Chosen Thief Read online

  Tears flooded my eyes, burning as I sobbed. Head falling into my hands, my long black hair protected me like a shroud. I had wrecked the one innocent thing in my life, torn it apart on purpose, and it was something I could have prevented entirely if I wasn’t pushing so hard at what truly scared me. It had been a selfish act on so many levels; I couldn’t help but be utterly ashamed. I had thoughtlessly taken a sparkling gem in my long history of a black, dismal life, and twisted it. I’d ruined its flawless, innocent polish and only realized what I was doing far too late. So I’d had to push her away in the hope she would walk away whole, but in the process, I had possibly fucked up and hurt her beyond repair with my quick improvisation.

  What was even more twisted: knowing what I knew now, I still wouldn’t change my actions.

  I never would.

  My choices were the abyss of despair, my heart wrenching and twisting, tearing in agony.

  I shuddered as I let out my shame.

  Let out my unfulfilled want and the new addition to my old heartache.

  Unknowing how long I hunched on the floor, head down to the wood, warm tears seeping through my fingers, I jerked when the crash of fate sounded.

  In the form of a loud-as-fuck cell phone ringing.

  “Goddammit,” I shouted against the floor.

  But there was no stopping this.

  There was only what I had chosen to do. I heaved in a calming breath and pressed the long-trained, self-preserving self-denial firmly back into place, a cold reality to live in, but needed nonetheless. Placing a hand on the floor, I stood slowly on wobbly legs, brushing my damp, sticking hair off my cheeks, then dug out the phone from inside my pocket, answering it. “I got your first message loud and clear. A second round of pleasantries isn’t needed.”

  There was a pause over the line, then I heard the rumbly chuckle I had heard earlier that evening when this very cell phone had started ringing inside my car, planted for me to find. “Why, Caro, you sound as if you’ve been crying.” A pause. “Whatever could be so fucking important,” a wolf’s growl, “that you’re late?”

  I glanced at my watch, eyes still burning as tears began to dry on my face, and I muttered a curse. “I’m on my way. Just hold up your end of the deal and I’ll hold up mine.”

  He hummed quietly. “Did I pick the wrong person to kidnap?” A pause. “I do so hate being wrong. I thought this one was your weakness…but since your voice is all croaky and breathless, and I haven’t hurt this one…yet…you’re leading me to bad assumptions.”

  “There’s no one else,” I stated more clearly. “Keep him alive and unharmed as you promised and you’ve got me.”

  A wolf’s quiet snarl. “I’d better. Otherwise, I’m going to start gnawing off little bits of him from the toes up.”

  My teeth clenched. “How long have we been at this sadistic song and dance?”

  His bipolarity was clear as he changed his tune instantly, purring, “A very long time, Caro.”

  “I gave you my word, so you know I’ll stand by it.”

  There was a long pause. “You’ve taken care of any loose ends? You know I hate those.”

  “Loose ends,” goodbye, Isa, “done and shot to hell.”

  Another pause. “Fuck, I’d love to know who’s gotten you in such a tizzy.”

  “Fuck off.” I glanced at my watch. “I’ll be there in less than an hour, and I swear, if he’s hurt…”

  “Just get here, Caro, and I won’t have the pleasure of hurting him.” The line went dead.

  Snapping my phone shut and stuffing it in my pocket, I decided against exiting through the main hall I had traveled down earlier since the butler was probably out there somewhere. The back door was no good because I had seen video surveillance of the house outside, and I wasn’t in the mood to trip the damn thing while making my way around to the front of the house where my car was parked. The police weren’t really what I needed right now, so I stepped over the porcelain pieces littering the floor and headed toward the frosted glass French doors. I had seen another set of these when I had entered the small but lavish home through the front door, and I hoped they connected to the same room. Wiping at my gritty eyes, I opened the door and stepped inside. And jerked as Mage magic zapped me as I crossed the threshold.

  I came to an abrupt stop, my eyes flying wide open, quickly assessing the situation.

  “Shit.”

  Chapter Two

  I said it again. “Shit.”

  The room was just as gorgeous as the other, but cozy with brown leather sofas, a large wooden, planked coffee table between the three sides of a square the individual sofas made. All of it faced the roaring fire in the large ornate fireplace, no other lights lit in the room, and firelight twinkled over the closest surfaces, making the smooth, sand-colored walls sparkle with the Mage protection that layered them. Mage protection that I had just walked through.

  And there was the little bonus that the room wasn’t empty.

  Three individuals were in here, all studying me from head to toe, penetrating in their quiet assessment. Two men and one woman. They each had black hair with black knit hats, black close-fitting fatigues, black gloves and boots, and painted black faces. Isa had said her family had been on a mission, but for some reason I hadn’t quite pictured this as what she meant. These people were as frightening as fuck. Not wanting to turn my back to these three, I twisted to the side as each one stared at me mutely, unmoving. Lifting a paperclip from the writing desk against the wall next to me, I chucked it back into the room I had just exited. And barely withheld the flinch when I heard it hit the ground loud and clear, the thin frosted glass windowed door no barrier against the conversation Isa and I’d had.

  Clearing my throat, I kept my hands loose at my sides as I started to take slow steps toward the exit on the other side of the room. I focused on the person sitting farthest away on the top of the couch, their feet resting where people normally sit, their elbows on knees, hands clasped together loosely, chin resting there. “You’re Isa’s mother?”

  Blue eyes peered at me so intensely I stopped dead in my tracks. “I am.” Her voice was soft, reminding me of Isa’s, even if she was her adopted mother. Eyes that were too knowledgeable were taking me in for the second time. “Tell me, Caro.” She paused, her way of letting me know she had indeed heard everything, not to mention that at one point I had even had her daughter pressed to the very glass doors I had entered this room through. “My daughter said you’ve known each other for a year?”

  “Yes, we’ve known each other for close to a year.” I slowly began moving again when I felt the touch of Mage and Vampire magic, tickling as it probed at my person lightly. And not from her mother. It was from both the man standing by the fireplace and the other lounging on the couch with his legs falsely lazy on the coffee table.

  “And when did you cheat on her?” Her mom’s head cocked, no reprimand in her tone, only curiosity.

  Breathing slowly, I took another step toward the exit. “I’ve been unfaithful to her for two months.” Another step toward the door.

  Her mom cracked her neck, leaning up and placing her gloved hands on the couch next to her hips. “Curious.” She tapped her foot a few times on the leather. “What’s your full name, Caro?”

  Well, Isa wasn’t the only one lying about her last name. If I was honest, it pissed me off knowing she had lied, but I didn’t really have any room to complain in that department since only a selected few knew my real name. “My last name’s McKinley.”

  “Interesting.” Again, her foot tapped. “And how did you, Caro McKinley, meet my daughter?”

  “A club.” Truth. Two more steps toward the door. Halfway there. “Look, don’t be upset with her for who she prefers to be with. I know she wanted to tell you a lot differently than the way you found out.” I shrugged, keeping the action slow because the Vampire and Mage tendrils of magic were starting to become more insistent, irritating the shit out of me. “A lot of Mysticals aren’t stra
ight. Your daughter can’t help who she is, or what gender she prefers. And I know she loves you very much and she wants your acceptance.”

  Instant. “She has it. She always has. But, apparently, I need to have a conversation with her that’s been a long time coming.” After a moment her eyes flicked to the man at the fireplace.

  He shook his head, and I noticed his eyes were golden as they peered at me intensely.

  I shivered past the uncomfortable feeling prickling along my skin and stated bluntly, “You two can stop. You won’t figure it out.” I stared at the Mage then down to the dark-eyed Vampire. “It feels like sandpaper the harder you push.”

  “What are you?” the Vampire asked bluntly, his magic retreating as he rested his hands on his flat stomach.

  I kept my mouth shut. I was maybe five steps away from the door.

  “Protected, is what she is,” the Mage interjected, pushing off the wall and making me immediately wary as his magic continued probing even more erratically, feeling like pulsing waves of rough sand grinding against my skin, making my fists clench. “It feels like…” His head tilted, eyes beginning to glow. “Do you…do you know Richard?” The mystic Mage magic abruptly stopped as all three of them went still at his question, staring at me.

  It seemed important, so I went with the truth this time. “No. I don’t know a Richard.”

  Isa’s mom asked, “Maybe by the name Elder Harcourt, by chance?”

  “No, I have no clue who you’re talking about.” I shrugged, then I tilted my head toward the door. “I’m sorry we had to meet under these circumstances, but it truly is nice to finally meet you.” And I meant it. I was seeing the woman who had raised Isa to be who she was, giving me a better insight to Isa. “And I’m sure Isa will be less stressed knowing she doesn’t have to hide herself with you, and that you’ll love her as she is.” My lips pursed, hand on the doorhandle. I again again felt a tiny zap of Mage magic from the constant privacy spell, but curiosity got the best of me, so I had to ask, “And who are you two guys in relation to Isa?” Her mom seemed honest in her sincerity, but these men knew Isa had sexual relations with someone outside of her faction, since I was obviously not a Vamp.

  The Mage was still studying me silently, golden eyes running repeatedly over me from head to toe, so it was the Vampire who stated steadily, “Men who love her and will accept her for exactly who she is and whom she wants.”

  Eyeing him, I decided he was telling the truth, so I nodded and turned to go through the doorway.

  He continued steadily, “Are you sure you’re making the right decision leaving?”

  I swallowed hard, staring out into the well-appointed foyer, which was not my realm of living at all. “I’ve chosen my path, and I’m trying to do it with the least amount of consequences to everyone.” I gritted my teeth and said the damn lie again. “I cheated on her.” I shook my head. “She deserves better than me.” Truth.

  I walked through the privacy spell and shut the door calmly behind me, thankful none of them had questioned me about the phone call they had surely overhead.

  Coming to a stop in the small parking lot, I got out of my car and popped the trunk, pulling out a large duffle bag of clothes and cash I always had handy. Checking once more over my shoulder, unable to shake the feeling I was being followed, I scanned the overgrown trees and brush and slammed the rusted trunk down, giving it a good shove to make sure it closed all the way. I set the keys on top of the closed trunk so anyone needing a delicate, vintage car could have it since I wasn’t going to need it any longer.

  When the midnight blue sky with grey clouds appearing to have been painted with the quick jerks of a brush afforded me no view of anyone hiding in the woods at this deserted airstrip in New York, I reached behind my back and pulled out my gun, checking the clip to make sure I had loaded the damn thing with silver bullets this morning when none of this had been an issue. And, like the pro I was, I had.

  That still didn’t stop me from double-checking the one in my boot, readjusting the silver and metal knife up my coat sleeve, and checking the catch on the back of my boots, which released the spikes of silver at the toes. Satisfied all was in order, I hooked the duffle over my shoulder and set off at a fast clip, following the sound of the roaring jet engine, the only sound for miles.

  My legs pumped faster at the thought of that fucker not holding up his end of the bargain, but I eventually slowed two runways later, knowing he wouldn’t go back on the deal. No matter how crazy the fuck was, he knew I would end myself if he pulled a stunt like that.

  Fifteen minutes later, buried on the back runway and hidden by another set of trees, I stopped running when I saw the small jet waiting for me. I instantly held my hands up when I heard the cocking of guns, but I kept walking toward my destination. “Now, boys,” I stated loudly since I couldn’t see them yet, “you know it’s impolite to point unwanted objects at a lady.”

  “You show me a lady, and I’ll really show you something I can point,” a seductive voice purred behind me.

  “Aw, Dell, it really is a shame you have to lie to get women in bed,” I crooned, glancing over my shoulder at the handsome Vampire aiming a loaded revolver at my back. “I never understood that about you. You go on and on about how well-endowed you are, but any woman I’ve ever spoken to — the pitiful few who have hopped into your bed — only said…the end game was over way before it had begun.”

  He growled behind me, his Vampire pissed as normal with me.

  “Bruno,” I glanced to the left where the lion Shifter was exiting from the woods, his gun aimed at me, “maybe you can shed some light on this subject. Why on earth would Dell state he’s so talented in bed when he can’t keep it up for longer than a minute?”

  “Caro!” Jasper, a Mage and my favorite of their unruly group, hollered from my right, flattering me by aiming two automatic rifles at my chest, knowing me the best. “God, I’ve missed that mouth of yours.” His golden eyebrows waggled.

  “Keep wishing on that star and it…no, nope, I don’t see that happening in the near future.” I waggled my own eyebrows but tilted my head at the jet, my hands still up high. “That’s a lot of guards. Didn’t he think you three could handle me?” I paused. “Oh, that’s right. I have gotten the best of you how many times now?”

  Bruno grunted. “God, I fucking hate you.”

  “Four times.” Jasper laughed heartily. “Although, only once on my watch.”

  I stared at the guards, close to thirty men in fatigues, all large Mysticals and very imposing in the dead of night as they milled around the outside of the jet. “Really, why so many?”

  Jasper’s eyes flashed golden. “I got the feeling there might be a little trouble tonight.” His eyes had never left me. “You didn’t do anything stupid, did you?”

  “Never.” Never where his safety was concerned, since he was my number one priority. And safe didn’t mean pissing off the Bossman once he had his grubby hands on him. “How did you catch him?”

  Dell chuckled quietly behind me. “You’ll be proud to know he’s gone from petty haggling in the Bossman’s ‘neighborhood’ to the big time.” A pause. “He ripped off one of the Boss’s fucking casinos…and left a note.”

  Sighing heavily, I raised my voice since the jet engine noise was becoming too loud. “What did the note say and how did it get him caught?”

  Bruno started snorting. “Dumbest move the kid ever made…” He shook his head. “Seriously stupid.”

  “Bruno.”

  “All right, all right, I’ll tell you since I want to see your reaction.” He cleared his throat then stated loudly, “Note said: The Mostest with your hump-Hostess, all the Green for the Freak Machine.” He paused, eyebrow quirked. “Too bad he didn’t actually get out the Boss’s hostess that he was fucking. She spilled the beans where he was…and with a little sedative, and compulsion by Dell, he spilled the beans where you were.”

  I mumbled a curse quietly, but Dell still chuckled having heard it
with his damn Vampire hearing. I muttered, “There are days that just don’t pay to answer a planted phone.”

  Jasper grinned. “Did you like that?”

  “No,” I muttered, glaring. “I almost wrecked my damn car—”

  “Shit mobile—”

  “—getting to the thing.”

  “—and it was perfectly placed.”

  I glared. “It was under the passenger seat. How the hell is that perfect placement?”

  He chuckled, his eyes crinkling in merriment. “Because I got to see you swerve all over the road until you answered it.”

  My scowl intensified. “You followed me?”

  “Alas,” he sighed heavily, “only until you got the call and told the Boss the fun-filled news you’d be joining us again. Although, the Boss is pretty pissed now that we didn’t know where you went directly afterward.” His eyebrows quirked once, letting me know he knew about the second phone conversation. He slanted his head at the black sedan we were approaching at the edge of the woods, which was far enough away the jet would still have take-off room. “Assume the position, Caro.” He shuddered grandly, his whole body shaking. “This is my favorite part.”

  Sighing, I dropped my bag on the ground and bent over the car, hands on the hood, and endured not only Jasper’s professional search, but Dell’s perverted one following, which resulted in all of my weapons being confiscated…including my boots thanks to Bruno’s Shifter nose scenting out the silver there.

  “Ready for your Awakening, Caro?” Jasper asked as Bruno picked up my bag.

  “Oh, I can’t wait.” Hopefully I would be powerful enough to kill them once and for all.

  “Hey…is that a,” Bruno squinted into the woods lining the runway, “fox? I haven’t seen one of those in the wild in ages. Normally my lion scares them away.”

  Dell stilled in that moment, his head cocked. “Company. We’ve got company.”

  Jasper glared at me. “You said you didn’t do anything stupid!”

  “She wasn’t lying,” Bruno muttered, eyes training on the woods, utterly alert now.