Savage Redemption Read online

  “That should help.” Then once again he looked past her. “Let me know when you want one of us to spell you or if she needs anything. I’m going to see a few patients and then get some sleep myself. I’ll be right down the hall in the apartment.”

  Kat closed her eyes, counting the seconds until the drug kicked in. Wow, just that quickly the pain had already taken a long step back. It was still there, but now its edges weren’t quite so sharp. Slowly, the throbbing receded until finally the tight band of hurt around her chest slipped away completely.

  Oh, yeah, that was better.

  Now, before sleep claimed her completely, she took stock of the room. Off to one side, she could hear someone breathing, a reminder that she wasn’t alone. Who was stuck watching over her?

  There—in the shadowed corner across the room. Definitely male. Oppressively silent, he stared at her with an intensity she could feel despite the drug-induced fog clouding her brain. He looked familiar. She knew him; she was sure of it. The where and the why of their acquaintance kept dancing backward just out of reach, refusing to be caught.

  “Who?” she managed to whisper right before the darkness swallowed her whole.

  If he answered, she didn’t hear it.

  * * *

  Conlan stood up and stretched. He’d been sitting in that corner staring at Kat Karr ever since she’d gotten out of surgery. Finn had offered to relieve him so he could eat something and grab some sleep, but Conlan had turned him down flat, even though he knew that Kat wasn’t going anywhere. Especially with that cocktail of drugs Seamus had given her percolating through her veins.

  It also hadn’t escaped his notice that the doctor had unfastened the restraints on Kat’s arms, but not the shackles on her ankles. Only three people had the keys to those—Seamus, Rafferty and Conlan. She was a prisoner, even if she didn’t know it yet.

  On the other hand, there was a knot in his chest the size of a fist. It had taken up residence there the minute he’d realized that it was Kat lying facedown in the dirt at his feet. He was still having trouble believing she was real, that he wasn’t going to wake up from another nightmare to find that it had all been his imagination.

  Who knew how many nights over the past three years he’d paced the floor, unable to get her image out of his head? She’d cost him everything that mattered: his job, his friends, his sense of purpose. After two fucking long years holed up in a dank corner cell, he’d finally stepped back out into the sunshine, but with his life in pieces and his soul in shreds.

  The day he’d walked out of prison, he’d been stunned to find Joss O’Day waiting for him. She’d whisked Conlan away to her husband’s family estate, where she’d browbeaten Rafferty into offering him a job. In doing so, she’d also given Conlan a safe place to lick his wounds. Brick by brick, he’d rebuilt himself, but the workmanship was pretty damned shoddy. Just being in the same room with Kat had him feeling as if all those fissures and cracks inside him were about to shatter.

  He stood up. Time to end this pity party. Finding Kat wouldn’t give him back one minute of what he’d lost. The most he could hope for was getting answers to the questions that had tormented him since she’d disappeared.

  One step, two. Finally, he stood beside the bed, staring down at that face that still had the power to move him. She wore her hair shorter now, the soft dark curls framing her delicate face. Her lashes looked even darker than normal against her pale skin. Right now she looked worried, her brows drawn in. She had good reason to feel that way. Kat had to know that Rafferty wouldn’t risk major problems with the Coalition by protecting her.

  And sure as hell, Conlan had no interest in standing between her and trouble. He’d tried that once. Never again. Not for her. So if he had to camp out in this room to make sure she didn’t slip away, once again leaving chaos in her wake, he’d do it.

  “I sure hope you never look at me with that particular expression on your face.”

  Conlan forced himself to retreat a step before turning to face Joss. She stood in the doorway, a basket in hand. Aw, shit, he’d forgotten all about her dinner party.

  He glanced at the basket. “Damn it, Joss, I’m sorry I missed the party. I was...busy.”

  Joss came the rest of the way into the room and handed him the basket. “I know. Compared to your usual excuses, though, this one was a dandy. Now sit down and eat that.”

  He set it down on a nearby counter. “I will later.”

  Only rarely did Joss remind him that she was his employer. She crossed her arms over her chest, and her chin took on that stubborn tilt that could make even her terror of a husband cower. Joss was nearly Conlan’s height, which made it easy for her to stare him straight in the eye.

  “Now, Conlan, and that’s an order. It doesn’t take a doctor to recognize a man running on empty.”

  “Okay, fine.”

  He dropped back into the chair in the corner and uncovered the basket. The rich scent of tomato sauce and spices wafted up. His stomach immediately growled. Okay, so she was right. He did need to refuel, not that he appreciated the knowing smirk she shot his way.

  “No one likes a know-it-all, Joss.”

  She shrugged. “I prefer to think of myself as wise beyond my years.”

  There was no winning with her, and they both knew it. While he devoured the lasagna and salad, Joss wandered around the room, touching this and studying that. For the moment it was as if Kat Karr didn’t exist for

  either of them. He wished it could stay that way, but he knew that it couldn’t.

  When he ate the last bite, Joss finally acknowledged the sleeping woman’s presence. “So, this is her.”

  Conlan joined his friend standing by the bed. “Yeah, it is.”

  Joss stared down at Kat. What was she seeing that put such an odd look on her face? “Not what you expected?”

  She shook her head. “I’d seen pictures, of course, but I was expecting her to look hard, even jaded. Instead, she looks like someone I might even like.”

  “Don’t let appearances fool you, Joss.” Like he had, but he kept that last part to himself. “Hell, even that hard-ass Ambrose O’Brien bought her act. Not many can fool the chief investigator for the Coalition.”

  Joss turned worried eyes in his direction. “We can’t hide her presence from the Coalition for long, Conlan. Rafferty will have to report her to Ambrose so he can send one of his chancellors to collect her. The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned.”

  She wasn’t telling Conlan anything he didn’t already know. He laid it all out for her anyway. “The only reason I haven’t already contacted Ambrose myself is that we need to know what the story is on her nieces, not to mention those mercs who had them cornered. I want to make sure that none of this is going to blow up in our faces.”

  He clenched his fists at his side. Kat might deserve anything that had happened to her, but that gang of mercs had known there were children involved and attacked anyway. It was a miracle the two girls were handling all of this as well as they were.

  “I’ll report her, Conlan. There’s no use in you getting dragged back into her mess.”

  Joss stepped back from the bed and reached toward him, probably in an attempt to offer him some comfort. He didn’t miss the flicker of hurt in Joss’s eyes when he flinched. By way of apology, he tangled his fingers with hers and gave them a quick squeeze. He wasn’t used to being touched. Not anymore. Not by anyone. “I’ll handle it, Joss. As head of security, it’s my job.”

  The woman defined stubborn. “And you’re good at it. Even Rafferty says so, at least when you’re not around to hear him. But this is more than the job—it’s personal. You had feelings for this woman. The minute we make that call, we both know her life is forfeit.” She paused, her dark eyes flashing hot with anger. “She’s caused you enough pain. Don’t add that to the list.”

  “I’ll deal with it, Joss. I won’t make the same mistakes with her again.”

  He shot his friend a stern look
. “And before you argue the point, do I have to remind you that not too long ago you were the one who insisted on investigating Rafferty’s case yourself? If you hadn’t been able to prove he’d been framed, you would’ve had to carry out his execution order. Don’t expect less of me than you expected of yourself.”

  “Fine, but if you change your mind...”

  Joss let that thought drift away. She knew him well enough to know there wasn’t much chance of that happening.

  Then she shook her head a little, probably dragging her thoughts back from the nightmare when she’d thought she’d have to be the one to stake the vampire she loved. Conlan allowed himself one last look at Kat before turning away. At least he wouldn’t be the one to end her life. If there was comfort to be had in that thought, he couldn’t find it.

  He gathered up the empty dishes and returned them to the basket. Holding it out to Joss, he asked, “Hadn’t you better get back to your guests?”

  Joss rolled her eyes and sighed. “Yes, I suppose so. I’m guessing Rafferty will be over to check on you in a bit. Don’t feel ganged up on, though. He really just needs an excuse to get away from his aunts for a while.”

  Conlan’s smile came more easily this time. “Don’t tell me that big, bad Rafferty is scared of some little old vampire ladies.”

  Joss punched him on the arm, but she was laughing. “Don’t go there, my friend. They scare me, too. I feel like a giant around them, but I’m betting they could take all of us in a fair fight.”

  “Okay, I promise to go easy on him.”

  Joss pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. He let her, because there were damn few people in this world that he could call friend. The two of them had partnered for a while back when they’d both started working as investigators for the Coalition. Nothing like a few near-death experiences to cement a friendship. Eventually, Joss had changed jobs to negotiate settlement of the often volatile disputes between the human, chancellor and vampire populations of the Coalition, but the two of them had stayed in close contact. Conlan followed her to the door.

  Before stepping outside, Joss paused. “After you and Rafferty talk, let Finn take over. You’re going to need all your strength to deal with what comes next.”

  Yeah, he would. He just wished the revenge he’d been hoping for didn’t feel quite so much like betrayal.

  Chapter 3

  Heavy footsteps were headed Conlan’s way. It didn’t take a genius to know that his boss had arrived. Great. The perfect ending to one bitch of a day. It had been two hours since Joss had departed, leaving only another hour until sunrise. Given that, the vampire wouldn’t be staying long.

  When Rafferty came strolling in, he was carrying a thermos of coffee and another basket of goodies from Joss. The woman had been trying to fatten Conlan up from the day she’d dragged him home with her.

  Rafferty shoved the items at Conlan. “If I were the jealous type, I’d really hate how often my wife sees fit to feed you.”

  In truth, he was the jealous type, which meant for an often uneasy employer/employee relationship. Conlan had known Rafferty’s wife long before the couple had met, not that they’d ever been anything other than friends.

  Conlan poured himself a cup of coffee and another one for Rafferty. “I suspect she thinks the time you and I spent in prison somehow stunted our growth.”

  The vampire chuckled and patted his stomach. “I don’t know about you, but if she keeps this up, I’m going to need a new wardrobe.”

  “That’s why I try not to eat at your house. I can’t afford all new clothes.”

  Rafferty snorted. “If that was a hint for a raise, forget it. And we all know the reason you duck Joss’s dinner invitations is because of me.”

  And Conlan felt bad about that. “It’s not just you, Rafferty. Besides, I was all set to come last night. I’ve already apologized to Joss for not showing up.”

  “So she told me.” Rafferty studied the sleeping woman. “What’s her status?”

  “Seamus has her sedated. Evidently, those immune boosters really speed up the healing process, but her body needs the extra rest. He hopes to cut back on the pain medicine later in the morning. If so, she should be alert enough to talk by the time you’re up and about after dark.”

  “Good. I don’t want this to drag out any longer than absolutely necessary. It will make it that much harder on all concerned, her included.”

  “No arguments there.”

  “I really don’t need this, and neither do you.” Rafferty ran his hands through his hair, a habit that revealed his frustration. “Any idea why she was headed this way or who was after her?”

  “I can only guess she was hoping you’d take the three of them in. She was traveling under an assumed name and obviously had no idea I was here. I’ve got a couple of my men checking with some of their contacts in New Eire about the mercs. With luck, they’ll find out who has a contract on her and why.”

  Rafferty’s fangs were showing, his predatory nature never far from the surface. “Good. If trouble is headed this way, I want to be ready for it. I’m assuming you’ve beefed up security patrols. If you need to hire some more staff, even if on a temporary basis, let me know. I promised my people they’d be safe here, and I damn well meant it.”

  Which was one reason Conlan found working for the vampire tolerable. With Rafferty, the welfare of his people always came first. It didn’t matter if they were human, vampire or hybrid chancellors like Conlan and Joss.

  “So far it’s been quiet. My men found some shell casings and not much else out where the attack took place. I killed at least one of their men and shot and possibly killed a couple of others. Evidently they took their dead and wounded with them when they left. That doesn’t leave us much to go on.”

  Rafferty sipped his coffee. “I don’t like this one bit. That was a lot of firepower just to kill one woman and a couple of kids.”

  Conlan knew exactly how the vampire felt. Despite his own personal feelings about Kat, it pissed him off to see a bunch of thugs gang up on three females like that.

  “If I had to guess, I’d say their primary orders were to capture, but they underestimated the situation. They never expected Kat to fight back or that we’d show up and take her side. I’m guessing she knows something or else has something someone wants.”

  “That makes sense.” The vampire tossed his empty cup in the trash and checked the time. “I’ve got to get back home. Joss has already called Finn to take over here for you. Are you going back out to your headquarters?”

  “No, it’s too far. I thought I’d camp out on the couch down the hall. I want to be close by when she wakes up.”

  The vampire stopped to stare down at Kat for a few seconds. “Don’t let this blow up in our faces. Call me, day or night, when you know more.”

  “Will do.”

  Conlan heard the sound of the front door of the clinic opening, and Finn walked into Kat’s room a few seconds later. “Joss said to tell you that both of you need to leave now.”

  The young chancellor grinned at Conlan and held up a paper sack. “She offered me a batch of chocolate-chip cookies if I promised to snitch if you didn’t follow her orders.”

  Conlan shot his assistant a disgusted look. “Fine, we’re going, but call me and Seamus if Miss Karr wakes up. We’ll both be sleeping in the apartment down the hall.”

  Finn was already settling into the chair, eating one of his cookies. “Got it, boss.”

  Rafferty left for home while Conlan headed for the small apartment attached to the infirmary. He could hear Seamus snoring softly in the bedroom. Although a vampire and nocturnal by nature, being the lone doctor on the estate meant Seamus often worked pretty much around the clock. He was accustomed to grabbing a few hours’ sleep whenever he could.

  Joss might be Conlan’s best friend, but Seamus ran a close second. The young vampire had ghosts of his own that haunted his past. He’d found a new life on the estate despite the fact that his original reason for
moving there was to destroy all that Rafferty held dear. Now Seamus had a wife, an adopted daughter and another child on the way.

  Even if he was a bit jealous, Conlan was genuinely happy for his friend. If nothing else, it meant happy endings were possible, at least for some people.

  Once again, Kat Karr’s pretty face filled his mind, dredging up memories of when those turquoise eyes had looked at him with trust and desire. For years her smile had haunted his nights, and her cutting betrayal permeated his days. Son of a bitch, he hated—HATED—that she was back in his life, even for the short time it would take for the Coalition to collect her.

  Conlan turned on his side and punched the pillow into a comfortable shape. It might be a while before he could slide into slumber, but he hoped like hell this was the last time he’d lose sleep over Kat Karr.

  * * *

  This time the fight to clear her mind was definitely easier. The pain had faded to a manageable level, and Kat’s eyes opened on the second attempt. A big improvement all around. She vaguely remembered the doctor coming in to check her vitals and administer a lesser dosage of the pain medication.

  Hopefully it was the last one, because she had to get better, and quickly. She needed her wits about her. Those killers had to know she’d gone to ground on Rafferty O’Day’s estate. And the vampire scion wouldn’t appreciate her showing up with trouble dogging her heels. If he had to toss her to the wolves, she wouldn’t blame him. Her only hope was that he’d feel differently about her nieces.

  God, she was tired of fighting this battle alone, never knowing who she could trust. The enemy wore so many faces. How long had it been since she last felt safe?

  For some reason, Conlan Shea’s name came to mind. Three years ago, he’d been the prosecuting chancellor assigned by the Coalition to review her case. He’d been the only one who’d believed her story at all. As they’d spent more time together reviewing the facts of the case, he’d gradually warmed up, letting her glimpse the real man behind the grim chancellor facade.