Worth the Price Read online

  Three Weeks Later

  Despite the heat of Frank’s body curved behind him and those strong arms to ward off the cold, Lex still couldn’t sleep. The neon glow of Frank’s bedside clock read it was four in the morning. Only hours ago, they had mind-blowing sex. Frank’s injuries were almost healed at this point. The scar joined plenty of others.

  When morning arrived, they finally needed to face the music. Lex shivered. After Frank made that call, a team of operatives arrived ten minutes later. In moments, the apartment had been swept clean. Wicked’s corpse had been taken away and Frank was spirited away to a waiting private van. A tall man with pale hair and dressed in a black suit organized the entire thing.

  Lex expected to be shot on sight or something, buried in some forsaken place along with Wicked. The pale-haired guy who introduced himself as Mr. Eriksson and Frank’s direct supervisor warned Lex not to try and leave the country.

  Why the hell would he do that, he had argued, when Frank’s life hung in the balance? In the end, they let him stay by Frank’s side. They took Frank to the nearest hospital. The Organization had connections there too. Frank was operated on, given a private room, and no one asked questions.

  Once Frank woke, they were given a notice. In three weeks, they were to attend a meeting with Mr. Eriksson regarding the future. Hence the reason they’d been living like it was their last days on earth the past three weeks.

  Even if Frank spent the first fourteen days in bed, it was still heaven to Lex.

  “Can’t sleep?” Frank’s voice surprised him.

  “You either?” Lex whispered back, turning so they could look at each other face-to-face.

  Frank thumbed the slight bristles on his chin, not saying a word.

  “They kept us alive for a reason, didn’t they? Why would they kill us?” Lex didn’t sound confident by his proclamation.

  “I’m still a valuable asset, despite my mistakes. There’s no use worrying. We’ll see when we meet with Eriksson later on.”

  Lex fumed at that. “You’re more than that.”

  “You make me better,” Frank stated, making him blush, even now.

  “I’m glad you feel that way about me,” Lex said.

  They’d endured plenty together and his life had undergone a major upheaval. For one, they decided it would be best if Lex moved in with Frank. He had no arguments with that, because Frank had a tendency to not take his meds. Besides, he liked living with Frank.

  “I love you.”

  Shocked, Lex stared at his boyfriend for a couple of seconds.

  “Say something,” Frank eventually chided.

  “I—do you really mean those words?” Lex had to ask.

  Frank kissed him, soft and tender, but it didn’t fail to melt his insides. Lex lost count of the number of times Frank claimed his lips, fucked him senseless, or made slow love to him. He still couldn’t get enough. God willing, but he wanted to live and see what else the future would bring.

  “I love you too,” Lex said after Frank released his lips.

  “I know. I can tell.”

  “Smug bastard,” he mumbled.

  Frank pulled him into a hug. They didn’t say anything else. Lex still couldn’t fall asleep even when the sun came up and the alarm rang, signaling they needed to get up and prepare for their meeting with Eriksson.

  They made sure they had plenty of time for breakfast. One last round of sex in the shower before dressing up.

  “I feel like I’m about to meet your parents or something. I’m so nervous as hell, I’m sweating buckets,” Lex mumbled.

  Frank looked perfect in his suit, like always. He, on the other hand, looked like a wreck, despite wearing nearly the exact same suit and tie.

  “Don’t worry so much.” Frank helped him with his tie. “We had a good run. I still don’t know what I did to deserve a great guy like you. Anyone would have run, would never have stuck to my side the entire time I was recovering.”

  “It’s okay. You don’t need to make me feel better.”

  “I’m simply telling the truth.” Frank eyed his tie critically. “That’s perfect.”

  “Are you talking about the tie or me?” Lex didn’t know where that came from. At a time like this, he was usually apprehensive, riddled with worry and certainly unable to make jokes. Maybe Frank was rubbing off on him.

  With an extra half-hour to go, they bid farewell to Patches and left the apartment. In case they didn’t return, Frank made arrangements for a friend to take Patches. It was a twenty-minute drive to the Organization’s headquarters in the business section of the city.

  Frank killed the engine. Lex got out. The building was unassuming. The Organization’s front was a major law firm, but the firm only took up the first five floors according to Frank. The rest was the offices of the Organization. Some clients, Lex said, would walk right in. Others preferred anonymity.

  They stopped by reception. Frank got a visitor’s pass for him and scanned an employee’s card at the gate. They encountered several men and women in suits. Most avoided eye contact. One lawyer in his forties gave Frank a grave nod. The elevator emptied past the fifth floor.

  It pinged once they reached the twenty-second floor.

  “Ready?” Frank asked.

  Lex’s back was covered in sweat, but he didn’t mention that. They needed to put up a united front. The doors opened to a sleek and modern reception. There was no company name, merely the same logo on Frank’s business card engraved on the wall behind the reception table.

  “Mr. Wolfe, Mr. Eriksson will see you in conference room G,” said the perky blonde. The young woman didn’t look up from her desk and continued typing on her computer.

  “Thanks, Cassie,” Frank said.

  Frank gave his fingers a squeeze and led him past the couches. There was no one there save for an elderly gent in his fifties reading a newspaper. He wondered if the guy was an assassin too.

  They met no one in the corridors. Frank knocked on a glass door. Mr. Eriksson was inside, back turned towards them and facing the floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the city.

  “Over the past weeks, I was wondering what to do with you, Frank,” Eriksson began, finally turning to face them. Frank’s boss gestured to the chairs surrounded the long table meant to sit twelve. They sat. Eriksson sat at the head of the table, clasping his hands together while he regarded them both. A plain black file sat in front of him.

  “I’m surprised you let us live,” Frank answered, his tone matter-of-fact.

  “You were my student once.” Eriksson finally turned his attention to Lex. “I’m sure by now, Frank has told you about what we do. I’m surprised you haven’t done anything reckless.”

  He straightened his spine and looked Eriksson in the eye. “Why would I? I want to be with the man I love.”

  “I see.” Eriksson gave him one last speculative look, as if he couldn’t make sense of Lex’s answer, before turning to Frank. “Half the board wants you dead, to sweep the problem under the rug. The other half remembers you’re still our top operative. What will you do if we let you live, Frank?”

  Frank didn’t hesitate. “I’m aware of the tiny debt I accumulated when I killed Wicked.”

  “That was in self-defense,” Lex blurted, but he shut his mouth.

  He promised to let Frank handle the negotiations.

  “And after you settle that amount?” Eriksson inquired.

  “I’m announcing my retirement. I heard the Organization’s branching out to security.”

  “You are saying you’re done taking lives?”

  “Damn straight,” Lex answered.

  Oops. Frank only shot him an amused grin.

  “And what of Lex Page?” Eriksson inquired.

  Lex wondered for a second if Eriksson was some kind of robot, because the man hadn’t blinked once or shown any sign of emotion throughout the entire meeting. Then again, they owed Eriksson their lives. Frank’s boss must still feel something for his former student
.

  “I’ll keep your secrets.”

  Eriksson pursued his lips thoughtfully. “We’ll discuss your employment details on another day, Frank. For now, I’ll need you both to sign these forms. If you breach your silence, well, you understand we need to take precautions.”

  “I’m ready to take this secret to the grave,” Lex declared.

  He thought he saw the first hint of a smile on Eriksson’s lips. Oh, he knew nothing would be easy. Frank warned him about the constant checks the Organization would make. No doubt they would be closely monitored, but Lex didn’t care. After going over the forms carefully, they signed. Frank agreed to meet with Eriksson another time to discuss business.

  Lex couldn’t believe they walked out of the building without any harm.

  He twined their fingers together on the way back to the car. Their future was a rocky one. Lex never expected to fall for an assassin, and yet here they were. Frank unlocked the car doors. They got in and Lex turned on the radio.

  “Hungry, baby?” Frank asked.

  Lex loosened his tie. “Starving. I could eat a horse.”

  “Good. I have the perfect place in mind.”

  Frank started the engine and they were off.

  The End

  www.angelvoisen.blogspot.com

  Other Books by Angelique Voisen:

  www.evernightpublishing.com/angelique-voisen

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  BONUS SAMPLE CHAPTER

  WINNING HIS MAN

  Determined Mates, 2

  Angelique Voisen

  Copyright © 2017

  Chapter One

  Steve Doyle tugged at his tie irritably, uncomfortable in his rented suit. Sweat tickled down his front and back. Being in a church full of werewolves didn’t help ease his nerves at all, but today was his younger brother Tommy’s wedding day. The least Steve could do was be there for Tommy one last time. He could never handle social situations well, but he could do this one thing for Tommy.

  Abel, Tommy’s mate, was one of the enforcers of the River West wolfpack, the new pack that Tommy and Steve recently joined. Abel had proven himself capable, worthy of Steve’s brother, and Steve didn’t say that lightly. Since their parents died in a car accident, he’d taken the role of both dad and brother, although Tommy always joked he was a better brother than dad.

  The door to the dressing room finally opened, revealing his grinning brother. Just like that, all his irritation vanished. It was Tommy’s day, not his. Steve was an average soldier in the pack, and unlike his attractive and magnetic brother, he preferred to remain in the shadows, unseen.

  “Hey, baby brother. You look nice,” he said.

  Tommy really did. His baby brother practically glowed, looking spiffy in his midnight blue suit and bowtie. Abel, he knew, wore a matching suit. Tommy had picked out the suits and decorations, given Abel wasn’t particular about anything.

  “I do?” Tommy beamed, expression softening.

  It was quiet here in the corridor. Soft music played from inside the chapel, where everyone waited for them. Their new family. Gone were the days Steve and Tommy moved from place to place, hoping a wolfpack would take them in. Tommy always felt guilty no pack wanted them, because he was an Omega incapable of giving birth.

  Steve on the other hand, thought there were other factors, too. He was too plain, too ordinary, and looking for a pack sometimes felt like a job hunt. Roving forever wasn’t an option. Werewolves were social creatures by nature and needed packs to anchor their animals. Besides, he wasn’t that powerful a shifter. Someday or another, he was going to slip and someone might harm his brother. In a way, he was thankful to Abel, but he’d never admit that out loud to the enforcer.

  “Yeah, our parents would be proud.” Steve began to reach out to ruffle Tommy’s hair, but thought better of it. Tommy must have spent quite some time making sure every detail, including his hair, perfect.

  “Steve, before you walk me down the aisle, I wanted to say thank you for everything, for sticking with me during the good and bad times,” Tommy said, beginning to tear up.

  “Come on, Tommy. Don’t be overdramatic.” He teased him, taking out a handkerchief to wipe at Tommy’s eyes. “It’s your wedding day. Smile or Abel will worry.”

  “He will, huh?”

  Despite Abel’s tough physical exterior, Steve knew the enforcer was a softie when it came to his baby brother.

  “Shall we?” he asked. “We can’t keep everyone waiting.”

  Tommy nodded, taking his arm. Together, they walked out of the corridor and entered the chapel. Music started playing instantly. Guests turned in their seats to watch them. Not long ago, four months to be precise, Tommy and he had had no one—no friends or family to support them. Now, thanks to Tommy mating Abel and Steve successfully becoming a part of the River West pack, things had changed for the better.

  He’d thought joining a pack would cure his wolf. His animal wasn’t necessarily sick, merely lonely sometimes. As Steve handed his brother to Abel, he stood to one side, skin prickling. Emotions whirled inside of him. He’d been against Tommy and Abel’s mating at the start, thinking things had moved too fast between Abel and his brother. But maybe, all Steve really was, was jealous.

  Being older than Tommy by two years, he thought he’d find his mate soon. He always made excuses for himself, told the few interested parties he had responsibilities. In truth, no one found average Joes like him interesting. Steve was neither submissive or dominant enough, and no stronger werewolf had ever decided he was mate material.

  Why was he thinking such thoughts on his brother’s special day?

  “Cheer up, wolf. Your brother’s in good hands.”

  He nearly jumped at that deep voice, a voice that sometimes visited him in his sleep. Warily, he noticed Leon Mercer, the River West pack Beta standing next to him. He knew Leon was one of Abel’s groomsmen, but when did the big dominant Beta come to stand next to him?

  Tommy was the social butterfly and easily made friends and allies in the pack. Steve by comparison, didn’t stand out. He did his duties just fine, but talking to people tired him out. Sooner or later, they figured out he was not worth knowing. Most pack members knew him, greeted him by name, but that was the extent of their interactions.

  Everyone, but Leon.

  In contrast to Steve’s plain dark blond hair and hazel eyes, Leon was something to look at with his short, white-blond hair and sharp, icy blue eyes. Added to that, Leon was built like a linebacker, all muscle and grace. Leon was lethal, dangerous, and gorgeous. Any sane wolf with sense would stay away from the powerful and attractive Beta, but Steve wondered what it would be like to be at the mercy of such a man.

  In most packs, the Beta worked directly under the Alpha, but Butch, their Alpha, treated Leon like an equal, almost like a partner. Together, the pair worked like clockwork, running the pack with complete efficiency and at the same time, treating each member like family.

  Realizing Leon expected an answer, he cleared his throat. “I am happy for Tommy.”

  “You don’t look like it.”

  “Can we like, talk later?” he whispered.

  He wondered if Leon would pull the dominance card on him for mouthing off, but Leon merely shrugged. The Beta wore arrogance and amusement so naturally, he wondered what possessed him to like such a man. Men like Leon saw the world as a joke, except that wasn’t true. The more Steve watched Leon, the more he realized Leon wore his cockiness like a mask.

  “Sure, we’ll talk,” Leon replied, smile still in place, which only served to increase his uneasiness.

  Fortunately, the rest of the ceremony went on without a hitch. Steve kept his eye on Tommy and Abel, who only had eyes for each other. Unwarra
nted envy rammed into him at the sight of the mated pair ending the ceremony with a heated kiss. Cheers and yips erupted from the guests, and Steve shifted on his feet, eager to slip out and get some air before heading to reception.

  Tommy flashed him a smile, which he returned.

  “Photo time, all the family members, please go near the altar with the happy couple,” the photographer announced.

  Fortunately, after a few shots, Steve’s work was done. He moved to a corner and let others take their turn.

  Watching Tommy and Abel’s retreating backs, he realized the reason for his anxiety. All his life, he’d had one purpose—keep his brother safe. And now that responsibility was given to another, Steve felt lost, unsure of what to do next.

  Once everyone else started to follow the happy couple outside, he exited via the side door and undid his tie. Alone in the emptying parking lot, he took in a lungful of clear mountain air. Steve shut his eyes and took a couple of seconds to contain himself.

  What the fuck was wrong with him?

  Today was Tommy’s happiest day, and here Steve was, mucking about in the parking lot. Why couldn’t he let his guard down, have a good time for a change, and get to know his other pack members a little better?

  With Tommy a newlywed, Tommy and Abel would probably be busy settling into their new lives. If Steve wanted to remain in River West, he should rub shoulders, make friends as Tommy called it. As if it were that easy.

  Steve had always been awkward as a kid, the kid who found social interactions puzzling. After their parents died, he knew he had to step up and take care of Tommy. Surrendering Tommy to the foster system wasn’t an option. Pretending to be strong for his brother seemed easy enough, and the day would come he would no longer be playing a role but had turned into someone Tommy could rely on.

  “I can get through this day without breaking down,” he whispered to himself.