Fiercely, Lara fought, to no avail. The woman was taller than Lara’s five-foot-five by several inches and outweighed her 118 by a good ten pounds. But she was also stronger than she was big. Abnormally strong. Insanely strong. Inhumanly strong. A crazy thought, but one hard to shake as Lara struggled against the attacker shoving her up those stairs.
No matter how she moved or twisted, nothing worked. She’d gladly lose her hair if it meant freedom, but she wasn’t getting away from this woman without losing her arm—not an option.
Approaching the landing, Lara kicked her foot backward and tripped the woman. Unfortunately, they both tumbled forward, with Lara on the bottom. And since she didn’t have control of one of her arms, she smashed hard onto the wood floor.
Her attacker leaned close, near her ear. “We don’t want to mess up your pretty face just yet, so behave.” Lara’s head was jerked back, as her attacker yanked her up by the hair at her scalp, lifting Lara to her feet and shoving her toward the surveillance room.
It was then that her heart stopped beating, then that she saw Skywalker face down on the floor, unmoving. And then that she saw another woman, a blonde dressed in black like the redhead, standing above him. The Beretta flew through the air, and everything went into slow motion.
“Kill him,” the redhead ordered, and suddenly Lara knew who she was.
Lara screamed as the blonde caught the weapon, aimed at Skywalker, and fired.
The memory replayed with painful clarity, right down to the moment when Skywalker had been shot. Lara gasped and sat up. “Skywalker.” Her eyes settled on Damion.
“Lara.” His hand slid to her face. “Lara. Are you okay?”
Her hands went to his, and she struggled to grasp what was happening. “Damion?”
“Yeah, baby,” he said. “You scared the hell out of me.”
There were other voices in the room too, but she couldn’t make them out, not in the whirlwind of past and present washing over her. All of a sudden, everything inside her crumbled into one big puddle of emotion. “I remember everything. I’m Lara Martin. I ran a girls’ shelter where I’d once stayed myself, but Skywalker found me and took me in. He’s dead, Damion. Powell had him killed to get to me. He died because of me.” She burst into tears, a storm like she’d never known before, shaking from head to toe, and clinging to Damion, the strength of him all that kept her whole. It hurt. It hurt so badly to know she’d caused his death. Everything faded into that hurt, time fading away. All the while, Damion murmured near her ear, stroked her hair, her arms, her back. It was his voice, his comfort that finally calmed her, that finally eased the hurt.
She swiped at the wet mess that was her face and leaned back, remotely aware now that they were on the floor of the conference room. “Thank you. I’m okay. I…”
A biting pain in her hand had her gaze dropping to her palm, and for an instant, her heart stopped. There was a cut on her hand already healing from her GTECH metabolism, blood oozing from the seams.
Her gaze riveted to Damion’s face. “What did you do?”
“I love you, Lara,” he said. “I love you, and I couldn’t let you die. And you were dying.”
Anger, fear, and panic rushed over her. She had to go after Powell and Sabrina, even if it meant she died doing it, and now… now he would die if she died. Her fingers curled around his shirt. “I can’t believe you did this. I can’t believe you did this without my permission. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“Do you know what you’ve done?” Lara said again, shoving away from Damion and pushing to her feet. “Do you have any idea?”
Damion followed her to his feet, her rejection hitting him with what felt like the Mack truck of an emotional blast. “I saved your life,” he said, all too aware of a growing audience watching this unfold. “I had to save your life, and I won’t regret that. You don’t have to live with me. You don’t have to feel obligated to me.”
She made a frustrated sound. “That’s not what this is about. You don’t even know if what you did worked.”
“You’re standing, you’re fighting,” he said. “It worked.”
“So now what? You and I both die because of what Powell did to me? Damn you, Damion, you aren’t supposed to die because of me. Skywalker died because of me.”
Understanding hit him, and Damion reached for her, wrapping her in his arms. “Lara, sweetheart. I would rather die with you than live without you. I love you.”
“You said you think you love me. That’s a big difference.”
“I know I love you. Believe me. I know I love you.”
“You like me, and you didn’t want to be responsible for my death. You didn’t want the guilt. You felt obligation. You felt—”
“You’re right on at least most of that. I do like you, which is a good thing, since I also love you. You’re damn straight I didn’t want to be responsible for your death. But there was no obligation.”
“Duty then. Call it what you want.”
“You’re right. It’s my duty to protect my Lifebond, who happens to be the woman I love. So yes. It was my duty, and one I’m damn happy to live up to.” He framed her face with his hands and bent his knees to force her gaze to his. “I love you, Lara Martin. I’ll spend however long it takes to prove that to you. I won’t rush you. I won’t make any demands of you. I just want you alive and kicking my butt, while I try and win your heart.”
“Damion,” she breathed. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner.”
“Ah, you guys,” Cassandra interjected with obvious hesitation. “Why don’t we do the brain wave testing and see where we stand?” She motioned to the machine on a roller cart.
“We don’t want Lara to move until we test her,” Kelly said, stepping forward, her hands in her lab coat. “You can both sit at the table. We’ll make the setup work.” She glanced at the room full of men—Caleb, Michael, and Sterling. “You guys are going to have to give up the room for a few minutes.”
Damion arched a brow at Lara, and she nodded. “Yes. Let’s do the testing.”
He kissed her forehead. “It’s all going to work out. I promise.” Only his heart was heavy with what was still her rejection. For the first time in his life he’d not only fallen in love, he’d confessed it to a roomful of people. Sure, Lara was worried about his safety, but he didn’t want her worry. He didn’t want her guilt. He wanted her alive, safe, and happy—and he wanted her love.
Lara was in knots for so many reasons, she could barely process them all. After the initial brain wave test had been positive for both her and Damion, they’d moved to Damion’s apartment, and the tension between them was thicker than the concrete floors.
Cassandra sat on the edge of the couch where Lara rested and removed the pads from a third brain scan, while Damion stood nearby, hovering. “The news just gets better,” Cassandra said. “Damion’s test results remain normal, and Lara, every time I run your scan, you are closer to normal. The magic of the blood bond is something that never ceases to amaze me.”
Kelly spoke from the recliner next to the couch. “And now you are both alive and well.”
She stood up. “We’ll leave you two alone.”
Lara pushed to a sitting position, and her gaze met Damion’s, the connection spreading through her like warm sun on a cold day. She felt the pain in him. Pain he’d lived with all his life—pain she’d created. She felt it, knew it. This amazing, handsome, brave, and sensitive man didn’t deserve to be hurt. Tall and broad—bigger than life—he was the only thing she had worth living for, except retribution for Skywalker, and he didn’t know it. There was so much she wanted to say to him, so much she wanted him to know.
The door shut. The silence stretched until she started talking, making no discernible decision as to what to say or in what order. “My stepfather was a drunk who beat me. My mom didn’t stop him
. I ran away and ended up in a women’s shelter where some pimp tried to recruit me. Skywalker rescued me and raised me. He was afraid to, though. He’d lost his wife and daughter to the job. They were murdered by a CIA agent gone rogue who he’d been trying to haul in. He trained me to protect myself—to be as lethal as anyone who might attack me, and…” Her voice hitched, and she had to inhale and exhale to gather her composure. “And still I wasn’t good enough, or lethal enough, to keep him alive. So you see… that’s why I didn’t want this blood bond. I have to go to that press conference, Damion. I know it’s a setup, and I know that no matter how much I want to believe Skywalker will be there and be alive, he’s not. But I need to walk into that trap and turn it on Powell and Sabrina. I need to fight back. Skywalker would want me to fight back. But I’m scared to death. I want to be good enough, or lethal enough, to keep you alive. I love you, Damion. I love you, and I have to go after Powell. How am I supposed to do that now? How am I supposed to go after him and risk your life with mine?”
He was on his knees in front of her, before she’d completely finished the last word, kissing her senseless. Need overtook her. She needed senseless… intensely. She needed him.
“You aren’t alone,” he said, a full minute later. “Never again. I was willing to die for you. I’m damn sure willing to die with you. But I don’t plan on either of us dying. We’re going to go get our bad guys, and then, when it’s all over, I’m going to do my best to convince you this is home for you, that I’m home for you.” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go find Caleb and prepare our own trap.” He led her to the door, and she knew she was already home. She just hoped they both lived long enough for it to matter.
Damion and Lara were back in the War Room, joining a meeting already in progress, but this time they had a larger crowd than before that included Houston, Jesse, Chale, Michael, Caleb, Sterling, and Becca, who had every intention of putting her gifts where they could help.
“I tracked all of the shots the newscaster showed of Skywalker, and all of them dated back ten to fifteen years ago,” Sterling said, his gaze falling on Lara. “I’m sorry. I really don’t think he’s alive.”
Damion watched Lara straighten, her chin lift. “Powell’s the one who’s going to be sorry. I can’t wait to reintroduce Lara Martin to Sabrina. It’s going to be special.”
“I like you more every day,” Michael said, his tone as serious as a funeral.
Chale grinned. “Me too.”
“Add my name to that list,” Damion said softly, lacing his fingers with hers under the table.
“This press conference is a trap, Lara,” Caleb said. “You are clear on this, right?”
“Of course it’s a trap,” Lara said. “They’ll know I know it’s a trap, so they’ve got some spectacular plan, no doubt.”
“Don’t forget that we’ve got Becca,” Sterling said, pride lacing his voice. “Powell has no idea what her abilities are. If she gets close to a GTECH, she can put them to sleep.”
“A sniper can put a Green Hornet between Lara’s eyes from a distance.”
Damion ground his teeth. “Thank you for that ice-cold drink of reality.”
“Hey, man,” Michael said. “I’m trying to keep her alive. And your pain-in-the-ass self along with her, I might add.”
“This is Powell we’re talking about,” Caleb said. “She’s GTECH. They’ll try to save her and brainwash her again.”
“That’s what I think too,” Lara agreed, speaking to the group and then glancing at Damion. “I have to let them capture me if I’m going to get inside their facility and destroy it.”
Damion wanted to object, to say no, but he’d vowed to do this with her. “Then I’m damn sure getting captured right along with you.”
The room was silent a few long seconds, before Caleb said, “Then first and foremost, we need to teach Lara to use her mental shields. She can’t use them until after she’s captured, or they’re liable to suspect her Lifebonding.”
Damion’s gaze lingered on Lara’s a long moment, before he turned to the group. “I’ll teach her.”
“Becca and I are available to help, if you need additional training, Lara,” Caleb offered.
From there, planning continued for a good hour, before Caleb ended the meeting, by fixing Damion and Lara in a somber stare. “Stay alive, you two.”
The group adjourned, and Michael came up to Lara. “Don’t get brainwashed again. I like you how you are.”
She grimaced at him. “Don’t worry. I won’t forget how much I adore your cranky ass either.”
Michael let out a rare chuckle and headed for the door. Damion smiled. “Ah, the magic of that tongue of yours. Glad to see the return of your memories didn’t steal that away.”
She turned to him and traced his jaw with her fingers. “I’m glad they didn’t steal you away either.”
“Nothing is going to do that,” he assured her, running his hand over her back and molding her close. “I promise.”
“Except death,” she said grimly.
“I guess you didn’t get the memo. We die together. That means when you go, I go. And wherever you go, I’m going too.”
Her expression softened, the grimness slipping away. “How about I show you Virginia and my old hometown?”
“I’d like very much to see where you grew up.” He wanted to protect and love this woman. He’d go to the moon with her, if it made her happy. But he knew this trip to Virginia wasn’t about happiness. It was about the pain of loss, and that was the one thing he couldn’t save her from.
After they’d changed into jeans and T-shirts so as not to bring attention to themselves, with Damion by her side, Lara appeared behind a house to conceal their wind walk. They moved to the sidewalk of ‘Summer’ street, standing across from the house where she’d lived with Skywalker. She stood there, frozen in place, unable to breathe for the knot in her chest.
Damion stepped behind her, his hands on her waist, his strength and warmth radiating into her, comforting her. “That one?” he asked of the red brick beachfront, two-story house.
She nodded, unable to speak. Her mind went to the day Skywalker had died. She remembered pushing open the door of the house and walking inside, like it was just any other night. She remembered the warm summer air rushing in behind her, the salt from the nearby sea on her tongue as it was now.
“Hello, hello!” she called out and set the plate of cookies in her hand on the hall table. She kicked the door shut, setting down her purse and key.
She remembered pausing to look at photos on the wall, hearing the news coming from the living room television the moment she’d started walking toward it.
“Ms. Smith wanted to thank you for teaching last night’s self-defense class.” She cut around the corner. “She baked you cookies, though I have a sneaking suspicion this is her way of flirting.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing what came next, hearing Skywalker scream.
“Run Lara!”
Her eyes flashed open, and she took a step into the street, toward the house.
“Lara!” Damion grabbed her and yanked her back as a truck flew by, an inch from her body. “Easy sweetheart.” He enclosed her in his hold.
“I need to see if he’s there,” she said, trying to dart forward, only to have him pull her back again.
“He’s not there,” he said. “He’s not there, but I am. Right here with you, and I know what you’re feeling. You know I know.”
Her eyes prickled, and she held onto his arms where they wrapped her. “Yes.” He knew because he’d felt loss, and he’d felt the guilt eating her alive right then. “Maybe if I would have—”
He turned her in his arms. “Don’t do that to yourself.”
“It’s hard, Damion. It hurts.”
“I know, baby.”
At the sound of a car door behind her, she turned to find a van parked in front of her house, Skywalker’s house, wi
th a young couple and a child around ten years old climbing out. In animation they walked and talked and then disappeared through the front door. Gone. Like Skywalker.
She forced herself to turn away, rotating to face Damion. “There’s someplace else I need to go.”
“Take me there,” he said.
Lara grabbed the wind, ignoring the chance of being seen, but Damion didn’t complain. Seconds later, they appeared at the back of The Walker House.
“Show me,” Sabrina ordered, standing beside Logan inside a tech booth—one of many inside the Serenity compound. She was speaking to the human tech guy sitting beneath a wall where a huge screen displayed twenty-four windows, all with various real time shots of the Serenity perimeters, as well as surveillance sites. He’d called her and Logan there with the promise that Lara was on radar. Zach or Trey or something like that—she didn’t know the human’s name and didn’t care what his name was.
The human punched a few buttons and one of the windows moved to center screen, expanding to full-size with the image of a familiar house—the house where they’d made Luke Walker a thing of the past. The human rolled his mouse, and the screen enlarged further, the view expanding to show two people standing on a sidewalk.
“That’s not real time,” the human said, rolling his chair so that he gave them a look. “That’s five minutes ago.” He punched a button without looking away from Sabrina and Logan. “And that’s where she is now.”
Sabrina’s eye narrowed on the equally familiar location before she turned to Logan. “Be ready. This won’t take long.”
Logan gave her a lazy look. “I think we’ve established I’m always ready.”
Indeed, Sabrina thought. “Don’t choose now to let that change.” She was taking a big gamble on Logan against her best judgment. She was going to bring Lara back, reprogram her, and send her to the Renegades to destroy them. That was the best way to save Serenity. Make Powell and the program look like everything the government wanted and more—to seal her role as a leader of the most elite army of the world. That was the plan. Of course, it also included forcefully keeping Lara’s mouth shut. If Sabrina failed to make that happen—well, she’d just kill the bitch.