Legacy of Danger

by Jillian David

  "The hell."

  "Exactly." Wyatt's teeth gleamed in the moonlight before he tackled Vaughn.

  Mariah gasped.

  Vaughn's head landed on... empty space over the cliff edge.

  Her palms sweated.

  Kerr reappeared and danced around Linc as best he could. Linc shot forward with a jab, sending Kerr sprawling on the ground. Garrison caught an opening, leapt around Vaughn and plowed into Linc's midsection. Then the two brothers worked together to level the big fighter.

  After a solid minute of relentless punishment from both Taggart brothers, Linc lay on his side, air rasping in and out. Garrison and Kerr stood over him, their postures daring Linc to get up.

  Vaughn rolled Wyatt under him but couldn't get a good angle to punch. Wyatt's hands kept moving, darting blows to Vaughn's torso and face. Screams and yowls flowed out of Wyatt and grew until they became louder than a police siren. Mariah clapped her hands over her ears.

  "You. Cannot. Win." He spat blood, his voice ringing. Gravel and frozen clods of dirt rained down on them from the hillside above. "We cannot be destroyed. The Great One is coming. Soon. You'll see."

  Vaughn locked his hands around Wyatt's thick throat. "Know what? I don't care about your future plans. You just need to stay away from me"—he slammed the man's head into the ground—"my family"—another slam—"and the woman I love." Wyatt's eyes rolled back in his head.

  Mariah's heart stopped.

  Pushing up and away from a limp Wyatt, Vaughn turned and stalked toward her as she leaned against the cliff wall. In the moonlight, the shadows poured over his face, casting his features into skeletal hollows.

  Vaughn stood in front of her, facing away from the drop-off.

  Wyatt lunged.

  The seconds in Mariah's life slowed down.

  His power. Could Vaughn still sense danger to himself?

  Wyatt's massive fist was aimed right at Vaughn.

  A feral grin ghosted across Vaughn's face, and he dodged out of the way then gave the guy a push to change momentum.

  Wyatt flew over the edge of the cliff with a howl that abruptly stopped.

  Without a backward glance, Vaughn rotated to Mariah, pressing her into the wall behind her. He braced his arms on either side of her head.

  "Damn it. I thought I'd lost you," he breathed.

  In front of the cave entrance, Linc groaned and pushed to his knees.

  Kerr piped up, "Bro, can you do the smoochie make up bit later? I'm tired of hitting this asshole." He pointed. "Stay down, already."

  Garrison did the honors, kicking Linc in the ribs. The man crumpled to the ground again in a sloppy heap.

  Vaughn brushed his lips over her forehead. "We're leaving."

  The tingle from being in physical contact with him brought stinging tears to her eyes. She didn't even mind the dull headache that accompanied the sensation of safety.

  Anywhere. She'd hike with him for hours if it meant getting away from Wyatt and Linc.

  Wyatt. The cliff. She craned her head around Vaughn's big shoulders. Should she help? She had taken the Hippocratic Oath, after all.

  "Leave him. Linc can take care of it," Vaughn muttered.

  On second thought, maybe the oath didn't count when the patient tried to kill the doctor.

  Vaughn guided her up the narrow path of the cliff. She panted, scrambling on the snow-dusted rock.

  She slipped. No way would she come this far, relive her personal nightmares, and escape Wyatt and Linc only to slide off this cliff. Forget that.

  Vaughn grabbed her and pulled her up the steep track. Odie gripped her ankle to stabilize her foothold and helped from below. Garrison and Kerr brought up the rear of their group.

  Keeping her hand in his, Vaughn hurried across the stark, moonlit, gray landscape. Snow melted in her hair, chilling her to the bone.

  She didn't care. Vaughn was here.

  She was safe.

  They were both alive.

  A sliver of brighter gray appeared through the trees. The forest road she had crossed over earlier. Her legs turned to Jell-O. Thank God.

  "Almost to the horses," he said. "What the—?"

  A yell lodged in her throat as a black figure loomed out from the trees.

  Chapter 41

  Higher than Everest one minute, bottom of the ocean the next. Vaughn should have known they weren't out of danger yet.

  His power sparked into a virtual ice pick and lodged in his skull.

  That damned creature rose out of nowhere and turned those nasty, red eyes on Mariah, and Vaughn's ability went crazy.

  Mixed curses heralded his brothers' and Odie's arrival.

  The voice that came from the creature, a scream blended with an animal howl, scorched Vaughn's ears. Tucking Mariah in to his side, Vaughn turned so his body protected her. His power pushed outward, no longer a rubbery bubble but a harder one, driven by pure rage and fear for her life.

  Fuck this. No way would he save her from the Brand bastards only to have this bullshit, whatever the hell it was, hurt her. Not today. Not ever.

  "You have tried to take my minion from me," the thing howled.

  "If you mean the fucker who kidnapped her and tried to kill her, then yes, you bet we did," Vaughn snarled.

  The nothingness expanded, soaking blackness into blackness. "You have failed. We are too strong."

  Vaughn was beyond caring. "And by 'we' you mean...?"

  "Mon dieu, don't ask it questions, my friend." Odie inhaled.

  The thing turned to the Cajun. "You?" An inferno-whistle breath of sulfur blasted out of the thing. "I should have killed you when I had the chance."

  What the actual fuck? Odie knew the creature? They had a history?

  "But you did not. Now look at you, a disgusting shadow of what you used to be." Odie was baiting it. Why?

  "Is she with you?" the thing howled, red ember eyes casting around the forest.

  "No idea who you're talking about," Odie replied, his tone casual but his stance rigid. Vaughn had to give the Cajun props for sheer balls.

  "No matter. I will destroy her legacy once and for all." The glowing red orbs scanned the group. "Where is the last one?"

  "What?" Garrison choked out.

  "There is one more of the legacy missing. I must have them all." Snow melted into acrid liquid as thick clouds of sulfur billowed underneath the thing. "No matter." A finger of the black cloud elongated and reached toward Mariah. "Time for you all to know my power. I will destroy this paltry human now."

  "No!" Vaughn yelled.

  "You cannot stop me."

  "The hell I can't."

  As the blackness brushed over Mariah's skin, she screamed and grabbed at her neck.

  The scent of her burnt flesh seared Vaughn's nose.

  He released all conscious constraint of his gift and let it suck up layer after layer of power, cram it into a ball, and extend it out over her. Damn it, his head was going to fly apart.

  Concentrate.

  This time, he jammed virtual spikes on the outer portion of the thick sphere, because why the hell not? He ignored his own protection and instead ensured that his power covered Mariah. His head throbbed, but damned if she would be hurt any more by that thing.

  The creature kept pushing against the invisible barrier, but Mariah's screams receded into a gasp as she sagged into Vaughn's chest. Safe. For now.

  Another abrupt change in his power threw his mind from accelerate into annihilate. No longer did his ability want to protect. Now it wanted blood. It wanted revenge.

  Time to feed his gift with exactly what it craved. Time to fully become danger.

  Those previous encounters were rehearsal.

  Not caring what it did to his mind or body, he spread out his arms and blanked his mind, gritting his teeth as he let go of control. No longer did Vaughn fight his power's insistence to transform him into a weapon.

  The enlarging force grew around him and pushed outward. Virtual crystals in the sphere g
rew into long spikes fixed into the surface, each crystal a spear of pure hatred for the thing.

  No one messed with Vaughn's family.

  No one messed with Mariah.

  That creature wanted his soul? Fine. Vaughn would give him every last drop.

  With interest.

  A pulsing surge of energy rose from the soles of his feet, moving through his body and building power, growing until it became a roaring tidal wave of rage, threatening to consume him, funneling everything he had into the spears. He could control it but just barely.

  Vaughn's ears rang, and all sound around him disappeared as his ability approached critical mass.

  The suspended spears quivered, sticking out of the virtual sphere.

  Somehow he held it back, every muscle in his body shaking with the effort to remain upright.

  "Get back, you guys," he gritted out. His voice sounded like he was in a thick barrel.

  "Why?" Garrison panted.

  "Fucking do it. Get behind a tree or something. Now!" No way to aim this mess. He could only hope he wouldn't wipe everyone out when he let it fly.

  It was time. He pushed Mariah toward his brothers and stared down the red-eyed bastard.

  Putting every last ounce of hatred for that creature into the virtual ball of fury, he lengthened the spikes.

  And...

  Like a cannon firing in all directions, the sphere exploded outward, blasting spears into the creature.

  A howl—an air raid drill, wild animal, and fire engine mashed together—expelled from his head. Vaughn would make that monster pay for hurting Mariah, and he didn't give one single fuck what the effort cost him personally.

  Fireworks blasted across his field of vision and boomed in his ears.

  The creature screamed again. "You will not prevail. The legacy will be my first feast when I enter this human world. Count the days until my dominion upon the Earth begins anew."

  "Count this, bastard." A second migraine-inducing wave of rage flooded his senses, and he gave himself over to the ability once more. "One." The bubble reformed, bigger and stronger this time. "Two." The crystal shards held steady, vibrating and ready to go.

  Time stopped.

  He had fully become danger. He would protect what was his.

  "Three, fucker." A horrible blast came from him, sucking him dry.

  The screech stopped.

  Nothing.

  No sound. No movement. Nothing.

  Mariah? Was she alive?

  He shook his head. Still had goddamned stars dancing in his vision. His hearing was screwed up, too, like cotton got stuck in his ears. He bent over. Whatever. He was getting her out of here. Now.

  When he staggered forward and went down on a knee, Mariah appeared. He locked onto her arm and dragged her down. He couldn't seem to release his grip on her.

  Damn it.

  "What the hell did you do?" Garrison ran up. His voice sounded a million miles away. Tinny. Muffled.

  "Power. Changed," Vaughn gritted out as he grabbed his head with his free hand. "Holy crap." He forced himself to let go of Mariah before he hurt her. "Sorry."

  "Can you walk?" Garrison grabbed him under the armpit.

  "Ease up there." Vaughn wobbled. "I'm a little weak. Can't hear real well." He rubbed his ear. Warm, iron-scented wetness dripped down his neck. He wiped his fingers on his jeans. Later. He'd deal with the fallout later.

  Mariah's fingers were feather light as she ran them over his face. Best feeling in the universe. "You're bleeding from your ears. What can I do? Do you need anything?" Her voice barely reached him, but he still heard it. Sweetest thing he'd ever heard.

  He took her face in his shaking hands. "I need you to be okay." He kissed her hard enough to scrape teeth. The heat from her soft lips gave him an extra burst of adrenaline he didn't know he still possessed. He sat up straighter.

  Kerr cleared his throat as he looped a hand under Vaughn's other arm. "Bro. Again. I know it's quite the debate: escape black blob of evil versus swap spit with pretty doctor." He sucked a tooth. "Hate to be the adult once more, but we should get the hell out of this place before something else tries to kill us."

  Vaughn leaned against both his brothers. "Let's go. Odie, can you help Mariah?"

  "With pleasure."

  "Don't get too handsy with her, man," he growled. Shit, Vaughn needed to be in contact with her. Needed it more than air.

  Odie's chuckle was seen rather than heard. "Not to worry. I'm spoken for."

  Vaughn leaned on Garrison while their motley group limped through the forest to the horses.

  "Are we close?" Garrison gritted out. "Delicate flower here weighs a ton."

  "Head more to the left, and we'll be at the horses in a few minutes," Kerr said. "Not that you need to hear this, but I'd hurry. Stuff feels spooky out here."

  "So says Mr. Obvious," Garrison agreed.

  After another minute, Vaughn's legs became more stable. The ringing continued, but at least his ears had stopped bleeding.

  All he wanted was Mariah next to him.

  He clambered onto his horse. He turned and extended his hand; she hesitated. Then with a boost from Garrison, she settled behind Vaughn.

  The moment her arms clamped around his midsection felt like heaven.

  Chapter 42

  Mariah relaxed, her cheek against Vaughn's back, absorbing the heat that radiated from him, even through his leather coat. From hips to chest she molded to him and felt each muscle's movement as he shifted in the saddle, guiding the horse in a canter down the forest road.

  Once they reached the woods again, the horses slowed to a walk in the snowy, uneven terrain.

  Even though they'd put distance behind them, she kept checking over her shoulder, expecting to see a wild-eyed Wyatt or leering Linc. Or that terrifying thing that had touched her. Rubbing her neck, she winced at the raw skin.

  "How are you doing back there?" Vaughn's delicious voice rolled through her bones, and it felt like home.

  Her chest ached. "I'm okay."

  It would be so hard to walk away after being this close to him again.

  But she wouldn't fight. He had his world back in New York. He had his family. No way could she ask him to give that up for her. He had made his decision.

  And she wouldn't compromise. She needed a long-term relationship, not a few weeks' fling. He needed to be certain of his intentions. As much as it hurt, the final decision would be best for both of them.

  But why then had Vaughn come for her?

  More to the point, how did he know that she was even missing? Or where to find her?

  He'd said he loved her. Well, that complicated his declaration of never wanting to see her again. And he might still leave town, which took him off of her personal relationship "must have" list.

  Damn his leather and shaving cream scent. Damn the knowledge that, in his arms, she was safe. Damn the way his muscles tightened and shifted next to her own skin, screwing with her heart and mind and body in the worst possible way.

  At the sight of the ranch lights in the distance, a sob bubbled up. Whether the tears came from relief or impending loss, she didn't have the energy to analyze.

  Vaughn guided the horse through the gate and to the barn. Light snow fell, buffering all the sounds around them. The windows of the house glowed, a welcoming beacon in the freezing night.

  Garrison dismounted and hurried over to help her down. Her legs wobbled as they hit solid ground. Was it exhaustion?

  Or was it because she no longer rested against a guy who infused her with strength?

  In a flash, Vaughn was next to her, enveloping her in a tight embrace as he lifted her.

  "God, you almost died," he ground out. Her bones creaked under his grasp, but no way would she would complain.

  When she could breathe, she locked eyes with him. "How did you know where I was?"

  "I just knew you were in danger and I had to find you. I needed you to be safe."

  "But where do we
go from here? It's clear we don't have a future together."

  He pressed his mouth into a hard line. Half of his face was visible in the light from the ranch house. "I'm a total idiot."

  "That's not really an answer to the question."

  "Can you forgive me?"

  "For what? You just saved my life."

  "For what I said to you this morning."

  "You made your opinion clear about us. I can respect that."

  He lowered her to the ground. "I never said I was a smart guy when it came to women."

  The cold seeped in under her clothes, and she wrapped her arms over her chest, trying to still the shivers.

  "No more standing out here," he said, tugging her toward the house. "Let's get you inside. I need to explain some things to you, if you will give me a little time."

  Eric held open the back door, with Ruth and Sara peering out from behind him.

  Ruth sucked in a breath and in no time had Mariah seated at the table, salve applied and an ice pack pressed to the burned area on her neck. She wiped away the dried blood from under Vaughn's ears.

  "How's Odie?" Ruth asked, her gaze flicking to the back door.

  "Fine. Garrison and Kerr, too." Vaughn gave a thumbs up.

  Sara rested a hand over her chest and leaned against the counter.

  "Uh, guys. Some privacy?" Vaughn muttered.

  The women filed out of the kitchen, but Kerr entered a few seconds later, his eyes glued to his cell phone. He glanced up. "If you're about to have a serious conversation or private canoodle-fest, know that Garrison and Odie are still in the barn and will be through any minute, breaking whatever magical reunion you might have planned. Just sayin'."

  "Thanks." Vaughn rested his knuckles on the table, then pushed away and paced the kitchen.

  Mariah mustered the energy to stuff her gloves in pockets and shrug out of her coat. He took it from her and hung it on the peg inside the back door.

  "Do you want some water or something to eat?" His low voice melted her bones.

  She shook her head.