Free Black and Shadow by Caryn Moya Block Page B

off the face
of the Earth. Couldn’t find a credit card receipt or driver’s
license. She’s gone. To do that in this day and age takes real
effort, unless of course he killed her, or someone else did. She
got herself into trouble as a kid. Drugs mostly, though she got a
couple of shoplifting convictions. Someone got her community
service for most of them. Must have had an in with the local
sheriff or the judge.”
    “I owe you, General. Tell Derek to
hurry up with that assignment you gave him. Kathy is getting
teary-eyed missing him and that ticks me off. Nobody hurts a Shadow
Walker mate, not even their intended.” He’d caught Raven’s
administrative assistant crying at her desk.
    “I’ll tell him, Joe. It shouldn’t take
too long. Tell Katherine I’m sorry, but she shouldn’t worry. He’s
safe enough.”
    “Good to hear. I’ll tell her.
Goodbye.” Joe hung up. He glanced at the clock and swore. He’d told
Jessica he’d be right down half an hour ago. Hopefully she wasn’t
mad at him.
    He made his way to the clinic and
stopped at the door to her room. Jessica lay curled on her side
sound asleep. Her brother’s file sat under her hand. Joe smiled,
glad that she got a little rest. Her arm would stay sore for a
couple of days.
    He leaned down and brushed her red
hair off her face before kissing her lightly.
    “Joe,” took form in his mind.
    “I’m here, sweetheart” he answered out
loud.
    “You’re late.”
    “You’re sleeping. Are you going to
finish waking up or should I let you go to sleep?” Joe frowned.
This wasn’t like Jessica. Normally she reminded him of a tiger
waiting to pounce. He hoped to make her purr real soon.
    “It hurts. If I sleep, it’s
not as bad.” She shifted to her back and
then sighed, her eyes tightly closed. His chest ached.
    “What hurts, baby? Should I call Dr.
Rick?” Joe began searching for the call button.
    “Fred.” Fred, not her arm.
    That was it. Joe picked her up in his
arms and held her snuggled against his chest. He sat on the side of
the bed. Rocking her gently, he nuzzled her hair. Then, he made up
his mind. He held her close while opening a door into Shadow with
one hand. Picturing his apartment upstairs, Joe entered the dark
dimension and transported them to his bedroom.
    The blast of cold made Jessica jerk in
his arms, but he held her tightly. With a wave of his hand the door
to earth opened and he walked into his room and sat on the bed. He
grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around Jessica’s chilled
form.
    “What the hell was that?” Jessica
asked, her eyes wide.
    “That was the Shadow Dimension. It’s
what makes my tribe members different. That little heart shaped
mark on your left breast means you and I are destined to be
together. Is it burning?”
    “How did you know my breast is
burning?” Jessica pulled herself up, one hand on her chest, but
stayed sitting on his lap. “Wait. What? There’s a mark?” She pulled
the top of her gown back and looked inside. “What the hell! You
marked me?”
    “No. We believe the Shadow Dimension
recognizes our mates and marks them when they travel through its
space.”
    “Through space? Dimensional travel?
Are you nuts?”
    Joe chuckled. “No. I’m a Shadow
Walker. Walking through Shadow is what we do. This is the second
time I’ve carried you through Shadow without claiming
you.”
    “Claiming me? Sounds a little
archaic.”
    “Making love is as old as time. I told
you I want you.” Joe ran his fingers against her cheek.
    “Because your dimension marked me.”
Jessica frowned.
    “No, I’ve wanted you since the first
moment I saw your picture. The call of a mate can be intense. When
I saw you standing in my office, and then touched you, my tribal
tattoo burned. Those were all the clues I needed.” He brushed his
finger against her silky hair and then turned to lay her on the
bed. He followed her down, taking her mouth in a kiss.
    “Say you want me,
Jessica,” he sent into her mind. He