Destined for Time
Myths and Legends, Book Two
Stacie Simpson
Destined for Time: Myths and Legends, Book Two
Copyright 2013 Stacie Simpson
Kindle Edition
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License Notes
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Disclaimer
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously.
Adult Reading Material
Acknowledgements
First I would like to thank the few but growing number of fans who have given Releasing the Dragon such great ratings and reviews. Knowing there are people out there who love the Myths and Legends characters as much as I do means a lot to me. A special thank you goes to my beta readers Lin, Donna and especially Marcia for not only finding the typos, but also coming up with the perfect ringtone - it really was a stroke of genius. Many thanks go to my family and friends for their love and enthusiastic support - I love you all. And finally, a big round of applause goes to Fiona Jayde Media for another spectacular cover.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Epilogue
Author’s Note
More to Come...
About the Author
Chapter One
I had to tamp down a sense of giddy anticipation as I drew closer to the receiving area outside The Gateway to the Otherworld, a performing arts theater located within the Myths and Legends Casino Resort that offered formal dining while guests watched anything from ballets, to comedians, to psychic readings. The receiving area and the theater beyond always reminded me of a red and gold palace with its delicate antique furniture, medieval artwork in gold frames and the flowing fabrics hanging from the walls and ceiling.
Passing through the arched doorway I glanced around and spotted Devin Delaney, better known as Rook, the Myths and Legends Security Manager leaning against the wall near the entrance to the theater. Striding towards him I mentally prepared myself for another round of Rook vs. my resolve.
“Well if it isn’t Angela.” A sensual smile full of promise curved his lips as I approached him. With his exotic features, deeply tanned skin and the ebony hair hanging straight to his waistline he was always attractive, but when he smiled like that he was almost irresistible.
I stopped a few feet away from him and he pushed off from the wall. He was dressed in his signature outfit of black leather pants and a dark, long sleeved shirt that fit his muscular chest and shoulders like a second skin. Tonight his shirt was red and I could see his muscles flex beneath it as he closed the distance between us.
Mmm... I repressed the urge to close my eyes and picture his hard body nude and ready to fulfill my every desire.
Rook had no such restraint. His eyes wandered slowly over my body and the heat they held had me groaning inside. Why did we have to be on opposite sides of the law?
It was a common belief at the local police department that Myths and Legends was really a front for an organized crime ring. There were just too many suspicious activities and strange occurrences to be ignored - people disappearing, evidence vanishing, witnesses recanting their stories, not to mention the claims of vampire sightings and other such nonsense that resulted from the supernatural theme of this particular resort.
“That would be Detective Ruby to you Mr. Delaney,” I reminded him for probably the millionth time. I had to keep things professional between us otherwise I’d never be able to resist his persistent advances.
“But Angela, it’s been six years, shouldn’t we be on a first name basis by now.” His deep voice was tinged with an accent that I could never quite place. I wanted to hear that voice whisper my name in the dark while he used all those rippling muscles to pleasure my body. From the wicked grin he flashed me he knew exactly what I was thinking too.
“Let’s keep things professional Mr. Delaney. I’m here because we found another body on the beach behind this resort and I’d like to review your security footage to see if your cameras caught anything this time.”
Just then two men walked out of the theater and hurried past us while arguing in hushed voices. Rook eyed them like he wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them, then motioned to someone behind me to join us. Looking over my shoulder I saw Doyle crossing the room.
“Doyle, I need you to follow Travali and Bran. Keep an eye on them until you’re sure they’ve left the resort,” Rook instructed Doyle who immediately followed the two men.
“Who were the two troublemakers,” I asked Rook. Anyone that worried Rook was worth looking into.
He shrugged giving me an easy grin. “Just a couple of wedding guests. You are aware that we’re in the middle of Senator Mitchell’s wedding reception aren’t you?”
It was widely known that Senator Garrett Mitchell had close ties to Donovan Drake, owner and General Manager of Myths and Legends. That the senator chose this location to marry his longtime girlfriend Ivanna wasn’t a surprise, but it was unsettling considering our suspicions of criminal activities.
I peeked into the theater. “Do you really think a burlesque extravaganza is appropriate for a U.S. Senator’s wedding reception?”
“Of course it is; everyone knows politicians are all lecherous old men at heart.” He gave me his own version of a lecherous leer and I couldn’t help myself. I had to laugh, and that was how he usually broke down my defenses. He could be so serious when he was focused on the security of the resort, but when he wanted me to loosen up he’d stop at nothing to reach his goal.
I couldn’t let him sidetrack me though. That would be a slippery slope that I’d never climb back up once I started sliding down it. “So why do you think someone is leaving apparent vampire victims behind this resort? I mean, all the female bodies have been drained of their blood and they’ve each had twin puncture marks on their neck.”
His jaw clenched for a moment. He never liked it when I got down to business. He preferred to
flirt until all I could think about was finding the nearest broom closet where I could rip his clothes off and finally know what it feels like to have him inside me.
“It could be a vampire wannabe, or one of those religious fanatics trying to make us look bad,” he suggested.
Suddenly I was flying through the air, my ears ringing from the blast of an explosion. All the air rushed out of my lungs as I smashed into a wall then crashed onto the floor with rubble falling from the ceiling above me.
Rook! Oh God where was Rook?
Frantically I searched the area until our eyes met through the dust and smoke, the relief in his matched my own then he took off into The Gateway. Damn he moved fast. I tried to stand but it took me a few minutes because my knee kept giving out on me. By the time I struggled to my feet, a wave of energy washed over me and I was standing in front of Rook again while he told Doyle to follow the two troublemakers. My body still ached a little but most of the pain was gone and my clothes were once again spotless.
“Doyle, I need you to follow Travali and Bran. Keep an eye on them until you’re sure...” Rook was saying.
“What the hell just happened?” I demanded. Rook looked at me sharply but Doyle simply looked confused. “We’ve already done this, you know we have. How the hell did you do that?”
“Whoa! You set time back and she remembers?” Doyle asked incredulously staring at me like I had two heads.
“What do you mean he set back time?”
“I don’t have time for this. I have to get Dragon out of The Gateway.” Rook turned towards the theater.
“We have to get everyone out of there.” He tried to stop me but I ducked out of his reach and made it to the doorway where I yelled, “Bomb! Everyone get out now.”
Just as everyone started screaming and running, I felt that energy wash over me again and I was once again standing beside Rook and Doyle.
Rook snapped, “Grab her Doyle and don’t let her say a word.”
Before I could react Doyle had me in a death grip with one massive arm holding me against his hard body and one hand clamped so tightly over my mouth I could only breathe through my nose. Rook went to the theater entrance and gestured to someone inside. A few moments later Donovan Drake, or Dragon as he preferred to be called, emerged and we all moved farther away from The Gateway.
Dragon took in my captive state as I struggled futilely against Doyle’s hold, the man’s arms may as well have been unbreakable steel bands. Then he asked Rook calmly, “What’s going on here?”
I didn’t like his lack of reaction. Seeing a police detective restrained by a member of his staff should have raised a ton of red flags.
“Angela dropped by to tell me about another body being dumped nearby.” With a jerk of his head in the direction of The Gateway he continued, “We were standing over there discussing why anyone would want to make it look like vampires are leaving their victims at our back door when a bomb went off inside The Gateway,” Rook informed him casually like it was an everyday occurrence.
Dragon started heading back into The Gateway at a fast clip but Rook jumped in front of him. “She’ll be fine, I promise.” They held each other’s gaze then Dragon gave a sharp nod and Rook continued, “Anyway, since the bomb takes out the table you were sitting at and everyone seated there, I set the clock back to get you out of there.” He glanced over at me with a bemused expression then told Dragon, “When I jumped back into my body she asked me what the hell just happened.”
“What?” Dragon asked, confused.
“She came back with me. When she figured out what I’d done she ran into The Gateway and told everyone to get out because there’s a bomb. Of course, then I had to jump back again so here we are.”
“And Serafina?” Serafina was Dragon’s new wife. She was also a dancer currently performing in The Gateway.
“She’s outside of the blast radius. She will not be harmed by the bomb at all, I promise.” Rook assured Dragon.
There was a tense moment then Dragon asked Rook, “Why did Travali and Bran take off just before you came in to get me?”
Rook visibly relaxed then answered, “I can’t say for sure but I’d bet Travali knows about the bomb. I think Garrek is the target. Maybe you too, but he knows I’m watching your back.”
The noise was deafening as the explosion rocked the building again. A heartbeat later pandemonium ensued and Dragon pushed his way past the crowds streaming through the exits to get back into The Gateway. Doyle released me when Rook grabbed my hand and started leading me outside. When we hit the cool night air Rook and I jogged over to Claire, a celebrity psychic who has a studio at Myths and Legends and often performs in The Gateway.
“Rook, I’m going to take Josephine somewhere safe now. When you see Serafina, please let her know we’ll stop by to see her and Donovan in the morning,” Claire said as if they were going out for dinner or a movie.
Did none of these people have emotions? Personally I was freaking out. Possible time travel aside, there were dozens of people injured or dying all around us. It was truly a chaotic scene as people poured out of the building along with the smoke and flames quickly spreading over much of the structure. And the sounds, I would never forget the terrified screams and agonized cries of pain and loss that surrounded me.
“I’ll let her know,” was all Rook said, then he was tugging me to a spot about fifty feet from the building. When we reached his destination he turned on me with a fierce expression that had me swallowing the ass-chewing I was about to deliver. “Don’t say a word. Stay right here and don’t move or I’ll have you removed from the scene and locked up until I have time to deal with you.”
I met him toe to toe and gritted through my teeth, “I will wait, but not for long. Hurry up and do what you need to do.”
His black eyes held mine for another moment then he addressed the security personnel that had started gathering around us. The way he took charge was impressive, like a confident general commanding his troops. When he finished issuing his orders everyone set out to follow his instructions except for Doyle who was probably on standby in case I needed to be restrained again. I heard sirens in the distance and knew rescue workers would be there any moment.
I was about to pounce on Rook when Dragon and Serafina approached our group. They were a bit dusty but otherwise appeared to be unharmed. “Rook, have you seen my mother and Claire?” Serafina asked, the high pitch of her voice evidence of her concern. Finally someone besides me was having an emotional reaction.
“They were the first ones out here. Claire said she was taking your mother somewhere safe. She said they’ll stop by your apartment in the morning,” Rook answered with a kind smile that calmed some of her worry.
It looked like Dragon was about to ask for an update but I was through waiting. Once the police and fire department arrived Rook would be busy with them and I’d never get a chance to have it out with him. I pushed past Doyle and slammed my hands against Rook’s chest making him stumble back a few steps.
“What the hell is wrong with you? How could you just let those people die when you knew what was going to happen to them?”
Despite Rook being a suspected criminal, I’d thought I knew him, and the Rook I thought I knew wouldn’t have allowed all those people to die.
“It doesn’t work like that,” he growled through his teeth. “Once someone is marked for death I can’t change that fate.”
“You saved him.” I stabbed my finger towards Dragon.
“He’s different, I’m his Guardian. I’m sworn to save him and his mate no matter the cost to myself or anyone else. But I can’t intervene when anyone else is slated to die.” He was breathing hard with his fists clenched at his sides.
I’d never seen him this close to the edge but I had to know why he would just stand by and let people die when he could have saved them. “Who the fuck makes stupid rules like that?”
“His Elders, and believe me when I say you do not want to cross his Elders,�
�� Dragon drew my attention from Rook with a grimace on his face. At six-foot-three he was a few inches shorter than Rook but heavier by at least twenty pounds of solid muscle.
“If you had succeeded in warning the people in The Gateway and even one person who was meant to die survived, Rook would have been stripped of his powers. Then he would have been banished to a world so horrible you couldn’t imagine it in your worst nightmares. And after all that, the Elders would have set time back again so that whoever you saved would die here tonight just as it was originally planned. So you see, even if he tried to save those people, he wouldn’t have been able to pull it off. It doesn’t matter if he wanted to save them or not.”
I looked between the two of them gauging the truthfulness of his words then demanded from Rook, “Is that true?”
“Every word,” he confirmed, tension radiating through his body, his face twisting with anguish as something inside of him snapped. “You have no idea what it’s like to know people are going to die. To have the power to save them and still not be able to do anything to stop it from happening. Right now my mind keeps going back to the first time that bomb went off. We were so close. The force of the blast actually threw us a good fifteen feet through the air. What if you had died in that explosion? I wouldn’t have been able to save you dammit!”
His eyes were wild, frightened, and by the time he finished he was shouting at me. He grabbed my arms and shook me. “What if I’d lost you tonight?”
It was the same thought that I’d had when our eyes met after the first detonation. Until that moment I hadn’t realized just how much it would hurt me if something happened to Rook.
We stared into each other’s eyes for half a second then he kissed me. Our lips met and his tongue shot into my mouth, sliding along mine with desperation. All his fear poured into me overwhelming me with the knowledge that we almost lost each other, that we almost missed our only chance to have a happily ever after. His hands raced over my body and I pulled him closer needing to feel his warmth, to know he was still alive and well.
Gradually the panic started to fade and his arms circled my shoulders holding me tightly against his chest. The kiss slowed, became soft, sensual and for a moment I let myself feel everything I’d kept locked away for the last six years. I never wanted to let go of him, but I heard the sirens getting closer and knew this had to end now. I couldn’t let this go any further than it already had no matter how right it felt.
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