Scorpio Sons 1: Colton (14 page)

Alyssa gave a disgusted grunt of laughter. "So you're turning this around on me. What you're suggesting is that by feeling betrayed I'm saying you aren't worth the price?"

He shrugged. "I had time to work through my issues before I decided that you and the incredible connection we have are worth any price I have to pay. You might need time to make your own decision."

She stopped on the deserted street only a few houses short of her old home. Everything around her was familiar and safe. Her parents had given her that; had given her the kind of childhood millions of children never got. And because of their choices she'd ultimately been given a love unlike any other.

Looking up into his serious, handsome and beloved face, Alyssa smiled. "I don't need time to think it through. You're grateful to Regis for me, and I guess I'm grateful to him for you. You're worth any price I've had to pay,
will
have to pay. And I agreed to help you bring down Alzhir, which I guess means I'm every bit as committed to the cause as my parents."

Colt leaned down and claimed her lips once more. "I'm really glad to hear that. Really glad."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

With Alyssa snuggled in at his side on the plane, Colt could relax for the first time in days. Though the visit to Portland had gone without a hitch, he hadn't been able to shake the feeling of unease that had started the night Alyssa had run away. Not because of the outcome of that night, because he couldn't be happier they'd resolved their issues, but because he'd sensed something as they walked back to the house, something he couldn't put his finger on. And though he hadn't felt it again for the rest of the visit, it remained with him, nagging at him like a sore tooth.

Connor told him he was being paranoid. He claimed that Colt didn't know how to be happy so he manufactured a worry to keep the happiness muted and under control. But they had enough worries with Akabar; he didn't have to manufacture more reasons to be uneasy. The more he was forced to send Lyss into danger, the more distress he felt.

"You ready for the madness of the next few days?" he asked, kissing the top of her head.

"Yes. I feel energised and confident. I think that's because of you. Sex has that effect on me I'm coming to realise." She giggled.

"Spending so much time in your father's garage has given me a whole new appreciation of manly home improvements. But I'm looking forward to having you horizontal again. Sex standing up is all well and good, but it lacks finesse. I've decided I like finesse."

Alyssa giggled again and though he couldn't see her face he was sure she was blushing. "You're a perfectionist, aren't you? I wouldn't have guessed."

And for the rest of the two-hour flight Colt enjoyed describing all the things he planned to do to her when he had her on a soft bed, in a warm room where clothes could be dispensed with.

The plane was late landing and Connor kept them seated while the impatient passengers fought to be the first to disembark. Once the congestion eased they leisurely gathered their belongings and joined the line heading for the baggage area of LAX.

"I haven't heard from Alzhir for a couple of days. He was going to pick me up at the airport, but I'm not sure what's going on," Alyssa said as they trailed the crowd along the gangway.

"He's a busy man. He's probably got more than enough on his plate planning the destruction of Rio and your island holiday. Give the poor wee lad a break," Connor joked straight-faced.

But now that Akabar had been mentioned again, Colt couldn't get the inconsistency out of his mind. The mogul had been more than attentive right up until this trip. What had changed? Yes, he was busy, but he'd always found the time to text or call Alyssa every day. His silence was ominous.

However, when they wheeled their bags out into the Arrivals Area, he was pleased to see Akabar awaiting them. But Connor had his cell phone out immediately, eyes darting around the milling crowd. That's when Colt saw them, too: armed police officers strategically placed at exits and in a loose cordon around the arrivals door.

"Mission compromised. Arrest imminent," was all Connor said before he dropped his phone and smashed it with his heel. Colt was ahead of him in that action by a millisecond. Their phones were hi-tech. The chance that important information could be retrieved from them was little to none. But in situations like this, when they knew they were up against the Guild's techno-wizardry, it didn't hurt to take every precaution possible.

"What's wrong?" Alyssa asked, noting Connor's call and the serious expression on his face.

"Not sure yet, song-bird, but be prepared for things to go south fast. Stay calm no matter what."

Alyssa's panicked expression had Colt's cat on high-alert. But this was no place for the cat to come out. There were too many surveillance cameras, too many eyewitnesses. The Guild didn't know they existed yet, but they sure would if this situation went viral on
YouTube
from someone's cell phone video.

Akabar's face was blank as they approached. Then, as if on cue, he rushed towards Alyssa frantically.

"Alyssa, my dear girl, thank god you're safe. We caught them in time!" He drew the bewildered Alyssa away from Colt and Connor into the protective corral created by his four bodyguards.

Colt could have taken the four men out in a matter of seconds but the fall-out would have been too great. Fighting down every protective instinct inside him, he let his woman be taken from him.

That's when the uniforms moved in, removing handcuffs from their belts. "Colton Blake, you're under arrest for the murder of Raul Mendez. You have the right to remain silent…" He didn't listen as the man droned the Miranda Rights at him. It was taking everything he had to keep his cat caged, and glancing over at Connor, who was also being handcuffed, he had to imagine he was struggling with the same problem.

"Wait, what? No, you've got it wrong. Colt didn't murder anyone. You've made a mistake!" Alyssa cried, trying to break away from Akabar's men to get to him. For a moment, he saw her eyes change and felt his cat rise in response. Hastily, he looked down at the tiled floor beneath him.

"Calm down, Alyssa. It's okay. This will be sorted in no time. Stay calm." He kept his voice low, not even loud enough for the officer who'd arrested him to hear, but when he looked up he saw that Alyssa's eyes had returned to normal and she was taking long, deep breaths to calm herself.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through this circus, my love, but this was the safest way. The media frenzy will be good for your chances in the competition, even if it's not good for your stress levels." Akabar began drawing her further away from Colt.

"I don't understand," Alyssa said desperately, staring wide-eyed at the police forming up around Colt and Connor and the fascinated crowd taking pictures of the scene on their phones.

"They were plants," Akabar answered with exaggerated concern. "Mafia hitmen trying to get to me through you. But we've foiled their plans. It's unlikely would have ever reached your hotel."

Her wild eyes turned back to Colt as Akabar slipped a consoling arm around her shoulder. "I know you trusted them. But they're professionals. Gaining your trust and affection was part of their job."

Colt felt his control on his cat beginning to slip. She couldn't believe the bastard, could she?

But the doubt he saw in her eyes hit him full in the chest, driving out all belief in the love they'd found. Of course she'd doubt him. What woman in their right mind wouldn't?

"I…I can't believe it," she mumbled. Even in the cacophony of sound around him, Colt could hear her soft words. Each one was a blade to the heart. He wanted to tell her it was a lie cleverly conceived to separate them, but he feared that his words would fall on deaf ears. Akabar, the master manipulator, had somehow managed to reclaim all the ground the Sons had made with Alyssa. Colt had lost her, just as he'd always expected to lose her in the end. Nothing so good could ever remain his for long.

As he allowed himself to be roughly led away, Connor two steps behind, his mind stilled and began to focus, compartmentalising his pain. Quickly he tallied up the situation. Akabar knew something, but it was unclear what that was. Alyssa might still be safe. The mogul might not know of her part in their plan. But would she divulge what she knew; now she doubted him? Their whole infrastructure could be in jeopardy if she did so. But even if doubted him, he couldn't believe the girl he loved would betray his brothers and her parents. She was too loyal for that.

Help was on the way, Connor's call had assured them of that. They'd never make it to the police station. Or if they did, the Sons and the Résistance would have them broken out in a few hours. Then they could get Alyssa back.

But if Akabar suspected Alyssa's involvement he'd destroy her. And Colt wouldn't be there to save her. Everything inside him screamed to let his cat loose and take back his woman. If any harm came to her he knew madness would be his only recourse. This was what he feared after that first night of extraordinary pleasure: this helplessness, this panic. Never in his life had he felt so vulnerable. Not even as a seven-year-old spending his first nights on the freezing streets of Vancouver. Back then he'd been scared and terrified of what he'd released, but it was nothing compared to this…

Watching Colt being led away, Alyssa had never felt so terrified in her life. Almost being raped didn't even come in as a close second compared to the utter devastation caused by the abrupt turn of events. And the only course open to her, as her world fell apart around her, was to try to keep her cool and go along with Alzhir. If her cat came out now then everything she and the Sons had been attempting to do would be lost.

But she didn't know what had gone wrong. One minute, she was enjoying the pleasure of Colt's attentions; in the next, they were surrounded, and Colt was gone. The look in his eyes as he was led away told her that he doubted she could stay strong; that he feared she'd betray them.

Alzhir's arm dropped from around her as soon as the police disappeared. Instead, he clamped his fingers around her upper arm and began leading her, none too gently, through the crowd towards the exit.

His silver limo was waiting for them at the curb and she was bundled into it without ceremony. Once inside, Alzhir sat across from her, letting his monolithic bodyguards take the seats on either side of Alyssa.

"I don't understand. What's going on?" she pleaded with Alzhir tearfully.

He looked down his nose at her and sniffed. "I thought better of you, Alyssa. You were a girl with old-world morals and I was willing to wait for you. Instead, you whore yourself with that man? How long did it take for him to get into your pants? That first night after I left? The next day? How long?"

She felt marginally better, now she knew what Alzhir was worried about. He didn't know about the Sons and their plans, he was just jealous of her relationship with Colt. But how had he found out?

"What makes you think I'm involved with – "

"Don't bother trying to lie to me. You are a very bad liar. I've had eyes on you since the attack. It seemed a bit too coincidental that Blake should be on the scene to rescue you. So, for your safety, I've had you watched. You certainly became friendly with those two quickly, taking trips to San Francisco, laughing and joking with them like old friends. I even started to wonder if they
were
old friends, and that you were party to the set-up in an attempt to get your boyfriend employment."

"Don't be ridiculous! I'd never seen Colt or Connor before. If we were laughing and joking it was because Connor likes to keep things informal, and I do too. Being with stiff cardboard cut-outs of the Men in Black is very daunting."

"Well, at least that's no lie. I had a thorough check done on them and I could find no link between you or either man. So I have to assume you are a whore and happily jumped into bed with Blake as soon as he made his move."

"I…I didn't. I…"

"Don't lie to me, Alyssa. Can't you see it gets you nowhere? I have photos of you two rolling around in the snow and having sex against a tree. Good god, have you no pride? Anyone could have seen you. Do you know what the Paparazzi could have done with a picture of you like that?"

Alyssa dropped her gaze to her twisting fingers. So she'd been seen with Colt that first night in Portland had she? And to pay her back for her infidelity, Alzhir had Colt and Connor arrested on trumped-up murder charges? If she'd had any doubt that the man was a monster, she would be convinced of it now.

Too angry to watch her words, Alyssa spat her challenge at the alien across from her. "So two innocent men will go to jail for crimes they didn't commit because I took a fancy to Colt, is that it?"

"Exactly. I don't think you know who you're dealing with. I have given you a very loose rein because I valued you and respected your innocence, but don't ever imagine that you've known a single moment's freedom since I set my sights on you. You are mine and will remain so for the rest of your life, no matter how long, or how short, a time that may prove to be."

"I… I…No, you don't own me. You may have a contract on my music, but I'd rather walk away from my dreams than be shackled to you. Let me out now, Alzhir. I don't want to be here anymore."

Alzhir laughed mirthlessly. "Little girl, you are so naive. I don't need a contract to control you. You will do exactly what I tell you, including sucking my cock when it pleases me, or your parents will have a tragic car accident. If I can have innocent men arrested for murder, do you doubt I can arrange a fatal car crash, to get what I want?"

Alyssa stared at the fiend in stunned horror. Would he go to those lengths to make her co-operate? Would he kill?

Of course he would. Hadn't she heard him approve a hit; wasn't he planning to kill hundreds or even thousands, in Rio, just so he could gain his place in the upper echelons of the Guild?

Alzhir laughed again, this time cruelly. "I can see from your expression that you no longer doubt me. That shows you have some sense. I'd come to doubt you had any after your little escapade with Blake."

Alyssa could think of nothing else to say. In one shattering move, Alzhir had closed his jaws over her leg like a wolf-trap, and now she was unable to wrestle free. Her only hope was that she could keep the true nature of Colt's part in this to herself and that somehow the Sons would be able to get Colt and Connor free. As for herself? Until Alzhir was dead, she was his helpless victim. She would have to do anything he demanded of her.