Noah’s revelation about how his clan operated had me asking more questions. I thought I knew all there was to know about how infected clans were run, but I was wrong. The knowledge lessened my fears and made me more open to meeting the eligible men in his clan.
I found myself speaking more freely and being less guarded. Somehow, he’d also managed to overcome my aversion to being touched. I barely flinched when he laid a casual hand on my shoulder or nudged me to gain my attention.
I’d finished my last contract just before my visit to Mate Match and waited for another job assignment from my employer. That left plenty of free time on my hands. Noah stepped in to fill the void. We cooked together. He taught me to play card games, and when the walls began to close in on me, took me outside to shovel snow. I discovered you could learn much about a person in a week if you simply opened yourself to the possibility. Maybe Jillian hadn’t been crazy after all.
As the days passed, I gradually became aware of how hypervigilant Noah had become. He was always armed, even in the house. I was, too, so it wasn’t something I noticed immediately. He was constantly peeking out windows, and at night I heard him patrolling inside the house. It put me on edge, causing me to realize just how comfortable I’d become with him. For the first time in too long to count, I felt safe.
I finally confronted him. “What’s wrong?”
“What do you mean?” Noah cast another glance out the window where he stood, careful not to let his profile be seen. I recognized what he was doing because it was a tactic I used myself. Always assume someone is watching. Never let yourself be a target.
“You act like you expect stormtroopers to raid the property any minute,” I said.
He cast me a puzzled glance. “Stormtroopers?”
“It’s an old movie reference,” I said, waving dismissively.
“Never heard of them,” he said, going back to his vigil.
“What do you know that I don’t?” I asked, trying again.
“Plenty, I’m sure.” He grinned at me, showing he was being deliberately obtuse and enjoying it.
“Noah,” I growled.
Giving into curiosity, I crossed over to stand behind him, and rose on tiptoe to glance over his shoulder out at the white vista. Moist breath hit my cheek. I turned toward Noah and realized our noses were bare inches apart. I froze. My breath hitched and my face flushed with heat.
We stared into each other’s eyes, and I felt mine dilate at the heat in his. Was it hot in here? My body broke out in a sweat and lower parts of me that I’d ignored most of my life dampened and pulsed. What the hell was happening to me?
Noah’s gaze dropped to my lips. My tongue felt thick, and I, a person rarely at a loss for words even if they never left my mouth, couldn’t think of anything to say. His face was all I could see as he drew closer. Just before his lips touched mine, his handheld radio went off.
Noah paused, our breaths mingling.
The call came again. “Alpha one, this is beta two. Repeat. Beta two to alpha one. Over.”
His face blanked, wiped clean of emotion like it had never been. Noah reached for his radio and responded. “This is alpha one. Report.”
“You have visitors. Over.”
I blinked, as if coming out of a dream and slowly backed away. Noah’s gaze never left mine. There was something very hungry, almost predatory in it. My adrenaline spiked and skin tingled as though I had a close call with something very dangerous.
Noah seemed to have as much trouble as I did tearing his gaze away from mine. Finally, he presented me with his back as he answered. “Escort our guest to the house. Leave any security he brought with him in town under guard. Over.”
“Roger that. Out.”
Noah hooked the radio back onto his belt before slowly turning to face me. His expression had me frowning and retreating a step to add more distance between us. “I don’t suppose I could convince you to stay in the house and let me deal with this?”
“Deal with what?” I asked, on guard and suspicious.
“Your father.”
I couldn’t have been more shocked if Noah had slapped me in the face. “How…why…” I sputtered before anger helped me gain control over my tongue. “You were supposed to let me know when you put the final phase in motion!”
Noah slowly shook his head. “That wasn’t our agreement. This was always my operation. I allowed you to participate by bouncing the beacon all over hell and back so it couldn’t be tracked. The weather created too good of an opportunity to miss.”
My hand itched to reach for my knife and stab it into his traitorous heart. Instead, I clenched them by my side as I glared at him. “You didn’t tell me because you thought I would run,” I spat.
“You are a known flight risk,” he agreed with a nod. “I couldn’t take the chance.”
“So, instead you lied?”
Noah’s face lost its bland expression as temper sparked in his eyes. “I. Never. Lied. To. You.”
“No, you just withheld information vital to my health,” I snarled.
“I told you I’d protect you,” he said, his voice raised.
“And I told you I didn’t need your help. I can’t believe you did this to me. I trusted you!” I shouted.
Noah flinched. In a quieter voice, he said, “Cherise, I didn’t betray your trust.”
I threw up my hands. “You took a decision that should have been mine to make. It’s my life, Noah. At the very least, I should have been kept informed of the actions being taken. What if my father’s mercenaries had made it past your guard?”
My blood pressure shot so high I got a headache. My fight or flight response kicked in hard. I was trapped. My vehicle was locked inside of Noah’s garage. I’d let him talk me into bringing the majority of my things inside. There was no time to reload everything now. If I ran, it would have to be on foot. While some of the snow had melted, the surrounding woods still had snowdrifts as high as two to three feet. I wouldn’t make it far.
Noah was suddenly in front of me. He grasped my shoulders. “Everything is under control. I had men at every access point. The snow from the blizzard meant a ground assault was unlikely. I even had people watching the airport. I’m prepared.”
“But I’m not,” I yelled, knocking his hands off me. “You should have told me. I thought we were partners.”
His face shut down. “Not in this. Not when it concerns your safety. Ask anything else of me but not that.”
We stood at an impasse. Emotions swirled around us. Words I needed to speak choked me. The sound of vehicles coming up the road broke the stalemate.
“I’m not hiding in the house like some coward,” I said, my voice cold with repressed fury. “This ends today. One way or another, I’m done running.”
“Fine,” Noah bit out. “Stay behind me and do what I say.”
I dipped my head in silent acknowledgment even as I glared at him. I’d stay behind him, all right, and when this was over, I was out of here.
We stepped out onto the front stoop, both of us loaded for bear. The weight of the gun tucked into the small of my back was a reassuring comfort. Between the gun and the knives strapped into various holders, I carried a small arsenal. Hiram wouldn’t find me easy prey.
A caravan of four vehicles came into view. Two older model SUVs lead the way into the small clearing between the house and outbuildings. A fourth SUV, nearly identical to the first two, brought up the rear. Third in line was a newer model SUV in a neutral color that looked like something the noninfected would drive. Probably a rental. The sun glaring off the snow prevented me from seeing more than the shadow of its occupants.
The mounds of snow formed a small barrier of protection between the house and the driveway. I suddenly understood why Noah had us shovel in such a precise manner. It was snow. In my experience, you scooped it up and tossed it aside. Not Noah, though. I thought the man was just being anal-retentive. Now I saw that the manmade snowbanks created a channel that restricted a vehicle’s movement. It could drive in but would have to back out.
The first vehicle came to a halt. Four men with assault rifles exited and spread out. The men in the second SUV did the same. Two of them took up a protective stance in front of Noah, while the rest joined the guards circling the perimeter.
“We took their weapons,” the man to the right of Noah said.
Noah examined the occupied vehicle. “This the only one?”
“One more contained guards. We made them stay at the town border, as instructed…”
More was discussed but I tuned out when the driver’s side door of the third vehicle opened. A man stepped out. He was large with dark skin, long black hair, and brutish facial features. The man looked like he’d lived a hard life. He also was vaguely familiar.
The passenger door pushed wide open. A man popped out but remained positioned in the gap. This one had red hair, looked to be in his forties, and had the same hard features I associated with men from childhood. Despite that, he wasn’t someone I recognized.
The opening of the rear passenger door distracted me. A male voice drifted out. I couldn’t decipher what was being said but the tone was that of someone giving orders. More words were exchanged before the third man got out. None of these men were Hiram. Had he sent his henchmen after me or was he sitting in the car?
I peered expectantly, trying to see into the vehicle. There was another passenger. Based on the person’s size, I doubted it was Hiram. I’d told Noah Hiram wouldn’t come himself. If, and that was a big if, Hiram took the bait, he’d send a few of his senior soldiers to make the transaction for him. I should have taken Noah’s bet. I’d have won.
The third man had brown skin and long dark hair that fell below his shoulders. He appeared to be the man in charge. His scrutiny fell on me before his gaze swept the surrounding area. Clearly, he was assessing the threat level. Finally, he nodded and turned to lean into the vehicle.
The rear driver’s side door opened, and a woman climbed out. She had long hair, a curvy body, and a face so familiar I thought I was seeing things.
“Momma?” I croaked, my voice barely audible.