Stolen Heart (3 page)

“Kieran…wake up.”

Kieran heard the female voice deep in his brain and tried to place it.

“Come on Kieran, time to wake up.”

The voice was getting louder.  Lying on his side, he opened his eyes slightly and saw the alarm clock on the nightstand read 7:03 a.m.

In a rush, it all came back to him…his incredible night with Ashley. He couldn’t believe he slept past 6:30a.m.  And now she was calling for him to wake up.  When he rolled over, he would show her the benefits of waking up next to Kieran Dunne. 
Crap.  Could his inner voice sound any more egotistical?

“Kieran.  I left a message that we would meet bright and early this morning.  Time to get up as I’ve got other things to do today.”  A hand smoothed over his back.

Bright and early this morning?
  That was the message that guy Marcus had delivered from Annika.

Kieran rolled over to look at Ashley. Instead, there was another woman lying in his bed… naked.  She was lying on her side, facing him, with the sheets pulled up to her chest.  Stunned beyond belief and momentarily freaked out, Kieran scrambled backwards, coming to stand on his side of the bed, staring down at the stranger. 

She was stunning in a unique way. She looked like pure innocence. Her hair was midnight black.  The kind of deep black that held blue highlights in the sun.  She wore it short, in a pixie cut, with soft wispy threads framing her lovely face.  Her eyes were pale lavender and he realized he had never seen eyes that color before. 
Must be contacts.
  Most interesting though, her left eyebrow was pierced with a small silver bar with a tiny ball on each end.  It contrasted well with the purity of her face.

“Who the fuck are you?”  Kieran snarled. 
And where was Ashley?

“Oh, come on, Kieran,” the woman drawled.  “After what we shared last night, I’m surprised you would treat me this way.”

“Ashley?”

The woman’s lips turned up in a quick grin.  “Are all men from Vyronas as slow as you?”

Kieran scrubbed his hand over his face in frustration, and then…utter realization.  “Annika Foss,” he said with a sigh.  “You wore a glamour last night.”

“Yup.  And it wasn’t even my best work.  But redheads do have fun.”

Kieran looked more closely at her.  It was the same exact face as Ashley’s, except the hair and eyes were different.  And the piercing was…hot actually.  He wondered if she had any others.  Her face was delicate, almost elfish, with high cheekbones.  Her petite, straight nose rested over those pouty lips, which set off her stubborn little chin to perfection.  Now he saw it clearly. He could imagine those red curls cascading around that same face. 
Dumbass.

Although, he should cut himself a little slack.  He had last seen Annika Foss when they were kids, and frankly, the meeting was so unmemorable, he really couldn’t remember what she looked like.  Besides, with someone that was as skilled in glamours, I guess you never knew what they truly looked like. Speaking of which.

“So, the way you look now…is that the real you?”

Annika flashed her straight pearly whites at him.  “My dear man…you could never hope to know or understand all of the mysteries that make up the real me.  But yes, this is the way I look when I’m not using a glamour.  Along with a few other piercings you can’t see right now but I’d be glad to share them with you later.”

Kieran had to admit, he thought Ashley’s look was smoking hot, but there was something absolutely ethereal about the way Annika looked right now.  He had never been one that liked short hair on a woman, but he had never seen a woman look more feminine and tempting than the way she did now.  Those light purple eyes were amazing and that tiny eyebrow piercing added just a tiny bit of toughness to her sweet exterior. 
I wonder where the other piercings are?

Despite her beauty, though, he was pissed she had duped him.  They had spent all that time last night having sex.  Amazing sex.  But they could have been conducting business.  What a waste of time.  Okay, he wasn’t going to go there.  Last night was awesome and he wasn’t going to regret that.  But still, why the dishonesty?  Yup.  He was pissed.

“So why the need to lie to me?”

“Don’t be mad, Kieran.  We had a great time last night.  I was just having a little fun.”

“Try again.  I don’t think you’re not the type of woman that does something just for a little fun.   You had an agenda.”

Annika’s eyes took on a devious gleam.   “So you think I had an agenda?  How about coming back to bed and I’ll fill you in on my plans.  And I’ll show you my other piercings.”

Christ, couldn’t he get a straight answer from this woman?  She was driving him nuts.  Plus, the invitation to come back to bed was all too tempting.  And he’d get to see the other piercings. 
Focus, Kieran.
 

“Let’s try one more time.  What was your reasoning behind last night’s little acting gig?”

Annika pouted her lips, but looked him levelly in the face.  “Fine.  I’ll tell you.  After you feed me.  I’m going to take a shower.  Order breakfast and then we’ll talk.” 

She then slid the sheet down her body and it was just as luscious as he remembered from last night.  And look at that.  There was one of the other piercings.  She had a small one in her belly button.  Another silver bar with a silver ball on one end, and a lavender crystal on the other.  It matched her eyes.

He felt his dick hardening. 
Just great
.  Kieran turned his back on her to pick up his pants from the floor.  Putting them on, he heard her get out of bed and pad over to the bathroom. 
Do not look at her, do not look at her.

“You have a great ass, Kieran."

Whipping his head around, he saw her backside briefly before she closed the bathroom door.  She had a great ass too but that woman was trouble with a capital “T”.  If he had his way, he’d leave right now and do this job without her.  There was something about her that was very unsettling.  She was clearly a prankster and loved the fact that she had tricked him last night.  But under that, he could sense something a bit darker.  She was too evasive for his liking. He would have to be on guard with her from now on.

Picking up the phone, he dialed room service and ordered breakfast.  Not knowing what she liked, he got an array of everything.  Eggs, bacon, pancakes, fruit, coffee, tea and orange juice.  Then he went to find himself fresh clothes and mentally prepare himself to deal with Annika Foss.

***

Kieran stood looking out the window of the living area of his suite.  The New York skyline was dreary with overcast skies and drizzling rain.  It soured his mood further.

“Mmmmm…this spread of food looks awesome. Thanks.”

Turning, he saw Annika taking a seat at the dining table that took up the left corner of the living area.  She was wearing the tight mini-dress she had on last night, and he knew for a fact that she didn’t have any underwear on. 
Focus, Kieran.
  She was barefoot and her hair was still wet from her shower.  She looked fresh, young and innocent.

After filling her plate, Annika started eating.  When she opened her mouth for the first bite, he got a glimpse of her pink tongue and there was another piercing.  He glimpsed the small silver ball briefly before she forked eggs into her mouth. 
Wonder what that would feel like while she was giving him a blow job?
 

Fuck!  Concentrate Kieran.
 

After fixing himself a plate, he sat down on the opposite end of the table. “So, you were going to enlighten me on the reason for the sexy librarian act…”

“Works every time.”  Her face held an amused grin as she shoveled a huge forkful of pancakes into her mouth.

“You do this a lot, huh?”  Somehow, that didn’t surprise him and it didn’t set well with him.  He wasn’t a prude by any means but the thought of Annika pulling the sexy librarian act on another man had him fuming.  That act was too special…too unique.  It should have been for him alone.

“Oh, it comes in quite handy.”

Kieran didn’t say anything and clenched his teeth.  He wasn’t sure he’d get an answer out of her, and frankly, did it really matter?  They had wonderful chemistry in the bed so could he really be mad about last night?  Maybe a change in tact would work.

“Why did you take a shower rather than just spell cleanse yourself?”

Annika merely shrugged her shoulders as she continued to eat.  “When in Rome…”

“So by your accounts then, every inhabitant of The First Dimension goes about pulling glamours to trick unsuspecting people?”

Annika swallowed her food and set her fork down.  Her jaw was clenched.  That clearly hit a nerve.  “I won’t apologize for what I did if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“I’m not asking for an apology.  I’m just asking why.”

Annika wiped her mouth with her napkin and threw it on her plate.  She settled back in her chair, stretching her legs out in front of her.

“I’m an empath.”

“You can read people’s emotions, right?”

“That’s right.  So when word was sent you wanted to meet with me, I wanted to check you out first, to figure out if you had any ulterior motives.”

“So you spied on me?”

“Essentially.  But again, not going to apologize. I wanted to know who I was dealing with and what your intent was.”

Kieran let that settle on him for a minute.  He couldn’t blame her.  She had left Vyronas a long time ago, an outcast to her family.  She went to great lengths to cut ties to that world.  Then someone from Vyronas shows up wanting to talk to her.  He could see how it might make her a little nervous.  He’d let it go.

“Okay, let’s forget why you pulled the wool over my eyes last night and let’s concentrate on the proposition I have for you.”

Annika poured herself a glass of orange juice and then stood up from the table.  She walked over to the L-shaped couch and sat down, curling her legs up underneath of her. “I’m listening, big guy.”

Kieran stood up from the table and walked into the living area.  He didn’t take a seat but put his hands in his pockets and stood in front of her.  “I’m not sure how much you know about what has happened in Vyronas over the last several years…”

“I’m aware of the war that was waged by Ava Clairmont to regain her throne.  I still have contacts with people from our AltVeritas.”

Kieran nodded.   That would make his story a lot shorter. 

“Then you would not be surprised to know that Ava Clairmont prizes the protection of our world above all else.  A magical object that she imbued with the power of protection has been stolen.  I’ve been asked to retrieve it.”

Annika did nothing more than watch Kieran with a bland expression on her face.  She wasn’t showing real interest, but she wasn’t showing any real disinterest either.

Taking another small sip of her juice, Annika asked, “So why are you telling me this?”

“Because I want to enlist your help to retrieve the object.”

Kieran was watching her closely and he saw a flicker of surprise in her eyes, and then it was gone.  Back in place was the bland expression.

“I’m flattered, but why me?”  She sounded bored.

“You demonstrated well enough last night why your skills would be useful.  Your ability to glamour will get us into places we wouldn’t ordinarily be able to access.”

Annika’s gaze drifted off to the window overlooking the skyline.  She was silent for several long seconds, and he assumed she was processing what he had just told her.  He started gearing himself up for the negotiation of her price. 

He had no clue what motivated her or what her needs were, but he was willing to pay a hefty price to get her cooperation.  The Clairmonts were sinfully rich and it was easy enough to exchange Ava’s wealth into American dollars if that was needed to convince Annika to help.  Whatever she said next would give him a clue as to how she could be bought.

Annika finished off the juice in her glass and set it at the table. She stood up from the couch and looked at Kieran.  “I really appreciate the offer, but I’m just not interested.  I wish you and Ava the best of luck.”  Annika turned to walk back into the bedroom.

Dumbfounded, Kieran just watched her.  He couldn’t believe she just flat out refused without even naming a price.  He followed her.

Annika was sitting on the bed, buckling up those sexy shoes when he walked in.  He wondered if there were any other condoms hidden in them. 

“You are just going to say no without even hearing what I have to offer you?”

She gave him a little smile and shrugged her shoulders.  “I really don’t need anything.  Thus, I doubt there is anything you could offer to entice me.”

Kieran was stumped.  He had no clue what to say.  Annika stood from the bed, both shoes firmly in place and walked up to him.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers in his hair. She pressed her body up to his.  Lifting her face up, she planted a small kiss on his cheek.  Then she moved her lips to his ear to whisper. 

“Last night was fantastic.  Thank you.”

Kieran watched as she walked out of the bedroom.  He didn’t bother to follow.  He had to regroup and figure out what to do.  He heard the suite door open, and then softly shut. 

Grabbing his grounding object, he decided a quick trip to Kestevayne to discuss this with Ava and Carrick was what he needed.

Annika Foss sat at her desk, running through some paperwork.  It was 10:00pm and the boom of techno music playing out in the club slightly vibrated under her feet.  The door opened and Marcus stuck his head in the door.  The music amplified by tenfold.  It was the reason she had her office soundproofed.

“Hey, boss.  Cindi didn’t show up for her shift so I called Tama in to take her spot.  Everything else is rolling smoothly tonight.”

Annika looked up at Marcus Grayson.  He was her manager and one of the few she could count as a friend.  He was also an ex-pat from Vryonas.  He helped her run
Itch
as well as her other enterprises. 

“Keep an eye on Tama. I had heard from one of the girls that she has been selling alcohol to some underage customers.  All I need right now is for ABC to bust us on that.”

“Will do.”  Marcus walked in farther, closing the door behind him.  He leaned back against it. 

Annika lifted her eyebrows up at him.  “What’s up?”

“Just curious how your meeting with Kieran Dunne went last night?”

“It went fine.  I got the information I needed.”

“And?”

“He wants me to work a theft job with him.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes, but I turned him down.”

“Why?  Your price would be high enough to really help out.”

“I know, but it’s just not something I’m interested in right now.  Plenty of work to do here.”

“Got it.  Well, let me get back to work.”

“Thanks, Marcus.  I’m just going to finish up this paperwork and then we have that job to do tonight.”

Marcus nodded his head in understanding.  “Sure thing.  Good luck tonight but then get some rest, you look like shit.” 

Annika gave a loud snort.  “You do know how to charm the women, Marcus.”

“I’ll see you later tonight as planned.”  Marcus left giving her a wave over his shoulder.

She was glad for the little diversion Marcus had provided.  All night she had been trying to concentrate on her paperwork but her mind kept drifting back to Kieran Dunne.  More specifically, to the amazing time they had last night.

She truly did intend to get near him just to read his emotions.  She got a clear picture while they swayed on the dance floor.  But the attraction she felt to him was so overwhelming, she knew she would end up in his bed before the night was over.

Although she had received a good read on his emotions while they were dancing, her empathic abilities were heightened beyond measure during the act of sex.  The fact that she took control, leaving Kieran with nothing more than the duty of opening himself up to pleasure, brought his emotions out in a tidal wave that poured over her.

She may not know specific facts about Kieran Dunne, but she had a pretty good picture of his character.  Her reading told her that he was honest and loyal.  He did not have any malicious intent toward her, but she did sense a level of menace directed at someone or something.  After he told her about retrieving the stolen object, she figured that was what the anger was directed at. 

She learned a bevy of other things, some useful, others not.  He was light hearted in general but would be dangerous when threatened.  He was winsome and had a soft spot in his heart for most people, particularly children.  And while she was the one that took control in the bedroom that night, she knew that he was a controlling lover on most occasions.  Actually, probably on all occasions.  She sensed that this was the first time he had let a woman lead him the entire way.  It gave her a heady sense of power.

Looking down at an invoice from her beer distributor, she managed ten seconds of concentration then her mind drifted right back to Kieran.  Cursing in frustration, Annika stood up from the desk and walked over to a small mini bar set up against the wall.  She poured herself a small shot of Wild Turkey. 

She wasn’t much of a drinker but once in a blue moon she’d have a shot.  Not for what it did to her but she truly enjoyed the taste of bourbon.  She loved the burn of it in her stomach and never drank more than one small shot. She didn’t like the way liquor made her feel if she had too much.

Annika took her drink and went to sit on the small loveseat that sat across from her desk.  It was very interesting that Kieran would come here to The First Dimension to find her.  She wondered how he even knew about her.  If she had to bet, Ava Clairmont was behind sending him. 

She thought she had met Kieran and his brother, Carrick, many years ago, but the memory was fuzzy.  They didn’t really stand out.  But she knew Ava well as their families were strong allies.  She liked Ava a lot and respected her.  It was the only reason she had agreed to meet with Kieran when word came through he was trying to contact her.  Otherwise, she would have never given him the time of day.

And now it seems she had given him the time of night too.  Her belly warmed up all on its own thinking about the sex they’d had.  Kieran was, she thought, the most gorgeous man she had ever seen.

He had the classic good looks and physically perfect bone structure that would send most women swooning.  And when his clothes were off?  Talk about a work of art.  She seriously did not think she could ever get enough of looking at the physical perfection of his body.  He was solid and packed with muscle that had rippled beneath her hands. She loved a man that could consume her. 
Get it together, Annika.  You turned down his offer--with good reason--and you will never see him again.
Oddly, that thought niggled at Ava.

She really needed to put this out of her mind.  Having the original intent of sipping at her bourbon, she took it down in one shot and set the glass aside.  Time to get back to the paperwork. 

***

Keiran walked into
Itch
and looked around.  Same as last night. Wild music thumping with half naked bodies swarming the dance floor.  It was a waving, pulsing mass of people.  He walked toward the bar but was caught up short when Marcus stepped in front of him. 

“What can I do for you, my man?”  Marcus’ voice was friendly enough but there was an underlying tone in it that clearly said they were not friends.

“I need to see Annika.”

“Sorry, but she’s indisposed right now.  I can give her a message for you.”

“I don’t think you understand, Marcus.”  Kieran stepped forward so they were almost chest to chest.  The move was not made in aggression, but so he could get closer and not have to shout over the music. 

“I need to see Annika now.  If you don’t take me to her, I am immediately leaving here and going to her father to let him know where she is.  I know, for a fact, that she has kept her location hidden from him for many years, but I have no qualms about handing her up on a silver platter if you don’t take me to her now.”

Kieran could see a muscle twitching near Marcus’ eye.  He could tell the man did not like the threat, but if he gauged him right, he knew he would do anything to protect Annika.  He figured his next move would be to either try to kill him to keep his silence, or take him to Annika.  Luckily, Marcus nodded curtly and turned his back to walk away.  Kieran followed him.

The short trip he had made back to Kestevayne this morning had proven very valuable and Ava had a ton of information to help Kieran.  In addition, Ava had a contact in New York that helped.  A former citizen of Kestevayne who preferred the hustle and bustle of the city over the quiet life back home.  He worked as a police officer now and was able to do a comprehensive background check on Annika that was very eye opening.  He had been busy all day today to make sure he could use that information to guarantee Annika’s cooperation.

Marcus led Kieran across the dance floor and down a back hall.  Opening a locked door at the end of the hall, Kieran followed him down another short hallway.  Marcus stopped at a door, gave a quick knock and stuck his head in.

***

Annika’s head looked up from her paperwork when she heard the knock. She had finally banished Kieran from her head and was making good progress.  She saw Marcus stick his head in the door.

“What’s up?”

“You got a visitor, boss.”

Annika grimaced and looked back down to her paperwork. “Sorry, Marcus.  I don’t want to see anyone.  You handle it.”

“No can do, pretty lady.  This one was very convincing.  You need to handle it.”  And with that, Marcus’ head disappeared.  Annika sighed and looked toward the door.  Her breath caught when she saw Kieran walk through.

Yup.  He was as mouthwatering as she remembered.  He was dressed in worn, faded jeans and a long sleeve black t-shirt that looked like a second skin on him.  It clearly showed the outline of his chest and stomach muscles.  The look on his face clearly said, “Gotcha.”  That irritated her for some reason.

“The answer is still no Kieran.”

“Please don’t make me have you eat those words, Annika.  I suggest you hear what I have to say first.”

There was a threat in that statement and Annika had a sinking feeling in her stomach.  She watched as Kieran walked over to her couch and settled in it gracefully, stretching those long legs out in front of him.  He leaned back and clasped his hands behind his head. He looked too relaxed by half.

“How did you even find me?”

“It wasn’t hard.  Public records are very easy to access.  Plus, after last night, the name of your nightclub made more sense to me.”

Annika didn’t know if that was an offensive statement or not.  She decided to be offended.  “What the hell does that mean?”

Kieran gave her a lazy grin.  “Just that I think you had an itch last night and decided to use me to scratch it.”

Annika gritted her teeth.  “I told you why we had sex.  It was simply to read your emotions.”

“Whatever.  I still need you to help me retrieve The Scepter.”

“The Scepter?”

“The object that was stolen from Ava.”

“So what is so important about this scepter anyway?” 

“That’s not important for you to know.  What’s important is that I need your help to get it.  And there is no doubt that you are going to help me, Annika.”

That was a threat
.  Annika did not like the way this conversation was going.  While she felt completely in control of Kieran this morning, she felt all that supremacy just slip way, like a palm full of water sliding through her fingers.  She had a dreadful feeling that he had found some means by which to convince her to help and that made her sick to her stomach.

“Go ahead and tell me why you think I will help you.”  Annika hoped her voice sounded strong and sure.

“I’ve come to learn a lot of things about you today, Annika.  You are quite the surprise.” 

Kieran paused, maybe to see if Annika would react to that statement, but she just stared at him as impassively as she could possibly muster.  But her heart was beating as hard as a jack rabbit’s legs. 

“It seems you are quite the philanthropist.  I never would have guessed.”

Kieran just left that hanging there and said no more.

“Your point,” Annika gritted out.

Kieran laughed.  “Okay, I’ll get to the point.  Here it is.  It seems you have quite an interest in helping people.  Not just any people, specifically abused women.  I’ve learned that you lead a non-profit agency here in the city called
Saving Grace
.  It is a secret, safe haven for abused women.  I’ve also learned, through careful examination of your finances…”

“My finances?” Annika fairly screeched.

Kieran held up his hand to stop her. “Please. Don’t even get offended.  Not after what you did last night.”  Annika held her tongue.

“As I was saying, your tax returns were quite interesting.  It seems you’re the main donor who finances
Saving Grace
.  Looks like after paying yourself a paltry sum of money to rent the crappy apartment above this nightclub, you give all of the profits from
Itch
to
Saving Grace
.  Which is a considerable amount seeing as how
Itch
makes you quite a bit of money.  And you give it all away.  I find you fascinating, Annika Foss.”

Annika felt a buzzing in her head. She was beyond furious that he had delved into her private life.  Normally in control of everything, she felt herself spinning.  And she still had no clue where he was going with this information.  Yes, it was all public record.  But the way he related it to her just now was threatening…manipulative.

“I can see you are wondering where I’m going with this,” Kieran said, as if reading her thoughts.  The amused grin on his face had melted away and now his eyes glittered with resolve. 

“I purchased today the deed to the building that rents to
Saving Grace
. It’s quite a nice piece of property. I can see why you chose it.  If I’m not mistaken, it currently houses 27 women, all abused in some way and hiding for their safety.”

Annika swallowed hard.  She realized her hands were gripping the edge of her desk so hard her knuckles were white.  She didn’t say anything.  

“If you do not help me recover The Scepter, I am going to evict
Saving Grace
from the property.  It would be such a shame to put all of those women out on the street….maybe even force them to return to their abusers.”  He paused for effect and saw that Annika had a look of stunned disbelief on her face. 

Kieran continued.  “Of course, if you help me retrieve The Scepter, I will deed the property over to
Saving Grace
.  It’s paid $3.5 million for it today.  That should more than adequately compensate you.” 

Kieran didn’t say anything further.  He watched Annika to see what she would do.  He hoped his threat had hit the mark.  It made him sick to actually make that threat but he didn’t have time to negotiate with her.  He hoped she did not see through his bluff.  He didn’t lie about purchasing the property.  He knew Annika was savvy enough to verify that.  But he was bluffing about evicting the women of
Saving Grace
.  He would never sink that low.  But Annika didn’t need to know that right now.

Annika’s face had turned white and he felt a small pang of guilt.  He watched her stand up from the desk.

“You are the most despicable human being I have ever known,” she spat.  “That you would threaten and put at risk the lives of innocent women, just to get what you want his beyond...”