Turning Payne (6 page)

The morning breeze held the first hint of winter, but despite the nip in the air, Riley's blood burned like molten lava.

He'd almost kissed her, and she'd wanted him to. He stirred a need within her that she hadn't known existed. Lust, pure and simple, but there was nothing simple about Turner Payne. She wanted to believe that it was because it had been so long since she'd been with anyone, but she knew it was a lie. Her body had been sexually comatose before he showed up. 

She ignored the frown he gave her as he got out of the car. He'd been moody and silent the entire drive over. But she hadn't missed the periodic side glances whenever he thought she wasn't paying attention.

He reminded her of the Siamese cat, Blu, she had as a child—playful one moment, sullen and moody the next. Even his eyes were the same silvery-grey, rimmed with darker shades, making the irises appear eerily translucent in the shadows.

Right now, those eyes were trained on her behind a mask of stoicism. He seemed to be as disconcerted around her as she was around him.

The
almost-kiss
hung in the air around them. He'd pulled back, which was probably for the best. But the 'what if' was a fire in her gut. And every subtle touch, every stolen glance, only added kerosene to the growing flames.

She followed him up the walkway towards a large two-story house. "How long has your brother and his, er, mate, lived here?"

He cleared his throat and looked away. "They built it a couple of months ago."

He rang the doorbell, then shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at her.

Damn kerosene
. Even with the wariness in his eyes, she felt her knees weaken under his gaze.

The door swung open and Riley did a double take. There was no doubt that the man in front of her was Turner's brother. Same dark hair, olive complexion, strong, sculpted bone structure. The main difference was the piercing blue of his eyes. He was handsome, but there was an authority to the man that hardened his features, and made him less approachable than Turner.

She gave him a weak smile when his icy gaze focused on her. A muscle in his jaw flexed. It was a look meant to intimidate, and she fought the urge to recoil. Instead, she straightened her shoulders and tilted her chin, giving him an equally cool stare. She had enough experience with arrogant men, including her father, to know that shrinking back would only amplify the man's sense of power.

His eyes softened and the corner of his lips twitched in what she was sure was a rare smile. "It's nice to meet you, Riley."

She took his outstretched hand and felt an instant connection. This was a man she could respect. "Thank you for helping."

A rumbling sound came from Turner's direction. "Think we can move this party inside?"

Chase huffed, but didn't seem overly surprised by his brother's angry outburst. "Come in. We have a lot to go over."

The scent of fresh paint and newly laid hardwood hit her as she entered the foyer. It was a beautiful home, new and clean, and definitely not a place to keep a lion.

"Where's Kiera?" There was a slight edge to her voice that betrayed the emotions she was trying hard to keep at bay.

"She's comfortable," Chase said. "We've kept her semi-sedated, but she's conscious."

"But you think you can fix her, right?" Riley said.

Chase's eyebrows shot up and he glanced at his brother.

Turner placed his hand on Riley's shoulder. The contact sent a zing of heat racing down her spine. She ignored it, focusing instead on the look of warning that passed between him and Chase.

She spun on him. "You said you could help her."

"I said I'd do everything I can." Turner's gaze softened. "And I will."

Her throat tightened. She wanted to believe him, but something in Chase's expression made her question Turner's words.

"Can I see her?"

Chase scratched the back of his neck and nodded. "I'll take you down."

She followed him through the house, down the basement stairs, aware of Turner following close behind.

The metal bars were the first thing she saw, but it was the low, violent growl that made her flinch. The animal crouched behind the cage, canines bared.

"Kiera?" She approached the cage slowly. "It's me, Riley." The lioness snarled. "We're going to help you. Find a way to change you back."

In a flash of fur and teeth, the lion leapt, stopping before slamming into the bars. Riley stumbled backwards. Turner placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her steady.

Riley bit her trembling lower lip to steady her emotions. This was a bad idea. She should be out searching for answers. She shouldn't have asked to see her, not like this…this wasn't her sister.

"It's her," Turner said, as if reading her thoughts. "She's still in there."

Chase cleared his throat. "I'll give you a few minutes."

The lion paced from one side of the cage to the other, never taking its eyes off them. 

"Talk to her. Help her remember," Turner said softly, when Chase had disappeared up the stairs.

"What do I say?"

"Just speak to her like you normally would." He squeezed her shoulder. "I'll be right here."

She could do this.

Despite her overwhelming sense of panic, she took a few steps forward, and knelt in front of the cage, placing her hands on the bars.

"Kie-Kiera," Riley stuttered. "It's me."

The hairs rose on the back of Riley's neck as the lion stopped and looked at her.

"I'm so sorry this happened." The lion's ears twitched, and for a moment, Riley thought she saw something, a spark of her sister, behind the golden eyes. With slow movements, she approached the cage and gripped the cold bars that separated them. "I'll get you out of there. I promise—"

The lion lunged. Turner reacted before Riley could move, pulling her back as the lion's extended claws swiped at her through the bars.

Turner cursed as he dragged her further away from the cage. A roar vibrated around them, and reverberated off the walls.

"She-she tried to hurt me." She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall.

She couldn't breathe and she fought to swallow past the growing knot in her throat. Her sister was gone. All that existed was the animal. She had seen the truth in Chase's eyes, and she saw it now in Turner's. The shaking started in her fingers, and moved up her arms like ice, freezing her from the inside out.

"I'm sorry." Turner's arms tightened around her. "I shouldn't have let you get that close."

A small cry escaped her lips and she shook her head, turning into him and burying her face in his chest.

Turner cupped her face and forced her to look at him. Warmth spread over her like a second skin. The same warmth she'd felt the day before, calming her, bringing his face into focus. 

The lion seemed to sense the shift in the air, and moved to the back of the cage.

"I'm going to make this right." He held her a little tighter. "Whatever it takes, we'll get her back."

She whispered shakily, "I'm scared."

"I know." His silvery grey gaze remained locked on hers. "I'm not giving up. You can trust me."

"This is totally crazy, but I do."

He pulled back slightly and his eyes widened. There was something in that look that made her stomach flip flop. His fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of her neck and he placed his forehead against hers.

She breathed him in, and with every breath, warmth infused her. He had some unnatural ability to calm her. The thought should have scared her, made her run, but instead she melted into it, greedily seeking more.

Her hands moved up his chest and snaked around his neck. Every touch removed the ache in her chest. It was wrong. Standing in that basement, with her whole world crumbling around her, she shouldn't want him the way she did.

His hips pressed into her and she forgot all the reasons why she shouldn't kiss him. His hands splayed across her lower back, holding her to him.

She held her breath as he lowered his mouth closer to hers.

"Riley." Her name was a low growl on his lips. She could almost taste his words. "We shouldn't—"

Curling her fingers in his dark hair, she went up on her tiptoes and pulled his mouth down to hers. His lips brushed against hers and she felt it—a zing, hot and explosive, making every nerve ending in her body fire at once.

His tongue stroked boldly past her parted lips. Tasting him only increased her need. She surrendered to him, whimpering as his mouth moved deeper. The noise he made in response made her knees go weak.

"Riley." It was part groan, part warning.

The cage rattled and a growl vibrated through the metal bars.

Startled back to reality, Riley pulled back. What was she doing?  

Turner swore quietly and scrubbed his hands over his face.

Her cheeks burned and she looked away. Away from Turner, away from lion who watched her with wild eyes.

"We should go upstairs." His tone was flat, but his voice was rough. "I have a few things I need to discuss with Chase."

She swallowed past the growing lump in her throat and hugged herself. "I'm going to stay here for a few minutes."

He gave a sharp nod and headed up the stairs, then stopped on the top step. "Don't get too close to the cage."

She didn't know why, but the warning broke something in her. "I know," she whispered, and drew in a shaky breath when he disappeared behind the door. When he was gone, she let her tears fall.

Turner handed the baggie with the syringe to Chase. "Not sure what it is, but the asshole had it jammed in Riley's throat before I got there."

Chase held it up to the light and frowned. "Some kind of sedative?"

"That's what I thought." He skated a hand over the back of his head. "Riley thinks it may be what turned her sister."

A fierce frown wrinkled Chase's brow. "And you're only giving it to me now?"

"Just get it analyzed."

"And how the fuck am I supposed to explain how I got it?"

"That's your problem"—Turner nodded to the bag Chase held—"Whether or not that turns out to be the golden egg or not, this Marcus guy knows something and I'm going to find out what."

Chase gave him a long, piercing look. "And Riley?"

Turner clenched his teeth at the speculation he saw in his brother's eyes. "She's got enough to deal with right now. The less she knows the better."

The front door slammed shut, and Lora came into the kitchen carrying two large grocery bags. Chase rushed to take them from her, and she rewarded him with a kiss. The smile fell flat when she spotted Turner.

"The prodigal son returns." Lora stood in front of him, hands on her hips, amber eyes narrowed on him. She barely came up to his chest, but despite her size there was a boldness to her that always made him smile.

"Hey Lo-lo," Turner said, tugging playfully on her dark ponytail.

He was still getting used to the idea that his brother had chosen a mate, and that his mate just happened to be Jacob Oliver's youngest sister. But if his brother had to choose anyone, Turner was glad it was Lora. She was practically like a sister anyways, only now she happened to be shacking up with his brother.

Lora rolled her eyes, then stood on her toes and placed a chaste kiss on Turner's cheek. "Thanks for the house warming present. Come to take it home with you?"

"Funny. And No." Turner shoved his hands in his pockets and propped his hip against the counter. "I was hoping you could keep her here for a few more days."

Lora frowned but nodded. "Chase won't tell me what's going on. This better not have anything to do with—"

"Riley." Turner quickly interrupted her when he saw Riley hovering by the basement door, her scent invading his senses. Her eyes were swollen as if she'd been crying, and his gut tightened.

The urge to protect her, wrap her in his arms, surged through him. She was proving to be a distraction. If he were smart, he would leave her with Chase and Lora while he tracked down Marcus. But leaving her, even with people he trusted, left a bad taste in his mouth.

Lora crossed her arms over her chest and stared up at Turner expectantly. Shit, this wasn't going to be good.

He cleared his throat and winced.  "Lora, this is Riley."

"Riley Boyd," Chase said, the slight hint of a warning in his voice.

"Boyd?" Lora said, her expression deadpan. Her lips tightened in a thin line as she took turns glaring between him and Chase, then locking on Riley, who seemed just as baffled as Lora did.

Riley shifted uncomfortably under Lora's gaze. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I wanted to say thank you for taking care of my…" Her voice cracked. "Sister."

"Your sister?" Lora fisted her hands on her hips and gifted Turner with another dirty look. "What the hell have you done now?"

"Chase can explain it to you." He reached for Riley's wrist and pulled her towards the door. "We have to go."

"Explain what?" Riley's gaze locked onto his face.

"The less you know the better," Turner said, sensing the anger that was beginning to simmer within her, but not knowing how else to divert her attention.

Riley yanked her wrist free. "That's bullshit. I deserve to know what's going on if it involves my family."

Turner growled, a low rasp that pushed between his clenched teeth. "I'm trying to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" Riley took a step back so that she was standing next to Lora. "My sister's been turned into a lion. What else could you possibly tell me that could be worse than that?"

Turner ignored her, despite the growing desire to tell her everything. To expose Boyd for who he truly was. Why allow her to keep her precious memories of a man who was nothing more than a murderer?

He slammed his fist on the counter, making both of the women jump. Chase responded with a snarl that curled the side of his lips and exposed his canines. Fuck. He had to get out of there now. But he wasn't leaving without Riley.

"You're going to be in so much trouble when Jacob finds out," Lora said, with real fear in her words.

"
If
Jacob finds out," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Seriously? You really think you can keep this from my brother? When he finds out you've got both of Richard Boyd's daughters holed up in…shit, in
MY
basement!" Lora turned on Chase and punched him in the shoulder. "And you knew about this?"

"Can someone please tell me what's going on, and what my father has to do with any of this?"

"She doesn't know?" Lora threw her hands up in the air and started to pace.

"Know what?"

"Nothing," Turner bit out. Clenching his fists, he forced himself to hold back the anger that pounded through his veins at the mention of Boyd's name. He gave Riley a hard look. "Let's go."

Riley fisted her hands at her side. "Tell me what's going on, right now!"

"Fine." A long snarl rattled from Turner's chest and Riley flinched. "You want to know the truth? Your father wasn't just a geneticist. He ran an underground program that dissected and mutilated metamorphs. He was responsible for the death of hundreds, maybe thousands, of innocent lives, all in the name of
research
."

The color drained from Riley's face.

Turner knew he was being too harsh, but he couldn't shake his growing anger, the resentment that lurked just below the surface. Even when his lion rumbled in warning, he pushed on.

"Right before his death he wasn't only killing metamorphs. He was extracting their organs…heart, lungs, kidneys, liver…and transplanting them into humans. He was trying to find a way to replicate metamorph DNA. To give humans metamorph strength—our ability to heal and fight off disease. He was looking for a way to turn humans into metamorphs…sound familiar?"

Riley visibly stiffened. He saw the tremble in her chin, and watched as she pulled it back, her expression unreadable. She was stronger than he gave her credit for. But it didn't change the fact that her father was a monster.

"Your sister turning into a fucking lion wasn't random. Somehow your father is responsible and I'm going to find out how."

"You're wrong. My father was a good man. He'd never intentionally hurt people."

"We weren't people to him," Turner growled. "Just animals to torture."

Her eyes glossed over and she shook her head.

"He's telling the truth," Chase said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Turner's shoulder as if to pull him back from the edge. "The Therian Agency has spent years compiling data on your father."

She shrank back, away from them. "No, no, no."

"Think about it, Riley." Turner shrugged his brother's hand away and took another step towards her. "Marcus DuPoint worked for your father. How do you think he knew about me, about what I am? And where do you think he got the shit to infect Kiera? Sorry to break it to you sweetheart, but your father's the monster responsible for turning your sister into a fucking lion, and when I get my hands on—"

"Enough." Lora put herself between him and Riley. "You don't have to be such an ass about it."

"She needs to know what he's done," Turner said.

"Maybe, but not like this. You're scaring her." Lora turned to Riley. "Why don't you come and sit down."

Riley didn't move, even when Lora tried to gently nudge her towards the living room. She stared at the floor, her expression unreadable. After a long moment of silence, Riley finally looked up, meeting Turner's gaze, green eyes brimming with unshed tears.             

"There were tapes," Riley whispered.

The words were spoken so soft that Turner almost missed them. "Tapes?"

"VHS tapes. Hundreds of them. I found them when I was about ten or eleven. I thought they were documentaries he'd recorded, but when I put one in to watch…" She closed her eyes and shivered. With a steadying breath, she opened her eyes. There was acknowledgement and deep grief behind the emerald depths. "He wasn't just experimenting on animals…they were people?"

She took an unsteady step and reached out to grasp the counter. A tear slid down her cheek and she swiped it away with the back of her sleeve.

Guilt slammed into him. He'd done this to her. 

"Riley, I'm sorry." He moved in to comfort her and she pulled back.

"I want to go home," she whispered.

"I can't take you back there. I don't know who else might be tracking you."

"I-I just need to lie down."

Turner swore he could hear the thundering of her heart, or was it the sound of it breaking? He exhaled a sharp curse and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, drawing her against his chest.

"She can stay here," Lora offered, glaring at Turner.

"No." He wasn't leaving her and he didn't think she wanted him to either.

Riley relaxed in his arms, but she held in the sobs that he could feel building within her chest. He needed to get her home—to his home.

He turned to Chase. "Get the syringe to the labs. If it's what I think it is, then maybe we have a shot of creating an antidote."

Chase nodded sharply, his lips drawn in a tight line. "I'll call you when I have any information."

Turner barely heard his brother's words. All he could think about was the woman in his arms. He'd just destroyed everything she thought was real, and yet she clung to him as if he were her lifeline.

What would she do if she realized he lied to her? Sure, it was a lie of omission. Not telling her he was responsible for the fire that took her father away from her was still a lie, and if she knew…he shook the thought away. He'd just have to make sure she never found out.

Lora was right. He really was an ass.

He led Riley out of the house and helped her into the car, taking the time to buckle her seatbelt for her. She sat silently, staring blankly out the window.

He'd take her back to his apartment and make sure she was comfortable. Marcus DuPoint would have to wait one more day before Turner sunk his claws in the man's throat.