Darling Wildfire (Red Rabbit #2)

22

KAELIN

I was still so angry at Theron and Graham that I’d told them I needed a few days.

I didn’t understand why they couldn’t just tell me what was going on. Theron was right when he said I didn’t want to think about it—but that was when it was just harmless death threats. I only meant I didn’t want to think about the ‘what ifs.’ This was definitely beyond that now and I wanted to know what caliber threat we were dealing with.

Obviously, this was some long standing vendetta between Theron and one of his enemies—I gathered that much—but I also was hurt that he hadn't asked me for help. I was the CTO of a fucking military company for god’s sake. I know Theron had power and money and plenty of resources, but I always imagined the three of us tackling any enemy together—not me being locked away like some sex slave.

I guess I still harbored some insecurities about the Warren. Sometimes I wondered if he really wanted to be with me or if he still believed I was his property. I liked to think that wasn’t the case, but now I wasn’t so sure.

Theron had now left me twice without telling me what was going on and each time hurt worse. It didn’t help that each time he seemed on the verge of trying to put into words how he really felt about me but fell short each time.

I wasn’t about to help him figure it out.

We were adults and if we couldn’t express how we felt about each other, I didn’t want that kind of relationship. I was down for unconventional, but communication was universal and I needed at least that. So far, we were falling drastically short in that department.

I sat at my desk in my office. It was nearly ten o’clock at night and the other offices were dark. Maeve had gone home hours ago and I just couldn’t bring myself to drive home. Nyx had been great the last few days but I missed my house not being overrun by Theron’s men. Not to mention, now I didn’t feel safe in my home again, a feeling I hadn’t felt in some time.

I sighed, I really should get going, I wasn’t going to sleep here, that would be silly.

I tapped my phone, debating on whether I should call the guys and end my silent treatment. Maybe I would just call and hear their voice—that was harmless right?

I dialed Graham.

“Hey, beautiful,”

he said. His deep voice washed over me, making me smile. I heard gunfire in the background.

“Hi,”

I said. “Are you at the range?”

“Yeah, at Alpha One,”

he said. “Still at work?”

Of course he knew where I was. “Yeah, just leaving actually.”

I gathered my things and headed for the elevators.

“How’s Lachlan?”

I asked as the elevator descended.

“He’s doing well, except for the fact he’s refusing to rest,”

Graham said with a chuckle. “But Doc says th—”

The phone went dead.

“Graham?”

I looked at the screen. The call had dropped.

I tried calling him again as the elevator passed the tenth floor but the call wouldn’t go through. With a ding, the elevator opened into the lobby and I walked out, still messing with my phone. I tried to send a text, but the message went through green and said undelivered.

I’d just rounded the corner of the elevator hallway when the night lights abruptly cut off, casting the entire lobby into darkness. If it wasn’t for the massive two-story wall of windows facing the front street, I wouldn’t have been able to see anything. As it was, the street lights provided a bit of light. I got an uncomfortable feeling as I passed the vacant front desk. I picked up my pace only to stumble to a stop. A shadow moved near the doors leading to the garage.

I took a step back.

The shadow moved again, and then a man in all black was running towards me.

Fear clutched me as I turned and raced towards the stairs leading up to the second floor atrium.

I risked a glance behind me and wished I hadn’t. He was too close.

I reached the landing before the second set of stairs and a weight slammed into me, sending us both to the ground. Panic overwhelmed me and for a moment every single defense move I’d ever been taught left my head. His hand came around to cover my mouth and I realized I was screaming,

Then it was like a calm stole over me and everything Theron and Graham drilled into me came rushing back. I got out of his hold, slamming my knee into his groin. Gaining my feet, I raced the rest of the way up the stairs.

The second floor was mostly tables and chairs in front of a small cafe and multiple lounge areas with a water feature and greenery. I threw down a potted tree into the man’s path, causing him to stumble as I raced across the space, throwing chairs as I crossed into the cafe area. He reached me and grabbed me from behind, pulling me to him with a growl.

“I was warned you’d be a spicy one,”

the man panted.

I stomped on his foot and elbowed him in the face. He let me go.

I ran into the kitchen, bent on finding a weapon but he was right on my heels and we crashed into the prep area and into a massive shelf of pots and pans. The sound was deafening as everything fell around us. I scrambled across the floor and a hand curled around my ankle, dragging me backwards. I clawed at the slick floor, looking for anything I could use. I saw the knives had been spilled across the tile, mixed with the pots and pans. I grabbed one, just as he flipped me onto my back.

“You’re lucky Vetticus said not to kill you because you’re really testing me, bitch.”

In answer, I sat up and brought the knife down. He was quick and deflected it so that instead of his neck, it bit into his shoulder. He cried out but didn’t let go of my calf, instead, his jaw clenched and he yanked me towards him hard with a growl. His hand closed around my neck while the other yanked the knife out. He replaced his hand on my neck with the blade, pressing down until I hardly dared breathe for fear of it digging into my skin.

“Be sure to share with Kraven what happened here,”

he sneered. “Compliments of Vetticus.”

My breath was painful gasps as his other hand fumbled with my jeans. I fought him with my hands and kicked out at him. He slapped me so hard my ears rang and I whimpered as the knife bit into my skin under my jaw.

Our combined strained breathing was the only sound as he finally unbuttoned my pants. I struggled again and just as he was about to hit me for a second time, there was a gunshot and blood exploded over me. The man’s body knelt suspended in place for a moment before it toppled forward on top of me. I shrieked and scrambled out from under it, twisting to see who’d shot him.

A pair of familiar grey eyes the intensity of a raging storm met mine as Theron stepped into view.

My exhale of relief turned into a sob as I got to my knees, taking deep breaths to calm the panic before I could even think about getting to my feet. He grabbed my arm, helping me stand, and I clutched at him, burying my face in his chest. He dug his fingers into my hair and held me against his beating heart that felt as erratic as mine.

“How did you—? Did Graham—?”

I couldn’t finish any of my sentences as I pulled my face away enough to look up at him.

“Graham called me when your call dropped,”

he said. “Are there others?”

I shook my head.

“Graham’s coming.”

He must have had a comms unit in because a moment later Graham rounded the corner of the kitchen, his own gun out and ready.

“Wyatt is dead,”

he said to Theron.

“Who?” I asked.

“I had a man on overwatch—sniper across the street—”

he said when he saw my confusion. Theron gently pushed me towards Graham and he held me just as tightly.

“Fuck, beautiful. Thank god you called me,” he said.

I was rapidly collecting myself and with the drop in adrenaline came my anger at the situation. I pushed away from Graham and held out my hands, closing my eyes briefly to grab onto the thoughts raging through my head.

I opened my eyes and looked directly at Theron. “Who is Vetticus?”

He was good at hiding his surprise, except I knew him so intimately I saw his jaw clench and annoyance briefly crossed his features.

“An old enemy,” he said.

“Well, that man told me this was a message from him,”

I said and watched Theron’s eyes grow black with intensity. “He used your name ‘Kraven,’”

I added. Graham and Theron exchanged a look and my eyes narrowed. “Okay, I need to know what’s going on and I need to know right fucking now.”

“It’s complicated,”

Theron said.

“It’s complicated?”

I echoed. “It’s complicated? That’s all you have to say? After someone broke into my house and now nearly raped me? It’s fucking complicated?”

My voice had slowly risen until I was definitely yelling the last few words, my chest heaving in fury.

My jaw dropped when Theron had the balls to take out his phone and make a call. I looked over at Graham, who ran a hand over his face like he was just as frustrated.

“Nyx,”

Theron said. “I need a clean up crew at Phox. Vetticus sent someone to rough her up—she’s not hurt—Wyatt is dead—yeah.”

He hung up and gestured towards the door.

“Let’s go,” he said.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“I’m not having this conversation here!”

Theron snapped, part of his control slipping.

My mouth pressed into a thin line but I knew he was right and stormed my way past him out into the atrium. No one spoke as we made our way down to the garage. The men kept their guns out, on alert for any additional threats but we made it to the cars without issue.

“Get in,”

Theron said, gesturing to his Aston Martin. When I didn’t move his jaw clenched. “That wasn’t a request.”

I looked over at Graham but he holstered his weapon and nodded to the Aston.

Big help he was. Traitor.

“Meet you back at Alpha One,”

Theron said to Graham.

Graham held the door open for me as I sank into the passenger seat.

“I’m not staying at Alpha One,”

I said petulantly.

His knuckles were white from how hard he was gripping the steering wheel but he didn’t speak. The next few minutes as the lull of the car began to smooth my anger, I became hyper aware of the fact I was covered in blood. My red stained fingers dug into my thighs to keep them from shaking and a wave of claustrophobia assaulted me.

My chest constricted and I was suddenly gasping in gulps of air, trying not to make it obvious I was having an anxiety attack. Except Theron was way too observant for his own good and the car whipped over to the side of the road. His hand snake its way around the back of my neck.

“Look at me,”

he said firmly.

I turned my head but focused on his other hand resting on the middle console, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Breathe, darlin’,”

he murmured.

A rogue tear slipped down my cheek as I took multiple shaky breaths and finally could inhale fully. Theron’s hand retreated, but not before he wiped the tear away and pulled the car back out onto the road. I looked out the window, not wanting to see the blood on me or look at him.

We drove the rest of the way in silence and when we pulled up to Alpha One, I shoved open the door before the car was even fully stopped. Graham arrived and stepped out of his car just as Nyx came down the steps with Atlas on his heels. Theron approached me, taking me by the arms to try and stop me from going inside. I jerked out of his grasp but he tried to grab me again.

“Kaelin—”

Before I could think through my actions, I slapped him across the face. Hard.

Theron froze and I watched him try to get his face under control. No one dared move. I heaved in breath after breath as I fought for control and steeled myself as I waited for the retaliation I was sure to receive from him.

Except it never came.

I expected him to grab me. Shove me into the car at my back. Drag me into the house.

Something.

Instead he did…nothing. And for some reason that was so much worse.

He looked at me, nodded once and then turned and disappeared into the house.