But already he felt the tug of reality. The blood, death and hatred were seeping back in. Revenge again beat in his heart.
As though she sensed it, she sighed and pulled back. “You hungry?”
He was surprised to find he was. “I could eat.”
“Why don’t we attack that food our host left?” She wrapped a towel around her slim curves.
Sean fought the urge to rip the offending fabric away.
She looked over her shoulder. “And you can tell me what we’re going to steal next.”
He watched her leave. As soon as she was gone, he felt very alone.
He pressed his hands to the sink, staring into the mirror. The burn of retribution once again pounded inside him—twisted with wild rage and grief. Holding her had chased it away, given him respite, if only for a brief moment.
He gripped the ceramic until his fingers turned white. For a second, he was tempted to take her and run. Find that beach she dreamed about, lie on the sand and hold her tight.
With a shake of his head, he reached for a towel. What was he thinking? Giving up his chance of vengeance for a woman.
Especially when the woman would never, ever let anything get in the way of her revenge.
Chapter Seven
“We’re going to steal some old, dusty book?”
Sean found himself fascinated at the way Bay’s forehead creased. He suspected it was a common expression for her. He wondered what she’d look like with a genuine smile on her face or if she ever truly laughed.
“It’s more than that. It’s the original manuscript of a book called The Liber Legis. The Book of the Law. It was written by Crowley.”
Bay reached over to the plate resting between them on the bed and plucked up a grape. “Crowley again?”
“The occultist believed in doing what he wanted, ignoring moral constraints. Even started a religion based on the belief.”
“God,” she whispered. “Sounds just like Leven.”
“Do you know much about Leven’s past?”
She shook her head. “I’ve never been able to find anything on him.”
Sean nodded. “He’s hidden it deep, but before I…entered his employ, I had a friend with some hacking skills do a search.”
Bay shifted, her gaze focused on him. “And?”
“He was born John Gabriel Brown in a small town in Kansas.”
“Kansas?” She shook her head. “Wouldn’t have guessed that.”
Sean paused, uncertain how much he should tell her. “My friend found hospital records.”
She blinked. “Hospital records?”
“From age four Leven suffered a broken arm, broken ribs, infected wounds from being chained and severe acid burns.”
Bay sucked in a breath.
“When Leven was ten, his father strangled his mother to death. In front of Leven.”
“God.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. “I don’t want to hear any more.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Not all abused kids turn into sadistic maniacs.”
“I’m not defending him.” Sean watched the conflicted emotions on her face. “After his father went to prison, John Brown disappeared…six years later, Gabriel Leven emerged on the Chicago criminal scene.”
“Just stop.”
“Look, I wanted to tell you so you understand his obsession with Crowley. Leven abides by no one’s rules but his own.”
Bay lifted her chin. “Just tell me more about the book.”
“Leven paid a small fortune for it in a private sale. It’s like his Bible.” Sean remembered the way the guy talked about it. Quoted from it. Creepy. “Crowley claimed a being called Aiwass dictated the book to him in Egypt. It’s filled with cryptic text but Leven believes that Aiwass was a time thief.”
She sat up. “And the book contains information on thieves?”
“Yes.”
“We have to destroy it. Where does he keep it?” She’d forgotten about the grape caught between her fingers. “Locked in a vault somewhere?”
“Nope. It’s here in Colorado.” Sean pressed the fruit to her mouth. “In his mountain cabin.”
She chewed, her eyes shimmering. “Not even locked away?”
“Don’t get too excited. The cabin’s well-protected. And cabin doesn’t do the sprawling mansion any justice. Cameras, dogs, high-tech security system and guards. It won’t be easy to get in.” Sean helped himself to a cracker.
Her smile was blinding. “It will be if you can steal time.”
He smiled back and fingered her hair. “How could I have forgotten about that handy talent of yours?”
Her smile dissolved away. “I’m sure you’ll never forget what I can do.”
No. That ability had ruined his life, shattered his soul. His hand fell away. He wouldn’t ever forget.
She dropped her gaze, her body stiff. “You think I’m a monster.”
Way to go, Archer. “Bay, I don’t think—”
“Sometimes I do.”
Her whispered words cracked something inside him. “You’ve made me realize there are good and bad time thieves, just like there are good and bad people.”
“If I didn’t have this damn ability…curse…my family would be alive.”
“Hey.” He forced her chin up. “Their deaths are on Leven, no one else. Wishing you could be someone you’re not…it won’t change anything.”
There was a wealth of pain behind her eyes. He wanted to pull her close, hold the world away from her. He doubted she’d accept comfort from anyone.
Maybe distraction would work. “When did you first learn you could steal time?”
She settled back against the pillows. “Thirteen. Seems the ability doesn’t manifest until you hit puberty.” She gave a little laugh. “Like teenagers don’t have enough to deal with.”
“Must have been a shock.”
Another laugh. He was happy to see the line on her forehead melt away.
“Yeah, I was arguing with my mother when it first happened.” Bay shook her head. “Shock doesn’t come close to what I went through. I freaked out.”
“Understandable.”
“A mutated gene causes the ability.”
“Yeah, that’s what Leven said. You told your parents?”
“Eventually. After I stole time at Cindy Hilty’s birthday party. Cindy was a perky little blonde and she was flirting with Stevie Allen. I had a major crush on ol’ Stevie.” A fond smile flashed. “She still doesn’t know how she ended up spilling cola down her pretty party dress.”
“How’d your parents react?” Sean tried to imagine his parents dealing with such a confession. They were fourth generation farmers settled happily on their land in Wisconsin. They probably wouldn’t deal well with supernatural powers, but they’d come to see him in the hospital after he’d returned from Afghanistan. They’d wanted him to come home to recuperate.
Maybe he should have given them a chance to help him.
Bay shifted on the pillows. “They were great. After some initial disbelief, they dealt with it. They didn’t ignore it, instead they taught me not to take advantage of my skill.” She looked past Sean, lost in her memories. “Taught me responsibility.”
She’d been lucky. “Bet they’d be proud of you.”
She brushed her hair back. “I don’t know about that. They told me never to tell anyone what I could do.” Her voice cracked. “But at fifteen, I wanted to impress a boy. Because of that, Leven found me.”
And she’d lost everything.
Sean pressed his hand over hers. “Leven’s fault, not yours. And I think your parents would be pleased to know you haven’t sold your ability to the highest bidder.”
“Maybe. There’ve been times that would have been easier.”
“Had to be tough for a teen on the run.”
She lifted a shoulder. “I survived doing whatever I could. Never stayed anywhere too long, took cash jobs.” A bitter smile. “I’m a hell of waitress.”
“I’ll
bet.” She struck him as someone who’d work to be the best at whatever she did.
“Once I saved enough, I became a hell of a stock trader. Now I don’t have to work so much.”
Smart and resourceful. His type of woman.
“Enough questions about me,” she said. “What about Commander Sean Archer?”
He spread his hands wide. “What do you want to know?”
“Where are you from?”
“Wisconsin.”
“How’d you end up in the Navy?”
“Didn’t want to be a farmer. Fighting for my country sounded much more noble.”
She paused, toyed with the edge of a pillowcase. Then her green gaze hit him hard. “Will you tell me about your team?”
Sean was on his feet before he realized. He paced across the room, feeling as though the walls were closing in on him.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
He didn’t want to talk about them. It felt like ripping the scab off a poorly healed wound. He hadn’t talked about any of his friends since their funerals.
But how was it honoring them to ignore their memories, their sacrifice, just because it hurt him to say their names?
“McNeil was my best friend. He was the toughest son of a bitch I knew.” Sean clutched his watch.
“You miss him.”
“Every day. He had the driest sense of humor and the biggest sense of honor. Chris Butler was the youngest. Still had that idealist shine. We were working on ridding him of it.” Yep, it hurt. Remembering the times they’d laughed together, giving each other hell about women, work or life in general. “Rick Sanchez was a slow-talking Texan. He was a hell of a shot.” Sean closed his eyes, letting the words flow. “He was always talking about his wife Tessa and their three kids. He was a great dad. And Lucas “Lucky Last” Romano always brought up the rear. Was dependable as a Swiss watch although he liked everyone to believe he left things up to Lady Luck.”
But Lady Luck caught up with him in the end.
Sean continued talking, sharing stories about the guys, watching the smile on Bay’s face. He moved back to the bed and sat, his thigh brushing against her slim leg. Talking about the guys hurt like hell, but he was surprised to find it was a good hurt. It was good to remember them.
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry you lost them.”
He pressed his head against hers. “Me, too. I’ll make Leven pay for it.”
“We will. Starting with burning his precious manuscript.”
Sean nodded. “We’ll head up to the cabin tomorrow. Matt’ll loan us his truck. It’s about two hours from here. Best to go in at sunset so we can escape in the dark.” The familiar burn charged through Sean’s blood.
“We’ll do recon first. Find out how many guards, dogs, entrances and exits.” Her body tensed, preparing for battle. “Then I’ll steal time.”
“How long can you hold it?”
She shrugged. “It varies. Depends on how relaxed I am.” She gave a rueful smile. “And you can’t measure time while it’s stopped.”
His lips quirked in response. “I guess.”
Her gaze dropped to his mouth before jerking over his shoulder. “Do you know where he keeps the book?”
“Could be in two locations. Upstairs in his private office or on display in the great room downstairs. His guards told me he changes it depending on his mood.”
She tapped a hand against her thigh. “Once we get inside, we split up. I’ll check the office, you take downstairs.”
The idea of her being alone and unprotected didn’t sit well. “We should stick together.”
“Everything’ll be stopped. We get in and get out. Easy.”
Experience warned him missions were never easy. But she was good at looking after herself. “In and out.”
“Any chance Leven’ll be at the cabin?”
“Slim. He doesn’t visit it often and only on weekends. His…business dealings keep him busy during the week.”
“Crime takes effort.” She stood and started pacing. “After I burn the damn book, I’ll send him the ashes.”
Bay the woman was slipping away and Bay the survivor was back. “It’s late. We should get some sleep.”
She lifted a shoulder. “You go to bed. I’ll go and watch some TV or something.”
He eyed the stiff set of her shoulders and wondered how many other nights she’d spent stewing over an upcoming attack. “Something wrong?”
“I’m fine.”
“Universal phrase of a woman with something on her mind.”
“My thoughts, my mind.”
Oh, no. It was too late now for her to push him away. Screw that.
***
Bay’s shoulders were rock hard and her mind raced. She never slept before executing a plan.
“Hey.” Sean laid a hand on her shoulder. “You’re rigid.”
She wanted to lean into him, absorb some of his warmth and borrow some of his formidable strength.
Instead she shrugged his hand away. “A little wound up, that’s all.”
He snaked an arm around her waist. “Bay. You aren’t alone this time.”
As she was dragged up against him, her back to hard chest, edginess morphed into anger. “Look, despite what happened earlier, we don’t know each other. So let me go.”
His warm breath fanned over the side of her neck. “We do know each other.” He nipped at the shell of her ear. “You might want to hide from that and push me away, but I don’t think that’s what you really want.” Another nip. “Is it?”
She sucked in a breath. Her entire body trembled. “You have no idea what I want.”
“Really?” His hand opened against her belly. He slipped his palm under her shirt. “I think you ignore what you want, all in your quest to punish Leven.”
She tried a scoffing laugh, but it sounded hollow. “Revenge is what I want.”
“Does it keep you company at night?” Sean squeezed her tighter, flush against unyielding muscle. “Does it hold you close?”
Her throat tightened. He felt so good. So solid and sexy. His fingers brushed her skin, toying with the loose waist of her borrowed shorts.
“Does it share breakfast with you? Kiss you? Smile at you?” He spun her, one hand gripping her chin. Gray eyes bored into her. “Does it love you?”
“I don’t know anything about love.” She stared into his chest. “I lost that ability a long time ago.”
He pressed his face to her hair and breathed in. She closed her eyes and yearned.
“We’re in this together.” His lips moved over her temple.
Her hands gripped his sides. “I don’t know how to do ‘together.’”
“Let me show you.” He slid his arms around her. “Lean on me. Just a little.”
She was so tense. The drive for retribution was familiar, like an addiction she couldn’t ever give up. He was the unknown—something wonderful she was too afraid to reach out and take.
Sean traced the seam of her mouth with his tongue before sweeping inside. She told herself to pull away but instead she leaned into him. He picked her up and laid her on the bed. His hands skimmed under her shirt.
“I wish it was my shirt touching your skin, not Matt’s,” he murmured.
As he cupped her breasts, she arched into his touch. Words wouldn’t form.
“I love looking at you.” He pushed the shirt up and with her help, pulled it over her head.
She managed a strangled moan.
“And touching you.” He cupped her shoulder, kneaded. “Turn over.”
She studied his tough face then rolled over. His hands skimmed her spine. Down, back up again.
A tender kiss on her back. “How’s the shoulder?”
It took her a second. “Feels much better.”
He shed his shirt and straddled her hips. He went to work on her neck, kneading her tight muscles. Bay swallowed a moan. He moved over her shoulder blades, exquisitely careful on her sore one.
“Skin like cream.” Tracing each knob of her spine, he worked lower.
Her muscles started to relax. His fingers brushed the top curves of her buttocks. He worked the tightness there.
“Relax,” he murmured.
“Easy to say…”
“You’re just out of practice.”
She laughed. The sound muffled by the bed cover. “Not much time to relax when you’re running for your life.”
His hands stilled. “I’m sorry for what Leven’s done to you. Sorry that he made me a part of it.”
She pressed her cheek to the bed. Trust Sean to feel guilty. “Not your fault.”
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the nape of her neck. He kissed along her shoulder, nipping with his teeth.
Before she knew what was happening, he reared back and turned her over. His hands shaped her breasts as he tasted one peak, teasing the nipple to hardness. He kissed the lower slope, then moved to the other, lavishing it with the same slow attention.
“Sean.” Bay moved restlessly beneath him.
“No.” The muscles in his neck strained. “No rushing this time.”
As he moved down her body, trailing his lips over her, her hands gripped the blanket. Her legs shifted and when he dipped his tongue in her navel, her hands slid into his hair. Tugged hard. “I need you.”
He looked up. His eyes burned hot. For her alone.
In seconds, he’d shucked his borrowed jeans, yanked off her too-large shorts and covered her body with his. Gripping her thighs, he pushed her legs up and out. Then, with his gaze glued to hers, he pushed inside her.
He moved slowly. Inch by tortuous inch. Bay’s nails dug into his firm shoulders and she couldn’t think of anything but him. Her eyelids fluttered closed.
“No, don’t close your eyes.”
The intimacy of staring deeply at each other while he filled her was a sensation she’d never shared with anyone before. Sex was quick, pleasurable. It wasn’t this intense, soul-stealing experience.
She’d never felt so connected to someone before.
Sean was fully lodged inside her, long and thick, filling her up. Her lips parted. As he began to move, a slow, tantalizing slide, she sank her teeth into her bottom lip.
The Anomaly Trilogy Boxed Set Page 6
