Aeromancist (SECOND EDITION): Art of Air (7 Forbidden Arts Book 3) Page 19

  At Clelia’s gentle reminder of the reason why they were after Richardson, Lann’s shoulders relaxed a fraction. “If he lays a finger on her…” He left the threat hanging.

  Maya got up and handed Kat a mobile phone. “Tell him you’re in Paris. Ask him to call you on this number when he gets there, and tell him you’ll let him know where you’ll meet him. If he gets suspicious, tell him you’re scared, and you want it done on your terms.”

  Joss handed her an earpiece. “This is for if we need to tell you something.”

  The device fitted snugly in her ear. Joss handed similar pieces to the others. When everyone had fixed them, Joss gave her a nod. “Can you hear me fine?”

  “Yes.”

  Only one number was programmed. She pressed the dial button. While she waited for Richardson to answer, her gaze fell on Lann’s tense face. She had to turn away from him to focus on what she had to do.

  “Richardson here,” the reply finally came.

  He sounded tired. It was only four in the afternoon in Atlanta. She doubted he’d been sleeping. “It’s Kat.”

  His tone sharpened. “Where are you?”

  Kat glanced at Maya. “Paris.”

  Maya nodded at her.

  “Where is he?” Richardson asked.

  Kat didn’t dare look at Lann. “Out.”

  “Did you think about what I said?”

  “Yes. I want to meet.”

  “How long will you be in Paris for?”

  Maya shook her head at Kat.

  “I don’t know,” Kat said. “He said we’ll stay here for a while.”

  “I’ll fly out as soon as I can. Is this your number?”

  Joss’s voice interjected in her ear. “Tell him to leave a message if you don’t answer.”

  “Yes. Call me when you get here. If I don’t answer, it’s because I’m with him. Leave a message. I’ll let you know where to meet me.”

  “Kat?”

  “Yes?”

  “You’re doing the right thing.”

  She hung up. Her hand was shaking when she handed the phone back to Maya.

  Lann was little pleased. His eyes were hard when they connected with Joss’s.

  Everyone called it a night after the call, and once they were alone in their bedroom, Lann turned his back on Kat. He walked to the fireplace and leaned with his arm on the mantelpiece, staring into the flames.

  “I’ll be fine,” Kat said, walking up behind him. “I can do it.”

  He turned to face her. “It’s not you I’m worried about. It’s Richardson.”

  Kat frowned.

  “If he hurts you, he’s dead. I won’t be able to contain myself.”

  “He won’t touch me,” she said.

  “You sound sure.” His voice matched the cold fury of his eyes. It sliced through her like ice. “If he lays a finger on you, he’s signed his death warrant. Make sure he understands that.”

  Kat bit her lip.

  He closed the step between them, putting their bodies flush together. “You haven’t given me my answer.”

  She stared up at him. “About what?”

  “About the day you’re going to give me your vow.”

  “The wedding?”

  “What else?”

  “Whenever you want,” she said, snaking her arms around his neck.

  “Tomorrow.”

  What difference did it make when it was? “Fine.”

  “Good.” His gaze drilled into hers. “I don’t want to wait any longer.”

  She swept her hands over his shoulders and down his arms. “I know what’s really bothering you. Stop worrying about Richardson. I can take care of myself.”

  His anger wavered. “I saw the way he looked at you.”

  Slipping her fingers through his, smiled. “This isn’t about Richardson at all. This is about you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She pressed his palm to her cheek. “You’re jealous.”

  He regarded her quietly. After a beat, he said, “Then tell me I don’t have to be.”

  “Don’t be.” She turned his hand and kissed the back. “Are you going to punish me for your jealousy with sex again?”

  “You think last night was punishment? That was a reminder. I’ve punished you once only, after you went dancing on your own.” His eyes darkened. “However, if you ask me nicely, I just may punish you again.”

  She batted her eyelashes. “Please?”

  “Fuck, woman.” He released her. “You’ll be the death of me.”

  “Don’t joke about things like that.”

  “It’s no joke.” He trailed his gaze over her. “Take off your clothes and lie down on the bed.”

  Just like that, her body caught fire. She loved it when he took control. She needed it now more than ever. When she dropped her clothes to the floor, he showed her in no uncertain terms what she did to him.

  Chapter 14

  The old priest who waited in the entrance of the castle eyed Lann warily. Lann couldn’t blame the man. He’d practically threatened him into coming out here on short notice. For a change, the sun was out. Lann smiled inwardly. He wasn’t going to tell anyone he’d cheated with nature. He wasn’t supposed to use his gift unless it was in battle, but this was his wedding day.

  Clelia and Kat had been to Vannes in the morning, escorted by Maya, to hastily shop for a dress. Iza had been buzzing around all day setting up the garden and gazebo for the event. As long as he had Katherine by his side, he didn’t care about how the garden looked. He was impatient for her to arrive. Clelia had thrown him out of his own damn room while she helped Katherine prepare. Joss, Maya, and Eve were already waiting outside.

  They’d made an effort to dress up. Lann wore a tailored, black, silk suit with a white French cuff shirt and cravat. The cufflinks he’d chosen were platinum inlaid with a rare meteorite stone. Even if Katherine had said she didn’t need a ring, he carried one matching the cufflinks in his pocket. Their intertwined initials were engraved on the inside. The broad, platinum band was decorated with intricate carvings depicting the sun, moon and stars—everything she was to him. He’d ordered it from a jeweler in Vannes on the same day Kat had agreed to marry him. He wanted to brand her as his in every way, and his ruby ring wasn’t enough. She needed something unique of her own.

  He checked the time. He could hold the good weather a little bit longer, but the sun would set soon.

  “Well,” the priest said with a watery voice, “I was told it’s an emergency. Can we get started?”

  There wasn’t anything Lann wanted more. He motioned for the priest to follow, and took his place by the gazebo to wait for his bride. A short while later, Clelia exited. She nodded at Lann in silent reassurance before taking Joss’s arm.

  The wait was well worth it. When Katherine stepped outside, she took his breath away. She wore a traditional, white, silk gown embroidered with pearls. The fabric of her dress cascaded down into a wide skirt, and ended in a short trail. The halter neck emphasized the elegant curve of her slender neck. Long sleeves covered her arms, but her shoulders were bare. She should be freezing with not as much as a drape. Concern fluttered in his chest. He’d take her inside as soon as possible.

  When she walked to him slowly, his eyes were drawn to the sway of her hips. They had become fuller since she’d fallen pregnant. She was perfect. Jasmine flowers decorated her thick hair that hung loose down her back. He’d secretly hoped she wouldn’t take it up. He loved her hair loose and falling in waves around her face. Her cheeks glowed, and her smile was just for him. The air whooshed around him as she neared, the displacement stronger than ever.

  Not able to contain himself, Lann moved forward to meet her halfway down the garden path. He didn’t want to wait at the end of it for her to walk alone. Placing her hand on his arm, he led her to the gazebo where the priest waited.

  He imprinted every detail in his mind. She was his first, and she’d be his last. He’d never love again, not after her. H
e knew himself too well. Seven months weren’t nearly enough, but he forced the somber thought from his mind, not wanting to spoil the moment.

  To his joy, Katherine didn’t refuse his ring. He slipped his ruby ring onto her right hand—he still wanted her to wear it—while the new ring took its rightful place on her left hand. She gave him a platinum band with a yellow gold inner lining, and whispered that the gold reminded her of his eyes when he made love to her.

  After saying their vows, they had a simple ceremonial dinner. Katherine was tired and he was apprehensive. They retired early. He still wanted her in so many ways, and their time together was short. He undressed first her, and then himself, before settling down next to her in bed to hold her. At last, Katherine was his like he had wanted her to be from the first minute he’d laid eyes on her in Santiago.

  The call from Richardson came one day later. He was at the Hotel Jules in Paris. On Joss’s instruction, Kat asked him to meet her the following day, on Monday, at a brasserie near the Notre Dame. Bono arrived later the same day to fly her, Lann, and Joss to Paris. They went to the safe house where Lann had first taken her, and spent a quiet evening in while Joss briefed her on what kind of questions to ask Richardson.

  On Monday morning, Lann and Joss set up the satellite and communication equipment while Kat went through her suitcase and chose a wool dress and loose-fitting coat that wouldn’t give her pregnancy away. She was only eight weeks along, but her body was changing rapidly. She also had to remove her wedding ring and leave it in Lann’s care. Both of them were reluctant for her to remove it, but finally agreed with Joss that it was better that Richardson didn’t know how their relationship had evolved.

  They went downstairs to the square for lunch, and twenty minutes before the meeting, Kat made her way to the brasserie. Even if Lann and Joss were close, making sure neither she nor Richardson was followed, she was nervous. They’d decided she wouldn’t wear a wire in case Richardson decided to search her. It was safer tracking her via satellite.

  She walked into the brasserie ten minutes before the agreed time, and chose a table in the back. Since it was after lunch, the brasserie wasn’t busy.

  Richardson walked in five minutes later. She didn’t signal him, but used the time to assess him. He wore an expensive looking dark suit with a light blue shirt and navy tie. Quite a change to the flannel and jeans he’d worn when they’d met at her parents’ house. This was more the Richardson she’d imagined.

  He scanned the room, and when he spotted her, he made his way over. His size dominated the small table, intimidating her when he took a seat.

  Brushing off the feeling, she said, “Thank you for coming.”

  His green eyes measured her. It felt as if he could see through her bluff, but she held his gaze.

  “You don’t need to be frightened of me,” he said.

  “I’m not,” she replied quickly.

  “Is that so?” He lifted a brow. “You don’t have to act brave. Vulnerability is a quality I find desirable.”

  Right. She just bet. “You want women to be scared of you?”

  “If we’re going to work together, we need to trust each other.”

  “Exactly, and as I don’t know you, I don’t trust you.”

  “Fair enough.” He leaned back, drumming his fingers on the table. “How would you like to proceed in correcting that?”

  She ignored the nuance in the question. “You said you’d protect me if I work with you.”

  “I did.”

  “What exactly does work with you entail?”

  A waitress stopped next to their table.

  “Coffee?” Richardson asked.

  “Tea, please.”

  Richardson placed their order, and when the waitress was gone, he said, “I need evidence of your fiancé’s involvement in illegal operations.”

  “You want me to get it.”

  His smile was smug. “More or less.”

  “How?”

  “He trusts you. Just get him to talk, to tell you whatever you can get out of him. Focus on getting information on where he’s going and when. We’ll do the rest.”

  Kat eyed him skeptically. “We?”

  “My team and I.”

  “You mean you’ll have him followed?”

  The waitress arrived with their coffee and tea. Richardson waited until she was gone before he said, “I’m not going to ask you to put your life in danger. That’s my job. Lann is difficult to track. Just tell me where I can expect to find him, and I’ll get the evidence I need to put him away.”

  “Put him away?” The thought didn’t sit well with her. She felt like getting up and walking out, but reminded herself of the purpose of the meeting.

  “You don’t think we’ll cut him a deal, do you?” He pushed the container with sugar cubes toward her. “He’s a hard-core criminal, Kat, a threat to our government.”

  “If I do this, I don’t want you to traumatize my parents any further.”

  He dropped three sugars in his coffee and shrugged. “Fine.”

  “What about what you’ve said about him wanting to get me pregnant?”

  “I know it’s a bitter pill to swallow,” he said without a hint of sympathy.

  “Like I said, I don’t trust you. I want to know if I can believe it.”

  He raised an eyebrow, and took a sip of his coffee. “You doubt me?”

  “How can I not? How do I know who to trust?”

  His smile was faint. “What is it you really want to know?”

  “How can you be so sure of this?”

  “Someone told me.”

  “Who?”

  He grinned. “A source.”

  “Well, you’re going to have to tell me a bit more if you expect this partnership to be a two-way street.”

  “Two-way street?” He chuckled. “No, darlin’, it’s me doing all the demanding, and you the yielding.”

  She got to her feet. “The deal’s off.”

  His eyes turned hard. “Sit down.”

  “I don’t work for you. You don’t tell me what to do.”

  “Is that so? I can make you sit down. Is that what you want?”

  “If you touch me, you’re a dead man, do you understand?”

  He snorted. “By your hand?”

  “There are ways to get things done,” she bit out.

  “Like what? A sexual harassment claim? Do you think I’m scared of silly claims?” As she turned, he sighed. “Sit down. Please.”

  The waitress was watching them, so Kat faced him again and sat down. She needed to play her role authentically without making too much of a scene that would attract unwanted attention.

  “I don’t know what to believe or who to trust. Tell me why you’re so sure that Lann is using me, and I’ll make up my mind as to whether I believe you or not. Whether I help you, all depends on that.”

  “I can force you, you know.”

  She laughed. “I’m sure you’ll try. If, however, I tell Lann about this meeting, you may not live to try.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t take to being threatened kindly.”

  “Neither do I.”

  He laughed softly. “You’re just as feisty as I took you for. Gutsy, but vulnerable. I like that.”

  “This isn’t about what you like or dislike,” she said in a snappy tone.

  He rubbed his chin. “Yeah, you’d be one hell of a wildcat to tame.”

  “I don’t care for your insinuations.”

  She couldn’t deal with him for a second longer. She felt like throwing the sugar cubes at him. The only reason she stayed put was for the information.

  “All right,” he said. “I guess I can understand that it’s hard to believe, and that you need proof. I can’t disclose my source or the evidence I’m building, but I can tell you that I’ve been tipped off by a journalist, and the reason I believe her, is because she gave me proof.”

  So, it’s a woman. “What evidence?”

  “Records. Proof
that your medical files had been pulled just before an anonymous trustee awarded you with a bursary that led you straight to Lann.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything. Anyone could have pulled those records.”

  “Not if the permission for accessing those records had been signed by a specific organization.”

  “What organization?”

  “The one Lann is involved in, Kat.”

  She went cold. Pulling her tea closer, she folded her palms around the cup.

  “Lann works for someone called Cain Jones,” Richardson said. “Jones is a powerful man. He’s well-protected. I’ve suspected for years that he’s involved in illegal operations. Jones’s company pulled your stats. Now, tell me Kat, why would Lann have been so interested in the DNA of your body?”

  What was she supposed to say? She couldn’t even fabricate an excuse or a lie.

  His expression softened. “I know it’s a lot to take in. I know you think you love him.” His gaze intensified. “All the more reason why revenge will be sweet.”

  She needed to get away from Richardson. She wanted to run from the brasserie, but she forced herself to sit quietly and appear calm. “Which newspaper?”

  He shook his head with a smile. “You know I can’t tell you that.”

  He wasn’t going to divulge more. He’s given her too much already. “You’ve made your point. What now?”

  “If you have information, call me. I won’t risk you by calling you again. Lann may get suspicious. In return, before we take him in, I’ll put you into WITSEC. If anyone suspects what I know, that you’re susceptible to his sperm, you’re an open target for any gift centered research organization.”

  It was as much as she could listen to. She opened her purse, but he lifted a hand.

  “Tea’s on me, darlin’.”

  She got to her feet and turned for the door.

  “Oh, and Kat?” When she faced him again, he said, “Don’t be too hard on yourself. They say he is rather good in bed, and hard for any woman to resist.”

  Ouch. That was a low blow. “Why are you so cruel?” she whispered.

  “I’m only cruel when I know I can make it better.”

  She trembled with pent-up anger. “Don’t ever think you’ll have that chance.”