by Jaime Rush
Now, she thought, and he must have read her mind, because he leaned over to the drawer in the nightstand and pulled out a condom. He ripped open the package and slid the sheath down the length of him. He, of all people, would never be reckless with sex.
She hooked her hands around the back of his neck and rolled onto her back, wanting the position that offered the most contact. He braced himself while she guided him in. He filled her, and it was in that, in his arms on either side sheltering her, that she realized how much her soul had craved him.
He watched her face as he entered her, and whatever he saw there gave him the go-ahead to move. She gripped his shoulders, squeezing, urging him deeper by wrapping her legs around his hips. He kissed her as he moved, softly murmuring her name, taking his time. After several minutes, Tucker rolled them over so she was on top.
Her brown hair became a curtain as she leaned down and nibbled at his jaw, his ear, and then his neck, keeping that slow, delicious rhythm. He caressed her breasts, making her roll her head back in pleasure, and then slid his hands down to her waist. As she rocked back and forth, he touched her already sensitive nub, using her own movements to send her over the edge again. When she went, she felt him shudder and throb inside her, his hands squeezing her hips hard. His eyes rolled back, head tilted as his orgasm shuddered through him.
She watched him slowly come back to himself, his jaw relaxing, his eyes opening to find her gaze on him. She couldn’t help her smile, soft from her own exhaustion and satisfaction.
He had said her name, not the names of any of those other women he’d been with—their numbers on those pieces of paper and business cards—or that woman in the shower.
His chest rose and fell with his breaths; his face was flushed. He entwined his fingers with hers, pulling her close to kiss her. His tongue toyed with hers, sliding along the edge of her teeth. He finished the kiss, and then pulled her down so that her cheek rested on his chest, his arm over her shoulders to hold her close.
She flattened her hand on his stomach, his heartbeat thudding in her ear. She could feel him. Not just physically, but deep inside her. They remained for several long minutes. She felt his body tightening rather than becoming more relaxed and lifted her cheek from his chest.
He put his hand over his eyes. “Now we’ve gone and done it.”
“Tucker . . . I’m not sorry this happened. I hope you aren’t.”
He sat up on his elbows. “Are you sure? Nothing’s changed. I still hold Darkness.”
“I’m okay with that.”
“Are you?” He turned to black mist, then transformed to wolf. She involuntarily shrank back—exactly what he’d intended, she realized. “You’ll always be afraid of me, Del.”
The images of her father’s death tangled in her mind with those animals she’d seen fighting on top of the car.
He’s not the man who attacked your father.
But he comes from that man.
As her thoughts warred, he jumped to the floor, his movements as graceful as the real animal, four feet landing without a sound. But he was nothing like the real thing, his texture smooth, his essence like black liquid. He took several steps away and then morphed back to man, beautifully naked.
He rubbed the ball at the corner of the headboard and looked at her, as though he was warring with his own thoughts. “There’s a part of you that will always be afraid of me. And there’s a part of me that will die every time I see your fear. Get some sleep.” He grabbed his discarded clothes and walked out.
Sleep? Was he frickin’ kidding after breaking her heart with those words?
She got up and pulled on her robe. I shouldn’t do this. I really shouldn’t.
Her hands covered that ball, and she closed her eyes at the impact of his emotions. Not as strong because of the wood, but discernible. Pain. Yes, she’d hurt him again by turning away. By being afraid. But hey, he was an animal that wasn’t an animal that was . . . whatever the hell Darkness was. He’d pushed her, Becoming like that, testing her, and now he was sure she would never accept that part of him.
Maybe she couldn’t, not with what she’d seen from her father’s ring. So she would walk away from him and be done with it once this was over.
She settled with that thought, but it didn’t settle with her. No, she couldn’t do that. Because he was inside her, too. Fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into.
She held on and went back to the moments before. He’d morphed from man to smoke to wolf in one instant of grace. The animal was terrifying, but it was beautiful, too, in its lines of muscle and liquid steel. He was perfectly formed, the snout long, his eyes shimmering.
Tucker’s eyes. Inside, he’s still the man you love.
That’s what she felt most of all, holding onto the link between them. She could feel Tucker in his Darkness. She’d been right; he did have a good heart.
She went out to the hallway and heard the front door close. He’d gone outside. She went downstairs, opened the door and peered out. No sign of him. Of course, he’d blend into the dark now. Fine, she’d go back to his bed and wait. It would give her time to sort through what she wanted to say to him. To see if what they had could be salvaged.
Chapter Eleven
TUCKER RETURNED FROM his run exhausted and trembling. His bedroom light was still on. Willing himself to smoke, he crept up the side of the house and looked in the window. Del was asleep on his bed, lying crossways. He watched her, with the moonlight washing over her face. God, she was beautiful.
What the hell did you do, Tuck?
He understood what he’d done, because he could feel it in the way he breathed her in and knew he would do anything for her. He’d crossed the line with her, with himself. Which is why he’d Become, without easing her in or warning her. He’d done what he could to push her away.
He drifted down and morphed to man. It was four in the morning. He was not going to let her go with him, and he knew she would fight him on it. Blue lights played on the stairs as he walked inside the house. Greer had fallen asleep on the couch again.
Tucker looked for his boots near the front door, where they all piled their shoes.
“Where are you going?”
Greer wasn’t asleep after all. Tucker told him about the phone call.
Greer launched off the sofa. “That son of a bitch could be my father, too.”
“You’re not coming. They don’t know about you.” Which reminded him. He set his wallet on the end table. If something happened, he didn’t want Elgin to find his home. Their home. That was probably how he’d gotten to Carrie’s place. “I’m going early to recon the area. I’ll be waiting when he gets there. I’m betting the second guy will get there early too and find a hiding spot. I’ll take him out before Elgin even knows I’m there. Then it’ll be him and me. I can take him.”
“I’m going with you, Tucker.”
Tucker shook his head. “Someone’s got to watch over the D’Rats if something happens to me. Darius is too . . . well, Darius. Cody isn’t the paternal type. Shea’s strong, but the guys won’t let her boss them around. But they need someone to guide them.” He glanced back at the stairs. “And Del. Take care of her, too.”
Greer’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve got it for her, don’t you?”
He was going to deny it but nodded instead. “I’ve had it for her for a long time. But she was out of my life and I told myself if I ever saw her, it wouldn’t matter. It worked, at least the first time. Then she came back . . . and needed me.”
“That’ll get you every time.” Tucker knew he was thinking of Shea by the shadow in his eyes. Especially since she’d been having trouble with a creepy “secret admirer.” He seemed to study Tucker. “Scary shit, isn’t it?” He ran his hand back over his hair. “It can make you crazy.”
“Yeah.” Part of the reason Shea had moved out was because of the tension between Darius and Greer, who both felt an attraction to her. He suspected it not only made her uncomfortable, but scared her tha
t the two might fight because of her. She felt responsible, because she was attracted to both of them. As Del had surmised, Shea wouldn’t let herself experience those kinds of feelings. That didn’t mean that the two men didn’t pick up on them, though.
Tucker glanced back at the stairs. “But as soon as this is over, it’s over between Del and me, too. Our father killed hers in a jealous frenzy. She’ll always look at me and see the beast that I am. I can’t blame her for that.” It hurt, yes, but he understood. “I hope to be back before she wakes, so I can tell her it’s over. Hopefully I’ll have her mother. Promise me you will stay put. Promise, Greer.”
They took promises seriously, because no one had ever been reliable in their lives.
“All right, I promise, as long as you promise to call me if you need help.”
“I will.”
“Take Darius.”
“Take me where?” Darius wheeled into the living room.
How long had he been lurking in the hallway? The guy sometimes made Tucker uneasy. He could see Greer stiffen.
“I’m going to face off with my biological father, and probably his buddy. I’m leaving Greer here, in charge.”
Darius’s eyes darkened as he gave Greer a lift of his chin. “Not in charge of me.” He turned back to Tucker. “I’m in. Let me get dressed.”
“I don’t know if that’s the best idea,” Tucker said under his breath once the door had slammed shut.
“If he’s going to go nuts on someone, let it be one of those bastards.”
Tucker had been the only thing between the two of them once, when their feelings for Shea hit a flashpoint. Luckily, they both saw Tucker’s relationship with her for what it is, more brotherly than anything else.
Darius burst out of his bedroom, wheeling up to them. “Let’s go kick some ass.”
Tucker laid out the map and went over the neighborhood and the plan. Then they looked at the satellite view on the Internet. “Got it?”
Darius nodded. “I am so ready to take these guys out.”
Too ready. It’s not like he could warn Darius not to go crazy on these guys, after what Tucker had done to Bengle. He met Greer’s eyes. “If Del wakes up, keep her here. She knows where we’re meeting, but she doesn’t have a car.” He gave him a chagrinned smile. “You’ll have your own battle, I imagine. She’s not going to be happy to be left behind.”
“I know the feeling, but I can handle her. You.” He gave Tucker a hug, patting his back. “Be careful.” He didn’t say the same to Darius, only gave him a nod that was supposed to convey the sentiment, Tucker imagined.
Darius drove his car, which was fitted to be driven completely with his hands. He was on edge during the drive, his entire upper body in constant motion. Fingers tapped his thighs, and every five minutes he looked in the rearview mirror to see if anyone was following. His wheelchair was in the back. The guy got around amazingly well in it, maneuvering into the car with ease.
“I don’t like the closed loop,” Darius said as they neared the area. “With the recent rain, the ground’s going to be soft. From what you described, they trapped you last time.”
“We won’t be running because they’ll be dead.”
“Yeah, I like the sound of that. Ever killed someone, Tuck?”
The question took him off guard. “Yeah. Once. You?”
“Stabbed a guy who was trying to rob me. I came out of a bar, knew he was stalking me. So I acted drunk, singing and shit. He figured, guy in a chair, easy take.” Darius smiled. “He got a little surprise.”
“You have to be careful, dude. Using Darkness is a last-resort option, especially in public.”
Darius flicked a glance his way. “Is that why you’re the Alpha, ’cause you’re the sensible one?”
Tucker laughed, despite Darius’s adversarial tone. “There is no Alpha. We’re not a wolf pack.”
“But we are a pack, and you are in charge.”
“I’m in charge because I’m the one who found all of you. I own the house most of you live in. But sensible? Not always.”
“I’m looking for my own place. Nothing personal, but I need space, privacy.”
“Yeah, there’s not a lot of that.” He wouldn’t mind if Darius moved out. The tension between him and Greer was annoying at times. “Okay, let me out here. At six, start down Foothills Road, nice and slow.” Darius was supposed to sit there for a few minutes, drawing out Elgin. Hopefully by then, this Bengle guy would be out of the picture. “If Elgin approaches the car, I’ll be behind him. Your windows are dark enough that he won’t see it’s not me in the car. Don’t do anything stupid.”
Darius lifted his upper lip in a snarl. “And try not to get yourself killed. I’d hate to have to console your girlfriend.”
Tucker had to stop himself from slamming the door closed. Darius liked to rile people, and Tucker wasn’t about to let him. He closed the door softly, even though they were a distance from Foothills.
Darkness transformed everything, including his clothing. He let it claim him, becoming the smoke that had scared the hell out of him the first few times he’d Become. Becoming nothing for a few moments before forming into the denser energy of Darkness still stepped up his heartbeat. He’d chosen wolf for his form, drawn to them since he was a kid. Now, sometimes, when he roamed the desert in Darkness, he’d see one. Of course, the animals would take off the moment they sensed something supernatural in their midst.
He felt the dirt beneath his paws, the cold air, and the colder coat of not fur but energy. Gaining his sense of direction, he tore off into the direction of the Foothills.
ELGIN GOT UP and dressed. “If only you’d cooperated like that before, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.”
She had merely tolerated him, but at least he’d had the pleasure of penetration, of touching her, if not ejaculation. That was a pleasure he would never have again because of her. More so, he had the pleasure of forcing her to do as he wanted.
“I never meant for you to tap into some kind of black magic to satisfy me,” she said, her voice without inflection. “Our marriage wasn’t about love or attraction. You needed a wife, I needed a husband. That’s all it was.”
“But you had certain obligations as my wife. You took your pleasure elsewhere.”
“I didn’t mean to fall in love.” Her mouth stretched into a frown, probably remembering the weak human.
“That was the price you paid for straying. We all pay a price for our sins, Nikkita.”
“I’ve paid, Elgin. Please keep your word. Don’t hurt my daughter. Or Tucker.”
“I never said anything about Tucker. And why do you care about him? You said he was a punk kid you sent . . . ah, you fell for him, too, didn’t you? Maybe not romantically, but you’ve got a soft spot in your heart for him. Sorry, dear, but I can’t let him live. He doesn’t only carry my genes; he carries something that could expose us. And if he’s the one who killed that guy, and he goes on to kill someone else, it’s my head on the chopping block. Again. I’ll bet my boy doesn’t know he may have another capability; he may not have inherited it at all.”
He held out his hand to her, focusing the power of his energy at her. It hit her like a wave, throwing her head back, a painful grimace as she writhed and grunted as though seizing. He held her there for a few seconds, enjoying making her suffer as he had suffered all these years. When he dropped his hand, she collapsed with a groan.
The Force was painful for others. It had another effect for those with Darkness. As Tucker would soon find out.
Chapter Twelve
DEL WOKE WITH a start, immediately aware that Tucker still wasn’t in bed. She lurched up and looked at the clock: four forty-five. She should have felt relieved that she hadn’t overslept. She didn’t.
She groped on the floor for her robe, going into the bathroom to use the toilet and find the sweats he’d loaned her. They fit, but barely. No underwear, which might have felt weird if panic wasn’t thrumming through her. She slid i
nto her shoes and went out to the hallway. Shea’s room was still unoccupied. Del paused outside the other closed doors but the rooms were quiet inside.
She went down the stairs, where a television flickered against the walls. Tucker was here, then. He probably couldn’t sleep. She remembered his restlessness, how he used to wander the house at night.
She reached the bottom of the stairs, having already visually searched the living area for him. Someone came out of the kitchen, but the sight of Greer, and only Greer, killed her burgeoning relief. She forced a smile, looking behind him to the empty kitchen. “Hey. Where’s Tucker?”
The way he tensed, the subtle tightening of his jaw . . .
“He left, didn’t he?”
Greer’s nod squeezed her chest.
“He wanted to get there early, get in position.”
She stepped closer to him, having to look up into eyes like Tucker’s. “No, he wanted to go without me. Because I don’t have Darkness. Or—hopefully not—because I’m a girl and I can’t fight.”
He lifted a bare shoulder in a half shrug. “More the first one. There’s something about Darkness you may not understand. It makes us . . . crazy to protect those we care about.” One eyebrow arched. “I mean, those we care about.”
Losing control scared Tucker. She remembered the fear in his eyes when he told the D’Rats about going nuts on Bengle.
“He left me behind because he cares about me?”
“Pretty much.” He chewed his bottom lip, staring at the door. Ah, he wasn’t happy about being left behind either.
“How about you? Are you still here because he cares about you?” she asked, hearing the snip in her voice.
“Pretty much,” he said again. “Darius went with him, at least, so he’s not alone. I get that he doesn’t want them to know about us, but we stick together.”
“Then let’s go. We can’t let them fight alone. What if there are more of the enemy, and they’re outnumbered?” She passed Greer and opened the front door—and remembered she had no car.
