She reached for her blouse, not bothering with a bra. There wasn’t time. No way could she stay here and bear the anguish of waiting. “I’m going. I have the ability to fight. You saw what I did to David.”
“David is nothing compared to these men.”
She reached for her shoes. “I’m going, Diego. If you leave me I will follow.”
* * * * *
She’d left him no real option. On the other hand, Diego knew the dangerous ground he was treading on. There was no time for debate, so he went with his gut instincts. The minute he took a step towards her, she backed up, clearly reading his intent. Perhaps even his mind. She had the ability to and he did nothing to block his mind. Marcella was his mate. It was his duty to protect her.
“You wouldn’t,” she said, a tightness to her voice that said she knew he indeed would.
“You leave me no option, woman.”
She took another step. So did he. “Diego, stop!” There was no time. He took two long strides and tossed her as gently as possible over his shoulder. “Oh my God,” she said. “No! You aren’t doing this. The blood is running to my head, damn it! Put me down, you beast!”
He grabbed the ties off the curtains. Beast. Yes, he was. Their leader, Mason, had always feared the more primal part of who he was. Diego wasn’t. He was confident in the human side of his being. And he knew it controlled the darker part of his being. “I am that and more, Marcella. Don’t test me.”
The bed had a padded board and nothing to tie her to. He sat her on the floor and formed a V over her body with his, easily trapping her. He pulled her hands in front of her body and wrapped them. All the while she complained and called him names.
Her hands now bound, she fumed. “I won’t forgive you for this.”
He gave her a hard stare. She squirmed. He needed to attach her to the bed. “The longer it takes me to complete this task the longer David goes without help. A minute could cost him his life.”
And those words calmed her. She stilled. “I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
“You forced my actions.” He looped the other tie around the bed frame but now he needed to connect it to the one around her wrists. “The only way I can be certain you don’t get away is if your hands go above your head.”
Her eyes went wise. “Please,” she whispered. “Diego, don’t do this.”
He moved her, not waiting for her agreement, his body still over hers. With her flat on her back, he pushed her hands over her head. And then he brushed his lips over hers. “You leave me no option.” He secured her, leaving no slack. “I’ll be back soon.”
Without another moment’s pause, he headed to the door. David was being tortured. The Arions were trying to force him to go to their side. And he was resisting.
Which made him a man worth saving.
Chapter Seven
Diego walked through the lobby of the hotel with a cool exterior but he felt the heat of urgency. And David’s pain played on his nerve endings like a low hum. Something he’d experienced in the past with others, but only when he made an effort to reach for a mind. David’s pain seemed to call to him automatically. It was a unique sensation he expected came from his connection to Marcella. He was quickly realizing their combined powers had created an evolution of sorts. Not only did she have many of his powers, she had her own. The way she had stopped David with her mind had been a shock. He had this ability but it was practiced. She had done it effortlessly. They had hoped her powers would allow her to develop the skills of others. He had no doubt now. She had much to offer.
The moment he was in the coverage of the woods, he disappeared into the wind and reappeared only a foot away from David. Both Arions snarled at him and Diego faced them, ready to fight. But with his mind, he reached for David, feeling his pain and creating a buffer to ease the intensity. Though he’d resisted working his mind powers in manipulative ways, he’d mastered the art of blocking pain.
The bigger of the two Arions hovered near David. “I thought you were here to see Grandma?”
He ignored his taunting question. “Don’t you have anything better to do than terrorize humans?”
“I suppose you’re here to stop us,” the shorter one said.
“Smart guy,” Diego said.
“But you’re not or you wouldn’t have changed sides.”
The other Arion added, “Or come here alone.” Diego extended the razors from his wrists in silent challenge. The two Arions started towards him. Diego’s time spent studying the Arions gave him an upper hand. He knew the weak spots of his enemy. With that came confidence. It didn’t change the fact he was outnumbered, but he had to survive for the sake of Marcella.
“Need help?”
Diego knew the voice to his left. Michael. His mind drew a picture, but his eyes remained on his enemy. Well over six feet tall, with massive arms and black hair that hung like a lion’s mane to his shoulders, Michael was potent in battle. And a nice surprise right about now. The Knights called him the Guardian Angel. Michael claimed all Knights as the Guardians of humanity. It had been Michael who had led the Knights caught in the Arion circle in an uprising. And it had been Michael who had helped the Knights’ leaders assume his power and accept the battle to come.
Diego focused on the bigger of the Arions who was now pacing from left to right in front of him, but he spoke to Michael. “Never did like to miss a battle, did you, Michael?”
“Mason didn’t like the idea of you out here alone.”
Diego didn’t reply. He saw the flash of metal as the Arion drove his sharp blade at him. Diego caught it with his own and then thrust his other arm forward only to find it blocked. He’d angered his enemy, making him curse under his breath.
Diego lifted a brow. “Not as easy to beat as you expected, I take it?”
The Arion made a frustrated sound and ground his feet deeper into the dirt. He and Diego pressed against each other, blade to blade, each forcing the other forward and then backwards. Finally, they shoved off each other. Diego and the Arion ended up bouncing backwards several steps.
Out of the corner of his eye, Diego saw the other Arion move behind him. In front of him, Diego’s adversary disappeared into the wind. Damn it, he hated…that shit.
Standing above David an Arion held a knife. His eyes locked with Diego’s. “I should just kill your man and be done with him,” the Arion said. The threat proved worthless when Michael appeared behind the Arion and shoved a knife directly into the enemy’s heart, killing him.
A quick sweep for the second Arion and Diego found him dead at Michael’s hand. Diego gave Michael a quick nod. “You made my job easy.”
Michael smiled. “Looks to me like you need your energy to play healer,” he said, inclining his head towards David.
And then he heard Marcella in his head. Bring him to me. He hadn’t expected her to be able to reach to him from such a distance.
I’m on my way.
* * * * *
Marcella heard the door open. She had mixed feelings about her current position. She was hot about being tied to the bed, but not as much as she had been a few minutes before. She’d felt Diego’s battle in her mind. And she knew he had protected David. A part of her knew he’d done it for her as well.
For now, she knew to put aside the whirlwind of confusion she felt. For now, she needed to help tend to David. But later she had things to say to Diego. Groundwork and boundaries to be set. She wasn’t going to be a pawn to his orders.
“Diego?” she called out. Even though she knew it was him entering the room, she needed to hear his voice.
“Yes,” he said, “I’m here.” He squatted beside her, releasing her ties.
The sound gave her a rush of relief beyond what was normal. She hardly knew this man yet she feared for him as if he was her family. She rubbed her wrists and sat up, concerned. “Where is he?”
He started to move away and she knew he felt a rush of some sort. But she reached for his arm, needing his touch
for some reason she didn’t quite process. It simply was what it was. Real and urgent. When she should be smacking his face for tying her up, she was compelled to connect with him. She hated her own lack of reason. And touching him seemed to connect her to what he was feeling. The mental path they shared expanded.
And with that one contact, she confirmed what she already knew… “It’s bad, isn’t it?”
Averting his gaze, he seemed to want to shield her from the truth. But she already knew. “It’s not good.” He pushed to his feet and offered her his hand. There was urgency to his actions. “Hold the door and I’ll bring him in. I need to get him out of sight fast.”
She swallowed and slid her hand in his. Pushing to her feet. The minute she was steady, he moved towards the door. Not giving herself time to stretch her stiff limbs, she pressed forward and reached for the door. She’d barely pulled it open when Diego stepped through the doorway. He had David in his arms and rushed passed her. And to her surprise, so did another man. Big, with long raven hair, the stranger followed Diego to the bed.
Marcella shut the door and locked it. Something about securing them inside felt necessary. Whoever this newcomer was, he was a friend to Diego. She wasn’t sure what that made him to her. Everything was too crazy. Too out of control. She really wanted to understand what was happening to her. To step back and analyze and meditate. But there was no time.
Diego was already leaning over David and she needed to focus on what was needed of her as a healer. She went to the opposite side of the bed and glanced at the stranger. He handed Diego several towels and then fixed Marcella in a look. “Michael, ma’am,” he said, answering her unasked question. “And I know when to stand back and let the experts do their thing.” With that said he stepped away.
Whoever he was he seemed to respect how odd his presence was to her. And he seemed to know she needed to feel some semblance of comfort to heal. He knew of her powers. How she didn’t know but he knew. She watched him take a position in the far corner near a window. He turned to face them. She stood watching for an instant and then turned her attention to David. With a little more of a comfort level for the people in the room, she could now focus.
“His pulse is low,” Diego said, pressing a towel to the wound that ran from one side of his chest to the other. He’d ripped the front of David’s shirt at some point, clearing the injury for examination. All Marcella could see was blood and tissue. It was a deep, dangerous wound.
She could heal, but from the inside out. She couldn’t stop bleeding. What she did was different than what David needed at this very moment. “He has to go to a hospital.”
Diego shook his head. “We can’t do that. We have limited time. More Arions will come for him…” Their eyes locked. “And us.”
“He’s bleeding way too much though.” She felt David’s weakness. He wasn’t in good shape. He played on her mind in a low hum rather than the loud rumble of his usual presence.
Diego lifted the towel and studied the cut. Marcella stared at the deep tear in the flesh. “What did they cut him with?”
For a moment, Diego looked as if he didn’t want to answer. His gaze focused on David and the wound. “Arions have razor extensions from their wrists. Like fish fins but a hundred times sharper.” He glanced at her and she knew her face registered her shock. Did Diego, the man she had been intimate with, also have these…things in his body? What were these men?
“I could stitch him,” Diego said, but his voice held doubt.
“But?” she asked, sensing his hesitation, trying to forget about the implications of what she had just learned.
David murmured and tossed his head. Diego frowned. “That is exactly my concern. He’s too alert. I have nothing for pain. I don’t know the extent of his internal injuries but I expect they are quite severe. The pain could send him into cardiac arrest. I think we need to clean him up and bandage him.”
“Won’t he need antibiotics?” Michael asked from across the room. “Sterling’s on his way. Is there somewhere he can pick some up?”
“Yes,” Diego said, but he didn’t look at David. “I know someone.”
Diego was staring at the wound. And Marcella could see the debate in his eyes. His eyes lifted to Marcella’s. “Let’s start with taping him up nice and tight. In the closet there’s a small black suitcase. You should find bandages and some antiseptic.”
She nodded, more than eager to help in any way possible. It didn’t surprise her he didn’t ask if she could heal David. Diego seemed to know her in ways that still surprised her. She retrieved the items he requested and then watched as he poured the medicine on David’s chest. Then she stepped backwards to allow Michael to assist. The two men lifted David and wrapped him tight before taping him.
Once the task was complete, Diego made several phone calls. “The antibiotics will be here in a couple of hours. Now all we can do is wait.” He paused. “Unless there is something you can do for him.”
She bit her bottom lip. Healing more than one person in a small window of time wasn’t something she had ever done. Just healing one person drained her completely. If Diego managed to control the bleeding, David would still need help. If she helped him, the little girl might suffer.
Marcella felt the weight of Diego’s eyes. “What is it, Marcella?”
She looked up at him. “I fear I have to choose David’s life or the little girl’s.”
Chapter Eight
Diego wanted to help Marcella through the obvious distress she felt. He closed the distance between them and pulled her close, hating the news he had to deliver. She could heal David but not the child. “Mi amor, we cannot stay until morning. It is too dangerous.”
She stiffened. “What?” The words came out choked. “I have to stay. That little girl needs me.”
“He is right,” Michael said. “It is far too dangerous.”
“No.” It was an immediate, sharp response. “I have to be here for this family. I promised.” She tried to pull away from Diego, but he held her. “Let go.” She spoke through clenched teeth. “You can’t make me leave. You keep trying to make me do things I don’t want to. This is my life. My way. Everything is out of control and I’m not taking it anymore. Stop doing this to me!”
“I’m not doing this, Marcella. Not to you. Not to David. And not to that little girl.” He paused long enough to let his words sink in. “They are. The Arions have motives we can’t control. If you die what good will it serve? Think how many children might not be helped. Think how many children might lose their parents to these monsters.”
Her breathing was heavy now. “How do I know you aren’t one of those monsters?”
It hurt to have her question him, but he knew she was confused. He stroked her hair, relieved when she didn’t fight him. She was his mate, and his touch would offer comfort even if she didn’t understand her reaction. Slowly, she eased into him. His heart twisted with emotion. “I wish this wasn’t as it is. I wish I could change how we met.”
She grabbed the front of his shirt, clutching at him as if she needed support. And he felt her mind peak with a rush of wild thoughts. Fears. Pain. “I can’t leave that little girl to die.”
“There simply is no option,” Michael said firmly, drawing both their attention. “Marcella,” he explained, “those Arions that damaged David came for you. He was punished because he refused to betray you.”
She sucked in a breath and Diego ran his hands up and down her arms. Michael meant well. He was giving her a needed jolt of reality but it didn’t ease the heaviness of the words. “I know,” she whispered. Then in a louder voice, “I could feel his resistance. I knew he was protecting me.”
Michael looked at her with his hard, emotionless eyes. The ones he used in times of war. But they weren’t an indication of who he was. Diego knew the honor and the heart that was Michael.
“I know this is hard,” Michael said, “but we must change hotels. The Marquee has basement-level rooms.”
“Wh
at does that have to do with anything?” Marcella said, confusion in her voice. Her tone lifted slightly, almost insistently. “The girl is coming here.”
Diego looked her with a direct stare. When he told her things he knew sounded hard to swallow, he wanted to her to see the truth in either his eyes or his mind. “Underground the Arions can’t track us. Just as you can sense things in people, they can as well. If they get a read on you, they can find you. It’s like a dog getting a scent. We aren’t safe here.”
“Even a hotel move is risky,” Michael said. “We need to leave the minute our backup gets here.”
Diego didn’t look at Michael because he knew he wasn’t going to like what he was about to say. “We move and then tomorrow morning we can bring the girl to you.” He paused, feeling the disapproval of Michael like a charge across the room. “And then we leave.”
She swallowed. “I don’t understand any of this. And…so we can stay for the child?”
“It’s foolish,” Michael said.
Diego hesitated. Michael was his superior. If he insisted on leaving he’d have to agree. But Michael said no more. Diego owed him a thank you. One thing was certain, Michael believed GTECHS were better off with mates. He believed it tamed them and kept them from their more animalistic impulses. If Michael felt leaving without taking care of the child would injure his bond with Marcella, he would give it consideration. Even more so, Michael knew Marcella might help their cause. To have her loyalty was important.
Finally Diego said, “We have to stay.”
Marcella’s hand went to his face. A silent thanks. “I still have to choose between the child and David. And I don’t want to leave.”
Michael started for the door. “I’ll step out of the room and arrange the other hotel.” His tone was clipped and tight with irritation. He might support Diego’s decision but he was going to give him hell about it.
The minute they were alone, he bent at the knees to look her in the eyes. “We have to get out of here. It’s a must. The sooner the better.”