“Flambé, you should have come to me and told me all of this instead of keeping it to yourself.” He heaved a sigh. “I understand why you didn’t. Your father has so much to answer for. You spent most of your life alone, trying to figure out everything on your own, but you really need someone to rely on. I’ve been in your life longer than anyone else and you know you can trust me.”
For the first time she could hear that slight discordant note and Flamme scraped hard against her, protesting his declaration. Her heart sank. Blaise. What was left of her family. Unexpected tears burned behind her eyes. Hormones, she told herself. She forced herself to concentrate on the water bottle, lifting it to her mouth and drinking. She didn’t taste the cool liquid, but it saved her from crying and giving herself away.
Truck coming up the road, malen’koye plamya. Sevastyan’s low voice was in her ear, intimate. Sounding the way he did when he spoke to her with a rope in his hands.
Vehicles moving into position at back of property. I count two, Christophe Tregre reported. He was situated in the control room inside the main house. It was imperative Flambé keep Blaise out of the house.
Can you see how many inside each vehicle? Sevastyan asked.
That’s negative at this time, Christophe answered. Over to you, Ambroise.
Am looking from above, using heat imaging, Ambroise intoned, sounding distant. He was, in fact, at Mitya’s. In all but the first vehicle going to front of house, there are five-man teams. First vehicle holds three people.
“I have to text Sevastyan that all is well, Blaise. Give me a minute. I don’t want him charging in and ruining everything. He likes to take over.”
A look of annoyance slid over Blaise’s face, hastily gone as he turned away. He walked down the stairs and bent down to examine the newly planted shrubs.
That should be right, Sevastyan. Two of my extraction team members would escort Shanty to me. They would then take her to the safe house from here, she texted to him.
Don’t leave that alcove for any reason. When you’re going to talk to Shanty, have them bring her there and make everyone else leave. You have access to the house and you can get her inside and lock both of you in if necessary. Again, his voice was like liquid velvet in her ear, stroking her nerves when Blaise had unsettled her.
If they do have her husband, she won’t come with me unless we’ve gotten him back. Do you have any idea where he is? Who has him?
He has to be close. If it isn’t the money and it is her mate, she will continue to ask for reassurance that he’s alive. That means she has to ask for constant contact. Have her do that. When she does, we can get his location and go after him.
Blaise is coming back.
Knowing Sevastyan was close, that he had eyes on her, comforted her to some degree, but there was this underlying hurt and feeling of betrayal that just wouldn’t let go. She had grown up feeling that male shifters were not trustworthy. They didn’t care about females. Females had to rely on themselves. She wasn’t going to miraculously get over years of conditioning because Sevastyan had called the doctor and tried to find ways to help her. She knew she would question his integrity even when she didn’t want to.
“What’s wrong, Flambé? Is Sevastyan giving you trouble?” Blaise asked, perching on the railing, looking confident, as if he owned the property. There was something almost proprietorial in the way he acted, both over the land and over her.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just out of sorts. Moody, I guess. I wish this was over and I could just be myself again.”
“Did you say just be yourself again? Do you think you made a mistake with Sevastyan, Flambé?” Blaise asked.
Flambé hesitated. She had made her choice to be with Sevastyan, made that commitment to him. Was she sure of him? Absolutely not. She was still very much terrified. How did anyone, man or woman, know they weren’t making a terrible mistake when they entered into a life partnership? Sevastyan wasn’t an easy partner. He wasn’t ever going to be easy, but then, if she was honest, neither was she.
SUV turning up driveway. Sevastyan’s voice was in her ear.
Gratefully, Flambé turned to look at the vehicle proceeding toward them. She