Department 57: Bloody Crystal

by Lynne Connolly

  “You like your merchandise in top condition?” Rhodri didn’t hide his sneer.

  “Tip-top.” Wilkinson had a faint American accent, one she hadn’t noticed in him when he’d used Rhodri’s internal voice. “But you two are so rare, I can ask top dollar for you. I don’t know whether to put you up for auction or to keep you myself. Of course, it could be a fluke, so selling you now is probably the way to go.”

  Rhodri frowned and exchanged a glance with her.

  She shook her head. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “You don’t know?” Wilkinson laughed, but Cerys didn’t feel like joining in. “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you about the cat, but how about I leave you to work it out for yourselves? It shouldn’t take you above, oh, a month or two.” He was still laughing when he left.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “What’s so special about us?” Cerys stared at the closed door.

  “I have no idea. But we need to work it out.” He sighed. “He was gentle with you. He’s capable of causing a lot of pain on others. I’ve seen it.” He paused. “Felt it.”

  “Oh, Rhodri!”

  He shook his head, and she saw regret limned in his expressive eyes.

  “It doesn’t matter. He’s done far worse to other people.”

  “Is it safe to talk?”

  “Mostly.” He paused. “We have to assume this place is bugged. So no secrets, love.”

  That word, said so casually, so matter-of-factly, sent shivers through her that had nothing to do with their situation. Pleasurable shivers. The last thing she expected here, after she’d recovered from the delight of knowing for sure that Rhodri was alive.

  His warm smile curled through her heart. “You mean you didn’t realize?”

  “No. Tell me.” She had to hear it. Then she had to tell him. “Together.”

  “I love you.” Two voices, the same words. Tears pricked at her eyes. Here, of all times, all places, but who knew what time they had left together? It was important that he knew.

  Silence while they stared. Eventually Rhodri gave a shaky laugh. “I never dreamed I’d tell that to anyone. I always kept myself apart. I even chose a job that would give me the excuse. Then you. A small, blonde stick of dynamite. You bowled me over just by being yourself. Took me unawares.”

  She smiled. “Are you sure it’s not a holiday romance? You were having a break, and it happens.”

  “Has it happened before?”

  “Oh yeah.” She flushed, the hot blood coursing under her skin. “Sorry. But it has. The difference this time is that the romance goes both ways. But now, here, it’s not the time.”

  “Yes it is, except I can’t touch you, make love to you.”

  As if on cue, someone walked into the room. A man jingling a bunch of keys like an old-fashioned jailer. “You called?” He lifted the keys and waved them. “The boss says to release you. But there’s a few things you need to know. You won’t get out of here by force. You can’t. Outside this room is a secure holding pen. Outside that is another. You understand? And if you try, we’ll go for your woman first, because she’s the easiest target. Clear?” Oh great. From heroin to a Sorcerer to an easy target for this bozo.

  Rhodri sighed. “Yes.”

  She glared at him. Outside the room, they saw the shadows of two other men. She’d have thought he’d try something, and after the man had unlocked her and she sat up, she remained alert, ready for any orders Rhodri wanted to give her. It wasn’t night, but he was still powerful enough to take this idiot down. “Tell me what to do. I’m game if you are.”

  “Do nothing.”

  He sat up, rubbing his arms, and the man left the room, not even bothering to back out. She rounded on him. “Why didn’t you do anything? What’s wrong with you?”

  “Sweetheart, I have no doubt that they’d make good on their promises. They’ll kill you if I try anything. Or hurt you and make me watch. For what it’s worth, if I were on my own, I wouldn’t try it, either. It’s an invitation, too blatant to be true. No, we have to watch and wait.” “Don’t say any more aloud. Hold me, and we’ll talk.”

  She reached for him, and he dragged her into his arms.

  Here, now, anywhere, she felt so good being held by Rhodri. She felt warmed and ridiculously safe considering where they were. “We don’t have to talk like this,” she murmured. “Oh Rhodri, I’m so glad to see you, but I’m so sorry I was stupid enough to fall for their tricks.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. We didn’t know he could mimic another Talent that well. Well enough to deceive someone he’s close to. That he loves.”

  She snuggled closer. “I was desperate to find you. I knew you weren’t dead.”

  He kissed her, but just a small, loving, closemouthed kiss. “Thank you for that. It’s because we’re—” He finished the words in his head. “Shit, that’s it. We’re bonded.”

  “Oh my God. He has a pair.”

  “A bonded pair. That’s why he wanted us together. Oh, sweetheart, I only did it because I was worried about you.” His arms tightened around her. “I was so arrogant. I never thought it would work the other way. I’m sorry, so sorry.”

  “I’m not. At least I’m not sorry about the bonding part.” She lifted her face to him, inviting his kiss.

  This time it wasn’t a sweet peck but a ravaging. They opened their mouths, tongues twining, sliding against each other, and she tasted the unique essence of Rhodri. He held her close, and she felt his cock harden under his worn jeans. He kissed the side of her mouth, her cheek, then returned to her mouth, tasting her, eating her, as if he couldn’t get enough. But she didn’t care because it went both ways. She gasped his name between kisses, her hands spread over his chest, his heart beating under her hands.

  He touched her, his hands roving over her body, smoothing down her arms, then her waist, her back, and around to her breasts. He cupped one, thumbing her nipple, then paused. “What are we doing?” He released her, sliding his hand back down and around her waist. “People are listening to us. Probably videoing us as well. We can’t. Oh darling, I’d love to, but we can’t.”

  “Why not?” If this was all they had, then she intended to make the most of it.

  “Maybe it’s what they want.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Listen, we’re a bonded couple. A bonded pair. He’ll want to have something to show his customers.”

  “That’s disgusting.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  He stared over her head into the distance. She kissed the underside of his chin, prickly with stubble. “You must have shaved sometime or you’d have a beard by now.”

  “They shaved me. They washed me. They cleaned my teeth, even. It’s appalling. I couldn’t understand why, but now I think I know. They want us pretty.”

  “Because we’re merchandise.”

  “So if we want to keep ourselves clean, we’re playing into his hands?”

  “And our own.” He kissed her, gently tasting her. “We mustn’t forget that. Sometimes, although we might hate it, our desires might coincide. It’s important to learn when to bend and when to fight.”

  “Not to waste our energy.”

  “Exactly.”

  How could he remain so calm in these circumstances? Practice, she supposed. She didn’t know if she could manage that, but she’d try. And she’d let him lead. That was strength too, recognizing the strength in someone else and allowing him the freedom to use it. “I’m in your hands.”

  He laughed. “So you are.” He squeezed her to prove it. “This feels rather nice.” He ran his hands up and down the short sleeves of her sweater. “Good color too.”

  “Thanks. They gave me a new wardrobe. I’d have rather shopped with you.”

  “Who did you shop with?”

  She remembered to keep her words internal. “Fabrice Germain.”

  “Bastard.”

  She was quite shocked at the vehemence he could inject into his telepathy. �
�You know him?”

  “Yes.” He sighed. “I’d be jealous of anyone who did that with you. Even him.”

  She knew what he meant. Even a man who couldn’t touch her because of his condition if he wanted to keep it. And while Rhodri wanted her, she wasn’t exactly the femme fatale type. Men didn’t fall over themselves to get to her. “When we leave, you can shop with me. I’ll throw everything away and do it with you instead.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “You can take me places. I couldn’t go anywhere by myself.”

  He chuckled. “Look after you, did they?” Then all humor left his voice. “Not well enough, obviously, or you wouldn’t be here.”

  “Have I signed our death warrants?”

  He hugged her close. “Not yet. We’re not done yet, sweetheart.”

  She thought they might be. And if not, they were in for a hard time. Unless the Department found them first. “Could they? Could they find us?”

  “They could. If anyone could, it’s them.”

  “Where are we?”

  His expression turned grim. “Somewhere in America. I’ve had a few clues. Not the accents—people can travel these days. But in the room they put me in before this one, there was a sign, and it had c-o-l-o-r on it. And we have air conditioning. It’s an old building, and the air conditioning is old too. Do you know how rare that is in England, even in hospitals?”

  “Duh.” So it made sense. They were in America. “How long was I under?”

  “They’d have chartered an aircraft or brought you over as a medical emergency. It takes around six hours to fly from Manchester to New York direct. Longer to the West Coast, so my guess is we’re somewhere on the East Coast or Midwest.”

  Startled, she blinked up at him. “They kept me under for all that time?”

  “To put everyone off the track. They probably kept me in Manchester for a while to leave a trace there.” He switched to speaking so seamlessly she nearly missed it. That meant she was deeply attuned to him. More than she had been to anyone in her life before, even her parents. It scared her. Or it would scare her if it were anyone but Rhodri. With him she felt at home and yet excited, constantly on edge, but a good edge. He woke her up.

  Even now she couldn’t be sorry she’d met him, couldn’t regret falling in love with him. “Tell me what to do.”

  “Love me.”

  “I do.”

  He smiled and kissed her. “One day you’ll say that for real.”

  Bonding meant a lot more than he’d told her. She wondered if he knew that when he’d asked, and she, in her ignorance, had accepted. She turned into him, whispered to him. She needed to use the words, aloud. “I want to make love with you.”

  A blast of heat filled her mind in instant response, and his cock burned into the side of her lower belly where they made contact. “They’ll use it to sell us. Part of the display.”

  “We have sheets. We don’t have to show them.”

  He laughed. “You are so good for me, darling. I don’t know how I managed without you.”

  She laughed too. “When I told Fabrice that you laughed a lot, he didn’t believe me.”

  “He doesn’t know me as well as you do.” He groaned and took another kiss, then gave it back, and then gave her some more. She responded eagerly, slipping her tongue into his mouth, tasting him, learning his mouth and what he liked all over again. She withdrew, ran her tongue around his inner lips, touched the sensitive buds that were all that remained of his fangs during the daytime.

  He pulled away with a muffled, “Oh God, oh fuck!” “I can’t stand this. We can’t—”

  She made up their minds. “They’ll film us anyway. Let’s get under the covers.”

  He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, drawing in a few deep breaths. He looked so beautiful to her, his skin pale from his captivity, his physique still so powerful, the one moment of concentration distilling all his strengths. She knew she couldn’t force him, although she needed him badly. He had to take this last step himself.

  He opened his eyes, looked at her, and then she knew. “Take off your trousers and get into bed.” He indicated her bed, not his. A single would be enough for what they wanted to do.

  When she slid her trousers down her waxed and polished legs, he groaned. “Fuck, woman, I didn’t know you’d be wearing something like that underneath.”

  She grimaced. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to them.” But when she recalled how long she must have been wearing them, she wanted to take them off and rinse them. If this thong was the only underwear she had, then she’d have to make do. But she wasn’t making do now. His response heated her mind and her body, and he wasn’t even touching her yet. Hunger was taking her over. She was starved for him.

  She got into bed without removing anything else. He did the same. His boxers looked clean, although they weren’t his usual style. She guessed their captors had provided them.

  Thigh to thigh in bed, she snuggled close, tucked her hands under his T-shirt, and moved them up his body. She moaned. “I’ve missed this so much. Just holding you. I don’t sleep well without you anymore.”

  “Unless you’re drugged.” His cock wasn’t fully erect anymore. She wriggled experimentally and got the response she hoped for. “I’m still not convinced,” he said, but his voice had hoarsened in a way she was intimately familiar with.

  “I don’t want to think about that now.”

  He pulled the duvet more snugly around them. “This is almost enough.”

  “Almost.”

  “Yeah.” And he bent to take her mouth again.

  They both knew they’d be lost then. Nothing could stop them now. They explored each other as if they’d never done it before. He cupped her breast and made a humming sound. “That feels gorgeous.”

  “Silk. It matches the panties. They’re not—” She cut herself off. Not very romantic to tell him.

  “Not what? I think they’re perfect.”

  “They don’t support all that well.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t care. You’re perky enough for me.”

  As he roamed over her body, pausing to stroke and arouse, he made contented sounds but didn’t speak aloud again. Instead he opened to her but warned her, “Be careful. Let me control the way you open your mind to me.” She was only too willing to comply. He was the agent here. “Wow, you have some strong barriers there, sweetheart.”

  “I practiced with Fabrice and Esti.”

  “Having two tutors probably helped. But I can’t help but be jealous of them.”

  She purred and lifted her hand to cup his cheek, deliciously rough with stubble. “I like you with a scruff.”

  “I’ll keep it for you. Anything for you.”

  “I like it smooth too.”

  He growled and rubbed his cheek against hers. Too long to be prickly, the soft scruff caressed her skin, adding a touch of roughness that put her senses on alert. “You’d better get those panties off, or I’ll destroy your only pair. And I want to see you in them again.”

  “So you can rip them off?” Teasing added an extra gleam to his dark gaze.

  She wriggled out of the panties.

  He glided his hands over her stomach. She flinched, wanting to beg for his touch everywhere, wanting to feel him again, to know he was here. He smiled down at her and slipped off his own underwear before easing his body over hers. She opened her legs for him, sighing in relief when she felt his cock glide between the folds of her pussy as if it had never been away. But it had, it had. And she’d missed him so much. A tear slid out of the corner of one eye. She hoped he hadn’t seen it, but he had. He bent his head and kissed it away. “No tears. I command it.”

  “And I’m yours to command.” She wriggled under him and lifted her bottom, trying to get him to move inside her. “Right now, at any rate.”

  “It feels like the other way around.” He moved, inching closer. “Fuck, you’re wet!”

  “For you, Rhodri
. For you, my love.”

  He rested his upper body on his arms, gazed at her, and moved slowly down her crease, breaching her pussy with no help. She tilted her body to accept him and watched him as he sank into her. No words, spoken or internal. They needed none. They said it all with their bodies.

  Both let out a long sigh of relief. “I dreamed of this—when I actually slept,” she told him.

  He remained still inside her, filling her. “The thought of this kept me sane. Now you’re here, I’ll probably go mad trying to keep you safe. But you’re here, and we have to deal with that.”

  “Not now. Love me, Rhodri.”

  “I will. I do.”

  He began to move. Gently at first, easing his way and then increasing in depth and strength.

  She felt full, complete. And his. She didn’t know if it was the bonding or the love that made her feel like that, but since he’d carefully explained that bonding could sometimes come without emotional connections, she suspected the latter. A question occurred to her. She didn’t know that this was the time to say it, but she didn’t know how much time they had left. “Will the bonding increase with the love?”

  He kissed her. “Yes, it will. Bonding is deepened and strengthened by the way we feel about each other.” He still moved, but in a gentle, rhythmic way, slowly increasing her pleasure instead of exploding her into unthinking ecstasy.

  “I can’t keep apart from you. I love you.”

  With a groan, he sank his shaft deep inside her, and she moaned, rejoiced in him, and let herself go. His rhythm took on a desperate quality. She wrapped her legs around his thighs, gripped his muscular buttocks, and held on for dear life as he took her on the best ride she could have wished for. Everything she’d dreamed about in the time they’d been apart.

  With a single cry, he came, erupting deep inside her, and that triggered her own orgasm. Her inner muscles clenched his cock as if she’d never let it go. He held her, rode her though it, and when she’d stopped gasping for breath, he kissed her.

  Only then did she realize that night had come upon them. When she stroked his fangs with her tongue, she felt the prickle as the tips emerged in response. The tiny wounds he’d created healed almost instantly, but in theory, she’d given him more. She should heed his words and not take, but she had to fight to keep her own fangs sheathed.