Splayed on his belly, his short hair tousled, he traced lazy circles around her breasts. She raised herself on one elbow.
“Keep on cuddling me, Garrett, and we’ll never get out of this bedroom.”
“If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.”
She slid her fingers through his hair, the soft texture stroking her palm like a backward flow of water. After such amazing lovemaking, was this a good time to talk about the future? Her heart tightened at the thought. Deep down, was she capable of sharing him, of settling for being casual lovers?
“Listen,” she said, “there’s something I want you to know.”
He gazed at her from behind his long eyelashes and the words died before they passed her lips.
“Speak, my lady.”
His tender tone and loving features gave her the strength to broach the sensitive topic. She blinked once and opened her mouth. “What do you intend to do—”
The brief knock on the door cut her short. Shit! They looked at each other for a split second before he rolled away while she jumped out of bed. Raphael wouldn’t disturb them unless he had to.
She wriggled into her panties and jeans, the tight fabric slipping through her grasp as she fumbled to zip them up. Damn this pair of pants. By the time she pulled her top over her head, he was already dressed, minus the tie. How did he manage that? Hurrying, she slipped into her sneakers and laced them while he smoothed the lapels of his jacket. He stuck the tie into one of his pockets.
Pulse all over the place, she dashed to the entrance. While Garrett positioned himself right behind her, she flung the door open. “Raphael?”
“No, lovely lady. Not Raphael.”
The familiar voice prompted her to glance to the right, and the fear grabbing her guts vanished at once.
“Oh, my gosh. I don’t believe this.”
Sparkling blue eyes met hers as she stood rooted to the spot, but when Jake Cooper gave her his roguish grin, she extended her hand. He caught her fingers with grace, brought them to his face, and kissed the tips briefly.
“Long time, no see. It’s a pleasure to see you, Tracy.”
“I’m so happy you’re here.”
“Well, I heard trouble was brewing in the neighborhood. My Colts and myself are looking forward to being of assistance.”
“And you’re all very much welcome.”
Jake nodded as she took in his tight, blue outfit matching the color of his eyes, and the mean-looking guns hanging at his hips. He hadn’t changed a bit, still the handsome gunslinger from the Old West.
She craned her neck to cast a glance into the other secure room. Johnny slept, his small body tucked under the cover, his new guardian vampire reading beside the bed and watching over him. At least, all was fine on that front, so she moved forward to let Garrett come out of the room.
“Good afternoon, Jake,” he said. “I pray you’ve been well.”
The gunslinger eyed him up and down, grinned at the sight of his tousled hair, and cocked his head toward the tie sticking out of his pocket.
“I can’t complain, Garrett, although probably not as well as you. I see you still have a way with the ladies.”
Giggles rose up her throat as Garrett frowned and ran both hands through his hair in an attempt to sleek it back. How come they’d never been able to make love without someone catching them out? In front of her, the gunslinger enjoyed his teasing a little longer then got serious again.
“I came at William’s bidding. What seems to be the trouble?”
She sighed, stepped to the bench along her side of the table, sat down, and motioned the men to do the same.
“We aren’t sure, Jake. The immortal wants something from me, but we don’t know what. Where’s Dad?”
“He rooted me out in San Francisco, and then he planked me into his black machinery. He said he’ll be here soon.”
Great, because what would she do without her father? Before bitterness and anger swallowed her again, she focused on Jake.
“What about Jessica? How is she?”
“A little on edge, but fine. As a matter of fact, she became my wife last winter and she’s expecting our child.”
Despite the pang of envy prickling her belly, Tracy couldn’t help but rejoice in her friend’s good fortune. “This is fantastic news, congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw Garrett glance at the room where his son slept. He might be a proud father, yet he’d never get the chance to flaunt his happiness openly. Neither would she as her gaze fell on the gold ring on his finger. No, marriage with a lord wasn’t in the cards for her.
Unaware of the meanderings of her mind, Jake stared at her while he tapped the handle of one of his guns.
“Don’t be frightened, Tracy. I’m ready for that bastard.”
Wishing she could be as confident as him, she abruptly looked past his shoulder at the telepod door sliding open. Her father got out, his grave expression speaking of dangerous times to come. He walked to them without acknowledging anyone and placed a small flask on the table. “There we go.”
The three of them leaned in to stare at the glass container filled with a colorless liquid. What had he concocted now?
“What’s this, Dad?”
“The weapon to destroy the immortal.”
“It doesn’t look like much.”
“True, but appearances can be deceiving.”
Sure, and didn’t he know an endless lot about deception? Yet she kept her mouth shut as he sat down across the table from her, fished his glasses out of his jacket pocket, and glided them up his nose.
“This substance is a highly powerful explosive of my own invention. I can guarantee nothing will be left of the immortal once the product detonates, but of course it’s to be handled with care.”
Never one to turn down an opportunity to examine new chemical stuff, Garrett took hold of the flask and observed the liquid. “How does one trigger the reaction?”
“Heat works best, but as I gather the immortal won’t stick around an open flame, a bullet striking the liquid will do the trick.”
Silence lengthened while the three men studied the glass container as though Garrett held the latest version of the Holy Grail. Their time was limited, so couldn’t they find better use of it than to gawk at her dad’s new gadget? Rolling her eyes with impatience, she looked across the table at her father.
“This is all very nice, Dad, though not realistic. Do you really expect one of us to slip this object into the immortal’s pocket without him noticing?”
“That’s the part I haven’t figured out yet, but I guess so. Then that person will run for cover while another one shoots the flask.”
“You must be kidding me.”
“Do you have a better idea?”
Her father locked himself up in his study way too often. Somewhere along the line, he’d lost all sense of realism. No doubt his invention would blow the bastard to pieces, yet that didn’t change the fact that his scheme was utter crap. Their enemy wasn’t stupid, and he’d see them coming a mile away.
“Right, Dad, I think I have the best idea. Why don’t we simply walk up to him and say ‘Hey, motherfucker, would you mind holding this recipient for us? Thank you so much for your help’.”
“Language.”
The hissed exclamation came from Garrett, his furrowed brow displaying the whole intensity of his outrage at the ‘M’ word. In agreement with him, her father also frowned with consternation.
“The boy is right, Tracy. There’s no need for rudeness.”
“Not for you there isn’t. But Khrull’s never attacked you, has he? And he’s never put his fingers around your throat to squeeze you out like a chicken. Twice. So don’t give m
e any shit about my language. Neither of you.”
She watched them both in turn until they lowered their eyes. They really had to come up with a solid plan instead of bickering at each other. If the colorless liquid blew up the immortal, good for them as long as they found a clever way to conceal the flask on him. He wasn’t born yesterday, so the direct approach definitely wouldn’t work.
Unless . . .
She snapped her fingers and they all focused on her, their quizzical looks making her want to grin. “I spoke too fast, Dad. Your ludicrous plan can work.”
“How so?”
“We can’t take Khrull for a fool, but on the other hand he has an ego the size of a football field. So I’m thinking, as long as he assumes that we’ll give him what he wants, we stand a chance. It all depends on the bait.”
“Which bait?”
Although she was the only woman in the room, they actually leaned forward a little when she began explaining.
“The immortal won’t let anyone approach him unless the right person surrenders, and we all know who that is.”
“No. I forbid it.” Garrett stood up, his harsh tone piercing her heart. Coldness falling over his face, he riveted his gaze on her. “You shan’t go near him.”
“I don’t want to, you know. In fact, I’d rather stay safe and sound in the secure room, but I’m the only one he’s after.”
“Be that as it may, I’ll not allow you to endanger yourself.”
“That’s not your decision to make.”
She wasn’t a compliant British lady born in the nineteenth century, and none of his good breeding rules applied to her. Even if he had married her, she’d never have followed his orders anyway.
“Listen, Garrett, I’m touched you think my safety is important. Really, I am. But if we don’t deal with this threat once and for all, we’ll keep looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives. Is that what you propose?”
“Heavens, no. I simply fear—”
“I don’t want to be scared anymore. In six months’ time or next year or maybe in ten years, I don’t want Raphael to pop up on my doorstep telling me the immortal is coming for me, again. So I say, let’s put an end to this today. Whatever the cost, it can’t be worse than living in constant fear.”
“The lady has a point.”
As Jake sprang to Tracy’s defense, relief washed over her. If she’d convinced him, the others would follow. She didn’t vibrate with anticipation and she certainly could do without heroic deeds, but only a kill would set her mind at rest.
Next to her, his determined tone infusing her with courage, the gunslinger carried on. “Years go by quickly, and we won’t get any younger. What happens if that swine decides to barge in our homes when we’re old and weak? What if he sets upon our children or grandchildren?”
The thought of the immortal laying a hand on Johnny knotted her belly. As she moved her palm over her stomach, Garrett cast a glance toward the bedroom, clenched his jaw, and let out a deep sigh. “We ought to devise a flawless strategy.”
Emotion constricted her throat as he confirmed the depth of his commitment to their son. He feared for her life, no doubt about that, but he’d also take any action to ensure Johnny’s safety. Yes, he’d committed to their child.
Silent up to then, her father looked at him with a baffling shine in his eyes. “Are you sure, my boy?”
“Absolutely, sir.”
“Very well. In that case, Tracy will take the explosive when the time comes. I trust you and Jake will back her up.”
They both nodded, a wild surge of gratefulness and contentment abruptly flooding her. She might not have a husband in her bed, but she had two brave men willing to fight for her, no matter what. Although not a big talker, Raphael would also stand by her side to the end. He’d never let her down.
The tightness in her stomach loosened, her gaze shifting from her defenders to her father. “All right, Dad, what happens if the container breaks?”
“Absolutely nothing. This substance is lethal when ignited, but other than that it’s as harmless as water.”
“Do you have other flasks at home?”
“It’s a unique prototype, I’m afraid. I can make some more and they should be ready in three days. How long do we have?”
“Until tomorrow morning at best.”
All heads turned toward the source of the voice. Leaning on the doorframe, Raphael wore a dark expression. “I wounded Khrull badly, but he’s tough. He’s healing as we speak, and I’d say he’ll be here by two or three o’clock tonight.”
In unison, the three men checked their watches, and then Jake Cooper pushed the bench back to stand.
“That still leaves us about twelve hours. Not long enough for William to make more explosive but plenty of time to get prepared. Garrett, do you have any food lying around? I’m famished.”
His very basic request instantly lightened the atmosphere. With a nod, the lord of the house made for the front door. “I shall see to your request.”
“Thank you, my friend. I left home in rather a hurry, and all this talk of battle has made me feel hungry.”
Tracy observed Garrett while he crossed the room before he shut the door behind him. His anger and misplaced jealousy didn’t show anymore, but a new shadow behind his eyes troubled her.
He might be apprehensive about the hazardous hours ahead of them, yet a different kind of problem still bothered him. Something to do with her, she was sure of it. With so many people in the garden house, she probably wouldn’t get a chance to pull him aside and ask him what the hell was wrong.
Now he was gone to the kitchens, or to fetch a maid, or to ring a bell from somewhere inside the manor, and when would he be back? Her fingertips itched. The urge to get up and follow him gnawed at her guts. If she ran fast enough through the park, she might corner him before anyone spotted her.
“Are you listening, Tracy?”
The simple question wrenched her away from the powerful daydream gluing her to the wooden bench. “Sorry, Dad. I guess I have a lot on my mind.”
“So have we. Come on, pay attention.”
Keeping in check the sigh inflating her cheeks, she shifted on the hard seat and half-listened to him as he exposed various plans of attack. Unfortunately for him, she had no aspiration to become a military strategist and his technical rundown of the situation made her head loll.
Lack of sleep grabbed her limb by limb. She slowly got to her feet and moved toward the bedroom. “Carry on, Dad, I’m listening. I’m just gonna check on Johnny.”
Her interruption didn’t deter her father in the least, but the gunslinger’s tilt of the head and look of surprise did. “Who’s Johnny?”
“My son,” she said. “I’m sorry, Jake, I forgot to tell you.”
“Don’t mention it. This is wonderful news, and I’m truly happy for you. How old is your little boy?”
“Three.”
“I see. Well, Jessica will be overjoyed. Needless to say, I’ll take particular pleasure in congratulating the father.”
What did he see exactly, and how was he planning on expressing his good wishes without knowing the father’s identity? She wanted to tell Jake, but Garrett’s request of secrecy echoed in her mind.
She crumpled the hem of her top and raised her eyes to the gunslinger when he gestured toward the door. “If Garrett ever comes back with some food.”
Shit, Jake knew. How, when, why? Because he caught them coming out of the bedroom together? That instance had nothing to do with Johnny. Her cheeks warmed, but in spite of her embarrassment, curiosity won out. “Why do you assume—”
“That the father is Garrett?”
She nodded, the warmth creeping up her cheeks turning to heat as a mischievous grin brightened his face.
/> “My dear Tracy, it would take a complete fool not to notice you two can’t keep your hands off each other. Isn’t that how babies are created?”
Her father cleared his throat as though he’d swallowed spiky fish bones. She looked past him at the table, unable to sustain the gunslinger’s entertained gaze as long as her dad kept on hawking. When she felt a little more composed, she quit observing the wooden surface to concentrate on Jake.
“It’s funny,” she said, “because that’s the way I’ve always felt about you and Jessica.”
“I must say we have our moments.”
Jake winked and the awkwardness vanished, replaced by mutual understanding. While she was at it, she might as well inform him of the latest decision. “You know, we don’t intend to announce it officially.”
“Huh, let me guess. The lady of the house wouldn’t be ecstatic.”
Was he referring to Miss Perfect or the dragon queen? Before she had time to ask the question, her dad waved her away.
“Go check on Johnny. I need to speak to Jake.”
“Sure. I’ll be back in a mo’.”
Her father shook his head as she stepped back to let them talk. With large gestures, he began detailing the components and process required to create his new explosive while Jake appeared to be all ears. Either chemistry interested the gunslinger or he was even more polite than Garrett.
Her guardian vampire stood up when she entered the room, his fluid motion as always igniting her admiration. Why couldn’t she move through life so gracefully? She smiled while waving him down.
“Please, sit, Raphael. I just need to rest my eyes.”
“I can leave you alone with your son.”
“No, I feel safer when you’re close. Do you mind staying?”
“Not at all.”
They whispered for the boy’s sake although she’d left the door ajar and her dad’s voice reached them. Raphael lowered his lean body on the chair while she took off her shoes before lying down on the free side of the bed. With a blissful sigh, she put one arm around Johnny’s waist and let her mind wander.