by J. E. Taylor
We stepped into the kitchen a few minutes later and Valerie’s eyes narrowed in my direction.
“What in god’s name happened to you?”
“We went exploring,” Naomi said and glanced at me. “And he decided to dig at the end of the tunnel.”
“I see.” A dimple appeared in her cheek as she slowly appraised me. “He’s something all dirty like that,” she said in a tone I never heard from her before.
One that left me speechless and I traded a glance with Naomi. Hunger reflected in her eyes and I had to blink because Naomi’s expression mirrored Valerie’s and just the thought of Valerie finding me hot gave me an awful chill. It was as bad as having my own child wanting to bed me and I shifted my stance, meeting Naomi’s gaze.
“Does it make you uncomfortable that I notice you?” Valerie said and put two plates piled with pasta on the table.
Naomi answered for me. “I’m pretty sure it does,” she said and slid in the seat next to Valerie. “You do know that I’ll kick your ass if you ever make a move, though,” she added with a smile and picked up her fork.
Valerie grinned. “I assumed, but it’s still fun to make him all uncomfortable like that.”
She pointed at me and both women nodded, grins playing on each of their lips.
“What did I ever do to you?” I muttered and headed to the garage without waiting for an answer. The wheelbarrow and a shovel sat in the corner and I picked up both, hauling them through the living area without a word but both their gazes burned into my back. After depositing them at the entry of the tunnel, I climbed back to the kitchen and took a seat across from Valerie and waited for a break in the conversation.
“So you lived in the mountains for the last five years?” Valerie directed the question to me instead of Naomi.
“Yes,” I answered. “Do you have some flashlights?”
“Michael put some down in the walk in storage area across from the bedroom downstairs. He said most everything you’d ever need is in there.”
“I haven’t finished looking around down there.” I shrugged and went to stand.
“Stay and visit,” Naomi said and it was presented in such a way that I couldn’t refuse without offending them.
“What? So the two of you can gang up on me?” I allowed a smile to form despite the discomfort grating on my nerves. I didn’t want to think of Valerie as anything but a little girl and her less than subtle stare was driving me nuts.
“No, so we can talk and be good guests before Valerie has to run out and pick up Michael and her Uncle Ted.”
“When we finish dinner, maybe we can play a game of chess before I have to leave,” Valerie said. “It will give me a break from studying.”
“What specialty are you studying?” Naomi asked and finished the last bite of spaghetti.
“Pediatrics. I love kids,” Valerie said as she stood to take Naomi’s plate, but I stopped both of them.
“Let me get the dishes, while you two talk,” I said and reached across the table, pulling the plates from Valerie.
“Is he for real?” Valerie asked while I went into the kitchen.
“Yes,” Naomi said and I could tell she wore that proud possessive grin without even turning. “He doesn’t mind cleaning up. Which is all the better for me because I hate to clean.”
I snorted a laugh from the sink. That was an understatement. Naomi would rather do anything else, and had resorted to some really creative bribes to get out of cleaning. Not that I minded at all, especially since her bribes were usually worth every ounce of sweat I shed.
“Are you laughing at me?” she called and I sent a grin her way before focusing on cleaning up the pots and pans in the sink.
Silence filtered over the room and I shifted, looking out the window in front of me at the woods and then at the reflection in the window pane.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake, stop looking at me like that,” I said to the reflections of both Naomi and Valerie staring at me. At my ass in particular.
“You sure you’re not willing to share?” Valerie posed the question to Naomi and I almost dropped the plate in my hands.
Naomi’s head tilted as she studied me and the breathless sigh that came sent a heated tingle through me. “Yes. I’m quite territorial. Besides, hawks mate for life. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
I met her gaze in the reflection and offered a single nod. Even if she had been willing to share, I couldn’t conceive of it.
Chapter Twenty-Four - Naomi
Damian disappeared after he finished the dishes. Valerie chuckled at his obvious discomfort and as soon as I thought he was out of range, I stared her down.
“I hope like hell you’re just having fun at his expense.”
Her jaw dropped and I leaned back, crossing my arms. She had no clue how territorial I was where he was concerned. Hell, I pretty much had him all to myself for the last five years so the idea of sharing him in any way irritated me.
Her mouth popped closed as she dropped her gaze. “Naomi, I wouldn’t dream of sleeping with him.” When she met my glare, I softened at the sincerity in her eyes. “Besides my uncle, Damian’s the only family I have.”
“So you’re yanking his chain for the pure joy of seeing him squirm?”
The slow smile that spread across her lips along with the glint of humor in her eyes made me laugh. Valerie had a way of disarming me that no one else had and I could tell in time we would be the best of friends.
“You know, I’m family, too.”
“I know,” she said and stretched, looking at the clock. “Since Damian disappeared on us, did you want to play a game?”
I bit my lip, contemplating whether to hang with Valerie or go see what Damian was up to. A quick glance at the clock told me she had some time to kill before she headed out to pick up Michael and Uncle Ted. “I’m not a big chess player. Damian tried to teach me and I just don’t have the patience for it. I do play cards though, so if you’re up for a game of rummy or canasta, I’m game.”
“I’m up for a game of Rummy-five-hundred,” she said and stood, retreating to the living room and coming back a minute later with a deck of cards.
We played Rummy until a little after eleven. I beat her two out of three games and the last one was a draw because she had to get ready to go pick up Michael and her uncle.
“Did you want me to come?”
Valerie shook her head. “Michael was very clear, he didn’t want either of you leaving the house for a few days or until he could deem the place safe.”
“Oh, so I’m just as much of a prisoner as Damian?” I asked. I didn’t like the thought of being sequestered inside, especially during the day, now that I had that kind of freedom.
“You’re not prisoners,” she sighed. “He just wants to make sure it’s safe for all of us.”
The reality that we were putting Valerie in as much danger as us settled and I nodded. She was as much a child of the light as I was and I didn’t want Lucifer to target her. If one of his minions reported that we were back here, then both Valerie and her uncle would be in danger.
I gave her a small hug. “Be safe,” I said and she smiled, heading out the door and once the garage closed and the headlights faded down the road, I turned, heading down into the basement to see what Damian was up to.
The bulkhead to the basement was open and I shivered in the cold draft before heading into the living space. Halfway down the dark hallway, a form appeared in the dark. I waited with the light of my cell as company until he stood in front of me.
“This is the last of the dirt,” he said and poked his chin toward the mound on the wheelbarrow.
“Ah,” I answered and started following him back toward the apartment.
“What have you two been doing?”
“We played some cards before she headed out. I offered to go with her, but apparently, Michael has us on lockdown.”
“I understand his discomfort,” Damian said and trudged across the living area and ou
t into the basement. For a brief moment, I wondered how he’d get the heaping wheelbarrow up the stairs but then he bent down and slid his hand under the bed, lifting it without so much as a strain in any of his muscles. I sighed, it had only been a week, but I missed that raw strength.
He disappeared into the night and a few minutes later came back with the empty wheelbarrow, closing the bulkhead doors and latching them before he came back in the basement and closed the door, engaging those locks as well. He wiped his cheek, leaving a streak of dirt and I smiled. His rugged good looks wore dirt well.
“What?”
“You look sexy when you’re all grubby,” I said and received a flash of white teeth and a chuckle before he skirted by me.
“The gloves are upstairs in the bedroom,” he said. “Feel free to grab them and when I’m done getting the tunnel supports in place, you can do some exploring of your own.”
He winked at me and I considered high tailing it upstairs, instead, I followed him into the dark tunnel.
“Michael did an exceptional job putting this together,” he said as we walked toward the glow at the end of the tunnel. “He sealed the concrete connectors almost like a welder connects pieces of steel. I don’t have a clue what he used, but the likelihood of water getting in is slim and I think the base is set up like a curtain drain anyway, so water will flow away from the pipes.”
He rattled on about the construction and when we approached the end of the tunnel, the pile of dirt had been replaced by a stack of thick wood planks and a crowbar. Damian glanced over his shoulder at me.
“Do me a favor and just stay in the pipe until I can get the door open, okay?”
I glanced at the dirt ceiling and the bent door before I stepped back into the security of the concrete pipe. Damian picked up the crowbar and I took another step back when he carved the hook into the crease of the door.
The only time I ever saw his muscles strain was when he was chained in the warehouse but the moment he leaned on the bar, the fabric of the shirt pulled taut across his shoulders and the ripple of muscle across his back and arms left me hotter than hell.
His gaze turned away from the door and a crease appeared between his eyes.
“Really?”
“What?” I shrugged.
“The strangest things turn you on,” he answered and focused on the crowbar, putting his back into it. The tearing of fabric masked the creak of the door and I was so focused on the frayed seam encasing his shoulder that I didn’t see the fruits of his labor until the metal swung open and smashed into the dirt wall, creating a plume of dust.
When the air cleared, Damian stood in the opening, his gaze locked on the top of the stairwell and his chest rising and falling in the pattern of excitement. He glanced at me and smiled, both his teeth and his eyes shining amidst the grime.
He looked like a little boy who rolled in dirt and I couldn’t help but grin back.
The moment he turned back, he vaulted up the steps two at a time and I scrambled after him, catching up to him just as he pushed the hatchway open. It banged into the undercarriage of the truck and his smile faded.
“Flat tires,” he said and held the hatch so I could crawl through.
Once I rolled out of the way, he crawled out from under the truck and stood, scanning the garage from floor to ceiling, sighing at the tall platinum covered plates blocking all entry and exits. He opened the driver’s door of the truck and put the vehicle in neutral, rolling it away from the opening before resetting the brake and taken a closer look at his undisturbed stock.
I shivered in the cold room, drawing his attention.
“You’re more than welcome to go wait in the house where it’s warm,” he said and glanced at the dark room. “This is going to take me the rest of the night.”
“Can I help?” I asked and rubbed my hands together, blowing on my fingers to warm them.
I could see the slight rise of his eyebrow as he met my gaze. He glanced around again and then shook his head. “Not tonight. I have to figure out what I need before I can enlist your help. I’m sure all the cars will need oil changes, batteries and new tires, but I won’t know what else until I clean the place up and tinker under the hoods.” He glanced up at what was visible of the windows. “And I don’t have unlimited time.”
I glanced around at the shadows of the cars before turning and climbing back down the stairs into the well lit alcove. When I passed under the jog in the tunnel ceiling, I had to use my phone for lighting. The warmth of the apartment penetrated the dark and by the time I got back upstairs into the heart of the house, the chill biting my skin in the garage had all but vanished.
Chapter Twenty-Five - Naomi
The bang of the garage door brought me out of my sleepy stupor. I shifted to a sitting position on the couch and rubbed my eyes before turning my attention to the homeowners.
“I’m heading to bed,” Valerie said and disappeared down the hall without so much as a glance at the noise emanating from the television. I reached for the remote and turned the tuner off, silencing the idiotic monologue of late night tv.
Ted just gave me a tired nod and headed the same direction Valerie went.
Michael took a seat on the couch next to me and yawned.
“Where’s Damian?” he asked once his yawn and stretch ceased.
“He opened the tunnel to the garage.”
His eyes popped open and he sat stalk straight, turning his irritated gaze in my direction.
“I think he’s taking stock of what he’ll need to fix up the cars,” I added. When Michael’s glare continued, I added, “What?”
“I’m not sure the garage is safe,” he said.
“Oh bullshit.” I stood and started toward the basement door. “It’s probably safer than this place.”
“Nothing is safer than this place,” he snapped.
“Damian’s fine.”
“When was the last time you checked on him?”
Michael’s condescending tone was beginning to irritate me and I glanced at the clock. “I’ve only been up here for an hour and a half.”
Michael shot to his feet and stalked off toward the basement.
Anger burned through my reason and I stormed after him. “We aren’t children, you know,” I said when I caught up to him.
“You most certainly are.”
I should have expected his response, but still, it had the same effect as pouring gasoline on a fire. I huffed and stomped forward in the dark, muttering under my breath until his hand clasped my upper arm and stopped me.
“What?” I snapped and he covered my mouth.
“Shush,” he whispered and I stopped my struggles and listened.
The sound of rattling chains set my heart into hyper-drive and my body followed. I yanked out of Michael’s grasp and bolted into the dark. The scene in the warehouse five years before kept flashing in front of my eyes, propelling me forward faster than I thought possible.
Michael’s footfalls echoed behind me, but I didn’t stop, instead I barreled up the stairs and skidded to a stop in the middle of the floor. It took a second for my mind to catch up and when it did, I pressed my lips together.
Damian glanced around the body of the car; the crease between his eyes conveyed his confusion.
“Are you okay?” he asked as he wiped his hands on a cloth.
Michael stepped beside me scanning the array of vehicles in the dimly lit garage. Each one elevated on jacks or hanging from chains. Not one of the bunch had tires and a line of batteries lay flush against the wall. The room stunk like oil and grease and Damian’s jeans sported oil splatter.
“You did all this in an hour and a half?” I waved my hand around the room.
Damian gave me a shrug. “It’s not like I did a tune up on each, I just stripped tires, batteries and drained the oil.”
“Yeah, but you’ve got, like, a dozen cars here.”
A smirk appeared on his lips and he glanced at his watch.
“Do y
ou think having any light in here is wise?” Michael asked.
Damian looked at the high windows almost covered with platinum-steel plates and then back down at us. “I wouldn’t worry too much. No one can get in.”
“But they will notice the light. This place has been dark for ages and this gives an indication of activity. That’s going to spark some interest from a host of beings.”
Damian reached over and flipped the flashlight balanced on the hood off. “Better?” he asked but did nothing to disguise the snark in his voice as we were drenched in darkness.
Michael huffed and headed toward the stairs where a fan of light bled from the tunnel, creating long shadows on the steel. “You need to tread lightly for a while, boy,” he said. He climbed down the stairs and a moment later, the pure black of a moonless night encompassed the garage.
“He is such a dick,” Damian muttered.
I stood still, blinking and trying to get my bearings. I didn’t know how many paces away from the hole I was and I couldn’t make out a thing. Normally I would give Damian grief for his slight, but the total absence of light left me blind and uneasy.
The distinct tick of a ratchet wrench filled the thick air.
“Um, Damian, you think you can give me a hand so I don’t fall down the stairs and break my neck?”
“Oh, sorry.” The clink of metal on metal informed me he put down the wrench. He was almost soundless as he approached and I jumped when his hand clasped around my upper arm.
“I keep forgetting you don’t have the benefit of vampire vision anymore.” He led me down the stairs and through the dirt entry to the concrete pipes. “Do you have your phone with you?”
“Yes,” I sad and his hand released my arm. I dug in my pocket and pulled the phone out, engaging it and illuminating the small space. “Thank you,” I added and stood on my tiptoes to give him a peck on his cheek.
