“That explains a lot.”
“Explains what?” she asked, confused.
“I’ll spare you the details, but I’ve suspected the woman was after my ring,” he said darkly. “At least I know why now. I thought she was with the rebels.”
“From my experience,” Tara stated grimly, her fists balling on the table as she thought of her last encounter with Adrian. “He will manipulate and control any way he can.” Her eyes went to the ring and then back to Cullen. “Destroying your source of power as the leader of the largest Demon race on earth would certainly aid his efforts in taking over.” She let out a heavy breath. “Bottom line is this – Adrian wanted me to warn you about the Knights of White, to tell you they would deceive you. He wanted me to use the Hunter as proof.”
“And why didn’t Prince Rise simply tell me all of this?”
“He plans to, but not until after you meet the Knights' leaders. He didn’t want to risk you declining the meeting. He feels it’s critical that the wolves and the Knights come together to stop Adrian. Obviously, Adrian has the same point of view.”
Cullen didn’t respond. Again, he did the silent, processing thing. She could almost see his mind running through options. Without warning, he stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her with him. “Where are we going?” she demanded, keeping the table between them.
“To get your brother back.”
“How?” she whispered. “How?”
“Who better than a Knight of White to face Adrian?” he asked. “We are going to see the Hunter.”
***
There was no place for self-doubt in the declarations of promise and hope he’d made to Kresley. But there was a troubled feeling, a gnawing in his gut, that he could not escape as they exited the hotel room.
Dressed as tourists with matching "New York" shirts and baseball caps on, they paused in the hallway while Lucan latched the door into place and pocketed the room key. He handed Kresley a spare. Her red hair was braided, tucked neatly under her cap for discretion.
“If we get separated for any reason,” he reminded her, “return here and wait for me.”
“I know,” she said gently. Of course, she knew. He’d told her a good ten times in the room. To say he was feeling protective of her would be an understatement. He was ever aware of a fear of failing her. Fear was dangerous; it robbed one of logic. It made doctors doubt themselves, made doctors second-guess decisions. But no matter how he tried to push it aside, he feared for Kresley. It didn't matter that she had survived a year – correction, a lifetime–without him.
Nothing bad should happen to her with him in her life. But what if you aren’t in her life? came the voice of doubt. A voice born from his nerves over seeing the Knight’s leader again soon. What if, by negotiating with the Underworld, he had lost his place with the Knights? Lost his chance at heaven? Lost Kresley in the process of trying to save her?
She started to slide the key into the shoulder bag strapped across her chest, and he jerked himself to back into focus. He had to stay focused on the moment, on safety in the present, rather than on long-term possibilities.
“No,” he said, snatching the key. “Somewhere on your person in case you lose the purse.”
Gazing up at him with those clear, green eyes–the , summer-day eyes that held a innocent quality that never failed to touch his soul–she nodded and retrieved the key, sliding it inside her bra. Her chin tipped up, eyes sparkling mischievously. “Safe,” she declared.
If she was trying to produce sultry images of her naked body pressed intimately to his, it had worked. His groined tightened, but he ground his teeth through the moment. The beast wanted her – the man wanted her.
The Guardians could not have her. Safe. Right. He wasn’t sure he would use the word "safe" anytime soon. He reached for her hand and then led her to the elevator. Her hand was soft, delicate, feminine – and it calmed him in ways he had never imagined possible. She calmed him. Already the edge of tension in his body had eased marginally. Amazing how she spurred him to primitive demands and yet soothed him at other times. It was as if the beast knew when to lie in wait for its next opportunity to claim her, comforted by the fact her nearness meant another chance would come.
The elevator doors opened and displayed an empty car. Side by side, Kresley and he entered, and he punched the lobby button. No garage exit for them this time. They were walking out the main door like the rest of the "tourists," and if he was lucky, they’d make their way to the apartment unnoticed.
He leaned against the elevator door without letting go of her hand. It was soft, delicate. A contrast to the harshness of the circumstances they faced. They’d already begun plotting a trap for Cullen that they would enact Monday when she returned to work. The weekend would be about perfecting the plan and learning anything they could about Cullen and his wolves.
The youthful sprinkle of freckles on her delicate little nose caught his gaze. It was the only place she had freckles. Her body was creamy white perfection. He wanted a lifetime to explore that body.
“You have no idea how much I wish I could leave you here,” he ground out through his teeth.
She leaned her shoulder against the mirror to her right, and entwined her fingers with his. It was her way of seeking comfort with him, that "safe" feeling she’d expressed that he gave her, which he wanted to deserve.
“Oh I think I have a pretty good idea,” she rebutted gently, a hint of a smile on her pale, bare lips. “You’ve told me quite often the past hour or so. As you started to eat your pancakes. As you finished off my stack of pancakes. While you were in the shower. While I was in the shower. I thought for sure I’d distract you with an episode of House MD, but there you were, turning off the hair dryer, telling me to stay behind.” She smiled. “I’ve seen that episode, by the way. It was a very engrossing case.”
“I’ve known a few "Doctor Houses," and I didn’t like one of them. You don’t have to be an arrogant ass to be a good doctor.”
“What makes a good doctor then?” she asked curiously.
He’d opened himself up for the million-dollar question. “Caring enough to look below the surface wounds and find the truth.” The doors dinged open, and he held her fast. “You’d be safer here,” he said one last time.
Her eyes turned somber. “I have to go. I need my shot.” She glanced to her left, antsy about the people waiting to enter the car. “We need to go, Lucan.”
With his objections still intact, he allowed her to tug him to the lobby and then maneuvered her to the side of the front door. He did a quick scan, sized up the people present, familiarized himself with the room once again.
He opened his mouth to speak and she flattened her hand on his chest. “Don’t say it. Not again. I’m going with you. What if something happened and you weren’t able to get my medication to me in time?”
“The chances the apartment is being watched is high,” he said. “You know that. We are almost certain to have a confrontation."
“Got it. Understood. Let’s go.”
He grimaced and gave in. They started walking toward the door, but he wasn’t pleased. “I don’t know why I let you talk me into putting you in danger,” he murmured for her ears only but mostly to himself. He inclined his head at the doorman a moment before the cool morning air swept across his face. Then, “I should never have let you go back to work yesterday as it was. Not after we were attacked by wolves, and they followed us to your apartment.”
“We needed the book,” she reminded him shortly. “And now we have it.”
They crossed the street in the midst of about twenty other people and entered the subway stairwell as they’d discussed before leaving the room. The subway kept them off the main streets, and less likely to be noticed.
“A book we can’t read so it does us no good,” he said, cutting to the left to buy travel passes. He stuck a credit card in the machine.
“It might be of use to the Knights later,” she reminded him. “They ne
ed to know what the Underworld is saying about them.” She eyed his American Express card. She bit her bottom lip. “That hotel. It’s very expensive. Should we move somewhere cheaper?”
“Exactly why it’s an unlikely place to look for us.” He shoved the card back in his wallet and handed her a metro pass. “And it’s well-secured.”
“Yes, but—"
He cut her off by reaching for her. “Stop worrying,” he said wrapping his arms around her waist. “I have more money than King Henry probably had sitting around drawing interest. Well, more money than he had of his own.” He kissed her forehead. “Focus on staying alive. Okay?”
She nodded. “Yes. Okay.” They started walking toward the gates. Slid their passes and entered. She linked her arm with his, a sign she already felt comfortable that he did not miss. It warmed him and scared the hell out of him at the same time. Don’t let her down. He pointed to the stairwell they needed, and they headed toward the tunnel.
“Did you know King Henry?” she asked, as they double-stepped the concrete stairs.
He smiled. “I’m not that old,” he said as they stopped in front of the empty track. Only a few people milled around. One on a bench, another on the stairs. “But like Cullen, it appears I’ve spent my share of time studying religion. The Henry the VII time period was greatly immersed in the history of the church.”
“I know that history, actually,” she said. “There were those within the church who were corrupted by power. But it’s hard to swallow stories about someone from the church being corrupted.”
“The Watchers were Angels that came to earth and fell to human temptations,” he said. “Why not a human?” He grimaced. “Exactly why I don’t care what that Seer said about good and bad in all beings. Demons start out evil. They certainly aren’t going to end up pure of heart.”
The track started to shake, adistant headlight appearing in the dark tunnel before the train rushed into view. “Here we go,” he said, his hand going to her back as the train pulled to a stop, the doors opening with a swoosh. Several people rushed off before they entered the nearly vacant car and sat down side by side.
He looked down to see her holding her arm, rubbing the sensor. Frowning, Lucan took her arm, studied the unchanged mark. “Is it causing you pain?”
“No,” she said, her lips thinned, lines of worry etched in her delicate features. “I . . . I don’t want to miss the shot and hurt anyone.”
He couldn’t imagine what it felt like to fear such a thing, to be afraid of setting the building you were standing in on fire. If they got through this, he would find a way to permanently fix the genetic code that caused this in her . Not if. When. Damn it, he had to think that way. If he didn’t, how would she?
“Two exits to medicina,” he told her softly, using the Spanish word for medicine in hope of a smile.
She rewarded him and gave him that smile, but barely. “Medicina?”
“Practicing my Texas vocabulary for the return to the ranch. Medicina. Ya’ll. Fixen.” He kissed her hand. “What slang word am I forgetting?”
She blinked. Blinked again. “We’re a long ways from Texas,” she whispered, and cut her gaze with a sharpness that spoke a million words. She wasn’t sure she was returning to the ranch, wasn’t sure she’d be free from the Guardians.
He slid a finger under her chin, drew her gaze to his. “We’ll be there in no time,” he vowed. “You and me. Under a Texas sky. Hot as Hades and loving every minute of it.”
She didn’t look convinced. Didn’t try to smile. “Okay,” she said, nothing more. Her fingers still rested on that mark on her arm, fear still lanced the irises of her eyes. She wasn’t going to relax until she had that injection, nor was she going to want to hear one word about hope.
Reluctantly, he accepted this and released her chin. They might be two stops from her "medicina," but she was much further from healing the wounds that her fire had created. Lucan had to find a way to take her home, to make her believe she had a real home, a place where she belonged, a place she was accepted. Because it was clear she’d never felt that – never once in her life. What must that be like? He didn’t know and he didn’t want her to know.
He couldn’t erase the past, but damn it, he was going to find Kresley the bright future she deserved. Which meant they had to find a way to free themselves from the Guardians. The Knights would help. He would simply have to find a way to convince them that he was worthy of their trust, starting with getting that ring, and protecting his brothers-in-arms.
First things first, though – the injection to calm Kresley’s immediate fears. And getting past whatever might be waiting for them at that apartment.
Chapter Nineteen
Making love to Lucan was the most amazing experience of her life. Probably not the most opportune thought to be having as Lucan and she walked the last block to her apartment but there it was. But when she’d tried to find something to focus on aside from the fears of not getting her shot in time, that’s what had come to her. Fear, she told herself, was illogical. After all, they were almost to the apartment, and she had hours left. It would work out. It would be fine. The syringes would be where she had left them. Please let the syringes be where she left them.
She glanced at Lucan from the corner of her eye. His focus was on scanning the area, alert with that predatory edge she was coming to know – both in and out of bed.
Lucan’s hand went to her arm, and he drew her to attention. “We’re going in through the front door.”
Was he nuts? “The wolves will see us.”
His expression didn’t change. It remained a mask of sexy, hard-edged determination. He reached for the phone hanging on his belt.
“Your neighbor found his wife with another man, and he has a gun.”
Her eyes went wide. “What?”
“That’s the story for 911,” he told her.
She quickly objected. “No. Lucan. That’s insane.” He punched 911. “Oh my God!”
He shoved the phone to her mouth right as the operator answered. The operator heard her exclamation and immediately started drilling Kresley with questions. Kresley grimaced and spouted off a rambling mess of nearly incoherent words about her neighbor. The operator promised help immediately, and Lucan appeared pleased with her performance.
She handed him the phone. “I really hated doing that.”
He replaced the phone on his belt, grabbed her, and started walking. “Let’s go,” he said.
“But the emergency people aren’t here yet,” she pointed out, as they crossed the street, and she was forced to double-step to keep up.
“Right. We want to be in the building before they seal it off.”
“Oh." Very smart. She hoped. Since they were already in front of the door. She punched in the code, and the door buzzed open. Lucan went before her up the narrow stairwell.
Ahead of her, he reached the top of the stairs and mumbled a curse. That pretty much told her she wasn’t going to like what she found when she joined him. Kresley’s heart raced as she stepped around Lucan on the landing and brought the door into view. It was cracked open.
“Stay here,” Lucan ordered, already cautiously inching toward the door.
Not happening. She was on his heels. He had no weapon. If ever there was a time that she was aware of her fire, she was living that time.
Lucan entered the apartment, and she quickly followed.
“Oh no,” she croaked, bringing the mess into view. Someone had tossed the place and in a big way. The couch was gutted, and what carpet she'd had was sliced from wall to wall. “What the heck were they looking for?”
Lucan snagged the sword laying on top the sofa, obviously used for the destruction, arming himself for a potential struggle. “My injections,” she said, rushing toward her bedroom.
“Not until I check it,” Lucan countered, quickly shackling her arm and halting her progress. And in the nick of time. Kresley’s mouth dropped open as Cullen appeared in the doorway.
r /> “Cullen?” she gaped, but she had barely spoken the word when Lucan grabbed him, shoved him against the wall and swiped the blade through the air, holding it at his throat. His hat fell to the floor, his hair barely clasped at the neck – wild like his actions.
Fear and adrenaline shot through Kresley’s body, her racing heart, ready to explode through her chest. Was Lucan insane? They didn't know the exact powers that Cullen possessed with that ring. Oh God. Were the Guardians controlling him? Was he going to kill Cullen – or try?
She screamed. Not the best strategy, but the most readily available,, “Lucan! No! The ring! Be careful!”
Cullen’s eyes riveted to Kresley. “So you do know about the ring,” he said. It wasn’t a question
Lucan countered, “And we know your ring is no match for Kresley’s fire.”
Right. Good point. However, his fingers flexing on the hand wearing the ring seemed to be a sign he wasn’t buying it. More a sign he planned to attack. Another jolt of adrenaline darted through her body. She had to convince him she was the more powerful of the two of them, though she wasn’t one hundred percent sure it was true.
Calling on lightly practiced skill, praying it worked, she held out her hand and willed fire to appear. A ball materialized, floating above her palm. Oh thank you, yes, she did it!
She glared at Cullen, confidence growing, her warning proudly displayed in her hand. “Stop doing whatever you are doing with that ring.”
“No!” came a sudden exclamation as a dark-haired female appeared in the doorway of the bedroom and did a gaping double take of Kresley’s fire-filled hand. “Please! Everyone, please. We didn’t come here to hurt anyone. We found the apartment like this. We came to talk.” She looked at Lucan. “I am Tara, from the third Moon Coven, a member of a Peace Council of nonhumans who have recruited Cullen to aid our efforts against Adrian. We know you’re a Knight of White. And we know Adrian holds you captive. What you don’t know is that he’s using you to destroy both the wolves and the Knights of White.” The woman’s voice lowered. “Please. Adrian has my brother. He is going to kill him because I am here warning you. Do not make it for nothing. Do not give him what he wants.”