She hadn’t seen Jake or Heather at the actual sanctuary but she also knew that the rebels owned most of the houses surrounding the wildlife complex. She started with Erin’s house. Devon had been visiting with her mother but there was no sign of Heather and Jake.
One by one, Zophiel checked the properties surrounding the sanctuary. She was about to abandon the strategy when she landed in the backyard of the house farthest from the animal reserve. No sooner had she regained her footing than she heard a shrill scream.
Unsure what she would find, she crouched beside one of the basement windows and was rewarded with a fascinating show.
The real question was, what should she do with this information? Tias would want to know that Heather was beyond their reach, but then, so would Nate.
Nate’s harshly handsome image formed within her mind. Why did just the thought of him make her all warm and tingly? He was a self-serving asshole with the manners of a dockworker. And somehow he had anticipated her needs better than any lover she’d had in years. Make that decades.
She blew out a shaky breath and gazed up at the cloudless sky. It would take a ridiculous amount of energy to maintain her shields and fly all the way back to Silverthorne. And what did she gain by telling him about his daughter’s definition?
Beyond mind-blowing sex? Even her inner voice mocked her. Heather’s definition was just an excuse to see him. She needed to be honest with herself. She wanted Nate and there was nothing wrong with desire as long as she didn’t let it control her.
She’d show up with the pretext of sharing the news and then spend several hours in his bed. Or bent over his desk. The wicked thought made her smile as she accepted the inevitable. She saturated her shields with energy and then launched herself into the sky.
* * * * *
While Heather slept Jake called Devon and let her know the definition was successful. He tried to reach Enya but she was still declining his calls. He knew he shouldn’t rush her, that she’d likely calm down on her own. But she also cared deeply for Natasha and he hated that Enya was dealing with yet another tragedy on her own. Well, not entirely on her own. Erin was with her, which was the only fact that made the situation bearable.
He watched television for a couple of hours then checked on Heather. She was still sleeping soundly so he returned to the living room. He was halfway through a spy thriller when Ian knocked on the back door. Jake slid the glass door open and smiled. There was only one reason Ian would come to the back door.
“Did you fly here?”
“It’s dark.” He glanced at the deepening twilight then shrugged. “Mostly.”
Rather than invite Ian inside, Jake joined him on the patio. He slid the screen door closed but left the glass door open. “Have you ever been caught? Everyone has a camera on their phone and most people live with their phone in their hand.”
“There are lots of pictures of me on the internet, even a few videos. But no one believes they’re real. What human is going to believe that a man can sprout wings and fly?”
“The same ones who watch the skies for UFOs.”
“Hey, I believe in aliens. Don’t you?”
They laughed and Jake motioned toward the kitchen. “Would you like a beer?”
“Thanks, but I’m not going to be here that long. I just met with Payne and wanted to fill you in on what he’d said. Payne wasn’t convinced I’d killed her in the fire, so he wasn’t surprised that she reemerged.”
Jake just nodded and waited for more information.
“She’s a crafty bitch and utterly ruthless. She feeds on energy like a vampire sucks blood. She can also drain a person of information as well as energy.”
Tension coiled around Jake as the implication sank in. “If she fed on Roberto then she knows everything Roberto knew?”
Ian nodded. “And Natasha.”
“Shit,” he muttered, glaring out into the darkness. “I have to change all my passwords and security codes. Even guard rotations.”
“And not just at your house, at all your properties.” Ian paused before he said, “If you ever want to feel safe again, you’re going to have to start over. New personnel and new procedures.”
Jake rubbed the bridge of his nose as pressure erupted behind his eyes. “Some of my men were with Dad in Desert Storm. I can’t do that to them.”
“Well, new procedures then. But take this seriously. Anything Natasha knew is compromised.”
“I understand.”
Ian nodded then peered into the house. “Where’s the wolf?”
There was enough warmth in Ian’s tone to keep Jake from taking offense. “She’s sleeping.”