Zoe
Once we were out of earshot I turn off my com and Karai does the same.
"Well what'd you find out?" I step away from Karai and look her up and down, "And by the way you look so damn hot tonight."
Karai snickers, tugging on the straps of her cobalt blue camisole dress. "Thanks, I think Leo liked it too."
"No doubt, we've still got it." I grin, playfully bumping into her side, with my hip.
My friend reaches over and pinches my butt, "Mmm, damn right we do." She glances down at herself. Her thighs were slightly thicker and her hips a little wider than before, but then so are mine. "But I'll tell you two things, one I'm never giving birth again, and two we are getting too old for this shit."
We both laugh as we make our way toward the club we'd gone to the first night we met. My phone is ringing from the holster strapped to my thigh.
Karai's red lips purse as she raises a dark eyebrow. "You should probably get that, or we're likely to be remanded right off the street."
I sigh, "You're probably right. I just wish he'd give me a little space."
Karai's thin fingers wrap around my shoulder, "You almost died Zoe. You're lucky to get any space from any of us."
My heart flutters, "I love you too Karai."
Her cheeks flush, "Stop with the sappy stuff and let's go find my contact. He said-" She stops and points to my still ringing thigh then across the street, diagonal to us, "Answer that, I can see Leo trying to talk Raph down on the rooftop ahead of us."
My shoulders slump as I reach under my skirt and wrap my fingers around the phone. Giving the screen a quick swipe and tap I'm greeted with Raph screaming in my ear.
"Why's your com off? What aren't you telling me Zoe? So help me if you don't turn it back on I will-"
"What Raphael? What? Look I respect that you're worried, I love you for it, but you've got to back off and let me do this."
"What's this? What does that even mean? You're up to something I know you."
"I am. I'm collecting information. Well I'm trying to, but you've got to let me work and arguing with you on the street is not helping."
"Turn the com back on. Working shouldn't mean keeping secrets. Turnin' your com off that means your keepin' secrets."
"Maybe Karai and I are talking about personal stuff that boys don't need to hear about and maybe walking down the street is the only chance we have to do that, because we're never alone! You can see me. I'm fine, so chill out!"
He growls but does not answer and I glance in the direction of the rooftop he's watching me from. His hulking frame is shadowed but I know it's him.
My heart hurts for him, being restricted to the darkness. That limitation burns at him to the point I think he might burst into flames, especially when he wants to be by my side. I'm being insensitive to that blight and feel bad for it. "I love you Big Guy, you can see me and I'm fine. You know I can handle myself."
"What about your back?"
"It's not hurting. Now tell me you love me and hang up."
I wait a few minutes, listening to his steady rhythmic breathing that always soothes me, even through a phone.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Tapping the screen to end the call I raise two fingers to my lips and blow a kiss in his direction.
"I see him, up ahead!" Karai grabs my arm and I look to see who she's talking about.
"See who?"
"My contact, he's an old friend!" Karai drags me towards the line to get in the club, but bypasses it as she waves to the bodyguard at the door.
Both my heart and my feet come to a screeching halt as my eyes lock with the gorgeous cocoa skinned man Karai is talking to. He sees me too and stops amid a sentence I never hear the beginning of because he recognizes me. "Zoe?"
I'm silent, trying to stop my racing heart. Breathe. Just breathe. "A-a-Ansgar?"
His eyes warm like melted chocolate as a seductive smile crosses his dusty mauve lips. He motions for another bodyguard to take his place and steps out of the line reaching out to gently take my hand.
A massive lump rises in my throat and I take a deep breath to steady myself, "Uh, I'm afraid you can't touch me Ansgar." I tug lightly on my hand and his fingers slide across my skin sending a jolt up through my arm and down my spine as he lets go.
"Why not Beautiful?" he reaches a hand out for my cheek but I step back quickly and try to block Raph's view of me with Karai, who appears absolutely dumbstruck.
She thrust out her arms placing distance between Ansgar and me as she looks from one of us to the other. "I'm sorry. You two know each other?"
Ansgar laughs and the sound makes my body warm in places it shouldn't. I swallow then try to inhale slowly through my nose and out through my mouth but his bergamot scent drifts into my nostrils and my loins shiver right as my hands bunch into fists.
"You could say we know each other. We were made in the same lab. Weren't we Zoe?" His eyes flicker to cat-like golden slits before returning to their chocolate warmth.
"We shouldn't talk right here, we should move to the alley." I motion toward the corner just fifty feet away. Once out of the eye of the public I explain.
"A-a-Ansgar is a panther hybrid." I hold my breath and shake my head, tearing my eyes away from his steady gaze. "How do you know him Karai?"
My phone starts ringing again and I clench my jaw as I reach under the hem of my skirt for it. I tap to ignore the call, opting to send him a text.
Zoe: Everything is fine.
When I look up, Ansgar's shining eyes and slowly growing smile almost make my knees buckle. Shit.
"What else is under that skirt Zoe?"
He's flirting with me! No, no, no.
My phone vibrates again.
Raph: Really? Caus' it looks to me like he's comin' on to my girl!
I groan.
Zoe: I can handle myself.
"Is there a problem?" Ansgar leans toward me, glancing at my phone then hovering too close to my face.
Taking a giant step back I close my eyes, take a deep breath and try to control my animal instincts. Instincts currently sending blood rushing straight to my groin. "Ansgar, you need to stay back. My mate is watching you. And believe me when I tell you that you don't want to piss him off."
Ansgar stiffens, appears genuinely hurt. "Your mate?" he whispers, grimacing as though the word tastes bitter.
Karai shakes her head, "What the hell is going on between you two?"
"Nothing," we say at the same time and he steps out of my personal space.
Karai scoffs, "Right, I believe that about as much as I believe that Raph isn't being restrained by all three of his brothers right now."
My stomach twists in a terrible knot, knowing she's probably right.
"Never mind that," I look from Ansgar to Karai. "So Ansgar is your contact?"
They both nod and Karai elaborates while Ansgar's eyes rake me over and I try to ignore the flushed feeling that's completely overtaken my body.
"Ansgar used to work for The Shredder on occasion. He was on a-"
"Task force," I finish for her while trying to peel my eyes off Ansgar's beautiful chocolate skin. It was taught over muscle but looked smooth and somewhere in my mind I wonder what it tastes like. What? No. No. NO!
"How'd you know?" Karai's eyes shift back and forth from Ansgar to me, like a ping pong ball.
"He was on a stealth team of elite hybrids that I was vying for a spot on." I avert my eyes from Ansgar, trying to keep my focus on Karai, resenting the way my body responds to his very presence.
"Oh. I get it. Huh, small world," Karai huffs as she blows a strand of dark hair out of her eyes.
"I didn't know you worked for The Shredder, Karai." I comment. This small world could open a whole Pandora's box for me and Raph. I chew on my lip, hoping he'll understand but know it isn't going to be pretty.
Her eyes narrow. "I'll explain that later. What've you got for me Ansgar?" Karai asks, stepping in front of me to obstruct his view, "Besides the hots for my friend here?"
Ansgar clears his throat, "Right, the hybrids." He peeks around Karai, to look me in the eye, "King is leading them, along with a couple of henchmen, Teppo, Karney and Zeus. Do either of you remember any of them?"
My heart drops, crashing into the lead knot that is my stomach, "Yeah, I know them. They were on your team." Not to mention they are ruthless and very skilled fighters.
"King leads that team now. I'm out. I can't roll with the hate." He raises a perfect eyebrow as his eyes settle on me, "I'd rather be a lover."
Karai fakes a cough. "Right, well. Did you find out who they're working for or are they just assholes?"
Ansgar scoffs, "A little of both. They're working with the scientist from our lab Zoe. But the lab isn't there anymore it's in a warehouse by the docks now. King and his minions round up test subjects for their experiments." He tilts his head to the side, "What they really want is their protégé back, but since King's practically tore this city apart trying to find you and couldn't, they switched to just trying to replicate you."
"Do you know where on the docks? An address?" I ask. I sense Raphael right above me and know I need to wrap this up.
"Why would you want to go there, Zoe? It's you they want." Ansgar takes a step toward me and I hear Raphael growling before his feet hit the ground.
"Back off!"