Warhead (Blue-Eyed Bomb Book 4) Read online

  Warhead - Blue-Eyed Bomb Book Four

  © 2019 Amber Lynn Natusch

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

  ISBN-13: 978-0-9998841-6-4

  Warhead is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Amber Lynn Natusch

  Cover by Regina Wamba, at Mae I Design

  Ebook Formatting by Pure Textuality PR

  Editing by Kristy Bronner

  http://amberlynnnatusch.com

  Table of Contents

  More by Amber Lynn Natusch

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Author the Author

  More by Amber Lynn Natusch

  The CAGED Series

  CAGED

  HAUNTED

  FRAMED

  SCARRED

  FRACTURED

  TARNISHED

  STRAYED

  CONCEALED

  BETRAYED

  The UNBORN Series

  UNBORN

  UNSEEN

  UNSPOKEN

  The BLUE-EYED BOMB Series

  LIVE WIRE

  KILLSWITCH

  DEAD ZONE

  WARHEAD

  The FORCE OF NATURE Series

  FROM THE ASHES

  INTO THE STORM

  BEYOND THE SHADOWS

  The ZODIAC CURSE:

  HAREM OF SHADOWS Series

  EVE OF ETERNAL NIGHT

  Contemporary Romance

  UNDERTOW

  More Including Release Dates

  amberlynnnatusch.com

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  Prologue

  The ruckus above shook the building, casting dust down upon the prisoner until his black hair turned grey. Shackled to the wall with iron manacles and magic, he stared across the dark room to the staircase at the far end. The one from which the sound of footfalls approached.

  Weak from lack of food and sun, he stood on shaking legs, doing all he could to appear strong in the face of an unknown enemy that had undoubtedly come to either kill or claim him. Neither was a fate he relished, but without a weapon to defend himself, either was likely if not inevitable.

  As the footsteps grew louder, the pounding of boots on stone echoing through the room, a flicker of light from a torch illuminated his dank prison. Just before his would-be attacker rounded the wall, he saw the thing he cherished most sitting on a plain wooden table next to the stairs.

  If he could somehow get to it, perhaps he could escape.

  The shadow of a large figure fell deep into the room before the being himself strode in. He knew the intruder instantly, as well he should. That being was a warrior and the leader of the Patronus Ceteri, the sons of Ares, who policed his kind—policed all supernaturals alike.

  The intruder stepped closer. “Do you know who I am?” he asked.

  “You are Aniketos, leader of the PC.”

  The dark-eyed man nodded his confirmation, amusement ghosting his expression. “I go by Sean now, but yes.”

  “Do you know who I am?” the prisoner asked.

  Another nod. “I have my suspicions.”

  “Have you come here to kill me?”

  Sean’s eyebrow quirked. “Should I kill you?”

  The shackled one looked down at the state of his fading body. “Yes.”

  “What if I were to sever the ties that bind you instead?” the leader of the PC asked, those dark eyes twinkling with a hue of emerald green.

  “So you plan to kill the one who holds me captive?”

  “Yes—if he’s not already dead.”

  “What will you do with me once he meets that fate?”

  Sean eyed the prisoner with interest. “I could use someone like you—someone with your particular gifts.”

  The man strained against his restraints, a renewed sense of strength and hope coursing through him. “Free me and I am yours.”

  Sean smiled. “But then you won’t really be free, will you?”

  The prisoner’s eyes narrowed. “I will never be truly free.”

  “True. However, I can offer you the closest thing to it. It will either be me or someone else—someone who won’t give you a choice in the matter. Someone unwilling to ever let you go.”

  “Would you?” the prisoner asked, staring him down with suspicion in his hazel eyes. “Would you ever let me go?”

  “If that was your wish, then yes, I would. But you will not want to. What I’m willing to offer, you would never receive from another.”

  “No,” he said under his breath, “I would not.”

  “I ask only for your allegiance to the PC—to serve it in all capacities without question—and nothing else.” Before the prisoner could answer, shouting erupted somewhere above them; the desperate cries of someone trying to escape slicing through the silence. Sean looked to the stairs then back, any shred of amusement in his eyes gone. “What do you choose?” he asked, his tone demanding. It was clear this offer that would not be extended again. The prisoner knew what would become of him if he refused—death was his only other option.

  “Free me from this,” he said, lifting his shackled wrists, “and I am yours to command.”

  A wicked smile crept across the dark-eyed one’s face. “I need your name first.”

  “Atesh,” the prisoner said as the wails of a tortured soul rang out above. “My name is Atesh.”

  Chapter One

  The warm feel of his hands on my body as they slid down my sides was everything I’d imagined it would be. In the dim light of the moon, his dark olive skin contrasted every inch of my pale complexion as he slowly uncovered it, not stopping until I was naked and he was on top of me, blocking out the light entirely. I could barely see those hazel eyes I loved so much.

  My guardian. My confidant. And soon, my lover.

  After a hard road of evolution paved with death and destruction, we would finally be together—as we should have been long ago.

  My legs spread to allow him inside me and he wasted no time, taking my unspoken invitation withou
t protest. Muses had said that we were doomed, but nothing about the feel of TS was ominous. There was a sense of rightness when he was with me and I closed my eyes, letting the movement of our bodies take over my every thought, every sensation.

  His pace quickened until I found myself unable to hold on any longer.

  “TS!” I cried out, writhing beneath him.

  He grabbed my hair and wrenched my head to the side. “Wrong,” he said in a voice not his own, and my eyes flew open. Gabe stared back at me. “He can’t save you—nobody can.”

  I shot up in bed, sweat rolling down my face as I screamed.

  Nico was in my doorway seconds later, staring at me in confusion. “What the fuck’s wrong with you?” He looked angry as he took in my erratic state.

  “Bad dream,” I said.

  “Are you going to the bar tonight or not? TS didn’t do all that work to maintain your cover for nothing, Phira.”

  I glanced at my phone and cursed under my breath. “Yeah. I’ll be right down.”

  I grabbed some clean clothes off my floor and headed for the bathroom.

  “Need a ride?” Nico asked.

  “Nah, I’ll take the bus. It’ll be fine.”

  He grumbled something about public transportation as he walked to the stairs, and I raced to the bathroom, only to find the door closed. I pounded on it, cursing loudly, until it flew open. A towel-clad and still dripping wet TS stood there, poised for a fight. One look at me and that fight left his body.

  Lust roared through mine.

  “Hey, sorry,” I said, fidgeting with the mound of clean clothing in my arms. “I, um, I’m late, and I need a quick shower.”

  “I’m just finishing up in here,” he replied, looking at me with concern. “Are you all right? You seem…flustered.”

  “Yeah, I fell asleep and had a weird dream, and now I’m late because clearly napping isn’t for me, so…”I looked past him to the shower, then back.

  “I’m worried about you, Phira. You’ve not been yourself lately.”

  Unable to meet the intensity in his gaze, I pushed past him and turned the shower on. Astute though he was, he didn’t take the hint.

  “If you really need to have this talk right now, can you at least let me get into the shower first? Maybe close the door so Muses doesn’t roll up in here to take a peek?”

  His expression turned sour. “He wouldn’t make it very far.”

  I looked back over my shoulder and smiled. “Always got my back, don’t you?”

  He returned the gesture. “Always. Let me know once you’re in.”

  He stepped out into the hall, and I checked the water temperature before jumping in and pulling the curtain closed. “All good!” I yelled.

  The door creaked as he entered then closed it behind him, the click of the lock echoing through the tiled room for a moment before silence fell heavy. The sound of water pounding against my flushed body could be heard for what seemed like an eternity.

  I tried to pretend the growing heat I felt was only from the shower.

  “You were going to tell me what’s going on with you,” TS prompted.

  “I mean…I wasn’t planning to. That was your idea, remember?”

  “And you agreed to it, so start talking.”

  I poked my head around the curtain to find TS smiling at me in the mirror. “Man, you’re bossy today. Do we need to talk about what’s gotten into you lately?”

  “Stop deflecting, Phira.”

  “Fine. But I’m afraid you’re about to be disappointed because nothing’s up with me. Just haunted by my regular demons, that’s all.”

  “Figurative demons, I hope.”

  I swallowed back my rising anxiety. “Yep. Definitely figurative.”

  Yes, of course. Nothing literal about the not-so-dead farm boy running around Chicago—and your nightmares—threatening your life and the lives of those you care about…

  “Shut up,” I muttered under my breath.

  “I wasn’t talking,” he replied. “You were.”

  “Yeah, sorry. Nyx is getting lippy.”

  “As she so often does.”

  “Exactly.”

  “And what is her take on the conversation that you wish to silence?” he asked.

  I could feel her push against my control, and for a moment, I feared she’d overtake me and answer him, though to what end I didn’t know. Her laughter rang out through my mind as she relented, and I wished I could have pulled her from my head and kicked her ass right then and there.

  But that was impossible.

  “Nothing helpful.”

  Silence.

  “I see.”

  I quickly finished up in the shower then turned the water off. “Hey, can you throw me a towel?” One appeared over the curtain rod and I caught it. “Thanks.”

  Once I secured it around me, I pushed the curtain back to find TS standing there, his gaze fixed firmly on my eyes, his jaw clenched.

  “Off to the bar now?”

  “Well yeah, once I’m dressed. I don’t think working in this outfit would be practical.”

  “Not for bartending, no.” He handed me my clothes and turned to leave. “Shall I drive you there? Your father summoned me, but it isn’t a pressing matter. I have time before I need to arrive.”

  I thought about my dream, about TS’ hands on my body—the feel of him inside me—and my cheeks flushed. I feared if he drove me to the bar, I’d do something foolish. Something I couldn’t take back. I needed more time to figure out how best to navigate my feelings for him—and to learn his feelings for me—before I pulled a stunt like that. We were still dealing with the fallout from his actions at Alejandro’s party.

  I didn’t need to complicate things further.

  “No, I’m good. Nico already offered, and I told him I was taking the bus.”

  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see his expression falter for a moment.

  “Then I shall see you when I return.”

  “Sounds good. See you then.” He forced a smile before opening the bathroom door. It was almost shut when I blurted out, “and TS!”

  “Yes?” he replied, poking his head back in.

  “Be careful…”

  This time his smile lit his hazel eyes. “As you wish.”

  Chapter Two

  My ride to The Joint did little to un-fluster me. What it did do was give me time to ponder all the reasons my anxiety was through the roof, not the least of which was the man I loved and me being “doomed.” Things had been relatively quiet in Chicago for the past couple of weeks following the deaths of the Northside alpha and the Fight Club null who’d gone on a killing spree to avenge his fallen lover. Yeah, Jenkins had almost died in the process, and I’d gained a ghost named Reah who wouldn’t leave me alone because she wasn’t finished on Earth just yet, and Gabe was still on the loose and up to no good, but all in all, things were pretty calm—decent, even. And that could only mean one thing.

  Shit was about to go sideways.

  I walked into The Joint to find it already packed. Apparently, I was later than I thought.

  “Oh hey, look,” Jenkins called from behind the bar, “it’s the worst employee in the world. Thanks for showing up, half-breed.”

  “Suck it, Jenks. I’m having a rough night.”

  He handed a drink to some hot brunette, then followed me as I walked along the bar until we reached the end at the same time. I continued to the back office with him on my heels. He and his irritated aura hovered while I hung my purse and jacket behind the door. When I turned to go back out, he blocked the way.

  “You look addled,” he said, arms folded across his chest.

  “Addled?”

  “Flustered, flummoxed…”

  “I got it, Captain Thesaurus. Thanks.”

  “So what’s got you all worked up?” he asked, running his hand through his perfectly disheveled blond hair. Then his eyebrow quirked and he leaned closer, inhaling deep. “Oooooh, now I see.”

/>   “What?” I asked, leaning away. “You see what?”

  “Someone’s not getting serviced like she needs.” His amusement was plain in the smug smile he wore. “Still haven’t hopped in the sack with TS?”

  “Jesus, Jenks—”

  “I can scratch that itch for you if you need me to,” he continued, his smile growing to a grin. “They call it ‘friends with benefits’ for a reason.”

  “Except the benefits you get are me keeping your ass alive. You’re welcome for that, by the way.”

  “Nobody said the two had to be mutually exclusive—”

  “For fuck’s sake, Jenkins—”

  “Ouch! Jenkins, not Jenks—”

  “Nobody is scratching anyone’s itch—”

  “Apparently—”

  I let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re impossible. If this is my punishment for being late, I will never do it again, okay?”

  He covered his laughter with a cough, then threw his arm around my shoulder as I attempted to escape.

  “I’m sorry. I was kidding, I promise. I just don’t understand why you’re having such a hard time telling him how you feel. I mean, the guy is clearly all about you. It doesn’t seem that complicated to me.”

  “Yes, well, this from the man who snaps his fingers and panties start dropping. I don’t think complicated relationships have ever been nor ever will be your expertise…”

  I shrugged his arm off and made my way into the bar, a sense of unease still lingering within me. Jenkins usually had the ability to pull me out from under whatever threatened to weigh me down, but even his brand of humor had little effect that night. I was sucked too far into the quicksand to be so easily pulled out.

  Maybe a shot or two of whiskey under the bar would help.

  Possibly three.

  Thankfully for me, the place was busy and full of drama to keep my attention, which helped abate the feeling of dread swimming in my gut. As the night went on, my mood improved considerably, though I was still horny as fuck. That hadn’t improved at all.