Table of Contents

Copyright
Title
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Thank You
Author Bio
Also By

This is a work of fiction. All names,

characters, locations, and incidents

depicted in this work are of the author’s

imagination or have been used in a

fictitious manner. Any *crane

resemblance to actual persons, living or

dead, locations, or events is entirely

coincidental.

No portion of this book may be

transmitted or reproduced in any form,

or by any means, without the prior

written permission of the author.

Cover designed by Najlla Qammber

Designs

Zeno (Luna Lodge #8)

Madison Stevens

Zeno’s satisfied being a grunt among

the super-soldier hybrids of Luna Lodge.
He’s never been a deep thinker, but he
respects his leaders and is happy to be
the guy they drop in when they need
trouble shut down with a little muscle.

He’s annoyed when he’s ordered to

accompany another team on a mission to
Peru. The main mission’s fine, but he
doesn’t like the idea that he’s also being

sent to check on Ava, the flighty sister of
the mate of another hybrid. As far as he’s
concerned, it’s a waste of his talents to
check on some grown woman on
vacation.

Ava thought she’d found true love

with Antonio on a cruise. Now she’s the
prisoner of a dangerous criminal. As far
she knows, no one is coming to check on
her, so it’s up to her to get away from
him before her captor tires of her.

When Zeno and Ava cross paths, they

both realize Antonio is far more than he
appears. If they are going to escape with
their lives, they are going to have to
remain focused. Unfortunately, their

burning attraction for each other is more
than a little distracting.

Chapter One

Fucking meetings. That’s all they did
anymore, sit in meetings. The hybrids of
Luna Lodge had been created as super-
soldiers, not super-managers.

He bit back a laugh and did his best

to ignore the buzz of mild conversation
around him, waiting for Titus to just get
on with things.

They’d had so many plans before the

public learned their true nature: for a
different life they had under the thumb of
the Horatius Group. Back then, they’d
assumed the same government that
rescued them would help them out. Hope
some might call it.

Zeno rolled his neck and tried to stay

awake. He ran a hand through his close-
cropped blond hair on his way to
scratching the back of his neck. He’d
suffered through two other meetings that
day, and when they called him to stay for
the last meeting of the day, he had been
less than thrilled.

Dinner would be served soon, and he

hated to be the last in the chow hall.
Being the last one in meant he would get
what was left, and it was never much.
He’d already missed lunch because of an
earlier meeting.

He glanced around the table, an odd

bunch for him, high-ups like Titus,
Lucius and Sol. Not exactly his normal
crew.

It wasn’t that he didn’t work on

occasion with any of the leaders of their
group, but he was a grunt, the guy called
in to make sure shit wasn’t going down
and stayed that way.

Varius, the hybrid he’d become the

closest to, had been absent for a number
of recent meetings and briefings. The
two were normally paired off for crap
like this: Zeno for his muscle and Varius
for his keen senses, and that was saying
a lot considering how good all hybrids’
senses were compared to normal
humans.

Zeno wondered what was going on

with the Varius but didn’t push. He’d
found that his quiet friend would talk
when he was ready and not sooner.

He liked Varius. The other hybrid

seemed to get him. He understood Zeno
was satisfied being the guy other people
told what to do. There were perks to
being the muscle with no chance of
promotion. It meant he had more time to
spend on working out or just enjoying all
the little things they hadn’t been able to
when the damned Horatius Group
controlled their lives.

He flexed the muscles across his

chest and liked that the t-shirt he was
wearing stretched across the wide
expanse. Some people were just meant
to be certain things, and he was most
certainly meant to be a grunt for his
leaders.

Titus cleared his throat. “Most of you

already know what I’m about to say, but
for those who don’t, pay attention.”

The room grew silent. Zeno looked

around the table as several people
watched him. He rested his gaze on the
new nurse, Paige. He was just thankful
he didn’t have to be locked in another
meeting with their doctor, Rachel.

She’d been the object of his desire

for some time before she bonded with
Marius. The sting of being pushed aside
for some computer geek still burned him
a bit. It wasn’t that he really wanted
Rachel but more that someone like
Marius could get a woman, and he
couldn’t.

Zeno worried it said something about

him more than anything. Maybe guys like

him never got a Vestal, a special woman
compatible with and drawn to hybrids,
and their only chance at truly being
complete.

The whole process involved far too

much science for him to understand, but
the one thing he did know was that
people around him were falling in love,
and he remained alone.

Fuck it. He didn’t need a woman

complicating his life. Things were just
fine without one.

His gaze slid past the nurse to her

bonded, Justus. The dark and mysterious
man he’d guarded as a potential spy just
months before was now a trusted
member of their group.

Justus narrowed his eyes at him and

scooted closer to Paige. Zeno rolled his
eyes.

He looked to Titus, the great leader of

the Luna hybrids, and nodded. Better
they get this shit over with than argue
about why he was the last to know.

Titus raised a brow that creased his

tanned skin. “You’ve all been called for
a special mission.”

Zeno’s ears perked up. Missions

were something he could deal with,
especially if it meant he’d have the
chance to take down a couple of
Glycons, the mindless and mutated
blood-thirsty hybrids created by the
Group as disposable weapons. Hell,
maybe he’d even get a chance to take
down a member of the Horatius Group.

“According to the pings we’ve

gotten,” Titus said and tapped the map
on the table. “This is where you’ll be
going.”

Zeno looked down at the paper and

nearly choked. “Peru? What the hell?”

“Oh, fuck me,” Marius groaned and

leaned forward in his chair. His button-
up shirt strained around his neck as he
did so. “I told you he wouldn’t work.”

Zeno glared at the other man. He

might not harbor any feelings for Rachel,
but that didn’t mean he didn’t still want
to kick Marius’s ass. The smug prick
always seemed to think he was smarter
than the rest of them.

“Couldn’t we send Varius with him?”

Sol said.

Titus gave a funny look and shook his

head. “He’s busy,” he said, his words
clipped and final.

Zeno frowned. Had his friend been

given some special mission he wasn’t
allowed to be part of? It certainly
seemed that way.

Two burning amber eyes landed on

him, and he could feel the pull of what a
leader could command from his men.

“He’s who we need,” Titus said and

nodded firmly to Zeno. “The mission
can’t be completed without him.”

Pride swelled in him at the high

praise. Whatever it was, he knew he was
more than capable of handling it.
Despite what some of the others might
think about him, he did his job and did it

well. At least Titus seemed to have faith
in him.

He scanned the map. Zeno wasn’t

quite sure what he was looking at, but
the terrain seemed to contain far less
jungle than their last excursion to that
part of the world. Large mountains
surrounded a small town. It looked
remote and dangerous. Not that danger
scared him, but he wanted to know what
he was walking into. Part of kicking ass
was not letting the other guy get a drop
on you.

Val leaned across the table and

pointed to a red circle on the map. The
little female half-hybrid was proving to
be a major asset to them. Her knowledge
of computers, communication

infrastructure and systems was near
master level. There was even some talk
that her half-hybrid nature might have
some role in her abilities. Zeno wasn’t
so certain.

They’d never encountered someone

like her, and they certainly had no idea
how she worked. She and her brother,
the full-hybrid Sol, were similar in
nature and looks, but the rest seemed
more a mystery.

Rumors floated around saying she

could sense emotions, but he didn’t pay
much attention to them. It seemed like
some story that had been passed along to
explain her odd behavior.

In the end, it might just be that Val

was a super genius, which put people on

edge. Not that he was going to tell her
that. The last thing she needed was her
ego to be even more inflated. Still, he
had to respect her skills.

Val glanced over at him from where

she leaned. She gave a small smirk and
shook her head, returning her attention
back to the map. He twitched.

“We know the probably Horatius

Group signal we’ve detected is coming
from this general area,” she said and
looked around the room. “I’ll know
more once I can get into position.”

He frowned. “Position for what?”
She stared at him with a straight-

forward expression. No malice. Not
patronizing. He wondered if she was
actually trying to read the emotions of

the room. Not that it mattered, he had
nothing to hide even if the rumors
proved true.

She gave a half smile and he froze.

Maybe his earlier thoughts had been
right.

“You, big boy, have a different sort of

job,” she said. She grinned widely at
him, and he didn't like the look of it. He
could hear Apollo growl a warning
beside her. The guy always seemed a
little more revved up when it came to
Val.

She turned and winked to Apollo,

who stopped growling and glared
around the room, as if daring anyone to
say something.

Val turned back around and smiled at

Zeno.

“Apollo will help me get to a point in

town so I can set up my tracking station,”
she said. “Once I get that in place, I’ll be
able to relay information to Marius.
Between the two of us, we should be
able to locate the facility.”

Zeno shook his head and looked back

over to Titus.

“I don’t understand,” he said. “Why

the three of us? It sounds like something
that could be done with two.”

It was Lucius who spoke this time.

The scarred man was normally first in
line for these things, but his bonded had
only recently found out she was
pregnant, and there wasn’t a chance he
would leave her side.

“Getting the signal is only a part of

the mission,” Lucius said. His deep
voice gripped Zeno. “Once the facility is
located, you are not to engage. We need
to know what’s happening there, but we
want to make sure we’re not walking
into a trap.”

He nodded. It still sounded like a

two-man job to him, but that wasn’t
really his call.

“There’s one more thing,” Titus said

and nodded to Paige.

Zeno frowned. Were they really

thinking of bringing the little nurse? That
seemed like a very bad idea. An
untrained person on the mission could
hinder the whole operation, and the last
thing he wanted to do was babysit.

“It’s my sister,” Paige said. Her voice

shook as she spoke, and the very male
part of him crumbled at the waiver in her
voice. “She’s there. Or at least her last
postcard said she was.”

She set the card on the table: a

picture of a pretty woman with long sun-
streaked hair. Her bright green eyes took
up so much of her face they looked like
two bright emeralds on the paper. She
was wearing some sort of red dress.
Zeno followed the line of the straps on
the dress until he landed on her more
than ample chest. He swallowed hard.

“Ava…” Paige said, her voice

breaking.

Titus stood to finish. “Ava was last

known to have been with an Antonio

Díaz at his villa just on the outskirts of
town.”

Zeno looked down at the map. It

seemed an odd coincidence that Ava
would just happen to be there.
Considering all the tricks the Horatius
Group had pulled on them, being
paranoid could save someone’s life.

“Is it all connected?” he asked.
Titus glanced over to Paige and then

back to him. Paige shifted in her seat,
noticeably tenser.

“Unlikely,” Titus said, “since they

weren’t even aware of Paige being a
Vestal.”

Zeno frowned. “Does that mean Ava

is a Vestal as well?”

The gathered men exchanged glances.

It had never been something they’d come
across, but so much about their natures
remained a mystery.

“There’s a chance,” Paige said

quietly. “Rachel thinks there is a good
chance, anyway. None of the Group’s
paperwork we’ve found documented
siblings though, so it’s hard to know for
sure.”

He snorted. Sounded like the Group

was just better at hiding their files than
they thought. No way they didn’t look at
siblings.

He remembered the testing and the

way they made him run courses over and
over, waiting, testing and probing to see
if different obstacles would elicit a
different response. They’d evaluated his

endurance, his strength and how long it
took to break him. The Horatius Group
was many things: evil, twisted and
monstrous, but above all they were
thorough.

He shook his head. Thinking about all

he had experienced that shaped him
wasn’t really something he wanted to
dwell on. It wouldn’t change anything.
He couldn’t change the past.

“So what are we supposed to do?” he

asked.

Val leaned forward. “While Apollo

and I get the comms equipment set up,
you go over and pay Senior Díaz a
friendly, if quiet, visit.”

“And if she’s there?” He looked

around the room and stopped on Titus.

“It’s not exactly like I can say I was just
in the neighborhood.”

Titus shook his head. “Try not to

engage. His men are known to be a rough
crowd, and Díaz isn’t going to make this
easy. Just see if she wants a ride home.”

Zeno raised a brow. “And if she

doesn’t?”

Paige stood and passed an envelope

over to him. “Give this to her.”

His eyes locked with hers, and he felt

bad for being such a smart-ass. This was
her sister, and she was worried. He
stared down at the envelope.

“Ava isn’t a bad person,” Paige said.

Her voice shook a little.

Zeno kept his eyes down so he

wouldn’t have to see her cry. Something

about a woman crying just killed him a
bit.

“She’s always been one to fall in

love easily,” Paige said and gave a little
laugh. “Free-spirited. She does
whatever strikes her. We got into an
argument before she left, and I haven’t
heard from her since.”

He clenched his hands a little. This

free-spirited idiot had gotten herself into
a bad situation and was now causing
problems for her sister. He couldn’t
stand that sort of person, the kind that
didn’t care about what sort of
inconvenience they caused other people.

He looked over to Marius, who had

seemed certain Zeno was the last man
for the job. The other hybrid thought the

very same thing about him that Zeno
thought of Ava. It infuriated him. He
would do his job, and he would do it
well.

“When do we go?” he said.
Titus stared calmly back. “Now.”
Zeno sighed. It looked like he would

be having dinner on the run.

He just hoped this woman hadn’t

been living it up while her sister sat by
and patiently waited for a sign she was
alive. If that were the case, he might just
be tossing her pretty ass over his
shoulder and bringing her home a
different way.

Chapter Two

Ava sat at the beautiful table. The meal
had been laid out like it was every night:
perfect and smelling delicious. She was
never quite sure what they were having.
The kitchen staff spoke very little
English, and she spoke even less
Spanish, let alone any of the indigenous
languages.

Still, it always looked and tasted

amazing. The only thing missing was the
happiness she’d once felt sitting at the
table.

She looked around the room: four

doors on the inside of the pretty stucco.
An over-sized buffoon stood guard in

front of each door.

Ava picked up her napkin and

slapped it on her lap. She leaned
forward and lifted the lid. There was no
way in hell she was going to wait any
longer.

“Antonio will be in soon,” said one

of the men.

She turned to look at one of the men

closer to her. He watched her with
irritation, knowing his boss likely
wouldn’t like it if she ate without him.

She huffed loudly and slammed the

clay lid back on the pot. It would serve
them right if she broke the damn thing.

As if he knew what she was up to,

Antonio opened the door directly behind
her and stepped up to the back of her

chair.

She ignored him as he leaned around

from the back to her right side and put
his mouth near her ear. He placed a
small kiss there. A shiver of revulsion
ran through her.

“My Ava,” he whispered. “I hope I

didn’t keep you waiting long.”

She turned to glare at him. His

charming and deceitful face remained
close to her own.

She narrowed her eyes and gave a

stiff smile. “Not at all.”

Antonio leaned back to stare at her

for a moment. His thick dark hair had
been slicked in a different direction from
this morning. His normally pressed
white shirts and black pants were

rumpled. She assumed he wanted her to
know he had been seeing one of his other
lovers.

Like she cared. Let them have him

and all his fake charming ways. He was
as selfish in bed as he was with every
other aspect of his life.

He smirked at her, likely assuming

she was jealous. His thin wisp of a
mustache quirked as he strolled to his
spot across the table with all the cocky
grace of someone who thought they had
won.

He pulled his massive and ornate

chair back, the scroll work dwarfing him
in the seat. He looked more like a child
playing a king in some twisted play.

He snapped his fingers, and two

house servants hurried over to dish out
the food. Ava watched the older women
and wondered if the pay was good. It
would make sense seeing as he was a
tyrant when it came to the things he
wanted.

The older of the two glanced at her as

she dished some of the stew into her
bowl. The woman’s tanned weathered
face looked at if it had been through
worse than Antonio. Maybe she’d seen
many men like Antonio, pretend kings in
their tiny little kingdoms.

The servant added an extra piece of

cornbread to Ava’s plate and gave a
little smile.

The gesture warmed her. The older

woman knew how much Ava loved the

light and moist way she made the bread.
It gave her a small bit of comfort when
she was so far away from home. Ava
beamed up at her, glad to have a friend
of sorts.

The older woman stepped away from

the table but stopped when Antonio
raised his hand slightly to stay her
movement. He looked across the table to
Ava and nodded to the cornbread.

“Devuélvelo, solo necesitas uno.”
Ava frowned but watched as the old

woman took the basket and held it out to
her. The poor woman couldn’t even look
her in the eye as she did so.

“Wouldn’t want you getting fat, now

would we?” Antonio said.

Ava debated for a quick moment

chucking the bread right at his stupid
face. It would certainly surprise him, but
she didn’t want to cause trouble for the
old woman. Grudgingly she placed the
piece back into the basket.

He snapped his fingers and pointed to

the empty place beside him. The old
woman hurried to the other side. Antonio
jerked the basket from her hands and
slammed it hard on the table.

He smiled across to Ava as he pulled

the piece out of the basket she had just
placed in. Anger coursed through her. To
think that she’d let a man like him have
so much control over her made her sick.

She’d never been one to worry much

about what she ate. She liked the way
she looked. She wasn’t thin. Her

stomach was never going to be flat and
hard. However, she had curves, and she
loved them. Hell, most men did. And the
one that didn’t could take a hike.

She glared at him with a deep,

burning hatred. One day she would have
her revenge and wipe that smug look
right off his face.

Ava dug into the stew and ignored the

rage she still felt. If she were ever going
to get away from him, she would need to
eat. Besides, the stew was fantastic. It
warmed her down to her toes.

Slowly she ate the cornbread,

savoring the little amount she was
allowed.

“And what did you do today?”

Antonio asked, his accent only getting

thicker as he drank the hard liquor in his
cup.

She set down her bread and stared at

him across the table.

“Pictured all the ways you might die

today.”

The words were out of her mouth

before she could even think about it. It
was the truth. It was what she did most
days. A full month of being held captive
had done it for her. Six weeks ago she
had been blissfully in lust. Now she was
tired and just wanted to go home and
make up with Paige.

She thought of her sister often and of

all the nasty things she had said before
leaving. Paige had only wanted to keep
her safe, but she hadn’t been willing to

listen. Instead Ava had mocked Paige’s
lack of a social life.

It was a low moment and something

she hoped she would be able to correct.
First, she needed to survive and escape
from Antonio.

He smiled for a moment, then burst

from his chair, his face red. She gasped
when his hand landed hard on her throat.
He squeezed, not really choking her, but
letting her know he could if he wanted.

In the end, he could kill her right

there, and it was likely no one besides
his people would even know. None of
them would dare try and stop him.

The thought of not being able to

reconcile with her sister brought tears to
her eyes.

He watched with pleasure as the tears

trailed down her face. He gave another
tight squeeze and then loosened his grip.
The thumb resting against her pulse
rubbed back and forth over the sensitive
spot. She stilled, hoping he would just
let her go and sit back down.

“You are mine,” he said quietly, his

voice low and threatening. “My little
pet. Pets must respect their owners. Do
you understand?”

She gave a shallow nod.
He offered a toothy grin. Bile rose in

her throat.

“May I be excused?” she asked

quietly.

She had to get away. Mouthing off

hadn’t been a good idea. More and more

recently, he had been aggressive toward
her. How long would it be before he
decided he was tired of his pet?

Antonio stepped back and waved an

arm for her to leave. An older man and
young man guarded the door on the other
side of the room, just opposite the table.
The older one held the door open as the
younger man walked through. He stood
by the door and waited.

She would be escorted back to her

room per the usual. Antonio would take
no chances with her escaping. She
doubted he even really cared. It was just
another way he could exert control.

Ava stood and hand to brush past him

in order to get by. He grabbed her arm a
little tighter than necessary. He stared

hard at the V dip of the aqua blue dress
he had given her to wear for the day, her
ample cleavage fully on display for him.
She pulled her shawl tighter around her
front.

“You know you can’t resist me for

long. No woman can.” His eyes came
back to her face, and she resisted
gagging.

Gently she pulled her arm away and

stood tall. Even on his best day, he was
still just an inch above her. She knew it
did something to his ego knowing that.

“I can try,” she said.
Without a word she turned and made

her way through the door after the young
man, the older man trailing behind them.
Ignoring everyone else along the way,

she walked until she’d reached the third
door down. The other two were standard
guest rooms.

The young guard twisted the key in

the old lock and sneered. Her room,
however, had been made into a prison of
sorts.

She glanced down the hall. Antonio’s

door lay directly ahead. She tried to
ignore the revulsion she felt at knowing
he was so close. Eventually he would
come for her. She knew this.

Her eyes landed on the door next to

her own. The only real chance at escape.

Ava stepped in and turned to watch as

the young man closed the door. The loud
click of the lock echoed in the room.

Quickly she went to work, doing what

she did every night: going over all the
provisions she’d been able to gather.

As quietly as she could, Ava twisted

off the loose screws on the vent next to
her vanity. Inside she had slipped her
backpack. It was the only thing he
seemed to have missed when he took all
her things from her.

She set the bag on the table and

pulled out what she’d collected. It
wasn’t much: a bit of rope, some pieces
of dried meat and fruit she’d been able
to hide, along with a bit of hard bread.

Ava slipped the steak knife from the

side of her shawl. She had worried
when he grabbed a hold of her it might
slip free. There was no telling what he
might do if he knew she taken her

defiance to a higher level.

The first time she said she was going

home he had slapped her hard across the
cheek. It had been four weeks ago, and
yet she could still feel the ache it in her
face. It was then that she’d decided to
never be with him again.

He locked her away and only let her

free when he or one of his guards were
around.

Ava had thought he would lose

interest if she stopped sleeping with him.
Surely she was of no use to him if they
weren’t going to be together in that way.
She’d worried he’d take her by force,
but, for now, his ego seemed to be
overriding everything else. It was if he
couldn’t honestly understand why a

woman would resist him.

Four weeks later they were still

doing the same song and dance.
Somehow his interest in her had only
grown. She was starting to wonder if she
would ever make it home.

A light knock came at the door, and

she hurried to slip the bag back in the
vent. Getting caught now would mean
trouble, if not something worse.

She walked over to the door.
“Yes?”
It opened slowly. The older guard

held out a napkin.

She smiled and took the wrapped

cloth from him. A half dozen pieces of
the delicious cornbread lay inside.

“She wants you have,” he said and

nodded a few times.

“Thank you, Piero.” Ava grinned and

popped a piece of the bread in her
mouth. “Please tell your wife thank you
as well.”

He nodded. His English wasn’t the

best, but they were somehow able to get
things across.

“We talk,” he said and looked over

his shoulder back into the hall and then
looked back to her. “We help.”

She gave a sigh of relief. She had

taken a chance asking him to risk so
much, but there was no other choice.
Things were not going to get better, and
he was her only option.

“Anita help tomorrow,” he said,

struggling to get the words out. “You get

to gate, I let out.”

Ava nodded. She already had a plan

to get out of the room. The vent she
stored her bag in went to the office. She
could fit. It was going to be tight, but
luckily the place was old, and everything
was built much larger than it might have
been in a more modern building.

She hadn’t tested out if she’d be able

to get to her paperwork in his desk, but
she knew it was there. It was a moment
where she would just have to hope
things went according to plan.

A chuckle bubbled out of her.

According to plan. It seemed like some
sort of sick joke. Nothing since being
with Antonio had gone according to
plan. He had seemed so different when

they had been on that week-long cruise
together. She’d bumped into him the first
night at dinner, and he had been so
charming. They wined and dined that
first night. It had been perfect.

The rest of the trip they sipped drinks

in the sun, just spending comfortable
time together. Or so it had seemed.

Maybe she just wanted to remember

it that way. Even now she still wanted to
see their time together with a rose-
colored filter. In truth, she had spent a
lot of time sunning by herself. She would
wake up to find him shouting on the
phone and would get upset at the anger
she heard there. It frightened her.

Afterward he would apologize and

say something about language barriers.

Then all would be forgotten. Then there
were the few odd times she’d woken up
alone in his room. He’d come back an
hour or two later.

Ava frowned. He’d likely been

stepping out on her the whole time, and
she’d been so blind to his charm she
hadn’t even realized it.

Well, not anymore. She wasn’t

staying here under his thumb just waiting
for the day he would get tired of her and
deal with her accordingly.

Tomorrow was the day.

Chapter Three

Zeno suffered through nearly thirteen
hours on a small plane and then four
more hours on an even smaller plane. He
stretched his poor cramped muscles. He
wasn’t made to stuff himself into such a
tiny place for that long. At least it was a
private plane. They had been lucky to
secure charters for both flights, which
had made their travel out of the country
easier than the last time.

He squinted through the sunglasses he

had been forced to wear in order to hide
himself better. His hybrid amber eyes
would have raised too many questions.

He snorted quietly as he watched the

smaller people from the area scurry past
him. Somehow he didn’t think he was
doing nearly as good a job fitting in as
they had hoped. It was a good thing he
had waited outside the hotel while
Apollo and Val checked them into their
rooms. No telling what sort of trouble he
might cause if he were inside. Apollo
stood out enough as is.

He watched as the two stepped out

from the lobby.

“Maybe we should get—” Apollo

said.

“Food,” Zeno cut in. “We need to get

food.”

As if to emphasize the point, his

stomach growled loudly. Protein bars
didn’t do shit to fill a stomach, and by

the time they had landed the first time,
there was nowhere to eat. It was early
morning by his original time, which
meant they had arrived mid-morning.
Perfect time to still get breakfast.

Apollo rolled his eyes.
“I think we should get things inside

before we start looking for something to
eat.”

Zeno frowned. It was easy for him to

say. Apollo had known they were going
to rush off and had likely had more than
cereal as his last meal. He opened his
mouth to say as much when Val stepped
between them.

“How about we get the stuff to the

rooms and meet you somewhere?”

He pointed to the place he’d been

eying since they were dropped off. He
could smell the place as they drove by
and was certain that it had to be as good
as it smelled. Pork, onions, peppers. His
mouth watered.

“Over there,” he said curtly.
Apollo frowned down at his little

woman. “Why do we—”

Val leaned toward him and smiled

sweetly. “You’ll want to come upstairs.”

Zeno’s face heated at the implication.

He grunted and walked quickly away.
There was no way he wanted to know
what they were going to do. The last
thing he needed was to have sex on the
brain. It was bad enough as it was
without having that sort of shit shoved in
his face.

Besides, hunger came first and that

was something he could actually deal
with.

* * *

The small hole-in-the-wall restaurant
did not disappoint. The inside of the
place was nothing special. Paintings
hung from the walls and someone had
tried their hand at a mural of the
surrounding mountain. The deep reddish
earth tones ended at the white and purple
caps of the mountain in the painting.

The place wasn’t dirty, but it was

clear that the building had been around
for some time, and he wouldn’t be
surprised to find it still standing in a

hundred years.

It was luck that the place had been

empty. It had also been luck that the
waiter seemed uninterested in having
any sort of conversation. The last thing
he needed was someone to chat him up.

Instead, he had been left alone with

his food, and that was exactly how he
liked it.

Each mouthful of the food he

shoveled in only got better. He had no
idea what he’d ordered, but it had come
in sandwich form and seemed to be
some sort of fish with eggs. It was
delicious and that was all that mattered.

He set down the other half of his

sandwich and took a drink of the sour,
fruity beverage the waiter had set down.

The warm heat from the alcohol made
him flush but not enough to actually get
him drunk. A man his size would have to
drink more than a few to even get a real
buzz. Still, the drink had great flavor
with the meal, and that’s all that really
mattered to him.

The bell above the door jingled as it

swung wide. Apollo and Val walked in.
The woman’s cheeks remained flushed
from whatever they had been doing.

Apollo sat down across from him and

sniffed the drink in front of Zeno.

“Think that’s wise?” Apollo asked

and raised a brow.

Zeno picked up the glass and finished

it off. He set it down with a loud thud.
“We all have to have a little release.”

Apollo held up his palms in

surrender. Val ignored the two of them
and signaled for the waiter to come back
over.

She pointed over to Zeno’s plate and

cup. “We’ll each have one.”

He raised his hand. “I’ll have one

more as well.”

The man nodded and moved quickly

away. Likely having two large men in his
place set the smaller man on edge.
Couldn’t really blame him for that.

“Hungry?” Val leaned back and

snorted.

His hunger starting to fade, he smiled

for the first time.

“Gotta keep up my strength,” he said

and flexed the muscles on his arm.

Val gave a loud laugh. “Yeah, or you

turn into a grumpy baby.”

Before he could respond, Apollo

spoke. “Have you asked around about
Antonio?”

Zeno shook his head. His first thought

had been to fill his stomach, but finding
out about the girl had to come into play.

“I don’t like the idea of you going in

there blind,” Apollo said and turned to
Val. “Maybe we should stall for a day on
the comms setup and go as backup.”

Val looked across to Zeno and then

back to Apollo. “If we stall, we may not
be able to get the location pinpointed in
time.”

“I can handle this,” Zeno said with

ease. “She’s likely just having too much

fun to send a message to her sister. I’ll
go and make a little house call. Nothing
major. Then we get on with the real
work.”

Apollo stared hard at him for a

moment before speaking. “And what if
there’s more to all this?”

Zeno sighed. He doubted that was the

case. Ava seemed like a flake with the
taking off with some man she hardly
knew and only sending a postcard or two
to her sister.

“I’ll deal with it,” he said. “We all

have a job to do. You need to get the
comms set up so we don’t lose the lead.
This might be our only chance to actually
catch some of these Group fucks, and we
can’t put that in jeopardy for anyone.”

The waiter came back with three

plates and three mugs of the sour drink.
Zeno quickly shoved the rest of his
sandwich into his mouth before the new
plate was set in front of him.

Val smiled up at the waiter, a young

man who seemed to only be okay making
eye contact with her. Maybe the fact that
both Zeno and Apollo were wearing
their shades freaked him out.

“My friend is planning on visiting a

friend while in town,” Val said. “She’s
staying with Antonio Díaz.” She smiled
at the man. “Would you happen to know
him?”

The man started speaking quickly in

an unfamiliar language. His hand darted
across his chest in the shape of the cross

before he raced back into the kitchen.

Val frowned.
“That was…weird,” she said.
More than weird. The man had been

terrified when she mentioned Díaz.
Suddenly Zeno’s confidence dropped.
Maybe he needed to bring his A game to
deal with this Díaz character. He pushed
the untouched second drink away.

“He knows something,” Apollo said

and looked to the doorway the man had
raced to. “Maybe we should go question
him.”

Val shook her head. “He was

terrified,” she said and swallowed hard
as if she were trying to keep her own
fear at bay. “There’s no way we can get
anything out of him, and there’s no

reason to try and force it from him.”

“We can’t just leave it at that,”

Apollo said. “We need to know what
sort of man Díaz is.”

“He’s a monster.”
The quiet accented voice came from

the doorway to the kitchen. The man who
stepped out was older. He had deep
lines on his face from years of hard
work but didn’t look like life had beat
him down. More that he’d given the
good fight and won. His skin was tanned
like most of the people they’d seen in
town. He had a dark mustache and
thinning hair at the top of his head.

“My name is Luís,” he said. “Why

have you come to my restaurant?”

He walked over to their table. His

dark brown eyes shifted between Apollo
and Zeno.

Val broke the silence.
“We just came for a good meal,” she

said. “We were in the area and promised
to look up a friend’s sister who was
staying with Antonio Díaz.”

The man stared at her for a moment

before his face softened.

“If she is with Díaz, she has fallen in

with the wrong crowd.”

Val nodded. “We were worried as

much. She doesn’t seem to have good
taste in men.”

His gaze flicked over to Zeno and

then Apollo, likely wondering if Val had
poor taste in men as well. Zeno resisted
the urge to smirk.

“Why do you call him a monster?”

Apollo asked. His voice was quiet, as if
he were trying to not frighten Luís like
he had the other man.

“You’ll find few who don’t know his

name and even fewer who don’t fear
him. His cruelty is known by all. And if
your friend is still there, it has likely
been just as hard on her.”

Zeno’s muscles twitch at the thought

of the pretty woman in harm’s way.
Irritation washed through him. He’d
been so certain she was flighty and
enjoying a vacation, not the prisoner of
some depraved fucker.

Luís backed up a little, likely sensing

how tense Zeno had become.

“I suggest you finish your meal

quickly before you bring his wrath down
on us,” he said and backed away. “We
want no trouble with Díaz.”

When Luís was nearly to the door he

paused and looked over his shoulder.

“You will be known by the company

you keep,” he said, staring pointedly at
Zeno. A shudder ran down his spine as
he watched the old man disappear
behind the door.

“What do you think that meant?” Val

asked.

Zeno huffed loudly. “I think it’s clear

that he sees us as trouble. Let’s just get
out of here. We’ve got shit to do.”

He took a large bite of his sandwich,

but it didn’t have nearly the flavor it did
before. The sobering reality of the

situation killed his joy. Now it was clear
just how important his job might be and
why Titus had insisted it was him. If
Díaz started a battle, he was one of the
few that could shut it down.

Chapter Four

Ava hurried down the hall after Piero.
She’d been more than a little surprised
when he’d come to tell her she had a
visitor. Her heart hammered in her throat
at the thought of her sweet sister there to
save her. The last thing she wanted was
to put Paige in any sort of danger.

She passed by Piero on her way to

the room. “Tonight,” she whispered.

He gave a small nod before closing

the door behind him.

Relief flooded over her as she

rounded the corner to the veranda and
found a large man in sunglasses waiting

for her in a chair. There was no sign of
Paige. Antonio wouldn’t be able to
collect both sisters after all.

As quickly as the relief arrived,

irritation replaced it. She knew one of
Antonio’s men had let him know she had
a visitor. She was so close to escaping.
He’d just left for the day. She was ready
to make her move, but the new arrival
might have messed up all her careful
planning.

The man stood from the chair he was

in, and she nearly gasped. Large didn’t
even describe him. Huge was better.
Never in her life had she met a man this
size. Sure, she’d seen a few on the beach
or on TV, but it was totally different
having someone like that standing in

front of her in all their massive glory.

“Can I help you?” she said, the words

fumbling out of her mouth.

The man looked down at her. His

short sandy blond hair moved slightly
from the cool breeze. She stared hard up
at him, almost willing him to take off his
sunglasses so she could fully take him in.
He was certainly something. Size aside,
there was no question in her mind that he
was attractive. His strong square jaw
tilted to the side as if he were taking her
in and trying to guess her thoughts.

Her gaze slid down his body. The

blue t-shirt he wore stretched over the
thick muscles in his arms. She watched
as they flexed a few times before
realizing he was squeezing his hands

tightly.

The breeze swept again through the

patio, bringing the scent of his
sandalwood soap to her. The rich notes
swayed her body forward. She wanted
to smell it up close.

Her foot took a step forward, and she

froze. This was insane. The last thing
she needed was to hit on some random
lunk she’d never even met.

“Ava,” he said, “your sister sent me.”
His voice was deep and seemed to

rumble from deep in his chest. The
sound of it set every part of her on fire.
Just hearing her name come out of his
mouth made her nipples tighten.

“My sister?”
It came out in a breathy way that

made her blush. Her sister had sent
someone to come find her, and all she
could think about was how his voice
sounded.

“She asked me to check in on you,”

he said and glanced toward the two men
that were standing with them outside.
Her own personal armed escort. “She
wanted to see if you were ready to go
back home.”

She was certain he was staring at her

under those dark sunglasses.

“I’ve got a seat ready if you’d like to

go back,” he added.

This man was offering her a way out.

She could leave now with him, and this
nightmare would all be over. She’d be
free from Antonio and his cruelty.

The guards shifted, likely getting

ready for a fight.

She glanced over to them and then

back to the stranger.

“I—” she said.
The door behind her slammed open.

She jumped at the sound. In a swift
motion, the massive man pulled her to
his side, his large hand secured around
her wrist.

Antonio stomped through the door.

His face presented the epitome of a calm
façade, but his body tensed with anger.
She knew his moods all too well. The
calm before the storm.

“Ava,” Antonio said with the fake

smile she dreaded. His gaze flicked
down to where the large man held on to

her wrist, and her smile faltered slightly.
“Why didn’t you tell me your friend
would be stopping by?”

His eyes met hers and promised

trouble later, maybe even a beating.

She went to pull her arm back from

the gentle hand, but the stranger held
firm. His thumb rubbed over her racing
pulse.

Silently she prayed. Whatever was

going on, Antonio would find a way to
blame it all on her. She just needed to
make it a little longer, and she’d be free,
huge hunky stranger or not.

“My name is Zeno,” the large man

said and stepped forward. “Ava’s sister
is unwell and asked that I come bring her
sister home.”

She glanced up to the man, wondering

how much of that was true. He gave a
small squeeze, and it offered some
comfort.

Her mind went to Paige, and she

cringed at how she’d been before she
left. It was a wonder that Paige even
cared if she came back. Ava wasn’t sure
if she’d be so forgiving if Paige had
been such a bitch.

Antonio frowned, his gaze shifting

between the pair. His distrust was
evident.

“And the sister sent you here?” he

said. “Why didn’t she send a letter?” He
shrugged. “Seems a lot of trouble to fly a
man all the way down to Peru, no?”

She looked up to Zeno, wondering the

same thing. A muscle in his jaw
tightened and for a moment, she thought
she saw a flash of yellow under his
glasses.

He looked down at her, and she

couldn’t help but be captivated by him.

“She tried,” he said. “The letters

were all returned to sender.” His voice
was low as if he were warning her.

Ava wanted to laugh. It wasn’t as if

she wasn’t fully aware of the prisoner
she’d become.

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Antonio said

with a little laugh. “Mail here can be so
temperamental.”

“Seems that’s not the only thing,”

Zeno mumbled.

Her eyes widened at his words. She

glanced over to Antonio, who glared at
the two of them suspiciously. Zeno’s
words must not have reached him.

She gasped loudly when Antonio

reached out and yanked her hard to his
side.

“I will take her to her sister,” Antonio

hissed, his voice thick with anger. “You
aren’t needed.”

Zeno held tightly on to her arm.
“Her sister asked me to bring her

home,” he said. The low rumble of his
voice set the hairs on the back of her
neck on end. “I can’t just leave her.”

She could feel her pulse race as the

two men squared off.

“I think…” she began. She stopped as

two angry faces stared at her.

Antonio shifted so the hard butt of his

gun bumped against her. It was a threat.
No, a promise. If she went with Zeno, he
would kill him. Maybe even kill them
both. She couldn’t do it. She swallowed
the fear that choked her.

“I’ll go with Antonio,” she said

quietly.

As if burned, Zeno dropped his hand

instantly. He had been so certain she
wanted to leave. Or maybe he had just
been hoping. She was just as beautiful as
in the picture, her green eyes drawing
him in, but there was something about
her. The way she questioned him set
something off.

She hissed quietly, and his gaze

landed on her once more. That bastard
had her pressed hard against his side. He
could see the bruising start to form
where Antonio had gripped her arm too
hard. The bastard didn’t care if she was
hurt.

Zeno narrowed his eyes. It was taking

everything in him to keep his control. If
he blew their cover, the whole mission
would be a loss.

Ava twisted slightly, and their eyes

met. She glanced down to her side, and
he followed it along her slender form
until he caught the shiny gleam of metal.

A gun.
Zeno nearly grinned. As if some

stupid pistol would be enough to stop
him. Sure, it would hurt like hell, but that

was assuming the bastard would get the
chance to use it. The arrogant fool had
no idea who he was dealing with.

“As you can see,” Antonio said with

a smug smile, “your services are not
needed.”

Zeno smiled back. “Maybe I’ll just

give you some time to think about it and
stop by before I leave town.”

Antonio stopped smiling. “And when

would that be?” He gripped Ava’s hip
hard, his fingers digging into her side.

Zeno could feel the rumble in his

chest. The need to rip this dick in two
for even thinking he could touch her like
that almost overwhelmed him.

“I haven’t worked that out yet,” he

said between gritted teeth.

The two men at the doors stepped

forward, the guns at their sides clearly
visible.

“Well, you just let us know when you

do,” Antonio said.

The men moved forward, clearly

meant to walk him out.

Zeno stared at Antonio for a moment,

not willing to be run off by the man.

“I’ll be sure to do that,” he said.
Briefly, his gaze slid over to Ava.

Her shoulders slumped forward,
resigned to the situation that she was in.
No. She hadn’t chosen Antonio. She was
just afraid of the asshole.

His heart ached at the sight of the

defeated her, and everything in him
wanted to run to her, risk of exposure be

damned. Something about her felt and
smelled so familiar.

Zeno pushed out the thoughts. He

needed to keep his focus. She would be
fine. He would be back and would get
her out his way. Then, the bastard who
hurt her would pay.

Without another word, he walked off

the veranda and down the path to the
gate. Something buzzed, and the door
swung open. He stepped onto the other
side and looked back to the house. The
two men stood at the end of the path
watching as he left the grounds.

He could do this. Getting in there

wouldn’t be that hard. This wasn’t the
Horatius Group. This was just some
local ass who thought he was big shit. A

few thugs with guns were nothing
compared to Glycons. Getting out unseen
might be hard, but it was just a risk he’d
have to take. There was no way Ava was
safe in the hands of that madman.

Zeno gripped his fists so hard his

knuckles strained against the pressure.
He would save her.

Chapter Five

Ava sat quietly in her room, watching the
clock on the wall tick slowly and
painfully until she was called for dinner.

Antonio had been furious over the

appearance of Zeno. He had accused her
of asking him to come. She’d tried to
remind him there would have been no
way for her to even pull that off, but he
wasn’t in the mood to listen to reason.
At least he hadn’t hit her. For now, she’d
just have to deal and wait until night.
That was going to be her best bet.

She rubbed her wrist and looked

down at her hands. The wrist Antonio
had battered wasn’t the one that still

tingled. Her heart kicked up.

Zeno had certainly been a surprise.

She gave a little snort. It seemed like
he’d been a surprise for Antonio as
well. It wasn’t often she got to see
someone surprise him.

She wondered if he would really

come back. It would be suicide to do so,
but for some reason, she felt like Zeno
could handle himself and not just
because he made Antonio’s largest
guards look small in comparison.

The lock on the door clicked loudly,

and she frowned as one of the younger
men opened the door.

“Where’s Piero?” she asked.
The young man jerked his head into

the hall, and she sighed loudly. It seemed

like all she did was get shoved from one
spot to another.

They walked down the hall until they

came to the doorway to the dining hall.
She pushed open the door and was
surprised to find Antonio was already
there waiting for her, the cool expression
on his face a mask for his true feelings.

He nodded to the chair across the

table from him and sat in his own chair.

“I’m glad you wore the red dress

tonight,” he said and smiled coolly.

Ava resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

There hadn’t been many options seeing
as it was the only dress she had for the
day.

Two younger women came out with

the dishes for the night. Her heart kicked

up when she noticed Anita wasn’t there
with them. Having both Piero and Anita
gone wasn’t something she’d ever seen,
and all the explanations she could come
up with weren’t good. Her stomach
knotted.

She slowly nibbled on her food,

trying not to look at the man across the
table as he silently watched her.

After pushing things around her plate,

eating only a few bites, the meal was
finally over. Antonio leaned back and
stretched in his chair. She watched him
from under her lashes.

“I have some entertainment for after

dinner,” he said.

She blinked. Delight entered his eyes.

A cruel smile followed.

“Entertainment?” she said.
He nodded and waved a hand at one

of the men. The man opened the door as
another man shoved Piero through. His
lip bled freely, and he limped.

“Piero,” Ava said and jumped to her

feet.

“Sit,” Antonio said, his voice icy.
She glared over at him but sat back in

her seat. The last thing she wanted was
to do was get Piero hurt more.

He stared at her from where he stood.

Sorrow filled his eyes, and she wanted
to say she was the one who should be
sorry. She’d pushed for his help and now
she had gotten him into something that
wasn’t his problem.

“You know,” Antonio said and stood

and walked over to where she sat. He
looked down at her and smiled. “I nearly
believed you hadn’t sent for help until
one of the men said the two of you had
been very close recently.”

Ava shook her head. The situation

was worsening by the second.

Antonio reached out and gripped her

chin hard, holding her head in place.

“I know he sent out the letters to your

sister,” Antonio ground out. “You called
for help. You’ve forced my hand. Now
look what you’ve made me do.”

In a flash, he whirled around. His gun

exploded in the room, making her ears
ring from the sound. Piero cried out in
pain and fell to the ground. A few
seconds later, bright red stained the arm

of the blue shirt he wore.

Ava leapt to her feet.
Blinding pain slammed into her as the

back of Antonio’s hand connected with
her cheek. Unable to stand against the
blow, she slumped to the chair under her.

“You are mine,” he ground out, his

face so close to hers that she could see
the rage down to his very soul. “I will
never let you leave me. Never. I, and I
only, decide when I’m done with the
things I own, and I own you.”

She trembled and leaned away from

him. Ava closed her eyes, trying to shut
out the very sight of him.

“Please,” she whispered. “Please

save him. It’s all my fault. Not his.
Please. I’m begging you.”

Antonio laughed. The harsh sound

was almost as bad as his shouting.

“He’ll live,” Antonio said and

stepped back from her. “It was in the
arm. Your big friend won’t be so lucky
when he comes back. You disrespected
me, and he disrespected me. And now
he’ll pay the price.”

Ava shook her head. He would kill

Zeno. There was no question in her mind
that he would. How many people had to
suffer because of her stupid mistakes?

“Now go to your room and get

cleaned up,” he said with a smile.
“You’ll have company tonight, and I
want you looking presentable.”

She froze. The implications were

clear and sent a chill down her spine.

The two other guards forced her to

her feet. Her legs quivered. She looked
over to where Piero lay on the floor with
a pool of blood under him. She
wondered if he was already dead.
Maybe they both would be if she didn’t
act quickly.

The guards marched her down the

hall and back to her room. They tossed
her in and once again clicked the lock
behind her.

Ava took deep breaths, trying to

steady her nerves. Who knew how long
until Antonio assaulted her? She
couldn’t involve anyone else, or they’d
be hurt. She’d have to escape without
any help. A wave of fear passed through
her.

Her gaze flicked up to the clock. She

didn’t have time for fear. She needed to
get moving.

Chapter Six

Zeno moved in the shadows of the
building, making sure to stay out of the
path of the guards.

He’d spent the rest of the day

watching them. Damn amateurs. Their
predictable paths never seemed to
deviate. It was surprising to him that
Antonio didn’t have better security, but
maybe being on top had made him lazy.
Judging by what they’d heard in the
restaurant, Antonio had the locals so
cowed they wouldn’t dare even think of
opposing him.

Didn’t matter. This wasn’t about a

challenge or proving himself. He needed

every advantage, and lazy guards and
arrogance were both to Zeno’s
advantage. They’d provide the edge he
need. After all, this wasn’t an attack
mission, it was a rescue mission. The
cover of darkness would allow him to
infiltrate the building and have Ava out
before Antonio even realized she was
missing.

He took in a deep breath. A

hauntingly familiar scent drifted into his
nose. Ava was close. He looked up to
find the window was much higher than
he had expected. The house had been
carved into the side of a large hill,
which afforded the occupants the best
view money could buy. However, it also
meant that what was the ground floor in

front was the second floor in the back.

Zeno grumbled to himself. Seemed

like everything was always harder than
it needed to be. Still, he needed to get
Ava away from Antonio. He bit back a
growl, remembering the man’s
aggression.

He jumped and gripped the ledge

with his fingers. Pulling himself up, he
looked into the window. Pink, pink, and
more pink. He assumed that was Ava’s
room. Whether it was to her taste or
Antonio’s perception of her taste didn’t
matter. All that mattered was that he’d
located her.

He breathed in deeply. Ava’s sweet

and somewhat spicy scent filled his
nostrils, along with a strong hint of

vanilla. Familiar, desirable. She called
to him, like he’d known her all his life.

He scanned the room, but it seemed to

be empty. He started to lower himself
when he caught sight of movement just to
the right of him. He watched as a slim
bare foot disappeared into an old open
vent.

A light brown sun-streaked head

peeked out from the vent. He watched as
Ava sealed herself into the vent.

He frowned. Just what they hell was

that woman up to?

Zeno leaned back and glanced to the

side, tracing her likely path. Another
window ledge presented itself.

He swung over and gripped the ledge.

With ease he lifted the window and

slipped into the dark room. Even in the
dim light, his keen hybrid eyesight
informed him he was in some sort of
office.

The grate to the vent quietly slipped

off. Ava made her way out. The red satin
evening dress she wore clung to her like
a glove, and he felt his pants tighten.

His face heated as he struggled to get

his lust under control. How was he
supposed to rescue her with a raging
hard-on? Let alone talk to her?

He pressed himself back into the

shadows as she moved over to the desk.
She struggled with one of the drawers
before it popped open. She grunted in
frustration as she shut the drawer and
moved on to the next. Whatever it was

she was looking for was in those
drawers, and with the noise she was
making, they’d be discovered before
they even had a chance to escape.

Footsteps down the hall sounded. His

pulse ripped through him.

In an instant he was on her, his hand

over her delicate mouth.

Zeno pulled her hard against his body

and pushed them to the far side of the
room, away from the light of the door.
Ava picked up her arm. The gleam of the
moon caught the letter opener she held
tightly.

He looked down to her and shook his

head. He could only hope she’d see his
signal and understand. The lock clicked,
and he waited. At the first sign things

weren’t right, he was going to just toss
her over his shoulder and run like hell.

The door opened a crack. He tensed

and pressed her even closer to the wall.
A short burst of air puffed against his
chest as they both tried to remain
perfectly still. Zeno was ready to fight if
he had to, but he only hoped that he
didn’t have to. Drawing too much
attention would not only put himself and
Ava at risk, it might also endanger the
signal tracing mission.

The door clicked closed, and he

relaxed a little. He could feel her slim
body sag against his.

“Do you think he’ll come back?” she

whispered.

He looked down at her. The moon

reflected off her bright green eyes, and
he lost himself for a moment. So close to
her now, touching, her warm vanilla
scent washed over him, consumed him.

He finally understood why her scent

pushed into his mind and heart. Her
presence called to him, pulled the primal
part of him that told him she was not just
a Vestal, but his Vestal. She was meant
to be his bonded.

His body grew hot at the thought.

Zeno could have what he’d seen so many
others around him have: a chance at
happiness.

For a moment it seemed like a

possibility before the reality of the
situation came crashing down on him.
He was there on a mission and already

she was proving to be a distraction. If he
didn’t keep his focus, he’d get them both
killed.

He pushed away from the wall, the

cold air around him a welcome reprieve
from the heat washing through him.

“Yeah, he might come back,” he said,

finally able to find his voice.

Ava sprang into action. She didn’t

have time to think about anything other
than getting her papers and getting the
hell out of there.

She raced over to the last drawer and

jimmied the lock open.

“What the hell are you doing?” Zeno

said and made his way over to her.

She ignored the large man and the

thump of her heart as he spoke.

She pulled out the papers and spread

them on the desk. She was surprised to
find a stack of cash, both US dollars and
Peruvian sols. This had to be the right
drawer.

“We don’t have time for you to steal

money,” he whispered. “You need to
move it if you want my help.”

Ava frowned. “I never asked for your

help.” She glared at him. “In fact, I was
doing just fine without you.”

Zeno snorted. “Could have fooled

me.”

She gritted her teeth. Giant oaf.

What? Did he think that girls couldn’t do
things for themselves? She was done
getting stepped on by men with big egos.

“Funny how I made it here just fine

without you,” she said and swept
everything into her bag. There was no
way she’d be able to see which one was
her passport. Besides, if it was
important, it might be prudent of her to
have something to offer in a bargain.

She zipped the bag up quickly and

slung it on her back. Ava palmed the
letter opener. It wouldn’t be that useful if
the other person had a gun, but it was
better than nothing.

Zeno went still, and she looked up to

him. The moon provided a little light,
but it wasn’t enough for her to really see
him like she wanted. He held out a hand
and she froze in place.

Footsteps pounded down the hall, and

her heart beat in time to them. The sound
of her bedroom door squeaking open
echoed in the hall.

“Where the fuck is she?” Antonio

shouted in the hall.

She swallowed hard. He really had

planned to come to her.

Another man burst into rapid Spanish.

She couldn’t make out what he’d said,
but she was pretty sure he was stretching
to find whatever he had to so he didn’t
end up shot.

“She can’t be far,” Antonio ground

out. “Just find her!”

The footsteps came back into the hall,

and for a moment she was certain he was
going to come into the office. Instead he
turned the other direction. She let out a

sigh.

She nearly yelped when a firm hand

landed on her arm and pulled her over to
the window. Several men with
flashlights stalked the grounds.

“Fuck,” Zeno muttered.
That pretty much summed up her

thoughts as well.

He turned back around and paced.
“We don’t have a choice,” he said

finally. “We’ll have to take the risk and
go through the house.”

Her heart slammed into her chest. Did

they really need to do that? Couldn’t they
just wait?

She knew it was crazy though. If they

didn’t move, Antonio would eventually
come into his office, and they would be

sitting ducks. He might shoot them both
on sight. That might be merciful
compared to what else he had planned.

Zeno moved to the door and carefully

turned the knob. It was quiet, and she
wondered if they had sent everyone
outside to look for her.

They slipped into the hall with ease.

She glanced down the hall where
Antonio had moved. Maybe he had
joined the men to search for her.

“What’s down there?” Zeno said.
She shook her head. “His room and a

separate entrance to the back patio.”

A small shiver passed through her at

the thought of Antonio. Zeno nodded in
the opposite direction.

“Let’s get out of here,” he whispered.

They hurried through the hall. When

they reached the door to the dining room,
she placed a hand on Zeno’s solid arm to
stop him.

“There are usually guards,” she said.
He furrowed his brow. “Is this the

way to the front?”

She nodded. There were three doors

from the dining room, one to the hall they
were currently in, one to the kitchen and
one to the front living space that led
outside. It wasn’t an area she was all
that familiar with, but she was sure she
could find her way.

Zeno pulled a gun from behind him.
“Stay behind me,” he said, his eyes

meeting hers. For the first time, she
realized he wasn’t wearing sunglasses

like earlier. She blinked. His eyes were
a deep amber. The strange color jogged
her memory, as if it meant something
she’d heard recently.

She opened her mouth to say

something but stopped when he pushed
open the door.

They slipped into the room. She

pointed to the door on the right, and
Zeno walked across the room to place
his ear against the wood.

He listened for a moment and shook

his head.

Without a word, he pushed her over

to the other door and made his way into
the kitchen. He slowly closed the door
behind them to avoid any rustle or
squeak.

They moved further down the hall that

led to the kitchen and further away from
the approaching men.

When they had reached the main

kitchen, Ava looked around. The quiet
room had just earlier been filled with
people. Now it was silent.

“Outside door,” Zeno said and

pointed to the door in the corner.

They headed that way but stopped

when light flashed through the windows.

Zeno cursed under his breath as they

dropped to the floor.

He looked over to the doorway they

had entered from, and she knew the men
must be close behind.

“There are two more doors,” she

whispered.

The two doors were in an alcove of

the kitchen close to the sinks.

They moved quickly to the doors. The

first Zeno opened to reveal a pantry. The
second door was a little different. There
was a large metal bar over it that first
had to be removed before he could even
check. Inside there were steep stairs
leading to the basement.

“Let’s go,” he said and pulled her

arm a little.

Ava took a shaky breath and stepped

behind him. Closing the door as quietly
as she could, she followed him into the
darkness.

Chapter Seven

The damp air clung to them as they sank
lower into the bowels of the house.

Zeno could feel Ava’s hand at his

back, gripping his shirt as if it were the
only thing keeping her safe.

The footfalls of men sounded above

them, along with the occasional
exchange of words. The enemy was
close, very close.

Ava and Zeno had managed to slip out

before anyone had noticed. He only
hoped that the guards didn’t notice the
latch on the door was now left open. Or
better yet, that Zeno and Ava would
make their way out of the house before

anything else happened.

Strange scratching sounds echoed off

the walls when they reached the bottom
of the stairs. He ignored them for the
moment, probably just some rats or
whatever else they had in the middle of a
Peruvian mountain town. Hell if he
knew.

Ava hissed, and he turned to look at

her. His eyes had already adjusted, his
superior hybrid vision making the inky
darkness a mere inconvenience for him.
The same could not be said for her
considering how uncertain her
movements had been. She was holding
her bare foot.

“I’ve cut myself on a piece of glass

or something,” she whispered.

He frowned. It was the first time he

realized an evening dress didn’t exactly
make for the best escape wear.

“Do you have anything you can put

on?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Antonio was

very specific about what I wore,” she
said, bitterness lacing her voice. “I left
the heels because I knew they would
make too much noise.”

Anger pierced through him. If he ever

met that prick in a dark alley, he’d be
sure to show him just what he thought of
him.

They didn’t have time to find some

miracle hiking boots for her. Zeno
stooped down and pulled out a bandana
he kept in his pocket and gently wrapped

the foot. The cut was deep enough that
blood quickly soaked through the cloth.

“I need to tighten it,” he said quietly

and looked up from his position. “This is
going to hurt.”

She nodded as she looked down at

him and for a moment, he wondered if
she could see him in the darkness. He
doubted it. It was likely she was just
going off reflexes.

Zeno moved the two ends of the

bandana to the top of her foot and pulled
tightly. Her hand found his shoulder and
gripped him tightly.

He passed his thumb over her foot a

few times in what he hoped was
comfort.

Ava placed her foot gingerly on the

bottom step. Her breathing picked up.

He stood and sighed. There really

wasn’t much choice. There was only one
way they were going to get out of there.

Zeno slipped her bag off her

shoulders and slung it on his back. Then
he lifted her slight body with ease into
his arms.

She gasped. “What are you doing?”
He grunted and stepped away from

the stair with her in his arms. She
wrapped her arms around his neck, her
fingers playing at the base of his head.
He could feel the cold metal of the letter
opener she gripped.

“Getting us out of here,” he said

gruffly.

Her smell surrounded him, a sweet

smell of vanilla and spice that made him
want to press his face against her neck
and inhale.

“Can you use a gun?” he asked,

shaking himself from his desire. If he
couldn’t control himself, she would
know what he was before he could
explain.

She shook her head. “No.”
He grunted his annoyance. They were

about to go walking in a house swarming
with many armed men, and he couldn’t
even use his gun to defend them. Yeah,
this was a great idea.

“How can you even see?” she asked

when he took a step forward to view the
area they were in. “I can’t see an inch in
front of my face down here.”

“Night vision,” he said simply.
The room presented an odd layout,

not like any basement he’d ever seen. It
was cement mostly. Some sort of
chamber surrounded the stairs. Chains
connected to the wall and bolted down
chairs lay scattered about. Maybe this
room was where Antonio took people he
wanted to deal with. It made sense.

“I thought you had to wear special

glasses for night vision,” Ava said.

He took in a deep breath and tried to

focus on something beside the Vestal
scent calling to him.

There, he could smell it. Just past the

notes of vanilla, air called to him. Fresh
air. There had to be an opening of some
sort to the left of them. He stepped

further into the open space between the
two halls.

“I’m special,” he said quietly, still

trying to make sure he was right.

A small draft stirred the room and

brought more fresh air. To the left was
freedom. He was sure of it.

Zeno turned to the left and stepped

forward.

“But that doesn’t explain—”
A loud screech echoed off the walls

behind them. Zeno whirled to face the
sound with Ava still in his arms.

“It can’t be,” he rumbled.

Ava trembled in his arms and gripped

herself tighter to him. The eerie sound
filled her with a deep terror. It was

unlike any animal she’d ever heard.

Several other loud screeches returned

the first cry.

“It can’t be,” he said again. “Why

didn’t I smell them?”

She tried to find his face next to her

own, but there was nothing but blackness
and the screech of the animals.

The animals clanged in the darkness

against whatever was keeping them at
bay.

Zeno turned again. She felt his

massive muscles tighten against her, but
his grip didn’t cut into the skin like she
would have expected.

He burst into a run.
“What is it?” she asked, her voice

quivering.

The loud squeal of metal against

metal made her glance behind them.
Bright red dots glowed from far away.

“Red eyes that glow?” she

whispered.

“Fuck,” Zeno grunted and halted.
The last thing she wanted was to stop

running, especially since it seemed like
those red eyes were closing.

“It’s here,” he said and placed her to

the ground. “I can smell it.”

“They’re coming,” she said.
He pushed her to the corner.
“Don’t move,” he said quietly. “They

can smell your blood.”

She nodded and pressed herself into

the crevice. She held the letter opener
against her chest, ready to do what she

needed.

Zeno hit the wall beside her. He

moved over a bit and hit it again. A
hollow thump sounded.

A metal door. She only hoped it

wasn’t like the one at the top of the
stairs.

He grunted loudly as he hit the wall.

She could see a small sliver of light slip
in, but it was enough.

The glowing eyes crept through the

hall. Every now and again, one would
screech and set the hairs on her neck on
end.

Zeno slammed against the door again,

and this time she could see the metal
latch bending.

“Almost,” she whispered.

The animals were nearly on them

now. The slivers of light illuminated the
shape of the closing beasts. They were
nearly her height. Maybe some sort of
bears? She had no idea about the local
wildlife.

Zeno hit the door again, and it

groaned open a bit more.

“Go,” he hissed and shoved her to the

opening.

Ava slipped through and took the bag

as he passed it to her. She took deep
breaths of the fresh air, relief washing
through her at the sight of the moon
overhead. Wherever they were, the men
weren’t around for now.

She could hear Zeno pushing, trying

to get it open more. Her heart hammered

in his chest. If he didn’t get out now, the
bears would get him. He was a big man,
but there was no way he could handle a
bear, let alone more than one.

The door groaned a bit more. It was a

tight fit, but he managed to slip out. He
immediately pushed hard on the door,
forcing it back.

The animals slammed into the other

side of the door and roared. Soon all the
men would be there, and the struggle
would be for nothing.

She watched in horror. She’d

expected a paw, but instead a hand
reached out through the opening. Or what
had once been a hand. The flesh had
been torn in parts and smelled like it had
been dead for some time. She wanted to

scream but couldn’t seem to find her
voice.

The hand pushed against the door

and, to her surprise, seemed to be
winning as it pressed open a bit more.

The whole arm came out and

struggled to find a hold on Zeno.

“Run,” Zeno growled.
Ava shook her head. “I can’t.”
He whirled his head toward her. His

eyes glowed a deep yellow.

She gasped and stepped back.
“You have to go,” he growled. “They

will kill you.”

For the briefest moment her mind told

her to listen, that he was a monster
himself. Normal people didn’t have
glowing yellow eyes. Something in the

back of her memory called to her, but
panic clouded her mind.

Ava shook out those thoughts, pushing

against the panic. How was she
supposed to leave a man who had done
nothing tonight but try and keep her safe?

No. She wasn’t going to just leave

him.

The hand found his arm and scrapped

its ragged nails down. Blood seeped out.

She had to act.
In one swift motion, Ava slammed the

letter opener into the meaty part of the
creature’s arm. It let out a loud roar as it
retreated. She rushed to the side and
slammed into the door, pushing with all
her might as she and Zeno sealed the
room off.

They stepped away, and she stared at

the metal.

“It won’t hold,” Zeno said quickly.

“Time to get the fuck out of here.”

He reached down and grabbed the

bag. He swung her back into his arms.
This time she could see where they were
going and could feel the blood flowing
freely from his arm.

When they rounded the corner, she

found that they had made their way to the
front gate. Zeno leaned his back against
it hard metal of the gate with her still in
his arms.

“Fuck,” he said.
A beastly scream filled the air, and

she knew the door would fail. They
didn’t have much longer.

“I see you met my pets.” The familiar

voice sent a jolt of terror through her.

She glanced to the side and spotted

Antonio standing next to the front door
wearing the same smug smile he always
wore when he was going to win.

“I can call them off,” he said with a

shrug. “They, unlike some of my other
pets, know respect.”

Zeno’s arms tighten around her.
“I’ll toss you over,” he said quietly.
She whipped her head to the side to

stare at him.

“It will hurt like hell, but you’ll be

free. I have friends here that will help
you. Go to the hotel on Las Torres. Ask
for Val and Apollo. We’re all friends of
Paige.”

She wrapped her arms around him.
“I’m not going to just leave you

here,” she whispered and buried her
head into his neck.

“Ava!” Antonio yelled.
She could hear Antonio but didn’t

care. She’d had enough of him
frightening her.

The gate buzzed loudly and clicked

open. Her head came up. She spotted
Piero in the moonlight standing by an
open panel at the side of the house.
Several switches were exposed.
Security? Power? She wasn’t sure.

“Run!” Piero shouted and looked

behind him. “They are coming! Run!”

“No,” she said, her lungs just barely

finding the air.

Zeno nodded to the man and passed

through the gate.

She watched over his shoulder as

Zeno carried her away. The beasts
snarled, and she knew they must be
close. Her eyes landed on Antonio, the
Devil in the flesh.

“He will die,” he screamed. “And

you’ll suffer, you ungrateful bitch.”

She struggled in Zeno’s arms. She had

to do something.

The gate buzzed again, sealing behind

them and blocking the estate from her
view. Zeno picked up the pace, his
speed incredible as they fled.

The screech of the beasts filled the

air, followed by the choked scream of
Piero. Then, silence. Sickening silence.

Ava buried her head in Zeno’s warm

chest and sobbed.

Chapter Eight

Zeno glanced over at Ava. She still lay
in the bed in the hotel room, stirring only
slightly in her slumber.

She had cried herself to sleep in his

arms. Her small body had curled against
him, seeking out some sort of comfort.

The sight of her pulled at him and

made him want to do all he could to
protect her.

A quiet knock came from the door

joining his room with Apollo and Val’s.

He moved over and opened the door.

He wasn’t surprised to find Apollo
there.

“Is she sleeping?” Apollo asked.

Zeno nodded.
When he’d arrived at the hotel,

Apollo and Val had been full of
questions, but his first thought was to get
Ava settled and tend to the wound on her
foot. As gently as he could, he had
washed the area, making sure no glass
was still in place. Then, he carefully
bandaged the wound.

Despite the deep cut, he believed she

wouldn’t need stitches. It wasn’t exactly
his first time dealing with wounds on
missions.

“We should talk,” Apollo said and

nodded toward his room.

Zeno stepped through, leaving the

door open slightly so she’d know where
to find him when she woke.

The other room was identical to his

own, just reversed. One single king-size
bed sat in the middle of the room. A
small sitting area had been arranged near
the balcony with a love seat against one
wall and a desk and chair against the
other.

It was a nice enough room, not too

run down but still not fancy enough they
would stand out, which was even more
of a concern now.

He shook his head. He must have

caused quite a stir when he walked
through the main lobby, a large man
carrying a sleeping woman in an evening
gown who was barefoot, bleeding and
dirty. He was lucky if they didn’t call the
police on him. Díaz might not

immediately come after them, especially
if it involved leaving his stronghold, but
they still needed to avoid any further
trouble.

He sighed as he took a seat on the

couch and leaned back, tired to the bone.

“What the hell happened?” Apollo

asked as he sat in the chair across from
him.

Zeno ran a hand over his face. Rough

stubble rubbed against his hand.

“Glycons,” he said, not wanted to

beat around the bush.

Apollo’s brows shot up in surprise.

“What the hell?”

“Somehow that prick has Glycons.”

Zeno shook his head. It just didn’t make
sense. He snorted. “Guess everything

was connected after all, just not the way
we thought.”

“Did he set them on you?” Apollo

leaned forward. “Tell me what happened
exactly.”

Zeno had been thinking about the

events earlier, and there were just too
many holes. He might not be some fancy
thinker like Marius, but he wasn’t an
idiot.

The lock to the door clicked, and his

hand dropped to the gun at his side. Val
walked in and let the door shut behind
her.

“Everything is straightened up at the

front desk,” she said and walked over to
the desk next to Apollo. “Not that it was
easy, but I think I convinced them.”

The little woman scooted herself onto

it with ease.

“She’s your girlfriend and had a bit

too much to drink,” she said looking
over to Zeno. “She fell and hurt her
foot.” She snorted loudly and shook her
head.

“Guess that didn’t explain what

happened to your arm, but he didn’t ask,
so maybe he didn’t see it,” she said.

Zeno gingerly touched the deep

scratches on his upper bicep. He’d
forgotten all about it, but now that he
remembered, it started to throb a little.

“What the hell happened?” she said,

pinning him with her stare.

He twitched, again thinking about the

rumors about her ability to read

emotions. He related evening’s events,
starting with his arrival at the estate. The
two sat silently, and when he finished,
they both had paled.

“What I can’t figure out is why I

didn’t know they were there,” Zeno said.
“I didn’t smell those fuckers at all.”

It was something he’d thought about

on the way home. Sure, the Horatius
Group had proven they could mask
smells, but he hadn’t noticed anything at
all until they were nearly on him.

Val and Apollo exchanged glances.
“There’s something different about

these Glycons,” Zeno said. “Not just the
scent. They were way stronger than
normal Glycons. A bit bigger, too, I
think.”

“Do you think it’s the Group?” Val

asked. She frowned. “Doesn’t it have to
be?”

His instincts said no, but Zeno looked

to Apollo. He was the only one who
would have some idea if that was the
case.

Apollo shrugged. “Not necessarily.”

He scratched his eyebrow. “And nothing
about Díaz makes me think the Horatius
Group. Why would they bother aligning
with a criminal in Peru? He has some
influence, but it would be better to just
get in with the government.”

“But the signal?” Val said.
“I know. It’s one too many

coincidences, but something doesn’t feel
right, even if they are related. I’m not

sure.” He scratched the back of his neck.

“Well, if he’s not with the Group,

how the hell did he get those Glycons?”
Zeno mumbled.

Apollo frowned. “When Major

Carter was first assigned to us, he told
us a lot about the US government’s
investigations of the Group. They’d been
tied to supporting terrorism, rogue
nations and all sorts of shady dealings. I
guess they have to make money
somehow. Maybe they’ve been selling
Glycons.”

“What’s a Glycon?” a soft female

voice asked.

Ava watched from the doorway as the

three strangers turned to look at her. The

other man had the same strange amber
eyes as Zeno. The woman also seemed a
little off, even if she wasn’t huge like the
other two.

The small woman hopped off the desk

and walked over to her, hand
outstretched.

“I’m Val,” she said and smiled. The

softness had a calming effect, and after
the night Ava had, it was a welcome
reprieve. “We’re all friends with your
sister Paige. She asked us to check in on
you.”

“Thank you,” Ava said and looked

around.

She noticed Zeno seemed to be

avoiding eye contact with her. Something
about it bothered her even more than not

understanding what was going on.

“I’ve got an extra pair of shorts and a

tank if you’d like,” Val said. She pulled
out the shorts and shirt.

Ava held them in hand, not really

paying attention to much besides the man
who had captivated her since she first
saw him yesterday.

And still he wouldn’t look at her. It

frustrated her to no end.

Not knowing what else to do, and

sensing they weren’t going to key her in
on whatever a Glycon was, she took the
clothes and headed back into the room
she had been in before. She continued
walking until she was in the bathroom.

She set the clothes on the counter and

stared in the mirror. No wonder he

wouldn’t look at her. She was a mess.
Her hair was knotted on the side she’d
cried herself to sleep. Her eyes were
slightly puffy and red. All the makeup
she’d worn before was smeared under
her eyes so she looked more like a
raccoon than anything.

She reached out to pick up the

washcloth on the rack and froze. Little
red dots coated her hand.

Blood.
She turned her hand over and felt her

stomach heave. She was coated in that
creature’s blood. Not a creature…
that… man? That Glycon? She wasn’t
really certain what to call him. She
shook as she thought over the events.

Her eyes welled up again at the

thought of Piero. He was dead. She was
certain. His scream haunted her.
Whatever those things were, they had
gotten him.

Her stomach rolled. She snatched a

glass from the counter and filled it with
water. She sipped down a bit then
swallowed the rest. The cool liquid
helped settled her stomach.

There had to be some logic for it all.

Some way to make sense of everything
that she’d seen.

She turned on the water to the shower

and picked up a bar of soap. She needed
a way to somehow wash this fucked-up
day off her.

The red satin dress slipped from her

shoulders and pooled on the floor. She

glared down at it. She hated the dress. It
represented everything she’d had to go
through. It represented Antonio. She
picked it up and tossed it in the trash.
Never again.

She stepped into the hot spray and

vigorously scrubbed herself, trying to
erase any trace of what had happened.

Not even trying, her mind slipped

back to the events of the night. The
inhuman screams crowded her
memories. The high-pitched near-howls
made she tremble. Their red glowing
eyes were like hot embers in the dark.
She was certain they would invade her
dreams.

They may have looked mostly like

humans, but they certainly weren’t. They

couldn’t be. There was nothing human in
them, no matter how they started.

She closed her eyes and two glowing

yellow eyes met her. Ava gasped and
opened her own eyes into the spray.

Zeno.
She had nearly forgotten, but his eyes

had also glowed, not the eerie red like
those things but a softer yellow burn.

Why didn’t he frighten her like the

others? She had all the reason in the
world to be afraid of him, but for some
reason she just couldn’t be. Instead, she
felt warm and protected near him. Just
the thought of him now made her center
burn to be near him.

She shook her head. It was that sort of

thinking that got her into this whole

mess. Whatever it was she was feeling,
it didn’t matter. He was just her ride
home.

That was it. Nothing more to it, and

she sure as hell wasn’t going to let there
be more.

Still, who were these people her

sister had sent? Paige had always been a
by the book kind of person. These
people were most definitely not by the
book.

Amber eyes. Huge size. Strength,

speed and endurance beyond normal
men. There was only one explanation for
Zeno and likely Apollo.

Last year the whole world had been

abuzz with talk about the mysterious
hybrids of Luna Lodge, men who were

genetically altered somehow into super-
soldiers, allegedly even part wolf in
some ways.

They lived in a compound and

seemed content enough to stick to
themselves. Every now and again
something might make the local news,
but after the initial furor, most people all
but ignored their existence. In many
ways, it was almost like they’d forgotten
they were even there despite the close
proximity.

How in the world had her sister

gotten mixed up with them? She’d never
even heard Paige mention the hybrids,
but then again, she’d never really been
the kind of sister Paige deserved.

It was always all about Ava and what

was going on in her life. Her sister, let
alone the hybrids, were the last of her
problems when the public learned about
them. She’d just gotten over the breakup
with the latest in a long line of losers.

She snorted. Apparently her streak

hadn’t ended.

So petty. She’d been so broken after

each one of them, believing somehow
she was the one lacking. When, in the
end, she was the only one trying.

It didn’t matter. That all seemed like

a lifetime ago. She couldn’t go back to
being the self-absorbed ass she had
been. Other people mattered.

Piero mattered. Hot tears ran down

her cheeks. She thought of his poor wife
Anita. What would she do now?

Ava’s heart thumped hard in her

chest. Antonio might go after Anita in
revenge for Piero helping her. She had to
make sure she was safe.

She bit her lip and thought. She

started to scrub faster. She needed to get
to Anita before Antonio did, but first she
needed to know figure out what the hell
these hybrids were up to.

Chapter Nine

The longer Ava stayed in the bathroom,
the more worry ate at Zeno.

What the hell was he supposed to say

to her? Given how she’d cried over the
old man, they had to have been close.
But there was nothing he could have
done. She was hurt, and he had to get her
to safety. The old man seemed to get that.

Zeno frowned and nodded once to

himself. He had to give his respect to the
old man. Dying in battle took a certain
kind of bravery. Dying when you knew
you couldn’t win took a different but just
as important kind. He added the man’s
death to the list of reasons he’d take

down Antonio Díaz.

Apollo’s voice cut through his

internal debate. “Hey.”

Zeno brought his eyes back to focus

on the conversation they had been
having.

“We’ve gotta contact Titus about

this,” Apollo said. “If Antonio is a part
of the Horatius Group, our cover could
already be blown.”

“I thought you said he wasn’t,” Val

said.

“I said he probably wasn’t, but I’m

not sure.”

Zeno shook his head. “The more I

think about this, the more I don’t think he
knows what I am, and I don’t think he’s
part of the Group.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Apollo said. “We

still need to let Titus know the status of
the mission.”

Zeno shrugged. “You’re the only one

with a secure phone.”

Val nodded and looked over at him.

“What makes you so sure he’s not a
member of the Group?”

He shrugged. Was his gut a good

judge of this situation? It wasn’t
something he wanted to put all at them at
risk over. Still, his instincts said that
Antonio wasn’t part of the Group.

“He would have tried to get me the

first time I came by,” he said. “I don’t
think he has any clue what I am. He
comes off like a big thug, not some
Group guy with big plans and schemes.

It was like he was depending on just
being Antonio Díaz to control. He’s too
open compared to what we’ve seen from
those fucks. Besides, I don’t think he
knew what Ava is, either.”

Val gave a little smile. “She is a

Vestal, then.”

He looked away. It was more than

clear what she was thinking. Vestals
were a rarity, but it just wasn’t
something he could think about at that
moment. Right now they could all be in
serious danger.

Even if Antonio wasn’t part of the

Group, that still didn’t make him any
less dangerous. One wrong word, and
they could have a storm of trouble fall
on them.

Given what had already happened at

Luna Lodge, including Army soldiers
coming after them, it was obvious the
Horatius Group had deep influence in
the US government. Who knew what they
were doing in Peru? Drawing too much
attention could get two continents turned
against the Luna hybrids. Even if
Antonio wasn’t with the Group, he might
end up catching their attention.

“So, what are we going to do about

her?” Val asked.

He shrugged, not really sure what

they could do about Ava. They were in
another country and far away from their
reinforcements and resources.

Apollo thought quietly for a bit.
“We keep her safe until it’s time to

go,” he said. “Zeno, you’ve been tasked
with her safety. We all have jobs to do,
and we’ll continue to do them.”

Zeno grunted. He hadn’t really done

that great a job keeping her safe. They
had nearly been torn to pieces by the
Glycons, and she’d badly cut her foot.

He’d been cocky. He gritted his teeth,

realizing how close she’d come to death.

She likely needed stitches, but there

was no way they’d be able to go to the
hospital. For right now, they were just
going to have to hope the wound healed
on its own.

He nodded to Apollo. No matter

what, he’d do what he needed to. No
matter what it took, he wouldn’t let Ava
get hurt again.

“Great,” Val said, She stood and

smiled at them. “Now if you all don’t
mind, I’m just going to have a little chat
with our new friend.”

Zeno groaned. Something about the

way she said it didn’t set him at ease in
the slightest.

* * *

Ava raked her fingers through her wet
hair and sighed. It felt good to be clean.
Maybe a tiny piece of the night had been
washed away. She’d certainly come to
terms with the situation, and now just
had questions. The first question was,
would any of them even bother to tell her
the truth?

She supposed she could always

demand to talk to her sister and then get
the truth out of Paige.

Her fingers stilled in her hair, and she

dropped them to her side to stare at
herself in the mirror. The spot on her
cheek where Antonio hit her was now
very visible without the makeup she
normally wore. She looked pale in the
florescent light, or maybe she’d become
pale after being trapped inside for the
last month or so.

She gave a little tug on the shirt Val

had given her. The other woman was
quite a bit shorter than her and most
certainly wasn’t as endowed up top. No
matter how hard she tried, the shirt
bordered on indecent. The only saving

grace was that both the shorts and the
tank were black and not sheer.

The dress she’d been wearing hadn’t

needed a bra, or at least she hadn’t been
given one to wear. Her mind flashed to
Antonio, and she pushed him from her
head.

First thing tomorrow she’d have to

get some new clothes. For now, she was
just glad she didn’t have to put back on
the dress and be reminded of the
murderous bastard who had kept her
prisoner.

She turned from the mirror and

opened the door to the cooler main
room. Ava crossed her arms over her
chest.

Hanging on the chair, she spotted a

large leather jacket.

It had to be his.
She looked around the room for him

and was surprised to find Val half laying
on the bed, her back propped up against
the headboard, flipping through the
channels silently.

Ava grabbed the coat and wrapped

herself in it. The spicy scent of Zeno’s
soap enveloped her. Not even thinking,
she breathed in deeply, the scent almost
intoxicating.

“Two-hundred and fifty channels and

still nothing to watch,” Val said absently.
She flicked off the TV and tossed the
remote onto the bed.

A pair of yellow flip flops sat next to

her. She picked them up and offered

them to Ava.

“Not the best, but better than

nothing,” Val said.

Ava smiled and took the shoes.
For some reason, knowing she could

leave if she needed to made her feel
safer with them. Still, she needed some
questions answered.

“Are they hybrids?” she blurted out.

“From Luna Lodge?”

She hadn’t really meant for it to come

out like that, but it was on the top of her
thoughts.

Val patted the bed next to her.
Cautiously, Ava sat down. Was this

the moment where they killed her for
knowing too much? Even though in the
US, the hybrids kept to themselves, they

were a long way from Luna Lodge.

“Your sister asked us to look in on

you,” Val said, staring directly at Ava,
like she was searching for something.
“Specifically, Zeno was asked to look in
on you.” She turned her body and her
face softened. “A lot has changed since
you came here. Your sister met one of
the hybrids at Luna Lodge. She saved
him.” She sighed. “In the end, some very
bad men burned down your home.
Cultists who hate hybrids.”

Ava gasped. Cultists? Their home

was gone? And Paige had been
subjected to that? She shook thinking
about the danger Paige had seen.

Val took her hand and gave a little

squeeze.

“She’s fine,” Val said reassuringly.

“She’s moved to Luna Lodge. She’s
working as a nurse there. She lives with
Justus.”

“Justus?”
“The hybrid she saved.”
Ava frowned. It seemed so unlike her

sister.

“Lives with him?”
“Well, she’s his Vestal.”
“Vestal? What’s a Vestal?”
The small woman tilted her head, as

if thinking about her answer. “Let’s just
say a Vestal is kind of the woman for a
hybrid.”

“What, like their wife?”
“Something like that…” She

shrugged. “It’ll make sense later.”

Ava watched Val for a moment. She

was still a bit confused, but she didn’t
know if she could fully wrap her mind
around Paige being with this Justus.

“I guess as long as she’s all right.”
Val chuckled. “Don’t worry. She’s

whipping everyone into shape and
loving her new job.”

Ava shook her head. So many things

had happened, and if she had been there
like a good sister, Paige wouldn't have
had to go through all of them alone, all
the while worrying over Ava enough to
send a super-soldier to come and check
in on her.

“Your sister loves you very much,”

Val said. “And the one good thing about
family is their ability to forgive.”

Ava nodded. The question was never

if Paige would forgive her. The real
question was if she could forgive
herself.

“It’s been a long night,” Val said and

pulled her hand back. “You should get to
sleep. Tomorrow we’ll go over what
you know about Antonio and put some
things in a better context for you.”

She nodded. Whatever they needed.

Maybe they would take him down for
her even without her asking. He
deserved it for all his evil acts. He
deserved it for Piero.

Val stood and smiled down at her on

the bed. Ava’s heart kicked up a bit.

“Aren’t you staying in here?” she

asked.

She might trust Zeno, but that didn’t

mean she wanted to share a bed with
him.

Val shook her head. “We still could

be attacked by Antonio. You and I
wouldn’t be as much use in a fight.” She
smiled. “Don’t worry, he won’t bite.” A
wide grin spread across her face. “Well,
he might, but you’d like it.” She winked.

Ava stared at her open-mouthed, not

even sure how to respond.

Did they do that? Was biting a part of

them having sex? She really couldn’t
picture that flying with Paige. The very
idea freaked her out. Not that she would
hate it, but that she might actually like it.

Val stepped to the door, laughing at

some joke she never shared. She opened

the door and stepped through. A moment
later, Zeno entered, his large body
crowding the room.

He glanced at her briefly and cursed.

She imagined he wasn’t too happy to
have her as a roommate.

“I’ll take the couch,” he said gruffly.
Her gaze found the small love seat

and then returned to his massive form.

“Maybe I should—”
He grunted as he grabbed a pillow off

the bed and tossed it onto the couch.

For the first time since they had been

back to the hotel, he looked at her. His
eyes glowed slightly.

“I’m going to need my coat,” he said.
She swallowed, her throat suddenly

dry.

Ava slipped the coat off and handed it

to him.

His eyes dipped lower, and then he

turned away.

“Goodnight,” he rumbled.
In two swift strides, he flicked off the

lights.

Not really certain what she’d done

wrong, Ava slipped into bed and settled
under the covers. She listened to the
sounds of the city outside and breathed
in deeply. It had been such an exhausting
day. Although she was glad to finally be
free of Antonio, she knew there was a
cost, and Piero’s life wouldn’t be the
end of it for him. He’d never let her go.

Chapter Ten

Ava woke in a cold sweat. Her matted
hair clung to her face, and it took a
moment to shove it out of her eyes. She
blinked a few times, trying to focus on
the unfamiliar dark room. Where was
she? Not Antonio’s. No. The hotel.

The room was cooler now. She

shivered a little and hurried to the
bathroom where she shut the door behind
her.

She splashed a little water on her

face and looked in the mirror.

She couldn’t escape the nightmare if

it was real. Those red eyes from earlier
had been chasing her, the horrible

creatures just inches behind her, their
long, bony fingers reaching out for her.

She gagged a little, thinking about

how the flesh had looked, almost like it
was rotting away, from a hungry corpse
rather than a man.

Ava pushed the image from her mind

and walked back into the chilly
bedroom. Relief flooded her as she
spied the thermostat. She knocked it up
several degrees and then looked to the
couch for Zeno. The couch lay empty.

She frowned. It wasn’t exactly as if

the huge hybrid wasn’t hard to spot. A
hint of a noise caught her attention, and
she turned.

The patio door was cracked open

slightly. Ava slipped on the sandals Val

had given her and wrapped the blanket
from the bed around her. Quietly she
opened the door.

The city had grown quiet in her sleep.

The stars twinkled above. What time
was it?

“You should be sleeping.”
She jumped at the deep rumble from

the corner. Despite knowing Zeno was
out there, the presence of the mysterious
man made her heart race.

“I had a nightmare,” Ava said, her

body still in the doorway.

The patio was a decent-sized spot for

not being all that impressive inside. In
the space, they had been able to fit a
small cushioned loveseat, a cushioned
arm chair and an end table.

“I heard,” he said quietly. She stared

at him for a moment before stepping out
entirely and closing the door. She sat
down on the love seat.

“That must be some hearing,” she

said and gave a little laugh.

Zeno just stared at her. The laugh

died in her mouth.

“Oh,” she mumbled. He wasn’t a

normal man after all, but a genetically
engineered hybrid.

They sat in silence for a moment. She

wasn’t even sure where to start. There
were so many questions floating around
in her head.

“So, what are you doing out here?”

she asked nervously.

Zeno shifted in his seat and closed the

book he’d been holding.

“I have first watch,” he said and set

the book down on the table next to him.

She leaned over to try and read the

title but stopped when he stretched. His
thick muscles strained against his white
t-shirt.

He’d changed at some point. And it

looked like he might have taken a
shower as well.

A deep blush spread across her face

as she thought about him being naked so
close to her. Something tingled deep
inside.

“Do, uh…” she said, trying to keep

hold of the thoughts in her head. “Do you
think Antonio will come?”

Fear lanced through her. Her former

lover was actually the least of her
concerns. She leaned forward. “Will
those things come?” she whispered.

“Glycons,” Zeno said and shook his

head. “Likely not. It’s one thing to have
them running around on his estate,
another to have them running around in
town, but we can’t be too careful.”

Ava leaned back, glad for at least the

small reassurance.

She looked over to Zeno, who was

scanning the street.

“What are they?” she asked.
He turned his head toward her and

pinned her with his honey eyes. She saw
the flash of light she’d witnessed before
when they were escaping. Her heart
thumped as a mixture of awe and

excitement swept through her.

“A mistake,” he ground out.
“Did you know about them?” she

asked. “I’ve never seen them mentioned
in news reports. I mean, there’s people
who don’t like normal hybrids. You’d
think they’d be yelling about Glycons all
the time.”

Zeno shook his head and looked back

out to the street. She could tell that he
didn’t really like talking about his
people.

“They’ve been kept from the public

fairly well,” he said quietly. “Hell, they
were kept from us for a long time. We
really don’t know how they are made,
but we do know it’s the same people
who engineered us. The Horatius Group.

They are an old organization that’s
somehow managed to last throughout the
years making hybrids, as part of some
sort of plan. World domination? Who the
hell knows? They aren’t just some jerks
in suits trying to make a buck. That’s for
sure.” He scrubbed a hand over his face.
“The sick thing is the Glycons were once
men. They were forced to give up their
humanity to be the nearly dead pawns in
this cluster fuck of a game by a bunch of
sick Horatius Group assholes.”

Ava shivered and pulled the blanket a

little closer. The idea that a person could
create such monsters made her ill. She
winced a little as she slipped her feet
under the blanket. The night air nipped at
her wounded foot.

She opened her mouth to ask more

questions but was surprised when Zeno
stood and walked into the hotel room
without a word. Was the conversation
over? She sighed and leaned her head
back. Getting information from him was
going to be like pulling teeth.

The door slid back open, and she was

surprised to see he was carrying a bag.
He stooped to the ground in front of her.
A blush crept over her as he looked her
in the eye.

“Your foot,” he said.
Ava knitted her brows together in

confusion. “My what?”

He lifted up the gauze and nodded to

the blanket. “I should change the
dressing.”

Ava nodded and slipped her injured

foot out. It throbbed slightly from the
pressure. Or maybe she was just
nervous.

His large, warm hands caressed her

skin this, the rough padding from his
fingers so different from her own.

Zeno rummaged in the bag and pulled

out something in a colorful wrapper. He
shoved it in her hands, still not meeting
her eyes.

“Val said you’d want this,” he said.
She looked down at the milk

chocolate bar and grinned. It was
amazing just what a bit of chocolate
could do to set everything right. Or at
least not make it suck as much.

Zeno set to work on her foot, slowly

unwrapping the battered foot. He
marveled at how small her foot was in
his hand. He could nearly cover up the
length of her foot.

He heard the wrapped as she got into

the chocolate Val had thought to grab. He
could instantly smell the rich cocoa.

“Do you want some?” she asked.
Zeno looked up to where she was

holding out a piece. He shook his head.
It was clear she needed it more than him.

She popped the piece into her mouth

and sucked. Her eyes closed, and she let
out a low satisfied moan.

He gritted his teeth at the sound. It

was already bad enough his hybrid genes
were calling out for him to bond with

her. The added sounds weren’t helping
matters, especially given the fit of the
front of his pants.

He shifted a little and went back to

the work at hand. He unwrapped the
bandage and checked the wound.

It seemed to be fine, but he had

concerns. Given what they’d run into,
who knew what the hell was on that
floor? Cleaning the wound again was the
best idea.

With a bit of cotton, he applied the

alcohol over the swab.

His thumb stroked her ankle as he

lifted it. Ava stilled and looked down at
him.

“This is going to hurt,” he said.
Her face scrunched up in pain as he

pressed the swab to the cut. He carefully
wiped along it, making sure to be
thorough.

“Shit,” she hissed.
Zeno stroked her soft skin with this

thumb, trying to ease the pain.

He set the cotton on top of the used

gauze and applied a little antibiotic
ointment.

Ava took a big bite of her chocolate

and shivered a little.

He’d hardly even noticed the cold but

knew she was feeling it more than he
was. After this he’d insist she go back
inside.

“One of those Glycons scratched

you,” she said and leaned forward.

He paused as she ran her hand lightly

over his jacket.

“Do you want me to clean it?” she

asked.

His heart hammered in his chest. At

that moment, he would have liked
nothing more than to have her hands
brushing against his skin.

Zeno grunted. “It’s fine,” he said

gruffly.

His hand went for the gauze.
“How do you become a Vestal?” she

asked.

He nearly fell over at the question.

“What?”

“I mean, it’s like a wife right?”
He kept his eyes on her foot, trying to

hurry as he wrapped it. He shrugged,
hoping that might be enough.

“Is there some special ritual?” she

said.

He looked up to her and placed her

shoe back on her foot.

He stood.
“Does it have something to do with…

biting?”

He frowned. Was that even a real

question? How was he supposed to talk
to someone who didn’t even take things
seriously?

He stepped toward the door but

stopped when her small hand held on to
his arm. He looked down at her. Her soft
light brown hair hung around her face
with her eyes like two emerald jewels
peering up at him.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Val made me

think—”

She stopped and shook her head.
“I just want to know more,” she said

quietly. “Know more about the people
who have been protecting my sister.”

He sighed. How was he supposed to

fight that? She did have a right to know.

She moved over on the couch and

patted the seat next to her.

“We can keep each other warm,” she

said innocently.

His lower half responded in a not-so-

innocent manner.

This was a bad fucking idea. Still he

moved until he was sitting next to her.
His large body took up far more room
than the half the seat was designed for.
Her slight frame pushed against him,

creating a pleasant warmth. He placed
an arm on the back of the couch and was
surprised when she moved in a little
closer.

“See,” she whispered. “Nice and

warm.”

He groaned as his dick pressed

painfully against his pants and shifted
slightly away from her. Ava moved into
the pocket of warmth he’d created for
her. They sat quietly for a bit, the cool
night air blowing against them.

He relaxed and checked the streets

below. He didn’t think Antonio would
bother sending anyone after them tonight.
With the death of the old man, he’d be
dealing with getting rid of the body.
Rushing out into the city would play to

his weaknesses and not his strengths.
And Antonio struck Zeno as a man who
liked to plan his vengeance.

“I really do want to know more about

your people,” Ava said quietly.

He turned to look at her. She was

mostly buried under the blanket, with
just her head peeking out. She looked up
to him, and the fire from before
reignited. He cleared his throat, not
really sure what he should tell her.

“Well,” he said and ran a hand over

his face. The stubble scraped against his
fingers. “Most have a somewhat normal
life at the compound. They have houses,
and some men have bonded and are even
building families.”

“Is bonded like getting married?” she

asked. “Val explained a few things, but I
just didn’t really understand it all.”

He shook his head and looked down

at her again. “It’s more than just words,”
he said. “It’s an attraction. One that goes
deeper. A feeling.” He stopped and
stared at her. His face had been inching
closer to her. Never had he wanted
someone as he did her.

“Like love?” she whispered. Her

eyes half-closed she leaned in a bit.

Zeno took in a shuddered breath.

“No. That’s not even enough. More like
fate,” he whispered.

His mouth rested just an inch from her

own. All he had to do was move a
fraction, and they would meet. He’d get
to taste her sweet mouth.

She ran her pink tongue across her

lips.

He could see the reflection of his

eyes as they blazed their bright amber
light.

“Oh,” she whispered.
They jumped when the sliding door

from the balcony next to them slid open,
and Apollo stepped out.

He glanced over to Zeno and gave

him a knowing smile.

“You’re off,” he said and stared at

them both. “Get some rest.”

Zeno rose without even looking at

her. How was he supposed to after he’d
what had almost happened?

He slipped off his coat and sat hard

on the couch. Ava slid the door closed

and stepped past him on her way to the
bed. She stopped between him and the
bed.

“This is stupid,” she said.
His head snapped up, not quite sure

what she was going to say next.

“I’m sorry—” he said.
“Just sleep in the bed,” she huffed.
He looked at the bed and then back at

her.

“There is no way you’re going to fit

on that tiny couch,” she said and waved
a hand where he was sitting. “Besides,
it’s a big bed. There’s plenty of room.”

He wanted to argue. Everything

decent in him said that he should, but he
couldn’t seem to form the words.
Instead, he stood and grabbed the pillow

from the couch. He waited as she placed
the blanket back on the bed.

He’d sleep in his clothes, and it

would all be fine.

She climbed onto the bed, her perfect

ass pointed right at him.

A low predatory growl rumbled

inside him. She stopped moving and
looked over her shoulder to him. Heat
rose up his face.

She turned back around and climbed

into bed. She flipped the blanket open on
the other side of the bed.

He hesitated. He knew she was

calling to him, and his hybrid side
wanted to go to his Vestal.

“Please,” she said quietly. “I feel

better near you.”

All his defenses melted at her

request. He kicked off his shoes and
climbed into his side of the bed. As soon
as he was under the covers, she let out a
soft sigh.

“Goodnight,” she said, her voice

already sounding as if she were drifting
off to sleep.

“Night,” he said.
The steady rhythm of her breathing

lulled him to sleep.

Chapter Eleven

Ava woke up warm and, to her surprise,
aroused.

She wasn’t normally a morning

person, and she had never been someone
to wake up horny. Any yet there it was.
Not a bad feeling, just not expected.

Not wanting to open her eyes and

face the day, she snuggled into the
nearby warmth. Her face pressed against
very solid and warm skin.

Her eyes flew open as she tried to

understand what was happening.

At some point in the night, she’d

moved over to where Zeno slept. She’d
wrapped herself against him. Pressing

her chest against his side, one arms slung
low across his stomach, she could feel
the hairs that met his pants. Thankfully
he still had his jeans on, or she would
really have some explaining to do,
especially since her leg seemed to have
a mind of its own and was half way
across him.

She shifted her body, trying to find a

subtle way to untangle herself. She
wouldn’t deny the strong draw of the
hunky hybrid, but she couldn’t drape
herself over the man in his sleep without
him thinking less of her.

Her thigh brushed his hard length

through his pants. It was only then she
noticed his warm hand on her thigh. His
rough palm ran up and down the back of

her thigh, setting her already heightened
senses afire.

Ava bit back the moan that threatened

to come out. She took a shuddering
breath and licked her lips.

The hand around her back pulled her

closer, grinding her center against his
side. Her breath came out in little puffs
over his chest. Her nipples tightened to
hard peaks against the solid chess
pressing against her.

A low rumble started under her head.

It was the same noise she’d heard
several times before from him. Enticing.
Arousing. The sound of it made her ache
in a way she didn’t even know she
could.

She looked up to find his bright eyes

fixed on her.

“Zeno,” she breathed out.
His mouth pressed hard against her

own, swallowing the yelp of surprise.

His kiss dominated her. All the

thoughts previously in her head vanished
as the warmth from his passionate kiss
shot through her.

She moaned and wrapped an arm

around his neck, pulling him deeper into
the kiss. His tongue pressed into her
mouth and wrestled her own for
dominance. A war, but one of desire.

Unable to resist, Ava ran her hands

over his exposed chest and back. The
deep contours of his muscles made her
ache to feel him moving over his and
moving into her.

She let out a shuddered breath at the

thought of Zeno pressing deep inside her,
filling her.

She scraped her nails lightly down

his back and loved the little rumble from
his chest. There was something so very
primal about the sound. It made her only
want to hear it again.

She pulled her mouth away from his,

panting. Not missing a beat, Zeno
continued his work, kissing and sucking
along the base of her neck. She arched
her body toward him when he reached
the sensitive spot behind her ear.

He returned to her mouth. This time

the kisses were delivered with a slow,
deliberate pace. It was maddening.

She moaned loudly when his hand

pulled her shirt up and her chest met
bare skin. Her hard nipples rubbed
against his thick, hard muscles.

She pulled back to moan again when

his hand pinched the peaks. The sweet
tingle his touch brought left her even
more aroused.

Her hand found his tight ass, and she

squeezed it through his jeans. Frustration
over the layers of clothing shot through
her. She wrapped her legs around his
body and ground herself hard against his
length.

Zeno pulled his head back from her.

The muscles in his neck strained as he
struggled.

He looked down at her. His body

tensed under her touch. The air cooled

between them as he put some space
between their bodies. Irritation and
disappointment flared in her.

For a moment, she thought he might

stop. She wouldn’t blame him. They’d
only just met, and they were being
hunted by her crazy ex, not to mention all
the weirdness with him being a hybrid
and her being, well, whatever the hell
she was.

He rolled to the side. His hand slid

off her breast. After a second, he slowly
trailed his hand on a path down her
stomach.

Heat burned her cheeks. Antonio had

always remarked on the bit of excess
fluff she had there.

She looked to Zeno, who only stared

at her with lust. His bright amber eyes
held nothing back.

Her breath caught in her throat as his

hand slipped below her shorts and then
under her panties. When his fingers
brushed her folds, she knew he could
feel how wet she was. How much she
wanted him.

Zeno growled again. The deep

guttural sound made her nipples harden
until they were almost painful, and the
little nub between her folds began to
ache.

He slid his thick finger back and forth

over her, each time brushing her clit.
Ava fisted the sheets and arched into his
touch.

“I got you,” he said quietly.

His words only stoked the flame

inside her more.

In one smooth stroke, he pressed his

finger deep inside. His thumb circled her
clit as he did so. Her insides quivered,
pleasure pulsing through her.

His finger continued to slide in and

out, each time going slightly faster than
before, but his thumb kept the same
excruciating pace.

She opened her eyes and found Zeno

watching her, his eyes fixed on her face.

He pulled out. She opened her mouth

to protest but stopped when he slipped
two fingers inside her.

Her eyes rolled back in her head as

he pressed deep inside. The sensation of
being filled by him excited her.

Zeno wiggled his fingers inside,

pushing against the sides to make more
room. More pleasure spiked through her,
and she moaned. The sound came from
the center of her. Her clit tingled under
the low and deep sound.

“Do you like that, baby?” Zeno

rumbled.

Ava licked her dry lips and nodded.

With her eyes still closed, she reached
out for him.

Her hand brushed his thick member

through his pants. He cursed.

Suddenly his fingers were hammering

into her. His thumb pressed hard against
her clit, and she could feel her orgasm
starting to crest, the waves pushing,
ready for release.

She arched into his hand and cried

out as she came hard against his fingers,
squeezing and pulling them deeper
inside.

Her body fell back against the bed,

and she struggled for breath as Zeno
pulled his fingers from her.

She took a few deep breaths, the

pleasure still coursing through her,
before she opened one eye.

“Now it’s your—” she began.
She stopped as the bathroom door

clicked shut, and she was left staring at
an empty bed.

Zeno gripped the counter hard, so

hard the plastic creaked under the
pressure.

He’d wanted her, wanted to finish

what they started and bury himself deep
inside her. To make her his like she
should be.

He knew it. Ava was his. Every part

of his hybrid senses said she was. The
only problem was that she wasn’t a
hybrid. She had no clue about the world
she’d be walking into. Díaz was one
thing, but the Horatius Group quite
another. Taking her from one danger to
an even worse danger was ridiculous.

Not only that, how could they even

make a choice like that here?

He snapped on the cold water and

splashed a little in his face.

He couldn’t do this now. There was

too much riding on the mission. If Ava

was still interested when they got back,
he’d have no problem making sure she
knew just how much he wanted her, as
many times as she wanted.

For now, there was a job to be done.

She needed to be protected, and the
Horatius Group ping needed to be
investigated.

His eyes slid down the mirror to the

large bulge in his pants. It pressed
painfully against his zipper. He went
over to the shower and adjusted the
water until only cold water poured
down.

He kicked off his pants and stepped

under the harsh spray. It ran down his
chest and over his hot, throbbing cock.
He winced as the icy water cooled both

his body and his libido.

He brought his hand to his face to

wipe the water away and breathed in
deeply. Her smell lingered on his
fingers. It took everything in him not to
lick the taste of her off his fingers.

A groan ripped through him. This

wasn’t going to work. There was no way
he was getting her off his mind.

His hand gripped his hard shaft as he

pictured her there on the bed, his fingers
deep inside her as she panted and
mewled for him to go on. The sounds she
made had nearly put him over the edge
before.

His cock throbbed at the thought.
He pictured himself inside her, her

sweet pussy gripping him as he slid in

and out, fucking her like he’d wanted to
before, like he should have done before.

His hand sped up, rubbing the head of

his cock. He leaned against the wall of
the shower, his breathing now in short
bursts.

He focused on her face as she came,

the bright flush that filled her cheeks and
the rhythmic way she pulled at his
fingers.

He groaned loudly as his cock pulsed

in his hand. He wanted desperately to be
inside her. To make her his.

Drained, he flipped off the shower

and toweled himself off.

He could hear Ava getting ready in

the other room and cursed as his dick
responded.

It was going to take everything in him

not to follow what his lower half
wanted, especially since his upper half
wanted the same.

Chapter Twelve

Angry, Ava toweled off her body and
slid the clothes from before back on. She
still tingled with the amazing orgasm
she’d had earlier, and that only pissed
her off more.

He had the nerve to totally blow her

mind and then ran when the big finale
came up? Had he just pity fucked her?
The thought made her stomach knot.

Her mind went to how hard he’d felt

through his pants. She didn’t think there
was a way to fake that. Zeno had wanted
her. But for whatever reason, he didn’t
want to be with her. Did he think she
wasn’t good enough for him?

She stared at herself in the mirror.

Sure, she had a little more fluff than
many women her size. Maybe her
breasts had a little more jiggle than
socially acceptable, and her stomach
wasn’t perfectly flat. Still, she liked the
way she looked and so did plenty of
other men.

Her thoughts returned to Zeno’s hard

muscles. Maybe he was some workout
freak that hated women with even a little
extra weight.

Well, fuck him, then. She angrily

swept her fingers through her hair.
Antonio had been one controlling prick
too many. No way in hell was she going
back to that, even for a mind-blowing
orgasm or two.

Fueled by her anger, she swung open

the bathroom door and stomped out. She
was surprised to find Val, Zeno and
Apollo standing near the doorway
between the two rooms.

“We’ve got to finish the job,” Apollo

said as his gaze slid over to her.

It was clear they were being cautious

with what they said.

Val pointed to the coffee table. “We

brought you some breakfast,” she said
with a smile. “Thought you might need
it.” She winked and dipped away from
the doorway. There was something
unnerving about the way she talked, like
she knew Ava’s secrets or something.

Ava walked to the couch and picked

up the wrapped burrito. She took a bite

and was surprised to find it filled with
sausage and potatoes. More hungry than
she even realized, she scarfed down the
meal. She took several big gulps of the
coffee and instantly felt better. It was
amazing what a little caffeine could do.

Her gaze wandered over to where

Zeno and Apollo spoke quietly in the
door. As if sensing her eyes on him,
Zeno turned to look at her and frowned
before turning back to his conversation.

She narrowed her eyes at him. Mister

perfect likely didn’t do caffeine. It didn’t
fit his healthy ways. She took another big
gulp just to show him how much she
cared.

Outside it was a beautiful morning.

The sun peeked out of the clouds, and the

city below was already in full swing
with people filling the bustling streets.

She glanced over to the clock and

was surprised it was only eight. She
thought for sure it must be later with how
energetic she was feeling. Her eyes
came back to where Zeno stood, the real
reason for her energy.

Heat spread over her cheeks, and she

turned away quickly before he noticed
her staring again. The last thing she
needed was him to say something.

She noticed a bit of blue just on the

other side of the coffee table. She
reached out and grabbed the backpack
she’d brought with her yesterday.

Ava opened the bag. All the

memories of the day before came

flooding back. Her gaze landed on the
stack of money. She had to get to Anita,
had to warn her about Antonio and make
sure she was safely away.

She zipped the bag and leaned back

in her seat while she finished her coffee
and devised a plan.

“After today we should have a better

location on where that ping was coming
from,” Apollo said quietly.

“The mission isn’t safe,” Zeno said

again and shifted his feet in irritation.
“We know there are Glycons in the area.
It’s not safe for any of us.”

Apollo shook his head. “Titus was

clear: we finish the job. If anything, the
Glycons around mean we were right to

come here and set things up, even if Díaz
ends up having nothing to do with the
Group.” He glanced in Ava’s direction
for a second. “Titus is working on
securing a ride home for her. Until then,
you need keep her away from Díaz.”

Zeno couldn’t stop the rumble that

ripped through him. He glanced over to
Ava as she sat on the couch to see if
she’d noticed. Her sweet innocent face
called to him, and he shook his head.
How was he going to be of any use if all
he wanted to do was press his mouth her
hers? His distraction was going to get
her killed.

Apollo leaned forward and clapped a

hand on Zeno’s shoulder. “This is for the
best. Val’s got this, and Ava needs you.”

He huffed loudly. He knew she

needed him. The real problem was how
much he needed her. The very idea that
something might happen to her made his
heart thump hard in his chest. She was in
danger here, and for the first time, he
wasn’t so sure he’d be able to keep her
safe.

“We’ll be back by dusk,” Apollo said

and stepped away with a sharp nod into
his own room.

Zeno closed the door between the

rooms and let out the breath he’d been
holding. This was not going to be easy,
even without Glycon attacks or Antonio
to worry about.

He stepped away from the door and

wandered to where his burrito lay in

foil. Ava watched him as he picked it up
and stepped onto the balcony, leaving the
door open behind him.

By the time he’d gotten down to the

last few bites, Val and Apollo emerged
onto the street. They slipped down a
back alley and disappeared into the city.

Ava rustled around inside the room,

and he turned to see what she was up to.

He watched as she slipped on his

coat and then pulled her pack on her
back.

Zeno stood and stepped to the frame

of the door.

“You’re not leaving,” he said firmly.

She looked up at him and glared.

“I’d like to see you stop me.”
The challenge raised his hackles. Not

even thinking, Zeno stepped into the
room, following her as she backed away.

“You’re not leaving,” he said again.

“It’s not safe.”

She took another few steps back until

her legs hit the bed. She bounced on the
bed as she sat hard.

“I have nothing to wear,” she said.
Zeno looked down. She seemed fine

to him. More than fine if he were being
honest.

She lifted her chin defiantly and

flipped the jacket back from her chest.

“I’m not wearing a bra and a shirt

that’s way too small,” she huffed then
tilted her head. “Unless you don’t care
what your friend sees me in.”

Anger burned through him. Despite

knowing that Apollo had no interest in
Ava, the very idea others could see her
as Zeno had that morning pissed him off.

He stepped back and took in deep

breaths. It did make sense, especially if
she was going to be catching a flight
home. There was no way he’d be able to
handle a whole airport seeing her like
this.

His gaze landed on her chest. The V-

necked shirt dipped low into her
cleavage, and he could just make out the
peaks of her nipples.

He snapped his head to the side. It

wouldn’t do either of them any good if
he kept staring. Damn it.

“Fine,” he grunted. “But we’re just

getting some clothes and coming back.”

She gave a wide grin. “Sure thing,

boss.”

Chapter Thirteen

Fast. This was supposed to be an in-and-
out mission. Get some clothes and get
back to the hotel.

Zeno looked at his watch for about

the millionth time.

They had been out of the hotel for

nearly two hours. In fact, they had nearly
worked their way halfway through town
just for clothes. He wasn’t even quite
sure how it happened.

They would find a store, and she’d

grab a few items, but there was always
another store. First, it was clothes, then
shoes and finally undergarments.

The most recent stops were

particularly annoying. The last thing he
wanted to do was think about the frilly
things Ava wore under her clothes. It
was bad enough he had been sporting a
semi-hard-on since their morning romp.

Not that he’d been able to stop her.

The minute he put his foot down about
the lingerie store, she’d gone straight for
the throat.

“For over a month, I’ve had to wear

exactly what someone else wants me to,”
she had said and glared at him. Several
people on the street stopped to watch the
small woman poke his chest. “I’ll be
damned if I let that go on,” she had said
and stepped forward until her soft
breasts pressed against him. She had
looked up, her eyes hooded as she

spoke. “Unless you think it’s a good idea
I continue walking around like this.”

Zeno swallowed. Just thinking about

how she felt against him made him want
to rip off all her clothes and show her
just what he wanted her to be wearing.

He sighed loudly and scrubbed a

hand down his face. This woman was
going to be the death of him. Now he
was sitting in a damned store while she
purchased undergarments. Still, he
doubted Antonio’s goons were trawling
women’s clothing stores looking for
Ava. So at least he could slightly relax.

His body ached from sitting still.

Zeno stretched and jerked his hand back
when it touched something soft and lacy.
The rack jostled from the movement, and

the saleswoman near him glared.

He shrank back into the chair and

tried not to look around. It was bad
enough he was the only man in the
lingerie store. The last thing he wanted
was to call even more attention to
himself, let alone risk bringing any
outside searching thugs to the store.

His gaze found Ava as she made her

way through the store picking up clothes
and placing them back on the rack.

Try as he might, he couldn’t stop his

attention from wandering to the pieces
she held in her hand.

Black, white and even a bit of pink. A

flash of her flushed face as she came
around his fingers came to mind, and
Zeno fought to push the images away.

This was not going to happen. He

needed to keep his focus.

He jerked up and ignored the

saleswoman as she continued glaring at
him. In a few strides, he was at Ava’s
side.

“We need to go,” he ground out.
She held up the black nightgown and

nodded. She placed it on her arm and
looked up to him.

“Fine,” she said quietly. “Let me pay

and change.”

Zeno stood close as she pulled the

wad of cash she had in her backpack out
to pay for the items. The cashier glanced
over to him, likely assuming he was the
source of the money and wondering what
line of work he was in to bring in that

kind of money.

He snorted. She probably thought he

was one of Antonio’s thugs, but being a
Luna Lodge hybrid didn’t leave him
rolling in the cash.

The cashier nodded to the back and

Ava turned.

“I’m going to the changing room. I’ll

be back in a sec,” she said.

Zeno frowned. He didn’t like her

getting out of his sight. There was no
telling where Antonio’s men were.

Time ticked by as he stood in the

store, his arms crossed. The saleswoman
and the cashier kept giving him strange
looks, but they didn’t say anything to
him.

After nearly fifteen minutes, he

stepped over to the door she had walked
into.

“Ava, you nearly done?” he called

out. “We need to get going.”

Silence greeted him.
He frowned. She might be a bit coy,

but she didn’t seem the type to not
answer when he called.

“Ava?”
He pushed the curtain that covered

the entrance and stepped through. Much
to his surprise, there was no changing
room, only the back of the store.

His heart kicked up as he stepped

further in. Maybe Antonio’s men had
found her.

Two brown sacks peeked out from

behind the corner, the very two she’d

been carrying with all her clothes.

He reached down and pulled his coat

from the bag.

Anger pushed out the fear. They

hadn’t found her. She’d run despite
everything that he’d told her. This wasn’t
a damn game. She, of all people, should
have understood that.

Zeno breathed in deeply. He could

still find her, and when he did, she
wasn’t getting out of his sight again.

* * *

Ava ran in her new sneakers. The backs
of her foot ached from the hard newness
cutting into the wound on her foot. She
was certain that she’d split it open and

was likely bleeding freely again, but it
didn’t matter. She had to press on.

Too long. She’d taken too long. She

should have insisted on checking on
Anita immediately. Or her clothing
diversion could have been cut short.
Maybe she could have ran at the first
shop. Would that have been enough time
to fool Zeno?

Her lungs ached as she took in painful

breaths. A street sign popped up, and she
turned sharply. Things were starting to
look familiar from the one short trip
she’d taken over to Piero and Anita’s
house. It had been her one lifeline to the
outside near her.

Ava turned another corner and looked

behind. Nothing.

Guilt ate at her for leaving Zeno like

that. She really didn’t want to, but he
was being so strict about getting her
back to the hotel. There was no way he
was going to deviate from the mission
any more than he had, let alone anything
that involved her getting anywhere near
someone connected to Antonio.

She knew the only reason he let her

leave the hotel for the clothes was
because he couldn’t seem to stomach the
idea being in the room with her given
her serious lack of clothing.

She shifted the heavy pack on her

back. Maybe she’d overdone it a bit on
the clothes, but it was just nice to have
the option to wear what she wanted. She
gave a small laugh.

Maybe a few of the purchases at the

lingerie store had just been to make him
uncomfortable. There was something fun
in the way he squirmed.

Her gaze flicked to the right, and she

stopped on the sidewalk.

This was it. She was sure. The

flowers in the yard were starting to
bloom now, something she hadn’t been
able to see before. Lavender. Piero said
he’d planted them for his Anita because
it was her favorite color.

She was surprised to find their gate

wide open.

Ava stepped through, suddenly unsure

of the choice she’d made. Maybe it
would have been best to have Zeno
come with her. Maybe if she’d just

talked to him, she might have been able
to convince him.

After taking a deep breath, she slowly

made her way up the path. When she
reached the porch, she stopped.

The door was open an inch, the wood

splintered around the lock. She
swallowed once. Her heart started
pounding.

“Anita?”
Ava took a step but stopped when a

large hand wrapped around her waist
from behind. She opened her mouth to
scream.

“Blood,” said a familiar voice.
She turned, grateful to have him there.
“Zeno,” she breathed.
He inhaled deeply. “I don’t think they

are still here,” he said and stepped in
front of her. “But I do smell blood. Stay
behind me.”

She nodded at his back and followed

him through the open door.

A gasp followed as they entered. The

small but sweet little home had been
destroyed. There wasn’t an item in the
house that hadn’t been smashed, ripped
or destroyed in some way.

Zeno nodded toward the kitchen.
The fridge had been tipped over.
“Must not have been long ago,” he

said, narrowing his eyes, then sniffing.
“None of the food has started to go bad.”

She stepped around the piles of glass

and food as they made their way to the
back bedroom.

Zeno stopped just outside the door to

the room, and she glanced around the
corner. Relief flooded her.

“Anita,” she said and hurriedly

pushed past Zeno.

She rushed over to the old woman

who now sat on the bed, holding
something close to her.

Ava looked her over. She only had a

few cuts and bruises. Apparently
Antonio’s thugs had taken their anger out
on her things.

She held out the picture frame, tears

streaming down the deep lines on her
face.

“I saved it,” she said quietly.
The photo was old. In black and

white, a smiling bride and her groom

looked lovingly at one another.

“He was my world,” she said. Her

words shook as she said them.

Ava’s own tears flowed freely.
Not sure what to do, she leaned

forward and wrapped her arms around
the old woman and cried with her for
Piero.

Chapter Fourteen

The devastation had been the work of
Antonio. Zeno was sure of it. The scent
of his thugs still hung in the air, and it set
Zeno’s nerves on end. He bit back a
growl at the realization there could have
been Glycons nearby, and he wouldn’t
know.

The only reason he wasn’t more

worried was the fact that Anita was still
alive. The strange Glycons didn’t strike
him as the type that could wreck a house
without killing the person inside.

Whether it was thugs or Glycons, he

had no assurance they wouldn’t come
back to finish the job. Maybe they were

waiting for the okay from their boss.
Maybe they had scouts in the area, and
they’d already reported to Antonio that
Ava was there.

Striking Ava and Zeno at the hotel

when they expected it was risky; going
after them in a less populated area
closer to the Díaz estate, not so much.

This side trip wasn’t safe, and as

much as he wanted to let the two women
grieve for the man who should have
nothing but respect, this wasn’t the place
to do it. If Ava was captured, Piero
would have died for nothing.

“Ava,” he said quietly. “We need to

go. Sooner than later.”

She pulled away from the old woman

and nodded her understanding.

“Anita,” she said and placed a hand

on either shoulder of the other woman.
“This place isn’t safe. We need to get
you out of here. Antonio’s men will
come back. We both know it.”

The old woman looked around at her

smashed belongings and the house she
had so lovingly put together with her
beloved.

The anguish on her face made Zeno

ache inside. This wasn’t how their story
should have ended. Death came to
everyone, but they still had years left.
Antonio needed to pay for what he’d
done.

Anita took in a deep breath.
“I have a sister,” she said and looked

back to Ava. “She would help.”

Ava nodded. “Good.” She stood.

“You tell us what you need, and we’ll
get it for you.”

The old woman looked around the

room. “My pictures,” she said. “I need
my pictures.”

* * *

They carefully picked through the
wreckage and gathered up all the
pictures from the shattered frames. Most
had survived. A small bit of fortune, at
least.

Zeno had watched as Ava cleaned the

wounds Anita had received and packed
some of her clothing into a suitcase.

Even though he was still annoyed

over Ava giving him the slip earlier, it
was hard to get too angry, given that
from what he could tell, the whole outing
had been an attempt to get to and protect
the old woman.

He wasn’t honestly sure if he would

have taken Ava there if she asked, but he
still respected her motives.

The train station hadn’t been far from

her house, and they were able to get
Anita a ticket on the next train out. It was
the best way for her to disappear.

The plan was for her to head north

until she hit the next station. From there
she’d take two more trains in the other
direction to make sure Antonio’s men
couldn’t follow her.

Zeno doubted Antonio would go to

the trouble, but he wouldn’t have
suspected Antonio would send his men
to ransack a widow’s home either.

It was clear they had been looking for

something, and it didn’t appear to be
Ava. From what Anita had said, they
didn’t even ask about her.

The train whistle blew. Ava wrapped

her arms tightly around the woman.

“Call my sister when you’re safe,”

Ava said and handed Anita a slip of
paper with the number Zeno had given
her. It was really to the main line at Luna
Lodge, but they would make sure the call
made it through to Paige.

Anita nodded, her cheeks damp from

more tears.

Ava pulled back and bent to the

ground. She rummaged through her
backpack and then hastily unzipped the
travel bag Anita was taking with her.

Zeno watched as Ava stuffed a large

lump of money into the bag and then
looked around. No one paid them any
attention as they hurried onto the train.

She stood up and pressed the bag into

the old woman’s arms.

“I can’t take your money,” Anita

whispered.

Ava shook her head. “It’s only a

fraction of what you’re owed,” she said.
Her voice caught in her throat. “Piero
was…” Her voice trailed off as tears
sprung to her eyes.

Anita leaned forward and placed a

gentle kiss to her cheek.

“He cared for you,” she said warmly.

“You didn’t kill him. He died saving
someone he cared about. You
understand?”

Ava nodded, but her tears continued

to fall.

“And now I’m saving someone I care

about,” Ava said quietly. “Use the
money. I’ll be fine.”

The old woman turned her observant

eyes to Zeno. It was the first time she’d
actually looked at him since they had
arrived at her house.

“I know what you are,” she said as

she leaned in. “We all have a purpose in
life. You make sure she gets to find
hers.”

Zeno nodded, not quite sure how to

respond, but certain of one thing: he’d
protect Ava.

Anita nodded to them both and then

walked to the train. They watched as she
handed her ticket over and stepped
through the door.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Ava

asked.

He felt her small hand slip into his,

and he gave a little squeeze.

“Yes,” he said quietly.
They watched in silence as Anita

found her seat on the train. She gave a
little wave through the glass as the train
started moving.

The train eased away from the

platform, rolling away. Slowly, it sped
up until it disappeared around the

corner.

Zeno looked down at where their

hands were still joined and gave a little
tug.

“Let’s go back. She’s safe now.”
She nodded and followed him,

neither one bothering to loosen their
hold.

Chapter Fifteen

Content.

The word kept rolling through Ava’s

mind as they made their way back to the
hotel.

Although she could sense Zeno’s

agitation, especially as he led her
through a number of back alleys, Ava
was at peace. Knowing Anita would be
far away from that sick bastard Antonio
was enough to set her at ease.

They stopped near the hotel, just a

few alleys away.

Zeno stared out across the way.
She took the moment to study him.

There was no question he was

handsome. Previously she’d found some
of his facial expressions harsh and
intimidating, but now she understood
they really just meant he was worried.

He worried about her.
Ava squeezed the hand she still held.

He looked back to her and then turned to
the hotel.

“Looks clear,” he said.
Hand in hand they crossed the street.

Several people passed them, and she
wondered if they saw a couple at first
glance. Her heart thumped at the idea.
She swallowed and tried to push the
thought from her mind.

They weren’t a couple. She was done

with that crap. And she certainly didn’t
have time to worry about that sort of

thing when she was still on the run.

Zeno pulled her through the lobby and

into the tiny elevator. He pressed the
four button.

“You could have told me your plan,”

he said. His low voice filled the small
cramped space. “Instead of pulling that
little stunt.”

Ava laughed and looked over to him.

“And you would have taken me?”

His face fell at her words, and for a

moment, she wondered if she’d been
wrong.

He dropped her hand. “You could

have tried.” He stepped into the hall
when the doors opened. She trailed
behind quietly.

She had been so certain he wouldn’t

agree to the trip over concern for her
safety, but Zeno wasn’t a bad man. He
might have, if she’d given him the
chance.

He didn’t make her leave

immediately when he found her. And he
even helped collect Anita’s pictures.
Those were hardly the actions of an
unreasonable guard who’d stop at
nothing to ensure she remained near the
hotel.

They reached the door to their room,

and he slipped the card through the key.
The green light flicked on, and Zeno
swung open the door.

They stepped in, but he stopped just

inside. The door clicked shut, and she
frowned as he whirled around to look at

her, his massive form pressing in on her.

She stopped when her back met the

cold metal door, his arms bracketing on
either side of her.

“You are the most exasperating

woman I’ve ever met,” he rumbled.

Ava frowned. Oh, he did not get to

lay into her like that, not after the last
few months that she’d just had.

“What you did today was reckless,

dangerous and…” Zeno sighed. “Kind.”

Her eyes widened with surprise. His

face softened. One of his hands slid
away from the door and played with a
lock of her hair.

“You are just full of surprises,” he

said and leaned in. She could feel his hot
breath on her lips and licked them in

anticipation.

The door in the room next to them

banged open. Crashes and thumps
reached their ears. Someone was
throwing things around.

He tightened his arms around her.
He shook his head when she opened

her mouth to ask a question.

“I’ll get the other room,” a man said

in the hall in Spanish. The sound of his
footfalls closed on the door.

Zeno’s hand clamped down on the

knob. He furrowed his brow, a faint look
of confusion. She wondered if he could
understand any Spanish.

They could hear the sound of the card

sliding through the lock. The lock
clicked, but the door stayed closed under

Zeno’s firm grip. They heard the sound
of the card again, but he held firm.

“It’s not working,” the man said

loudly. “Go get another fucking card.”

The footsteps receded, and Zeno’s

pinched expression and tight neck
muscles relaxed.

He nodded toward the other door.
Ava peeked around him and saw with

horror that the lock on the door between
the rooms was open. She carefully
squeezed around him.

She gripped the lock in her hand, and

as slowly as she could, Ava turned it.

Nearly finished, the tension dripped

away. At the last second, something
caught in the lock, and it slipped into
place with small click.

“Did you hear that?” a man asked

next door in Spanish.

“They heard me,” she mouthed to

Zeno.

She looked over to Zeno, who

nodded for her to come away from the
door. She watched as the handle jiggled
before turning back to him.

“Two guns,” he whispered just above

a breath. “Bed and loveseat.”

Ava crept around the room and

slipped a hand between the mattress. She
carefully pulled out the hard metal she
found there and laid it on the bed. Just as
quietly, she reached between the
cushions and pulled out an even bigger
gun. She laid that on the bed and looked
back to Zeno.

She’d say this for him. He always had

a plan.

She walked over to the closet and

opened it. The door creaked just a little,
but she ignored it. She grabbed the pack
he had in there and handed it to him. The
door squeaked loudly as she tried to shut
it. She froze at the sound.

“Someone’s over there!” a man

shouted on the other side of the wall.

Zeno dropped his hand from the door.

Even if he didn’t understand Spanish, the
tone was unmistakable.

“Are you afraid of heights?” he

asked.

Ava glanced over to the door and

frowned at his question. “No.”

Zeno nodded and stepped over to the

bed. Ava trailed behind, not really sure
what he was getting at. He slipped the
pack on.

“What are we—” she said. Zeno

grabbed her wrist and pulled her out the
balcony door. “Are you crazy?” she
nearly shouted. “We’re four stories up!”

The men banged against the room

door.

Whatever Zeno had in mind seemed

way more dangerous than staring down
the barrel at some thugs. He lifted her in
his arms. She gasped in surprise.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.
The words echoed in her head. They

had only known one another for a day,
but she did trust him. She had trusted him
from the moment he came for her. She

nodded, not certain of her voice.

His eyes blazed for a moment, the

sunglasses no match for the brightness of
his eyes.

“Good,” he whispered. “Hold on

tight and don’t let go.”

She wrapped her arms around his

neck and locked them together. His
muscles tightened as he pulled her close
to his chest. His strong arms flexed
around her.

Behind them, the wooden door

between their rooms splintered open.
Two men rushed in, guns drawn.

And then she was falling. The air

rushed around her as she plummeted to
the ground with Zeno.

She wanted to scream or cry out for

help. Instead, Ava wrapped her arms
around Zeno and clamped her eyes shut.

The impact with the ground jarred her

body, but nowhere near as much as she’d
expected. Zeno apparently taken most of
the impact.

Ava shook as he placed her feet on

the ground, her eyes blinking as she
stared at the street around them. Several
people ran away, fear on their faces.

“We’ve got to run,” he said when she

looked back to him, his face close to
hers.

She nodded.

A shot rang out. The bullet pelted the

street near them.

Zeno looked up at the balcony. The

men aimed their guns at them, but he
doubted they’d hit much at this range.
Still, they fired. Several people
screamed and took cover.

He pulled on Ava. They had to get out

of there. He looked around for a way
out. There had to be something. Another
barrage of bullets summoned more
screams from the people around. The
bullets suddenly stopped.

“Shit,” he cursed.
They would be on them in minutes,

and if the men had a car, there would be
no way they could outrun them,
especially in a place he didn’t know.

He spied the old man, Luís, from the

restaurant down the road. The man
nodded to his door, and Zeno didn’t

hesitate. There was no way to know if
the old man would keep them hidden, but
it was better than trying to outrun
Antonio’s men on unfamiliar streets.

Zeno pulled Ava along. She leaned

hard to one side, her foot in obvious
pain from her earlier escape attempt.
They finished their sprint by stopping in
front of the restaurant.

“Upstairs,” the old man said quickly

in English.

They raced inside and headed toward

the back. The young waiter stared at him
in horror.

He listened as the old man locked the

doors to his empty restaurant.

When Luís turned around, a look of

surprise crossed over his face.

“Why are you still standing there?

Go,” he said to Zeno. He shouted
something to the waiter in his native
language, something obviously not
Spanish.

From the look on his face, the kid

didn’t seem to want to comply but did
all the same.

The old man nodded to the back.
“There’s a hidden door,” he said.

“My nephew will show you. You’ll be
safe there.”

Zeno followed the young man into the

back and was surprised to find the door
was well hidden. The boy opened the
door and waited for them to step in. He
slammed the door shut and rushed away.

Despite the darkness, Zeno’s superior

vision let him make out a narrow
stairway that led to the attic. They would
be safe here as long as the owner and his
nephew kept them that way.

He bit back a growl as he glanced

behind at Ava. Her eyes were wide with
fear and confusion. He had to protect her
and suddenly questioned if taking the old
man’s offer was a good move. Still, if
he’d intended to betray them, it made no
sense to show the hidden door.

The bells on the front door chimed.

Heavy footsteps sounded.

Ava bit her lip and listened, gripping

Zeno’s arm.

One of the new arrivals said

something. He recognized the voice from
the hotel room, even if he couldn’t

understand the Spanish.

He glanced down at Ava.
“He’s asking if he’s seen a big guy

and a girl,” she whispered. “And he’s
telling them we went ‘that way.’”

Zeno could only hope he was pointing

down the street.

He could hear feet as the other men

raced out the door, but the door didn’t
chime closed.

Ava pressed in close to him. She

shivered as they stood in the dark. He
wrapped an arm around her and pulled
her close. Not even thinking, he placed a
kiss on the top of her head, as she
continued to whisper the translation of
the remaining conversation.

“You didn’t see anything here today.”

Luís cleared his throat.
“Nothing at all, sir.”
“And him?”
“He didn’t see anything either,” Luís

hurriedly said.

The thug snickered. This was corrupt

power: going around pointing guns at
innocent people, making them bend to
your will. It made Zeno’s blood boil. He
resisted the urge to burst out of hiding
and show the thug what true power was.

“Glad we agree,” the thug said.
The door chimed closed, and Zeno let

out a sigh of relief.

They stood there at the bottom of the

stairs in the dark for a bit longer, waiting
for the all clear. He nearly jumped when
the old man swung the door open.

“They are all over the street,” he

said. “But you’re safe here.”

Zeno sighed. Relying on others

wasn’t something he liked to do, but the
old man had proved to be a worthy ally,
and he was grateful for the help.

“Now let’s get you settled.”
Zeno’s stomach growled loudly.

Chapter Sixteen

Ava listened as Zeno talked quietly on
his cell phone to Apollo while she laid
out the clothes from her backpack. She
knew he was irritated that he hadn’t been
able to take out Antonio’s men.

Maybe it all would have gone

differently if she hadn’t been there, but
this was for the best. If Antonio’s men
were killed in the restaurant, it’d be Luís
and his nephew who would suffer. It
wasn’t like Zeno could take out
Antonio’s entire organization.

A small knock came from the door.

After a second it opened and revealed
Luís. She was grateful to see him

carrying a plate of food. They had
skipped lunch to help Anita get out of
town, and it was already well into the
afternoon.

She turned to let Zeno know and

found him watching them as he continued
to talk on the phone.

The attic space was larger than she

had expected. There was a full size bed
and a small table. She had even found a
little mini-fridge that worked when
plugged in. The most surprising piece
was the bathroom. It wasn’t large, but it
was better than the bucket she was
expecting.

It wasn’t a nice hotel room, but it

wasn’t exactly a bad place to spend a
day hiding from murderous thugs.

Luís set the food on the little table. “I

used to rent to a man, but he recently
found work on the other side of town.”

Ava nodded, not really paying too

much attention as she focused on the
food.

He smiled when her stomach rumbled

and placed the plate of food in front of
her.

“Churrasco de Res,” he said. “And a

side of ceviche with tortilla chips.”

She stared down at the thinly sliced

beef and side of rice. The smell made
her mouth water. The ceviche was
something she’d had before. She dipped
a chip in the seafood mixture and put it
in her mouth. The sweetness of the
shrimp combined with the fresh spices

and lime popped in her mouth.

“Thank you,” she said, already

reaching for a bit of the beef.

Zeno slid out the other chair and sat

down on the other side of her.

“Thank you,” he said quietly to Luís.
The older man smiled at him and slid

a glass over.

Zeno grinned back at him. “I think I

better not,” he laughed.

Ava glanced into the cup. She sniffed

it. Alcohol. A slice of lime rested on
top. She picked up the cup and took a
drink. It was heaven after the last few
days of hell.

She set the cup back down. Zeno

raised a brow, and she shrugged. At this
rate, a little relief was more than called

for.

He turned to Luís, who was placing a

few sandwiches and drinks in the little
fridge.

“My friends won’t be able to get here

until tomorrow night,” Zeno said. “I’m
afraid we’ll have to rely on your
hospitality until then.”

Luís waved a hand. “You’re taking on

the big boss,” he said. “He’s a monster.
No one here will stand up to him, but
you have. So you have my respect. Just
make sure you get in a jab for me.”

Ava snorted. Seemed like Antonio

and his men had picked a beef with
nearly everyone they came in contact
with.

“We’ll be closed in a few hours,”

Luís said.

They nodded. After they day they had,

a few more hours seemed like nothing.

Luís stepped out and closed the door

behind him.

Ava pulled out a spiral notebook

she’d picked up from Antonio’s office
and started flipping through it.

“What’s that?” Zeno asked between

bites.

She held it up so he could see.
“Antonio’s finance ledger,” she said.

“I was hoping there might be something
we could hand over to the authorities,
but I haven’t seen anything yet.”

Zeno snorted loudly. “Did you expect

he’d have it laid out for you? Big bold
letters saying drug money or smuggling

profit?”

Ava glared at him. Maybe she had

hoped to come across something like
that. People were idiots after all. And
arrogant people often did foolish things
when they thought they were
untouchable.

She closed the notebook and sighed.

Maybe it was silly. She just wanted to
see that asshole get what was coming to
him.

They ate silently, and when they had

finished, Ava took the notebook to the
bed while Zeno set up post by the
window. Every now and again, she’d
glance at him. His eyes remained fixed
on the world below.

* * *

Zeno stretched when Luís shouted his
departure up the stairs. He listened to the
door as it chimed after his exit and was
glad to be able to move around again
without worry. Vigilance was
exhausting.

Ava jumped off the bed to rush to the

bathroom.

Two hours had somehow seemed

much longer than it was. Despite his best
effort, his gaze kept drifting over to her.
She sat with her head over the notebook,
trying to find something to beat Antonio.

The door to the bathroom banged

open, and on instinct, he reached for his
gun.

“That son of a bitch,” she said, hair

loose around her face, toothbrush in
hand.

He frowned. “What?”
She stomped over to the bed and

picked up the ledger. For the first time
he noticed she’d changed into a lacy
black camisole with indecently short
shorts to match it.

He didn’t have time to even process

all that skin before she was shoving the
book in his face.

“Here,” she said, pointing to a date in

the ledger.

Zeno frowned. “What am I supposed

to be seeing?”

“That son of a bitch was on a

business trip when we met.”

He looked at the name next to the

date: Potestatem Corp. He’d never heard
of them before, not that he was exactly
an expert on companies or large
organizations other than the Horatius
Group. He handed the notebook back.

“Plenty of people combine business

with pleasure,” he said.

Ava shook her head. “No,” she said.

“People don’t pick up cargo while on an
island-hopping tour. And he does it over
and over again. I thought it was weird
how everyone seemed to know him so
well. I just thought he had been friendly
with them.”

He looked back at the page again.

Maybe she was on to something. It did
seem strange that Antonio would pick up

cargo while they were out at sea, and
going on so many trips to the same place
was more than suspicious.

Someone who understood more of the

big picture needed to know.

Zeno pulled out his phone and waited

for Apollo to pick up.

“Trouble?” Apollo asked after the

first ring.

“Potestatem Corp. Ever heard of

them?”

The phone went quiet before Apollo

spoke again. “Not that I remember.”

“Send it in to Titus. Might be where

he got those special helpers we ran into
in the basement.”

“I’ll make the call.”
“We might be looking at more than

what we saw,” Zeno said. “Looks like
our friend has been very busy.”

“Roger that.”
Zeno looked over at Ava. She was

sitting on the bed, staring down at the
ledger. He sat next to her.

“I was so stupid,” she said, her voice

low.

He slipped a hand under her chin and

tilted it until she was looking at him.

“Not stupid. Tricked.”
They stared at one another. Something

passed between them. The air thickened
in the room, and her warm vanilla scent
called to him. Zeno shifted his lower
half, torn by the need to protect her and
the need to possess her.

Ava cupped his hand and placed her

cheek where her chin had been. She
closed her eyes and sighed.

He leapt from the bed. Her soft skin

still warmed his palm. Not trusting
himself any longer, he raced to the
bathroom and slammed the door.

Cold shower. He needed a cold

shower.

Chapter Seventeen

Ava lay quietly in the bed, waiting for
Zeno to emerge from the bathroom.

He’d disappeared the moment things

started to heat up between them. It was
hard not to think that maybe he just
wasn’t interested in her.

Frustration passed through her.

Everything about the way he’d been
acting suggested he was attracted to her,
but he kept running away. Maybe she
was mistaking his concern over his duty
for actual desire.

The door opened, and he stepped out

into the room with only his jeans on. The
top button was flipped open, revealing

hair below his pantline. His upper half
was still damp and fully on display, firm
muscles and all.

Ava let her gaze rove over him, taking

in every last detail and every muscle
shift. Her center tightened at the sight of
him there cast in the light of the
bathroom. His deep woodsy scent filled
the air and only managed to set her even
more aflame.

Zeno stilled his movements and

breathed in deeply. Spurred by his
reaction, Ava flipped back the cover on
the other side of the bed. He growled
and ran a hand over his face.

“Ava,” he rumbled. “This is a

dangerous game you’re playing.”

She sighed loudly and stared at him

with all the heat she felt.

“I’m not playing a game,” she said.

“Now come to bed.”

He glanced over to the window and

then back at her. She knew he was
debating about staying at his guard post
to keep her safe. His shoulders sagged
as he walked over to turn off the
bathroom light, and for a moment, she
thought she’d lost.

It wasn’t until the other side of the

bed dipped that she let out the breath
she’d been holding.

She sought his eyes: two amber gems,

glowing in the night.

“This is a bad—” he began.
She didn’t want to hear his excuses.

Every part of her wanted him so badly

she couldn’t hardly move without feeling
the tug toward him.

Her mouth pressed hard against him,

kissing and nipping as she did so.

Zeno moaned. His hand fisted in her

hair, and he slanted his mouth over hers
so he could press his tongue inside.

Her body moved on its own now,

sliding over him and straddling his hips
as she ground herself over him.

One hand slipped out of her hair and

down to her hips. He helped her move
against him as they continued exploring
one another, pushing the kiss deeper and
deeper.

She slid a hand down his hard chest

and let her fingers glide over the hard
planes, exploring all the dips she’d

wanted to before.

Ava pulled back from his mouth and

sat up to look down at him. He stared at
her with a sort of awe she’d never seen
before from any man. Her face burned
with embarrassment, and she wished he
would always look at her that way.

She let her nails trail back up his

chest and then gently ran them back
down. Zeno shifted so his thick member
pressed against her.

A wicked smile spread over her face

as she stared down at him.

She slid a leg over him and stepped

off the bed. She stood next to him,
forcing him to watch her. She slowly
lifted the camisole tossed it to the side.
Then came her shorts. Even slower than

before, she slipped them down her legs.

“Ava,” Zeno growled and reached out

to her, but she stepped out of his reach.

Now naked, she climbed back into

the bed and planted herself between his
legs.

She stared up his body as she ran her

hands up his thighs. His breathing came
out in little bursts, and she knew he
wanted this just as much as she did.

Her fingers grazed the side of his

sack, and he sucked in a sharp breath.
When she reached his zipper, she could
see the relief on his face.

She tugged it down. He sprang out

from behind the zipper. His thick
member pointed straight up.

Ava leaned forward and swiped her

tongue around the tip, swirling it around.

His hand fisted in her hair.
“Fuck,” he grunted when she slipped

him into her mouth and sucked in as far
as he’d go.

She smiled around his large cock and

pressed even harder against it. It slipped
in deep, bumping the back of her throat.

Ava glanced up at Zeno, his cock still

deep in her mouth. She could feel the
rumble from his chest. His bright eyes
fixed on her.

“Keep looking at me like that, and I’ll

return the favor,” he ground out.

Her fold grew wet at his words. She

was half-temped to let him, but if he left
her wanting like last time, she might just
have to kill him.

She continued moving her mouth over

him, letting him bump the back of her
throat as she did.

With a loud pop, she pulled her mouth

off of him and slid over his body. Her
bare center lined up over him.

She leaned down to kiss his lips and

was surprised when he kissed her back
and held her body close to his.

She slipped her hips along his thick

cock, the juices from her center more
than enough to create the friction she
craved.

She jumped when his head bumped

her clit. Tingles spread through her body.

“Zeno,” she moaned, not quite sure

what she wanted but knowing he was the
only who could help her.

“I got you, baby,” he said tenderly.

His hands came up to cup her breasts
and tweaked her nipples.

A few more times he pressed hard

against her, and she shivered.

“I need you,” she whispered,

surprised the words had come out of her
mouth. “I need you inside me.”

Zeno growled with pride. She needed

him.

Slick from her sweet pussy, his dick

twitched at the thought of being inside
her.

His hands came to her hips, and he

pulled her over his aching cock. He
slowly guided her down. Her snug
center squeezed hard around him.

Ava moaned loudly and tossed her

head back.

He stared up at her body, which was

flushed with excitement. His heart
thumped hard in his chest. She was
beautiful, more so than he could have
ever thought.

She rolled her head until her hair

hung over him, framing her face.

Ava lifted her hips slightly and sank

back down on him. Her mouth formed a
silent O as she did.

She lowered herself on him, then rose

up again, over and over, taking him in all
the way each time. It was sweet torture
to be so deep inside.

Ava leaned forward over him. Her

soft breasts brushed against his chest as

she stilled her hips over him. She
pressed down until he was fully rooted
inside her. Her hips gyrated around,
moving his hard cock deep inside her.

“Ava,” he grunted. The feel of her

tight pussy squeezing him was almost too
much.

“What do you need?” she whispered.

“Show me.”

Zeno rolled her over. She yelped in

surprise.

He sat up, still inside her and found

the nub at the top of her fold. Zeno
pressed on the bundle of nerves and
watched as she writhed on the bed, eyes
closed, chest heaving as her insides
clutched him in a vise grip.

In one smooth stroke, Zeno pulled

back and slammed into her.

Ava cried out and fisted the covers

around her.

Continuing to circle her clit, Zeno

lifted her legs over his shoulders and
used her own body as leverage. His hips
slapped against her in smooth hard
strokes.

“More,” she groaned.
He dropped his hand from her clit

and leaned forward, her hip now angled
so he could go even deeper inside her.

Ava brought a hand to his ass. Her

nails bit into the skin there, but the pain
of it only excited him more.

She was close. He could feel it.
He sped up, hammering into her until

he felt the first flutters as she came

around him, pulling him in even deeper
with each thrust.

Zeno came deep inside her. Her

cervix pulsed against his head, and he
shivered as the last drops were squeezed
out.

He rolled off her and dropped to the

other side of the bed.

Surprised she could still move, Ava

pulled herself next to him and laid her
head on his chest.

She peppered the skin there with soft

kisses that somehow almost did more for
them than the amazing sex.

Ava wrapped an arm around his

middle and snuggled in deeper.

They lay quietly for a moment before

she sat up to look at him.

“Everything about you is different,”

she said quietly. “I can feel it deep
inside. Like I’ve known you all my life.”

Zeno opened his mouth to say

something, then closed it.

This wasn’t what he did. Talking

about how he felt. How she made him
feel. There were no words to describe
the sort of peace that came over him
when she was near and how being with
her was like knowing the other half of
himself. His Vestal.

Not sure what to do, Zeno did the

only thing he could: show her his
feelings.

This time the kiss was soft. He

explored her mouth like he’d wanted to
before when he couldn’t seem to find the

restraint. His tongue slipped into her
mouth, and they moved in one motion
against each other.

Ava shifted over him and molded her

body to his. Zeno slipped his hand to her
cheek and caressed the soft skin there.

She moaned low and deep. The sound

rippled through him, and he cursed his
lower half for responding. This was
supposed to be about his feeling for her,
not about his lust.

She brought her hip up and bumped

his rigid cock. He heard her gasp.

She pulled back to stare at him in

disbelief. His heart sank. Even when he
was trying to show her what she meant
to him, he still couldn’t.

He frowned when she gave a little

chuckle but relaxed into her hand when
she smoothed out the worry lines on his
face.

“Easy, big boy,” she whispered. “I

just wasn’t expecting round two so
soon.” She shook her head and trailed
hand from his face down his body.
“Sometimes it’s nice for a girl to know
she’s wanted.” She smiled.

He loved the way her eyes crinkled in

the corner when she did.

“Do you want me?” she whispered.
“Always,” he said.
The word came out without a moment

of hesitation. He was surprised by his
own revelation.

Always.
The more he thought about it, the

more he knew how true it was.

He groaned when her hand stroked

the length of him, her fingers massaging
him.

“Show me,” she said, her voice low

and husky.

Zeno growled, ready to show her just

what his mouth couldn’t say.

Chapter Eighteen

Ava took the stairs more slowly than she
might have normally and blushed when
she thought about how many times she
and Zeno had come together. She’d
never been with a man who wanted her
as much as he did. For that matter, she’d
never been with a man who could have
sex so many times in a row.

She’d wanted to continue with the

pleasure right on through the day, but
when Luís returned to open the
restaurant, she knew there was no way
she’d be able to stifle the sounds she
made with Zeno. Reluctantly, they had to
stop.

Instead, she’d continued to go through

Antonio’s books and paperwork. There
was little to really go on, but the
Potestatem company kept popping up.
Whatever he had going on with them had
been a steady thing for the last year.

What exactly that was, she wasn’t

totally sure, but it would make sense
he’d be able to pick up Glycons during
his cruises. She doubted that Antonio
needed Glycons for simple smuggling or
drug running.

“You ready?” Zeno asked when she

stepped out into the back of the
restaurant.

Luís had stayed late to let them out

when Apollo and Val arrived in a car.

Ava’s face heated when her eyes met

Zeno’s. She nodded.

Zeno extended his hand to Luís. “We

are in your debt.”

The man waved his hand to dismiss

the claim, but when he shook Zeno’s
hand, the old man glanced over to her
and leaned in.

“He will come for her,” Luís said.

“No matter the blood he must spill.”

Zeno nodded, like he expected it all

along. “And he will lose.”

Luís gave a nod. “We protect those

we love. No matter what.”

Zeno stepped to the car.
She watched, not quite sure if the old

man had just helped get Zeno to declare
his love or if he was just agreeing she
needed to be protected.

Ava smiled when Luís held open his

arms to give her a hug.

She walked into his embrace. The

smell of spice clung to him.

“Will you be all right?” she

whispered.

Luís pulled back and laughed. He

thumped himself on the chest. “I am
stronger than I look.”

Ava smiled at him. She believed that

was likely true. He had no problems
dealing with the men when they had
come by.

“‘Gold, when beaten, shines.’”
It was something Piero often said.

The old saying was at the very heart of
the people there.

Luís nodded and looked over to Zeno.

“I think your friend knows this as

well,” he said to her in Spanish.

Ava turned to look at Zeno, who only

frowned. She knew he hated not knowing
what was being said.

“We should go,” he said gruffly.
Ava turned back to Luís and gave one

last hug. “Thank you.”

* * *

The car was quiet as Apollo drove them
to the small private airfield. Being out
so late at night meant that not many
people were there to see them as they
made their escape.

He pulled the car outside the hangar.

A small four-seat plane rested inside, its

pilot doing his final checks. Not exactly
the fanciest ride out of the country, but it
would do.

Ava climbed out and yawned. Maybe

she’d be able to get some sleep finally.

She looked back to the car and

frowned. Apollo still sat in the driver’s
seat, the car idling as he did.

“Aren’t they coming with us?” she

asked.

Zeno climbed out of the other side

and walked to where she stood.

“No. Just you,” he said finally.
Her heart leapt into her throat.

“What?”

He placed a hand on her arm, and she

shook it off.

“We still have work to do,” he said.

Ava scoffed at the words. Work? It

wasn’t the first time she’d heard that
excuse.

She glared at him. “So you’re just

going to dump me off?”

Zeno shook his head, but she didn’t

want to hear it.

“Ava—”
“No,” she said and angrily slung her

backpack on to her back. “You know
what, fine. I’m sure you’re glad you
don’t have to babysit me now.”

The words came out with a bitter

taste.

It didn’t matter. All she wanted now

was to get on the damn plane and take a
nap. She stomped off.

As she walked away, a part of her

wanted him to call her back, to say what
it was that he was feeling.

The silence cut through her heart. His

lack of words spoke to her more than
anything.

She tilted her chin up and marched

toward the terminal and the plane that
would finally take her home.

Zeno watched her, not sure what he

could say to make this right. Once again
he opened his mouth to explain, but
nothing came out. The words stuck in his
throat.

He let out a quiet grunt and climbed

back into the car. There was nothing he
could do now.

Besides, this was for the best. Luís

had been right. Antonio would never
stop. The best place for Ava was back in
the United States and far away from the
crazed criminal and his strange Glycons.

For now, Zeno had a job to do, and

that was going to have to come before
his feelings. They could talk when he
returned to the United States.

Val turned and scowled at him.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Val,” Apollo said, his voice warning

her of the lines she was crossing.

“No, you’re right,” she said to her

bonded and then turned back to Zeno.
“You’re a fucking idiot.”

He glared at her as they pulled away.
“She had to go home,” he said and

watched as Ava disappeared into the

plane. “We barely escaped from the
estate, and she could have been shot by
Antonio’s men after the hotel attack.”

Val snorted. “And you didn’t to

maybe say, ‘Hey, baby,’” Val lowered
her voice in mock imitation of him,
“‘you’re going to go home now so I
know you’re safe because I worry. But
we’ll be together soon, so we can fuck
like bunnies.’”

Apollo snorted at his woman,

surprising Zeno. Val smirked.

Zeno turned away from her.
“We’ll work it out,” he said, now

feeling even more unsure of just what his
role was. “She’ll understand.”

Val shrugged and plopped back into

the seat in front of him.

“Whatever,” she said. “I’m sure the

girls will help smooth it over. We all
have some experience with idiotic men,
especially of the hybrid variety.”

Apollo turned and frowned at her.
Val smiled and patted his knee.

“Relax.” She smiled at him. “You’re far
less idiotic now.”

Zeno ignored them. He didn’t want to

talk about Ava anymore.

“You have the location?” he asked.
Apollo nodded. “We’re in for a bit of

a hike,” he said. “The pings are coming
in strong from that mountain.” He
pointed.

Zeno followed his finger and groaned

inwardly.

“How far can we drive up?” he

asked.

Val turned to look at him. “We

scouted an entrance tunnel for service
workers. We didn’t go far in, but our
guess is that the tunnel runs a good
couple miles into the mountain.”

Relief filled him. A road was much

better than having to actually climb a
mountain. He could do it, but it wasn’t
exactly exciting. And he wanted
excitement to keep his mind off Ava.

“We’ll ditch the car outside the

opening and go on foot,” Apollo said.

Zeno nodded. “And what are orders

after that?”

“Observe and report back,” Apollo

said. “We are not to engage unless
absolutely necessary. The longer we

observe, the more we’ll know about
what we’re dealing with.”

Zeno nodded. If there were Glycons,

and their numbers were too great, they
would be easily overwhelmed. This new
breed was different. Strong. Stealthy.
Dangerous.

He leaned back in his seat and closed

his eyes.

Last night had left him drained, and

he’d ever bit of energy to make it out
alive.

Chapter Nineteen

Ava woke as the plane bounced on the
runway. It hadn’t felt like she’d been out
for more than half an hour.

Still exhausted, she opened her eyes

and looked out the window. She
frowned.

“Is something wrong?” she shouted

up to the pilot.

The man shook his head and waved

back to her. She searched her brain for
“mechanical difficulties” in Spanish, but
the words eluded her in her post-sleep
fog.

The door next to her jostled open.

Dread settled in the pit of her stomach.

Something wasn’t right. No. Something
was very, very wrong.

The door swung open, and an arm

reached in to pull someone up, an arm
with some very expensive looking
clothing.

Ava shivered as Antonio stepped into

the tiny enclosed space.

“So good to see you Ava,” he said in

English. “I’ve missed you.”

His dark eyes watched her with an

ownership that scared her.

“Let me go,” she said.
Antonio laughed, but it didn’t reach

his eyes. His expression darkened,
promising her more pain the more she
resisted.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he said

and stepped further into the plane. “You
see, you have something I need, and I’ve
spent a lot of time looking for it.”

Ava grabbed her backpack and tossed

it over to him.

“It’s all there but the money,” she

said. “All the papers and notes. I gave
the money to Anita. She deserved it.”

“Money? You think I care about the

pitiful money you stole?” Antonio
laughed and opened the bag.

She nearly gagged when he pulled out

the black lace nightie she’d bought. He
held it up and raised a brow. She turned
away from him. Maybe if she didn’t
acknowledge him, he’d just take the bag
and go away.

Ava jumped when the bag plopped in

the seat next to her.

“No,” Antonio said. He snickered.

He leaned toward her and placed one
hand on the chair next to her head. “I
want something far more valuable than
some papers.”

She shook in the seat so badly the belt

around her rattled nearly much as it had
during landing.

Ava swallowed and lifted her head.

She refused to be anyone’s pawn
anymore.

“If you want it from me, you’ll have

to take it,” she snarled, her voice far
more confident than she was feeling.

“Good,” Antonio said. His lips

curled into an evil smile. “I like a
challenge. And I think you should have

learned by now I always get what I
want.”

He pulled out a needle from behind

him containing clear liquid.

Ava leaned back from him as far as

she could. “What’s that?”

The more the smile on his face

spread, the more anxious she grew.

“Let’s find out and see.”
She cried out as he clamped a steel

hand on her knee and pierced her thigh.
The clear liquid burned like fire in her
veins. Her heart hammered in her ears.
The world blurred and swirled around
her, closing in until the tiny tunnel closed
off everything and she was out.

* * *

Apollo, Val and Zeno had been walking
in the tunnel for nearly an hour now with
no end in sight. Zeno was starting to
wonder if the damn thing ran the length
of the mountain range. They’d been
traveling along the path and following
the stronger scents. Presumably
whatever was going on would be where
the people were.

He frowned. A sound from around the

corner reached his ears, but it was odd,
like a low hum.

“Is that a machine?” Val asked.
He shook his head, not really sure

what the hell it was, but the strong scent
of humans reached his nose. People
were close.

“Seems like we’re going to have

company,” he said.

Apollo nodded.
They picked up the pace and paused

when they reached a curve. They
cautiously peered around the corner.

To Zeno’s surprise, the path opened

to a platform with stairs in the front of a
huge cavern. In the center of the
platform, he spotted a control room with
levers and buttons. A man stood inside,
watching what was going on outside.
Two guards armed with rifles stood on
either end of the control building.

Their guns were pointed in the same

direction the man was watching.
Something was happening over the side.
A fence separated the control room area

from the rest of the cavern.

“We need to get in there,” Zeno said

quietly.

Apollo nodded to where some crates

stacked by the railing.

“Let’s get a look at what’s going on

here,” he said.

Zeno and Val nodded.
It was strange. From what they’d

encountered, the security was terrible.
They were used to multiple layers of
guards and electronics, but they’d been
able to practically walk into the heart of
the operation.

No one had confronted them. They

hadn’t encountered a single patrol, and
they’d not even encountered a lot of
strong scents, suggesting there weren’t a

lot of active patrols.

Usually, guards were trying to keep

people out. Here, it almost seemed like
they were trying to keep someone in.

The hybrids silently made their way

to the crates and looked over the edge.

The hairs on Zeno’s neck stood on

end.

“Glycons,” he said quietly.
Hundreds of them, all working to

mine the mountain.

The creatures stood spread out in a

huge cavern linked to dozens of tunnels.
A quick look might have suggested dirty
men in tattered clothes, but a closer look
revealed huge men with thick muscles,
sharp claws and shaved heads, most
near the size of Zeno. Many had torn or

rotting flesh. The glow from hundreds of
pairs of red eyes gave an eerie cast to
the otherwise dim light of the fluorescent
lamps spread out on cords throughout the
cavern.

Zeno watched as the Glycons carried

the heavy loads from the shafts inside the
mountain.

It didn’t make sense. Why would they

use Glycons for labor?

“How the hell could we not smell

hundreds of Glycons?” Apollo said
quietly.

“I don’t know. I couldn’t smell them

at Antonio’s place either,” Zeno said.

The other man nodded. “I thought

maybe their scents had been masked just
there, but why would you do that to

hundreds in a mine?”

Val grimaced. “Maybe it’s

permanent.”

A Glycon grabbed a huge slab of

solid rock from the pile he’d carried out
of the shaft and tossed it onto the pile of
rubble.

One Glycon must have been worth

about ten men, especially these new
ones. From what he’d experienced at
Antonio’s place, they were much
stronger than the Glycons previously
sent against Luna Lodge.

Val tapped his arm, and he turned to

look where she nodded.

Several guards walked among the

Glycons with guns at the ready just like
the ones up top. One Glycon stumbled,

its mammoth load falling on his foot. He
shoved off the rock then fell to the
ground. He gripped his leg and let out a
piercing scream.

Several of the men shouted up toward

the control room. The low hum that had
just become background noise grew
louder. The Glycon stopped his thrashing
and rose, picking up his load. He
stumbled along, though not making any
noise. It was as if he couldn’t even feel
the pain in his foot, which had to have
been broken.

Zeno swallowed the bile in this

throat.

“They’re controlling them somehow,”

Apollo said.

“Antonio said he could,” Zeno

muttered. “He must have been pretty
confident. I mean those things killed a
man pretty close to him.”

Val pointed to several speakers

spread throughout the cavern.

“Some sort of special frequency,” she

said. “Same as the weird people in town
outside Luna Lodge. We’ve got to let
Titus know. This could be the thing that
gives us the edge. If we could get our
hands on how they are doing it, we might
be able to make it work in our favor.”

Zeno nodded and turned to go back

the way they had come but ducked back
down as a car pulled in, blocking their
only way out.

Two men stepped out from the front

seat, and one opened the door to the

back.

A low growl rumbled in him as

Antonio stepped out. He would like
nothing better than to stain the man’s
clean white shirt a bright red.

The growl died in his throat as faint

hint of vanilla sifted through the air.
Zeno breathed in deeply. Something was
off.

The scent was close to what he knew,

but still not quite right. Two slim legs
slid out of the car. He’d know her from a
mile away, especially the pale creamy
skin he’d spent all night worshiping.

“Fuck,” Apollo grunted.
Zeno felt his friend’s firm arm across

his chest, stopping him from doing the
one thing that would get them all killed.

“What the fuck is she doing here?”

Zeno snarled.

He watched in horror as she slid out

of the car wearing only the black lace
nightie he’d seen her pick up just the
other day.

Her head hung as she trailed behind

Antonio into the control room.

“Something’s not right,” Val frowned.

“I get nothing from her.”

Zeno turned to Val. “What do you

mean?”

“Her emotions.”
He nodded once. He’d thought it was

just a rumor, but given how Val had
acted on this mission, he was coming
around to believing it. He almost wished
he didn’t in this particular situation,

though, as it only made him worry more.

“Nothing? So she’s not scared?” he

asked.

“No, it’s like she’d dead inside,” she

said. “I can’t sense anything. She might
as well be one of those rock slabs.”

His heart threatened to leap out of his

chest.

“Maybe it’s the mind control,” she

said. “Whatever it is, she’d not herself
right now.”

“All the more reason I need to get to

her.”

“We need to report to Titus,” Apollo

said, his arm still firmly in place.

Zeno wrenched himself away.
“You call Titus,” he snarled. “I’m

getting my fucking woman back.”

They stared at each other for several

tense moments before Val cut in.

“He’s right, Apollo,” she said. “We

don’t have time to wait. We need to act
fast. Who knows what he’s going to do
to her in this state?”

Zeno tensed. He’d fucking kill

Antonio. He’s shred him to pieces with
his bare fucking hands and make him pay
for what he’d done to Ava, to Piero and
to every innocent person he’d ever hurt.

“We need to blow this place,” she

said. “Whatever it is, it can’t be good,
and even if Antonio isn’t with the Group,
they’re helping him.”

Zeno nodded. Blowing everything the

fuck up seemed like the perfect plan to
him. “Agreed.”

Apollo glanced between them and

stopped at Zeno. “That isn’t the
mission,” he said. “We’re just supposed
to observe and report.”

Zeno leaned in. “Well, the mission

fucking changed. We both know when
Titus sent us down here he wasn’t
expecting hundreds of mind-controlled
Glycons.” He gestured the way they
came. “And what if Antonio loses
control? What if those things start
rampaging through town?”

Apollo sighed and ran a hand over

his head. “Okay,” he said. “So you want
to blow the place? How exactly are we
supposed to do that?”

Chapter Twenty

“I’m not armed,” Zeno shouted as he
walked down the tunnel. The plan was
risky, but he trusted in Val’s skills. He
just needed to give her enough time to do
her thing.

Eyes blazing and arms raised, he

made his way toward the men with guns,
knowing Antonio would get a good view
of him through the window of the room.

“Don’t move!”
One guard pointed his gun at Zeno

while the others seemed uncertain if they
should leave their posts to deal with
him. It was a tough dilemma either way.
It was either deal with him or deal with

the Glycons.

The two men that accompanied

Antonio there stepped out of the control
room and made their way toward Zeno.
One shouted in Spanish at the guard, and
he went back to his post.

Zeno snorted. In the end, they knew

who the real threat was.

The two guards tried to grab his

arms, but he was too large for that, so
they took turns shoving him forward until
he was standing no less than twenty feet
from the control room.

“So you came to join us,” Antonio

laughed from the stairs. “Please, come
and see your friend Ava.”

She stepped out of the room and

stood next to him at the top of the stairs.

Antonio wrapped an arm around her
waist and pulled her hard against his
side.

“What did you do to her?” Zeno

asked, his voice almost a growl.

Antonio gave a little laugh.
“I just gave her something so she

would see how things are,” he said and
grinned a little wider. “I think you see
now as well.” He waved a hand. “You
were a fool to dare oppose me. I have
power, wealth and now I have her.”

Zeno snorted loudly “I see a sad little

man who can’t get women on his own,
so he has to have a little help.”

Antonio scowled at him and shouted

something in Spanish. The man to the left
of Zeno cracked him hard on the back of

the head. He stumbled forward but
didn’t fall.

He looked up at Antonio. The smug

prick actually thought he had the upper
hand in all this.

“Ava is my pet now,” he said and

grinned. “And it looks like you are as
well. It’s my lucky day. I get one of you
for free.” He wrinkled his nose.
“Hybrids,” Antonio continued, “they had
a few of your kind. Didn’t seem worth
the high dollar they were asking for
them.”

His blood hammered in his ears, and

he growled. Zeno had to focus so he
didn’t rush forward and snap the man’s
neck. Apollo had been right. The damn
Horatius Group bastards were selling

them off like a commodity.

“Oh, don’t like that?” Antonio

laughed, and the sound of it burned Zeno.
“Well, don’t worry too much. These
ones were too far gone, anyway. They
made the Glycons look tame.”

Zeno had heard about hybrids that

broke. They were unable to find the man
inside, instead becoming nothing but the
beast.

He’d never believed it before. He

always thought it was something the
scientists told them to keep them going
and focused. It had worked. The
confirmation of the possibility made
Zeno’s stomach lurch.

“Why are you doing this?” Zeno

asked, his voice was low, and he

struggled to keep himself in check.

Antonio stepped down the stairs

slowly. When he reached the bottom, he
snapped his fingers and pointed next to
him. Ava followed, her short black
nightgown riding up. He could see a
deep purple bruise on her thigh. An
injection site maybe.

Zeno looked up and found Antonio

smile again at him. The smug bastard
enjoyed all the suffering he caused.

His slimy hand slipped under Ava’s

chin, and he tilted it until she was
looking at him.

“Kiss me,” Antonio said.
He pressed his mouth to her, making

sure to press his tongue deep into her
mouth.

“I swear I will fucking kill you, you

son of a bitch,” Zeno growled.

A gun from the guard on his right

poked him in the side when he tried to
take a step forward.

Ava made a gagging sound, and

Antonio pulled back to glare at her.

Zeno saw it then: a flash of the real

Ava as she glanced over to where he
was. She was trying to fight it, just like
the hurt Glycon.

“You still don’t understand,” Antonio

said. He stepped forward, a sly smile
plastered on his face. “You stole from
me, and because of that, I’m your worst
nightmare. You’ll beg me for death
before I’m done.”

Zeno blinked several times before he

threw back his head and laughed. It was
a deep booming laugh, the kind that came
from low in the gut.

“You’re laughing? What are you

laughing at?” Antonio shouted.

A guard punched Zeno hard in the

ribs, and he leaned forward, still
laughing through the pain.

“Stop laughing!” Antonio shouted

even louder. “You will stop laughing, or
I will have you fucking killed right
here!”

Zeno looked up at him, the laugh now

a chuckle. Antonio leveled a pistol at his
head.

“Dogs must respect their owners,”

Antonio said and stepped forward. “And
you don’t, so you’re just another stray. I

will end you. Stray animals need to be
put down.”

Zeno stared him dead on, forcing a

grin on his face.

“I may be a dog, but you’re a bug,”

Zeno said. Antonio’s face twitched,
some of the arrogance leaving his eyes.
“A pathetic little bug that couldn’t
measure up to my worst nightmare on
their best day. You think you’ve seen
suffering. You don’t know the first thing
about it, you little maggot. You think
you’re going to end me?” He let out a
hollow laugh and stood tall. He glared
down at Antonio. “No,” Zeno said,
giving Antonio a cool smile. “Let’s see
how big you are when the shit hits the
fan.”

The man raised his gun, his hand

shaking.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Antonio asked.

Zeno turned to Ava. “Ava,” he said,

trying to keep his voice calm but firm.

She turned to stare at him.
“What does he mean?” Antonio

shouted to his men.

“Baby, we gotta get out of here,”

Zeno said, ignoring everything else
around him.

She shook a little, and he knew he

had to be getting through to her.

“What the fuck do you mean?”

Antonio screamed.

The panic had set in. Zeno knew they

didn’t have much time.

“Ava,” Zeno said again. “I need you

to come here. I can’t do this without you.
I need you, baby. Please.”

One foot slid out as she fought

whatever had a hold on her.

“You stay right there,” Antonio

shouted. “You hear me, you cunt. I will
fucking kill him, and I’ll make you suffer
for defying me. You’re mine, and you
will never leave me again.”

“Ava,” Zeno nearly shouted this time.

“Trust me.”

“Zeno,” she said. His name came out

just above a whisper, but he had gotten
through.

She pushed forward, Antonio

shouting at her in Spanish. Her whole
body shook when Zeno’s arms wrapped

around her, but she was safe. He lifted
her up in his arms and stared down at
her.

“I got you,” he whispered and

watched as she went limp in his arms.

Someone shouted in Spanish nearby.
“Shoot them!” Antonio screamed.

“Shoot them both. Fucking kill them!”

The guns didn’t go off though, and the

men standing behind him backed away.
A second later, the sound of them running
in the opposite direction reached his
ears.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

Antonio said. “I fucking told you to
shoot them!”

Zeno snorted.
“Do you hear that?” Zeno asked as he

stared at the pathetic man.

Antonio frowned. “Hear what?”
Zeno gave another hollow laugh.

“Exactly.”

He watched as the truth dawned on

Antonio. The incessant hum the hybrids
had heard when entering the area had
ceased. Antonio paled, apparently
working through the implications.

“Turn it back on,” he screamed.
Men screamed in the cavern and in

the tunnels.

“They’ll be up here soon,” Zeno said.
Antonio whirled on him, waving the

gun wildly in front of him.

“Turn it on,” he said, sweat beading

his forehead. He lowered the gun.
“Maybe we can make a deal. You want

money? I can give you money. You can
have the stupid bitch. I’m tired of her
anyway.”

Zeno would have laughed. but it was

too pathetic.

He watched as several Glycons

crested the fence, snarling and
screeching.

“They will kill you two! Both of

you!” Antonio shouted.

Zeno barked out a laugh. “I don’t

think so.”

Antonio frowned. “You can’t be sure

of that.”

He leaned forward. “Oh, but I can,”

he said and then stepped away. “You
see, me and your Glycons aren’t all that
different.” He paused as the Glycons

surrounded Antonio. “We both want
revenge.”

He turned as Antonio screamed. The

Glycons were going to make short work
of Antonio, and he needed to get out of
there before they decided they were
enemies again.

Zeno burst into a sprint, Ava held

tightly against him. It was the fastest
he’d even moved his large frame. The
din of screams sounded from behind
him. He only hoped he would make it out
in time.

He breathed in deeply and could

smell the fresh breeze. A few moments
later, he was outside, the sun just
cresting the horizon.

Zeno slid Ava in the back of the car.

He ran to the trunk and pulled out a little
tool he’d packed for emergencies: a
rocket launcher.

“Careful where you point that,” Val

said from the passenger seat when he
walked around to the front of car.

“You drive,” he said. “They are close

behind, and we need to make sure we’re
clear of this place before I can fire.”

Apollo nodded.
Zeno walked to the back of the trunk

and knelt inside. He grabbed onto the
sides and banged on the side of the car.

Apollo pulled out hard, and he

lurched from his position. It wasn’t the
best spot, but he had to able to see the
enemy and make sure no Glycon escaped
to cause problems for the people living

here. He banged on the side of the car,
and Apollo stopped.

Zeno hopped out and leveled his

weapon. He only had one chance to get
this right, if he’d judged the cleared rock
piles near the entrance to the mountain
correctly.

Rushing shapes appeared at the tunnel

opening. The poor bastards were likely
seeing the sun for the first time in a long
time. He hopped out of the car and
stepped to the side, sending the rocket
zooming toward the mountain.

The projectile exploded in a plume of

red and orange, smoke billowing out.
Rock rained in the area, and a rumble
filled the area. As the blasted rock from
the shot fell to the ground, a secondary

rock slide began, with tons of stone and
earth falling down the side of the
mountain. A loud rumble filled the air as
debris and rock poured down on the
emerging Glycons.

Finally, the noise and movement

subsided, leaving only a pile of dirt and
rock blocking the tunnel.

“We gotta go,” Apollo shouted

outside the window.

Zeno jumped into the car and laid

Ava in his lap.

Safe. They were finally safe.

Chapter Twenty-one

“For the last time, I’m fine!” Ava
shouted.

Ava huffed loudly as Paige hovered

over her. It’d been two days since she’d
been back, and she had about all she
could take. One more well-meaning
poke and she was going to smother her
sister with a pillow.

“Well, fine, but there’s no shame if

you think you need an enema,” Paige
said.

Ava groaned and placed the pillow

over her head but pulled it off when the
door to the room opened and closed.

“She looks fine, Paige,” Dr. Miller

said with just a hint of annoyance.

Ava had a feeling Paige had made

more than a few unreasonable demands
when it came to her.

“I know, Rachel,” Paige said, “but

we still don’t know what they gave her.”

The doctor shrugged. “The latest labs

are normal. Whatever was there has
been metabolized out.” She walked over
and shined a light in Ava’s eyes.
“Headaches come back since that first
night?”

Ava shook her head.
It was amazing she felt as good as she

did considering the pain she’d felt when
she’d woken up. During the three flights
and two car rides to Luna Lodge, she
had always awoken in agony, and no

amount of meds made the pain go away.
She was just glad Zeno had been there
with her, holding her through it all.

As if she’d conjured him just by

thinking, Zeno stepped through the
doorway. He held a small bouquet of
assorted flowers in his large hands.

She grinned at him. He winked to her

and took a few steps toward her.

“She clear, Doc?” he said.
Rachel turned from her examination.

“I think you’d better take her before we
have a murder on our hands.”

Paige huffed loudly and pointed a

stern finger at Zeno.

“Listen here, I don’t know what went

on between you two, but this is my
sister, and I think I know what’s best for

her.” Ava groaned and laid her head
back on the bed. Paige was always a
force to be reckoned with. “And just a
little reminder, I’m the one who does the
shots around here.”

Ava snorted at the threat, as if the

large man were afraid of getting a few
shots.

Zeno threw his hands in the air. “I’m

just the bag boy in all this.” He walked
until he was beside Ava. “How you
feeling?”

She smiled up at him. It was so

different seeing him in his environment
where they weren’t plagued by constant
threats.

“Ready to go home,” she said.
His eyes glowed slightly as the

words slipped out of her mouth. Neither
of them had talked about where she’d be
staying, but they both new where she
should be.

Zeno turned to the doctor.
“So she’s cleared for all…

activities?”

Paige groaned. “That’s it. I’m out.”

She stomped out of the room, but the
doctor only laughed.

“As long as she feels up to it,”

Rachel said. She looked over to Ava and
winked. “We’ll just step out while you
get changed.”

Zeno followed Rachel into the hall,

glad Ava was finally able to leave.

“Is she really okay?” he asked,

worried that maybe they might be
rushing things.

Rachel nodded. “She’s fine as far as

well can tell. We really won’t know the
full effects of what she was given until
we have a sample in hand, but it doesn’t
seem like that will happen anytime
soon.”

Zeno nodded. They had managed to

catch one of Antonio’s men but getting
him to talk about where they had gotten
both the Glycons and the drug were
proving more difficult than they
expected. Whoever did this had scared
the hell out of those men. The Potestatem
Corp was resourceful, it seemed. No one
was surprised that every member of
Antonio’s organization wound up eating

a gun or disappearing completely.

They still weren’t sure if the company

was a front for the Horatius Group or
something else entirely. In either event,
they had access to hybrids and Glycons,
which meant pursuing them would lead
them to the Group.

“We’ll let you know as soon as we

have leads,” he said.

Titus had included him on the team

with this, and it was one series of
meetings he wasn’t going to complain
about. Just knowing they had hybrids
was enough, but this business with the
Glycons was just as serious.

Though Val had managed to disrupt

the speakers in the mine, they still didn’t
have a clear understanding of the control

technology, and it wasn’t as if they could
block every speaker or transmitter in the
country, or even the nearby town.

One wrong move and the crazed

killers would sweep through the country.
And in the wrong hands, there was no
telling what chaos they might create. At
least with the Horatius Group, they knew
the secret was always more important
than the mission. This new angle was a
dangerous wild card.

“I’m ready,” Ava said quietly.
Paige had picked out some clothes for

her, and she looked amazing in the long
black and white striped sundress.

Zeno nodded to the doctor and took

the bag from Ava.

“Let’s go home,” he said.

It warmed him to say it and know they

had a home together.

Ava followed behind him as they

made their way to his Jeep. He helped
her climb in and watched excitedly as he
started the car.

It was strange to see the hybrids

walking around, their pretty amber eyes
flashing back at her as they made their
way home.

They turned away from the other

homes and headed up a hill. The area
looked like it had only recently been
cleared to build new homes, and she
wondered just how many hybrids there
were living there. She still had so many
questions.

The car came to a stop, and she

stared at the new house. The landscape
around it looked as if it had just been
planted.

Zeno jumped from the Jeep and raced

around to help her out. She smiled
brightly as he did.

Hand in hand they made their way

inside.

“Hannah did most of the decorating,”

he mumbled and slid past Ava as she
looked around the living room. “She
said we should go with neutral colors
until she got a chance to talk with you.”

She walked around the room and

smiled. A soft gray couch sat in the
middle of the room with a cozy fireplace
in the corner. The more she saw, the

more she liked what Hannah had done.

She didn’t know the woman well,

other than that she was the Vestal of the
security-minded hybrid Lucius and the
Luna Lodge events coordinator, but she
had definite taste.

She knew he was waiting for her to

say something, but she continued to
explore her new house.

Ava reached a door and turned the

knob. A beautiful hand-carved bed
confronted her. The rich tones were
softened by the lighter, more feminine
lilacs and yellows.

“Hannah hated the bed, but I’m a big

guy,” he said, almost as if he were
apologizing for being so large.

She turned and walked over to him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck
and pulled him down for a deep kiss.

Her tongue slipped into his mouth,

and she tasted the mint toothpaste he’d
used earlier.

When she pulled away, her lips

burned from the harsh stubble on his
face.

“I love it,” she whispered.
Ava watched as his face lit up. She

could see he had been worried she might
not.

“It wasn’t me,” he said and ran a

hand along his short blond hair. “It was
all Hannah.”

She grinned up at him. “Well, not all

Hannah. I think I particularly like the
bed.”

His eyes flashed as she spoke. The

room grew thick with lust.

Zeno backed her up until her legs hit

the edge of the bed.

“I don’t think I can go slow,” he said.

“You were so close…”

His words trailed off as he continued

to stare at her.

She leaned back and lifted the dress

over her head.

“So don’t go slow,” she whispered.
Zeno groaned and yanked his shirt

hard over his head.

Ava leaned forward to lick and kiss

the muscles she had missed for the past
few days.

He groaned as she grazed over his

nipple with the tip of her tongue.

She felt his hands fumble between

them before the sound of his pants hitting
the floor brought her back. Ava looked
down and was surprised to find him
totally naked.

“Commando?”
“Easy access,” he said with a grin.
Ava shrieked with laughter as he

tossed her back on the bed. She bounced
and scooted away.

He deep amber eyes glowed softly as

he made his way to the bed.

“Where are you going?” he asked and

caught her foot with his hand. Despite
their play, he was still very gentle with
her. He slowly dragged her down the
bed and rolled her over.

Zeno slid his hand under her and

propped her ass in the air.

She turned to ask what he was doing

when his hot mouth covered her. He
sucked and prodded through the black
lace of her panties.

Ava moaned at the feel of his mouth

on her and the rough rub of the lace on
her clit as he ran his tongue along her
slit.

She gasped when he moved her

panties aside and slid his tongue deep
inside her, fucking her with his tongue.

It wasn’t enough. She leaned back

into each thrust and grunted when he still
wasn’t giving her what she needed.

“Fuck me,” she nearly shouted.
Zeno growled against her clit. The

low rumble sent wave of heat through

her. A small wave of pleasure passed
through her.

Her body moved forward when he

lifted her arms to place them on the
headboard.

Ava glanced over her shoulder as he

moved in behind her.

In one swift move, he ripped her

panties off.

“Hey!” she shouted.
Before she could get anything else

out, Zeno was inside her, pressing deep
against her cervix.

She moaned loudly and gripped the

board to keep her sitting up as he fucked
her.

He pulled out and slammed back in.

The harsh slap of skin only made her

more excited each time. Her juices
dripped down the inside of her thigh.

Zeno moved fast in her now, his pace

increasing with each thrust until all that
could be heard was the slap of their
sweaty skin and their ragged breaths.

His hand reached around to the front

of her chest. Zeno gripped her breasts
hard, pinching her nipples hard between
her fingers.

Her insides fluttered as he continued

to push into the very center of her.

“Yes,” she moaned.
Zeno growled loudly as she spoke,

his hips now slapping her at a pace
she’d ever felt before. She reached
down between their legs to feel them
joined together.

A roar ripped through him as he

slammed into her one last him. His cock
pulsed deep inside, sending her over the
edge.

She sucked in deep breaths as her

heart went back to the where it should
be.

Ava rested her head against her hand

and enjoyed as his fingers slid up and
down her back.

Zeno shifted, his still hard cock

pressed deep inside.

“More,” he growled.
She looked over her shoulders at the

hungry look he gave her.

Ava pressed back against him,

shoving her ass against his hard chest.

“More,” she whispered.

* * *

Zeno lay under the twisted sheets. Both
of them were still naked.

He breathed in a contented sigh.
“Stay with me,” he said quietly.
The words were far less difficult to

say than he’d ever dreamed they would
be after all they had been through.

Ava sat up and stared at him. For a

moment, he thought maybe he’d misread
everything up to that point.

“I need you,” she said quietly. “Those

were the words that pulled me back. The
words that were able to reach through
my drug haze and see you.”

He nodded. They hadn’t said much

about that time. It remained too raw for
either of them to speak about.

“When I was finally able to break

free of his hold, the only thing I could
think was how much I loved you,” she
said. “Is that what it means to be a
Vestal? To be bonded?”

“I was meant for you, and you were

meant for me. You complete me.”

Her sweet honest eyes stared at him

though the tears she struggled to hold
back.

Zeno pulled her in to his arms and

held her close.

Love. The one thing to hold on to.

Even in the darkest of times. The one
thing that had always been missing in his
life.

He hadn’t saved her. Ava had saved

him from falling into a darkness with no
way out.

She pulled back to look down at him,

and she smiled at her.

“It’s because I pretty much moved a

mountain to save you right?”

Ava snorted at him and swatted his

arm.

“You’re never going to let that go are

you?”

Zeno grinned and rolled her over onto

her back. He easily slipped between her
legs and pushed inside her deep.

“Never,” he whispered and stared

deep into her eyes. “I would move every
mountain to save the woman I loved.”

He leaned down and kissed her with

all the feelings he had ever bottled up.
When he pulled away, her lips were red,
and she was panting.

Ava lifted her lower half, pushing him

in deeper.

“Show me,” she whispered.
Zeno smiled down at her.
“Always.”

A Note from Madison

Thank you for reading Zeno. If you
enjoyed this book, please consider
reviewing it. We authors live and die by
reviews.

Please keep an eye out for the next book
in the series, Varius.

You can join my mailing list at

http://eepurl.com/OX9r5

Author Bio

Madison currently lives with her
husband and two children in the Valley
of the Sun in Arizona. After leaving the
frozen tundra of the north, she was more
surprised than anyone with how much
she has enjoyed living in the desert.
Seeing as she stated on more than one
occasion before moving to Arizona how
much she hated heat, it was an odd
move, but it seems her hatred for sub-
zero temperatures and ice has won out in
the end.

When she’s not writing, she’s enjoying
time with her family. Madison and her
family frequent festivals in the area, as

well as local cultural events, and spend
time with family in the area. In the
summer, she is most likely to be found in
the pool with the family and in the
winter by the fireplace. Since both her
children are autistic, days can be a little
chaotic, but with her husband beside her,
there’s nothing she can’t handle.

Her webpage is

http://madisonstevensauthor.com/

She can be contacted at
madisonstevensauthor@gmail.com