neck, and Kane took care of the other. Both demon soldiers crashed down.

Leaping forward, Talen yanked a knife from his boot and stabbed it into the neck of the closest demon.

Kane pivoted. Amber’s shoulders shook, and her face had lost all color. Well, except for her blue lips. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, while spots of blood dotted under her nose.

He wiped the blood away with his sleeve. Heat from her skin made him frown. Another fever? “Are you all right?”

She gulped, her wide-eyed gaze on Talen as he decapitated a soldier. “Where did Dage go?”

Kane shifted so he blocked her view. “Dage can teleport anywhere in the world—it’s one of his gifts. But teleporting weakens him for a little while.”

“Teleports.” She arched both eyebrows. “Wow.” Then she winced as the sound of Talen cutting through cartilage and bone echoed around them. Her hand trembled as she pushed hair from her face.

“You need to stop attacking demons—it isn’t working. Shielding is fine, but no more attacks,” Kane said.

She nodded. “Yes. As a demon destroyer, I suck.”

“No. We just haven’t figured out your gifts completely.” These things took time.

Talen grunted. “All done. And as a demon destroyer, you rock. You completely shielded my mind. Thank you.”

Relief had Kane turning and examining the door. Triple-locked, solid steel. “We need to blow the lock.”

Talen nodded and crouched to set the charges.

Emotions ripped right through the steel. Kane took a deep breath of the death-scented air. Had they finally found Jase?