Wicked Edge (Realm Enforcers, #2)(57)

Glancing down at his hand, he slowly slid to the side and pulled her over. His brand, bright and Celtic, was healing on her hip. “I mated you.” His voice was hoarser than hers would ever be.

She blinked, and her mouth formed a perfect O.

He hadn’t been strong enough to fight both biology and fate, and he had known better. He should’ve rested up before having sex.

“Um,” she said.

He winced. “Let’s just keep calm minds and talk this out.”

She twisted her lip and then drew her arm up to glance at her hand. A perfect Z appeared in the center, dark and somehow feminine.

Both of his eyebrows lifted so quickly his head jerked. “What the f*ck?”

She winced and then tilted to the side, peering around his body.

Almost in slow motion, he turned his head to see a perfect match on his left buttock.

She bit her lip. “I marked you, too.” Then, crazy woman that she was, she threw back her head and laughed, long and hard.





Chapter 20


Ivan Bychkov threw a paperweight across the home office. The heavy disk smashed into the window showcasing a lovely view of the Seattle skyline and dropped to the antique rug in three perfect shapes. “I can’t believe this.”

Vadim Deeks continued reading a tablet that looked impossibly small in his massive hands. “The consortia is holding a vote tomorrow morning about your leadership. My sources confirm that you’re about to be voted out.” He tapped the tablet with strong fingers, causing a protesting ping from the computer with every stroke. “There’s also rumor of a vote to cut off your head.”

No shit. Once leaders were replaced, they weren’t wanted any longer. If he set foot on his continent, he’d be dead within hours. “Any idea who’s behind this?”

Vadim shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. There’s enough momentum that if you don’t turn the tide and now, you’re out.” He spoke without inflection. “We need to regain the cash, jewels, and gold from the bank accounts, or we’re both finished with the consortia.”

“That bitch,” Bychkov said, running a shaking hand through his thick hair. He had seriously underestimated Felicity. The bank strikes had been perfectly orchestrated, and combined with the mining incidents, had crippled him financially. More important, it had crippled the consortia, which meant his head was wanted on a stake. “She went right for my weaknesses.” Before the last week, he hadn’t realized he even had weaknesses.

Vadim nodded. “Now we go after hers.”

A computer dinged on the walnut desk, and Bychkov hurried over to read the screen. His stock portfolio. “We’re bleeding money,” he muttered, leaning over to type in several commands. What in the world? As he watched, the stock values plummeted. His gut rolled over, and he swallowed down puke.

How the hell?

Vadim crossed the room to study the numbers. “How would an enemy make that happen?”

He fought to keep his temper at bay, but the effort cost Ivan. “You make a coordinated strike on individual businesses, infuse capital into competitors, and cause rumors that prompt people to dump stock.” Apparently Felicity hadn’t been hiding out cowering from him the last several decades. “When I learned that Zane had killed Suri, I figured it was time to make my move on the woman.”

Turned out she’d been making her move the entire time.

Vadim’s phone buzzed, and he read the text. “The Intel is coming through on Felicity Kyllwood, her allies, and her weaknesses. Also, we’ve upped the security at the Sjener?se mine in Russia.”

Ivan turned away from the sight of his portfolios bleeding currency. “There’s no way she can get a team to the Sjener?se mine to take it out. I just sent orders for the planekite mining to continue around the clock.” If the damn Coven Nine enforcers thought they could work with Felicity and harm him, they had another think coming. He’d only worked with Rudger and his brother for money, but now it was personal. “It’s time we wiped the witch nation off the map, anyway. Weak bastards.”

Vadim rubbed his chin. “They’ve always been our most dangerous enemy, and I’m glad we’re finally going to take them out.”

Damn witches could shield against mind attacks with enough training. His computer dinged again, and he turned back to key in the response. Phillipe Sadler took shape. Ivan smiled. “Hello.”

“Where is my brother?” Phillipe said, his eyes a bizarre blue and his hair a wild brown mane.

Ivan frowned and feigned surprise. “How should I know?”

“Last I heard, Rudger was in Seattle meeting with you.”

Which hadn’t gone well, now had it? Vadim had taken care of the body, so Ivan wasn’t even sure where the corpse now rotted. “Your brother got some tip about the Coven Nine and headed off to Dublin. Something about Simone Brightston.”

Phillipe’s eyes blazed.

Yep. Ivan kept his face concerned. His sources reported Phillipe was enamored with the pretty witch. “I don’t know what the tip was, and he wouldn’t share.”

Phillipe’s face darkened. “I’ll check it out, but he never pursues a lead without calling me. If you’ve done anything to my brother, Ivan, you’re going to want to find a guillotine now.”

Ivan tilted his head to the side. “I don’t appreciate the threat, and I assure you, I take our allegiance seriously.” He clicked off.