Kissing Sin (32 page)

“There’s no record of said son,” I stated.

“No. He was born to one of the women he was using to take eggs from. Our lab father apparently thought it better not to register the birth.”

Yet he’d registered his clones, even if he’d lied about what they actually were.

“That would have made getting credit and insurance cards a bitch,” I stated dryly.

Amusement briefly warmed the cold depths of his eyes. “Not when you have the ability to assume other people’s identities.”

I blinked, then said slowly, “Our man is from the Helki pack?” And if Misha was speaking the truth, he was starting to give us some real information.

He nodded. “He’s a mix of Helki and human.”

“Meaning, the birth mother was Helki?”

He nodded again.

“And what does he actually do for a living?”

Misha merely smiled. I changed tack. “Is he in the military?”

“No.”

“Is he a scientist, or in control of a research company like yourself or Talon?”

“No.”

“He’s a businessman?”

“He calls himself that, amongst other things.”

“High profile?”

“Sort of.”

“In the news a lot?”

“No.”

That made me frown. How could you be a high-profile businessman without being in the news a lot? That didn’t make any sense.

“How about his mom? Is she still alive?”

His quick smile was almost proud. “Very good. And yes.”

“And he’s still on speaking terms with his mom?”

He hesitated. “You could say they have a close working partnership, but it is one not many are aware of.”

Very cryptic indeed. But obviously, we had to start with the mom, and the Helki pack. “Can you tell me her name?”

He considered the question for a moment. “What was the name of your mate immediately before myself and Talon?”

“I wouldn’t have a friggin’ clue.”

He grinned. “Then get a clue, and use the feminine form.”

“Shit.”

“No, I don’t believe that was it.”

I gave him a deadpan look. “What about a surname?”

“I can’t give the whole package on a plate. We both know that once I do, you’re out of here.” His fingers began to play up and down my leg. “And I intend to drag out my time with you as long as humanly possibly.”

He’d certainly dragged out his time tonight. “You haven’t yet actually answered my question.”

“What question would that be?”

He reached out to touch me, but I caught his hand in mine, squeezing it a little harder than necessary to remind him I wasn’t just a wolf. That I was, indeed, more than he could really handle if I chose to get nasty. “Why are you here?”

“Because everything is a game, and I tire of it. I want a normal life, for what remains of my life.”

The edge of wistfulness in his voice had me believing him. But then, Misha was a very good actor. He’d certainly managed to fool me into believing he was a kind and gentle soul for the past year. And fact was, he wasn’t. He was doing this for his own reasons—reasons he’d yet to fully explain.

He reached forward and caught my wrist, then tugged me off the beanbag and between his legs. “Enough for the night. I want the rest of my payment.”

“Not until you give me somewhere to start, Misha.”

He considered me for a moment. “There were two labs. The sister runs the second one.”

“I thought you said he was an only child.”

“No, I said the father had one natural child. I didn’t say the mother only had the one.”

“So the half-sister is a Helki?”

He nodded. “And runs the second lab.”

“Which is Libraska?”

“Yes. And now that you have your starting point, I’ve said enough for one night. I want the rest of my payment.”

He got it, and then I got the hell out of there. I blew out a breath as I left the club, and let my gaze travel up and down the street. Even though dawn had barely begun to streak the sky with wisps of rose, Lygon Street was alive with people and sound, the air rich with the aromas of wolf and humans, as well as the multiple, mouth-watering scents of meats and freshly baked breads. This end of the street had become a werewolf meeting zone, thanks to the close proximity of the two clubs, and many restaurants now opened their doors to cater for the all-night trade.

My stomach rumbled a reminder that it hadn’t eaten in a while. I gazed longingly at the Italian restaurant across the road, but knew the Directorate personnel who were watching the Rocker had probably already reported my appearance out on the street. Annoying Jack was never a good idea, and if I didn’t report in immediately, he’d be
really
annoyed. Food would have to wait until I made my report.

Ignoring the ongoing rumbling, I rummaged through my bag until I’d found the cell phone Jack had given me earlier. The phone on the other end rang all of three times before it was answered.

“Be there in five,” a warm, rich voice said.

I blinked in surprise. “Kade? What the hell are you doing answering this phone?”

“Jack and Rhoan are still talking to Ross James. I was told to stand by for you.”

“And Quinn?”

“Hasn’t yet made an appearance. See you soon.”

I grunted and hung up. Crossing my arms, I leaned against the Perspex wall of a nearby public phone booth, and watched the burgeoning line of traffic crawl along Lygon Street, some heading for the city, some heading to the suburbs and the many industrial estates scattered about the sprawling edges of Melbourne. Though it was barely six now, the crawling snakes of traffic would be at a virtual standstill within half an hour. Which is why I tended to catch public transport to work even when I did own a car—at least I could sleep in an extra hour and a half by doing so.

A yellow cab pulled to a halt beside the curb. I looked inside, saw that it was Kade, and climbed into the back.

“You look tired,” he said, pulling into the traffic with the brutal efficiency of a regular cabdriver.

“That’s because I am.” I hesitated, sniffing the air, my taste buds suddenly watering at a tantalizingly familiar scent. “Is that coffee I smell?”

His gaze met mine in the mirror, a warm smile touching his lips. “I thought you might need it after working all night.”

He reached across to the seat next to him, then handed back not only a jumbo cup of coffee, but a burger as well. If he hadn’t been driving, I might have leaned forward and hugged him. Not only because he knew exactly what I needed right at that moment, but because he didn’t give me any attitude about what I’d been doing. He simply accepted. Or didn’t care. Either way, it was nice.

I flipped open the lid of the coffee container. The thick, hazelnutty aroma curled to my nostrils, and I breathed deep, then smiled. Maybe I should just give men up and stick to coffee. It gave me pleasure without all the hassles.

“Thank you,” I said to Kade, and took a sip.

His smile flashed via the mirror. “You know there’s an ulterior motive.”

“And here I was thinking you did it out of the goodness of your heart.”

“Oh, that too.”

I grinned. “It’ll take more than coffee to get me into the sack right now.”

“How about a spa filled with aromatherapy oils?”

“Depends what sort of aromatherapy oils we’re talking about.”

“Ah. There’s a difference?”

“Some are definitely worth more bed time than others.”

“What about a mix of lavender and ylang-ylang?”

“Nice. I think they’d earn you a couple of hours, at least.”

“Done deal.”

Kade did a sharp left, and coffee slopped threateningly around the rim of the cup. “Warn me next time,” I chided. “Spilling my coffee will land you right out of my bed again.” I hesitated, looking around. Unless this was a shortcut I wasn’t aware of, we were now headed away from the Genoveve labs where Jack had set up shop. “Where are we going?”

“To get that bath.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Doesn’t Jack want us to report back ASAP?”

“Jack is busy,” he replied, his gaze front and center as he wove the cab in and out of traffic and parked cars like a man on a mission. “And there’s one rule in this game you should never forget.”

“And what game and rule are we talking about?”

“This game. The investigative business.” His gaze met mine briefly. “Never run yourself into the ground for them. They’ll take and take until you have no more to give, then they’ll cast you aside to find fresher meat.”

“I’m not an investigator, and I’m not a guardian.”

“Maybe not officially.” His expression was grim as he swerved to avoid a parking car. “And that makes it worse. Think about it—ten days ago you were in a coma, and so badly smashed up no one in that center thought you were going to come out of it. Since then, you’ve been in the middle of investigations, have been attacked several times, and have taken little in the way of time out.”

“We can’t afford time-outs. Not if we want to catch these people off guard.”

“Is catching these people off guard more important than your health? You look tired, and you’ve lost weight, even in the brief few days I’ve known you.”

“Having someone attempting to kill you all the time does tend to halt the appetite, you know. And constant sex doesn’t help, either.”

“And using sex as a means of questioning suspects is not only good exercise, but an extremely stressful situation. I
know
.” He met my gaze again. “Ring Rhoan. Tell him what you learned. Let him uncover the truth from the lies while you rest.”

“Has he got a hand in this?”

“I told him what I was going to do, and where I intended to take you. I’m not a fool, and have no wish to incur your pack-mate’s wrath.”

Wise man. “So where are you intending to take me?”

“To a mare’s place in Toorak.”

I frowned. “I thought you said your mares had scattered?”

“I did. And they did. But Sable went overseas before I went undercover, and she’s not due back for another two months.”

The name, and the fact that he seemed sure he’d find the exact scents I wanted, had me staring at him in disbelief. “We’re not talking Sable Kandell, are we?” The woman was the latest TV phenomenon, with her show rating through the roof and all five of her books still amongst the best sellers.

“That would be my girl.”

His voice held a hint of pride, and I blinked. “How did a military man like you get hooked up with a stunner like that?”

“Simple. We grew up together. She was mine from the word go.”

Obviously, there was a whole lot about the horse-shifter culture that I didn’t know. “So why let her go overseas? I thought all you stallions were too proprietary to allow something like that.”

He ignored the light changing from amber to red, swung right into Hoddle Street, then said, “Oh, have no fear, she’s branded as mine. No other stallion would dare touch her.”

Stallions branded their mates? Thank God I wasn’t a mare—and that wolves didn’t have such barbaric practices. “Considering she’s overseas, how would you know?”

“I’d know.” His voice was flat, and certainly didn’t invite further questions. Maybe it was secret stallion stuff. “Call Rhoan,” he added, and handed me a phone.

So I called Rhoan, and told him everything Misha and Kellen had told me. Kade pulled into a beautiful old English mansion right in the middle of what was quaintly termed “millionaires’ row.” Meaning, the folk in this street were considered the poorer cousins of the Toorak crowd. Of course, most of the
really
rich cousins had moved on to leafy Brighton.

Kade led me inside, poured me a glass of wine to drink while he readied the spa, dropped in the scents I’d asked for, then helped me strip and climb in. As the
pièce de résistance
, he leisurely washed my hair as the warm water bubbled around my limbs, easing tensions I hadn’t realized existed even as the flowery scents touched the air, soothing and relaxing.

Once he’d helped me dry off, he sat me down and combed my hair, and, though at that point I was ready and willing to dance with him, he led me to bed, tucked me in, and walked away.

It occurred to me then that no other man in my life—besides my brother—had ever treated me so sensually, so lovingly, so damn wonderfully, just because he knew I needed it. Which was a rather sad statement about my life and my relationships to date. Even Quinn, for all his fine words about needing to be in my life, had yet to show the sort of caring Kade had just shown.

Really, the only man in my life showing any
real
potential as a permanent mate was Kellen, and I barely even knew him.

Maybe I should just cut my losses and play with Kade. I might never find my soul mate, but at least I’d be guaranteed a little tender loving care every now and again.

I was beginning to wonder if Quinn even knew what that was.