“Hey, I keep everyone safe. Remember? Me against the darkness. All by myself.” Dani said the words with breezy confidence, but knowing Vincent and Eric were in danger kept them from feeling true.
“But this time you can’t. It’ll take you, swallow you and spit you back out as part of itself. And the darkness will swallow the earth.” Gwen traced the lines of her drawing. “You need him. He has the light.”
Dani looked down and saw Michael’s face staring back up at her. He was smiling, his long hair raked back from his temples. She couldn’t help brushing her fingers along the edge of the drawing. Only a little while until she met him again and had to face the mess of conflicting emotions churning in her heart. “What do you know about him?”
“Me? Absolutely nothing. Except that you need him. Otherwise the darkness swallows everything.” Gwen tore the page out of her book and thrust it at her.
“He’s cute, a real-life white knight. Wants me to save the girl, be a hero.” Dani rolled her eyes. “As if that ever works out.”
“Put it all in little frames with little words. Keep it safe on the page. You have to believe me, Dani. I could be clearer, but then I wouldn’t be able to see.”
“I know.” Tender concern for her sister’s feelings swallowed her irritation. Everyone wanted her to be something she couldn’t be. Her parents wanted a priestess; Michael wanted a hero. All she wanted was a chance to be herself. Is that too much to ask?
Gwen’s outburst had exhausted her. She curled up, the charcoal and pad thudding softly on the floor. Dani tucked her into bed and blew out the majority of the candles. Picking up the torn page, she smoothed the rough edges with her fingers. You need him, Gwen had insisted. The Huntress coiled at the base of her spine, tongue flickering with hunger. Its evident interest in Michael left Dani chilled. Maybe she needed him. But would he survive long enough to regret meeting her?
Chapter Sixteen
Standing in the parking lot, Dani stared at the brightly painted building and felt more naked than she’d ever been on stage. Children were scattered across the fenced-in yard, playing with toys or climbing on equipment, each with an adult in tow. Everything about the center had been carefully crafted to create and enhance a celebration of innocence. Even the name, “Different Ways,” seemed to embody joyful inclusion.
Did I ever have that? She resisted the urge to tug up her neckline, as if cleavage could somehow contaminate this tiny pocket of childhood.
“Nice one, Jason!” Michael’s voice rang out, drawing her attention to the odd silence of the group. Dani frowned. She could have sworn children were noisier than this. Ghosting toward the fence, she spotted him coaxing an unsteady five-year-old up the steps of a plastic slide. The boy stared fixedly ahead as he placed each sneaker deliberately on the rungs with a care most mountaineers didn’t invest in their footing.
Michael simply steadied him, long fingers spread wide as he prepared to catch the boy if he fell. Raked back behind his ears, his hair was still long enough to catch the little bursts of wind circling between buildings. Dani found herself watching his hands. Strong and capable, with slender, supple fingers like a musician’s, they seemed equally capable of tenderness and protection.
You need him. Her sister’s warnings were rarely so direct. Maybe she did need him, but the eager thrum of anticipation surging from the Huntress gave her all the reason she needed to be careful. This wasn’t some alpha-jerk needing a wake-up call. He was a good man who deserved to get through the next week with all his higher brain functions intact.
“All right, come on now,” he coaxed as Jason squirmed into position, carefully aligning his stubby legs with the slide. But just as the boy started to launch, Michael put his hand on Jason’s belly.
If looks were bullets, Jason shot enough lead to qualify for manslaughter.
“I know. You want to go.” Michael paused, moving his head into the boy’s line of sight. “Say go.”
Jason glared at him. Dani drifted forward, studying them to figure out why Michael was holding the child back. She wasn’t close enough to scent his emotions.
“Go.” Michael exaggerated the shape of the word.
Mouth moving but eyes still suspicious, Jason managed a grunt with a vague “g” sound included.
Immediately, Michael lifted his hand and the boy slid down the slide.
He doesn’t talk. Dani realized in wonder. She looked around at the other children and the unusual quiet was explained. None of them were speaking. Most were ignoring the adults with them, although the adults were doing their best to gain each child’s attention.
Not all the adults. Two young women, a blonde and brunette, stood together chatting beside the sandbox. One little girl dug holes in the sand, but the other child, another little boy, stood. He slowly shuffled forward, keeping his body rigid and barely moving his feet. The boy never glanced back to see if his minder was paying attention, his eyes locked onto the gate latch. Dani moved to the side of the gate in the chain link fence.
After a few feet, he burst into a long-legged run. The chatting blonde squawked a warning, but he was already well out of range. He flipped open the gate latch and eeled through before she could take more than a step or two.
Dani reacted automatically, catching the boy and using his own momentum to lift him up into her arms.
He immediately started to struggle. “No! Put it away!” Despite his wriggling, his voice was almost robotic.
“Not today, bub,” she said softly, easily managing his gyrations with her strength.
“George!” the blond woman panted as she reached the gate. “Back inside.”
Dani put him down but kept her hand on his shoulder just in case. The woman couldn’t seem to make up her mind whether to be suspicious or grateful for the assistance. Dani straightened her spine and lifted her chin, annoyed at the paranoia. Whatever, lady. Kidnappers don’t tend to return the kid at the first opportunity.
The other adults in the playground focused on their children, though they glanced over from time to time, curious about what had happened. The gossiping brunette blatantly stared at the scene by the gate, completely ignoring the little girl, who continued to methodically fill her sand bucket. Michael seemed to have disappeared, and Dani wondered if he’d changed his mind about working with her until she spotted him shepherding Jason into the building. Dani noticed that he kept stealing glances at her, too.
“Dodge Grand Caravan,” George pronounced into the void, turning back toward the parking lot.
“Oh, no, you don’t!” The blond woman pulled him inside the gate and latched it, leaving Dani on the other side. With the flimsy barrier between them secured, she recalled her manners. “He loves cars. He’s been hoping to touch that van since it got here this morning.”
Dani smiled at the boy. “I’m more of a bike girl myself, George.”
He ignored her, his eyes flicking along the chain link.
“I’m impressed you were able to hold him,” the brunette said, joining them, sniffing out fresh gossip. “He’s strong.”
Now that the crisis was over, both women indulged in a visual once-over. Their mouths curled in brief frowns as they took in Dani’s low-necked shirt and tight jeans. A hint of envy wafted in the air between them. Their obvious judgment left Dani with the perverse desire to play to their expectations.
“How exactly can we help you?” To leave, the blonde’s tone implied.
“Dani, glad you could make it.” Michael waved from the door, dusting off his hands. “I’m almost ready to go.”
“You know what they say—if it’s good enough, people will wait.” She flicked an eyebrow to make sure the Gossip Twins got her message.
She could practically see their brains overloading with the desire to start sharing this particular slice of information right now. Their thumbs actually started twitching as if texting the news.
You really think it’s such a big deal that the Professor’s meeting a girl? Where have your fucking
eyes been? Even in dusty jeans and a plain cotton button-up, his long, lean body couldn’t be disguised, and the cheekbones a girl could use to cut bread were on display. He moved with precision, stepping around oblivious children. His slender fingers picked up toys. If he’s got even a little skill… or is willing to learn. Thoughts of his education sent her internal motor roaring.
“Where did you two meet?” Gossip Twin Number One interrupted the speculative anticipation. A hint of malice underlay the quivering scent of curiosity.
“Burlesque club.” Dani loved watching the pair nod for a moment before their brains caught up to what she’d said.
“A… burlesque club. That’s different.”
“Yeah. He sat through every one of my performances.” Dani couldn’t resist.
“Ready to go?” Michael came back to fill the stunned silence. His leather gloves were back in place despite the warm day.
“Oh, trust me, darlin’, I’m always ready.” Dani winked at the stunned Gossip Twins before linking her arm in Michael’s. His eyebrows met in confusion, but he didn’t resist as Dani led him to her car, making sure to roll her hips provocatively. Glancing back, she saw the two women still staring as she and the Professor got into her convertible.
After a few blocks, Dani couldn’t hold back her laughter any more, only pausing when Michael tugged nervously at his gloves. “Oh, come on. You don’t think it was funny?” She slapped him lightly on the arm with her fingers.
He winced.
“What? It wasn’t that hard.” Dani started to pull over, concerned. Sometimes she forgot to hold back on her enhanced strength. Had she hurt him?
“It’s not that.” He flexed his gloved fingers. “It’s my gift.”
“You picked stuff up when I touched you? Fuck me. My hand was on your sleeve.” She at least knew exactly where she’d hit him.
“Sometimes that’s enough, when I’ve gotten close to the person. Emotionally.”
“One night holding your collar in an alley and we’re best buds?”
“I’ve never met anyone like me before. It was a huge deal for me.” He sounded as if he were describing a religious experience.
His unwavering honesty began to make her feel small and petty. Perversely, it also made the desire to tease even stronger. “Damn. If I’d known I was your first, I’d have been gentle.”
Part of her hoped he’d smile at the joke, but he still frowned. “You shouldn’t have said where we met.”
“I could have been more specific about it being the alley behind a burlesque club, but it seemed sordid.” Irritation melted away her good humor.
“You don’t understand. I could get in trouble.”
“From who, the fucking morality police?”
“I work with developmentally challenged children. Parents get spooked easily.”
True, and she might have believed him if he’d been willing to look in her eyes. Instead, he focused down and to the side. That told her all she needed to know: he was ashamed. After his little speech the night before, she shouldn’t have been surprised, but it still stung.
“It’s not what you think,” he insisted.
“You’re the psychic. It’s exactly what I think. You’re still on your moral high horse. You don’t want anyone to know you were in a burlesque club.” Her teeth gritted together and the speedometer rose. “That go for me, too? Embarrassed to be seen with a girl like me? Should I get a big fucking red A to stick on my clothes?”
“There’s no need to be dramatic. And this isn’t about me. You wanted to shock them.” The polite social mask slipped and irritation added a harsh bite to his words.
“Hey, you’re the one who came to me, Mike. If I’m too low for you to be seen with, you can hop out at the next fucking corner.” She began to pull over. His rejection hurt far more than the Gossip Twins’, cutting deep past her defensive barriers.
“This isn’t about your job. It’s about saving people we care about.” He didn’t flinch in the face of her anger, going toe-to-toe without backing down.
Despite her hurt, his strength impressed her, even as his reminder of their situation drained her anger, replacing it with edgy anxiety.
“I know you’re worried. But we’ll figure it out.” Michael tried to soothe her. “We just need a little faith.”
Faith in what? The gods had long since proven they didn’t care about her. Each other? That was a laugh. The Professor thought this was all going to be a grand adventure. He hadn’t seen how bad things could end up. Faith is for suckers.
He ran his hands through his hair as if shoving the exasperation behind him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
“If it helps, the Gossip Twins back there didn’t care that I was a dancer.” She pulled back into traffic.
“No, they were more shocked that a beautiful woman was picking me up,” he finished. “I think one of them planned to set me up with her uncle.”
“Damn. Don’t let me stand in the way of those plans,” she teased, hoping they were back to even footing.
He smiled and relief uncurled her knotted muscles. Well, maybe not only relief. His mouth was every bit as gorgeous as the rest of him. Inhaling to steady herself, she sucked in his warm scent of apples and vanilla. Kissing him would probably taste like pie. With orgasms instead of ice cream. Down, girl.
“Where are we going, anyway?” he asked.
“To see a friend. He’s been doing some investigating for me. Hopefully he’ll have a lead for us to follow,” Dani replied.
With his enthusiasm rekindled, Michael explained the highlights of his trip to Expanding Horizons and the flash-insights from Bernie’s room.
Dani’s jaw hung open in shock as she realized he was serious. “You went there. By yourself. And gave them your real name?” She tore her eyes off him to re-focus on the road. “These people are fucking dangerous. You could have disappeared in there.” The thought hurt more than it should have.
“I thought maybe I could see her or even get her out. But either way, I had to let her know she wasn’t forgotten.” His chin lifted and for a split second she could practically see the cape streaming in the wind. Always the hero.
“This is not something you want to fuck around with, Mike. They aren’t going to play by any rules. You could have gotten yourself dead in a hurry if they’d figured it out. You still might.” She knew she should stop talking, but the leaden ache in her chest kept squeezing the words out of her.
He glared at her, but his expression suddenly smoothed. “You’re worried about me.”
“I’m worried about me,” she shot back.
“No. I’m right. You’re worried about me. After all the I-don’t-need-a-partner drama.” He grinned as if she’d given him the best news in the world.
Sheer stubbornness made her want to deny it. So she was worried. So what? Taking a deep breath, she pulled over and faced him. “Promise me you won’t do it again.”
“No.” He shook his head.
“I don’t want you to get hurt.” She heard the words and was shocked. When the hell did I decide to say that?
“Listen to me, Dani. I don’t want to get hurt either. But I won’t sit on the sidelines while they hurt Bernie. We’re partners. Equal partners. With equal say. We’ll decide what we’re doing together.” His voice and face were completely serious and sincere.
The hope and certainty she could see in him made her feel small and petty. Part of her wanted to unleash withering sarcasm, but something held her back. Maybe it was the memory of her sister holding out the sketch of Michael’s face. Maybe it was the intent earnestness in his eyes. But her verbal weapons melted away.
This was the moment of choice. She could crush him, or she could protect him. Clearly, he’d go on to investigate without her, and he’d most definitely get hurt. The only way she could get him through the next few days intact would be to truly join up with him. She faced him and shouldered the responsibility. “Fine. Partners.”
; Chapter Seventeen
“Who’s the narc?” Vapor demanded, dark eyes squinting at Michael from less than an inch away.
“No one says narc anymore.” Dani rolled her eyes. “He’s a friend.”
Michael leaned back as the looming giant studied him, tilting his shaved head back and forth like an inquisitive hawk.
Vapor’s nostrils flared as if marking his scent for the future. “He’s not one of us,” the hacker announced.
“He’s gifted.” Dani’s eyes glinted in the light. “You doubt me?”
Michael let loose a sigh of relief as Vapor retreated. He could deal with continuing suspicion, but would rather it happened from across the room.
Vapor cocked an eyebrow at Dani. “Interesting. Your papers are in the envelope.”
Michael’s curiosity hummed into overdrive. Dani had warned him this man was part of the lalassu community, but she hadn’t shared what his gifts were. What powers were even possible? He’d definitely stepped into the deep end of his new reality. He wanted to pepper them both with a thousand questions but held his tongue. He had to focus on Bernie and Dani’s brothers.
She picked up the plain manila envelope and thumbed through the contents. “And my research?”
Vapor tapped on his keyboard and images appeared on the multiple screens: enlarged driver’s photos of young men and women, blueprints for buildings, scans of newspaper clippings. Michael rubbed his chin with his hand, uncertain what to look for in the mass of data.
“What the hell is all this?” Dani demanded.
“Bigger than you could imagine. Bigger and deeper. Your brothers interviewed for Right-Hand Man, which hires and trains bodyguards for a parent company—AD Enterprises. Branches on both coasts and overseas.” Vapor rapidly pulled up image after image as he talked. “AD Enterprises is part of a network of companies owned under the umbrella of Dalhard Industries.”
Michael stepped forward, studying the information. “It’s all shells to keep the parent company clean. Is one called Expanding Horizons?”
Revelations: Book One of the Lalassu Page 10
