Darkest Fire

by Tawny Taylor

  “Don’t know much yet,” Dobbs said. “We went to the old Chimera place, did a little looking around. That building’s big, so we split up. I went one way, Wilkerson the other. An hour or two later, I went to find him, but he was gone.”

  “Why didn’t you call us?” Talen asked.

  “I was about to when I got a call from Wilkerson. Or rather, his phone. It was a nurse calling from the hospital, looking for a family member to answer some questions about his medical history. I headed right over to the hospital, learned someone had dropped Wilkerson off and left. Don’t know who it was.”

  Drako asked, “What’s Wilkerson saying?”

  “Nothing. He’s out of it.”

  Talen shook his head. “Okay, let us know what happens.”

  “Will do.”

  Drako’s finger hovered over the button, but he didn’t end the call yet. “Before you go, Dobbs, did you find anything?”

  “Nothing. But it would take a lot longer than a couple of hours to go through that place, inch by inch.”

  “And you’re feeling okay?” Drako asked, wondering if they’d been exposed to some kind of poison while searching. Considering the state of the place, it was a distinct possibility.

  “I’m fine.”

  “All right.” Talen, looking at Drako, shrugged. “Let us know if you hear anything, or if Wilkerson’s condition changes.”

  “Will do.”

  The call ended, and Drako, Talen, and Malek gave each other a look.

  “There was something on the news last night,” Malek mentioned. “Some kind of mysterious illness.”

  “I heard something about that.” Drako nodded, recalling what little of the broadcast he’d watched last night. “I missed the report. Did you catch it?”

  “No.” Malek shook his head. “But I can check the station’s Web site. I’m sure there’ll be a report.”

  “Good.” Drako pointed at Talen. “T, pull the surveillance tapes. See if you can find anything suspicious.”

  “Okay.” Talen’s expression turned grim. “Do you think Wilkerson’s illness is somehow related to his work with us?”

  “Maybe. But most likely it isn’t. Dobbs is fine, but then again, he was searching a different part of the building. We need to check it out thoroughly, just in case.” Drako’s gut told him it might be. “Could be he came into contact with something in the warehouse, rat poison, or maybe some kind of industrial solvent. I don’t want any more men in there until we know if it’s safe.”

  His brothers both stood, nodded, and left. And Drako, feeling like he was no closer to finding Oram, or, more important, anticipating his next move, went back to Oram’s file, hoping something would click this time. The man had something going for him that Drako lacked, and it was pissing him off. That something: the kind of genius that teetered on the line between intelligence and insanity. If Drako couldn’t outsmart him, he’d have to find another way to stop him.

  But what way would that be?

  Someone was here. Drako?

  Lounging on the couch in the den, her sister next to her, Rin felt her heart do a little pitter and then a little patter.

  Lei’s eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” Breathing a little faster than normal, Rin tried to pretend she was reading. In truth, she couldn’t tell anyone what had happened the last three or four pages.

  She loved reading, but today she’d been living in the world between her ears long enough. For hours upon hours. It didn’t help that it had rained all day long. This kind of steady rain was rare at this time of the year when showers generally blew in and out in a matter of hours, if not minutes. Thus she and her sister had been forced to stay indoors.

  Outside of a few television shows, she wasn’t much of a TV watcher. She swam like a rock. She had no hobbies. Didn’t sew, knit, crochet, paint, scrapbook, or make jewelry. Oddly, after only one day, she missed having a job, a reason for waking up, taking a shower, and putting on makeup in the morning. From the look of it, so did Lei.

  She had to talk to Drako. Until they had their first child, she would need to do something to make the time pass, or Lei was right, she was going to deeply regret her decision. The house was absolutely spotless. There hadn’t even been anything to clean.

  This was no way to live.

  Heavy footsteps approached at a casual pace. She counted each one until he was there, her husband, looking more gorgeous than last night—how was that possible?

  “Hi,” she greeted him, not trying to disguise the sparkles in her eyes.

  Lei stood. “I think I’m going to jump in the shower.”

  Drako slid into a chair, swung one thick arm over the back, and propped one ankle on top of the opposite knee. He looked at her for a moment, his expression unreadable and noticeably lacking the sexy glimmer of last night.

  She was sort of relieved. At least she would have a chance to talk to him about her concerns without being distracted.

  “Did you have a good day?” he asked.

  “Sure. . . .”

  “But?”

  She smiled. “You’re very perceptive.”

  “It’s not hard to be with you. You’re very transparent.”

  Her face warmed. She fiddled with the pages of the book, now lying in her lap. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

  “It depends. For me, it’s a good thing.” After a beat, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong.” She set the book aside and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “The house is great. The groceries arrived this morning, so we had plenty to eat.”

  “But?”

  “But . . . don’t take this wrong, I’m not used to living like this. I had nothing to accomplish today, no job, no deadlines, no goals. I guess I didn’t expect it to be like this—you leaving home before dawn and not returning until late in the evening. . . .” She checked the clock. It was after eight. “Me sitting around doing nothing.”

  He didn’t respond right away. “What do you want?”

  “You think I’m a whiner. Already. Don’t you?”

  “No.”

  Everything—face, voice, body language—reinforced Drako’s words. Still, she couldn’t help explaining herself. “I suppose some women would love to live like this. Everything is done for me. The house is cleaned. The groceries delivered. The phone answered. The grass cut. The flowers watered. All I have to do is sleep, eat, and make myself pretty.”

  “So tell me what you want.”

  “I was thinking I could volunteer, do some charity work. Or get a part-time job. Or take a class.”

  “You can do any or all of those things. I won’t stop you.” He leaned forward too, mirroring her position. “I’ll make sure you have a set of car keys tomorrow morning. I will ask, however, that you stay away from Magic Touch and places like it.”

  “Oh, absolutely. Believe me, I hated working there. I wouldn’t dream of going back.”

  “Very good.”

  She smiled, relieved he seemed to understand. At the same time, she was semi-excited about all the possibilities she could explore. “Thank you for understanding.”

  “Um-hm.” When she didn’t say anything else right away, he picked up a newspaper lying on the coffee table and sat back to read.

  She talked to the front page of the business section. “I think I’ll check into volunteering first. I’ve never been in a position such as this, where I didn’t need to make money. Quite the opposite, since I was fifteen, I’ve been working and needing every penny I earned.”

  He nodded but didn’t say anything, not that she needed him to. She wasn’t talking about volunteering to impress him, to try to make herself look better in his eyes. She didn’t need to.

  Or did she?

  He folded the paper and returned it to the table, then scooped up the television remote and hit the power button. She studied him as he stared at the enormous high-definition screen, channel surfing in silence. Outside
of an intimate knowledge of the glories hidden behind his well-fitting clothes, she knew so little about the man who had just last night explored every inch of her body.

  “What kind of work do you do?” she asked, the question popping up out of nowhere.

  “I design jewelry.”

  Her gaze slid to her hand first, to the beautiful ring on her finger. Then it slipped to his hands, and memories of last night—more specifically, the way he had touched her—flooded her mind. In the midst of that out-of-this-world experience, she’d noticed how deft and clever his fingers had been.

  A jeweler.

  “Did you make my ring?”

  “Sure did.”

  She shifted the ring, watching the way the light played in the stone’s depth. “It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “Thank you.” His smile was genuine, sweet. “I didn’t tell you before. The center stone is a blue diamond. They’re fairly rare. I like using rare, fancy-colored diamonds in my work.”

  “It’s absolutely amazing. Will you show me more of your work sometime?” she asked.

  “Yes.” He finally looked at her, but she wasn’t able to read him. Tonight, everything was different than last night, the energy between them, his body language, the way he looked at her. She wondered why. “I will. Soon.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  He gave her another smile, then turned his attention back to the television screen. “What types of programs do you like to watch?”

  She scooted back on the couch and, turning sideways, kicked her feet up on the cushions, stretching her legs out in front of her. “I don’t watch much TV. What about you?”

  “I don’t either.” He started going through the program guide. “Hmmm, how about a movie? Do you like movies?”

  “Sometimes. When I’m in the mood.”

  He glanced at her. “You aren’t in the mood now?”

  She shrugged. “I’d rather talk, get to know you.”

  He hit the power button and the screen went dark. His gaze turned to her again, but this time his expression wasn’t so impossible to read. His brows were furrowed, his mouth pulled taut, the muscle along his jaw tight. “Do I need to worry?”

  Was he upset? “About what?” she asked.

  “Have you forgotten the terms of our agreement?”

  “No, of course I haven’t.” She grabbed the book she’d been reading and set it in her lap, flipping open the cover. “I was just trying to get to know you a little bit better.”

  “No emotional entanglements.” He enunciated every word. Every syllable. It wasn’t necessary.

  “No worries, Drako.” Feeling jittery and uneasy, she turned to face him fully, dropping her feet back to the floor. “I remember every detail of our agreement—at least, I’m pretty sure I do. I’m not looking for love. Or even affection. But you never said we had to remain strangers. In fact, as I recall you said we could become friends.”

  “Of course I did.” He chewed his lip.

  Now, on top of everything else, she was frustrated. She pulled the elastic out of her hair and shoved her fingers through the waves. “This is awkward, Drako. Uncomfortable. For both of us. Don’t you agree it would be better if we became friends sooner rather than later . . . at least?”

  “At least?”

  Whoops, he caught that slipup quickly enough.

  She inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly, using those few seconds to plan what she would say next. Clearly, she had to watch every word, at least when they were talking about their marriage. “I’m not going to renege on our agreement.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  She stood, went to the window, and leaned a shoulder against the cool glass. Once again, she was staring out into the dark world beyond, just like last night. “Why is it being in your bed feels so good, so natural and easy, but being in any other room with you feels so strained, awkward?”

  “I don’t know. But I won’t stay if it makes you uncomfortable. I’m not trying to make things harder on you. I swear it.”

  Something inside her pinched, and she felt herself stiffen a little. She turned around, catching him striding toward the kitchen. “No. Please. Don’t go.” When he hesitated, she added, “I’ll eventually get used to this. It’s a lot to adjust to all at once. A new marriage, a new home, a new lifestyle. . . .”

  He lifted his hands in the universal sign of surrender. “I know. I’m trying to make it easier. Tell me what you want me to do.”

  “Open up just a little. Let your guard down a tiny bit. Am I asking for too much?”

  He didn’t respond right away; he made her wait five excruciating seconds before finally saying, “No, you’re not.” As he visibly tracked her returning to her seat, he asked, “The book. How are you liking it?”

  “Very much.” Breathing a little easier, she lifted the novel in question, pointing the top toward him. “I had a lot of time to read today. I’m almost a quarter of the way through it.”

  “I see that.”

  “Are you reading anything right now?”

  “No.”

  An idea popped into her head, but she shoved it aside. It was silly. Or was it?

  It seemed books, worlds of fiction, were going to be the thin strand that would link them, at least until they had a child.

  “Can I read to you?” she asked.

  His brows rose to the top of his forehead, now lined with surprise. Quickly, though, they settled back in place, and with that change came an even more welcome one. His smile, granted, not a beaming grin, returned. “Yes. Please.”

  She leaned back, getting comfortable and began, “ ‘Perfect happiness, even in memory, is not common; and there were two points on which she was not quite easy. . . .�� ”

  The next morning, Rin discovered a set of car keys, a credit card, and some cash had been left for her on the marble-topped table next to the front door. Correction—Lei had discovered them, and she’d let Rin know about them with a bouncy enthusiasm Rin had rarely seen in her sister.

  Their days of living confined to a house were over.

  “What’re you going to do first?” Lei dropped the key ring into Rin’s hands.

  Rin took one up-and-down look at her sister and knew immediately where they needed to go. “The nearest clothing store. To buy you something decent to wear.”

  Lei’s smile was wider than Rin had seen it in ages, and Rin’s heart swelled at the sight. Her eyes burned. Blinking, she laughed. “Don’t look so depressed, Lei.”

  “I know I’m being totally self-centered, but I can’t remember the last time I got new clothes. Growing up . . . well, you know.”

  “Yes, I do.” When they were young, her mother gave Rin hand-me-downs—one of the neighbors in their shabby apartment building had had a daughter one year younger but one size bigger than Rin. Lei got the garments after Rin couldn’t wear them anymore. Most of the clothes were in rough shape when Rin got them; they were in even worse shape by the time Lei did. “Now, do you understand why I made this decision? At least we’ll always have what we need. And the children I have someday won’t grow up hungry like we did, scared and alone and always wondering where our next meal would come from.”

  “Yes, Rin. I do. The truth is, I did from the very first moment you told me. But I was scared. I want to make sure you’re okay with your decision, and not because you want me to be happy for you. So, I let you see how upset I was. I know you.” She shook an index finger at Rin. “You would have tried to convince yourself you were happy if you thought I was glad.”

  “That’s some very convoluted logic.” Rin chuckled. “But you’re probably right.”

  “No, I know I am.”

  Rin fingered the car keys. “So you don’t think I made a huge mistake?”

  “Not if you walked into this with your eyes wide open and with realistic expectations. And not if you know for a fact that you aren’t going to wish you could change the agreement you made w
ith him later. Then, I’d say you didn’t make a mistake.”

  “Got it.” There were a lot of ifs in there. Rin couldn’t be sure, though she wanted to be, that she could agree 100 percent with all of them. Not yet, at least. Like in all things, time would tell.

  She had to admit, though, she was feeling fairly good about her marriage at the moment, and it had nothing to do with the credit card or the brief note from Drako sitting beside it: Buy whatever you need, anything you want. No limit. Drako. No, she was hopeful because of last night, the simple pleasure they’d found together as she’d read to him.

  They hadn’t confessed any dark secrets or made any promises of enduring love. Those were never going to happen. Yet, their bond had strengthened. She’d felt it, like translucent silk threads being wound between them.

  The air hadn’t crackled with sensual electricity.

  They hadn’t touched, or kissed.

  But they had shared something precious: seconds. Minutes. Hours. During those moments, they had set out on a journey together with Emma as their guide and no expectation of where it would lead them.

  She knew the power, the magic, of the written word. Stories had been one of her favorite escapes during her darkest days.

  “I’m going to grab something to eat. Have you eaten yet?” she asked her sister.

  “Not yet. I’m going to run up and do something with my hair first. Oh, and I need some makeup. . . .” Lei gave her a pleading look.

  “Of course, you can use mine.” Rin set the car keys back on the table. “What do you want for breakfast?”

  “I’m good with just a banana and some coffee.”

  “I’ll get a pot going.”

  Lei extended her arms. “Rin, I owe you so much.”

  “Don’t even think about it.” Rin closed her eyes and returned her sister’s hug. It felt so good to have her back. Better than good.

  “You’re the best sister in the world. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “You forget. I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

  10

  “Don’t class us together, Harriet. My playing is no more like hers than a lamp is like sunshine.”